Becoming Drykas (Dymphna)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

6th Fall, 510 A.V. Sam appeared when he was ready, which was a matter open to debate. He didn't want to come too early or too late, or to talk himself out of it and not come at all. But he found the shop of which Dymphna had spoken, two rows in to the east of the Opal Healing Pavilion. He had gone to a nearby stream before dawn to bathe and wash his raggedy clothes, letting them dry as he cooked breakfast beside the campfire. Now he was at his least stinky, though there was always a hint of horse and wolf on him anymore. Between caring for a Windrunner, a Strider, and two wolf pups, it was inescapable. "Ho, Dymphna!" he called ahead, only a slight strangle to his throat. The last time he had gone shopping, he had suggested sapphires to a rich girl in Sunberth and she had helped him escape slavery. Now two years later, he was to go shopping with a newly met Drykas girl and he could only wonder if it would end up being as portentous. He wore the opal in his hair, though it hadn't quite held the proto-braid for long. Perhaps he would ask her about those hair-growing tonics while he was here.

[Dymphna]

”There’s your suitor, Little Whitefeather,” teased the proprietor of the tent. Her name was Edain, and she was her aunt on her father’s side. Dymphna hadn’t actually thought Sam would show after he’d run off last night, but she had told her aunt about him. Multiple times. That she’d met him. That he might be coming, but probably not. But that she didn’t want to get to dirty in the event he did come. That he wanted to grow his hair out. But likely he wasn’t coming since he’d run off. But had she told her that she was possibly going to take someone shopping that was new to Endrykas? And that he’d given her glassbeak feathers? Honestly, Edain was more than a little happy that her young niece had plans beyond working all day simply for the fact that she was driving her crazy with it. “He’s not my suitor. I’m just excited about helping him,” she said. Despite the fact that Dymphna was the practical type that didn’t put much thought into romance or love, Edain couldn’t help but think the young woman was a little too excited over having a new friend. Of course, she agreed with Daed that Dymphna needed more friends outside of her non-existent circle. She nodded slowly, casting a glance at the girl, and uttering a soft, “Mmhm. No eloping; it would break your dear father’s heart.” Dymphna opened her mouth to protest again, but instead went stepping out of the tent. Her hand was attaching on of the pins that held up her heavily-embroidered over-dress, covered in knots and animals. It was meant for daily wear, but it still had that crisp newness to it that made it feel special. Her father had bought it for her to celebrate her new higher status within the pavilion, and she was proud of it. She rolled her eyes at her aunt, looking back at her from over her shoulder. When she turned her head, there was a flash of the glassbeak feathers woven throughout her red hair. Stopping, she shielded her eyes with her hand as they adjusted and she looked for Sam. When she spotted him, she gave him a giant grin and a quick wave, ignoring the snickering coming from inside the traveling apothecary.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Heartened by her appearance, he smiled and waved back. He hurried over, most likely under the assumption that she was doing him a favor and he shouldn't take up too much of her time. The kindness of strangers was a short-lived miracle in his memory, from ethaefal who had been ancestors of his, to bored rich girls in Sunberth, to companions on the pathless way to Endrykas. To Dymphna? "Hullo, Dymphna," he said again, quieter now that she was right there. He smiled a bit abashedly. "Thanks again for your help. I suppose I never learned to dress myself properly, just took what was given to me to wear." It was said without bitterness, as for the first seven years of his life, the giver had been his mother. "Perhaps later we could go riding," he said abruptly, wondering why he had just blurted that out. It had been a thought, yes, but one he had barely begun to think before it was tripping out of his mouth without a by-your-leave. He blinked.

[Dymphna]

“Hello, Sam. I’m so happy to see you,” she said with a giant grin nearly as bright as Syna herself. The words came easily, and they were more than honest – She thought for sure he’d not come at all. There wasn’t a nervous press to them, nor did they spill out with others – Inside the tent it gave her aunt a little curious pause in her chuckling. Outside, though, Dymphna was busy blinking at Sam’s invitation to ride; she was left a little tongue-tied by it. Wasn’t that something her brothers and sister did when courting? Was he… Was he courting her? She shook off the question quickly with a smile and a nod. He was new. He wanted to be friends. They were friends already in her eyes. She… She anticipated teasing when she got home. “I’d love to go riding. I want to meet Dohaina, and I want to introduce you to my Dara. But you said you had horses… I want to meet them all.” She had remembered the name of his Strider, which was a testament either to the listening skills her relatives claimed she didn’t have or the strength of her liver for being able to imbibe large amounts of wine and remain sober even to remember a name. With that said, she rolled her head slightly to the side to indicate they should start walking. “You’re going to love shopping for clothes then, I think. You’ll finally get exactly what you like, and the place I’m taking you to will either tailor items from scratch for you or alter what you need altered. That way your clothes will look perfect on you, and you're going to look truly dashing in blue. I suggest you splurge now. Once you get your pavilion formed, you’ll have fewer resources to spend on just yourself.” So it seemed the young lady didn’t see Sam’s dream as an if but a when.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Oh, good..." Riding. That was perfectly innocent, but he still found himself flushing a bit. He remembered his night with Merris at the Golden Dragon and blushed a bit more. At least that night his money had gotten him something, rather than just an itch to gut Doc with his hunting knife. Her quick talking kept him from getting a word in edgewise. It was almost like breaking an unruly horse. The most important part was staying in the saddle. Or the yvas. Talk of his horses, plural, made him beam with pride, but he couldn't mention his Windrunner, Horse, before she had him thinking of himself looking rather dashing in blue leather riding gear with his hair bound with glassbeak feathers and the occasional sapphire. And the opal, of course, but that would be their little secret... Wait, did they have secrets already? This was all moving so terribly fast! Then she dropped the bomb and his face fell. "Oh. Perhaps I shouldn't get anything. I need to be saving for my pavilion..."

[Dymphna]

“Sam…” She said his name quietly as she moved to rest a gentle hand on his arm. She slipped in further so that she could walk arm-in-arm with him. The action wasn’t a quick one, but instead it seemed strangely thoughtful and almost careful. “You need new clothes. They’re keeping you from being able to embrace your new life here. Plus these you have will fall apart quickly with day-to-day activities here. You’ll spend nothing that you can’t earn back in a short amount of time.” He had, after all, told her that he’d be too embarrassed to meet her family with the clothes he had. And how was he going to be her friend without being subjected to the Whitefeather Pavilion, since she spent most of her time at home?

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"All right," he said. He was much like a colt nearing adulthood, still a bit wobbly on his legs and not yet walking within the entirety of his potential power. A bit of nurturing went a long way with the orphan boy. He tried not to be weird about walking arm in arm with her. Of course, he liked it, but this was the first time in as long as he could remember that he was making friends that he might even keep for a significant amount of time. Before, he had always assumed that he would leave. Now he lived in a place that moved itself, so one could assuage wanderlust without leaving everyone behind. He followed her toward the section of Endrykas given over to the Ruby Clan. His people managed to make efficient use of space; though the Sea of Grass seemed endless, some resources were not abundant, and it took some logistical skill to allow all the pavilions somewhat equal access to them. They were an old people, though, and had learned how to live like this a long time ago.

[Dymphna]

Dymphna had never seen a city other than Endrykas. Much of her life had been spent in its safety. She was of the opinion that she knew all the best places to buy whatever you needed, places to rest when the sun got too intense, places to hide when you didn’t want anyone else around… She pointed them all out to Sam along the way. And it seemed that she didn’t know just places but also people. She said hello to at least every other person they passed along the way, and then she would lean in to tell Sam quietly what their names were and something about them. Saulin Roundstone was only 30-years-old, but had beget her husband 14 children with another on the way – If not two with the twins she was prone to. Paedric was of the Emerald Clan, and he was married to one of Dympha’s sisters named Jyn. Marna Brownrabbit had recently lost her husband, and Dymphna was worried about her. “Here we are… The Threaded Hide,” she announced cheerfully as they finally got to the joined pavilions. “We’ll start on the cloth side. Be careful, though. Shauna Wovengrass is one of the prettiest girls you’ll ever see, so try not to stammer.” She grinned at him and started inside. She politely detached herself from his arm, though her fingers seemed a little slower to leave than her hand.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

After all that information shared in a relatively straightforward and uncomplicated fashion, the gentle joke at his expense sent his hackles rising a bit. He scoffed. He knew that if Dymphna could see Merris from the Golden Dragon and knew that he had bedded her, she would be impressed. So what if he had to pay? Minor details. He wasn't sure why he wanted Dymphna to be impressed with his sexual prowess, but there it was. There was also this Shauna Wovengrass, and he wondered if she would be the sort of woman who bowled him over. He hated that, even though he liked it deep down. Watching her hand leave his, he followed after her.

[Dymphna]

She looked back at Sam with the grin still on her face, but an eyebrow lifted up in challenge. There was the slightest twinkle in her eyes. The scoff had given away something. She wasn’t sure what, but it said something. Whatever it was, it amused her, and on some subconscious level she was likely testing him and seeing what buttons she could push – Or perhaps she saw something in him that needed to be drawn out. It seemed her curiosity about him from the night before hadn’t left her when her sobriety returned. She opened her mouth to say something, then thinking better on it, her lips pursed. A joyful little laugh left her before she asked, “Shirts first. Do you think two will do you, or should we find you three that you like?”