Closed Rain filled Comfort

[Alevadra Druva]

Spring 30th, 514AV Late Afternoon It was only a handful of bells after lunch, but the skies seemed to believe it to be much later than it really was. The clouds did not bode well for the upcoming bells as massive, curling; billows began to encroach upon the city. Ale could see them rolling in from the road outside, flashes of light streaking through the dark pillows, follow by dulled crackles and cackles. It was not to be one of the pleasant showers that aided the farmers, it was to be a terror that shook windows and sent children screaming to their mothers breasts. However, the knight had a duty, and she saw to it, despite the impending storm. Ale could seek the shelter of the post once the real fireworks began, till then, she advised the few on the road to hurry to the gates of Riverfall—not that her words were needed, it seemed most had the intent of getting in doors before the rain would even get to fall. It was that uncomfortable stillness that was settling upon the land, the birds and creatures had already had the mind to hide away from the suffocating clouds that kept Syna’s rays from them. Ale had the mind to go back to her post and simply wait, but, a few still lingered along the road—perhaps carrying too much to move at any good rate, or a child who was fussy. The knight ended up getting looped into helping a family who was moving from Kenash to Riverfall, a human family with two small children, one of whom simply sat down and refused to get up. An agreement was made, the mother would carry the child while Ale carried some of their things—just get them to shelter. Reaching the shelter was no trouble, it was what happened after that was the trouble. The group had come across a cottage on the way to Riverfall, with a garden and small stable, those inside were more than willing to take in the family till the storm past. The rain had begun; the crackles hidden away in the clouds became louder as brown eyes raised to the sky. “You best get inside, Sera, the skies are opening up.” The knight shook her head slightly. “As tempted as I am, I need to be at my post.” She smiled slightly as the rain began to ting against her armor. “You know, duty and all.” With a thanks from the family, Ale began the trek back to her post. It wasn’t all that far, and the rain was still light. She began her jog back, running from the clouds that were catching up without trouble. There was an unease settling into her bones, the oppressive silence only broken up by the sound of her armor and occasional clap of thunder. It seemed that the elements had it out for her, between the winter patrol that turned into a snow catastrophe and now this impending storm, surely she should move deep into a cave and avoid any sort of weather. It took half a bell of jogging back to get within sight of the post. By the time brown eyes landed upon the structure, the rain was pouring, dark clouds had taken up residence in the sky above Riverfall as the tell-tale crack of thunder broke through the incessant thrumming of rain upon the road. Ale was out of breath from jogging in armor, the weight of it only growing now that the linen’s and wool she wore were equally soaked. A break was not on the itinerary, however, as her boots splashed through muddy pools up to the cabin. The stables were not far off, and a quick look was given to them, the gate was shut and everything looked secure; and for the moment, that was good enough for Ale. “I swear by Tyveth,” Ale began to hiss, wrenching open the door and slopping into the cabin. A click and the door was closed as Ale began to pull off all the armor as a pool began to form at her feet. She’d have to watch her armor to assure any signs of rust were quickly attached with a bit of steel wool. The armor was removed and hung upon the wooden rack that was designed for it, letting it drip onto the floor as she made her way to the fireplace, setting up a flame dry her boots while clothes were hung over chairs. The rain created a dull rumble over the roof, which slowly became a white noise to Ale as she changed into dry clothes and tended the fire before lighting a few candles that were about the post and settling down by one of the windows to watch the road. The wooden chair she perched upon protested slightly to her weight, creaking as she leaned back, calloused fingers combing through her wet hair, pulling and twisting it into a braid over her shoulder. The rain hit the road with such force that mud splashed back up. It was so thick and heavy, her vision barely crossed the road. A flash of lighting filled the cabin and the clap of thunder made every muscle in her frame tense. "May the gods have mercy on any soul out there," She hummed, impressed by the force of nature.

[Caelum]

Lightning lit, the cabin bled out of the gloom. It seemed a mirage, edges flickering behind sheets of rain and the strobe light of Zulrav's wrath. One hand was fisted in the strap of a buckskin strider's yvas and the other swung up to platform over his eyes as he squinted in an attempt to bring the cabin into focus. He had vague recollection of the post, passed bells back when the wind was still strong at his back, trying to out race him. Ostensibly, Caelum had departed the Sanctuary to stretch the strider's legs and to scope the area for a very particular herb. It was myrdas, of course, that he sought. He always sought that herb, and while it was not uncommon in Cyphrus it was uncommon in this budding beginning of a season. The underlying reasons for his taking the day beneath the sky and into the far flung grasses had to do with the fact that he had grown cagey as a night lion in the menagerie. He had a dozen balls in the air and his time and attention was pieced out into a variety of inter-connected but distinct goals. It kept him busy, but now and again the empty within opened and nothing but restlessness and unease thrummed through his veins. So he ran. He rushed right into the wind, taking the day to be physically alone as he generally was in spirit. There were living responsibilities he had taken on in the last year, ones with sad, dark eyes and bright, big smiles. They held him in place, but the yelling within was only muted. Not snuffed. So he ran. The storm had not caught him off guard, and had he not run so far then he might have made it back to the Sanctuary in time. Yet not only had he run, but he was unwilling to give up the myrdas crop he had located on a stray creekbed. Haste had turned to necessity and he ended up scooping a baby rabbit out of a flooding warren. The creature had clearly been abandoned and ended up stuffed into the front of Caelum's worn leather duster, the color of old bark and split for riding. He had it buttoned all the way up, collar upturned and the hood spilling over hair and horns for what good it was doing him. The storm had deepened to the degree that he was forced to dismount a ways back, and it was more like swimming than walking as he and the strider plowed their way toward the building that appeared to be a stable by its roof slant. By the time the ethaefal had his horse stabled and rubbed down, stealing some of the feed located and tossing one of the thick, dry blankets he had located within over her back, he could feel the sun dipping toward the horizon. He was never making it back to the Sanctuary tonight. At the stable door, he sucked in a breath, eyeballed the quickest route to the cabin door, and offered a quick prayer to Lhex before quick walking it through the mire. He knew better than to try and run. The likelihood was that he would end up tripping and breaking his ankle or the like and wouldn't Kavala just have a field day with that one? A fist ended up pounding against the cabin door and a fresh gust freezing rain roared over the eaves. It dropped a hand to the knob and, to his surprise, the door swung open beneath the shove of his shoulder. It left a dripping stranger scrambling to slam the door back before facing the interior and whosoever it was he had managed to ambush. His hood fell back, displaying the poisonous hyacinth color flushing through the gold of his horns and sun-stricken eyes narrowing against still drizzling rain water. Not being a stupid man, he had his hands up at chest levels and palms out in an age old claim of harmlessness when he spotted the woman. "I'm sorry," he said first and quick, rich voice pulling with foreign accents around the Common language. "But it's petching death out there. Any chance I can ride it out with you?"

[Alevadra Druva]

The drumming of rain and snapping of lightening betrayed Ale as her ears did not hear anything but the weather surrounding the small post. Not the strider in the stable beside her horse, not the man on the step. The first knock went unnoticed between the thunder and Ale’s own imagination. It was not until the second pound that Ale tensed a moment, the knights attention moving to the door, her fingers upon the hilt of her sword. The wooden door opened abruptly, the knocks having not given her the time to move and accept the visitor. Ale had not seen anyone outside, nor heard them—not that she expected to, however, her nerves were tense as she looked to the man who stepped into the post, shutting out the rain with a slam of damp wood and latching metal. His hands raised up about his chest, showing his lacking malicious intent. However—Ale’s attention was not so intent upon whether he was the violent sort or not, her attention was rather fixated upon the hair and horns. An Ethaefal? Ale had only seen them in passing, like a mirage or a dream. She really knew nothing of them, they were actually quite intimidating to Ale, and she willingly would fight Zith and other violent, malevolent creatures. Ethaefal’s, however, held a different sort of intimidation for Alevadra, it was not worry of violence or harm that made her tentative, it was their knowledge, their lives that intimidated her. They were these beautiful, glimmering creatures that were often so… Driven. “I’m sorry,” Sera Druva’s fingers let loose the hilt of her sword, blinking herself back into focus before standing from the old wooden chair. “But it’s petching death out there. Any chance I can ride it out with you?” The woman nodded. “Of course, the post is open to any in need of it,” The knight gestured towards the fire. “Dry your clothes before you catch the death of you,” Ale had to wonder if an Ethaefal could die of the sniffles. However, that was not quite the most appropriate question to ask someone off the start. She moved to the fire, tossing another log on the flames, sending whispers of fire soaring up the chimney. “Sera Alevadra Druva,” She stated, putting some water in the cooking pot that hung over the fire. Brown eyes moved to him with a small smile. It was odd for Ale to find any real comfort in the company of others. Often she’d put on the face of being open and comforting and more often than not it showed through in empty flirts and meaningless chatter. It was not often that the knight was inclined to be relaxed around anyone—especially someone who was not of the order. It was uncomfortable for her to feel at all at ease around a stranger. Was this part of being an Ethaefal? If it was, why had Ale not had is unexpected sense of serenity while around others in passing? She tried not to dwell on it, turning in the one-room post to open a chest and pull a heavy blanket from the wooden box. “Can’t imagine you’d fit in any of my clothes, but at least this will help you dry up.”

[Caelum]

The line of Caelum’s shoulders relaxed when the lady knight relinquished her grip on her sword. His hopeful smile brightened a few unaccountably disarming notches and his hands dropped to the fasteners of his duster, automatically beginning to worry them loose. His was a rolling gait, as if he had spent too much time on the sea or on horseback, all loose hipped and lazy despite the fact that he was shivering. He aimed himself at the fire while digging into his coat and, ultimately, cupping his hands about a sodden, furry little bundle and lifting it out. The baby rabbit, huddled up and quivering, was exchanged for Alevadra’s blanket. As he tucked the pathetic creature into the knight’s arms, Caelum’s smile flashed briefly as a grin, as if he was inviting her to share in a jest. “Caelum, Sera Druva,” he introduced himself shortly, but with a head and shoulders sketching of a bow that said he knew his manners. “Thanks for letting me in. I’d look like that rabbit there by dawn tomorrow had you not.” His jacket clattered softly, as if all of its pockets were laden with curiosities. Most of them were. He cast the jacket over the back of a chair by the fire and then tugged out of the heavy cotton, hooded shirt, hauling it right over his head along with the plain linen undertunic beneath. It left him bare to the waist, all broad shoulders and hard muscles, sun burnished skin and the wine stain of what might have just been a tattoo arching over the jut of his right hip in the shape of a chain. The blanket was set over the arm of the chair and he shuddered a little at the lick of the fire heat while dropping to a perch on the chair’s edge. He bent down so as to work on his boots, golden eyes peeking up at Alevadra with plain curiosity now and again. “Were you caught outside the city by the storm or at this post on purpose?” He was interested to learn. The smile he gave was wry. “I am not here on purpose, in case you were wondering. I was foraging for a particular herb and the creek overflowed the bank and then there was the rabbit…” He trailed off with a sigh. And of course he could not ignore the plight of a baby rabbit.

[Alevadra Druva]

Notably, the Ethaefal relaxed as her fingers let go of the weapon. The man smiled and Alevadra felt herself become rather disarmed. He moved to undo the clasps on his duster, his movements fluid and nonchalant. Her attention remained on him as loose motions brought him near to the fire. The knight followed with the blanket, becoming rather shocked as he pulled a soaked, furry little ball from his jacket. It was a trade, the bunny being carefully nestled in her arms as he took the blanket. Her attention moved to his face with a clear indication of confusion. He was out in the rain… For a… Wait, what was she holding? He smiled to her, however she missed it as her attention moved down to the tiny, trembling creature in her arms. It was a bunny, a baby bunny. Surely not old enough to survive all too well on its own, and if alone in such a storm—well, it easily could have found itself dead. He introduced himself in a very courteous manner, not that Alevadra was unaccustomed to bows and cordial greetings, she just did not often encounter them. “Ale,” She stated rather suddenly, even a bit of surprise to herself. It was a name some of the knights used, her father used and her—exceptionally few—friends used it as well. "May as well call me Ale, Sera Druva gets to be a bit to much for my tastes..." She cleared her throat and went back to tending the bunny. “Ah, I’d be a little worried if you suddenly sprouted fur, Caelum,” She joked, carefully petting the little creature. “Is it common for an Ethaefal to wander about in such a deluge looking for baby bunnies? Or is that just your own specialty?” She had moved by the flames, keeping the creature closer to her, nestled into the crook of her elbow against her breast, a little warm, cozy area for the creature to dry and warm up. Her attention returned to Caelum as he finished tugging off the hooded shirt as well as the under tunic. Well, she’d said to dry his clothes, however, Ale had simply expected him to remain close to the fire rather than remove articles of clothing. It would be a shame to anyone were they not to take a look, however, Alevadra didn’t let her glances linger; after all, what sort of knight would that make her? There was, however, a curiosity upon his flesh. What looked to have been a tattoo of some sort came up and over his hip, it looked to be a chain. It was an odd place for a tattoo, most of those who had marked their flesh put it somewhere… visible, or at least not so private. Caelum was becoming more and more intriguing, however, Ale hoped that he wouldn’t remove any more articles of clothing. He went about removing his boots and Ale leaned back on one of the chairs near to the fire, her legs stretched out before her and crossed at the ankle. Her feet were bare as her boots were soggy and drying beside the fire. One arm cradled the bunny while the other hand carefully pet the damp, clumped fur. “Oh, does the post look that bad?” She smirked, shaking her head. “It’s on purpose, even if it looks like an abandoned shack… Suppose I should put some flowers out front or write “welcome” on the door,” She hummed in jest, looking to the flames as her little pets continued. An Herb? Well, at least the bunny was explained, Alevadra let out an audible “Ah,” as she looked to the bunny, as if he’d answered several questions she’d yet to ask. “I have yet to have anyone come here on purpose. It’s more often random happenstance or emergencies. I will admit, this is the first time I’ve ever had to come to the aide of a baby bunny and its keeper. Quite the nice change of pace.” The knight let out a small laugh, looking at the man with a rather confused and intrigued expression. “So did you get it?” She asked. “The herb? Or did the bunny eat it?” She’d yet to see any little plants come flying out of his rather elaborate duster, however, from the sound the cloth made as it was put out to dry; it held many things within it. Perhaps there was a whole pocket full of herbs. A moment passed and her stomach twisted and gurgled. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I haven’t eaten are you—“ She paused a moment, looking rather intently at Caelum. “I’m sorry, don’t take this the wrong way, but… do Ethaefal’s eat? Because if you do, I’m famished and I’d feel rather crass eating in front of you.” She felt rather stupid for asking, but in truth, her knowledge of other races was exceptionally lacking. She knew the Drykas—but that was expected of a Druva. She knew Humans, she knew Svefra since Sylira’s had such a busy port… But certain cultures she rarely if ever saw. Ethaefal’s were so uncommon; most of her knowledge was whispers and speculation. “Because, if you’d like, I have this wonderful fruit, it’s rather strange looking with all these little red pieces you eat, however it is delicious.” Ale couldn’t remember the name of the fruit, she’d seen it in the market and thought she’d give it a try from a recommendation of one of the vendors.

[Caelum]

"Ale," Caelum echoed dutifully. Humor glimmered in his eyes. “As for your post, it looks like a dream, truth told, in this storm. I thought I must be imagining things. But they say flowers never go unappreciated.” The laces of his boots, a sodden series of knots, were unwilling to easily unravel. He ducked his head in a dripping spill of gold dusted hair to work at the numb with typically clever fingers. Riding in the rain – or rather the flood as he had called it – was not conducive to nimble finger work. A chuckle scuffed in the back of his throat as he finally managed the knot, tugging laces clean and sitting on the edge of the hearthstones. The boots came off one after the other, and his socks followed. The lady knight had no reason for concern, however, because he seemed content to stop there. His sagged comfortably for a minute, just taking a breather by the fire, now dressed in his pants only. A shiver twitched through his skin and he gratefully leaned over after a minute to tug the blanket into his arms and then right around his shoulders whereupon he nested down not necessarily unlike a great winged bird. Eventually he surfaced from his recovering state to smile lazily at Alevadra. “Yes, I did get the herb. It’s in my jacket there, tightly sealed in a waxed leather container. There was less than I’d hoped, but I suspect there might be a bolder crop farther along the creek bed. When the weather isn’t so awful, I’m sure I’ll managed to get away again and investigate.” He tilted his head and peered at her brightly colored hair appreciably before his eyes dropped to the baby rabbit huddled in the arms of its new favorite person. “She seems to like you. Is she doing alright? I should probably check.” He raised his right hand and twisted it about to flash the golden opal glow of Rak’keli’s favor emblazoned in clear sight on the back of his hand. It like all other marks of from the goddess of healing was located specifically for the purpose of signaling to the world that a healer was on hand. He rolled up to his feet and shambled more than he walked the short distance to where the knight was seated, the blanket wrapped around him like a cloak. “Yes,” he caught short, a chuckle scraping around in his chest. “We eat, but only when in our past life forms. As a worshipper of Syna, the light of the sun fuels me while it rules the sky. By night, I can get hungry.” His smile was wry and he held down his hands for the quivering rabbit. “But I’d like to try this fruit of yours, if you don’t mind. I own a tavern in town and we serve fruits and cheeses and the like. I’m always interested in new products.”

[Mayhem1]

You're an excited PC roaming around a thread.

You're not paying attention that the story's over.

Then...BAM! You're hit with a Grade.

I'm Mayhem, the ever-present Junior ST of Cyphrus. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this grade, please don't hesitate to shoot me a PM! And please, please remove or edit your grading request once you see this. Thank you!

 

Caelum

XP

• Riding - 1
  Endurance - 1
  Socialization - 3

LORES

• Saving a Baby Rabbit

 

Alevadra

If you come back, PM me for a grade!

Notes: Too bad the thread was cut short. There wasn't much to award this early in the thread, lore-wise, but I was terribly worried about the rabbit.

With Regards,
- Mayhem