Recollection

[Bell]

Randnum-Danum swirled his hand over the magical maps in his lap, as the wind finally lulled long enough to give him that chance. Focusing his thoughts on his companion for a few seconds would be enough to cause the enchanged parchment to glow, indicating her location. As it did, he realized what exactly had been so familiar about the strains of music he had heard through the magic of his linkpearl an hour earlier. Risae had requested to meet him, to deliver the spoils of a hunt, but Randnum had been enjoying an evening nap at the time, and the process of readying himself for the 'trip out', as well as arranging his own pack to accomodate her bounty, had taken quite a while. For some as yet unknown reason, the Mithra had not displayed any of her usual impatience, nor simply headed straight to his Mog House as she normally would regardless of whether or not it was considered 'proper' to interrupt his nap.

Any further attempts to reach her by linkpearl had resulted in momentary sounds of music and snoring, at best. Now, looking at the glowing spot on the map, the reason was clear to Randnum. The Timbre Timbers Tavern was where he would find Risae Mijurabi on this chilly autumn evening. The Tarutaru folded up his maps and set off briskly across the Windurst Waters district toward his destination.

He reached it just as the moon crept over the trees behind him, silhouetting the short shapes of a few Tarutaru arriving at the same location. He quickened his pace and slipped in behind them, closing the door. Instantly, his senses found themselves assailed. The sight of many colourfully attired patrons, sounds of music, laughter, and cutlery scraping on bowls and plates, and of course, the mingling scents of the 'specialties of the house'. He knew where to look.

In one of the furthest corners, the black garbed Mithra sat, her head and shoulders slumped onto the low table. His approach was met by Risae's characteristic light snoring, drawing a sigh from the young mage. He reached over to her shoulder and shook her awake. Risae blinked sleepily for a moment or two, and Randnum watched as feline pupils shrank, readjusting to the light from the center of the room that now lit her face, over his shoulder.

"Mmwha...? Oh... it's you."

Randnum scowled, "It's not like you to fall asleep in public. Are you drunk?"

Risae glowered at him, the right corner of her mouth curling upward in the beginning of a snarl, before she reined in the reaction and retorted, "You know I don't drink! It's pineapple, see?"

With that, she thrust the nearly empty cup to his nose, to prove it. Randnum simply scoffed and moved into a seat, noting the nearly empty bowl of dhalmel stew before her. Risae followed his gaze, and continued her explanation.
"I'm just really tired... and really full... I was reminiscing a bit and I fell asleep..."

"Reminiscing? About what?" he asked, gesturing to her to let him have the rest of the stew. She pushed the bowl over to him, then leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and cupping her chin with her hands, before answering.

"Shortest way home from Crawler's Nest was to teleport to Mea and ride to the Buburimu Peninsula outpost. It was raining and almost sunset," she said, a nostalgic tone in her voice. Randnum nodded, chewing. Nothing strange about that. It often rained in the Peninsula.

"It reminded me a trip when I was very young. Maybe six or seven. My mother put Gatih and I on Majesty's back and rode like a tornado out of Windurst that morning..." she continued, her eyes closed now, as if she were recalling the memory directly. Randnum nodded again. He knew all the 'characters' in this tale so far. The powerful chestrel Aile Majesty, Risae's younger sister Gatih, and of course, their mother, the bounty hunter herself. Mkhala Mijurabi.

"We rode for hours, with me holding onto Majesty's neck straps, Gatih between Mother and I, and her arms around us both to keep us from falling even though he wasn't using his full speed. When we reached the Peninsula... we were going to Mhaura to get a boat, you see... it was raining hard. An unexpected squall. I remember her sighing and comforting Gatih. We couldn't stop or we'd miss our ship..."

Randnum paused in his eating now, wondering if this story would take a turn for the worse.

"The funny thing is," Risae continued, with a smile that dispelled any such thoughts, "The clouds didn't even reach the horizon. Mother shielded us with her mantle as well as she could, so the rain wouldn't hit us directly even though we were soaked and cold either way. I remember the smell of wet chocobo feathers... actually I think that's what triggered the memory..."

A slight sniff now caused Randnum to mentally acknowledge that she did indeed carry that scent, though now she was dry, lessening it. The smells of food all around made it even harder to notice, and he realized that he would not have thought much of it anyway. It was in no way odd for Risae to smell like chocobos.

"Mother pointed our heads out to the horizon and said 'See, darlings? It's pretty, isn't it? The sun is going away today but it will be back tomorrow like always, and you'll be warm and dry and happy like always'. I remember watching the sun set with my little sister and forgetting for a bit just how cold and wet I was. We made it to Mhaura with time to spare. Mother left us at the inn for a while to get warm, and when she came back she had dhalmel meat. They let her make stew for us before the boat came."

Randnum finished the last spoonful of Risae's meal, suddenly understanding the significance of it, and chewed with a slight smile of his own, thinking of his own youth.

"The storm had delayed the boat a little too," Risae said, reaching out to take up the cup, without opening her eyes, "We were all warm and fed and sleepy when it came in. She had hell getting us up and on board after all that. I think we slept right through to sunrise, curled up with her in one of the cabins of that little passenger ship."

Her eyes opened as she set down the cup, having drained it, and those eyes gleamed in the light again. Her faraway smile vanished, becoming the grin that meant she was about to be bossy. Randnum knew that expression well, and reached for his bag without even asking. Scorpion claws again.