To Soothe the Soul [Open]

[Tamaya]

"Your instincts are pure, Tizato Ciel. You remind me of my own brother. You just must learn to wait. No bandit would simply kill someone they had captured - there is nothing in it for them save a corpse. No, only a monster would do that. There was something they wanted from this girl, and they were prepared to do whatever it took to make her give it to them. But you acted on what your heart told you. And that is the right way. I do not chastise you, only warn you... I have seen some of my own people die in such ways. They let their heart overrule their head.

Balance is key. But I do not mean to be so motherly. I am only trying to help you. I too seek the good of others, in my own way. We each have our own path to lead... And our paths have crossed here."

Shaking the offered hand, Tamaya smiled back at the man.

"Tamaya, of the Cathecassa clan. I would be glad to share knowledge with you; undoubtedly you too can teach me many things. But as for carrying? That will not be necessary."

The woman gave a strange, airy whistle, and a few seconds later her horse, Shikoba, emerged from the brush and trees, nuzzling his owner as he moved to stand next to her.

"I believe we can load her on Shikoba. It will undoubtedly be easier than carrying her. You must be tired, and that would only wear you out more."

[Tiz]

His heart... The young man became lost in thought for a moment. Sure, she was right. He was always lead by his heart. Was that the wrong way to go about things? He had felt so positively directed for most of his life, and it was because of his heart that he felt this way. Perhaps he should be thinking more often...

As he shook her hand, his spine froze and chills wracked his entire body. His smile faded briefly, but then he forced it to stay across his face. Cathecassa... That's why this woman spoke so much like his parents, and maybe why her lecture sounded so familiar. It was his clan, too. He studied the woman as she talked, and then watched as her horse approached, and they began mounting the unconscious girl aboard it. How handy, Tiz thought with a grin. In truth, he didn't really know how to ride a horse. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, watching the horse's eyes move about, glossed over, as if it weren't aware of itself or its surroundings. In truth, they were fairly intelligent creatures.

Tiz realized he hadn't really spoken. "Oh! Yeah, I mean... I think you're right," it was clear that the swordsman was distracted. "I perceive more often than I judge. Maybe I could save myself some wounds if I judged more, haha." He flashed a bright smile at the girl. He had already given his last name. When he considered that she might know his last name and detest him for it, his skin became ice again. This might not be good.

He laughed, trying to diffuse the situation. "Yeah, this seems a lot easier to me. I like easy. Let's head to a doctor; I should probably get myself patched up a little bit, as well."

[End thread]