20th Day of Summer, 515 AV
Shortly after the eighth bell of morning
Syna rose above the horizon, moving more quickly than the Drykas beneath her gaze. Already the city sought escape from the heat, yet it was far from the hottest bells of the day. Throughout the city, pavilions were tossed open, welcoming any hint of Zulrav's breath to chase the stale heat away.
There was little beyond the opening of pavilions to be done, nothing could chase away the burning heat of the plain. It was, at least, lacking the humidity that was sure to arrive with the rains. While no one could begrudge the water, it did not stop them from hating the clinging damp that followed.
It was not so, today, instead it was clear, the sky dazzling blue as far as the eye could see, even off to the horizon there was no hinting at clouds or rain, just the oppressive heat that marked the season.
It did not stop the city, however, from bustling about its business. Merchants hawking their wares did so from the shade of a tent flap, hunters sat in the shadows skinning, butchering, preserving. It was business as usual despite the weather.
Naiya's morning was no different than any other morning, the heat did not lend to laziness, rather it made more work for the Drykas woman. The horses were dusty, rolling in the dirt, sweat clumping into mud against their skin. The Zibri were no better, their long hair even more tangled and matted with mud than the horses.
It would seem, that their bull calf managed the heat better than the others, his white coat by nature providing more relief from the heat than the darker colors did. It was a blessing, although it did not stop him from collecting dirt and mud as the others did.
She had spent the early hours seeing to the animals. The horses and Zibri needed brushing, the cows needed milking, milk needed storing. It was, perhaps, time to see about sheering the wool from the Zibri, but that was a task for another day, because she had other matters to attend to in the city.
The morning's work finally done allowed her to move on into the city, which was more crowded than was usual. No surprise, not when there was an event being held.
Just outside the groupings of diamond pavilions, there was a large area of grass trampled flat already from the marching of many feet. Across the space were a number of both men and women, seeking the training so willingly offered for the day.
There to the left was a large man wielding a sword among a group of others with swords and similar weapons, further back men with axes danced across the her field of vision. A group of particularly large men swung hammers about their head the efforts leaving some red in the face whilst others grinned and twirled their weapons as though they weighed nothing.
While the actions across the field held her interest, it was none of those she sought today, instead it was the man demonstrating how to hold a dagger properly for a fight. He was the one she sought, although she had never met him before, it was the weapon he used that caught her eye, because her learning with the dagger was limited.
"...hold the dagger so that the blade follows along your forearm, you aren't a thug merely making threats with your blade. You are a warrior, and you must hold your blade as such." The voice of the man became more clear above the din of the improvised training grounds, her approach not enough to cause notice as she fell into line beside the others who had come to learn the dagger.
It was a cleaner draw from her belt, she discovered, when she switched to this fighting grip on the pommel, the simple action of drawing the blade bringing it across her chest, blade facing the man in front of her.
She was finding, that even just the first words of the man, told to another, were more helpful than much of the 'training' she had received from watching and helping her brothers.
This would likely be a productive day for all those involved in the event.
Shortly after the eighth bell of morning
Syna rose above the horizon, moving more quickly than the Drykas beneath her gaze. Already the city sought escape from the heat, yet it was far from the hottest bells of the day. Throughout the city, pavilions were tossed open, welcoming any hint of Zulrav's breath to chase the stale heat away.
There was little beyond the opening of pavilions to be done, nothing could chase away the burning heat of the plain. It was, at least, lacking the humidity that was sure to arrive with the rains. While no one could begrudge the water, it did not stop them from hating the clinging damp that followed.
It was not so, today, instead it was clear, the sky dazzling blue as far as the eye could see, even off to the horizon there was no hinting at clouds or rain, just the oppressive heat that marked the season.
It did not stop the city, however, from bustling about its business. Merchants hawking their wares did so from the shade of a tent flap, hunters sat in the shadows skinning, butchering, preserving. It was business as usual despite the weather.
~~~
Naiya's morning was no different than any other morning, the heat did not lend to laziness, rather it made more work for the Drykas woman. The horses were dusty, rolling in the dirt, sweat clumping into mud against their skin. The Zibri were no better, their long hair even more tangled and matted with mud than the horses.
It would seem, that their bull calf managed the heat better than the others, his white coat by nature providing more relief from the heat than the darker colors did. It was a blessing, although it did not stop him from collecting dirt and mud as the others did.
She had spent the early hours seeing to the animals. The horses and Zibri needed brushing, the cows needed milking, milk needed storing. It was, perhaps, time to see about sheering the wool from the Zibri, but that was a task for another day, because she had other matters to attend to in the city.
The morning's work finally done allowed her to move on into the city, which was more crowded than was usual. No surprise, not when there was an event being held.
Just outside the groupings of diamond pavilions, there was a large area of grass trampled flat already from the marching of many feet. Across the space were a number of both men and women, seeking the training so willingly offered for the day.
There to the left was a large man wielding a sword among a group of others with swords and similar weapons, further back men with axes danced across the her field of vision. A group of particularly large men swung hammers about their head the efforts leaving some red in the face whilst others grinned and twirled their weapons as though they weighed nothing.
While the actions across the field held her interest, it was none of those she sought today, instead it was the man demonstrating how to hold a dagger properly for a fight. He was the one she sought, although she had never met him before, it was the weapon he used that caught her eye, because her learning with the dagger was limited.
"...hold the dagger so that the blade follows along your forearm, you aren't a thug merely making threats with your blade. You are a warrior, and you must hold your blade as such." The voice of the man became more clear above the din of the improvised training grounds, her approach not enough to cause notice as she fell into line beside the others who had come to learn the dagger.
It was a cleaner draw from her belt, she discovered, when she switched to this fighting grip on the pommel, the simple action of drawing the blade bringing it across her chest, blade facing the man in front of her.
She was finding, that even just the first words of the man, told to another, were more helpful than much of the 'training' she had received from watching and helping her brothers.
This would likely be a productive day for all those involved in the event.
