Open The Watch

[Dravite]

28 Spring, 515 AV
Dusk

Dravite made love to Belkaia under the stars. It was rare for the two of them to spend any time alone now that their son Kyanite had found his voice. He had learned to walk before a lot of the other children and his speech seemed far more advanced now that the Windborne pavilion was spending a lot more time in Endrykas. "Kiss me," he whispered against Belkaia's cheek when they were done but the young Drykas woman would not indulge her husband's wishes.

Belkaia rolled out from under Dravite and settled against him, her back pressed to his form so that not even a blade of grass might come between them. The pair often slept tucked together like this, especially on brisk spring nights. Dravite combed Belkaia's hair through his burly fingers and kissed the woman's temple before wrapping his arms about her middle to rest. "Did you hear that?" Belkaia mumbled.

Dravite merely smiled, it wasn't unlike his wife to try and distract him, especially when she sought an excuse to return to camp and be reunited with the only being in the world she cared for; her son. "Shhh," the man cooed, "we will go back soon."

He felt the tension in the woman's form melt away and soon her body grew heavy against his, the two of them content enough to sleep under the stars with just a single blanket to share. Dravite knew Belkaia cared for him, though she would never admit it. The woman was as stubborn as her father and twice as loyal. She wasn't very sentimental and didn't care for displays of affection in public or private. For her husband, she did her duty, she had given him a son, washed his clothes, tended his wounds, and made sure he always kept his wits about him; but she was not sentimental.

Dravite stroked his wife's collarbone with the pad of his thumb as if he were slowly strumming the strings of an exotic instrument. He closed his eyes and listened to the world breathe. Night birds called to each other in the distance and closer by a once roaring fire had been slowly reduced to a low crackling pit of embers. There was a cool breeze that seemed to pass over the pair who were relatively sheltered, lost in the long grass, entangled with one another as consciousness ebbed and gave way to sleep.

Thunder boomed overhead and lightened raced across the sky, waking up the world below abruptly, as if someone had switched on a light. The pair awoke to midnight blue, dark clouds threatening rain and raced back to camp half dressed. Not a second too late it would seem as the rain came down so thick and heavy that it was impossible to see more than a few feet in front of them.

Belkaia took her son from his bed and held him close, returning to Dravite's side as the rest of the Windborne pavilion sat up on their bedrolls and looked at one another in a daze. "What's going on?" One of the men called.
"A storm!" Another voice replied.
"Will the grass catch fire?" One of the children cried.
"No," Dravite assured the young girl, "the rain will leave the land too wet for fire to take."
"Flooding?" Dravite's mother asked him, setting her hand on his shoulder.
Dravite looked outside of the main pavilion tent and knitted his brow; flooding was a very real possibility if the rain continued like this for some time but it wasn't likely to happen in spring. "I hope not," came his gentle but concerned reply.

It rained and rained and rained for a good ten minutes. The herd was growing restless as too were the members of the Windborne pavilion and those camped close to them. Two of the hunters from the Swifthand pavilion ran through the rain to talk with some of the elders from Windborne. "The web won't pick them up if they come by air!" One of the strangers said hurriedly.
"If those monsters attack Endrykas the casualties could numbers in the hundreds if not thousands."

Dravite pressed a kiss to Kyanite's temple and let go of his wife's hand to move closer to the men from the Swifthand pavilion who looked as scared as trapped mice. Fear was a sickness Dravite had no room for in his mind or heart. "What monsters?" He growled, "it's just a bit of rain."

One of the Warriors looked up at Dravite and seemed to see right through him, petrified by whatever it was he saw now. Dravite looked to the man's companion and then some of the faces he recognised and knew well, all wearing the same terrified stare. Suddenly there came a loud, blood-curdling scream from behind and when Dravite turned to see who had made the noise and what had caused it, he almost cried out himself. Frozen where he stood, there was little that could be done as the winged creatures swooped down from the sky and tore away the cover of tents and wooden posts that held them in place as if they were no more than flimsy toothpicks.

People were plucked from their beds and eaten alive, whole families were ripped apart before his eyes and Dravite could do little but look on in horror. He felt someone put a weapon in hand, but even that was short lived as the sweep of a giant wing knocked him off his feet. He saw the short blade land a few feet in front of him and swiftly crawled forward on hands and knees to grab at the weapon and stand to defend his kin and pavilion.

One of the creatures took hold of Belkaia around her middle and as Dravite lunged towards the terrifying beast it drove its fist straight through his gut and clasped the man's very core. As the Drykas Man stared down at his own death wound to watch the life race out of him, he heard his wife cry his name. "Dravite!"

"Dravite, Dravite wake up. Wake up Dravite!"

Dravite opened his eyes to find Belkaia looming over him, her hand on his breast, "Wake up my love," she spoke softly.

He managed to say something intangible and slowly sat up. "Come on, you said we would go back to camp soon, we must have drifted off," Belkaia smiled. "Let's go see if that son of yours managed to get to sleep while we were gone."

OOCFeel free to join at any point. Just to clarify, yes, the story above was just a dream.

[Dravite]

29 Spring, 515 AV
Morning

The deadwood didn’t feel as heavy as the fresh stuff, but Dravite found it was still just as difficult to drag towards the fire. He gave a great heave of the log and fell back on his behind, losing his grip on the bark that peeled away under the hold of his fingers. He heard some of the women in the pavilion who had been watching at the time, give a light chuckle, and couldn’t help but laugh at himself. Dusting himself off after getting to his feet again, Dravite took hold of the hatchet on his belt and used it to trim away some of the leafless branches, narrowing his gaze as he lined each shot up before bringing down the hatchet with a heavy hand.

The wood was stacked neatly and the twigs and dark piled to later use for kindling or tinder. Dravite secured his hatchet on his leather belt and sat down to eat his breakfast with his wife Belkaia. They didn’t share anything but closeness, words escaping the pair as they watched their son Kyanite playing at the edge of camp near the herd. He came and went like a cloud, drifting, never focusing on any one thing for too long; the boy was fearless. Kyanite made friends easily enough but preferred to play alone, lost in his own little world amongst the tussocks that bowed to the wind, only to spring up again once Zulrav’s fingers hand passed through.

Each tuft was as wild as a strider’s mane and blanched by the sun, bare soil, baked and powdery encircling them. Kyanite’s little feet left scarcely a mark against the earth and Dravite watched each foot fall carefully, guarding his blood from afar. The Drykas man scanned the plain, a sea of gold under a perfect blue sky. “He walks in your footsteps,” Belkaia smiled softly, “Make sure they always point him the right way.”

Dravite didn’t say anything in response but took her words as he knew she meant them; that he was doing the right thing in joining The Watch. The man got to his feet and went to his son with Belkaia in tow. Kyanite put his arms around Dravite’s neck and beamed at him. “Found anything interesting out here, my son?”
“Yes,” Kyanite said as he opened his small hand to reveal an empty snail shell, “Look!”
Dravite chuckled, “Oh I wonder what that belongs to?” The boy had always had a bit of a knack for foraging and his parents were always finding odd things hidden in his bedroll.

Belkaia held her arms out and Dravite passed Kyanite to her. He gave her a peck on the cheek and turned to head towards Endrykas on foot.

It wasn’t too far to the spring encampment, the holiday celebrations were over now but the place still seemed to thrive with all the new and old visitors the first seven days of spring had given them cause to show up for. Dravite didn’t know exactly what he was looking for but thought the Diamond Clan was a good place to start; maybe someone there could point him in the right direction..
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[Sempre]

　

29th of Spring, 515AV
Morning

　　Roaming through the disheveled "streets" of Endrykas only true native's could follow as being "streets", on the outskirts of the Diamond Clan territory, Ethynia only just returned from a fruitless hunting trip. Disheartened, dishonored, she felt a failure to the legacy her father had left behind. He had once been a great warrior, a great hunter. Highly respected among the Topaz Clan elders, his voice had always rung true, full of sound wisdom and strength. It had been 3 years since the Djed Storm, since the day she had lost her entire pavilion, her family. Not once in that time had she found herself lost and without purpose, not as she did now. The day of celebrations for the new season of Spring, was the day Ethynia had left the warm bosom of her Surrogate Pavilion and had started out into the world on her own. Yet without direction, she felt aimless and wondering.

　　Alban, her best friend and bonded strider had been a great comfort and was sad to part from her side as she had left him to stable. Yet she had needed a walk among the tents of her people to think about her future. She wasn't as great a hunter as her father, her recent venture made that all to perfectly clear. She knew nothing about the ways of a warrior. Breeding simply just did not catch her heart, not like being out in the wilds did.

　　Groaning in frustration Ethynia plonked herself to the ground near the edge of a nearby tent. Crossing her legs beneath her, she threw her chin into the cusp of her hand, elbow resting upon her knee, exasperated with her current situation. Her deep chocolaty gaze watched with disinterest as her people went about their business; children laughing and playing among the tents, adults attending to their daily chores. They all moved with purpose, with zest, their lives holding meaning to the rotation of the circle of life. And here she was, sat with no desire or drive.

　　Stretching her legs out in front of her and sitting back on her hands, Ethynia closed her eyes and cleared her mind, ignoring the bustling sounds of Endrykas all around her and enjoying the sweet scented breeze as it played gently with her raven locks. Without realising however, she had accidentally thrown her legs into the path of one with direction, one in search of the beginnings to find, what Ethynia had not even considered - The Watch.
　　

oOcWhooo! First official post eva! I am very excited to make many more ^0^b

[Dravite]

The morning sun was warm against his bare back and black trousers. His weapons and tools were fastened to his leather belt, hatchet, dagger, and hunting knife, while his father’s bone spear remained secured in the hold of his right hand. Dravite was considered a man of average height in Drykas culture, with a stocky, muscular build that made him look compact, yet lean. He almost never wore a shirt, especially in spring and summer, finding it restricted his movements on horseback and only tended to make him feel overheated in Syna’s light.

Endrykas seemed busy today and yet there was a calm that settled about the outskirts. Children were chasing each other in and out of tents, adults were seeing to their daily tasks, hunting, skinning, cooking, washing; it didn’t matter what one was good at in Endrykas as long as they were willing to pull their weight, they were generally accepted. Sometimes Dravite felt old before his years, doing the same thing day in and day out was becoming a chore in itself, The Watch would put a stop to all of that; it was time to shake things up.

For a moment he stopped to look across the sea of tents, a living, breathing throng that worked like a massive beehive, but more bees meant more honey and that made them a target for all types of trouble; smugglers along the coast, poachers from the marshes in the north, and predators scattered across the Sea of Grass. Endrykas’ strength lay in its numbers and The Watch would be happy to take more. “Busy little honeybees,” the man smiled to himself and moved to continue to walk to the Diamond Clan’s area when he noticed Ethynia a few feet ahead of him, sitting there like a woman who had lost all purpose.

Dravite couldn’t help but stare, he had seen that look only once before and it had been on his Grandfather Taloker’s face; the old blind man who had felt like more of a burden to his pavilion than a helping-hand. Ethynia looked like a weight off someone else’s shoulders had passed onto her own. He approached the woman and went down on one knee a couple of feet from where she sat, but close enough that she would notice him. The morning grass still wet with dew, soaked through the right knee of his black trousers as he sat there. His feet were bare, his hair was dreaded, and his grey, warm eyes were fixed on the girl’s face. “You look like you have lost something,” Dravite smiled softly, “Perhaps I can help you find it?”
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[Sempre]

　

　　　Enjoying the peaceful serenity of the slightly chilled spring breeze and the rising of Syna's light upon her olive skin, Ethynia tilted her head back and soaked in the warm feeling upon her child-like face. Releasing her frustrations at herself and her dilemma, she could feel it washing away as she listened to the sounds of laughter and chatter. Her people were a comfort to her, even though they did nothing to comfort her. That is, until Syna's light was briefly interrupted as a young man knelt down beside her. Curious as to the newcomer, but not threatened, for if he was a menacing being going to attack her, he would have already. Ethynia opened one eye to take in the built form before her and menacing was far from the etched features of the man knelt beside her.
　　　Sitting upright, her almond gaze fell onto those compassionate grey eyes looking upon her. A sad smile broke the corners of her lips as her gaze adverted to the ground, mindlessly picking at a blade of grass she shook her head with a gentle laugh, responding in their native tongue,

"I have lost a many things. But it is not something that can be found by a stranger."

Not wanting to appear rude and have the conversation end there so abruptly, as she had been told off often by her surrogate pavilion, Ethynia snapped away from her own troubling thoughts. The sadness seeped away from her gaze as she brought it back to the gray eyes full of kindness, a genuine smile replacing one that had attempted dismissal,

"Where does the tread of grass take you so early Samaritan?"

[Dravite]

Ethynia sat upright when the man drew near on knee, her almond gaze fixed on him for but a moment before going to ground. Dravite had noticed the sad little smile that started at the edge of her lips and slowly spread inward. She snapped up a few blades of grass from the earth, reminding Dravite of his friend and Windborne brother, who shared a similar trait when he was nervous.

The young woman shook her head with a gentle song of laughter and spoke in their mother-tongue, hands forced to move with the odd bouts of grassland sign; facial features animated softly. Ethynia explained that what was lost to her, no stranger could uncover. “Then allow me to introduce myself,” Dravite held in quick response.

He touched his fingers to his brow and spoke again. “I am Dravite Windborne of the Emerald Clan, my late father was Cyprine Blackwater of the Diamond Clan, and my mother Lazuli Windborne still lives within the pavilion I grew up in.”

The man’s voice was not as tender as his warm, grey eyes. I held an air of unmistakable confidence, deep and sure. Dravite tended to be a man of few words, but it was clear to see the very few words he did give life to were always thought through first.

He noticed Ethynia’s gaze turned on him once again, no longer averted as she asked him where he was headed so early this morning. “To fate,” the man said mirthfully, his smile somewhat playful for the answer he had given was really no answer at all.

“I seek to join The Watch. I hear they are recruiting somewhere in the city and was hoping to run into someone who might be able to point me in the right direction.”

As he studied her face, awaiting a response, two young children ran down the foot-worn path that snaked by them. Dravite watched as the pair chased after a young rooster that had managed to escape his cage. Not twenty ticks later he turned his attention back to Ethynia, torn between leaving to find what he had come for, and asking what had her sitting out on the edge of camp before the sun was high enough in the sky to lift the light blanket of mist that had settled overnight. “And you?” Dravite finally asked, “What plans take you this day?”
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[Sempre]

　

　　　Ethynia's defined features softened greatly, as the small smile etched upon her lips reached her deep chocolaty gaze. This man Dravite before her was a kind soul and without effort, offering introductions to better get around her answer that dismissed her troubling thoughts from being placed on a stranger. Her intentions had been not to burden him with her lack of drive and inner turmoil, yet still he offered his time to her. Dravite's confidence in himself as he spoke, was inspiring.
　　　This was clearly a man who knew himself, who had a sense of purpose and who was not afraid to chase it. Perhaps through witnessing his self-confidence and sureness, Ethynia may gain the same and discover what purpose in this life fitted with her yet yearning soul. Ethynia bowed her head in deep respect, her soft voice sincere, as her hands gestured in the way of their tongue to better convey her words,

　　　"It is an honour to meet you, Dravite, Samaritan of the Emerald Clan. And I offer my condolences to you and your pavilion for the unfortunate loss of a brethren Drykas."

　　　Her heart truly went out to him, for she knew the pain of losing one's family all too well, her empathy true, towards the man and his family, was clear in her words. Ethynia was stunned with herself with how easily conversation rolled with this man. She was a woman of little words, often letting her actions speak for her. Yet here she was, with it not yet mid-day and she had already uttered a full sentence.
　　　At the very mention of ' fate ' Ethynia tensed in surprise. Her gaze widened slightly as she took a moment to better gauge the man before her. How coincidental could it be that the very day she felt lost and as if fate had abandoned her, that she meets a man who hunts for the very same thing? Fate, could it be so influential? Was this meeting by chance, or was destiny a true and very real ideal? What ever the case may be, Ethynia felt that Dravite may lead her to the answers she was looking for.
　　　As these thoughts reeled through her mind, Dravite then continued to expand upon his vague answer before. Ethynia cocked her head slightly as he mentioned his intentions to join the Watch. An honourable quest, she had heard the same of their search for new recruits. Growing up with the Topaz Clan's doctrines well ingrained, Ethynia held high respect and gratitude for their daily efforts.
　　　Perhaps by aiding Dravite in his search, some of his self-confidence and sureness may rub off on her and help her gain direction. Even if not, showing him the way to the Watch would give her some solace that at least one of them would find what they were looking for. A cheeky grin spread across Ethynia's child-like features as she suddenly hauled herself to her feet, a graceful, well disciplined act. Though the wet patch from the dew covered grass covering her rear comicalised the fire now ignited in her almond-eyes.

　　　"My plans, Samaritan of the Emerald Clan, is to take you to the Watch. Allow me to show you the path and you will find the Fate of which you seek."

[Dravite]

Dravite said nothing in reply to Ethynia mentioning his pavilion’s loss, that had happened a long time ago and the man had truly lived a life without knowing his father at all. Of course there were things he remembered, or sometimes thought he did; riding on the giant’s shoulders when he was so young it seemed as if the ground lay a mile below them, or fishing, Dravite often recalled how much his father had enjoyed fishing. More fishing, he thought that might help to jog his foggy memory a little. Old memories obscured by age more often than not seemed like dreams and as the years went by it was growing harder and harder to tell the difference between moments he had lived in the flesh and those that had passed by while he slept.

Ethynia sprung to her feet like a spring lamb, bursting with energy and resolve, she had found some purpose to fill her morning with and Dravite didn’t mind playing host one bit if it meant he could put a smile on the stranger’s face. A stranger she remained for she had not chosen to share her name with him.

He rose and dusted his hand against his knee, the material of his pants damp with morning dew from time spent pressed to the earth. “Have you been in Endrykas long?” The man decided a little small talk couldn’t hurt as they slowly navigated the narrow pathways and snaked through the maze of tents ahead of them.

Dravite had spent longer in Endrykas this season than he had most of his young life, or at least it felt that way some days as he much preferred roaming the grasslands and hiking across country with the rest of his group. There was a time and place for sitting around campfires sharing, but deep down the man thrived on the thrill and the silent terror that was to be had out there beyond the walls of tanned fleece and safety in numbers. He kept thinking about the promise he had made to one of his childhood friends, that he would visit her in the city one summer. The man seemed as enthusiastic about visiting a city as a smuggler being carted off to face the gallows. Freedom; he lived it, he breathed it, and he would die for it.

“To be honest with you, I’m not really sure where to find The Watch. I thought I would start with the Diamond Clan as they are rumoured to be the best fighters; surely they can point us in the right direction?” He wondered even as he spoke the words what profession Ethynia had chosen for she looked of age, if not a little baby-faced.

“Are you a hunter?” He queried, noticing her swift, tapered fingers and slight wrists; feather light hands in comparison to his gorilla mitts..
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[Sempre]

　

　　As Dravite arose to his full standing, the man looked a tall bear in comparison to the short Ethynia before him. As he dusted off his hands, she began to lead her new acquaintance further into the territories of the Diamond Clan. Endrykas, the ever uncoordinated mess of tents, people and animals; if one did not pay attention, one could easily find themselves lost amid the chaos. Yet Ethynia moved with ease and confidence as she directed Dravite further into the maze. As Dravite encouraged the flow of conversation to continue, Ethynia plucked a wild flower growing among the tall grass native to their land, nodding in response to his question,

　"Indeed I have. Born and raised among the clan of Topaz. I live just beyond their borders. I have never left Endrykas..."

　　From the saddened hint in her voice, it was clear that she was curious to venture beyond the lands of their kin, yet she knew she never would. She loved her people and her home, too much to ever leave their sides. Lifting the purple wild flower to her nose, she sucked in a deep breath of its natural perfume. Her eyes closing briefly, she loved the smell of flowers freshly bloomed in the morning.

　"And you? Have you always lived with your family in the Emerald and Diamond Clans?"

　　As Dravite confessed to not really knowing where the Watch were located, Ethynia smiled and giggled slightly, bowing her head in recognition of his honesty, "I grant you great respect in your forthcoming honesty good Dravite. Not many would admit to their being lost so easily, especially prideful men!" Finding Dravite's openness a welcoming trait, Ethynia motioned that he lead them through a tight "alley" of tents to the left, just big enough for them to side step through one at a time,

　"Your instincts were correct in your assumptions. I know of an old friend who will know where to point us towards contacting the Watch..."

　　Exiting the tight corridor of tents, Ethynia and Dravite would emerge into a more quiet and scarcely populated scene than the hustle and bustle that could still be heard from behind them. There was a larger expanse of lush green grass between each pavilion with a few animals dotting the landscape, grazing within the confines of their tethers. She motioned Dravite to follow her across the green to a small pavilion that seemed a good distance away, but was merely a distortion of distance due to the flat land.

　　As they walked Ethynia noticed Dravites eyes roam over her hands as she twisled the flower in her fingers. She nearly laughed aloud at herself when he inquired if she was a hunter. Shaking her head, that restrained laugh was directed into a sad smile she intended to make warm,

　"That is what my Father would have wanted. He was a great hunter in his day, bringing great honour to our pavilion name. I have tried to follow his path, yet, I fear it is not to be."

　　She opened her hands to gesture their emptiness, save for the flower in her nimble fingers as she laughed heartily, "I am after all without any prey save for the vicious and deadly wild flower in my grasp. If I may, what is your calling that urges you to seek the Watch's ranks?"

　　Ethynia's chocolaty gaze fixated upon Dravite intently as they neared the entrance to the small pavilion she had been leading them towards. Genuinely interested in finding what drove his heart to such a dangerous profession, she slowed their pace to a stop a few meters before the open fur flap to the small tent ahead.

[Dravite]

It was nice to know he had been on the right track, Dravite thought to himself as he followed after Ethynia who seemed to know where she was going. As they stumbled upon the plots assigned to the Diamond Clan, Dravite let his eye rove over the cityscape. The animals had grazed the grass right down to mud. It would dry out before the summer, leaving the soil cracked and barren until the winter rains. Dravite had noticed that the land across the Sea of Grass seemed to recover quite quickly, but might take a little longer to heal wherever the city of tents parked up for the season. These grounds saw a lot more foot traffic than those he was used to.

The young woman ahead of him admitted that she had been raised by the Topaz Clan and never ventured beyond the borders of Endrykas. She explained that her hunting ability probably wasn’t as capable as that of her father’s, but perhaps with time it would change, as most things do Dravite thought. “You have time,” the man assured her; all good things take time.

Ethynia had inquired about his time with the Clans and Dravite answered as honestly as he could. “I haven’t had much to do with them, other than our pavilion’s short trips to Endrykas once every other season. Windborne have preferred to roam the Sea of Grass for as long as I can remember.”

He didn’t seem any less socialised than a city raised Drykas, but had an air of pride about him that was hard to hide, not the distasteful, self-absorbed strand, but a quiet, faithful grip on right and wrong, of culture, and dignity. Perhaps this underling pride had driven him to sign up for The Watch, hoping it would enable him to give back to his people; a proud and strong race that would stand the test of time. “I suppose I feel I have something to offer,” Dravite replied when Ethynia inquired about his reasons for seeking out The Watch as a profession. “Perhaps you should consider it as a career? At least you would get to travel outside of Endrykas and maybe beyond even Cyphrus one day.”

He pulled the makeshift-fur-door aside as they arrived at the small black tent assigned to The Watch and let Ethynia enter before him. Inside the tent was dimly lit with only two circular holes cut into the roof to serve as adequate lighting. A relatively tall man with dirty-blonde hair greeted them from where he sat in a chair with his weapon rested upon the table, which just so happened to be fashioned out of three old, wooden wine barrels. “Morning,” he signed before speaking in Pavi. “My name is Aris Riverwatcher of the Topaz Clan, Tavekh of The Watch. How may I be of service?”

Dravite greeted the man, introducing himself just as formally as he had with Ethynia. He almost turned to introduce her to Aris Riverwatcher, when he realised he still hadn’t caught her name, or perhaps he hadn’t been listening as keenly when she mentioned it to him. “I’d like to join The Watch. I’ve heard rumour that you were recruiting.”
Aris snorted before letting a small bout of laughter slip. “And what makes you think you’re qualified for such a position?”

Dravite looked a little taken aback by the question, something he hadn’t really prepared himself to answer.

“Well, what skills do you have, boy?”

The question frustrated him. His features tightened, but he hid his disdain well, swallowing down his pride; he was very young after all. “Webbing and Riding, Sir.” Dravite finally answered.

Aris looked thoughtful, the had been accepting new members all week and Dravite was the first to admit to having any idea about webbing; that might make him useful, the Watchman thought to himself; his eyes giving nothing away. “What are you like with a weapon?”

“I’m learning the spear and dagger,” Dravite admitted.

“Strange choice,” Aris shrugged. “And what about you, girl? What’s your name? Tell me you have something better to offer The Watch than this boy here. Name your weapon of choice.”

Dravite looked back at Ethynia and offered a small smile, the right side of his lips curl up as if he had just shared a secret with her. Any man who pitted a man’s worth against his choice of weapon seemed ignorant to Dravite, but it would be unwitting of the Drykas to believe that a woman might not possess more skill than him; Dravite was not that silly. .
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