Closed The Antics of the Four-Legged

[Khida]

Winter 7, 514 AV
late morning

Today, Khida aimed to try something different. Different to her, at least. Not so different for the Strider Dainellas, who had figured out what was up even as Khida emerged from the tent with the mare's tack bundled in her arms. Ears perked and evidencing every sign of interest, she waited in place while the Kelvic lugged the equipment across the camp and into the grass where the horses grazed.

But what she didn't do, was stand still for Khida to put it on.

Reaching Dainellas, Khida set the equipment down, mindful of not letting the straps get tangled up in one another. Then she took up the yvas pad and stepped towards the Strider's flank -- but the mare swung her hindquarters away, pivoting on her forehooves to face the Kelvic woman. Which wasn't a behavior Khida had seen in her before; she wasn't at all sure what the horse meant to convey by it. Aside from the most obvious part, anyway. She set the pad back down, knowing Dainellas to be stubborn; persisting, when the mare had other ideas, wouldn't get her anywhere. But what did the Strider want her to do instead?

The mare waited patiently for a while as Khida mused, then leaned forward and whuffed into the Kelvic's hair, her attitude clearly still good-natured. But then, she usually was.

What Khida hadn't done, she realized, was offer the mare any grooming. When the hunter taught Hope to ride, they often started with that. ...Perhaps Dainellas wanted to be brushed. The Kelvic made her way back to the tent, fetching out the bag of grooming tools. She returned to find the mare still waiting patiently, and a great lump of black-spotted tawny fur sprawled out across the abandoned yvas pad. Kabek didn't even raise his head as she padded over, as if ignoring her would make her go away and leave him undisputed sovereignty over the pile.

Khida hissed disapproval at the cat, but left him there -- for now. Otherwise, he'd probably just sprawl out again the moment her back was turned.

Dainellas evidently approved of the currycomb as she had not of the yvas. She leaned into the contact as Khida applied the tool, not heavily, but enough to clearly show appreciation. The mare remained in place while Khida worked her way from shoulder to flank to rear and back again up the other side. Afterwards, Khida replaced the comb in the bag, then went over to the tack pile and hauled the yvas pad out from under Kabek by main force.

Sent sprawling in the grass, the half-grown hunting cat made a great show of yawning indifference, then clambered up to his feet and stalked off.

This time, when Khida approached Dainellas, the mare stood perfectly still to receive the tack. The pad settled readily into place, contoured to the mare as only prior use could make it. She brought over the girth and collar sections of the yvas, then, placing them as she had seen the hunter and so many other Drykas do, day in and day out, for so very many days. Khida herself accomplished this task less quickly and less surely, ducking under and around the mare several times, checking and rechecking the straps, ensuring they all lay flat and were properly connected. Not that, ultimately, there were many different ways to buckle the yvas together...

Inevitably, all the activity attracted other attention. But unlike her brother, Tuka hung back amidst the grasses, unnoticed by Khida, looking on with the sharp-edged interest of a cat intent on serious play.

Common | Pavi | someone else

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei's back ached fiercely. It was likely because she was carrying around so much extra weight, but knowing the reason didn't make it hurt any less. The painful tightening in her belly from time to time was another source of severe discomfort that Seirei was forced to endure. As was the baby's seemingly constant movement within her. It felt as though she was bruised on the inside of her belly. Being tired all the time didn't help either. Neither did the near constant feeling of being short of breath. Having so little energy left her feeling badly overwhelmed. She had nothing left to help her cope with anything, and that made every pain and discomfort, big or little feel that much worse. Seirei knew that she was supposed to get some exercise each day. She knew that it was good for the baby...but it was so hard to scrape up enough energy to make the attempt. The only thing that made Seirei even try was the fear of what might happen if she didn't exercise. She felt bad enough as it was. Seirei had no desire to risk making herself feel worse by doing something that was bad for the baby she was carrying. It was that reason, and that reason alone that forced Seirei to drag herself out of the tent when all she really wanted to do was take another nap. If I'm lucky, taking a walk may wake me up a little, and give me enough energy to get through the day. Seirei mused in irritation. She didn't have much hope for that, though. The sun was bright, and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. High up in the sky, a few thin white clouds drifted by lazily, moved by a wind that Seirei couldn't feel. It was a beautiful day...but it was a cold one. The snowstorm from nearly a week ago had ended, but there were still traces left over from its wrath. Most of the snow was gone now, but there were a few drifts scattered here and there. Children raced among the brightly colored tents, tossing handfuls of snow at each other, and shouting gleefully. Seirei smiled at their antics in amusement as she walked slowly. Watching them was a welcome distraction from her previous dark mood. Their obvious joy was catching, and Seirei found herself brightening considerably.

[Khida]

Khida had the pad in place, and the yvas over it. Now she only needed to get on the horse. Which was a more daunting prospect as she paused beside the mare, one palm braced against the yvas' handle. Last time, she had had someone else to help her mount; this time, it was all up to her. But just standing there and reflecting on the fact helped no one. Khida took a firm grip on the handle, braced her other hand, and -- taking a deep breath and concentrating on the action -- sprang up as if she might cast her human form into flight.

Maybe she jumped a little too strongly; she wound up almost more across Dainellas' back than on it. The Strider tilted her ears in what might have been exasperation, but stood as steadily for Khida as she had done before for Hope, waiting while the Kelvic settled herself into something more or less approximating a secure (though not comfortable) position.

Which, inevitably, was the moment Tuka decided to pounce.

Or, not pounce per se, but dart out of her concealment in the grasses, a tawny streak racing towards the horse's bulk -- and perhaps the shoed human foot now hanging down her nearer side. Seeing sudden and seemingly menacing movement at the periphery of her vision, never mind its cause, Dainellas took off in the opposite direction.

Reflex made Khida huddle down as low against the horse as she could get, clinging white-knuckled to the yvas grips, her carefully deliberate seat instantly knocked all out of whack. The beats of the mare's hooves vaguely roused memories of thunder rumbling below her, or maybe the earthquake that had shaken the Sea in a past season; certainly nothing the Kelvic's instincts wanted her to fall down amidst. Nor did she shift; constantly rattled by the horse's motion, unable to find her own balance, she could not be certain of solid enough purchase for that first taking-off leap. And if she let go of the handles, she might fall before she could remove her clothes, no matter how easy the shirt was to unwrap.

Khida did not think these things, but she processed them at a subliminal level, instinctually discarding possible actions until only one remained: to hold on -- and hope Dainellas stopped soon.

Something on the side of the yvas jabbed into her leg with every third beat, until her leg finally slipped away from it. She skewed this way and that with the horse's motions, her hands closed as tight as they would go, her legs clinging to the mare's barrel inasmuch as they could find any purchase at all. The Strider wasn't even moving all that fast, Khida realized dimly -- not compared to the speed she had sometimes seen them run with.

But it was more than fast enough, to one not accustomed to seeing snow-dusted tents and glazed grass flow past so quickly through human eyes, one who didn't even begin to know what to do with a horse spooked into flight. Jarring enough that what precarious balance Khida had wore thinner and thinner with each cycle of the horse's gait, until she went right over one side and crashed to the ground, shoulder and hip meeting earth with a bruising thud.

The mare continued on for only a little longer while Khida just lay there, trying to recapture her breath -- and cherishing the feelings of stillness and stability now restored to her.

Common | Pavi | someone else

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei's amusement came to an abrupt end when she felt something cold and hard slam into her from behind with considerable force. It struck right between her shoulder blades hard enough that Seirei knew that it would leave a bruise. Already the spot ached fiercely. Unfortunately, it was in a place where Seirei couldn't reach in order to attempt to rub the ache away. The shock of the impact combined with the fact that she was already off balance with the added weight of the unborn child she was carrying was enough to send her teetering off of her feet. Sharp fear tore through Seirei, stealing her breath away as she scrambled to regain her balance, and failed. Terrified of what the fall might do to the unborn child within her, Seirei closed her eyes, and tried to brace herself for the pain as best she could. It never came. Startled, Seirei opened her eyes, and found herself held loosely in the arms of a stranger. For several long ticks, all Seirei could do was stare in wide eyed shock. She hadn't even seen the man before she had started to fall, so to her, it seemed as though he had appeared out of nowhere. Not that she wasn't grateful for his sudden arrival - she was. He had almost certainly saved her from injury, and might have saved the life of her unborn child. Seirei didn't know if a fall would cause her to miscarry or not, but it seemed as though it was a possibility. And while she couldn't say she wanted the child she was carrying, she didn't wish it any harm, either. The man looked to be close to her own age. Possibly a year or two older, but not much more than that. He had a lean, wiry build. His hands were calloused in such a way that suggested that he worked with his hands a lot, rather than using a sword. The first, she had personal experience with as a wood carver. As for the latter, she had seen the hands of the people who had been hired to protect their caravan. So while she was no expert, she could tell the difference between the two. The man had dark hair, and piercing blue eyes. Eyes that were currently staring down at her in concern. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently, in pavi. Seirei nodded faintly, still feeling somewhat dazed by her near miss. "Y-yes. Thank you. You..." Seirei began, also speaking in hesitant pavi. "I am so, so sorry. That was my younger brother who pelted you with snow. It's my fault. I should have been watching him and his friends more closely. Are you sure you're okay?" Seirei struggled to translate the rapidly spoken words, but she thought that she got the gist of it, at least. So she nodded again. "I...yes. You saved me." The man grinned briefly at her words. Then he scowled as he looked up. He called his younger brother over. The young boy's wide eyes were filled with shock, and remorse as he stammered out an apology. Seirei smiled weakly at him, and forgave him. "Are you sure that you don't need to see a healer? We could take you to the River Flower..." At Seirei's blank look, the man's eyes widened slightly. "You're one of the captives, aren't you?" As soon as he spoke, he blushed, realizing how his words could be taken. He grinned ruefully as he helped Seirei gently to her feet belatedly. "I am, and it's okay." Seirei said with a small smile of her own. Normally she hated people mentioning her role as a captive because she hated even thinking about it. But this man was kind, and he seemed to realize how badly she might have felt at his words. And he had saved her from a nasty fall, so he had earned considerable leeway from her. "The River Flower is a place where our healers gather to treat people. You've probably been there before..." The man blushed again, embarrassed by mentioning Seirei's pregnancy even if it had been in vague terms. He seemed to realize that many of the captives who were pregnant weren't pregnant by choice. "You speak pavi quite well." the man exclaimed, startled by the realization, and eager to change the subject. "Thank you. I learned some when I was younger." Seirei did not explain further. The man seemed interested in how she might have learned pavi before coming to Endrykas, but he didn't press her. "I should probably get going. Thank you again for saving me." Seirei said politely. The young boy apologized profusely again, and Seirei smiled at him before continuing on her way. Her back ached from where the ball of snow had hit it. It was just one more discomfort among many, and the pain was starting to fade slightly. Seirei walked slowly, allowing her mind to drift. Sudden, loud hoof beats drummed the ground, startling Seirei out of her thoughts. She looked around wildly to see what was going on. To her surprise, a strider was barreling towards her. She froze in place, too frightened to move, or even to think. At the last moment, it veered off to one side, and continued on a short ways. Its rider...didn't. To Seirei's shock, the woman who had been riding the strider went flying, and landed on the ground a few feet away from where she was standing. For several ticks, all Seirei could so was stare in shock. "Are...are you okay?" she asked in Common, too startled to even think of using pavi. Seirei shook herself out of her shock, and moved closer so she could offer the other woman a hand up.

[Khida]

Khida found her relief cut short by an intruding voice, its focus almost certainly turned towards her. She cracked her eyes open and tipped her head to see a girl, short and dark of hair, slender save for the swell of pregnancy at her middle. Good, the Kelvic's hands shaped in reply, silent vehicle for her thoughts while the breath to form words continued to escape her. She rolled over onto her side, then hesitated there as her lungs resumed proper function, drawing in a deep and gasping breath.

It was a few ticks later that Khida actually pushed herself up to her feet, wincing a bit when several new nascent bruises registered protest. But her arms moved, and her legs, and all the joints associated with them; she didn't seem to have broken anything.

"I am well," Khida said at last, reflexively replying in kind to the dark-haired girl. Her attention, though, flicked past the stranger, seeking the shape of a certain horse. She found it soon enough, Dainellas having come to a halt some distance away and turned back to face them. The Strider, Khida thought, seemed still unsettled, but at least she was nearby.

Meanwhile, the culprit of the piece padded up behind Khida, butting her head against the Kelvic's hand. Khida lifted the appendage away, peering down at Tuka with a mixture of bemusement and exasperation. Go to him hunt she signed at the cat, who proceeded to pay exactly no heed and bounded over to Seirei, intent on the long fall of her hair.

Khida just watched her go, breathing out a soft huff. Danger not, trouble is, she gestured towards the girl, only half intentional in her communication. For her own part, she should probably go recollect Dainellas. But just now, Khida felt reluctant to move any more at all. She'd just stand here a minute, being still and still breathing...

Common | Pavi | someone else

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei frowned thoughtfully for a tick when she saw the pavi sign. She recognized its basic meaning, of "good," but she was uncertain of any nuances it might contain that she was missing. She was also somewhat uncertain of what the sign referred to. If the other woman was responding to her question, Seirei would be relieved that she wasn't hurt. But Seirei had seen the other woman's eyes gaze at her huge belly for a tick. It was impossible not to notice that she was pregnant, but given Seirei's deeply mixed emotions about it, she was very sensitive about the fact that she was pregnant. Especially after the incident that had happened just a few chimes ago. Had she not been caught by the kind stranger, she would have been hurt, and the unborn child within her might have been hurt, or worse. Seirei was still shaken by what had nearly happened, so she was even more sensitive about her pregnancy than usual. And if this woman was saying it was good that she was pregnant, Seirei was going to feel more than a little offended. Seirei watched as the woman got to her feet on her own, and seemed to check herself over for injuries. She had shoulder length black hair that looked as though it had been cropped with practicality in mind rather than beauty. Now that she was on her feet, Seirei noticed that the older woman was roughly a foot taller than she was. She had a slight, wiry build, and appeared to be all angles rather than the curves than many women had. Her amber eyes had a piercing quality to them that reminded her of the intense gaze of a bird of prey she had seen perched on a rock once. It unnerved her a little. The woman's words a few ticks later made the meaning of the gesture clearer to Seirei, and she relaxed. She was also relieved that the woman had understood her. Seirei had belatedly realized that she had spoken Common when she'd spoken earlier, and she knew that many Drykas didn't know anything other than pavi. Seirei noticed that the woman's gaze focused beyond her. She followed the other woman's gaze, and saw the strider that had thrown the woman. It stood not too far from where they were, and it was facing them. To Seirei, it looked as though the creature was watching them. It didn't look injured in any way to Seirei's inexperienced eye. But if she were to assign human emotions to the creature, she would say that the strider looked unsettled, or shaken by something. Kind of like she still felt. "Is your strider okay?" Seirei asked politely. "I can't see any injuries, but I don't really know anything about horses." she admitted. Seirei was quickly distracted by the giant cat that came up behind the other woman. Her eyes widened apprehensively, and she took a step back. Seirei had seen hunting cats before. Lian owned a pair of them. But he didn't use them very often, since his strider didn't like them much. Seirei could easily see how this creature might have spooked the strider, causing it to bolt. The older woman made a gesture towards the cat, as if she was speaking to it. Seirei struggled to figure out what it meant, and failed. That didn't surprise her. She knew that she wasn't very skilled with recognizing pavi signs. What did surprise her was that the woman had talked to the cat as if it was a person. Did she really expect it to understand her? When the cat bounded towards her, Seirei stumbled back a few steps in an attempt to get away. She started to lose her balance, but unlike before, she managed to catch herself in time. Then she froze as her instincts screamed that she was about to become the cat's next meal. Instead, it seemed to be more interested in her hair, than in eating her. But that didn't ease Seirei's fears much. The woman gestured again, but Seirei only understood part of it. And she was convinced that she was misunderstanding the part she did know. If she was right, the woman was trying to tell her that the cat was "safe." Seirei didn't feel at all safe. But she also knew very little about hunting cats. So she held herself as still as she could, resisting the urge to flee or scream, in the hopes that the cat really wasn't about to attack her.

[Merevaika]

She slowed her horse, nearing Endrykas, and the clumps of tents. She never understood how some people found it strange, different to live like she did. Travelling to fit the seasons was the most logical thing to do; doing otherwise meant you had to adapt more, to survive the extremes of one season or the other. Endrykas was home, and would never be anything else but normal, at least to Merevaika. Eryunt snorted, finding his own way amongst the tents. She had only been out for a quick ride, so she didn't really understand his need to get home. Unfortunately, his need didn't make his knowledge of how to return any larger, and Merevaika found herself in an area she seldom visited. The tents were strange here, and although she knew her way back, Merevaika found it hard to navigate in the section she was in. Her confusion was quickly broken. A young woman, black hair streaming shot pass, clinging to the back of a Strider. She shook left and right, seat as wrong, before flying off with a thud. Her horse stopped not too far from her, startled and shocked. She had never seen a Strider and rider act so... unconnected before, but then again, it wasn't good to assume things. Maybe they weren't bonded. Either way, the horse needed comfort, and the woman didn't look like she was giving it. She had started conversation with a younger girl, who looked pregnant. Merevaika didn't stop to look at them, trotting Eryunt over to the mare. The two Striders snickered at each other, the stallion enjoying female company. She had calmed already, but Merevaika still ensured she wouldn't run again. Merevaika slid off Eryunt, approaching the mare with slow careful strides, to not shock her. She smiled, hushing the horse. She gestured: "Calm, safe." The horse snorted, and Merevaika patted the horse's shoulder, leading her towards the two black haired women. They were now occupied with a hunting cat, the girl stumbling backwards, scared. The taller one, although still short, gestured to her. "Danger not, trouble is." Merevaika laughed to herself, knowing all too well how troublesome, they could be, remembering an incident from a few years ago. "Hello," she said, their attention suddenly shifting, "Your horse." "Calm now, cat scare? " she signed with her hands, allowing them to elaborate instead of her voice, silent communication for the Dyrkas. "Safe, injured not," she added quickly, allowing the mare to walk forward, as if displaying her uninjured self. Eryunt nudged Merevaika's back, and she turned, quickly gesturing to him, "Later, patience." He snorted as her gaze returned to the two.

[Khida]

oocSo sorry for the delay!

The girl recoiled from Tuka, which didn't much faze the cat at all -- especially not when it made her long black hair sway enticingly. The cat merely circled around, fearless, until she could bat experimentally at the strands. And oh, but they danced and tickled under the half-grown kitten's exploratory touch; this was fun!

Khida hissed, a whistling rasp of breath which sent Tuka shrinking back. They stared at each other around the girl, one intent in disapproval, the other intent in surprised query.

Then another stranger laughed, chimed in with words, diverted the Kelvic's attention. The cat took advantage of the moment to nonchalantly groom a paw, then hop up and pad off to investigate something else -- anything just around the corner of that tent there. Khida did not see, turned towards the older stranger as she now was. Your horse, she said, and indeed Dainellas had come over with her, eyeing the space where the cat had been. She blinked at the woman, and blinked at the horse, then nodded once. Stepping closer to Dainellas, Khida offered her a loosely fisted hand; the Strider completed the ritual by lowering her head and whuffling at the Kelvic's fingers, permitting her to go on and scratch under the horse's mane. Only Khida's arm didn't really want to reach as high as she first attempted. She settled for scratching the horse's shoulder instead.

As she did so, she looked to the cat again -- only to realize Tuka had gone. Khida scowled at the dirt behind the pregnant girl, then huffed an exasperated sigh. At least she could be assured that, no matter where the cat had gone, she would come back. Probably when least wanted.

Trouble, her hands said again, even as she resolved to set aside the subject. Tuka would be a problem when she was a problem, and until then, Khida would be concerned with other things. She turned her attention back to Dainellas, who obviously walked fine, and though obviously still watchful, seemed steady enough in outlook. No harm, her hands ticked off. Same too for the girl, whose encounter with Tuka had been brief and superficial. All well. Save perhaps for herself, but Khida didn't consider her own bumps and bruises a serious concern just now.

Then she sketched the words again, but with an added inflection that made them a question for her companions: All well?

Common | Pavi | someone else

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

The woman hissed at the hunting cat, grabbing its attention. It shrank back away from Seirei, much to her relief. Cat and woman stared at each other, equally intent on the other. The cat looked surprised, while the woman was clearly disapproving of the cat's antics. It was obvious that the two were locked in silent communication. Then it was over. Seirei watched as the hunting cat groomed a paw, and then disappeared around the corner of the tent. Seirei was more than a little relieved to see it go. Another woman appeared, bringing the run away strider with her. The new woman was tall and muscular. She had brown hair, and piercing green eyes. Seirei guessed that she was several years older than she herself was. Pavi signs were harder for her to understand than pavi words were, but the woman seemed to be asking if the hunting cat had scared the strider. Seirei didn't know what had had happened, so she glanced at the woman who the strider belonged to, waiting to see what she would say. Her answering sign seemed to agree with the question. Then she made a sign that Seirei did recognize. "All well." It came with an inflection that suggested that the woman was saying that she was okay. Or perhaps her strider was. Or both. Then she repeated the same sign with a different inflection. Seirei thought that the woman was asking if she and the woman who had brought the strider back were okay. So Seirei nodded, and made the hand sign that had been made earlier. "All well" with the inflection that meant that she was okay. Seirei had noticed that the woman's arm seemed to be hurting her earlier when she scratched the strider's shoulder. "Is your arm okay?" she asked in accented pavi.

[Merevaika]

There was a series of "All well"s from the two, and Merevaika copied their gestures, adding a touch of sarcasm to it. Was it really necessary to repeat it that many times? Merevaika didn't know, and didn't care. She reached out to scratch under the other horse's mane, where the other failed to reach. She enjoyed the fuss over her, at least from Merevaika.

The pregnant one asked whether the other one's arm was alright. Of course it isn't! she thought to herself, But she had said all was well, so perhaps it wasn't too bad.

What interested her more was the accent the pregnant one had. She wasn't from Endrykas, that was clear, but travelling pregnant was dangerous and hard. Little facts came into place and she came to the conclusion that she was a captive.
The other one was probably one too: she didn't seem Drykas, that was for sure. Perhaps they were both even the same man's captive, but that didn't seem likely. The one who lost the Strider had authority over both the horse and cat. The other seemed lost with both.

"Are you captives?" she asked bluntly, wanting to get it out of the way, "Or Drykas?"