Flashback [Cyphrus/Syliras Border] A servals intrigue (Fallan)

[Isedan Autumnrun]

Timestamp: Summer 1, 508

The warm southern winds sweeping in off the grasslands were a welcome sensation, which the two year old kelvic thoroughly enjoyed as she perched on the hilltop, looking down at the shallow bowl so that the wind could move over and through her fur and ears. Lukyc was off behind her, setting up camp in the shade of the hill, protected from the winds that came hot from the not too distant grasslands. From her vantage, Issy could see the towering swaths of grass form their wall to the world. She knew that there was a road that wove through it, but they were several days off the Kabrin, seated along the border what felt a stones throw from the fierce wilds ahead.

This was their favorite hunting spot, the kelvic and her new bondmate having worked this run for the last year or so, passing knights only when they came closer to Syliras. Their annual visit to Zeltiva (as Lukyc had called it) wasn't scheduled until next spring and would be her second trip to the mountain-wrapped naval capital. But that was a year away and the clear and bright day was too wonderful to be fretting over what was so far gone.

Her sharp hearing could pick up all the sounds in the bowl of terrain beneath the hill from where she perched, grey-gold eyes searching, long legs itching to go stalking. But Lukyc had told her not to go by herself, the wilds were dangerous and though the kelvic had a superior knack for flushing game for him, her small stature would not do against some of the more imposing predators of the region. Wolves and coyotes mostly, but there were larger more aggressive cats that were supposed to abound.

That was when she spotted something moving through the grasses. She couldn't see it from this distance, but with a thrust of her ears forwards, the serval tried to hone in, listening closely to what was out there. But again, the blast of the wind made focusing through it harder. She looked back and down the hill, watching Lukyc setup the tent now. Surely he wouldn't mind too much if she went and investigated; it was only a few chimes away, half a bell at most from where she marked it. Maybe it was something they could catch and kill!

With a chuff, the feline made her decision and slipped silently down the hill in pursuit of that which she had spotted. What would it be?

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[Fallan Windchaser]

The season change was still in the air here as Fallan headed Northwards and off the plains. Stormchaser snorted at the air, her breath still steaming from the the djed enhanced run that had brought him from his family, their pavilion and the herd now that they also moved Northward having spent Winter and most of Spring down in the South near the desert regions where the weather was more clement than here.

But now he scouted, at least that was his excuse, her shoulders warm under his knees as he rode with one hand on the Yavas, his stance relaxed as he steered her with his knees towards the hill that he'd seen, an excellent place to survey the route ahead. He sat back so their pace reduced once more to a simple walking one as he made sure that she was cooled off from the run.

The grass was longer now, reaching up now, past the earlier Spring flowers, for the height that by the end of Summer would see it ripen ready to sow anew, the seeds scattered by the Fall winds.

Stormchaser twitched against him, pulling aside from the course he'd set, her ears swivelling as her head raised, nostrils flaring. Fallan sat forward, his eyes scanning for whatever the breeze had brought her, wondering if even out here the web had alerted her to something moving. He further diverted course, following her lead, turning aside so that he ran parallel with the wind and heading towards the hill at a less steep angle.

Now he also followed her lead and calmed himself, pushing away the moment of tension that her move had caused, bringing his attention back to the moment, balancing on the knife blade of awareness where no judgements were made and reached out himself for the web to see if someone had set an origin on the hill that he might be able to tap into.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

The serval slunk through the grasses, most of it just shorter than she. Sometimes a web would be passed, its silk clinging to the smooth spotted pelt she had. Othertimes she had to make a small hop to cross a narrow stream as it wound its course through the pre-plain grasses leading into Cyphrus. Most of this part of the region was fairly marshy and hilly, rich with game. However, this swath had become a long petrified bog, the firmness of the solidified peat clear beneath her paws.

The sound of a horse came to her suddenly and the kelvic paused, her head tilting slightly as her ears honed in on the source. It had been several chimes since she'd descended the hill and the speck she had spotted had been moving at a reasonable clip. Intercepting them could happen at any time!

As for Fallan's search along the web, he would clearly see the source of the thread, synchronizing with the hill. It was a relatively young thread, only a few decades old (compared to some that were hundreds of years old in the Sea), and dictated that the creator had anchored this location under the premise of it being fine hunting grounds outside but near the Sea of Grass. Mostly small fauna but sometimes deer could be caught if you were quick enough. What he would see most, however, is that of a serval, tall and lean like the species, moving through the grass directly towards him (not that the creature knew this). She was a couple hundred yards out by now, not quite fifteen chimes from the Hill and subsequent Origin.

The beat of the horses hooves were very near now and Issy stopped, concerned that perhaps the horse was being ridden. If the animal had a rider, had they spotted her? And if so, did they think her something to catch and kill? The kelvic hesitated to shift, however, and instead sat back on her haunches, pushing up afterwards so that she was 'standing', not unlike a meerkat would do, to see over the grasses. She maw sounded out several chirps, reflections of her concern as grey-gold eyes searched for the source of the sound.

Then, she spotted them. It was a rider, but the figure looked dead upon the horse. It was very strange and immediately drew concern from the feline as she hopped back down to all fours and turned to flee back to the hill. Lukyc could help if the man was injured; perhaps that was why the man was charging, they were hoping to find someone in the bowl (or the horse was lost; Issy knew little of striders and Drykas). Her long legs carried her swiftly through the brush and grasses, the loud calls resounding as she summoned her bondmate, impressing upon the bond between them the urgency.

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[Fallan Windchaser]

A wave of weariness passed over Fallan as he recollected his wits and sagged over the yvas, aware now that it had been a potentially stupid thing to have done out here where he could have lost his seat had his Strider spooked. He shivered in reaction and pushed himself back upright, Stormchaser having come to a halt and calmed.

Fallan smiled and slapped her on the withers. "A big fuss for a little cat," he grinned, aware that it was better to be safe than sorry. He blinked and closed his eyes whilst he fought for control over his stomach. Here there ought not to be grassbeaks or the other predators of the plains but he was almost entirely reliant upon her to outrun anything else for his dagger was hardly protection against a large predator. Stormchaser pranced and shook her head, causing him to laugh, however weakly once more.

He shifted his weight forwards and to the side, turning her back into the hill and up the web he'd sensed, cautious though as to what might have happened to the cat, and in case it was not alone for he knew that whilst most were solitary, some hunted in groups. At the top he would stop and make a new decision as to where to head, his priority was to check on sources of water should the herd ever come this way.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

Issy sped up the hill, chirping the whole way, the sound not unlike a cheetah, and save for some key factors, the serval was not all that different from them. At the top of the hill, she paused to look down at where Lukyc was and gave a loud mreow to get his attention before looking back towards where she recalled the rider to be. It took a moment of searching thereafter before she spotted man and horse again, turned to look upon her bondmate a second time, and called to him once more.

The man below looked up at the urgent cries above him and frowned. Did she sense danger in some form? The answer would surely come for Issy was bounding down the hillside now towards him, Shifting as she reached the flat bottom in that mysterious flash of light. "Isedan, is everything alright?" He stared at the naked teen with a pensive frown.

"There's a rider, Lukyc; he was laying as if dead on his horse and his horse was riding near! We should help him!" The lanky young woman bounded for her clothing, stashed in the saddlebags of the horse they shared in travel. "He could be hurt." She found the billowy blouse she wore about the camp and pulled it overhead just as a rider crested the hilltop making the kelvic jump a little in surprise.

Where before the figure had been slumped, he now sat tall. "That's him! Lukyc, that's him!" She cried, hopping to the sandy-blonde's side and grabbing at his elbow. A nervous hiss slipped from the kelvics lips as she stared up at the figure.

"He doesn't look very dead to me, love." The hunter replied with a laugh, though he did fetch his knife and crossbow, just in case. Cranking the bow as he climbed, the man called out to the figure above. "Oi, are you alright? My lady friend said you were hurt?"

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[Fallan Windchaser]

Of all the things that he had expected when he crested the hill, the sight that greeted him was not what he imagined for the chances of coming across other travellers was slim even in this season. He paused and stared, an action copied by the horse that he rode. As he did the voice wafted up to him from the male of the two, a male he noted who had picked up a crossbow and was arming it, an act understandable but also one that was hostile.

He scanned their gear, calculating the odds before making a decision. He could flee or approach, the latter far more dangerous and yet always more interesting. It did not suit the pride of the Drykas to flee random strangers and that decided him, so he kneed Stormchaser and moved towards them, his hands clearly visible.

Hurt? The words did not make sense and a woman could make the man protective. He waved and waited until the distance was a little closer before replying. He used the short time to unpick his thoughts for she had seen him and thought he was hurt? So far he had not connected the cat with the woman, which in hindsight might perhaps be surprisingly obvious.

"I am well." His Common as ever was stilted. "Sorry for friend." He closed the distance somewhat and paused, remaining on his horse, his only weapon and chance of escape if they proved unfriendly.

"My name Fallan. You hunt?" Anyone familiar with the Drykas would probably recognise him by the horse and it's gear, but his windmarks were not visible under his tunic.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

Though still cautious, Lukyc lowered the crossbow to point down instead of even with the figure above. He had the advantage of moving downhill where Issy and Lukyc would have to fight uphill if a scuffle broke out. Looking over his shoulder at his companion, the man shared his feelings with her but could see clearly the kelvic was interested in the foreigner, the sense of her curiosity coming off in waves.

The crossbow lowered completely and his second hand came off the support, the weapon hanging now at his side. "I'm sorry for the precaution, rider. You never know who or what roams these southern marshes; I would rather not run into things less interested in talk, if you understand." He paused, about to go on when Issy pushed past him, the tall woman moving right up close to the horse. Her hand reached for his nose, mouth forming into a 'gruu' noise that was done out of habit.

"I thought he was hurt. He looked hurt, Lukyc, honest."

The man below nodded and climbed the remainder of the hill, bow relaxed at his side and finger off the trigger. "Aye, kit, I believe you. It isn't polite to nose about his horse without introducing yourself, though." The man offered up a hand in friendly gesture, stating "Lukyc. We ply the marshes for small game, my friend and I, hauling meat and skin to Zeltiva and Syliras every few seasons."

The lanky dame moved up just behind Lukyc now, resting her chin on his shoulder as she eyed the figure on the horses back, her fingers twitching at the hunters back as if in knead. "I'm Isedan. Why were you riding like you were dead? Does that not hurt?" Her nostrils flared and she slipped back around her ally to move behind the horse. It was clear she was comfortable with the animal (though it might have been understandable given the complacent dun Tidal Pony tied to some tough shrubs below. The horse was good for navigating the swamps and bogs of southern Sylira though was not commonly found inland like this.

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[Fallan Windchaser]

Fallan smiled and shrugged at the mans explanation for he didn't blame the caution. Stormdancer eyed the woman curiously and tossed his head slightly, blowing out but not otherwise objecting to her closeness.

Fallan lifted his leg over and slipped to the ground before taking the offered hand. "Don't mind horse," he said nodding at Stormdancer, "not mind people." He did not mention that the Strider was perfectly capable of both making his own decisions and taking care of himself around people, but then Striders weren't exactly horses in the general sense of the name.

He squinted at the Isedans question, slightly confused, still not having placed her with the cat, but realised that she must indeed have seen him, and perhaps when he'd been attempting to scan the web and not concious of what was going on around him. Neither however did he wish to discuss the web overly much with strangers.

"Sorry for scare. Meditating, not hurt." He thought that he'd got the word right, but it stretched his knowledge of Common considerably and he was pleased that he' remembered the word, and it was also even a little true. "Fallan remember in mind the marsh from last visit."

Hunting wasn't something that he was especially skilled at but he'd seen enough to respect the skill of those who were. "Hunting good?" It was at times like this that Common was difficult but he'd never spent the time to improve it.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

It was the kelvic who answered this time, having made a full circle of the mount by now and had stopped beside the now dismounted man. "Uh huh! We catch all kindsa stuff when the season's good. Mostly hare and fox, but I've scented out a fair few lizard and turtle in the drier spots." Lukyc cleared his throat at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forget he doesn't like others knowing all about what we get." Her light-hearted chatter seemed more youthful than she appeared. "Not that the cities don't know when we bring a load in, hah!"

She tilted her head a little now, watching the figure with raised brows. "You talk a little strange, too. Does it do that to you when you're meditating? Talk funny?" Lukyc's hand fell onto her shoulder and squeezed her into silence.

"You will have to forgive her, she lets her nature get the better of her sometimes. Come, why don't you join us in camp for a quick bite. Most of our hunts occur at twilight before Syna is too far gone to hide the game. Isedan has quite a knack at rooting them out. If you stick about long enough, perhaps she'll show you."

"Later? Why do we need to wait? I know where the best cache's are and there's a well-used warren not even a chime from camp. I thought I spotted a pheasant roost too when I was up here before but then I saw him and well...got distracted." She grinned innocently and went back to the horse now, running her fingertips over his mane and chuffing under her tongue a little.

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[Fallan Windchaser]

There was a curious dynamic between the two of them that created a sense of intrigue in Fallans mind. He was starting to have a suspicion as to the nature of the woman, something that should have been more obvious in hindsight, and certainly was an interesting combination to encounter.

"I'm not hunter, trader. Interested in what you do, knowledge sometimes useful." He both enjoyed and hated the challenge of speaking in Common, at the least it stretched him and removed the complacency of being able to speak easily.

He kept a soft smile on his face as he attempted to keep track of the flitting movements of Isedan. "Nothing to forgive," he replied to the man, "talk funny because not from Syrila."

The banter between the two of them was clearly familiar and he suspected that the man allowed her much leeway for all that he attempted to be in charge. "Thanks for invite to camp. Can hunt now, later, OK for Fallan."