Closed [Rearing Stallion] Hoofbeats and Halfbreeds (Beodan)

[Asen]

33rd of Summer
515 AV

Depression was a curious thing. Caught in the moment, one could forget that they were sick. They could pretend to be happy, at the very least. If they were with friends it made the burden easier; you had people around you who could make you laugh even with the crushing weight on your chest.

Asen didn't have many friends after the majority left on a boat. Sure, she still had Sayana and Aren and Rhov (you could even count Garland and Nivel if you were including acquaintances), but how long had it been since she'd seen them? Too long. The one constant in her life was Marissa. Every three days without fail they'd head over to the Training Grounds. Every three days, Asen felt better.

Yesterday was the third day, and the half-Dhani sensed the heaviness returning. She didn't like the heaviness. She could drink to cure it, if only temporarily, so after the third day she'd find herself at the Stallion on the first night. Did she always drink herself into blacking out? No, not always. It was too expensive.

At the present moment she had just sat down with her first mug of ale for the night. It didn't taste so bad after a while, honestly. She handed over the silver Miza that it cost and watched the barmaid walk away from her table. It was technically hers, since a harsh look and a some sharp words deterred most drinking companions. There were a few days where she didn't mind the occasional stranger sitting down with her and sharing whatever story they'd caught wind of.

Right now, though, she'd really like some company.

Ledger-1 SM for mug of ale

[Beodan Clathony]

Beodan had acquired a habit. Why did he make friends with a musician who played the tavern? Of course, he did not have to buy anything, but that made him feel a pang of guilt, like he was stealing entertainment. So, it was his duty to purchase and consume ale! Yes! That was it. It sure helped that it tasted great on the first sip, and even better halfway down the mug. It really took the edge of a hard day, his few responsibilities forgotten as long as he had this amber liquid within him. And that was why he found himself on the doorstep of the Rearing Stallion. He gave a mournful chuckle, there were no horses within, despite the name, as he had found out on his first visit to town. Pulling open the well worn door, the sounds of merriment and the warm glow of the hearth washed over him. A small smile and a sigh of contentment escaped his lips. His silver coin disappeared and reformed as a tall, frothy mug of ale. Really, taverns were some sort of magic. He looked around the room, looking for an open table. Blast, it was near full tonight! Almost every seat was taken. His gaze continued to shift around the room, and came to rest on a young man sitting alone at a table for four, though one of the extra seats had been stolen away by a large party two tables over. Dan approached him, and then suddenly stopped around 10 feet away. He blinked. It seemed that his cursory glance had not been accurate in assessing the woman. Making the correction in his mind, he continued his approach after a sip of his ale. Dan was now standing at the head of the table, he could have leaned in and touched the woman if he had wanted to. His head cocked involuntarily. She felt...cold? Animal instinct giving him a read on her emotional state, a natural survival mechanism. It is handy to know if another animal wants to be friends, or rip you to bite sized pieces. But he could not identify what this creature was feeling. “May I sit down,” the Horse Kelvic asked softly.

[Asen]

Asen's head lifted slowly. Was someone actually talking to her? Apparently so. They -- no, he -- was asking her permission to sit down. In stark contrast to many who'd attempted to chat her up, this man had decided to ask permission.

"Yeah, sure." Her answer was short, her voice flat. She noticed she sounded kind of tired, and oddly enough she was. She didn't feel like perking up for the sake of a conversation, so she simply rested her head on the table and stared at her tattoo. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbow, so the majority of the cluster of feathers was bared to the light.

Recalling her longing for company, the half-Dhani directed her blue gaze towards the man. "An' what's your story, huh? Y'all always have a story to tell. 'S why you guys come over 'ere."

It wasn't really, unless the person trying to tell the story was absolutely drunk, but she didn't want to talk much. Instead she'd just stare at her conversation partner, which was what she did right now. He was a bit taller than her, from what she could see, with dark hair and eyes that shone in the candlelight. Was he handsome? Yes, he could be considered handsome, but everyone had different tastes and at the moment the blonde's tastes leaned more towards those with a softer appearance.

It wasn't that she hated men, no. She'd had her fair share of both men and women and found no issues with either, but after an unfortunate encounter with an Akalak she was inclined to avoid those who were taller and clearly stronger than she.

The squire sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest, still watching the man before her. There was something about him that set off alarms in her mind, that told her that he was not right, but she couldn't figure out what it was. The longer she stared, the more elusive the something became.

[Beodan Clathony]

Receiving approval, Beodan sat down across from her, setting his mug down on the table with a soft clunk. He looked down on the poor girl, who exuded such a dark nothing through her words and body language. She seemed to take his sympathetic thoughts as a challenge and brought her head to the cold wood of the table, an arm extended. He could see a hint of ink at this angle, but he was not able to make out what the tattoo was. He took a sip of ale, his eyebrows cocked in a position of worry.

"An' what's your story, huh? Y'all always have a story to tell. 'S why you guys come over 'ere," she asked, blue eyes meeting brown. They might have been piercing and fiery at one time, but now they were dulled like glacial ice. He started, seeming to become aware of her question once more. “Not much to tell, I’m afraid,” he began, “I have not traveled very far outside of the Syrilas Domain. Believe it or not, I’m only six. And a horse.” Dan said the last line with a mock serious expression, that quickly cracked into a wide grin and twinkling eyes. His life was pretty funny when you thought about it in human terms. Six, and already a tavern frequenter? He chuckled, letting the sound echo through his mind, not quite loud enough to escape his lips.

Sobering up, he took another sip of his ale, his face concerned once more. “Oh, right! I am Beodan, but Dan is easier, if you’d like,” He greeted somberly, and he continued, filter on low, “What has you down, if you don’t mind me asking. I know I would want someone to talk to if it was me. But if you would rather just sit, that is fine too.” Wow he was bad at this whole talking-about-feelings thing, though he noticed it seemed somewhat intuitive. He hoped the woman was not too sad. She needed the human equivalent of an acer of sweetgrass! That always made him feel better, mostly.

Style ChangeI spent some time learning how to style my posts better, thank you Sayana! I will be using this, and might be modifying it a bit, so do not be thrown. Let me know if you have any advice or more improvements to be made. Thank you!

[Asen]

Asen stared at the man who sat before her. Did he have no filter, or was he just stupid? What kind of person said that they were six years old and a bloody horse? He was odd for sure.

I must not've had enough ale, thought the girl as she took a sip from her mug. She was about to tell this Dan her own name -- her full name -- when the 'six years old' and 'horse' finally clicked together in her mind and caused her to nearly choke on her ale.

The half-Dhani pounded her fist against her chest a few times and coughed, but managed to keep the drink down. He was a Kelvic. That's why he felt all unnatural. Kelvics gave her the willies and she attempted to scoot her chair backwards discreetly, but the chair gave a screech of protest that forced her to halt her progress.

"Ah. Kelvic, right. I- Uh, I'm Sessaschenaasen. I guess you can just call me Asen? 'S what most people do 'cause they can't pronounce m' name."

If she'd wanted him to suffer she wouldn't have given him the nickname, but she recalled that she made a promise to Orin about Kelvics. She'd promised to treat them as people instead of breeders, or at least try to. Now was her chance to do so, and open up to one of the creatures instead of being unnecessarily prickly and hostile towards them.

"I'unno what's got me down. I mean, brushes with Dira en't exactly unusual 'round here, it's why we've got knights. I don't see why that would be what's wrong. I got a new patron a while back, but she's so nice an' pretty. She en't the problem, either. Leastways, I don't think she is. She's tough on me sometimes but not too much."

There. She opened up a bit to a Kelvic. And not just any Kelvic, either. A male Kelvic, one who was taller and brawnier than she. The blonde squinted at the male as if she was sizing him up -- which she was. If he attacked her, could she beat him in a fight? He had the advantages of strength and height, but he was almost docile.

The squire's mind quickly gave up on trying to figure out if she could take him on, too tired to attempt further calculations. She plunked her head back down on the table with a groan and let her arms hang towards the floor. If there was a fight then the retired knight would break it up. She'd be fine.

[Beodan Clathony]

Beodan smirked into his mug as she looked at him incredulously for many seconds. Seeking enlightenment, she took a sip of her own drink. As many before her had, the answer she was searching for burst forth in her mind and she fought to get down a half full mouth of ale. He chuckled, in good humor, low in his chest as she coughed and sputtered.

The woman’s faced flashed mild anxiety, mixed with a little dislike. The smile fell from his face, and he scolded himself for laughing at her. He did not mean anything by it, but maybe he had crossed some line he did not know about. Dan reminded himself to be more cautious in the future. Not that the increased sensitivity would last more than a day, if history repeated itself. Directing his attention back to his drinking companion, the Horse Kelvic waited for her to speak further.

"Ah. Kelvic, right. I- Uh, I'm Sessaschenaasen. I guess you can just call me Asen? 'S what most people do 'cause they can't pronounce m' name," the woman, now identified as Asen, replied. Dan’s eyes widened her unusual name, there was no way he was going to be able to pronounce that, let alone remember it! He gave an inaudible sigh of relief when she offered a shortening. Asen.

She continued to tell him what was troubling her, or at least what probably was not troubling her. But it made him happy that she was opening up a little. He thought about the situation. A lack of combat, and a new patron (whatever that meant, depending on her profession). Either a squire or an independent tavern owner? As she was currently drinking of a competing businesses ale, he decided it was the former. Beodan did not know what to make of it. “I am sorry. Do you wish there was more action, meaning, are you bored?” he asked, his brow furrowed in thought. He looked down from his thinking spot, and saw that her head was resting on the table once again.

[Asen]

Asen chuckled dryly, sitting up once more. Did she want more action? No. Was she bored? Not really. If this Kelvic was trying to help her get to the bottom of things, he was doing a gods-awful job of it.

But he was trying, wasn't he? Perhaps Kelvics were less feral than she'd originally thought. She sipped at her ale contemplatively, propping her head up with a fist on her cheek.

"I'unno. I en't bored, really. I've had so much action in my life, kid. I'm old. Maybe that's what the problem is, maybe I've had too much action. I was actually thinkin' of quittin' the Order, 'cept I promised my dad I'd do 'im proud and become a knight. I can't disappoint 'im again."

The half-Dhani paused to think a bit, then shrugged and looked at the male. She rolled her sleeves back up to her elbows (they'd been slipping down) and crossed her arms. "Anyways, enough about me. You're probably sick to the teeth o' hearin' me blabber on about myself. What brought you into the city?"

She'd be okay with talking to Kelvics as long as they didn't shift. That especially meant Dan, because horses were honestly pretty terrifying. Nearly being trampled by one in her youth didn't help change that opinion for the better, either. And he was also a male. A bigger, stronger creature than she.

Yay.

[Beodan Clathony]

The Horse Kelvic’s assessment had been wrong, not having had much practice doing this sort of thing before. He could barely remember his own father, nothing more than a flash of a face in his mind. Would he have wanted him to do something like that. Be a knight? He broke off that line of thought with practiced ease, it did not do well to think about that stuff. He was relieved when she offered a change of subject, but he would not have minded talking about her for the rest of the night if she had asked.

“I came for the ale, and th---” Dan broke off. Why had he come? The ale was true enough, he had developed a taste for it. But was that enough reason to be running all the way in to town and then just leaving again? Maybe he just wanted to be around people, hear them talk around him. See them live. “Well, to be honest, I do not know. I suppose it gets a little lonely just grazing alone day after day,” he admitted, his eyes thoughtful with his hands clasped in front of him. The feeling of isolation would grow and grow until he was forced to spend time in the city, which seemed to reset his need.

Beodan took a long drink from his mug. He looked to Asen and asked, “What is it like, being with the knights? What do you do?.” He had always been curious, his only source of information being what he observed on his brief visits to the city. But here he had someone part of the order! What ever that meant, he was not familiar with that phrase. Did the knights and squires have a number or something? He did not ask in any case.

[Asen]

The ale. Yes, the ale was good. Was it good enough to head into a densely-populated stenchfest , however? Doubtful, and despite Asen's attempts to redirect the conversation away from herself and to Beodan, he neglected to notice it and continued to ask questions about her.

Really though, it was about the Knighthood. When the half-Dhani realized this she had no qualms about talking about them. "I'unno how to explain it. There's a good ol' schedule, y'know, which took some time getting used to 'fore I could get up in the mornin' without bein' too sleepy. It's nice, I s'pose, when you've been lazin' around your entire life. A good change of pace."

She paused for a moment to think of what she'd say next and to take a sip of ale. "They try to not discriminate against folks who en't exactly the race with the best reputations, but once people figure out my da was a Dhani some start to get a little shifty 'round me," she told him with a glance.

"As for what we do? Well, I'm just a squire. I en't too important to them so I don't get important jobs. I usually just train to become a knight an' we do patrols 'round the woods. I think there's a few other things but I can't remember what they were."

The blonde went to sip her ale again, then set it down on the table and fixed the Kelvic before her with a look. "What d'you do? Plow-pullin'? Heavy liftin'?"

[Beodan Clathony]

“… A good change of pace," finished the woman, taking a sip of her drink while leaving Beodan pondered her words. He could not relate to the pains of waking up after a long night's sleep for two reasons. He was a horse and therefore did not sleep like humans did, in one place for a long stretch. And he did not have anything to wake him up early, save for the sun. But Asen seemed to hold this ritual with a bit of fondness, even saying that she did not like it at first. A change of pace, huh? He did not think he had been lazing too much. Rather, just the right amount! Something to think about though, perhaps he should change a little.

"They try to not discriminate against folks who en't exactly the race with the best reputations, but once people figure out my da was a Dhani some start to get a little shifty 'round me,” she continued fixing him with her steely blue gaze for only a moment. Prejudice did not make sense to him. It was like being mad at the sun, no matter what you do, it cannot be changed. The sun would rise the next day no matter how much you cursed it. You could not change someone’s parents, so why try? Dan nodded at her, he had been the victim of discrimination as well and knew the cold looks people gave. They may not say it outright, but it was easy to tell when someone did not like you. They treated you like a hairy bug, not wanting to be around you any longer than they have to. “What d’you do? Plow-pullin’? Heavy liftin’?”

The Horse Kelvic laughed from deep in his chest. Him, heavy lifting? Doing hard labor like one of those slave horses, hah! As if he would want to do anything that would keep him from running free. Nothing kept him here, he could ride off forever if he wanted! Dan was a proud being, and would not subjugate himself in that way if he could avoid it. Riding he was okay with, so long as the lucky person did not begin to think they deserved to ride him all the time. “No, no. Nothing like that,” he grinned, and continued passionately, “I am a free horse! I would like to think of myself as an herbalist of sorts. I do like plants, especially the tasty ones! That was what first sparked my interest.” He was sort of telling the truth in that last part, it was true, just not the whole truth. He made another effort to deplete his ale in comfortable silence, his eyes on her.