Solo The Grass Looks Different When You're Alone

[Aran Windblown]

2 Fall, 513AV "You have everything?" Aran chuckled when his father asked that for the fifteenth time; his mother had him beat by seven, so far. "Yes, Father, I have everything," he assured his Ankal, double-checking to ensure that all of the straps on the yvas bags were secure; it would not do to lose some of his precious cargo. "And before you ask, as Mother has six times at the last count, I know the way to the camps and back; I will be back within three days, at the latest." He offered Sirot a smile. "You know Anyalvis and I know these lands as well as anyone; the camps are not far, and you have not felt any disturbances in the Web. We will be safe." "That's what you said before your first solo hunt," Sirot muttered, and Aran winced, his gaze automatically sliding to the scars that still criss-crossed his Strider's haunches. "At least this time, I can identify glassbeak tracks." he said, his tone teasing. Then he sobered, reaching out to lay a hand on the older Drykas's shoulder. "Father. You must trust me, trust Anyalvis, and trust our bond. We will look after one another, and we will return home." "Do not think it escapes my attention how you do not promise you will return safely," Sirot warned, although there was a reluctant smile pulling at his lips now. "Fine then; be off, before your mother ties you to the tent poles for worry," he said, waving a hand towards Anyalvis. "I will keep an eye on the Web, and mark your journey." Aran smiled at his father, bowing his head in thanks. "Thank you, Father."

[Aran Windblown]

Aran tilted his face to Syna, a smile tugging at his lips. He loved being out in the Sea of Grass; the grass hid many dangers, but that was just part of the attraction. Today, his mission was to deliver supplies and messages to one of the hunting parties camped a day's ride to the east; he would arrive there sometime tomorrow morning, and then he would stay the day, collecting news and other messages, setting off the next day. Clucking to Anyalvis, Aran smiled when the Strider seemed to read the Drykas's mind-- although he knew no such thing was possible, and that Anyalvis was actually responding to his leg cues-- and picked up a slow, rocking canter, designed to cover ground while conserving energy. They traveled for most of the day, stopping only a few times for water and food; Aran would unpack a bowl from his bag, pour water from his waterskin into it, and offer it to Anyalvis to drink from first. Then he would drink some(unless the always-mischeivous Strider decided to dump a huge mouthful of grass into the bowl), before pouring the rest of the water back into the waterskin. During one of the stops, Aran had managed to track down a rabbit, and a lucky shot provided him with a hot meal for dinner. He bled the rabbit, although he didn't skin or gut it just yet; it was only slightly after midday, after all. He also managed to retrieve and clean his arrow, which pleased him; he hated losing arrows in the grasslands. They were inexpensive, but it was the principle of the thing. Aran tied the rabbit to yvas, double-checking all of the other straps and buckles to ensure that they were still secure, and then mounted once more, taking a moment to get his bearings; once he had ascertained his direction, he clucked to Anyalvis and nudged the Strider with his heels, and they resumed their journey. ************************ That night, Aran set up camp. He made a fire using his flint and steel, skinned, gutted-- making sure to dispose of the guts properly, lest they attract unwanted predators to his camp-- and cleaned the rabbit, then stuck it on a makeshift spit and roasted it. It was a good, filling meal; Anyalvis snorted at him when Aran teasingly offered him a bite, saying that surely the rabbit would taste better than that nasty old tough, dry grass. When Syna gave way to Leth, Aran arranged his packs so that nothing would be crushed during the night and banked the fire, making sure that it wouldn't accidentally start a wildfire in the middle of the night, before pulling out his bedroll. The night was slightly chilly, but his coat would do fine for warmth; if he truly got cold, he could always get Anyalvis to lay down and be a pillow for him. Ara stuffed his bedroll under his head, using it as a makeshift pillow, before turning onto his side and falling asleep, listening to the sounds of the night.

[Aran Windblown]

The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Aran set off once again. He planned to find the camp by midday; to do so, he would have to cover a lot of ground. Fortunately, Anyalvis was a Cyphrus Strider; he could tap into the Web and travel at far higher speeds than most other horses could ever dream of reaching. Aran only had to slow the Strider a few times, but it was only so that the Drykas could double-check to make sure that they were still travelling in the correct direction. Shortly after Syna had reached her peak, Aran spotted the first signs of other Drykas nearby; rumpled grass and the odd hoofprint. Following the tracks brought Aran to the camp he sought, where he was greeted enthusiastically. Aran handed out packages of supplies and tokens, gathered news of the hunt in turn, and spent the rest of the day socializing and taking care of Anyalvis, double-checking him for any pests or rocks he could have picked up on their travel. That night, Aran and the hunters ate together, swapping tales and jokes until long after Leth had ascended the night sky. When Aran went to sleep that night, it was in his bedroll, knowing that, even though he was a guest, he would be expected to take his turn at the watch.

[Aran Windblown]

.

The grasslands were surprisingly quiet in the early morning, before most of the other living creatures were awake. There were a few noises from the grasses beyond the camp-- birds, mostly, shuffling around a bit before leaving their nests to find food-- but aside from them, there was no noise on the grasslands as Leth slowly gave way to Syna.

Aran glanced over his shoulder, back towards the camp, when he heard one of the hunters rising. From then, it took little time before everyone was awake and moving around; after Aran had finished tackin up Anyalvis, and with various good-byes and a last minute message for one hunter's wives, Aran mounted the Strider and headed back for Endrykas.

There were several times Aran had to stop and regain his bearings, heading back towards Endrykas-- particularly after spotting signs of a glassbeak flock nearby; Aran had no desire to ever tangle with one of those again. The first sign he had of Endrykas was more signs of recent passage in the grass; then, he spotted a few tendrils of smoke, most likely from cooking fires. Within the next chime, Aran was back in camp.

"Aran!"

Aran grinned when he spotted his younger half-sister running for him. "Hey there," he called, swinging down from Anyalvis. "I'll come back by the tent later; I still have several messages and packages to take back to some of the other Pavilions. Tell Mother and Father I'm home, will you?" The young girl pouted, and Aran consoled her with a hug before sending her on her way and heading on his.

Once all of the packages were delivered, Aran made his way back to his family's pavilion, looking forward to a good meal and time with his family.