Closed New Trails [Hunt] (Taylani, Fallan)

[Akilah Windsong]

Timestamp: 50th day of Fall

Akilah waited near the edges of the pavilion, looking around for her team mates. Sitting on her strider, she could easily see over most of the crowd. It would be a piece of cake to find her teammates.

But more and more often she found her gaze drifting over the plain. The hunt. She was ready for this. Eager in fact. She wanted to bring home the glory of winning, though she doubted she could. From what she remembered of meeting her other two mates initially, neither of them were really hunter-types. Maybe she was wrong and this meeting would correct her views.

That wasn't the biggest problem. Her hand clenched the hilt of her sword, the cool metal comforting. And painful. She could still remember the chakrams, the cold glint of them. Swallowing, she shook her head from her memories.

A plan, a plan. A hunt today would be good, a forage at least if that wasn't possible. Maybe she could find the trails taken by their game and be ready for a proper hunt later.

Impatiently at her mount's hooves, her dog Vesperia sat. He whined as he looked up at her, his bright eyes standing out from his dark fur. Vesperia was as eager to head out and his legs trembled as he tried to contain himself.

"Easy, boy," she cooed. "Just wait a little longer."

[Taylani]

Why did she continue to keep Freedom a secret from Fallan? This thought was one of many that circled around in the red head woman's head as she made her way toward the edge of camp. He was going to find out eventually if the ones who were taking care of her didn't tell Fallan, but for now Freedom was all hers including her secret. It was a purchase made in spite but also because she really needed to learn how to ride better eventually. She enjoyed that Freedom was a smallish horse unlike Stormdancer Fallan's strider.

She was moving to meet Fallan but also another Drykas, apparently this is the season that Drykas stored food and other fruits of their "harvest" from the land. It was good to participate in such, because she really wasn't so selfish as to think that she should not work to help take care of herself even though she was not really here willingly. She just was not sure what Fallan had planned for this little outing, and she was not looking forward to a day with two Drykas waving their hands at each other in their language. The upside? Maybe she will learn some more Pavi.

Her red hair was still stubbornly loose, flowing around her shoulders and back unhindered by braid, bead, or tie. Today she wore a very seldom wore outfit that Rue had made her, simply because she assumed that at some point she might be dragged onto Fallan's horse and didn't want to wear her skirts. Green linen breeches, with a lavender colored blouse adorned her body, and a slight off-put frown upon her lips.

Nearing the spot where Fallan had told her he would meet her, Taylani spied another female on a horse. Yes, it seemed she might have guess right. She was going to have to get on top one of those animals again. With a sigh she kept walking until she was a few feet away before she stopped, looking up at the woman on the horse wondering if she spoke common at all.

"Good morning." Was all she said, her arms crossing but not in annoyance but simply out of the need to have something to do.

[Fallan Windchaser]

Getting out of the tented city would be a change and a blessing to Fallan that morning for he was impatient with the routines and the constrictions of being subject once more to the needs of others.

Stormdancer had greeted him enthusiastically for she was no more used to this than he was and the prospect of a ride seemed to please her. He groomed her and was soon mounted, that connection between Drykas and Strider that he'd not managed to even suggest to Tay with her apparent reluctance to ride. They rode out onto the grasslands for a short while and circled round the tents to the place that he had agreed to meet, though as yet nothing further had been decided.

Sunlight glinting from Tays hair was easily recognisable and he guided Stormdancer in gently to where Tay stood apparently speaking to the other rider with dog at her horses knee.

"Welcome," he signed to her in Pavi, "thank you for meeting us here for the Hunt." With that he swung his leg over and slipped off the side so that he could reach out and hug Tay, his pleasure in the day spilling over to include her. He held her tightly for a moment and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before turning his attention back to the other rider.