Completed Who Art Thou?

[Pearl]

52 Summer, 515 AV
Morning, 8th Bell

The rain, such a blessing from Zulrav, had come down for days now, but it was beginning to wear upon Pearl's nerves. She wanted to be out, doing something, anything. Her shyness had continued, and being in such close quarters with Dravite, Belkaia and the boys, had not allowed her the space she needed to be able to be comfortable with herself again. She was polite, caring, but quiet, responding to small talk and observing her new husband whenever she was afforded the opportunity.

Pearl lay upon the bedroll still, drifting between sleep and waking for more than a few chimes. The heat was causing her to toss and turn; kicking off any covers that may have remained over her through the night. She still wasn't comfortable enough to sleep without her undergarments on; discomfort which had torturned her throughout the nights. Pearl sat up, noticing the quiet. No rain was pelting the roof and walls of the tent. Immediately she looked to the boys' bed, they were gone. Turning, she looked for Belkaia. She too, was gone.

Getting up from where they slept, she tried to be careful not to disturb Dravite, though how the man had slept next to her with her fidgeting throughout the nights had been a mystery to her. Pearl went to the opening of the tent and looked out for the three missing family members. A smile spread over her face when she saw them sitting by the fire, enjoying their breakfast. "Thank Semele for Belkaia," Pearl said quietly as she winked to Garrison when he squealed in delight at sight of his mother. Kyanite and Belkaia turned in unison, smiles upon both their faces as well. The sun was definitely appreciated by all.

Pearl gave them all a wave. "Out in a tick," she said to them before ducking back inside the tent to dress. Pants and shirt were quickly pulled on; boots were carried in her hand along with her brush. Dravite was left to sleep for a bit longer, if he could. Pearl had taken a lingering look over him, wondering if it were he that had been keeping her awake at night instead of the heat and the rain she had been blaming it upon. He was handsome, she had to admit, and not just in the way he looked. He was one of those men that carried himself in such a way that if you didn't notice the good looks, you definitely noticed the charm and stature. He was kind, thoughtful, and had gone out of his way these past few days to make sure she had everything she needed. Every time they touched, even upon accident, Pearl could feel his energy mingle with her own.

As promised, she went to join the others; a kiss placed to Garrison's and Kyanite's heads before she settled down upon a log to pull her boots on and brush her hair. "You shouldn't have let me sleep so long, Belkaia, on such a beautiful day."
Belkaia laughed. "You weren't sleeping. You were flopping about like a fish out of water."
The color rose quickly to Pearl's cheeks. "I'm so sorry. It's the heat," Pearl made her excuse as she chuckled.
"Mhmm," Belkaia teased as she nodded, still feeding the boys. "You and Dravite are to go hunting today?" She asked.
"We are, when he wakes, so long as the weather holds out," Pearl continued to drag the brush through her hair, detangling it; leaving it without braids for the day.
Belkaia looked back at the tent when they both heard a rustling from it. "You won't be kept waiting for long it seems."

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[Dravite]

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Rain, rain, rain; would it ever end? With the rain came humid, not weather that made the nights feel long and sticky. Dravite had worn little to nothing to bed after the first night when he had passed out in his black, leather pants after a long, hot day; what a mistake that had been. Now, down to his plain, black underwear, the man was a lot more comfortable and there was no fighting for blankets as all three of them had been too hot to cover themselves. Pearl had tossed and turned all night, every night since she had joined their bed, which was just a pile of pelts and bedrolls on the tarp to keep the rain out. He was used to Kyanite making a pest of himself in the night and getting the odd small foot to the back; admittedly Pearl wasn't quite as bad but it still worried him as he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable lying next to him.

The horse lord hadn't felt either of his wives stir this morning, completely lost to the world as he stole away one more precious bell of sleep. Endrykas woke early and people went about their day thankful that the rain had come and gone. When Dravite finally opened his eyes he heard the birds singing outside, people talking, animals shifting about, the odd nicker from a horse somewhere in the distance, and Belkaia and Pearl laughing about something. He smiled knowing how happy Belkaia was to have someone around camp that was her age, even if she did have to share her husband with the woman; so far she had been very tolerant and accepting, treating Garrison no different than she did her own son.

Dravite sat up on the furs and rubbed his eyes. He picked up a wet cloth from a bucket full of water and washed his face before running the soaked material over his chest and arms. The muggy weather made him feel sweaty and hot. He drank from the water-skin; staying alive in an environment such as the Sea of Grass sometimes meant just staying hydrated made all the difference. Dravite slipped into a pair of black pants made of a light cotton material; he wrapped his black, leather belt about his middle and rubbed some soggy mud from the rain drenched earth between his hands before slavering his shoulders with the muck to keep the skin from getting burnt during the day. Hands then washed dried, he left the tent, and pulled his wind-knotted hair back to tie off his face with a thin strap of brown leather.

For his wives he offered up a warm smile, and for each of his two sons, a big bear hug and a playful growl. Kyanite's face lit up and Garrison giggled gleefully, a sound the horse lord was quite fond of, though he hadn't heard Kyanite giggle for some time; perhaps, he thought, the boy had grown out of it. His neck made a cracking sound as he left the boys and stretch in the sun, yawning. Dravite noticed that the goats had gathered for their morning milking and he thought he best get to work before heading out for the day; Dravite had promised to take Pearl hunting, if she was still interested in the idea. "Pearl," he summoned the woman with a wave and tipped the water out of the bucket to use.

"This is Kimba," he told the woman when she moved to join him, "she is an easy-going doe." He stroked the goat and set the bucket down beneath her udders, "but she is also quite bossy and likes to be first in line every morning for milking."

Dravite smiled, it was probably a strange question to ask, but one that need answering all the same. "Have you ever milked a goat?" He closed his right thumb and forefinger around one of the udders to demonstrate, "you hold your thumb and finger like this then use the rest of your fingers to gently squeeze the milk into the bucket. Try not to pull; they don't like that."

He set Pearl up with Kimba and the bucket before collecting one of his empty jars to settle with another doe near Pearl so that they could talk as they worked. "Are you still interested in going for a hunt today? I noticed you had a crossbow, perhaps we could take the dogs and go hunting for some pheasant? I've never hunted them before but I've seen a few in the tall grass this season." As he spoke he looked at Pearl, who seemed busy trying to get the hang of things; she really was a very pretty young woman, even after a bad night’s sleep, or three.

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[Pearl]

Pearl barely ate that morning, and only bites that Garrison insisted she eat from his own food. He'd been doing that since she had started letting him feed himself. Thankfully, Dravite distracted Garrison with his bear hug and Pearl was able to make her get away back into the tent to put her brush back in her bag. While she was inside, she took a quick drink from the water-skin. Not too much, just enough to wash down the few bites of food.

The day was sweltering already and she let out a long breath as she stepped back out from the shade of the tent. Hands were in her hair and she managed to fashion a loose braid and tie it all into a knot to help keep her long hair from making her even hotter. She nodded when Dravite waved her over and went straight to him; reaching to pet over Kimba and introduce herself to the goat. "Good morning, Kimba." Pearl crouched down next to Dravite, her shoulder brushing his as she got close enough to be certain how Kimba liked to be milked. Some of the mud from his shoulder smudged onto the white shirt she wore.

She wasn't an expert by any means, but she could usually manage to milk a goat without getting the bucket kicked over or receiving too many bruises. Usually. "Some," was the simple response she gave him. Pearl's hands being so much smaller than Dravite's made it easier for her use her fingers to milk Kimba, and she was careful not to pull on the doe as she began to squeeze the milk out into the bucket; slow and steady.

"I'd love to, if you're feeling up to taking me. I've never hunted pheasant either, but it sounds like a challenge and I would very much enjoy trying." Pearl had never hunted with dogs either, but she had heard her brother and father talk about it often. It was nice, she thought, to have someone to work alongside, to talk to, even if the talk was nothing more than about milking goats and hunting. Pearl blushed a little when she caught him looking at her and quickly averted her gaze back to Kimba, realizing she had missed the bucket several times while she had looked away.

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[Dravite]

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It was the little things with Pearl, the secret glances and subtle touches that caused something to stir deep within the horseman, a feeling that felt akin to lust, and yet, it seemed like more. He watched her when she wasn't looking, the way her eyes squinted gently whenever she was concentrating, her body language, and reserved demeanour. He understood how hard it must be for the woman coming into a pre-existing family environment; knew that she would have to like him before she could love him, but there was something, he felt, holding her back.

"Away through the tall grass my bonny did sail,
To map out the golden sea.
No long drawn goodbyes,
Nor sharing of ale,
She left but a trail for me.
At noon I set off in search of my love,
By dawn it was plain to see,
No longer my love,
Nor tidings prevail,
For life soon abandoned me."

Dravite sang to the goat as he knelt beside the animal, filling a jar with milk. The man was fond of singing and often made up his own little verses, perfecting them as time went on, even if he didn't quite have the tone for it all. The goat didn't seem to mind, though Belkaia rolled her eyes playfully. When the jar was full, Dravite screwed the top onto it tightly and set it down in the tent out of the sun. He returned with a second jar to fill with the milk Pearl had collected in the bucket and secured that along with the first before getting some things ready for the hunt.

The horse lord cleaned his spear and sharpened the point before fetching the water-skins to fill up at the lake while they were out for the day. He placed them inside of the large saddlebags on Cree's back before tightening the yvas. The horse sucked his gut in as he stretched on the spot and opened his mouth wide to yawn, his grass stained teeth on display for all the world to see. Dravite laughed and nudged the animal's shoulder. "Don't worry, boy, you'll be galloping across the plain soon.

When he whistled to Kavu and Meka to join them, the dogs sprung from their beds to sit at the man's feet, Kavu holding his right paw up as if to beg for a treat. Dravite filled the bucket with the last of the water from the water-skins and ordered the dogs to drink to make sure they would be okay for the day. While they were lapping up the water, Dravite moved across camp to check on Pearl's horse and make sure the stallion's hooves were clean; he didn't want them getting out onto the plain only to limp home half a bell later like Cree had done after nicking his foot on something, which had most likely been a rock. This reminded Dravite that he should probably add some more honey to the underside of Cree's hoof to make sure it healed nicely. He did this while Belkaia asked him something quietly, holding the boys in her arms.

Dravite leaned forward and kissed the woman on the lips briefly before dotting a kiss to each of the boys' temples, "you be good for your mother," he said to Kyanite.
"And your brother," Belkaia smiled.
"Garrison," Kyanite managed, treating the name as if it were a mouthful.
"Be safe," Belkaia cooed, "look after Pearl."
"I will," he promised and pecked her again before leading Cree from camp.
"Ready?" He smiled as he passed Pearl who seemed to be checking to make sure she had everything.

Spear in hand, the man climbed up onto his mount and steered the animal out of camp onto the grassy, makeshift street which had turned to mud in the last few days. There he sat, waiting for Pearl to join him on her Strider; the sun beating down on his back, and the humid air causing beads of sweat to form at his brow. The sooner they were on their way the better, he thought; hopefully there was a nice breeze to be found out on the plain. Dravite whistled for the dogs to follow and begrudgingly, they stalked out of camp after him.

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[Pearl]

Dravite's singing caused a smile to form. Pearl joined in with him and hummed along
with his tune. A glance given to Belkaia and a wink to the boys as she did so. The boys having finished their breakfast and had taken to playing in the dirt, piling up mounds of it only to knock them down and form them in another spot. When the milking was finished, she went to kiss the boys on the head. "Momma is going out with Daddy for a few bells to hunt. Be good for Momma, yes? When we get back, I promise a story before bedtime, if you're good, agreed?" she questioned the boys. Both of which nodded and squealed their delight and said in chorus. "Yes Momma!" Which was followed by both of their giggles as well as Belkaia's and Pearl's chuckles.

Pearl set out then to gather her knife, crossbow and arrows for the trip. Knox's saddle bags were loaded with the items, his yvas tightened and Pearl quickly mounted so as to join Dravite and not keep him waiting. She waved and blew kisses to the boys and Belkaia as she tightened her thighs and clicked at Knox to head him in the direction of the grassy street. His hooves making a sucking sound in the wet earth with each step.

"You and I both need this time out," she spoke to Knox and pat over his neck as they drew near to Dravite and Cree. "Ready when you are," she said and looked quite eager to be on their way. Knox knickered and snorted at the dogs. He was growing used to the changes in their life, but there were still the differences to adjust to, for them all. "Oh come on. You know Kevu and Meka well enough by now," she soothed as they moved through the streets of Endrykas until they came to the Wind-Knotted Gates. Pearl released a sigh as she urged Knoz through.

The sun continued to beat down over them, the humidity quickly causing Pearl's clothes to dampen and cling to her body. She brushed her hand over her face, wiping at the sweat on her brow and kept pace with Dravite as he led them towards the area where they were to hunt. The further they moved away from Endrykas, the more the breeze picked up and she leaned her head back, streatching her body to enjoy it all. Knox did much the same.

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[Dravite]

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Dravite whistled for the dogs to run ahead; today they would be chasing pheasants, something Dravite had never hunted before. For a man who preferred close ranged combat and the weapons that entailed, hunting birds had never been a priority of his. The desert dogs, however, were bred for exactly this type of task; they had a keen sense of smell and hearing, and small paws with long legs, allowing them to move quickly and quietly through the tall grass. If there were any birds to be found, Kavu and Meka would soon sniff them out.

Cree felt sure footed today, galloping ahead in an attempt to stay in front of Knox; he was just like his rider, everything ended up being more of the competition than a job, hunt, or task. Cree had been that way from the very beginning and Dravite had watched the then wobbly foal take his very first steps. Their relationship was one of the longest standing relationships left in n Dravite's life, and he took nothing for granted when it came to working with his Strider and trusted friend.

They rode on for another thirty chimes and before long Dravite was beginning to wonder if Kavu and Meka knew exactly what they were meant to be doing or if they were just out having fun. The horse lord scanned the horizon, making note of a couple of landmarks he would be able to easily recognise for the trip home when Kavu stopped dead in his tracks. Dravite brought Cree to an abrupt halt and whistled lightly to Meka, summoning her back to his side. He looked back at Pearl who wasn't too far behind and held up his hand to give her plenty of warning to slow down before searching ahead to see if he could find what Kavu had spotted.

Up ahead in the grass there was nothing to be seen, but the desert dog looked certain he had caught sight of something and slowly crept towards a gathering of tussocks a few paces ahead of them. The man looked around for tracks and animal prints on the ground below him, anything that might point out what his hunting dog had seen. As Pearl pulled up alongside him, Dravite finally caught sight of what it was Kavu had found, not a pheasant, but a turkey nestled amongst the tanning lengths of grass. The hunter smirked, raising his hand to point out the bird to Pearl who looked to be readying her bow, if not gathering her things. "Looks like you're up," he grinned, keeping his voice low as not to startle the hidden creature, "just try not to shoot my dog."

While Pearl got ready to take aim, Dravite took the opportunity to slip away into a trance, leaving the mortal world behind him for a moment to step into the realm of magic, the blue strands of the Drykas Webbing reaching out to him with open arms; welcoming the man with the wheat coloured hair, home. He traversed the maze of interwoven strands in search of different concentrations of djed, floating from one shallow pool to the next. There was much to be found, some kind of ground-hog, a herd of wild cattle, what looked to be roaming stallion, and a couple of birds scattered here and there, but no predators. Good, the man thought before returning to himself, opening his eyes to find that Pearl hadn't taken her shot yet, but instead still seemed to struggling with her bow and arrow. "Have you ever used one of those before?" Dravite smiled, though gesture seemed to be one of encouragement rather than mocking, “try setting the arrow first and then pull back on the string.”

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[Pearl]

Pearl and Knox were enjoying being out of camp, even if the grasses and the day were still damp from the recent rains. Knox didn't seem to be thrilled when Cree continued to keep pace ahead of him, but he held back with Pearl's urgings and didn't turn it into a race. Perhaps on the way home, she would let the strider have his head. For now, she kept him in pace a half-length back from Dravite, and Cree, trusting in Dravite with his lead. The ride had given Pearl the opportunity to study and watch Dravite as well. You could learn a lot of a man by the way he treated his animals, how he and his strider interacted, and Pearl was letting nothing go unnoticed. She smiled often as she watched and learned of the
man she now called husband.

When Kavu began to narrow in on his prey, Pearl felt the muscles in her body tighten with excitement, her breathing coming in quick and shallow. Slowly, she brought Knox up next to Cree then reached back for her crossbow and an arrow. Her hands found the weapon and brought it around front to rest over her thigh and the yvas while she attempted to pull the string back with the arrow nocked a feat that proved to be more challenge than she had anticipated with her heightened adrenaline.

Dravite's comment about not shooting Kavu was met with a grin and a cut of those sky blue eyes over at him; though he had a point. She looked then to where Kavu was and followed the dog's point. The brown, black colour of the turkey's feathers blended well with the area, making it more difficult to see, but once she located the bird, she smiled. Pearl drew in a deep breath through her nose and released it slowly through her mouth to help steady her nerves.

Her hands began to move as Dravite spoke once again, though this time, they seemed to follow his instructions. Her eyes remained locked on the turkey, much as Kavu's were. She pulled the string back, using both hands, with the bow itself being held between her thighs and braced against the yvas, locking it into place. Pearl took up the arrow and slid the bolt into place, nocking against the string with a small click.

Pearl's heart raced within her chest as she brought the weapon up to sight the turkey. Several times she checked Kavu's position, knowing she wouldn't be able to forgive herself should she accidentally hit him. Levelling the bow, she felt confident her sights were on the turkey. One more breath was taken in, deeply, and then released slowly as she pulled the trigger and loosed the arrow.

Knox snorted as the twang of the bow threw the arrow past him, but he never flinched nor moved. Pearl lowered the weapon, her first thought was to find Kavu and make sure the dog was not downed, or injured, but her eyes were trained on the spot where she had aimed her arrow, at the turkey. She blinked several times, nothing seemed to have changed about the scene. The turkey was whole, and unmoved. She looked to Kavu, the dog was unmoved. Where on earth was her arrow?


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[Dravite]

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The bird hidden away in the tall grass crouched low as the hiss of a misfired arrow shot through the air and landed somewhere in the distance. Dravite leaned back on his horse and smirked; at least the arrow had gone forwards, he thought, having seen a few jump back and go in all sorts of directions in the past. Still, it was rather amusing. "I think you missed," he teased light-heartedly before waving a hand, "go on; take another shot."

The horse lord watched Pearl line up a second shot before he turned his attention on the Turkey, surprised it hadn't fled the area already. Small brains, he thought; bird brains. His own musings caused him to laugh and instantly feel guilty for throwing Pearl's shit off. "Sorry; I'll be quiet," he promised, pressing his lips together tightly as not to make another sound.

Cree yawned and watched as Kavu snuck closer still to the well camouflaged bird, pointing with the fold in his leg. "Good boy," Dravite encouraged the hunting dog, praising him for the find and reassuring the animal that he was doing a good job by staying as still as he possibly could, all while his mouth watered, the desert dog obviously envisioning Turkey for dinner.

After Pearl had taken another shot, Dravite slipped from his mount with spear in hand. "They aren't very fast, or so I've been told," he smiled up at Pearl before creeping forwards as if to take a lesson in stealth from his dog. With pointed toes he found clear bits of earth to tread, avoiding the dry grass in order to go unnoticed. This, however, did not last long for soon the bird had noticed the man drawing ever nearer and started to puff her feathers defiantly.

This confused Dravite, why wasn't she making a run for it like every other bird he had ever come across in his lifetime? Not giving it too much thought, Dravite worked his way a little closer before calling his dog back to wait behind him. Kavu did as he was told and left the man with the room he needed to make his move. Quickly, Dravite sprinted towards the Turkey, lifting his spear to aim and thrust down into the bird, which rose from the nest to charge at him. This behaviour threw the man, who had to make a second attack with his weapon before he managed to catch the Turkey on the end of it.

Triumphantly, Dravite held his kill up to Pearl and beamed only to look over his shoulder as he heard the high-pitched chirps of her chicks calling out in search of the body that had moments ago warmed them. Dravite dropped his spear and raced to grab the scattered chicks, chasing the quick little creatures all through the tall grass until he could account for all three of them. The man must have looked rather comical running back and forth and when he caught sight of Pearl's face he couldn't help but laugh. "What do you think?" He smiled, putting the chicks down in one side of the saddlebag strapped to Knox’s back before he fastened the lid so that they couldn't escape, "you think the boys will like them?"

He tired the dead turkey to his bag and picked up his spear before getting back on his horse. "We should stop by the lake and top up these water-skins. You can try your luck at shooting down a couple of fat pigeons that like to hang out there," as he spoke he looked around them for a landmark he had spotted on the way in and used this to determine which way they would have to navigate in order to make their way to the Uvic Lake; when he was sure, he pointed north, ready for Pearl to lead the way.

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[Pearl]

"Ha," she said flatly, but with a smile upon her face when Dravite teased her about having missed. The smirk on his face, and her obvious miss of her target caused a blush to creep up her face. Reloading as quickly as she could, she raised the crossbow and took aim at the turkey once more. This shot going wide to the right as she jumped when Dravite laughed out loud. "I don't think I'm very good with this," she said in response to his apology. She was at least being a good sport about it all, and not getting outwardly frustrated. Though she promised herself she would start practicing more with still targets at the pavilion as time allowed.

As Dravite slid down from Cree, with his spear in hand, she smiled, watching him. She was fascinated with the man; that much was clear. As he began creeping up on the turkey, she couldn't keep a smile from forming. The giggle was stifled with the knuckles of her fingers pressed against her lips. She straightened up on Knox's back and stretched to watch as the bird fluffed its feathers and then charged at Dravite.

"Oh," the word slipped and she grew anxious as Dravite missed and had to make a second attempt to spear the large bird. When he turned and held up his kill triumphantly, she clapped, and then pointed to behind him, when she heard the chirping. "Babies!" she exclaimed, just as Dravite heard them and began to dart around, chasing the little feathered ones. She couldn't hold back the laughter now; no matter how hard she tried. The sight was just too rib-tickling. She was still trying to catch her breath when he brought them back over to put them in the saddlebags. Nodding, she finally managed to say, "The boys will love them. Oh, I do hope at least one of them is a hen. The eggs would be such a treat."

Pearl kept the crossbow over her lap, but leaned over to offer a hand to Dravite as he secured the now dead turkey to his own saddlebag. Sitting back up, she clicked at Knox and urged him forward in a slow walk so as not to jostle the tiny chicks in his saddle bags. Knox snorted and turned his head several times to check at the chirping that kept coming from his left side, through the bags. "I don't think he's overly fond of them," she said as she patted his withers and smiled to Dravite.

With a whistle, such as Dravite had used before, she called to the dogs, hoping they would respond to her as they did to Dravite. She would have to get used to working with them, if she was going to continue to practice with her bow and actually contribute to being able to feed the family. She didn't think it completely fair for her to only work at The River Flower and leave all the hunting to Dravite. They had doubled their family size, and she was determined to help feed and care for them, just as much as Dravite.


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[Pearl]

As they neared the lake, she watched for signs of anything else that she might be able to take a shot at. She whistled again, this time sending the dogs back out ahead of them, to see what they could find. This time it was Meka that seemed intent upon something in the low grasses nearer to the lake. Pearl called Kavu back to her, and drew Knox into a stop. She loaded her crossbow in anticipation.

Pearl looked to Dravite, a bit of uncertainty in her eyes along with determination. She had never given up easily before, and she didn't intend to do so now. This crossbow would be mastered by her, eventually. Her attention was given back to Meka as the dog began to close in on something. When Meka stopped, Pearl leaned forward to see and barely caught the outline of a smaller bird than the turkey; it was one of the pigeons Dravite spoke of, sitting on a low hanging branch near the water's edge.

She lifted the crossbow and took aim. "Zulrav, please carry my arrow straight and let my aim be accurate," she whispered the small prayer as she loosed the third arrow of the day. She blinked, lashes fluttering quickly as she saw the bird, arrow pierced through it, fall to the ground. "I did it!" She exclaimed and looked at Dravite. "Did you see it? Right through the middle!" Clearly, pleased and somewhat shocked at what had just happened.

Sliding down from Knox, she hurried over to the spot where the bird had fallen and picked up the arrow, holding it up with the bird still upon it, much like Dravite had with the turkey on his spear, and smiled broadly. It hadn't been right through the middle as she had thought earlier, but dead was dead and she was going to take it however it came. "Thank Zulrav!"


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