Flashback Maybe I'm Crazy (Jessor)

[Drifa]

Time Stamp: 1 Fall 509

Camp was quieter than was to be expected. Typically, the girl would have been surrounded by the sounds of life. Today, Endrykas was quiet and she was content.

Despite the relative scarcity of life in the camp, the girl and her horse had ventured a bit away form their home pavillion. Her grandmother had bid her farewell when she had expressed a desire to go exploring and she had taken that as definite permission that doing such was more than acceptable. She had whistled for the leggy half grown horse colt and when he had trotted over to join her, she had started out.

Now, two hours later, she was growing weary of watching the clouds move in the sky. Eclipse had ventured away from her and was grazing contentedly. She aimlessly wondered if she would find something to do if she returned to camp. She made a frown of distaste at the idea of going back only to be put to work by Grandmother. The woman was notorious being displeased when Drifa hung around camp and didn't do anything. Aside from Grandmother, however, she knew very few people. Most of her uncles, aunts, and cousins had gone on some exploration into the Sea of Grass. Her older cousins often pointed out that as a child with no skill in hunting or gathering and almost none in any kind of fighting she would be more a liability than she would be an asset to their party.

Dimly, she was aware that she made them uncomfortable. Her friendly smile came off as too intense; reminding her family of the fact that her heritage contained a cannibalistic side. Despite the fact that most of her Zith ancestry had been washed out by the Drykas she was mixed with, very few found her smile to be reassuring or friendly. It was akin to a predator baring its teeth.

With a sigh, she rolled over and got to her feet. She stretched leisurely, leaning down to brush the ground with her fingertips. Perhaps she could train a bit. One of her older cousins had agreed to teaching her a few of the basics of unarmed combat, noting that such a slim girl could be in danger from the Sea of Grass.

"When you have gained enough skill in unarmed combat," he had said, "I might consider teaching you a bit of weapon skill. No doubt that cousin had long forgotten giving his word, but she had readily agreed to practice until she was sufficiently skilled. She only wished she had someone to spar with.

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

Jessor's heart sank and a frown had visibly graced her features when she had been told she would be practicing riding today, as she had desperately wanted to be able to go hunting with the rest of the clan, but the young Drykas nodded and did as she was told. If father said to train with her Strider, then train she would.

Once aboard her youthful, bonded Strider, Jessor felt less disappointed and more invigorated. While riding, her heart felt free and the girl felt more connected ot the Web than ever. The girl slowed her horse with a simple tap of her toes and reached up to undo her hair from its intricate knots. Once finished, both Drykas and horse sped up, able to fully enjoy nature and the wind in their hair.

Jessor tapped at the horse with her heels, commanding him to go faster, to push harder, to achieve full-speed, and then some. The adrenaline pumped heavily through Jessor's veins, causing her to breathe almost as heavily as the hard-working horse. Her hands gripped the handles of her Yvas tightly, turning her knuckles white with the force of her grip. The girl half-stood, rising up above Badger's head to see the land stretched out before her. Without thinking, the girl took in a deep breath to praise Semele, and possibly Caiyha, but she was never quite able to.

Instead, the girl found herself thrown from her horse, flying at top speed through the air. She stuttered in confusion for a tick before she hit the ground hard. The weighted thump left her gasping for breath and staring at an upside-down world. Badger bucked and whinnied behind her, twisting his head this way and that. The grey stallion's white mane fluffed out in all directions giving the impression of a very tall, very agitated, fluffy kitten.

Had Jessor had any breath, she may have laughed.

Instead, the girl propped herself up on her elbows and groaned. "What was that about, Badger?" A faint wheeze interrupted her before she was able to continue."What spooked you?" Her hands fumbled about as she spoke, eventually adding the word disappointment to her question. It was just as she was clumsily spelling out confusion that the girl noticed the other colt in front of Badger. A brown horse lazily grazing had thrown off her dependable Strider?

Jessor barely realized it, but the sign for confusion was complete by the time she stood up.

[Drifa]

Drifa Stormsong

It was the whump of a body hitting the ground that caught her attention. Straightening quickly, the girl child whipped around to see a horse, older than Eclipse and clearly agitated prancing about. Before him stood a figure who was plainly confused. Drifa frowned deeper and whistled for Eclipse who seemed to be at fault for the apparent agitation of the grey horse. Since the other girl's horse was so clearly displeased, she thought to remedy the situation.

"Are you okay?" the girl as as her hands flew to form emphasize hurt. Her soft, lilting voice carried through the air as she signed out pain. "Eclipse did not mean to scare him," she added, indicating Eclipse and her hands signing out strider and indicating the other girl's horse and accident. She stepped closer to the girl, cautiously eyeing her. She had a strider, which meant she must be Drykas and she thought she could see windmarks. The other girl was older than her, however, and larger. Of course, that was the way of everyone she had encountered.

Despite the fact that she had called him, Eclipse edged closer to the older horse, his nostrils flaring. The strider was young, having just been a colt when he bonded his Drykas. He was also much more curious and bold than his girl.

"Eclipse!" she called again, whistling to call the beast to her. With reluctance, Eclipse back away from the other horse and trotted toward his girl. She stroked his nose gently and eyed the other girl some more.

"I am Drifa Stormsong," she finally said, determining the girl to be safe. She indicated herself as she did so, "who are you?" She pointed at the other girl as she asked.

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

"Jessor." Jessor nodded slowly, still slightly dazed from her fall. "My name's Jessor Yellowmoss, of the Emerald Clan."

Though Jessor couldn't be sure that "Emerald Clan" meant anything to this girl, since Drifa was close to Endrykas, it was sane to assume that she was a Drykas herself.

Jessor shifted nervously on her feet, glancing around to catch sight of her horse. Catching his golden gaze, Jessor held out a hand to the stallion and he trotted forward faithfully, albeit in a vigilant way that suggested he still wasn't entirely comfortable.

With Badger's mane running between her fingers, Jessor took a deep breath and began to assess the girl. She was young. Too young to be living on her own- especially this far out in the Sea of Grass- so she must have been a Drykas. It was likely, then, that this dark-skinned beauty of a colt belonged to the dark-skinned child, bonded or not.

With a deep sigh, Jessor rubbed her sore back, thinking. She had many questions, but would it be rude to ask so many, so soon? She was unsure. However, not one to hold her tongue for any reason, the questions came flowing out soon enough.

"Why are you out here? Are you hunting, or just lying around? And do you come out here often by yourself?"

[Drifa]

Drifa Stormsong

Jessor. Jessor Yellowmoss. It had a nice ring to it. Of Emerald Clan. She nodded carefully as she continued to size up the woman. The nervous shifting of the woman made Drifa uncomfortable. As a general rule, she didn't enjoy things that move too much or seemed ill at ease. Neither did Eclipse. He pranced in place for a few moments until she stroked his side to calm him down.

When the nerves switched to uncertainty, Drifa began to settle down. Discomfort she could understand, after all, Drifa did not like being around new people overmuch. This woman was doubtless not a threat. Obviously Drykas, Jessor Yellowmoss of Emerald Clan, and not looking to harm her. Unsure was fine. She settled herself and relaxed against her colt.

"To be alone," she replied simply, adding family and overwhelmed with her hands. Her fingers moved nimbly as she did so, "To watch the clouds," she added beauty with a quick twitch of her fingers, "to practice..." Her fingers faltered as she half signed sparring and then stopped. She was young, wasn't that what her family always said? Too young to learn how to fight. Only one cousin thought she could learn and he hadn't done much by way of teaching her.

"I am often here," she added, her fingers noting that she was alone when she was there. Her grandmother didn't necessarily know where she was, but that didn't change the facts. She wondered briefly if she should interrogate this woman in return, but thought better of it. Too often, elders dissuaded her from distracting them.

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

Jessor leaned back on her heels, then forward on her toes, constantly moving, even as the girl spoke. It wasn't that she wasn't listening, but rather, that she was listening, and, that required movement for the overeager adolescent.

When her eyes spied the girl's quick sparring, Jessor's nearly leaped out of her boots. Her fingers mirrored the girls words as she spoke.

"You're out here to learn, are you?"
Practice.
"That's why I was sent out here too!"

Jessor decided to omit the fact that she had been sent out to practice riding. Patting Badger reassuringly, Jessor guided him off to one side, leaving the girls with a mostly clear space. Returning to what she had mentally marked as "the ring", Jessor sized up her prospective opponent. The girl was small, but she was not frail. It was apparent that she would have to go easy, or she would hear from the elders, but the girl had a strong enough build that they would both benefit from the practice.

Jessor's hands fiddled with the hem of her pants, and then her sleeves in excitement. She simply could not keep still.

Badger, on the other hand, had calmed down considerably, and looked to be thinking about a nap.

It wouldn't hurt anybody to do a bit of sparring practice...would it?" Caution. Respect.

[Drifa]

Drifa Stormsong

The sudden outburst and movement startled her and she shifted backward, eyes widening as the girl moved quickly. Her fingers whirled and when the meaning set in, a smile settled on her face. Of course. Practice. She nodded at the girl, watching her as she moved back.

She seemed to realize, after a bit, that she had startled Drifa and she settled down. Her body language spoke of caution and respect which was curious. Drifa was no one to be curious of. Nor was she anyone to respect. She mirrored the signals of caution and respect and then, with a smile, added practice and relax.

"Yes. We could practice," she nodded, her fingers working to spell out spar. She backed away from the girl and indicated the boundaries of their "circle" as it where. She had very little practice and was like as not going to be clumsy with her hands and feet. Her cousin had told her to use all of her body as a weapon. Easier said than done, in her opinion. Sometimes she felt as unwieldy as a newborn colt, her body not quite cooperating the way she would prefer.

She stood a comfortable distance away from the girl and sized her up. Taller than her, bigger and older. Probably stronger. Everyone was stronger than her, she thought with dismay. But, she brightened, probably not quite as fast. Drifa was nimble and quick, she was also small which led to being underestimated and overlooked.

Ready she signed quickly, both asking and telling her opponent that she was willing and able to begin.

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

Relax, Drifa had said. That was easier said than done when you were about to take up a sparring match with your new acquaintance.

Jessor did relax, if only slightly. She let her muscles go slack as she prepared herself mentally. What would strategies be like? This girl seemed inexperienced, so she was likely to try and block more than she was fight. That was fine with Jessor, so long as she didn't cower the entire time. She wanted a real fight.

Loosening her muscles with a shake, Jessor took a step forward. She knew that her eyes must have been alight with eagerness, for her every nerve tingled with it. But that wouldn't distract her. Rather, it would fuel her.

Jessor used the energy vibrating within her to burst forward. She lunged for the girl. Narrowing her eyes, Jessor honed in on the part she meant to hit- the stomach- and swung a fist, without winding up or leaning into it.

It wasn't the greatest punch she had ever thrown, but it didn't need to be. Jessor was confident that she could beat Drifa with her eyes closed.

[Drifa]

Drifa Stormsong

The fist caught her in the side. She had shifted as the girl lunged at her, but was hardly quick enough to avoid a glancing blow entirely. She sucked in a breath at the pain, narrowing her eyes in pain as she tried to brush it off. A lucky hit, she thought. She lashed out quickly with her own fist, hoping to catch the girl while she was unbalanced with a blow to the upper abdomen.

She danced away quickly after lashing at the girl, moving out of reach in an attempt to avoid a retaliation. She moved in quickly, aiming a kick to the girl's body. Her attempts were not full of power, but would sting if they successfully landed. She moved away again, appraising her opponent.

Bigger. Taller. Stronger. She reminded herself that she was fast, she was smart. She knew how to fight. Her cousin had taught her some. Perhaps she was better even than the other girl, Jessor. She stayed light on her feet, balanced on the balls of her feet, making it easier for her to shift into a better stance that would keep her from getting knocked over. She cast her eyes about her, never letting them stray too far from her opponent.

Pavi

[Jessor Yellowmoss]

The firm contact of Drifa's fist against her upper abdomen was more than enough to knock Jessor off her high horse. The girl danced away, light on her feet, looking more focused and fiercer than Jessor had anticipated. In fact, Jess thought, I might even have to try.

Pulling herself up straight, Jessor held her fists up in front of her face and kept her knees bent slightly in a blocking position, ignoring the incessant ache in her side. Her eyes assessed the situation carefully, thinking through every move before it was made.

It seemed Drifa was ready to use her small size to her advantage, rather than trying to block as Jessor had assumed. So what was the best counter to someone who only wanted to poke you? Jessor wasn't sure. But she knew she needed to make a move. The burn of her side reminded her that she could use her feet, and use them she did.

Jessor rushed forward once more, quickly closing the distance between the two. When she was within reach, Jessor kicked her leg straight out, aiming at the other girl's legs. Not one to make the same mistake twice in a row, Jessor kept her fists up and ready to defend this time, her balled hands protecting her face. Never taking a single step back, the Drykas kept close and up in the other's face. A smile crossed her face at the rush of energy she felt when sparring.

"Tell me when you've had enough."