Chick Chat (Midori/Chelsea)

[Midori]

Early dawn

The sun was just peeking through over the horizon by the time Midori got up. She washed herself what she could. Dressed herself in her traditional clothes and set about fixing her face. She painted on her traditional bindi mark and applied a light coating of makeup. Her hair was finger combed until there weren't any more knots or tangles. Then she braided the sides and tied all of her hair with a red ribbon into in a ponytail. She put on her riding boots, grabbed a plum from the nearby basket, and headed out of her tent.

Usually at this time, she was supposed to be doing her morning prayers. This involved her sitting down in front of a holy fire in deep meditation for at least an hour. However, she could not afford to pray today. Time was of the essence, by mid afternoon the entirety of the tribes would probably be up and moving. Marching. She hoped that the gods would forgive her for skipping this morning’s round of prayers. As she ate the fruit as she made her way down and out towards the stables. She made a quick check of her spotted grey mare, who was grazing on a pile of hay and grasses.

"Good morning Ashes." She greeted her horse with a bit of cheer in her voice.

A group of Chaklai took advantage of the wee hours and set up a training grounds for riders. Those on horseback would run through a small gauntlet of obstacles in order to test the mettle of both horse and rider. All tribes were welcome to test themselves or to watch. This was a great learning opportunity for all tribes. Not wanting to miss out on some training, Midori saddled her horse up. And eventually she and Ashes made their way out of the stable area and out to the crowd of participants.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea had been awoken earlier than she would have liked by her father. She was disgruntled at first, but that quickly passed when he told her of some sort of obstacle course had been set up by the Chaklai for people to test themselves. Within a matter of minutes, the red head was dressed and on her way to the course. She dressed in a pair of short shorts, a loose-fitting shirt and her hair was a mess, but she wasn't concerned about it. She grabbed a piece of cloth and tied her hair up, and that took care of that.

She hadn't bothered trying to get Spirit ready to run the course. Her horse cared for mornings just about as much as Chelsea did. Instead, she had decided that she would watch and see if there was anything to learn. All these tribes together, chances are there would be something that she hadn't seen before. As her father wandered off to watching with some other members of their tribe, Chelsea found a nice spot of grass to sit and watch the show.

Stretching her legs out in front of her and using her hands to keep herself propped up. She took in several people running through the course with mild interest. Nothing had really caught her eye so far. That was until she spotted a pink-haired Sacaen approaching the area. If Chelsea's memory served her right, that was Midori. She had never met the girl herself, but she had heard a great deal about her from Selibas. You could say he was slightly smitten with her.

[Midori]

The Chaklai obstacle course consisted of three barrels and a fence like structure of equal height. The objective was to have each horse run towards the barrels, in a consecutive order, spin around them, then run up to the fence like one and jump over it. This was to test the horses and riders agility, coordination, and control. If you came into the barrels too quickly the horse could turn too sharply and fall over. Too slowly and you lose momentum. If the horse suddenly stopped the rider might be flung off. There were many things that could go wrong.

Midori mounted her horse and stood up a bit on the foot holes in order to get a look at the grounds. It looked a lot like the training they did a few days ago. Midori and Ashes managed to complete the tasks several times. They weren't always the fastest pair to finish the small gauntlet but they were consistent in their accuracy.

Midori took her place in line and waited for her turn. Several tribes folk had gone on before her. Some had taken a bad spill others did not have enough control over their horse to make the turns. Some horses froze at the sight of the gate and refused to jump it. Others simply went around it. Few riders managed to complete the objectives of the course.

Skai waved Midori over to the starting position. She braced herself and Ashes for the run, when the signal was drawn Ashes sped off like a grey bolt. Midori pulled on the reins and gave Ashes all the correct cues to complete the course. It also helped that the horse was very familiar with this routine. The two of them finished in a decent time. Midori gave Ashes an affectionate pat on the side of her face.

“Good job Ashes. Good Job. Let's get you some water before we try again.” She then led the horse over to a water trough which happened to be close to where an Orange Haired woman was sitting.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Keeping an eye on this Midori, Chelsea continued to watch the various Sacaens take their turn on the course. Eventually, Midori herself took a turn. She wasn't breathtaking, but she certainly wasn't the worse either. Well, she wasn't breathtaking on the course, at least. The girl herself was certainly attractive. She could see why Selibas was so smitten, especially if they had a lot in common on top of her looks. She wasn't necessarily Chelsea's type, but she wouldn't say no to a date with her if she asked. Well, she would, because she would never do that to Selibas. But that was neither here nor there.

The girl herself was making her way towards Chelsea, most likely to get her horse from a nearby trough. Brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes, she watched as the horse began to drink. It was a beautiful horse. Not as beautiful as Spirit, of course, but still very nice. As the girl stood by and watched the horse start to drink, Chelsea called over to her. "You have a beautiful horse. And that was a very nice run out on the course." She wondered if Selibas would mind her doing this, but she was going to go ahead regardless. She wanted to get to know this Midori he was so smitten with. Plus, she could develop into a new friend. And Chelsea never said no to a new friend. Well, not entirely true. But they had to give her a reason to say no, and Midori had yet to do so.

[Midori]

Midori smiled softly at the pretty woman's comment. Midori tried her hardest to figure out which tribe the orange haired woman came from by the color and design of her clothes. Her clothes seemed to be casual. But, Sacean tribes were so diverse with their tribal markings, clothes, colors, and given that there was such a large number of them here. The healer found herself overwhelmed in trying to figure out who came from what tribe. She carefully dismounted off of her horse and gently held on to the reigns while Ashes drank some water.

"Thank you. And I'm sure if Ashes could speak she'd say thank you as well." Midori gave a soft bow of her head.

The healer thought for a moment. It wasn't too often that she had a chance to speak casually towards women of other tribes. The most conversation she's done to women outside of the Chaklai were usually about business. Usually, business meant arranging a trades, bartering for goods, or agreeing to heal. Uhm.. What do I say? Shoot.. I don't even know what station she is.

"Ah.. pardon.. but are you a relative of a chieftain or Khan?" Midori asked with a bit of hesitation in her voice. The maiden's answer would determine how she must speak and act. As a priestess of the Chaklai proper diction and conversation was part of her training. If this orange haired maiden was a relative of a chieftain or Khan that instantly placed her at a higher station then the healer. If she was a commoner, then Midori could speak a bit more casually.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Ashes, huh? That was a fitting name for that horse. Much like how Spirit's name fit perfectly. Sacaens tended, in her opinion, to be very good at naming horses. Chelsea couldn't actually think of a time when she had met a Sacaen who had misnamed a horse. It was secretly one of the reasons why she was happy to be here. She got to see all the amazing horses form all over. She loved horses.

Chelsea's eyebrows raised slightly when Midori asked if she was a relative of a chieftain of Khan. Such people normally gave an aura of respect and power, something Chelsea didn't believe she had ever done. Plus, she looked like a mess right now. At the same time, it was flattering. Shaking her head, she let out a little laugh. "Oh no no no, I can't claim that I am. I'm simply a ranger from the Miagani tribe. Nothing special about me." She gave the girl a little smile. It was true, she was simply another member of another tribe.

"I do, however, know my chieftain fairly well. And I'm friends with Selibas, who I suppose has become a Khan in his own right." Internally, she was smiling. She had been looking for a way to bring up Selibas in a non-obvious way. She wanted to see how Midori reacted to hearing the name. Speaking of names, she bowed her head slightly to the girl. "I'm Chelsea, by the way. It is very nice to meet you."

[Midori]

"Pleasure to meet you Chelsea. My name is Midori of the Chaklai." The pink haired priest was smiling back. She breathed a small sigh of relief when Chelsea said she wasn't a Khan or Khan's relative. This would make talking to her a whole lot easier. A ranger from the Miagni. Shoot.. I don't know who the Miagni are. Is the clan on good terms with them.. I.. guess we are. Chelsea seems pretty friendly.

"I'm sorry I had to ask that of you. Depending on who's who.. And what rank they are.. affects how I talk and present myself." There was a bit of a light blush on her cheeks.

"I will be honest.. it's a bit or a relief to be talking to someone a who's closer to my station. I see.. you are friends with your Khan.. And the Grand Khan. That's nice." Oh. Great of course.. she's got powerful high ranking friends well.. so much for casual speech. Midori's facial expressions softened a bit slipping into a bit more of a neutral tone. And she was looking forward to such casual conversation too. It had been a while since she had a chance to sit down and talk normal girly things with other women. Most of the other girls within her rank other priestess seemed to have lost their approachable attitudes. Everything within the shine was talking about the shrine or doing some sort of duty. Even the walks through the market town seemed to lose their charm. But then again Chelsea was a friend of khans and yet she appeared as if she had just rolled out of bed. Ooh.. I don't know what to do. We can't just stand here like a fence post.. come on say something. Ashes let out a light snort as if annoyed at Midori's indecisive nature.

"I'm sorry. I am at a bit of a loss for words, I'm afraid I don't know much about the Miagni. I'd like to hear you talk about them."

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea noticed that Midori seemed to be put off by her knowing several Khans. She seemed to be one that took a person's rank very seriously. Not that that was a bad thing, but it had never really been something Chelsea herself had worried about. Plus, it made things a little harder when it came to Selibas. It might take some time to get her to look passed. But they would get there in time. She waved her hand back and forth. "Please, think nothing of it. I'm not one for stuffy formalities. I mean, look at me. Do I really look like a girl who bothers much with that stuff?" She gave a little laugh. "Just treat me like you would anyone else, and I'd appreciate it." She had flashbacks to being referred to as Mrs. Calderon and had to fight back a shiver. She had nothing against Kelvin's name, but even that was too formal to her. Besides the fact that, you know, they never actually married.

"That's quite alright, we're not especially well known. We make our home down by Lycia and occasionally do business with the Lycians. Besides that, we hunt. That's about it really. We're friendly with most of the Lycians in the proximity. A good deal of the tribe has actually intermarried with people from various nations down there. I'm actually part Lycian myself, the orange hair is a bit of a give away." She laughed again. Some people couldn't believe a Sacaen with orange hair. The things people worry about. "I got it from my mum. My brother got most of Dad's Sacaen bits, but I got a mix of the two."

[Midori]

"Please, think nothing of it. I'm not one for stuffy formalities. I mean, look at me. Do I really look like a girl who bothers much with that stuff?" Midori smiled softly at Chelsea's comment.

"No. But I am a bit jealous.. you do seem to be quite comfortable." And suddenly Midori wished she could go out into the world in just her night clothes. Which consisted of a pair of brown slacks and one very large, patchy, and comfortable man's shirt. A memento from her father. Which was odd considering that the priests and priestesses of her tribe were given plain silken sleeping clothes. These were modeled after the first high priest's clothes. The first time she was caught wearing it outside of her room in the temple the monks scolded her. The second time she was scolded and given a punishment of cleaning out the chicken coops. The third time left her scrubbing all of the pots and dishes in the temple. The fourth time was with Lady Lucy who threatened to burn the thing. Midori stood and listened to all that Chelsea had to say about the Miagani.

"Your tribe sounds alot like mine. The Chaklai live in the area near the western Bernese borders. We are on the opposite side of the Rhine river close towards the mountains. Our first leaders emphasized the importance of working together and cooperating with our neighbors. As a result we have become a thriving farming community and focused on healing and medicine. We have taken some of Bern's influence into our own culture. Wyverns are seen as holy creatures. We learned to cultivate plums and peaches by observing how Bern cultivates apples. We even allow outsiders to intermarry and join us if they pass a test. Like you I am a mix. A Sacean mother and a Bernese father." She spoke with a tint of excitement and joy in her voice. It felt nice to talk about these things so openly. It was due to the Chaklai's association with Bern that a majority of other tribes did not see the Chaklai as truly Sacean. Which sometimes caused hostility between the Chaklai and other tribes. Hopefully, their actions in the war would help to change that for the better.

"Dad gave me my hair." She rubbed the back of her neck a bit. She was a bit embarrassed at that. Not for the fact that her father had given her iconic pink hair, but due to the fact she might have been a little over excited talking about her tribe.

"I do like your hair though. I know I could never get mine to be so long."

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea smiled as Midori noticeably relaxed. As much as she may not like it, there was a time and place for formalities. But this wasn't it. Now was a time for relaxing and getting to know each other. And maybe a little spy work for Selibas. Not that he necessarily deserved it, but she wouldn't go back on what she had promised him.

She couldn't help but keep smiling as Midori went on and on about her tribe. It was nice to see someone so excited to tell someone else about their customs. And Chelsea always found learning about other tribes to be interesting. There was always similarities and differences between the tribes, and which were which were always fascinating. Plus it was cute how excited Midori was when it came to talking about her tribe and her family.

When the girl complimented her hair, Chelsea smiled once again. Pulling her hair over her shoulder, she began to run her fingers through it. "Thank you. I like it being long like this, but it came be a pain sometimes. It can take forever to work out all of the tangles, and can get in the way during fighting if I don't tie it up. I like your hair too, the pink is a very nice color." A sly smile grew on her face. She knew there was probably a better way to transition to this, but this was more fun. "You know... I know someone else who likes your pink hair, too."

[Midori]

"The shorter hair has it's own share of problems. It likes to furl and poke me in the eyes if I don't braid it right." She smiled softly. There were many times during her meditation where an unruly hair would curl and hit her eye. This would force her to break her concentration , move her hand up to her face and try to pull the hair back. This led to some reprimand from the higher monks but it usually wasn't too bad. They understood the problems with the human body. It was secretly rumored that that was the reason why nearly all of the male monks had shaved heads.

"Oh? Well.. I know a bunch of people that like my hair. My mentor adores it cause it reminds her of the pink stones in her native land. The monks and sisters seem to like it because it reminds them of blossoms and springtime. I like it.. because it's mine." She found herself staring at the floor with her finger curled under her chin. She was trying to think of other people who liked her hair. The Grand Khan was curious about her hair too if memory served. That brought a light flush of pink to her cheeks. Midori had a sneaking suspicion that this conversation was going to start to turn into a conversation about the Grand Khan. Chelsea did say she was his friend. And considering the gossip floating around the tribes and how quickly gossip can turn into rumor it was only natural for Chelsea to be a bit curious about this mysterious pink haired healer. She sighed softly. Ah.. I think.. I see what is going on. Don't be rude about it.. let her finish. It might not all be bad. Then returned her attention back up to Chelsea.

"I have a feeling I know who you are going to say.. but please go on."

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea couldn't help but smile. This girl was smart. She could almost see the wheels turning in her head, putting things together. Selibas did have good taste, even if he was a jerk face. She decided, however, to draw this out a little longer. "My hair is too long to braid the whole thing, at least by myself. Maybe someday you could try braiding it for me. You seem to be better at it than I ever was." That was true. Chelsea could braid, but she had never been great at it. Sadly, her father was even better at it than her.

Figuring she had dragged it out long enough, she let out a little sigh. "You had to be all smart and take all of the fun out of it. Yes, our dear Great Khan has the tiniest bit of a crush on you. I don't know if he wanted me to just come out and say it; you know boys and their masculinity. They act like it's the hardest thing in the world to express any types of feelings." She rolled her eyes. Boys. "Now, I'm not telling you this so that you'll run to him and fall into his arms. Nor am I saying that to scare you away from him. I simply want you to know so you can form your own opinions. If I'm being honest, it's actually adorable how he's reacting to this all. He's certainly smitten with you and knows so little about girls, that he has no idea how to proceed." She sighed. Oh Selibas.

[Midori]

Midori was smiling, grinning at the prospect of braiding Chelsea's long hair. She loved doing peoples hair. It was one of the acceptable things to be done among the priesthood. Even though vanity was to be avoided the women would disguise it by stating that braiding, combing, or cutting hair to be tied into the daily scripture. And the girls did their best to try and tie the fun of gossiping and hair-do with lecture. Some claimed it to be tied to the ever present cycle of nature, others claimed it to be healthy because it helped deter lice, some said it to be practical, Midori just liked doing it. But before she could say Thank you and accept Chelsea's offer to be girly her expression changed. Chelsea started talking about the Grand Khan. She went on and on about how the Khan was smitten wiith her. Something she didn't mind. Lady Lucy often told her she was pretty and that as her mentor she had to dissuade some rather persistent suitors.

What she did mind was that the Grand Khan had the nerve to send Chelsea to talk to her for him.  The Khan was afraid to talk to her directly. This is what upset the young healer. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her brows furrowed, and she had a frown on her face. She kept her gaze too the floor and waited for Chelsea to finish talking. She then turned her head up to the sky, took in a deep breath and breathed it out in a long sigh. She then returned her gaze back at Chelsea her demeanor much more serious then it had been a little while ago. I see.. this is worse then I thought.

"You can tell the Grand Khan if he wishes to speak to me then he should talk to me in person. I am not a THING to be chased or to be feared. I am a human being. His personal problem with women should not force him to send his female friend out to milk me for information. That is unbelievably rude and incredibly childish. It also shows a complete lack of trust and it's.. demoralizing. You should feel bad for agreeing to being his spy. I.. was enjoying our little chat too. But.. now I understand... She took a breath. Relax.

"If he has a problem with me personally then he should say so. So we can treat this issue like the adults we are." She turned around and pulled on Ashes reigns. She quickly got up on her horse.

"Next time you are obliged to deliver a message from the Grand Khan just say it quickly and be done with it. Do.. not feign friendliness.. in an attempt to gain my trust. There are enough people who've done that already. We are done here. Good day." And with that said Midori, lightly kicked Ashes, and soon both healer and horse were gone.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea raised an eye as Midori turned from smiling to rage filled. Clearly, something else had happened previously to cause such a reaction, because that just doesn't come out of no where. That aside, Chelsea wasn't overly fond of being yelled at like that and then not being able to defend herself. Watching as the pink-haired girl rode away, she gave a sharp whistle. Spirit came trotting out of the stable, giving her an upset look. She girl stormed over and leap up onto the horse. "I have bigger problems right now than your lack of sleep." Urging the horse on, she sped after Midori.

It took a while, but Chelsea finally spotted the familiar pink hair up ahead. Spurring Spirit on, she caught up to Midori and cut her off. Staring down the girl, she gave off a fiery demeanor that matched her fiery hair. "You want to accuse others of being rude and childish, Midori? I would argue that what you did was far worse. Accusing people of false friendliness and shaming them, then running off before they can defend themselves? If anyone here should be ashamed, it should be you."

Sliding off Spirit, Chelsea drew herself up, the fire in her eyes burning brighter than ever. "I don't know what happened to you in your past that causes you to instant assume the worst in people, but don't you dare ever do that to me again. You don't know enough about me to assume something like that of me. No one referred to you as a thing to be chase, and it's insulting to me to be accused of that. Besides, I could care less if you like our dear Grand Khan or not. In fact, I'm not particularly fond of him myself right now. I talked to you because I thought we could be friends."

Chelsea felt her anger shifting from Midori to Selibas and Kelvin, but it was still rising. Her eyes narrowed. "Would you like to know why I'm not overly fond of Selibas right now? A little over a year ago, my fiance and I separated because he felt the need to join the same Rebellion as Selibas. When I didn't agree, we separated." She didn't really know why she was telling Midori this, but she couldn't stop herself.

"I went into hiding for over a year so that I couldn't be taken and used against him. Over a year of my life was lost to that. And then," Chelsea could feel her eye beginning to water, but she pressed on. "And then, I finally stop hiding and decide to go to find him. Along the way, I hear about this whole thing going on, so of course I make my way here. And once I get here, I run into Selibas." Several tears had made their way down her face, but she didn't care. "When I asked about my former fiance, the man who I had loved with all my heart, Selibas informed me that he news of what was happening here has made it all the way to Bern, and yet stayed behind. So he either thought so little of me that he thought I would stay in hiding rather than fight for my own people, or he knew I would be here but chose not to come, or he didn't even think of me. Honestly, I'm not sure which is worse."

The Sacaen felt her legs shaking, from anger or misery she wasn't sure, so she slowly fell down to her knees. "So, I'm sorry I agreed to help Selibas, alright? I just..." Her voice broke. She was only barely able to get out her last sentence, and even so it was barely more than a whisper. "I just needed a reason to believe in love again..."

[Midori]

As she rode off into a random direction Midori felt bad. She could feel tears streaming down her cheeks and she wasn't quite sure why she had that emotional outburst. She tried her best to wipe away the small stream of tears from her face. Her people, her clan, her faith, they all instruct them on the value of not letting negative emotions sway the actions body. Negative emotions such as anger, sadness, bitterness, pain, these all have their place in this world. It is natural to feel these emotions in certain times and places. But one must remember the scripture, remember positive things, in order to balance out the negativity. So that way the mind is focused enough to make needed decisions about the future. Midori wasn't sure why she suddenly lashed out as she did. She assumed it had to have been the stress and combination of everything that had happened up until this point. The travel, the healing, the work, the uncomfortable sleeping, the meeting of the khan, people's unrelenting curiosity towards her. And she had to grin and bare it while remaining as calm, collected, and kind as possible. She would have to go back eventually and apologize to Chelsea but not now. Now all she wanted to do was have a quiet moment to herself and meditate. To clear her mind and regain some semblance of inner peace. But alas that was not meant to be as Chelsea soon rode up and stopped her and Ashes in their tracks.

"You want to accuse others of being rude and childish, Midori? I would argue that what you did was far worse. Accusing people of false friendliness and shaming them, then running off before they can defend themselves? If anyone here should be ashamed, it should be you."

Her face was still wet with tears and her eyes were still red and irritated. But she kept her gaze firm. The healer was still mad and upset. She was in no mood to hear any more of Chelsea's talking, but for the sake of peace she would keep quiet. When Chelsea had finished talking only then did Midori speak.

"It.. seems we both have some internal issues to deal with." She sighed softly.

"Look, I'm sorry for snapping. And accusing you of being something you are not. You know nothing of my tribes culture... I have been trained not to let the hardships of life deter me from my beliefs. That there is good in all people." She focused her gaze to Chelsea's eyes.

"But you made it sound as if it was fun. That it was fun for a man who is far above my station to have a childish crush on me. Do you know what that implies? A man of that status... with literally a snap of his fingers.. he could remove me from my tribe.. my livelihood. I'd cease to be Midori of the Chaklai. And most.. people... Insist on pairing us together.. without considering what I think of it. People I do not know have been asking me about it. Strangers approach me.. track me down.. in order to have me put in a good word. I mean for father sky's sake, I barely know the Khan myself. The whole thing has been overwhelming. I.. just want people to stop and leave me alone for a little while.. while this gets sorted out. We are going to war with invaders! And this whole thing is distracting me from the training I am supposed to be doing. She paused. Actually, this whole thing has been pretty scary. Then shook her head.

"But that is no excuse. I'm sorry you had to go through all that." From one of her sleeves she pulled a small plum colored silken handkerchief. She handed it over to Chelsea so she could dry her tears. She glanced down at Chelsea's horse for a bit while trying to think of something. She closed her eyes and tried to compose herself.

"I'm sorry.. but I don't know how to mend hearts.. I can only mend wounds.. mostly. I don't understand why you aren't fond of the Grand Khan.. but to me it sounds like you should be more upset at your fiancee. If you.. need to believe in love.. then perhaps you should change your perspective on love. Focus less on your personal problems with your fiancee.. who I assume is still a million miles away from here.. focus on a new love?" The healer looked around.

"I mean there is love everywhere. You just need to know where to look. Mothers and fathers love their children. Tribes love Sacae.. I love my hair?" She cleared her throat.

"I'm not making sense.. scripture doesn't give good details on how to deal with love and relationships. And I've been kinda sheltered away from this stuff.. so uh.. What I mean.. is that you should not let your personal love issues distract you. You are Chelsea of the Miagni first.. Chelsea Fiancee of so and so second..or third. Chelsea needs to focus on Chelsea because there are other people who would be sad to see Chelsea go. Other people who love Chelsea."