[Sanctuary] Staff Bonding - A Campout On The Sea of Grass

by **Kavala** on April 15th, 2013, 5:50 am

Timestamp: 28th of Spring, 513 AV

Kavala adjusted the pack hanging from Spitfire's shoulders, fastened tightly to her yvas. She had her gear laid out carefully, packing supplies for what would be a definite overnight if not two night trip out away from the facility. The trip was two-fold. It was to get the staff to be more united while in addition getting the healers and warriors out on the grass to do some looking around, gathering plants, and basic resupply of The Sanctuary's stores. They could do some basic hunting while they were on the road, practice their camping and Wilderness survival skills, and do a little exploration. Kavala had a set of ruins in mind for where they would ride too. The Isyan Ruins were some distance away, but a day or two hard riding would get them there even though they were mounted up on Striders. Kavala had supplied the swift cyphrus mounts to everyone coming along, urging them to leave their own mounts behind, because they would need the swiftness the horses afforded. That also meant that most of their herd was mares, some lightly in foal, and all on the younger side of three or four. Riaris, she'd mounted up on her biggest Strider stallion, and though he was not fit to carry an Akalak full time, he would do fine for the short trip they were planning, especially since Kavala had spare mounts for remount and supplies so that the horses would only have to carry riders while the spare mounts carried packs.

She went about checking the small herd that stood assembled in a loose chaotic ball. Her crossbow went into Spitfire's harness along with spare bolts. And she mounted a spear on the pack horse she had along with Spitfire - a cream colored two year old that was fit for packing but not for riding. The tent and her spare clothing went on Camasi. Cadra was coming along to do the cooking, and had agreed to take her own mount and share it with Larik when he was not in the air scouting for them. Kavala assumed most of the kelvics would be in kelvic form for some if not all of the trip, which was why she left one of Spitfire's yvas bags empty but lined with wool so if Cadra assumed her housecat form, she'd have a snug place to ride in case she lost a mount or someone else needed to use the young strider in lue of the kelvic.

Kavala hoped everyone else was ready to go. She moved to Cadra's mount and helped the cook load spare foodstuffs onto her packhorse and secure the gear evenly. She laughed when her niece packed a nice rolled bundle of her cooking knives. Aweston stopped by for a quick hug and words of luck to all of them, bringing Larik a spare tunic he'd just got done sewing for the young man. Larik was notoriously hard on his clothing, often loosing it rather than wearing it out.

Vanator was there, securing his gear to his new stallion and the packhorse Kavala had assigned to him. All they really needed was Dusk, Tia, and Rairis to put in an appearance and get their stuff ready to go. Then they could ride out and explore the ruins.

by **Vanator** on April 16th, 2013, 1:30 pm

Sirocco was practically beside himself with excitement, the strider stallion stamping the ground and fidgeting as Vanator readied his gear. The armsman slid his battle ax, haft first, into a loop at the side of the yvas, his quiver and bow attached by leather straps to the other side. The rolled tent, blanket and a stuffed backpack were strapped to the pack horse along with a wooden shield and a few odds and ends. A hunter's tool kit he had recently assembled was also slung from the harness. Walking around both the Strider and pack horse, Van tugged on straps and fiddled with buckles, ensuring that all the tack and supplies were secured.

Vanator felt confident about the trip, the group in possession of a variety of skills that made them as prepared as they could for a journey into the grass. He understood there was more purpose to the expedition than to gather supplies from the wild, which was indeed necessary. Sanctuary had become the home of his family, new residents had joined them, and Riaris had become a part of Kavala's life, and by association, her brother's. Sanctuary needed unity, the Denusks needed it. This would be an exercise in fellowship and working together.

Vanator clasped Aweston's arm, giving his kinsman a smile and bidding him farewell. The groomer put a brush in the Denusk's hand and teased him. "Don't forget to brush him out, he gets cranky if not properly primped." Aweston gave Sirocco a pat on the neck, slapped Van on the shoulder and went to tell the others goodbye.

Van glanced around, looking for the others, catching Kavala's gaze, then that of Cadra and Larik, flashing them a wide smile. Turning to Sirocco, he picked up a leather dagger belt laying over the yvas and strapped it on, shoving the hand ax next to it through the belt.

Secret :

by **Kavala** on April 19th, 2013, 6:26 pm

OOC: Since its been five days I'm just going to post again. Might just be you and I, brother.

Kavala swung up on Spitfire, shuffling Tasival to the front of her where the little boy got a double fist of Spitfire's mane and laughed, knowing they were going to be riding at an inhuman pace shortly. Cadre mounted her buff colored mare and Larik took to the sky. Aweston passed around assurances once more that everything would be fine, as the rest of the group milled around and got ready to ride. Kavala was glad their packhorses had no headgear otherwise keeping lines and leads untangled in the mess of riders would be unusually hard. She had no idea how non-Drykas managed their long lines of mounts and pack animals when they were traveling.

Larik would be their eyes in the sky while Kavala herself concentrated, let her natural seat settle onto Spitfire's back, and let her focus fall into the web below them networking out across The Sanctuary and finally east towards the ruins she wanted to explore and camp at with the group. The web seemed clean, and the road before them looked clear. Kavala's reach on the web was limited being a novice, but she'd check as they progressed, letting her riding ability hold her centered on her mount as she rode. Traversing back down the web and back into her own mind, she looked up just as the group passed out the gates of The Sanctuary which Aweston closed firmly behind them. They traversed the fringe forest, keeping at a steady trot which resulted in some of the more poorly packed gear shaking loose. About five miles into the trip Kavala called a halt, slid down, and carefully readjusted everything on the pack horses and riding horses that were slipping loose. It was a good practice to keep, one their father had taught them well, and it allowed them some measure of comfort the moment the horses passed the ten mile mark and passed out of the fringe forest and onto the sea of grass itself.

Once the horses hooves hit the ground in good solid grass, Kavala asked for more from them. Spitfire leapt forward, tapping the web all around her, and began running at a speed that seemed effortless yet faster than man nor beast could travel. The pack horses and other riding horses, all Striders, leapt into the same gait... and soon the group was flying over the land, parting grasses and the horses snorting with joy as they ran.

by **Riaris Dovukalis** on April 19th, 2013, 7:04 pm

Riaris arrived at the Sanctuary at the chosen time, and followed through to meet up with those he was supposed to travel with. The mammoth of a man headed through the gates with a backpack for accessories as well as his two-bladed sword hanging from his wide back. He was ready for anything, mostly for camping and maybe bonding time with Kavala, but if they ran into any trouble, he would be more than glad to smash it. Once he found the group, he moved to Kavala, pulling the little woman into his arms and kissing her deeply.

By now the Sanctuary workers would, or should have been used to him and his public displays of affection towards their leader. He found Vanator next and exchanged a warrior's greeting. The Drykus didn't share Riaris' lust for punishing people, but he had respect for the warrior and the fact that he protected Kavala made him a brother in the eyes of the Akalak. Whoever else was present he was sure to greet them in some form or another then found the mount that Kavala had for him.

Horse riding was still new to him, and so far he hadn't been all that keen on letting an animal decide his pace or be in control of his movements. Of course he didn't tell anyone this and only rubbed his chin as he imagined how much fun the ride was going to be. With everyone ready to leave, the bulky Akalak maneuvered himself up onto the horse, while trying to look like he knew what he was doing. Once he was up right, and hopefully for the full ride, Riaris gave a nod to Vanator and to Kavala as he tried to spur the horse into motion.

He could imagine this trip was all Kavala's idea, the woman's need for bonding and being near family was just the sort of thing to birth such an idea. He could also imagine that Vanator would be happy to see his sea of grass again, but the Akalak had no idea the man enjoyed camping. He supposed that he might find time to poke fun at him later, assuming that Kavala wasn't holding his full attention, which she could do..easily.

by **Tia'aria** on April 20th, 2013, 6:02 am

OOCTia'aria's first time riding a horse.

Tia'aria hadn't really had much opportunity to ride a horse, and so as she approached the group that would go out camping, she was a little hesitant. To her, the horses looked like giants, but it might have been her nerves.

Working at Sanctuary had given her ample opportunity to give riding a try, but she always put off instructions for doing other things. Now she realised she really should have gone and got some training in while there was time.

She shouldered her pack, the bag she had folded extra clothes, some spices, and other little menial odds and ends that were more suited for personal comfort neatly. She had a journal too, to record what she all found and to try and draw pictures of whatever it was for later use, and some ink and quills that she hoped wouldn't get broken at any point, although she knew horse riding was supposed to be rough on fragiles. She hoped she wouldn't regret this all later.

She strode to the group purposefully, trying to at least look like she wasn't worried about the horses and not being able to mount the one she was supposed to ride. They were beautiful animals, she noted as she approached. She had been informed of the breed, but other than knowing that the species was native to the region she knew painfully little about Striders and their abilities. However, she failed to be ignorant to the fact that the horses were historically the mounts of the Drykas. It would be amazing to ride a horse bred for life on the hostile Sea of Grass. At least her mount would be unlikely to throw her if he spotted trouble. At least, that was another thing she hoped for. Horses were supposed to be smart, but nervousness told her to doubt everything.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she called out in Tukant, as more people here knew that language and she had recognised that. She gave them a smile and then stared critically at the horse that was held out for her, saddled with a yvas and nothing else. What pride she had throbbed at the thought of having to ask to be helped up, warning her she would appear to be useless, but she smothered it with the feeling of accepting a challenge. The horse was significantly taller than her, but she would make do.

It took her a few tries to get on the horse. At first, she barely got the hang of gripping the rounded handhold set at the top of the yvas and even then she had to figure out how to mount it when there wasn't a stirrup or saddle to use at all. She didn't know how people could bare to go without even something like a yvas in more uncivilised parts of the world. She was hesitant to use the mane of the horse as a grip because she didn't want to pull on it's hair and upset it. She didn't want to grab it wrong and upset it. She didn't even feel comfortable swinging her leg over the horse's body, thinking she would hit it with her booted foot and it would move on her, startling her into falling down.

She did manage to pull herself up eventually, using a mix of flexibility and sheer willpower, stretching as far as she could and relying on her arms to be able to pull herself up. She whiteknuckled the grip, afraid of falling, but felt little better once she was on the horse's back. Aweston approached her to instruct her on how to guide and grip the horse. She had to hold on with her thighs, she realised as he instructed her. The placement of her feet and calves were the same as if she had been mounted upon a saddled horse, although the lack of anything to guide her was alarming. He told her, in Common, about guiding the horse using her legs, placing pressure in the opposite direction of the way she wanted the mare to go to turn her. Altogether, the prospect of controlling a horse seemed frightful.

Aweston looked on with some concern at her expression. had her ride around a bit on it to show her it wasn't as bad as she thought it was and to reassure her that "she would get the hang of it before long and would be hard pressed to dismount after she got used to horse legs".

"Don't be shy with the horse or you won't get her to listen to you. Don't try to stop her while she is at a run unless you wish to dismount over her head. Slow her into a walk first and then halt her. Also, talk to her every once in a while. When you move around her, touch her to let her know you're there or she could step on you. If she does, push her and don't pull yourself from under her or your likely to break something. It's safer to make her move than it is to get yourself free."

He frowned after a moment and looked around. "She understands me, right?" He asked of Kavala. He had orated in Common, so Tia managed to understand a few of the words. She got the gist, if she thought hard enough, and it was her expression of deep thought that told him she might have understood nothing.

His words were explained to her, she thanked him, and then they were off. She was glad they started at a slower pace so the constant movement was growing more accustom to her before they started at a hard gallop. Riding a horse was weird, for her. She prided herself on being ladylike and dainty and riding this way, like a man would, was oddly disconcerting. Yet, it was liberating. She smiled as they moved along, cheerful even though she understood soreness would set in eventually.

And then it was time.

Her mare leapt forward of what seemed to be her own will, catching Tia'aria off guard and making her lean forward hurriedly in her yvas to avoid being flung off instinctively. The other Striders had kicked forward the same way, their gait inhuman and too fast even for a normal horse. She was getting a firsthand experience of the abilities of the Striders and it frightened her. Adrenaline coursed through her blood at her first ride on the back of one of these beasts and she trusted the mare to follow her herdmates because she doubted she could do so now.

by **Dust** on April 21st, 2013, 11:46 pm

Dust came practically bounding out from Within, inserting herself into the chaos without the slightest hesitation -- though, mindful of the horses, she slowed down to a polite (if not quite sedate) walk almost the instant her feet touched the courtyard. She was quite excited for the outing, and had been since it was proposed; while the Kelvic raven went out on her own quite often, exploring in company was always better, by definition. Offering a bright and cheerful greeting to the gathering at large, the Kelvic let herself be directed to the proper horse for carrying her pack and herself -- which between the two amounted to pretty much all of her worldly possessions, few that those were.

She took a moment to greet the horse, with the same exuberance as she would a person -- more than she used for the birds in the mews, as even in human form she was very mindful of their natural weapons. Getting the pack securely placed, Dust dithered for a moment over whether to ride or fly. Ultimately, the Kelvic decided on the novelty of riding -- she flew or walked practically everywhere, so she'd take the opportunity to do otherwise now. Besides... everyone else in the group was riding, too.

Dust took a moment to study the horse's tack, matching the harness now in front of her -- the yvas that only Drykas seemed to use, so far as she had ever seen -- up with the process of getting herself onto the Strider's back. Just flying up would be easier... but probably tire her out more, what with shifting to raven and back. Instead, Dust reached up and set her left hand at the base of the horse's mane, loosely gripping it; she slid her left foot into the stirrup, then looked over towards the horse's head. It stood solid and patient, one ear swiveled back in the direction of its would-be rider. The Kelvic grinned, then braced her right hand against the pad and bounced up off the ground.

In the moment where she hung against the side of the horse, Dust realized it wasn't going to be quite as easy to get her right leg up over its back as she'd expected. It would've helped if she'd set her right arm further forward -- but she hadn't. She scrabbled gracelessly the rest of the way into place, causing the Strider to angle both ears back towards her and fidget in place at its rider's antics. Dust laughed and leaned forward, patting its neck. "I'll do better next time, promise!"

Next time would come rather later, however, as now that she was up, the Kelvic didn't intend to get back down for a while. She took the reins in hand, but didn't yet attempt to direct the horse anywhere, instead watching the rest of the group with bright-eyed interest. Probably just as well, as it wasn't long before they moved out. Riding through the forest was different, too, as she was high up but didn't have to worry -- much -- about navigating around branches or trees. Unlike flying. As soon as they reached the forest's verge, Dust looked up to spot Larik's eagle form silhouetted against the sky -- and some other bird in the distance, too far for her to make out more than a dot. She was distracted from enjoying her vantage over the grasses, however, by the Strider's leap forward into full speed -- a leap which had Dust duck down and cling to the horse for a moment, then laugh again as she recovered to watch the spring-green grasses blur by them. "I think you're faster than I am!" she called -- to the horse she rode, or to the rest of their party, or maybe just to the wind which flew past. At that speed, it didn't much matter.

by **Vanator** on April 24th, 2013, 3:00 pm

The short trip through the Fringe Forest found the new riders fidgeting in their yvas', settling into the rhythm of their horse's gait and the unique Drykas tack. Vanator and Kavala offered notes of encouragement and technique along the leisurely journey to their Kelvic, Konti and Akalak companions. Vanator shot a wry grin or two at Riaris, the man appearing ungainly as he accustomed himself to riding, the Drykas taking some satisfaction in the fact that his friend was as unfamiliar in the place of a Drykas as Van had once been in the city of the Riverians. But he did not underestimate the large warrior's determination or ability to get the hang of the yvas by the time they returned, and besides a couple good-natured jibes, Vanator let his big friend be.

There was a rustling overhead, and Vanator looked up into the forest canopy to see Larik lighting on a limb, the Kelvic raptor's keen eyes watchful over the party. With a nod, Van's son took to wing again, heading out to scout the grassland just beyond the woods. By the time the forest gave place to the vast expanse of waving grass, the Striders were giddy to run. Like Kavala, Vanator too focused enough to see the strands of djed webbing stretching to the horizon, visible even in the morning sun. With a wide, knowing grin flashed at his sister, Vanator drifted back, making sure everyone knew where to hold the yvas, giving Cadra a quick wink as she passed. Taking up a position at the rear of the group, Van let out a whoop of joy as he saw Spitfire launched into her djed-spurred gallop. Sirocco vaulted forward with the others, as anxious as his rider to sail across their sea.

Beads of sweat evaporated immediately as Van urged the stallion ahead, the Strider obviously chafing to match Spitfire's tremendous gait. Van and Sirocco pulled up again beside Kavala and her mare, hooves thundering, the manes of both man and woman, stallion and mare whipping behind them as they sped across the grass. But the large stallion could not keep up with the Konti and her lighter, swifter steed, and with a laugh, Vanator drifted back again to take up a rearguard position.

by **Kavala** on May 26th, 2013, 10:53 pm

It was evident to Kavala the moment they 'rode' out that some of the members of the party would need a few pointers on riding before they got very far. She exchanged a quick glance at Vanator and though their horses were all eager to go, held them back slightly and kept them at what was a sedate pace for a strider, which was much more capable of faster than what they were going.

"Okay, listen up everyone. I know you don't have stirrups and you don't have bridles on your horses. Let me give you a quick lesson while we are riding." If Kavala was mounted say in the Syliran tradition with a full saddle and bridle, she'd have rose up in her stirrups to talk. But beings that she was riding as a Drykas, she had none, just a thin band around the horses' middle securing a pad to its back which cushioned both her rump and the horses' spine against the rider's weight. So she used her balance, which was good when it came to horses, and rose up on her knees, keeping her weight pressed into Spitfire's flanks, balancing in what was called a three point style reminding them all of a jockey rising to urge a horse forward faster. She couldn't maintain the stance on the horse's back long, letting her knees and calves take her weight rather than her rump and thighs, but she could use it to project her voice outward and make sure everyone around them knew what she was saying.

"Look where you want to go. The striders can feel your body language. Don't look at their ears, again, keep your eyes on the horizon. If you want to go faster, sit up, lean forward. They will fall forward under your weight and pick it up using it as a sign to move faster. If you want to stop, sit deeply back down on their backs, leaning back as if you are urging them to stop." Kavala demonstrated as she did so, sitting up and getting her horse to kick into a higher gear for more speed, then circling back and sitting deep in the mare's back to bring her into a slower halt.

"If you want to go one direction, press your leg against their bodies on the opposite side. They will move against the pressure. While you are doing that, relax and open the leg on the side you want them to move towards. They will automatically shift under you, changing direction. They want you balanced on them, not off balance. You can think of your legs as doors. If you want your strider to go left, close the right door and open the left door... by pressing your right leg against them forcing them over underneath you towards the right which you've just opened by relaxing your leg against them. These movements don't need to be big. Remember, they can feel a fly land on them anywhere which is the lightest touch. This can just be subtle. Watching me you wouldn't even know I'm doing it." She rode Spitfire around in a circle then, first one way then the next, dancing her around the little group.

"Any questions?" She asked, before she got them all moving forward again, hopefully this time a bit more prepared to ride and perhaps stay on if they kicked up the pace a bit.

by **Riaris Dovukalis** on June 14th, 2013, 2:23 am

Riaris listened up as Kavala, an experienced rider explained the correct way to ride the horse. She was caring and smart, unlike some young Akalak who had just assumed that he knew how to ride and sent him off with an irritated horse that he was sure tried to kill him. He glanced down at the body of the horse, and to the ropes which he held in his hands. Riaris was still a bit put-off with horses, and didn't want to be seen flopping about uncontrollably in front of Kavala or Vanator.

He glanced around quickly, taking note of the others and if they were as new to horse riding as he was. There was stern look on the Akalak's face, he didn't want to be made a fool of but while on the back of the horse, he was completely at it's mercy. "I hope that this horse is used to Akalak's and are as tolerant of them." he said in a low tone, although Kavala might had heard him still. He gave it a try, doing the things that Kavala had instructed and testing out the mount.

He sat up straight and held the ropes tightly and did his best not to look down at the ears. These horses were different than those he was used too. He knew nothing about how the Drykas communicated with their horses, and it sounded a lot like magic to him. It seemed to be going well enough, and now he figured that he had the hang of it. Glancing to Vanator, Riaris leaned forward a bit and motioned for the horse to go forward and at a faster pace. It went well at first, until the horse started to pick up more speed, as if it was gearing up for a race. Riaris quickly, and awkwardly leaned back as far as he could to motion for the horse to stop, and was lucky that it did so without knocking him off.

He was a bit proud of himself for catching on, and then turned the horse around so that he could make his way back to Kavala's side. He spared Vanator a smirk before lining his mount up beside Kavala's as he offered her a smile and a nod. "So then, what are we doing first? Making camp and setting up, or did you plan to explore first?"

by **Tia'aria** on July 10th, 2013, 5:45 am

With Kavala's guidance to herself and the rest of the group, Tia'aria felt somewhat more secure on the back of the Strider, although she still anticipated her fair share of bruises and sores from her first actual ride. She practiced a bit as Kavala advised them on how to ride and found herself unsteady in the saddle, but at least the mare was not willing to throw her and seemed capable on her own. In some way, Tia suspected that the horse could bring her safely to their destination merely because she was trying to stick with her herd, and Tia would be like only baggage on her back.

She smiled at the thought and patted the smooth neck before her.

Before they started off again, Tia'aria spoke up from her position among the travelers. She was quiet, as was her way of speaking, and she addressed Kavala in Common with the broken structure of her sentences.

"What name is horse?" She asked, patting the horse on the side and was rewarded when the horse paced forward slightly, causing the Konti to awkardly grip the long mane as a sensation alike to vertigo fluttered in her stomach at the movement. She smiled once the horse had stilled, nervous again, and took a deep breath as though to regain her nerves.

Once done, she awaited the direction to move out, and when her mare leapt forward again with Tia leaning slightly forward on her back, she was somewhat certain that she wouldn't suffer some unfortunate mishap on the journey.