Between hot rocks and a hard place (Selibus/Midori B)

[Midori]

~Sacea Camp Evening~

The sun was steadily treading downwards past the horizon. It’s decent lit the skies with a warm orange and yellow glow. Soon, the fire glow of the skies would turn into a bluish black color, and the stars would twinkle in the sky. Midori had spent the better part of evening doing what needed to be done. Training accidents were common with a gathering this large. She healed many cuts, scrapes, and bruises. And once she had a moment to herself she tended to the needs of her horse then resumed to the needs of the people. While she remained to be a pious in her duties to help others she did not forget her task to the grand khan. She was to deliver the hot stones in order to help ease his sore muscles. She waited until evening so as to give Khan Selibas some much needed rest.

She mused heavily on his words. It seemed that they both needed to understand each other if they were going to function with each other. They couldn’t afford to be distracted by emotions in the middle of battle. Midori knew this. Midori knew that the Khan was going to get hurt in this war. And she would have to heal him when she could. She couldn’t shift her responsibilities to her Khan or her tribe due to something as awkward as not knowing how to react to emotions. She needed to talk to the Khan. She needed to see him as not just the Khan. She needed to see him as a some one of her station.. No she needed to see him as a friend… at least for now.

And so the priestess went on her way towards his tent. She had a bucket of warm rocks and rags to wrap them in. Once she was at his tent, she greeted the guard.

“Pardon.. But I am here to deliver these stones to the Khan.”

[Selibas]

Khasar leaned against a barrel that rested before the tent of his Khan. In truth he had put it there. He liked to lean. It certainly made guard duty seem less hellish. Of course he didn't hate guard duty. It was important to keep his Khan safe, yadda yadda yadda. It was just that anyone could do it really. Any blood rider at least, and Khasar had been with Selibas since the short man had become a Khan. He and Kaichun had been of the first Sumis to treat the green haired kid like a person. He'd even been boxed behind the ears as a kid for pushing Farus, Selibas' cousin, off of the little boy. In short, one of the new blood riders could have easily taken time out of their day to come and watch the entrance to Selibas' tent while absolutely nothing happened. He could be sleeping. Or training. Or throwing dice. Or sleeping. There were twenty one eyes on the Khan's tent if Delger was the blood rider chosen by Dale to watch the Khan in hiding with the other ten hidden guards and twenty two if it was someone else, and that would be enough to keep one of the Lorca or Julin blood riders honest.

However, something actually did happen. Someone was coming. Khasar shot up at the soft sound of the footsteps of what sounded like a person of smaller stature. He smiled softly when he saw he was right, a short young woman with pink hair approached him carrying a bucket. She said she was meant to deliver something to Selibas. His smile widened. "So. Pink hair." His smile widened even wider until a massive laugh erupted from his throat. He laughed hard enough to fall back onto the barrel, and looked to be in danger of falling onto the ground until a hand steadied him. He looked over and saw his brother Kaichun, who wasn't laughing. It had been twenty two eyes then.

Kaichun gave the healer a smile, and said, "I'm sorry about my brother. He may look like a man but he's really a child. Khasar, you're relieved, Coke's playing dice with Delger and Tugtom about ten tents east. Sorry again he was so rude." Both of the men began to turn, Khasar finally stopping his laughter as he turned to hurry away before his brother changed his mind. As Kaichun pretended to be very interested in what was happening in the East he knocked through the ger's woolen wall and then said, "Go right ahead...Midori." At her name he let out a small chuckle, and Khasar was back to a hooting laugh as he walked out of sight.

---

"Come in." The short Khan had heard the knock his blood riders used when he had a visitor, and the Khan answered. He didn't face the Ger's opening, instead he stood in the center, under the light that streamed in through the ceiling just next to the central support. He liked to leave the opening that was meant to be closeable open, to feel the wind at night, and to give him the chance to look up and see the moon. It felt odd to sleep indoors after a life where most nights he did the opposite.

He stood directly in the light, and read through his most recent letter from his best friend. It was good to hear about him, and all the things that had changed in Bern. As he heard the tent opening, he began to fold his letter up, that was something just for him.

[Midori]

Midori was a bit puzzled. The man she had spoken to was laughing at her. She had been polite with her greeting. She was clean and fully groomed. She found no sound reason why he would suddenly burst out laughing towards her. She kept herself quiet. Whatever, comical problem he found with her was resolved when the brother of the man talked. He distracted the laughing man with the prospects of gambling and dice.

“Th-thank you.” She thanked him for dismissing the other man. But, even then she found something off with him. He knocked on the tent walls signaling the Khan. This second nan knew her name. And he let out a small chuckle when he spoke it. This upset Midori. She didn't like it when she was being the butt end of some sort of joke. But, she was in no situation to complain. These were the Khan's blood riders, his kin. To insult them would be like insulting the Khan. She could not stain the Chaklai's reputation with some mean spirited comments… even though she kind of wanted to.

Once she was given permission to enter, the priestess bowed her head lightly and entered the tent. Khan Selibus was standing there with his back facing the door. He was standing in the light and doing something she could not see. She entered the tent and got on her knees. The bucket of warm rocks was in front of her as if it was some sort of offering.

“Good evening my Khan. How are you feeling?”

[Selibas]

“Good evening my Khan. How are you feeling?”

Oh, it was her. Selibas walked over to the mat next to his cot and squatted down, quickly shoving the letter beneath a few other papers he had beneath a stone to keep them from blowing away. Then he lifted himself, and turned to look at her. She was on her knees, why was she on her knees? The pink haired woman had a bucket in front of her, presumably filled with the warm stones she had mentioned earlier. He hadn't really grasped a lot of the medical talk she'd given him about its practical use, but he recalled that the stones would be hot, which didn't excite him. He hated heat.

"I'm fine Midori. I should be in top form in a day or two." He wasn't certain, but he considered it likely. He'd taken similar injuries before, they just usually weren't accompanied by a few other injuries as severe. And he'd usually had them treated quicker. It was a real shame he'd run out of that balm he'd bought when he was thirteen, it had a way of soothing and cleaning his wounds all at once.

He flopped himself down in front of her bucket, crossing his legs and letting his hands rest on either knee. He exhaled sharply through his nose, and looked into the pail. His suspicions were confirmed, but there were rags in the bucket as well. Half confirmed. "What do you need me to do with these?" He drummed his fingers on his right knee.

[Midori]

"What do you need me to do with these?" The Khan asked and Midori responded.

"Well, they were to relieve your fore muscles. You are to wrap the hot rocks in the cloth and put them onto the areas that are sore." She looked up at him. Again she didn't make full eye contact as that was considered to be rude in her culture. You only made direct eye contact in times of seriousness or if the person was a member of your immediate family. Her gaze was kept closer towards the space where the cheek met the under eyes.

"But you seem to be moving fine. You might not even need them." She nodded softly. She read the Khan's movements. He had sat down on a mat and drummed his fingers along his knee. This was usually a sign of impatience. Oh. I think I came at a bad time.

"I.. do not wish to be rude. Your riders.. the guards whom greeted me. They.. laughed at me when I arrived and I do not know why." She shifted her gaze to meet his eyes.

"It does not matter what tribe or what culture we have.. being laughed at.. in-front of one's face like that.. isn't very nice."

"Although seeing you here.. in your own tent.. I think.. I know why. I have interrupted you from something." She spoke. She still had some nervousness in her voice. Despite her best efforts to try and banish her nerves all together. She needed to be strong. She needed to focus. She couldn't live her life in this war afraid of the Khan. She quietly made a fist with her hand and used the other hand to hide it.

"I think they seem to think it's funny. I do not. If I have interrupted you, I am sorry."

[Selibas]

She still wouldn't look him in the eye. Damn it. He wasn't some tyrant who was going to throw her against the support beams if she upset him. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted, it was all that the short khan wanted to make her feel safe around him. Why couldn't he make himself soft?

She took a moment to explain to him why she'd brought the stones, to try and help him relax his muscles, and then she explained that he was moving fine without them. He was, but that was mainly because he was angry. He didn't want to twist his face up in pain, his face was set in a scowl, there was no need for him to express distaste at the pain that overtook him at any sharper movements. Normally in private he'd show the ticks of pain, but now he simply willed his body through the hurtful motions because he knew he'd survive, so he didn't care if he felt a few pangs. But the scowl, well that might have been why she wouldn't look at him. He tried to soften his face, trying to open his eyes more and widen his mouth. He always felt like his face looked silly when he attempted to open it like that, but he didn't wish to look angry at her. Even if he was.

"No. You brought them here. I want them, thank you. They'll help me."

However, she launched into a question about his guards, laughing at her. That would be Khasar, and likely Kaichun. He believed the younger brother was the one watching in quiet, though it was likely any of the other louder guards could have come to relieve the lazy swordsman and laughed up a storm with him. He'd remember to deck the long haired trickster next time he saw him.

Midori clearly hadn't liked it. Unless he was wrong, she actually had a bit of anger over it. That was nice to see. Still she seemed to blame herself. She thought she'd interrupted him, and that had been what was funny. Oh no, that wasn't it. If that's what she meant, that certainly wasn't it.

"That wasn't what they were laughing about. I wasn't doing anything. They were laughing because... I'm watched any time I leave this tent. They find and write down the name of anyone I speak with, all of my guards know the names and faces of anyone in camp who's even bumped into me. Your name and your appearance has passed between them quite a bit. I'm sorry that I've made you familiar to them."

Selibas lowered his body, and peered over the edge of the bucket, and looked at the stones. He reached in, and picked one up. Passing it between his hands, he spoke again. Quietely, and softly, "I'm sorry for hugging you. I shouldn't have. And I'm sorry for my outburst, I shouldn't have acted like a child." He'd simply felt as afraid as he had when he'd been one.

[Midori]

“So.. it is my presence that causes your guard to laugh at me. Im.. a laughing stock due to familiarity.” She was trying her best to hide her emotions. She did her best to think of calm things. Of the plum and cherry blossoms of her homeland. She told herself she was used to this.. used to strangers pointing and laughing. She bit her lip. She wasn't used to this at all. As a matter of fact she hated it.

“I understand I still have much to learn about other tribes and relationships. But, I-I... I am not some sort of joke!” Her voice changed. She was talking with a bit more volume and sounded rather upset at it all. Here she was doing what she could to help the Khan… and his kin seem to find it funny. Funny that their Khan meeting with a healer was an act to be mocked. Or perhaps it was because she was the subject of local gossip. She realized she was speaking too harshly and returned her voice back to a more normal tone.

“I.. am sorry. I spoke.. out of turn.. I just.” She sighed. Midori felt like she had just ruined everything. The frustrations of everything happening just seemed to hit her all at once. She was looking at him now. Eyes and all. Her eyes were with tears.

“I want to learn more about you my Khan. If I am to function properly as both your healer, aide, and friend… we must learn to overcome this tension between us.” It seemed the Khan was upset over what had happened in the medical tent. Midori panicked and didn't know what to do when hugging a man of a higher station. If Selibas had been anyone else besides a Khan she would have hugged him right back.

“I do not wish for hugs to be awkward! I do not want you to be odd around me. I would like us to be as close as friends. Companions even. I want to learn who Selibas is not just as the Grand Khan. Childishness and all.” She wiped her wet face with her sleeves.

“I.. am frustrated that I cannot just.. do that. Without someone saying something.. something humiliating. Something… untrue..” She kept her face hidden and let herself cry.

[Selibas]

The short khan grimaced as Midori's voice fell. There always seemed to be something that prevented her from understanding the meaning of his words. It was likely the way he chose his words, he needed to take better care to actually explain things when he... explained things. Her voice quickly picked back up, and changed from a tone of hurt to one that still held onto that air of sadness but also held anger. Midori's face had slowly slipped, going from her usual composed self to one free of confinement, and it was clear that this face was a sorrowful one. As she apologized for raising her voice, she began to cry.

And Selibas was at a loss. His mouth hung slightly agape as he attempted to force words from it, but none came. She continued, through her tears telling him that she didn't like the space between them, the air of tension. That was good to hear, it was all that he wanted to hear actually. Only he hadn't wished to hear it with a waver in her voice and tears in her eyes. He didn't want her to fear what people would say of her spending time with him.

The pink haired woman covered her beautiful face, and Selibas closed his mouth. He'd made her cry, his thrown away explanation, given in haste due to his anger at something she couldn't help, had made her cry. He was still angry, that wouldn't go away immediately, but seeing her cry made his exterior melt. His face slid to the softest it had ever been, his shoulders dropped and his body softened. He slid around the bucket of stones, tossing the one in his hand back in as he went.

When he knelt only a few inches from Midori, he placed his hand against her shoulder, softly to try not to startle her. He wished he'd never held a sword, and that his hand was as soft as a poets, but he'd lived his life on the battlefield and his hands had the callouses to show it, and she'd likely feel them. "Midori, I am so sorry. They were not laughing at you, they were laughing at me. My guards are my kin, my blood riders, my friends. They know me well enough to laugh when I do something they think is amusing, and I confess, they know that I... care for you, that I like speaking with you. They are laughing that their Khan and their young friend is taken with a woman, but not at the woman. Not at you."

He wanted to hug her again. To make her feel comforted, to make her feel safe. "Midori, in my tribe, and I confess in most places I have been, when someone is upset someone that cares about them will usually embrace them. If it-" Selibas stopped talking, and slowly slid his arms around her, then he pulled her close to his chest. "You do not need to worry about anyone but me when you are here."

[Midori]

She felt pathetic. She looked pathetic. She didn’t want to sit here and cry. She didn’t want to sit there and look like some weak willed fool. The Khan didn’t need to see her like this. The Khan.. no.. maybe Selibas had to see her like this. She was sick and tired of all of the gossip around the camp. Selibas put his hand on her shoulder. He reassured her that his kin weren’t laughing at her. It was a nice sentiment.

“Your guards shouldn’t be laughing at either of us!” She blurted out in between her sobs.

He went ahead and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Her hand covered face was pulled towards his chest. And she stayed there for a moment. He cared very strongly about her. She slowly moved her arms away from her face and embraced him. She kept her head close towards his chest and her eyes closed. She needed to compose herself.

Midori was no stranger to hugs. Her kin, her fellow sisters and monks would hug each other in response of emotion. She had received hugs from random strangers whom she’d healed. Families who thanked her for medicine. Lady Lucy and Skai had hugged her too. They were her family. But, they were people whom were her rank or lower. Common folk whom she was comfortable with. Selibas was warm. This was comforting. Once, she had calmed down enough, she pulled away from him. It wasn’t a harsh pull, it was a slow, gentle one. Her eyes were a light red from the crying. A small bit of her light makeup was starting to run. She wiped her face again.

“Thank you, Selibas.”

[Selibas]

"No, no they should not. I will tell them to stop. I can be scary." He knew very well just how scary he could be, in fact whenever he was around Midori he could only think about how frightening he came off. A wolf wasn't tender.

The short khan was braced for her to shove him away, for her to pry herself from his arms. Like he would shrink to avoid the cold, he steeled himself for rejection. However, she did not push him off of her, instead she spread her arms around him, and hugged him back.

When he'd hugged her back in the blue tent, it had made anxiety, stress, pressure, ego, and everything else that came with being Selibas slip away. Now, here, her with her arms wrapped around him, it felt completely different. The hug meant to comfort her still made Selibas feel much lighter, like his duty slipped away while he held her. However, with her arms stretched around him, the little wolf felt like the biggest man in the world. His heart pounded in his chest like a racing jack rabbit, and his stomach felt like he was falling. It was like the way he'd felt the first time he'd looked in her green eyes, he was struck again, this time he didn't know how soon he'd be able to get up.

However she then pulled away from him sweetly, slow enough that his hands drifted from her instead of simply flopping to his sides. She thanked him. She didn't run and tell someone he'd touched her, or get someone to come and drag him to the Khan's tent by his hair. She thanked him, Midori had hugged him back and then thanked him for it.

"D-d-d-don't mention it." DAMN IT. He was not some stammering boy who clammed up anytime someone shot him a look, or he looked at a pretty woman. He was the wolf, he was the Khan. His word was iron, and iron did not skip.

She wiped her face, cleaning the makeup and the tears from her soft fair skin. Quickly, Selibas plucked one of the rags from the bucket and soft as he could, pressed it into her hand, "Here. Use this. I can do it for you if you like." He left his face plain, but on the inside he cringed. What a stupid thing to offer.

[Midori]

Midori smiled softly at Selibas' gesture. He grabbed her one of the rags that were to be used for the rocks. She accepted it. The cloth was warm and would be rather comforting. She folded it into a palm sized rectangle and gently wiped her face. How that she had cried a bit, she felt better. The khan had seen her at her worst and was ok with it. At least as ok as one could be. He seems to truly care.. found herself staring down at the floor for a bit. This was not meant to be interpreted as her ignoring Khan Selibas, she just needed a moment to gather her thoughts.

When she had an idea of what to say, she turned her head up to face him. She had no more reason to fear looking into his eyes. He didn't see eye contact as rude. She needed to get accustomed to staring at him. To being around him. That was the reason she was here no? To help heal the Khan and get over her aversion of him. This was a crucial first step. She took a small glance at the gap between the tent flaps. She saw the sun had all but vanished under the horizon and that the sky was turning a familiar shade of dark.

"My Khan. This meeting.. thank you. You've.. seen me cry.. and you didn't.. shun me for that." She nodded softly. The war with Etruria will push her to her limits. She was aware of this. She was aware that people were going to see sides of her that had not been seen. Sides of her pain, anger, anguish, things that only her closest friends have seen.

"I think.. I am starting to understand what you feel for me. I am willing to accept it.. in time. I share a connection to you.. a perhaps even a similar emotion.. that I am having trouble putting into words." She felt her cheeks go red. She hadn't felt like this in quite sometime. She felt like a child delivering a gift to her crush.

"Trouble putting it into action." She sighed softly.

"It is difficult to fight through a lifetime of proper behavior.. proper actions.. But, I swear to you Khan Selibas.. I will make an effort to be more.. open to these feelings." She found herself holding his hand. She let go of it after a bit. Baby steps Midori. Baby steps.

"These chats help. I fear we will not be able to talk like this once the war is in full swing." She frowned lightly.

"Unfortunately, It is getting late and I must return to my camp. Please use the stones. I will send another to fetch them back in about an hour. Leave the bucket outside your tent when you are done."

[Selibas]

For a time the short pair of Sacaens didn't say anything, they simply sat as Midori wiped the moisture from her face. Then she looked at him, in the eyes. She didn't look at his nose, she didn't look at the top of his cheeks, she looked at him directly in his beastly gray eyes with her own beautiful green ones. No, she didn't need to tear them away, and it was almost as good a feeling as the hug.

"Of course I wouldn't shun you for crying. It's natural."

Then she told him that she might feel something the same for him as the way he was stricken. Well now he felt even better. Before long he was holding her hand. She told him that it was difficult to fight through tradition, and what was proper. "You being open to it... sounds nice enough." Her hand was soft, soft and small, he felt like he would break it if he held it too tight. Which wouldn't have been frightening if he wasn't filled with desire to squeeze her hand as hard as he could.

And then she pulled away.

"I will make time." But then she was leaving. It was getting dark, she would have more important things to do than chat to some silly animal who was enamored with her. He should be doing something important, but he didn't want to. He wanted desperately to ask her to stay, but he knew that it would put her in a compromising position. This had been a good step, for both of them. He shouldn't ruin it by trying to get her to spend more time with him than she meant to.

Instead he rose quickly, too quickly. The wound at his side nipped at him, and the scars on his back burned the way they tended to when he moved too fast. He ignored it, and left a small smile against his lips. Extending his hand he said, "Of course, I'll leave them outside like you said. Let me help you up."

[Midori]

Midori Got up slowly. She accepted Khan Selibas help. Her hand held his as she slowly pushed herself off the ground. As she moved she looked at him. She could see it in his movements. He was in pain but he hid it with a smile. She assumed he was still sore and reeling from the fight before. And there will be so many more battles to come. Midori didn't like the thought of more violence. She didn't like the thought of potentially seeing Khan Selibas as a corpse on the field. But, he was their leader. He was their Khan. As much as she did not want him to push himself, she knew he would. There were far too many people who were depending on him. All of Sacae was depending on him.

"Thank you, Selibas."

She grabbed her staff from the hook on her bag. She closed her eyes momentarily and focused. The glass orb ontop of the rod glowed with a warm light. The warmth passed from the gem and into Khan Selibas. The light would mend what remained of his wounds and soothe his pain. He would still need to rest. But for now this, this was all she could do. She let out a soft sigh as the light in the orb faded. A simple heal like that one did not take much energy out of her. However, she had been tired from the day's work. Her complexion paled a small bit. After a few breaths she had regained her composure. She re-hooked her staff and looked at her Khan. She smiled softly. As if to reassure him that everything was going to be ok.