PM to join On This Night

[Dravite]

.
.

57 Summer, 515 AV
10th Bell

Training Bones was proving difficult. The colour-splash mare needed to be ready by fall for pulling the wagon, winter by the very latest. It seemed for all of his planning, his skill in horsemanship was letting him down. Dravite approached the colour-splash mare slowly, averting his gaze as not to startle her, though this time he did not make the mistake of watching her legs which tended to spook the young horse as Dravite had recently found out. He held his hand out to her, wielding the tasty looking carrot which had grown a little limp in the past few days due to the hot and sometimes humid weather. Bones took the bait and edged forward, allowing the man to reach up and take her halter gently.

The horse demolished the carrot in no time at all and when she realised she had been captured, she rose up on her hind legs, Dravite using his body as a counter weight to try and keep himself grounded. It took all of his strength to keep the mare from tossing him aside like a limp lamb and by the time she had settled, the man's brow was wet with sweat. He wiped it away on the back of his arm before comforting the mare by stroking her neck, something she didn't tend to let anyone close enough to do. The horse lord tied the end of his rope around the underside of the halter, paying close attention to the knot he weaved which he applied pressure to slowly to make sure it would hold. Satisfied with his work, he set off and headed to the edge of camp where he had more room to work with the animal.

Belkaia caught his eye on the way out, she was still unhappy with him regarding his forthcoming assignment, a five day trek on horseback away from Endrykas to work with The Watch, guarding the north from any more Zith attacks. A member of The Watch had been killed by one of the winged creatures’ only days prior during such a trek and Belkaia was angry that her husband’s watch duties had been brought forward from the 71st of the season to now. "Don't give me that look, woman."
"I'll give you whatever look I want, I don't want you to go hunting Zith; its suicide!"
"If we don't control the threat before it gets out of hand everyone will be in danger. Do you really want to risk that?"

Belkaia said nothing but grimaced instead. "I won't do anything reckless, you know that. I want to come home just as much as every single one of those men and women that I work alongside," he tried to assure her, but Belkaia was difficult to console which he put down to her emotional state being that she was with child.

There was a sharp pain in the man's shoulder all of the sudden and he turned his head to find that Bones had nipped him while he hadn't been paying attention. The mare hadn't managed to draw blood but he would find a nasty bruise in its place soon enough. His instincts told him to strike her, but logic said that he must remain calm if he did not want to undo all of the hard work and hours he had poured into training the horse. Belkaia gasped. "I'm all right!" Dravite called, "just a love bite," he insisted.

.
.
.

[Dravite]

.
.
Dravite wrestled with the horse, throwing his weight against her shoulder as he held her front leg up, attempting to get her to ground. The horse struggled but was unable to kick or lash out in this position, forced to focus on her balance and staying upright rather than attacking the man. When finally she went to ground, Dravite sat on top of her and wrapped the rope around her leg to keep her grounded. "What in Zulrav's name do you think you are doing?" Belkaia asked, somewhat amused by the show.
"Asserting my dominance," Dravite laughed.
"Huh?"
"You sit on them, make them feel powerless at the hands of your strength, a man at the sales yard told me."
"And if he told you to stick your fingers in a wolf’s mouth would you do that too?"
Dravite chuckled, "believe me it works, I tried it first with Cree."
"And how did he take that?" Belkaia inquired.
"Rather poorly."

The woman smirked. Dravite glanced across at his wife and grinned, "Trust me."
"Oh I do," she admitted, "I just can't decide if you meant to say that to the mare or not."
Again he laughed, "You’ll see!"

When he let go of the rope the mare lay in the dust a moment longer before getting to her feet quickly; she shook the loose earth from her hair and stood silently, Dravite finding her a lot more malleable all of the sudden. "See?" He smirked, just as the mare gave a gigantic buck as she lunged forward, taking the horse lord with her.

It took the man a moment to regain control, anchoring the heels of his feet against the ground in order to take her. The muscles in his legs stung and he was starting to feel a little defeated. Belkaia laughed and waved a hand, "I'll leave you too it, just promise me you will come and say goodbye properly before you leave later?"
"Promise," the man agreed, stumbling forward as Bones gave another firm tug on the rope.

Dravite tied Bones to a tree in the shade and left her side to return to the pavilion tent. The walls were rolled up to allow wind to pass through, though at this stage the plains had been so hot that even the wind had died down leaving the open tent hot but shaded. Dravite sat down beside the fire pit and put the cooking pan over the low burning flames to toast some of the seeds the pavilion had gathered the day before. He had never done anything like this in the past, but recalled how Lazuli, his mother, used to cook sunflower seeds as a treat every once in a while. He needed something that would keep for the journey he faced over the next five nights, and seeds proved to last a lot longer than vegetables in this climate. Dravite had already packed some dried meat for the trip, so the seeds were just an added bonus.

He threw them into the pan over the hot flames and gave them a chance to heat up, not sure of when he should take them off the heat. When some of the seeds made a popping sound he added a little bit of honey to the mix. The golden liquid dried and browned slowly in the pan which Dravite moved around and flicked with his wrist to see that all of the seeds were chased through the honey. When the edges started to blacken he took the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool.

The man had a few things to organise before he would be able to set off, packing included. He fetched his backpack and stared at it for a while; Dravite wasn't used to leaving the pavilion for extended periods of time. He decided to pack lightly, folding up a couple of shirts and a pair of pants before stuffing them into the bag. Alongside those went his flint and steel, honey, the dried rations of meat, an empty glass jar, the toasted seeds he wrapped in paper, and his notebook. After slipping the bag onto his back Dravite fetched his bed-roll, a light blanket, his hatchet, and weapons to store in one of the saddle bags. He double checked he had everything he needed before fastening the saddlebags with all of his equipment to the back of his mare. Bones did not seem impressed by this, but a trip away from camp wasn't going to slow down his training efforts.

.
.
.

[Dravite]

.
.
Dravite sat down in the shade and took to one of his rabbit pelts with the sharp skinning knife. He had used one of his ink sticks to dot a line down the length of the pelt as a guide to attempt at cutting a straight line. Of course it took him at least three or four goes before he had the perfect strip of leather and he used it to thread through the hole he had drilled in the Zith claw he had acquired in the spring, fashioning himself a necklace from the two parts. He strung it up around his neck and let the blackened claw hang against his bare chest, stark against the sun-kissed skin.

He used the sun to tell the time which took a good fifteen chimes worth of counting by the method he and Roan had worked out together, and planned the rest of his day according to the two bells he had left before he should leave. Dravite wanted to spend some time with his family before hitting the road as there was nothing more important to him than his kin. First though, he had to round up one of the goats to tag along with him on the road as a nice source of food he could gather fresh milk from in the evenings. Moxie was his goat of choice, currently without kids but still producing milk for the last two she had birthed before he bought her in the marketplace. Dravite decided she would be the perfect traveling companion; not too stubborn though at times a little difficult to catch.

She stood in the tall grass along with the rest of the herd, fat on the summer grass. Moxie was a tan, almost brown coloured goat with interesting markings on her face and chest. She was one of the only goats he owned that had horns and liked to push her weight around. Dravite approached the herd quietly, taking a few, slow, well-timed steps; watching where he put his feet in order to go unnoticed. Stealth was not his strong point it seemed, for they soon spotted him and while the kids came bounding over, expecting treats, their mothers stood their ground, watching the Drykas man as if he were some kind of wild dog that had strayed a little too close to their children.

Dravite didn't have all day and so he came up with a plan that seemed to work time and time again. He picked up one of the wild kids Moxie had been feeding and stood and waited while it bleated, calling to the surrogate until she came bounding over to find out why her adopted kid was in distress. The horse lord quickly put his rope around Moxie's neck and let her kid escape before leading her away; he wasn't worried about the kid and Moxie's sister, Mel, was also fond of feeding the strays, not that they needed it as most of his goats were big enough to fend for themselves now. Moxie was tied to the tree alongside Bones; the two of them made for an amusing sight, each seemingly baffled as to why they had been tethered to the trunk of the tree.

Now that he had everything he needed for the trip north, Dravite set down one of his water-skins near his bag and went to find where his wives and two sons had gotten to. He wanted to spend at least a bell with the group before leaving as he had to face the fact that each time he stepped outside of the Wind-knotted Gates, there was a chance he might not return due to the dangers of the plain; such was the life the Drykas people chose and he wouldn't have it any other way.

.
.
.

[Pearl]

Wisps of hair had escaped the confines of her braids and were sticking to her face and neck as she walked home after a long morning at The River Flower. Pearl brushed some of the sweat soaked strands off her forehead with the back of one hand. Work and the heat of the day had set in and she looked tired. There were a couple of small blood stains on her white shirt. Not hers, of course, but they did turn the material a reddish brown in some spots. She would need to soak her shirt and hope the stains came out.

When she came nearer the pavilion campsite, she noticed Bones and Moxie tied to a tree; each looking as confused as the other. Pearl approached the animals and with a hand reached to pet Moxie over her head and nose. "What on earth are you two doing out here like this, hmm?" She asked absently and in a soothing tone; one that she used often through her work during the day. Moxie leaned into the pettings and licked at Pearl's hand; Bones stomped, clearly agitated by the saddle bags upon her back. "From the looks of those bags, you and Dravite are going to be away for more than a few hours this trip." Pearl held her hand out to Bones then and smiled when she was met with a snorting snout that nuzzled and pushed at her hand. "Don't fuss so. It will all go much easier if you two find a way to work together. Take care of him out there, please? For me?" Pearl’s plea was met with stares from each of the animals.

She left Bones and Moxie and went further into the camp. She saw Dravite first and rushed to catch up to him, a hand placed to his arm, concern shown in her eyes as she looked to him. "You're leaving." It wasn't spoken as a question for she had heard the news at work about the Zith attacks and that The Watch was going out to look for more. "Before you do, let me take a look at your rib, yes? You'll be putting a lot of additional pressure with the amount of riding you'll be doing, and hunting, and it will do you better to have it wrapped properly.

Worry crossed her features and regardless of how tired she was from her days work, she would not let her husband go out of the Wind-knotted Gates without being properly tended to; it was her job as a physician, and as his wife. Pearl didn't voice her fears out loud. She'd rather him be focused upon his duties than worrying over her and wondering how she was handling his being gone.

.
.
.

[Dravite]

.
.
Belkaia was sitting with a child in each arm, humming a familiar tune to the boys. Pearl hadn't been there when Dravite awoke this morning; work at The River Flower often summoned her early, well before first light. Belkaia didn't seem to mind, however, as it meant she and Garrison could spend a bit more time together and both boys were now settling into their daily routines. "Spoiled for choice," Dravite smiled as he knelt down and pressed a kiss atop each of their heads, "not all children are lucky enough to have a mother and you have two," he grinned.

Kyanite beamed and Garrison made an infectious giggling sound Dravite was growing rather fond of. The horse lord set his hand on Belkaia's head and threaded his burly fingers through her hair affectionately before leaning in to peck a kiss to her lips. The woman smiled at her husband as he pulled away but the gesture seemed forced; she didn't want to upset the boys, even if she was still a little grumpy about Dravite's decision to leave. "Are you going to go say goodbye to Pearl before you head off?" Belkaia asked.
"Of course, I don't know what time she finishes work, so I might stop by at The River Flower and see if I can steal her away for a few chimes."
Belkaia smiled, "good luck, my love; please be safe."
"I will be," he promised, "after all I'm taking Cree with me!"
Kyanite chuckled, "Cree, Cree!"

Dravite wrapped his family in a big bear-hug before getting to his feet. As he moved out of camp he was surprised to see Pearl approaching him. His features softened instantly and the ghost of a smile found his mouth. His wife looked tired, her hair windswept and loose, eyes searching, hands reaching for him. The man stopped in his tracks as Pearl drew closer still until they stood but a foot apart. Just as he went to speak Pearl interjected, surmising that he was off on one of his adventures with The Watch, having gathered this was the reason why two of their animals were tied up to the tree. She wasn't going to let him leave without checking the injury he had sustained at the end of spring and Dravite made it easy for her to do so.

The horse lord lifted his right arm, setting his hand on the woman's left shoulder, slim and tender under the mitt of his bear-paw. He noticed the small specs of blood on her white shirt and could only imagine the morning she had faced. "I was just about to go looking for you," Dravite admitted, "I'll be gone for about five nights; do you think the four of you will be all right without me? My uncle Raven and his wife Yuki live in the tent just next to yours; they are more than willing to offer a helping hand if you need anything and Roan has told me he is more than happy to hunt," he tried to reassure the woman that they would all be just fine without him.

As Pearl used her hands to press around the old injury, Dravite watched her work, knowing little about medicine and the likes. It still felt so new, being this close to Pearl while the two remained complete strangers in a sense. The horripilation of his flesh seem to profess exactly what her touch invoked chemically within the man; the goose-bumps across of skin making him akin to an open book, hers to read freely. A strange, but not unwelcome sensation knotted in the pit of his stomach and though his better judgement insisted he ask first, Dravite was a man ruled by his instincts. He took Pearls face in his hands and brushed the pad of his thumb over her lower lip tentatively before leaning in to kiss the woman hot on the mouth; there his lips lingered for a few long ticks, parting only to speak, "I'll be fine, don't fuss."

.
.
.

[Pearl]

When Dravite lifted his arm willinging for her to check his injury, she let out a sigh of relief that she had not been met with refusal. She stepped closer to him and focused upon her tasks. The rib was healing nicely and had remained in place, she felt instantly better knowing that the bones had not shifted since he continued to work during the healing process. Pearl reached into her pocket and withdrew a bandage and began to wrap his torso, leaning in close each time she wound it around his back. Once it was properly in place, she tied it securely and tucked the ends in so they wouldn't annoy him when riding.

"That should keep some pressure and hold everything in place while you ride," she spoke, still trying to keep the worry from her voice. Her hands smoothed over the bandage as she began to step back from him, but stopped, her hands still on his sides. "We'll be fine. You're not to worry over us while you are away." Pearl looked up at him, her head tilted slightly back upon her shoulders. "We'll be waiting for you when you return." Her mind refusing to think that he could just as easily not return from such a dangerous mission.

Whenever she was close to him, like this, she could feel the sensations stirring within her. Something she had not thought she would ever feel again. The butterflies turned her stomach into a fluttering, and she could scarely breath, let alone evenly. As his flesh horriplated beneath her touch, her lips curved into a smile; thinking he surely must feel the same. She had not long to contemplate the thought before his lips found her own and taking her by surprise in that kiss. Fingers tightened over his sides just slightly as she held to him; lashes lowering over her eyes until they were closed.

When he spoke, lashes fluttered open and she looked to him. She moistened her lips with a gentle lick of her tongue over them, then spoke, "No worrying, focus on your tasks." Once the words were out, she slid her hands up his chest and over his shoulders to behind his neck. A gentle pressure applied there to urge him forward as she stepped into him, the full length of her body pressing into his as she lifted slightly and kissed him. Pearl held nothing back, in that moment. Her kiss was hot and wanting, promising him as her words had only moments ago; offering hope and giving him something to think upon other than worry over his family.

.
.
.

[Dravite]

.
.
His body was at home against hers and as the woman moved in so that they might be joined in another kiss, he indulged her wishes, for they were his own. Her kiss did not say I love you, nor did it tell of her want, but silently it begged, come home; return to me, come back to us. Dravite closed his teeth against the woman's lower lip and tugged sharply, reminding her that he was a man best left un-tempted. He press a softer kiss to Pearl's mouth and puffy lower lip before standing back to look at her, his right hand holding the back of her head; the horse lord smiled warmly before deciding to depart early. His lips met the woman's temple before he walked by her and disappeared into the main pavilion tent to dress.

When Dravite stepped out of the tent he was in his leather pants and a light, white shirt that would help keep the sun off his back and shoulders. He did up his riding boots and fastened his belt before meeting Cree at the edge of camp who was standing in a nice spot of shade under one of the nearby trees. Dravite spent a few chimes picking out the animals hooves and checking his teeth for the journey. Cree yawned, offsetting his jaw comically before snapping his mouth shut and rolling his lips against Dravite's shoulder. "All right, all right, we're going!" He laughed and climbed up onto the Stallion’s back. He steered his Strider towards the colour-splash mare and squeezed lightly with his legs to get the stallion to walk forward. After Bones was tied with rope to the yvas and moxie secured alongside her, Dravite set off, looking back to wave his family goodbye.

The ride to the meeting place just outside of the tent city took about ten chimes to reach and when Dravite arrived he was greeted by a familiar face, "Bayon Thunderroam," he smiled, "I was hoping it would be you leading this mission."
Bayon reached out and took the man's forearm in greeting, "Blackwater, it's good to see you again; how are you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Rib still giving you trouble?"
"No it's much better," Dravite assured him.
"Good, good; we have a very long ride ahead of us."
Dravite filled his lungs slowly before letting the air race out through his nose, "fantastic."
Bayon laughed, "I'm glad you came early, we only have two others to wait for, Sparrow Morningsong, and Jackal Ironore."
"Sparrow is my cousin," Dravite admitted.
"Raven’s youngest daughter?"
"Yes."
"Her sister River is married to a good friend of mine."
"Small world," Dravite smiled.
"You have no idea."
"Who is he?" The horse lord raised his chin as if to use it to point at the man struggling into his boots a few metres from them.
"That is Reed Greywing," Bayon said, lowering his voice to a whisper, "His brother was the young man that was killed in the Zith attack a few days ago."
"He looks a little young to be coming out with us on this trek."
"His father says he's sixteen, talked to the right people I suppose. Believe me he wasn't my first pick," Bayon confessed, "I don't want to say he will slow us down, but the boy is going to slow us down."
Dravite grinned, "Don’t worry; I'll help keep an eye on him."
"That makes you a better man than I am already."
"I don't believe that for a second."
"You will," Bayon smirked, "give it a day or two."

Continued Here.

.
.
.

[Sayana]

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request. If there's anything I may have missed, please PM me and I'll be happy to look into it.

 

Dravite

Skills

• Horsemanship: 3
• Body Building: 2
• Persuasion: 1
• Endurance: 1
• Teaching: 1
• Planning: 3
• Cooking: 1
• Organization: 1
• Leatherworking: 1
• Astronomy: 1
• Mathematics: 1
• Animal Husbandry: 1
• Stealth: 1
• Childcare: 1
• Seduction: 2
• Leadership: 1
• Riding: Horse: 1

Lores

• Horsemanship: Bribery with carrots
• Horsemanship: Asserting dominance
• Cooking: Roasting seeds
• Planning: Packing for a trip
• Astronomy: Telling approximate time from the sun
• Animal Husbandry: Catching a mother goat
• Planning: Ensuring dependents are taken care of while gone
• Horsemanship: Basic knot tying

Miscellaneous

• Exchange your Zith Talon for a Zith Talon Necklace

Seasonal Challenges Completed
1 Ω Craft something new.
2 Ω Cook a new recipe.

 

Pearl

Skills

• Endurance: 1
• Observation: 2
• Animal Husbandry: 1
• Intelligence: 1
• Socialization: 2
• Medicine: 1
• Seduction: 1

Lores

• Medicine: Assessing the healing of a broken bone

Additional Comments
I noticed that Pearl is living in "Squalor" but it doesn't feel like it based on the writing and also in regards to how many things she has been able to purchase. Please decide if you really do want her living in such conditions and roleplay her accordingly.

Comments: What a lovely read. The two of you have some nice chemistry in character and I couldn't help but chuckle at Dravite's attempts to train his mare. He certainly does a good job at making sure his wives are looked after while he's away. There were certainly a lot of skills to award here.


Your Grader,

Sayana

Boxcode design: Firenze