The Ink That Binds (Denen)

[Lariat]

Location: Secret of Patricash
Thread Purpose: To get Denen's Windmarks
Thread Date: TBA by Denen

It was a cooler midday on the plains of the sea of grass than many had experienced this fall, the wind blowing hard across the grass forcing it parallel to the ground. The aged plain brown pavilion's front tent flap fluttered in the wind with every gust leaving the entrance wide open to the warm sun, while the sturdy canvas of the pavilions walls kept the brunt of the wind out, and contained enough to heat to keep it comfortably warm inside. To anyone who had been paying attention to the new pavilions rising to attention, they would know this place to be Patricash's pavilion's of sorts that specialized in hairdressing and tattooing, a place more commonly dubbed as Secret of Patricash for her nimble work with the intricate knotwork typical in drykas hair. Not only she was making a name for herself though as her partner, Tolous has grown quite in his skill of tattooing become a favorable option among Drykas seeking to mark their bond with their striders in the form of elaborate windmarks that reflect the pride they have in their mighty horses, and the honor they have earned for themselves earning such a respect from a strider.

One way or another Denen Brokensong would find himself outside this very tent, just outside the wide open entrance, knowing what waited inside before him. A subtly sweet fragrance wafted out from inside the tent, welcoming Denen into it's comforting interior.

[Denen Sunsinger]

Date: Fall 2, 511 AV The last time Denen Brokensong had entered the tent of a tattooist, he had been a little boy of six, and he had cried like a baby. Of course, the massive tattoo that wound its way up his back was worth it now. Denen was proud of the marks that signified the bond he had shared with Reth, that he still shared with him. He wanted a bird this time. There were many meanings to such a symbol, and he smiled, laying against Durno's neck, as he made his way to the Patricash Pavilion. The air was crisp with the change of seasons, and Denen had, as a result, put on his long tunic, though it bunched up on his thighs now as he rode. He fiddled with Durno's mane, braiding the coarse hair as he liked it, adding in a feather here and there. Durno was likely as picky about his mane and tale as Denen was his soft, dark hair. Striders were funny horses. Keenly intelligent and as fast as the wind, they communicated with their Drykas counterparts as effectively as any human being might. Denen signed now against Durno's neck, though the conversation was largely for the entertainment of the deaf healer. This was a big day, something akin to a marriage celebration. They had come alone. Sam was off to Riverfall with a woman. Denen was admittedly a bit jealous, but also hopeful that Sam would finally get a wife and start producing babies. He knew that would be enough to set Sam's confidence where it needed to be. And it would gain them an absolute essential: the groundings of a Pavilion. Denen entered the tent now, having dismounted his Strider. “H-Hello?” He spoke first, to catch their attention, and then signed to signal that he preferred to not speak. “I've come for Windmarks.”

[Lariat]

Nimble fingers fast at work on the laced knotwork of a blond drykas woman's hair, Patricash looked up in a pleasant surprise at Denen, a small smile playing across her lips. "You've come to the right place, you'll want Tolous for that" She said in a soft voice, gesturing with her head to the shirtless drykas asleep in his chair. As the muscular man let out a small snort in his sleep, Patricash giggled quickly startling the tattooist awake. "What is it?" The sleeping man groused, sitting immediately up straight and trying his best to pretend he hadn't been asleep.

With the slightest of nods towards Denen, Patricash communicated what he had missed, and following her gaze he offered a smile and was quick to stand up and greet Denen with an arm clasp. "What you think you might be wanting?" He asked, his voice still a bit thick with sleep, and bringing up a hand to rub at his face, he made a effort to shake away the sleepiness.

[Denen Sunsinger]

Denen smiled meekly, as Durno poked his head in the open tent flap, snorting and tossing his head. The horse, being as young as he was, had little interest in manners. Besides, it smelled interesting to Durno, and he wanted to see what Denen was doing. The deaf boy turned his attention to the sleeping man, watching as he awoke with shy interest. This was the man who would be doing the Windmarks, then. He smiled hopefully, and watched the interaction with fondness. It was nice to see married couples, and to see families functioning together like this. He couldn't wait for the growth of Sam's Pavilion. Denen drew near, his hands speaking. “I was wanting a bird, Sir.” There was special symbolism to such a thing, after all, at least as far as Denen was concerned. “On my hip, if possible.” Denen motioned to his lower belly, at the front of his pelvis, where his body began to form a “V”. He preferred to keep his Windmarks sacred, visible only from time to time.

[Lariat]

"A bird you say?" Tolous said, turning around to go into the back of the tent and collect his tools along with a dried animalskin. Holding the tanned skin up to the light pouring from outside, he examined the sheet for a moment or two before setting it back down and showing it to Denen. "This be your bird, hope you don't be minding the pain. Take a seat there." he said gesturing to the rather large wooden table covered in thick animal skins. Tolous was quick to turn around, bringing his leather bag up and setting it in the chair he previously occupied and carefully removed the tools that he would be using, and a tightly wrapped pouch of powdered dye. Taking the light brown pouch in his hand he quickly unfastened it and poured it's contents in a clay bowl, promptly pouring in some water from his waterskin, and then mixing it with a stirring stick. Pacing to the other side of the room he picked a large metal needle off the wall in his teeth, before walking back over to Denen and setting the bowl beside him on the table.

"Lay down" He said, careful to angle his face towards the signer, and instinctually, his hand took the needle from between his teeth and dipped it's hollow tip into the inky black dye and pursing his mouth to the other end sucked in his breath till the needle and drew in much of the dye. "Your in luck, this is the last of this dye, now be sliding down your pants so I can be getting to your hip" he said as he walked around to the other side of the table, and while holding the needle tip up in the air, examined the skin where he would be working, pouring a little bit of rum over it before running a cool, wet cloth against the area.

Holding the needle up, he gave it a series of taps before pulling a stool underneath him and settling down. Slowly the needle went in once, sliding into the skin and soaking tissue underneath it with the dark dye. With practiced ease he removed the needle and started it again right in line with with other puncture, dipping it deep beneath the skin but not too deep keeping just quick enough to not waste too much ink in the pin prick. After the third prick he seemed to fall into the flow of things and moved much fast, the needle tip constantly tapping against Denen's skin, becoming shallower when it neared bone and then the same consistency as he moved back across the stretch of same stretch of skin. With his left arm pressing against Denen's belly and holding him still, Tolous kept his hand steady, his eyes staring unblinkingly as he rhythmically tapped the needle against the healer's skin, careful to keep the taps in inline and the ink consistent. A assistant appeared at his side, dabbing the man's forehead as he worked so sweat would not drop into where he was working on Denen.

After a couple of bells he finally pulled back, and examined his work, the portrayal of the bird carefully patterned over Denen's own soft skin. Picking up the animalskin reference he compared the two, and dropped it back down, a satisfied grin now on his face. "So how do you like it?"

[Denen Sunsinger]

Last time he had done this, he'd been holding close to Jada, crying. The tattoo had been done in segments, as it was so big. Stone had picked it, thinking that having such a sizable Windmark would strengthen him. He'd come alone this time, and he watched quietly, hands folded in his lap. The smells of this place were pungent to him, stronger than they might have been to most people. Denen sat down on the table as he'd been instructed. He studied the design, pleased with it, and then watched Tolous. He was curious, after all, and he wanted to see how this would be done. The tools were what fascinated him most. They reminded him, in a lot of ways, of his own tools. Denen slowly lay back. He didn't wear trousers, and so he pulled up his long tunic and pushed his small clothes out of the way. His thin legs dangled a bit, and he shifted to find a comfortable position. He cursed under his breath as the cool cloth touched his skin, causing the goosebumps to rise. He kept still, however, and watched Tolous as he finished preparation. One thing Denen could never forget was the pain that came from being tattooed. He sucked his lower lip, his eyes closed. He thought of what Sam might think the entire while, and doing so kept his breathing steady, even. In his hand, he held the gem on a thong that Sam had given him for his birthday. He'd braid it back into his hair later. He kept in mind what he might concoct to numb the area later, and to keep it clean and free of infection. The pain eventually dulled, his body accustomed to it, and after what seemed like forever, the arm lifted from his belly, and he slowly lifted his torso to look down at the swollen, red mark. His head tilted, and he grinned widely, signing, “Thank you. It is beautiful.” He looked up to the door, whistled, and Durno poked his head in, long grass hanging from his lips. “Look,” Denen signed. He angled his hips, to show the mark to the Strider, and Durno tossed his head, snorting approvingly. “We're official!”

[Lariat]

A broad smile came to Tolous as Denen signed his approval of the work, and satisfied the man leaned back in his stool, curling his hands behind his head as he did to rest comfortably on the canvas wall of the tent. There wasn't much better than someone showing appreciation of your work especially to the artist in him that strived for his work to be viewed. Sure the boy had picked a odd place to put the windmark that likely wouldn't get much showing to the rest of the denizens of Endrykas, but he hoped that those that got the chance would appreciate the work as much wearer did.

A glance to the side put the view of a lovely strider, the one he figured to be his patron's, and what a site it was for his eyes. It brought a hint of sadness to his lips, and the reawakening of a dull pain in his leg that quickly faded as he pushed the memories aside. With just a flick of his wrist he called for his assistant to retrieve his something to drink as he stood up from his chair and cast one last appraising look at Denen's windmark. "Keep it clean else sickness will set in and rot you from the inside out. Opal clan healers will set you right if you've not the head for it" Tolous said as he walked over, carefully replacing all of his supplies in their place, and drawing the ink from the bowl with a small waterskin with a stopper that could draw at the ink. Finished with that, he walked back over to Denen dusting off his hands as his apprentice came over with a dusty bottle in hand. Popping the top off of it, he tossed the cork away before turning the bottle over and drinking deeply of the sweet tasting wine. Looking to Denen, he passed the bottle to him, stifling a noisy burp that welled in his throat barely with his forearm. "Drink up, bonding be a special thing" With that after a few more drinks between the two, he would settle down in his chair to see if Denen had anything left to say before seeing the drykas off and resuming his nap, now a bit more satisfying than it had been.

oocI will grade the thread in the next post unless you want to get some skills in, or something

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[Denen Sunsinger]

Denen took the offered bottle, raised it, and with a wide grin, drank. He had a place again. He was Drykas once more. "Thank you," he offered. "I am a healer myself." He handed the bottle back to the tattooist, shook his hand warmly, and turned to go on his way. Once outside, he hugged Durno happily, and drew himself up onto his back, beaming like the entire world had been laid out before him. And in a way, it had. Things were right again.