Goats are People Too (Pygmy)

[Vanator]

Vanator hoisted Pygmy up behind him and gave her a moment to settle against the yvas. "Now, hold on tight." He reached around and took one of her hands, pulling it around his waist. "I mean it, both hands. And don't smile if you don't want bugs in your teeth." He laughed, then glanced back at her over his shoulder. "Here we go!"

Pygmy could detect no signal between rider and mount, but in an instant the Cyphrus Strider launched up the gentle slope of the depression and out into the plains. Backlash lived up to her breed's notorious reputation for speed, and as if to prove it to the stranger. The mare thundered across the flatlands, parting the grass with the swiftness of an arrow. In the Sea of Grass, no horse could match the Strider's pace.

Vanator's mane of light brown hair whipped behind him as he hunkered down and leaned forward, the breeze cold in his face. As the steed's hooves ate up the ground beneath them at a dizzying pace, the Drykas horseman let out a joyful hoot, thoroughly enjoying the breakneck dash.

Again, without any indication, Backlash came to an abrupt, jarring halt. Vanator reached back with one arm to steady Pygmy so she was not thrown during the arresting stop. He twisted his head to look sidelong over his shoulder at the young woman. "So, that is how a Drykas rides!"

[Dhanya]

Pygmy was notorious for ignoring advice, so it spoke highly of her nervousness when she did exactly as Vanator had suggested. Her heart was faster than the hoofbeats, jumping in her chest. She wondered if Vanator could feel it, given how closely she had pressed into his back, eyes squeezed shut as they took off.

The fear peaked, making her arms shake, then ebbed away. The Strider's gait was smooth and the wind was in her hair. Vanator never shifted from his seat. She pressed her forehead into his back, between his shoulder blades so it was easier to breathe. The speed stole her breath if she turned to the side. She could still look though, the grasslands were a blur.

It was beautiful. The way they moved, the feel of it. She wanted to ride that way, to rush across the plains like thunder. To be so elated, any day she chose. It was like how she felt when she was dancing.

She was shivering, not wildly though. She was like a plucked string. The vibrations started at her heart it seemed and bled to the rest of her. Vanator's hand stilled them, though they didn't entirely fade.

Pygmy nodded, smiling up at him, though it was a tremulous, wonderous expression. Her strange pupils were blown up so you almost couldn't tell they weren't round. Only a thin rim of colour remained around them.

She opened her mouth to say something, then realised she had no thoughts to articulate. She laughed instead, surprised and pleased and nodded again.

[Vanator]

Pygmy's wide-eyed laughter was the response Vanator had hoped for. He vaulted from the yvas to land next to the Strider, his riding boots making a soft thud against the dry ground. Holding his hands out, the Drykas helped the Kelvic down from the mare's back. Then he gave the buckskin Strider a gentle pat on the rump. He realized, that aside from his sister Kavala, and Tamar, he had never shared Backlash with anyone. A subtle pang gripped his heart at the memory of his wife. Tamar loved racing across the grasslands. Gently pushing aside the bittersweet recollection with a smile, Vanator placed one hand on his hip, the other resting on top of the small fighting ax thrust through his belt. He sized up Pygmy again, who stood apparently quite comfortably garbed in his over-sized tunic. She appeared different in so many ways, different than the long-haired lean women of his pavilion, but he did not find her unpleasant to look upon. In fact, her uniqueness was rather intriguing. She seemed alive with energy, almost bouncing. Then there was the little goat thing. The sudden appearance of the Kelvic girl had elicited many questions, but the Drykas rider refrained from interrogating her. Besides, Pygmy seemed quite content to conceal herself in a bit of mystery. That was fine for now, it made spending time with her all the more exciting. He chortled at the tantalizing conundrum surrounding the kelvic and turned to Backlash, pulling a large, round loaf of bread out of a bag and unslung the waterskin from the yvas. "Would you care to share some food?" Vanator strode over to where she had discarded his cloak on the ground and sat down cross-legged, food and water in hand. He patted the empty space on the cloak next to him, grinning at her with laughing eyes.

[Dhanya]

Pygmy had many questions but her thoughts were reflecting off on shining tangents. She let them all go, content to wait for them to return in a more coherent form. She had heard others speak of a list they had made, filled with things to do before they died. Pygmy felt like she had just ticked one off.

Pygmy nodded automatically at Vanator's question then blinked and shook herself. She didn't actually feel like she could eat. Her stomach still felt unsettled. She was going to need a, how odd it felt to even think it, quiet moment.

She was shocked at herself. Normally such behaviour was anathema to her.

"Some water would be nice, thank you." She replied, wondering if the ground really was moving beneath her feet or if she just needed time to move back into the earth's rhythm.

She sat down next to him, now taking a moment to look at him again. She didn't hide that she was doing so, she wasn't much of a coquette. Annoying and flirtatious, yes but she tried to be honest about it. Her mother had said honesty was a very important thing.

Mainly because no one expected an honest person to lie to them. Although she had specified that lies were like knives and needed to be used wisely. You wouldn't hurt a friend with a knife, so you shouldn't hurt them with a lie, either. They were dangerous, useful tools.

Why was he being so nice to her? He had shared his horse, his food and his clothing. Few people had so much time or care for someone like Pygmy. She knew what Kelvics were, they were something you could sell and buy. This was a truth she knew intimately. She didn't think that had even occured to Vanator, there was no hint of it in the tone of his voice or the casual way he had asked her to sit by him.

"Um..." She said, grasping to regain her prior smoothness, "How did you learn to ride like that?"

She sounded young. She was sure she would be able to pick up her layers of bravado, her protection, as their conversation continued. For now, Vanator was catching a glimpse of another aspect of who she was, even if he remained largely opaque to her.

[Vanator]

When Pygmy settled onto the cloak beside him, Vanator offered her the waterskin. He noticed her stare, turning his eyes to the loaf of bread in his hands as the corner of his mouth curled in amusement. Her obvious gaze made him a bit self-conscious, but he made no fuss about it and tore a piece of the bread off and stuffed it in his mouth. He looked back at the Kelvic, still somewhat fixated by the amazing pupils, but he was getting to the point he could look at her without being distracted by them. Vantor knew little of Kelvics, even less of how other cultures treated them. He had heard that they bonded with people sometimes, but to someone whose horse was even considered family, the idea of enslaving a Kelvic simply because they were part animal, or because of their propensity to serve, would have been appalling. He smiled warmly at her question. "Every Drykas learns to ride, starting as young children. Most of us will also form a special relationship with a Strider. The horse selects the rider." He glanced at Backlash, grazing lazily nearby. "The two become almost as one when they ride together. Backlash is like my sister. My faithful, sassy sister." He laughed, tossing another glance at his steed. "You did very well on Backlash. She doesn't just let anyone ride her, let alone guide her. I wonder if it was because she knows what you are." Vanator's last statement came out awkwardly but he didn't believe Pygmy was ashamed of being Kelvic, and he wasn't going to dance around it simply because he had never met a real one before.

[Dhanya]

Pygmy felt a flush of pride when Vanator told her that she was among a lucky few, though it ebbed considerably when he said it might have been because she was a Kelvic. She certainly wasn't ashamed of who she was, she just would have liked her experience to have been based on personal merit, not an ability to transmogrify at will.

"Oh..." She replied, taking another sip at the waterskin.

It was difficult to hide that she felt a bit deflated. Her shoulders lowered themselves and she took in a big breath. It puffed out upwards, blowing a lock of hair from her face.

"Can anybody bond with a Strider?" She asked because the idea somewhat appealed. "I mean, I wouldn't want to give away my horse. He's a really great horse. Just be good to know."

Pygmy did feel a momentary pang for her disloyalty, she would never give away Pon. He'd been a loyal, patient horse that even came when she called for him. She resolved to give him a carrot soon, so he'd know she cared.

[Khiara]

Khiara was hot. Not just warm, oh no. Not even just a little parched. She was almost sure she was melting. It hadn't occured to her that the rest of Mizahar would be warmer than Avantal...well, not as warm as this! Sure, perhaps Vsenri could have taken her somewhere a little less devestatingly heated than the Grasslands...but then again, she had asked him to take her as far as he could. Fanning herself with her tunic, which she had torn the sleeves off to make her a little cooler, she wiped the sweat from her brow.

And the visit had not been without its suprizes. Namely a small Kelvic named Pygmy. The young vanthian had come across Pygmy only days ago, whilst she stooped wearily on Vsenri's back. At first, all she had seen was a little brown goat, but as she passed, the creature had shifted into a small person. Shocked at first, Khiara reminded herself of the Kelvic that had come to Snowsong Hold. They had been able to shift into all sorts of fascinating creatures. But she had yet to come across a goat. Striking up a friendly travellers companionship with the young creature, Khiara had found herself riding the vast steppes with Pygmy. Through the young goat's eyes, she saw the world like with a child like wonder - seeing things her already jaded eyes would have missed. And now, her violet eyes missed a one Pygmy. Moving to Vsenri, she pet the white stallion's neck as he stood with head hung down, panting slightly from the heat.

"Your faring no better than me, are you? Come on, lets find the little goat before she gets herself hurt." Mounting up, she made her way down the incline of the hill they had camped on the night prior.

"Pygmy?" She called out, violet eyes shifting to a more golden hue as a little knot of worry pulled at her stomach. It would be horrible if something had happened to her.

[Vanator]

As Pygmy upended the waterskin for another swig, Vanator did not miss the shift in the woman's demeanor. He saw her shoulders slump, heard the disappointment in her voice. Had he said something wrong? The Drykas had thought he gave her a high compliment. He was relieved when the Kelvic spoke again, and gave her a quick smile, hoping to amend any offense he may have committed. "I don't think I've heard of anyone bond with a Strider who was not a Drykas. Well, that is not entirely true, I guess. My half-sisters are Konti, they bonded with Striders. They were raised Drykas, but I don't think they ever really felt like they belonged to us. Many in our Pavilion did not think so either. But, to me, they were Drykas." Vanator flashed an embarassed grin, realizing he had revealed more than he intended. "So, maybe you just have to be raised Drykas." He ws still curious why she seemed down. He had replayed his words back to himself, realizing maybe it was the comment about being Kelvic. He sighed. " But I think Backlash wouldn't mind you riding her, at least with me. I think she likes you....for you." He leaned against her, giving her a playful nudge on the shoulder, hoping to see her smile again.

[Dhanya]

Pygmy listened, her hopes of maybe one day riding a Strider that was hers alone fading. She resolved to content herself with the good she had and try to be a better rider to Pon. When Vanator said that Backlash perhaps liked her for herself, she perked up considerably.

"You think so?" She said, brightening, her smile returning.

She blinked, turned. Pygmy scrambled to her feet, soles slipping on the loose dirt. You could almost see her ears twitch. She stood, her nose twitching as she closed her eyes, searching for something.

"Khiara." She said, quietly and firmly.

She looked down at Vanator, grin wide and pleased. Her hands were fists at her side, pumping up and down for a moment before she took off up the slope. Someone had come looking for her! She was loved!

"Khiara!" Pygmy shouted, cresting the hill and looking about madly. "I'm over here, Khiara!"

[Khiara]

Khiara cantered easily on the large white stallion, built for pushing his way through thick snow and ice. This terrain wasn't hard on Vsenri, but the weather was. Already, he'd built up a lather and snorted loudly as they moved down the hill. Pushing on through the tall sea of grass before them, the now golden eyed girl scanned the horizon, finally pulling the quickly overheated frostmarch to a stop. Sitting high in the saddle, she looked all around her.

"Pygmy!" Khiara called again, shading her eyes and listening for some sort of response. Vsenri flicked his ears as she listened, breathing heavily. Lifting her hand to her face, Khiara pushed a sweatsoaked lock of hair away from her face, closing her eyes and sighing as a hot breeze blew against her skin. The frostmarch flicked his ears again and whinned, and with the breeze Khiara thought she heard her name. Opening her eyes, already shifting to a bright violet, she cocked her head.

You heard it to, didn't you Vsenri? Come on, it has to be her." Coaxing the stallion into a run, she followed the sound of the small voice. As they began to ascend the next hill, she saw a small figure on the crest. Smiling with relief, she led Vsenri towards Pygmy.

"Pygmy! By the Goddess, I thought something had happened to you. If we're to travel together you should at least let me know your going off on your own." She scolded lightly as she reached her, slowing to a stop beside the goat.

"What are you doing all the way out here? Did you run here? I..." She paused as she glanced past the young creature. There was someone there, in the grass. Eyes shifting a cautious gold, she dismounted, holding the panting Vsenri's reigns. Curiously, she looked between Pygmy and the stranger.

"A friend of yours?"