[Flashback: Issima] A Meeting of the First Kind

[Caoin]

Caoin continued to walk along towards the center of the moving city with Issima at her side. The two young Drykas girls seemed to be getting along splendidly despite the difference in age and the topic of conversation that Issi had steered them onto. While it was a painful one for Caoin, it wasn’t a new one. There was talk all the time amongst their people of one young Drykas or another bonding with a strider, sometimes there was even talk of someone who had lost one strider bonding with another. Caoin tended to just push the feeling of emptiness to the back of her mind and continue to hope that soon she would be able to fill it with the bond that she was missing.

She had been working with striders all her life and she understood what Issima was talking about when the girl mentioned the bond between Aponi and herself, the way that he was like another brother to her. Caoin could hear in Issima’s voice the love that she had for her strider, it wasn’t like she was hiding it. Who would? Caoin shook her head slightly and put a smile on her face for the girl. The girl was happy, and Caoin was happy for her. No sense in spoiling the excellent mood that they had. “Sounds like you have a strong bond with a good companion. Perhaps even a relative from the past.” It was widely believed among the Drykas people that striders often held the spirits of relatives who had passed on.

The topic turned back to Caoin’s family and herself, and she chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t call it quiet. The women in my family can be just as boisterous as the men.” Women could indeed make as much of a fuss as any man, and more depending on what time of the season it was. There were times when the men of her family would rather brave the dangers of the Sea of Grass than come home to dinner. “It’s nice though, I do love my family. I don’t get any of the dogs though. I want to eventually have my own and be able to start my own kennel and my own line of dogs. I’d like to do the same with horses too.” Caoin’s eyes seemed to get a distant look in them as she talked about her hopes and dreams for the future. The girl’s mind had wandered from the present to the future. Her attention no longer focused on her surroundings, the crowd that they were moving through. Caoin never even noticed that she was in the path of three gentlemen who weren’t paying much attention to their surroundings either.

Distracted, Caoin continued talking, answering Issima’s questions, “Working with the dogs is great. They’re such loving animals.” The smile that she had put on for Issima seemed to brighten a bit, a more sincere smile than the previous one. “And the horses are great too. They’re so smart.” The poor girl was still oblivious to the equally oblivious gentlemen, who seemed to be just as engrossed in their own overly loud conversation.

MizNo Word Count524

[Issima]

Listening to someone talk about something they cared about was always a pleasure. The fondness that seeped into Caoin's voice when she spoke of family set Issima at ease, made her think of her own family with no small amount of pleasure. Being Endrykas was pleasant in that way. Death was a very real part of life, and life could be harsh. But the bonds made between people were often very strong, and Issima could relate most deeply to the idea of a loving family. Dogs were a bit more foreign to her, at least in regards to owning one, and thus more interesting. "I bet!" she exuded. "Puppies are so cute." Endrykas was essentially a throng of people moving together in the same direction, and even on this important day the path they walked was filled with people coming and going. That Caoin didn't see the men approaching did not occur to Issima, nor did she imagine that the men didn't see them either. Her bright eyes were dancing all around, rather oblivious to the inevitable collision. She had just opened her mouth to speak when the youngest of the three men and, without a doubt, the most handsome crashed bodily into Caoin. He was apologizing before her bottom hit the muddy earth. Issima's eyes had gone wide and she immediately dropped to a crouch, attempting to help Caoin up. "Oh! Are you alright?" Her girlish efforts were far less effective than the broad, strong hands that curled around Caoin's shoulders and set her on her feet again. Issima stood with them, one hand dropping to her hip. The other waved expressively. "Watch there you're going, will ya?" The two companions laughed in good humor, and Issi couldn't help but smile a little too. Of course they hadn't meant any harm, and the young man who had bowled Caoin over was staring at her face as if he couldn't look away. "Erm. Dogs, Caoin?" Issima didn't like that look. It signified the end of childhood, the approach of marriage and children and responsibility. Of course, these were all things she wanted someday. But not yet. It didn't really occur to her that Caoin was older, the Drykas was all but gorgeous, and she might like the attention.

[Caoin]

One minute, Caoin was on her feet and the next she was flat on her ass in the mud. Joy of joys, her clothing was all muddy. Both Issima and the gentleman who had collided with her attempted to help Caoin up from the ground, but it was the gentleman who got to Caoin first and helped her to her feet. The girl felt his hands on her shoulder as he physically lifted her from the ground, her feet dangling a few inches above the mud for a few seconds before he set her down. With no lack of enthusiasm, he was apologizing to her the whole time. Once back on her feet, the girl reached around, brushing at the dirt and mud on the ass of her pants, trying to clean them off.

“It’s alright, Issima,” Caoin said to the girl walking with her, “it was partially my fault. I wasn’t paying attention either.” Which was the truth, Caoin hadn’t been paying attention at all. She looked up at the Drykas that she had run into, offering him a smile that conveyed both apology and gratitude, “I’m sorry about that. Looks like we were both pre-occupied.” As she was speaking, Caoin noticed that the gentleman was staring at her, his eyes locked on her as if there was nothing else but the two of them. “Ah…” she started nervously, “thank you for helping me up, and again I’m sorry…” Apologies made, polite societal obligations taken care of, Caoin gently took hold of Issima’s upper arm with one free hand, and placed the other against her back, pulling and pushing the girl along in the direction that they had been heading. “We have to be going now… yes, that’s right Issima, the dogs. I have to go pick up a dog…”

Caoin clearly wasn’t the flirting type and the situation was one that was awkward for her, one that she generally preferred to avoid. So it was for that reason that Caoin was trying to get away from the group of guys before they could find some reason to strike up conversation. She felt awkward under the gaze of a man who was attracted to her. “We’re picking up an imperial watcher puppy, one that my father picked out awhile back. We’ve been waiting for the litter to be weaned from the mother.” Toiseach, her father, had picked out the puppy earlier in the year. It was likely that he had received word that morning that the puppy was ready. Thus, Caoin had been assigned the task of going to retrieve it. “Have you ever seen an imperial watcher? They’re huge,” she commented to the other girl, “great beasts of dogs, but very noble in appearance.” The one they were supposed to be picking up was white in color, with splotches of black, what was known as the harlequin coat coloring in the world of dogs.

MizNo Word Count486

[Issima]

Issima bobbed her head as she walked alongside her new friend, glancing back only twice to find those dark eyes cast longingly after Caoin. She had made quite an impression on the young Drykas, apparently. The younger Issima couldn't help her giggles as she returned her focus wholly to her friend, and the conversation about dogs. It was pleasant, chatting almost idly about puppies and breeds, walking through the pleasant day with the buzz of excitement over the race all around them. Issi had plenty of female cousins with which to spend time, but they were always a bit of travel away. This female companionship, other than her mother, was pleasant. The journey went quickly enough with easy conversation between them, and soon they had arrived at the tents of the family from whom they were apparently fetching the dogs. Issima bounced on her feet, eyes sweeping the area in search of bounding puppies. "Can we pet them?"

[Caoin]

“We might, it depends on the guy we’re getting this puppy from. Some don’t you like to handle the animals unless you’re looking to actually buy,” Caoin responded to her new friend as they finally arrived at their destination. The girl was excited to see the new puppy that her father had described to her. He’d made sure to be clear about what the animal looked like so that she would ensure she picked up the right one. He didn’t want her to mess up such a simple job, not that he didn’t trust her or anything, she was his daughter after all, and he had to have some faith in her. So, as the two girls approached the tent, Caoin glanced around and spotted a man sitting outside the opening, a man who matched the description of the person she was supposed to be looking for. Caoin hailed the man with a wave, “Ho there,” she called. When the man asked her to state her business, she smiled politely to him and answered, “I’m here to pick up the Silverstrider puppy. An imperial.” The man nodded to her and motioned for the two girls to follow him into the tent that he sat in front of, a smaller one that was set up next to a larger one, likely their kennel and housing tents respectively.

As the girl’s followed the man, Caoin noticed him cast a glance back at her, and watched the corners of his lips stretch in a sneaky sort of grin. She knew that look, she’d seen it on many a merchant, it was the grin of a con about to take place. “Now miss, I believe this is the puppy you’re looking for,” he said as he motioned to a small pen that contained a litter of stumbling, bumbling long-legged Imperial pups. One finger pointed at a particular puppy, a puppy that Caoin recognized right off that it wasn’t the right one, as it in no way matched the description her father had given her. The girl stared at the pup for a minute, evaluating what the man was trying to give her. It was the runt of the litter, considering its size compared to the rest of the pups, which didn’t necessarily make it a bad animal, just not usually the preferred out of a litter of that breed, since one generally wanted large guard dogs. The Drykas girl shook her head and clicked her teeth.

“Issima,” she said as she eyed the breeder, “I believe this man is trying to cheat me.” Caoin pointed to the dog that he was also pointing at. “That, sir, is not the dog I was sent to retrieve.” The man looked shocked, angry at her accusation.

“Are you really accusing me of trying to cheat you? How dare you, you little rat,” the man bellowed at her, pointing at her accusingly, as if she were the one in the wrong. “You weren’t the one here to pick out the dog, how could you possibly think that this isn’t the one that was picked out? That I’d be trying to give you another one. What proof do you have?” He questioned her, asked her for proof, accused her of being the one trying to cheat him, and she simply listened until he ran out of breath and his face was so red he couldn’t continue.

“If you’re done…” Caoin started as she looked at the man. The entire time he had been ranting, she had been examining the litter, looking for the dog with the markings her father had described. “That is the dog I was sent to retrieve,” she said matter-of-factly, “the one you are trying to give me has far too much black on his body to match the description I was given… I believe that’s called a mantle coloring.” Caoin was rather calm as she went through her explanation. “I am here for a harlequin, specifically that one,” and she pointed out the one that matched her description, “which matches the description my father gave me.” The girl strode over to the pen and the breeder, dropping the miza her father had given her into his hand. She reached into the pen and picked up the correct puppy before turning to the merchant breeder, “Now, if you wish to continue to do business in this city, I would suggest you learn not to try and cheat people. Of course if you wanted word to get around that you’re into trying to cheat young girls, I would be more than happy to oblige and let everyone know just what you tried to do here.”

The girl’s gaze was less than kind as she stared at the man, who seemed unable to respond to her. He hadn’t been expecting her to catch him, or to have the balls to say something. He had underestimated the Silverstrider girl. Toiseach had taught her well though and she had been raised not to take crap from anyone, besides, she got enough of that mucking out horse stalls and kennels. “Any questions or further issues,” Caoin asked as she looked up at the man, the young great dane wriggling in her arms and licking her chin. Even with the puppy doing that, she still tried to look as formidable as possible so as to keep the man off his guard and keep from trying anything else.

MizNo Word Count907

[Issima]

Petting the puppies was, really, quite high on Issima's list of things to accomplish on this afternoon gone astray. When they entered the tent and Caoin made small talk with the owner, Issima took the few extra steps necessary to situate herself just in front of the pen, where she crouched. She reached forward to let the bouncy things lick at her fingers, whining for the attention of the girl so eager to meet them as well. "Aren't you all adorable," she cooed, as one was taken away and offered to her new friend. Issima was, mostly, oblivious to the transaction behind her. At least, until Caoin called her by name. The bright eyed Drykas glanced up with a wide eyed expression, first to the girl who suddenly had all the backbone of a warrior, and then to the apparently slimy merchant. She'd have to tell her father about this. They didn't really dapple in dogs, but it was always good to know who was honest and fair in Endrykas, and who wasn't. "Oh," she breathed, in response to Caoin, but it didn't matter. The interaction went on with or without her input, and she stood as Caoin approached to scoop up the correct puppy. Feeling incredibly awkward to even be present for this, Issima edged along with Caoin as she headed towards the heavy flap of the tent. The sooner they were in fresh air, the better. The owner of the pups apparently lacked the gall to question her further, and so they were off, with the dog and their wits in tow. Issima tugged at a long, braided strand of hair and peered over her shoulder, half-expecting him to emerge and yell after them. He didn't, though, and when she was certain they were out of earshot, she turned back to the wiggling mass of pup in Caoin's arms, releasing a tense giggle. "That was crazy. You were so bold!" And, with slender fingers extended for dog kisses, she leaned forward to rub her nose to the wet one Caoin held securely. "And you, Harley, are a lucky girl! Or boy. Caoin, is it a girl, or boy?" Issima had no idea what a harlequin was, after all, and thus it made a perfectly suited nickname for the emancipated pup.

[Caoin]

Caoin shook her head to the younger girl’s compliment about being bold, “Nah, he wouldn’t have done anything. My father would have backed me up if I had said anything about that guy’s attempt to cheat us. I know enough to tell the difference between a harlequin and another coat color. He just tried to take advantage because he thought I would be easy to cheat since I’m young and a girl. Thought he could get away with it once the deal was done, hoping we wouldn’t be able to return the puppy and get our miza back or anything.” Issima held her fingers out to the puppy and rubbed her nose against his. Caoin couldn’t help but smile at the girl as the puppy licked first her fingers and then her nose. “See, this dog’s coat pattern is white with black splotches. The one the guy was trying to give me was mostly black, right? That’s two different kinds of coat patterns, the one he was trying to give me wasn’t the right kind,” Caoin explained to Issima. The older Drykas girl then held the puppy up so that Issima could see his underbelly and motioned to his man-parts. “Boy.”

Harlequin = Correct Dog

Mantle = Wrong Dog

MizNo Word Count201

[Cantrip]

Did you want something? Caoin: XP Award: Animal Husbandry +1; Observation +1; Negotiation +1 Lores: Run Over by a Boy; Using Threats to Haggle Issima: XP Award: Flirting +1; Observation +1 Lores: Deflecting Suitors; The Imperial Watcher; Going Gooey over Puppies Additional Notes: Quite an entertaining read, with musings on youth that ranged from the quixotic to the deftly unquixotic. It was refreshing to see younger girls acting like girls, not hardened killers. I also enjoyed the puppies.