Hark, This Way a Traveler Comes

[Traverse]

The arrival of the bird sent quite a few warriors upright with weapons in their hands, eyes suspiciously assessing the chaktawe, but Hyluck and the woman who had bade Oryani to eat seemed unfazed as she clearly identified the bird and it settled in.

Tensions soothed, eating of the massive snakes commenced. Scouting parties were sent out to make sure no more Dhani were around, a few staying at the funeral pyres, others skinning the massive snakes by torchlight and collecting the meat for drying and taking upon the trek to come. Another couple bells passed and exhaustion seemed to hit the Myrian camp in a wave. One by one Oryani's saviors began finding places on the ground to sleep. Very few of them utilized bedrolls, most using tree roots or their packs as pillows and simply finding a clear spot of ground for their bed.

Hyluck sat with the Chaktawe, a respectful distance away in silence, worrying a bit of Dhani meat. He would watch her. Despite the fact she didn't seem a threat of any kind, Myrians knew better than to trust barbarians...

••••••••••••

[Oryani]

OOCShould we move this on to the arrival at the city?

Oryani couldn't blame the warriors for being suspicious of Alaril. The bird was quite large, and probably didn't exist in such a dense forested place like this. The eagle was having trouble on its own, with few good perches... she wasn't allowing it back on her arm until she had a proper glove again. And only Caiyha knew how long it would be until she had that. Until then... no arm perching.

Their meal was silent after the raucous event of the burning. She'd recognized some of the gods' names, and a number -especially Caiyha- were those she respected and appreciated. She approved of these people, if her approval was even important. Sitting here, despite the completely different environment and severe lack of horses, felt... like she was home again. Like she was back in the Sea, with the other Drykas. Except she didn't understand the language.

She looked around and spotted the warrior who'd run into her earlier, during the battle with the snakes. His face brought back a few memories, and a profound tiredness... more mental than physical, though. She was already feeling the physical exhaustion. He was nearby, though closer than any of the other warriors. Maybe some kind of friendly bond made in battle? These felt like the kind of people who believed in such things. Many Drykas certainly did. In an attempt to be friendly she smiled, before nibbling on a sliver of snake meat. It wasn't bad, and though the creatures had been sentient, there was a perverse sense of pleasure at the success.

- Pavi - Common - Tawna -

[Traverse]

Hyluck gave an uncertain smile back to Oryani in response to her own expression, tearing off a strip of the Dhani meat. He recognized the tiredness in her fight, and despite the fact she hadn't fought, he could only imagine what the Dhani had put their prisoner through before they had caught them. He put his hands together and tilted his head upon them, a signal for her to go to sleep if she wished, then folded his legs up underneath himself and put his gaze back towards the fire.

A different woman, who Oryani would not recognize as another one of the fang leaders strode over to check on Hyluck. His gaze lowered in her presence and they spoke in hushed whispers, both of their gazes flicking back and forth to Oryani on occassion. Though the Chaktawe couldn't make any of it out, the woman's tone was clearly authoritative, and the male simply nodded and replied in single syllable words, probably affirmations of the instructions given to him.

Before she left the dark skinned woman gave a long look at Oryani, speaking slowly with a thick accent, her tone deep. "Sleep now Chak-twah, Tomorrow we make for Taloba, two or three days journey at most, and then you are on your own."

Then she strode off into the darkness, leaving Hyluck and Oryani alone by the fire.

oocAlrighty! So your post will be your last one before I throw up your grade, you can feel free to assume certain things, there are plenty of weapons left over from the dead Myrians, so if Oryani shows she can help with a hunt she will be given those weapons, my post will be filling in any gaps and giving Oryani appropriate info as to where she can stay once she reaches the city, along with your following grade!

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[Oryani]

Oryani sat patiently as the two warriors discussed -she really needed to learn what they were called- knowing they were probably talking about her. Compared to her harsh judgement of the other new groups she'd faces... those Svefra, and the now-dead snakies, she was remarkably accepting of these new people. They were so similar to the Drykas, and she kept finding hints that always made her feel like she was back at home, back with her own people… but she wasn’t. And she didn’t know how long it would take before she was. Maybe a season, but probably much, much, longer. Suddenly she felt homesick. She almost didn’t want to go back. What kind of Drykas would she be without her Strider? Without a horse to ride to keep up with everyone else. She’d practically be an invalid. She was certainly considered dead, at the moment. Why… go back?

She scowled at nothing in particular, forcefully forgetting about the subject. That didn’t matter at the moment. What did matter was that she was here, and she needed to get somewhere safe. Somewhere to live, and stay and prepare for her decision, and potential journey back. Wherever these people lived she’d have to find work as well… as they probably weren’t going to let her live off charity. She didn’t want to live off charity either. She had enough dignity for that.

She glanced up at the new woman when she approached, smiling a little at the butchering of her racial name. The statement answered a few of her questions, including the ‘live off charity’ part. Hopefully, with limited language skills, she’d be able to figure out… something. One thing she’d always prided herself on was being adaptable… in situations not totally out of her range. Like the ship. She hadn’t done too badly on that either, though… except for the fact that she’d been throwing up most of her meals. Wherever this ‘Taloba’ place they were going… be it a word in the language of these warriors, or some Common word she didn’t know, there was sure to be something to help her get starting from nothing.

---

Before they left the next morning, Oryani had noticed a number of supplies hanging around, from old warrior’s bodies. Though she didn’t want to intrude on whatever kind of rites these people had (she’d heard those in Riverfall and Syliras were very picky), there seemed to be things that were left along that could be put to use by someone like her. She felt a little guilty as she approached them, but one thing had caught her eye… a bow about the same size and shape of her old one, though with bone accentsDespite it having bone, it is not a composite bow , and a strange color of wood she hadn’t seen before. What was most remarkable of all was that the string was still intact.

She crouched over the body, silently apologizing to… someone. She didn’t quite know. She found an equally intact quiver on their back, but only holding two arrows. She’d have to get more. Alaril came and landed heavily on the body, making the Chatakwe wince. She didn’t want to irritate these warriors, and having a bird of prey on a dead body generally meant some eating involved. It seemed the eagle only wanted someplace soft to perch, however, and didn’t start ripping bite-sized pieces off of the corpse.

She checked around to see if anyone was watching, or caring, but no one seemed to be glaring at her actions. With the bow in one hand, she lightly wiped the quiver off with a sleeve, thanking the maker and the wearer that it too was alright. She didn’t know how this warrior had died… but it hadn’t been very bloody. She began scavenging around in a sort of crouched position, feeling utterly embarrassed and guilty. She found more arrows scattered around, bringing her total to ten, and then… a jackpot.

It wasn’t quite what she’d been looking or hoping for. She’d wanted, quite desperately, a glove for Alaril to be able to perch on her arm. This wasn’t quite it, but it would do the job. One warrior had been wearing a leather piece of armor on their forearm that looked even more robust than her old glove. It didn’t reach past the elbow as her other one had, but it did touch the joint… so she wouldn’t get too many scars.

The Drykas pulled on it, but the item wouldn’t come off… it seemed attached at some place. She searched around and found a kind of cord binding it to something else… annoying. There was a small dagger lying around so she grabbed that, and used the slightly dull blade to slice the cord, and free the leather armor. She took a good look at the knife, noting that it would need sharpening and a sheath… then stuck it in her belt. It would be useful later on.

She took a look at what had been sticking to the thing and found a small leather… satchel? Purse? On opening, it seemed to contain a number of round bone circles, each with three red stripes. They looked almost like coins. Maybe they were. Maybe they were just game pieces or trinkets. She shrugged and pocketed them as well, hoping they too would be useful at another date.

She was done, and straightened, feeling utterly embarrassed for what she had done. “Thank you Dira,” she muttered, “For allowing me to push myself higher off the gifts of those who have fallen…” It was rather poetic, but she felt even more awkward saying it. She’d never said anything to Dira before. She accepted the goddess’ existence before, but never really thought about her. Still, it felt… appropriate. To be thankful.

She left it off there and walked away, a bundle of new equipment gleaned from the dead in her arms.

Wordcount991

EquipmentOryani gained:
1 Shortbow
10 Arrows
1 Leather vambrace
20 Bikka
1 Small dagger

- Pavi - Common - Tawna -

[Traverse]

The journey was fast paced, the Myrians eager to get back to their place of resident, having sent their dead on their way to Dira. Their numbers were smaller, yet the Dhani Casualties meant stories to tell of glory and honor. The news of how close the serpents came to their city would also need to be reported. At first portests were risen when people noticed the Chaktawe had armed herself, but just as Oryani sensed the similarities between the Drykas and who she would come to know as Myrians, it seemed her rescuing fang seemed to sense something not entirely foreign about her as well, and allowed her to keep her weapons, something that proved to be worth the trust when Oryani helped bring down a Treshal from the understory.

She remained with Hyluck most of the march, though the male was largely silent, and soon she learned what Taloba was when the thick foliage parted to show tall walls made of bone and wood, topped with Dhani skulls, and those of barbarians that had not proved worthy of entering the city of Bones. Outside the narrow entrance stood two massive tigers, larger than any horse Oryani had ever seen. They bared their teeth in silent growls at her, but each of the leading females of their fangs voiched for the Chaktawe in turn in that guttural language these people had, and the Chaktawe was allowed to pass through hte gate into a city unlike one she had ever seen, yet...familiar in a way.

Where Drykas pavilions moved and were filled with horses, Taloba was filled with giant leathery elephants, some towering high above the buildings, others slightly smaller, with strange nodes on their ears. Their long noses reached out curiously towards the stranger, and people stopped in the streets to stare at the barbarian, few of whom from her blood ever appeared in the city. That was where the fangs took their leave of Oryani, but not before showing her Durak's Tavern, and the Den of Exiles, the least they could do was show her potential places to sleep...

After that Oryani found herself alone with Alaril in a strange wooden city filled with giant trees, tigers, Tskanna, and Ashta. No longer a prisoner, but now simply a stranger in strangely familiar land.

Oryani

Skill	XP Earned
Acrobatics	1 XP
Endurance	4 XP
Land Navigation	1 XP
Observation	5 XP
Socialization	2 XP

•	Lores Earned
•	Captured By Shapeshifting Monsters
•	Moving With Bound Hands
•	Tall Savages vs. Giant Snakes
•	The Similarities of the Savages to the Drykas
•	Entering the City of Taloba

Loot:

+1 Ash and bone inlayed shortbow
+1 Quiver and 10 Arrows (2 barbed)
+1 Leather Vambrace
+1 Dagger
+ 20 Bikka

Additional Notes :

A fun little thread to get Oryani from point A to B, and I can't wait to see what she gets up to in the city!!

Yes, I Bite.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.