Solo Outside The Pride

[Dravite]

42 Fall, 515 AV
7th Bell, Morning
Endrykas

Dravite reached out for Pearl in his half sleep like state. He opened his eyes to find that she wasn't there and that the boys too were gone; she must have taken them to the markets, he thought, Yuki had been talking with her the night before about stocking up on a few vegetables. 'The early bird gets the worm,' he recalled her saying and smiled at the thought of the boys joining her before the streets got too busy. He rolled over to find that Belkaia was still by his side but had awoken with all his moving about, "good morning," he greeted her and watched as she stretched out on the bed of furs like an exotic jungle cat.
"What time is it?" She mumbled.
"Early, my love."
"Is the sun up?"
"It's getting there," he smiled and pressed his body against hers.
"Go back to sleep," she scolded playfully, though he knew she was smiling, "Rub my back?" Belkaia then cooed.

The man sat up and massaged his wife's shoulders for a while as he thought about his plans for the next few days; Helena had invited him away on one of her missions north of the city. Dravite rubbed Belkaia's shoulders using his thumbs but it wasn't long before the woman wriggled, lifting her hips as if to reposition herself and get comfortable before she smiled over her shoulder at him, "lower."
"Lower?" He echoed to which Belkaia only agreed with another intangible mumble.

He worked his way lower down her back using his palms and fingers to rub her strained muscles. By the time he reached the small of her back he couldn't help but smile and wonder how well he was doing; Belkaia didn't seem to be complaining, "Good?" He grinned.

Instead of answering him the woman got up on all fours and glanced over her shoulder seductively as if to summon him near. Dravite sat up on his knees and could have purred as his wife sat back against his lap swaying her hips teasingly. He jumped forward and closed a fistful of hair in his right hand to force her into a rough, longing kiss. As he entered her from behind she sighed a content little sound and moved back against him, meeting the slow, rhythmic roll of his hips. Though the sudden closeness confused him, Dravite had learned never to second guess his first wife; her moods defied logic, blowing hot one day and cold the next.

Just as things were heating up, Roan called out to the man from the mouth of the tent, not two sheets of fabric away from them. Belkaia slowed and bowed forwards, folding her arms under her head like a makeshift pillow, "No," Dravite growled softly and followed her, taking her hips in hand.
She giggled, "Roan needs you."
"Shhh," he scolded, trying to finish what she had started.
"Drav?" Roan called again in a meek little voice.
Belkaia giggled and turned away from her husband, "go see what he wants."
"I should go out there like this?" He smirked, holding his hands up.
Belkaia threw a pair of pants at the man and laughed, "Hurry up!"

Dravite got dressed begrudgingly and left the tent to find Roan waiting, his face white as chalk. The horse lord's amused smile fled his features, exchanged for a look of concern that knotted his brow, "Roan what's wrong?"
The young man sat down quickly and almost fell backwards over the log near the fire pit, "by the gods," he muttered, still trying to catch his breath.
Dravite put his hand on the man's forehead and then the back of his neck to check his temperature; finding that Roan felt a lot hotter than was normal, "what's wrong? Has something happened?"
"My Strider," Roan started to shake, "they got my Strider."
"Who?" Dravite asked.
"The lions."
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[Dravite]

"Two nomadic brothers," he explained as Dravite went through Pearl's medical kit looking for bandages.
"Is that water cool enough?" Dravite asked Belkaia, who hurried half dressed to take the cooking pot away from the fire pit.
"It's still a little warm," she replied before setting the pot down beside him.
"That will do," Dravite said, testing the temperate with his elbow before pouring in some salt.
Roan was frantic and sweating, sporting a large, open scratch wound on his left arm, "I saw the first one and thought we could outrun him but his brother was waiting further on to ambush us."
"Us?" Belkaia rose quickly and looked for Raven.
"My Strider," Roan confirmed he had been hunting alone.
"Hold still," Dravite said, bathing the young man's arm in the salty water.
Roan grit his teeth together and blinked away the tears that were welling in his eyes, "I don't know how I managed to get away; I ran all the way here."
"How far are they?" Dravite asked.
"No!" Belkaia yelled at him, "This is not for you to sort out!"
"Two lions killing a Strider this close to the city; it's exactly the type of thing I am paid to sort out," he argued.

Belkaia screamed, frustrated and stormed away from camp. Roan fell quiet though he could not still his shaking hands. Dravite cleaned the wound, it was true salt and honey didn't fix everything but he had no idea what any of the little potions and powders in his wife's medical kit were used for. Even though the wound looked relatively deep it didn't bleed much and Dravite was able to dry and dress the young man's arm without too much trouble. He wrapped the bandage around Roan's limb until it was at its end, making sure the bandage was tight but not so tight that it would cause the man any discomfort or circulation issues.
"You're not going after them are you?" Roan asked.
"I am," Dravite nodded.
"Alone?"
That depends whether or not you plan to come with me?"
Roan went rigid, "I... All right," he agreed.
"You can ride Cree, I'll take Vicious."
"Will she be able to keep up?" Roan asked.
"I guess we'll find out."

Dravite took a couple more bandages from the woman's kit in case they would need to camp out overnight. He packed a bedroll, the cooking pan, and a couple of basic survival tools, planning ahead; who knew where the hunt would take them or how far from home? Belkaia soon returned to camp with Raven at her side, "please tell him he's being crazy!" She screeched.
Dravite looked across at his uncle and shook his head, "we have to do this," the watchman insisted.
"Boy, think about it, two night lions against a man on horseback? You're being silly," Raven said, "you're not thinking straight."
"I'll take another from The Watch," Dravite shrugged.
"Who?"
"Coral," he admitted.
"The girl?"
"She's good with a bow; range is our best defence."
Raven sighed, "I'd offer to go."
"You're better off here, uncle; I need someone to take care of things in camp and look after my family."
Raven looked at Belkaia who stomped her foot and disappeared inside the tent, "she's not a happy woman."
"Tell me something I don't know," Dravite growled and got on his horse before waiting for Roan to get Cree under control.
"Ready!" Roan nodded and the two were off.
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[Dravite]

"Lions?" Coral rose slowly from the task at hand and leaned against her Strider, "all right," she nodded and set the rasping tool down to gather a few things just as Dravite had instructed; a sleeping roll and an extra change of clothes. “Finish that for me will you?”

Dravite signed and got down from his horse to pick up the tool. He checked the hoof Coral had been working on before comparing it to the other. They looked fairly even though the hoof in hand needed a little work on the right side. Dravite worked the hoof down, shaving away the excess with the sharp points on one side of the tool before turning it over to use the smaller teeth to smooth down his work. When both hooves looked even, they were ready to get on the road again.

Outside of the Wind-Knotted Gates Dravite had the three of them stop, "if we all check the web we are bound to find them sooner," he explained, "which way, Roan?"
"North," the young man admitted.
"Three chimes," Dravite ordered, "if you don't find them in the web by then, come back and we'll find them the old fashioned way."

The last sight he saw before slipping into the web was the Imperial Watcher settling ahead of them in the grass, ready to head out, which also turned out to be the first thing he saw inside of the web; Grim was always ready for an adventure. Dravite followed the blue strands of the web north of the city, sticking to the main paths for faster travel. The world seemed a blur as it rushed by the man, frantic in his search to find the pair of lions that would continue to terrorise travellers now that they knew hanging about the outskirts of the city was an easy way to score a meal.

He passed by a lone tree he made a mental note of; one he could use as a landmark on their way outside of the city's boundaries. It wasn't long before he discovered the pair of night lions still feasting on the remains of Roan's mare, one he had grown up with, making the loss even harder on the boy. Got you, Dravite thought, studying the pair for a moment. They looked at least three or four summers old, still young as far as lions went, but not quite old enough to take over their own pride. Both males had very handsome manes and sinister looking eyes the colour of egg yolks.

When he returned to his physical form, both Roan and Coral were awaiting him, "find anything?" He asked the pair and both of them pointed northwest of their current location, "me too," the horse lord smiled, "we will get as close as we can and use our bows, if they run towards us, don't risk it, just get out of there."
Roan nodded, "and if they flee?"
"Let them run, we will wait until they settle nearby and try and creep up on them."
"Ready?" Coral beamed, excited to show the boys up with her bow.

Dravite offered a curt nod in her direction before nudging his mount, driving the mare forward to take the lead. Vicious was in her element, there was nothing she enjoyed more than a hunt and cutting through the tall grass at top speed. She was a lot harder to ride than Cree, as her movements were sometimes unpredictable, often making sudden turns the watchman wasn't expecting. He held onto the yvas a little tighter than usual, bracing himself just in case the mare was in a funny mood today. She obeyed the quick repositioning of his feet, telling the mare to start veering left towards the west with a simple movement of his leather clad foot.

It took them at least ten chimes to catch up to the brothers which made Dravite appreciate how far Roan had run to get away from them and he could see now why it had taken the boy so long to catch his breath. They took the high ground, staying on their breathless horses just in case they needed to make a run for it. Each of them readied their bows and as Dravite drew his first arrow from the quiver at his hip and latched it to the string, he knew without firing that he would be a useless shot from this distance, "Coral you're the best shot, which do you think we should aim for?"
"The closest one with his head buried in the horse's belly."
"Do you have a good shot from here?"
"Perfect," she smirked.
"I'm going to count down, I want the two of you to take your shots when I say the number one," he instructed, "I will loose my arrow after that."
“On one,” she agreed and he caught Roan nod.
"Four, three, two, one," Dravite spoke in a calm, measured tone of voice as he eyed up his own shot, taking aim. As he heard Roan and Coral fire their arrows he noticed the lion turn as if to attack its own tail and then released his own arrow, watching it sail towards the beast only to land a few metres short. closer, he thought but both his comrades were already taking aim with their second arrows. The second lion, confused, padded away from his brother only to stop and look over his shoulder, wondering what it was that had caused his partner in crime to flinch and cry out in pain; a snake perhaps?

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[Dravite]

Dravite readied a second arrow, raising his bow a little this time to adjust the range of his shot, "three, two, one," he spoke again and released his arrow with the others this time, the objects whistling silently through the air to hit their mark. Dravite lowered his bow, stunned that he had managed to strike the lion, if only on his right, back leg. The animal sprung forward and ran off after its brother into the tall grass, "quick! Don't let him get away!" Dravite told them and kicked Vicious into motion, the grey mare launching forwards to tear off in the direction the nomads had headed.

The horse lord wrapped a fistful of white mane through his fingers and set his bow over his shoulder so that it lay across his chest while he rode, switching it up for his spear just in case the brothers turned back and decided to fight rather than flee. It was easy to catch sight of their tracks through the tall grass and Grim, the imperial watchdog, now had their scent. The giant dog ran ahead with the horses galloping quickly behind him; following the animal's lead. It wasn't long before Dravite caught a glimpse of the lions up ahead, the bigger of the two struggling to keep up.

Another arrow whizzed past him on the right and Dravite knew it was Roan who had let it fly. He looked over his shoulder then to see how Coral was fairing; making sure his team was close at hand. She too released another arrow and this one found its mark, tripping the lion that rolled in the dust. Dravite wasted no time, raising his spear in the appropriate striking position before guiding Vicious straight towards the animal, who was down but not out. Fearless, the mare charged towards the wounded lion under her rider's command, getting him close enough to thrust his spear between the animal's shoulder blades before tearing it free.

Dravite guided Vicious into a tight turn in order to charge back towards the lion they had cornered, one the other horses in the group refused to venture too near to. The nomadic beast bared his teeth and swiped his claws through the air at any that tried to get too close, but he did not move from his place, giving Roan and Coral the chance to shoot at him again. Dravite didn't quite like his chances from his current angle and choose instead to hang back a little, assessing the situation. If he threw his spear from here he probably couldn't get enough force behind the throw to do any real damage but if he got too close to the panicked lion, it might injure his horse.

The watchman steered Vicious away from the scene and raced off, only to turn back further down the track to give her a good run up. After taking a moment to calm his nerves, he ordered the mare into action and the two of them flew towards the lion, veering left right at the last possible second as he propelled his spear into the animal's neck and made sure he was clear of any retaliation before turning back. The lion stole a ragged breath and growled, going for the spear in its neck he was too weak now to fight, "keep an eye out for his brother!" Dravite called and got down from his horse.
"No!" Roan warned as the horse lord approached the lion to claim back his spear.
Adrenalin ruled him now, far more powerful than the guilt he had been feeling over the last few days, "focus!" Dravite scolded and plunged his spear into the beast's chest.

The animal was a mess of wounds and arrows and even as Dravite knelt to open his gut with knife in hand, the lion kicked and tried to swipe at him hopelessly. It was Vicious who approached, the Bloodbane drawn by the smell of a fresh kill, bowed to take a taste of victory. It seemed fitting for a horse to take revenge on the exact animal that had taken one of her herd mates and yet Roan couldn't seem to stomach the sight, leaning over the side of Cree to empty the contents of his own stomach. Coral covered her mouth to still a guilty bout of laughter, pleased they had been able to hunt down and kill at least one of the nomadic brothers. If they did not catch up with the second before long, fate would probably take his life at the jaws of a more experienced lion, defending its territory that the younger brother, now alone in this world, would have much more trouble competing for.
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[Dravite]

"We should go after the other before he gets too far ahead," Dravite spoke up.
"No," Roan argued, "I don't feel safe out here, I feel sick, it's muggy, and my arm hurts."
Coral glanced between the two of them, "I don't mind either way."
Dravite plucked an arrow from the lion's hide and pointed it at Roan, "You really want to head back?" He asked.
Roan was quiet, not wanting to disappoint his Ankal and brother of The Watch, "I feel it might be the best idea; you can get a better team together and head out again."
Dravite paced back and forth slowly, considering his options, "Coral will you ride home with Roan and bring me another horse? Leave Cree here, fetch Ashka and that will give me time to do a quick job on this one," he turned the arrow on the lion, "then you can return to market with the kill and get it professionally tanned for me?"
Coral nodded, "of course, if Roan is happy with that?"

Roan leapt off the stallion’s back and joined Coral on her mount before the two of them could blink. Dravite laughed and transferred his belongings from Vicious to Cree, using the Strider as a packhorse, one he would probably need for a fresh set of legs as the day wore on and Vicious started to get tired, "I'll see you in half a bell?" Dravite inquired.
"See you then," Coral agreed and raced off to take Roan home.

Dravite wasted no time, setting to work swiftly. He used his hunting knife to start cutting out the lion's innards, rolling them out onto the pressed grass for Vicious to enjoy. Every now and then he glanced up at Cree who remained alert but relaxed, sensing nothing to be concerned about in the immediate area. By the time Coral returned with his mare, Ashka, the lion had been completely gutted and was a lot easier to lift up onto the mare's back.
"His head weighs a ton!" Coral complained.
Dravite smiled, "that's where all the power is."
"Can I come back and help you track down his brother?"
"Only if you feel confident in doing such," he shrugged.
"I feel a lot better than Roan."
"How is he doing?"
"He was sick again on the way back to camp," Coral admitted, "I think he's upset about his Strider."
"Could be shock setting in," Dravite added, "he will be better off at home where he can rest."
"You need anything else while I'm in the marketplace delivering this beauty?"
"No," Dravite shook his head and counted out some coin for Coral to take back in order to pay the tanner.
"It's not like you to use the tanner," she smiled, “How about you keep the coin for now and we tell them a second will be in soon?”
Dravite smirked at her cockiness, though it impressed him. "If I had the time I'd do it myself," he agreed, "but I don't want the go home until we get that second lion."
"Don't do anything crazy," Coral warned.
"Now you're starting to sounds like one of my wives," Dravite smirked.
"They must know you well to part with such wisdom."
"Get out of here cheeky, or I'll pay the tanner to skin you too."
Coral laughed, "I'll return in a bell or so, the trip will be slower this time; my horse is tired."

Dravite turned to see Vicious go down on her knees before rolling in the bloody mess of the lion's remains. The mare got up and shook only to rub her face in the waste like a bull attacking a mound of dirt. The horse lord just stared at the mare a little confused, "guess you felt you needed some war-paint," he laughed and sat down nearby to access the web.

The blue, interwoven strands of djed welcomed him home with open arms, taking him far beyond his current location to catch up with the lion that had managed to escape them. The smaller male had already managed to cover a lot of ground and roared as he ventured further north into the wilds, far away from the city's reach and protection. The horse lord knew the webbing nearer to the centre of the grasslands was usually in need of repair and he probably wouldn't be able to rely on it as heavily as he did closer to the city of tents. Still, he thought, as long as there is line enough to send a message home every now and then my family will not threat.

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[Dravite]

Part II

42 Fall, 515 AV
13th Bell, Afternoon
Sea of Grass

"It's bloody hot out here," Coral complained, "let's just go back to the city while we have enough light and gather a team before we continue the search," she looked ahead at Dravite who didn't seem to be listening to her, "you know your wives would feel a lot better to know that you were with others rather than gallivanting across country with me."
"What's wrong with you?" He asked.
"Nothing, sure I'm a good shot but I've only been in The Watch for half a season."
"Sorry, I stopped listening after you said good shot," he laughed.
"Dravite," Coral groaned, "please be reasonable."
"We've been following the river for a few bells now, Grim still has the lion's scent; if we turn back now we will lose it, go if you must but I plan to continue on."
Coral was quiet for a chime, "fine, but I'm going to tell Aris exactly where you are so that he can send a group."
"I don't need a group," Dravite called after the girl who had already turned back for the city, "I just need another dead lion!" He sounded angry then, and somewhat frustrated for being left alone.

Dravite decided to stop at the river's edge and lead both horses down on the rocky incline to the water. It seemed to be moving a lot quicker than usual but that was generally common after rain. Dravite checked his mare's hooves before drinking the last of the fresh water from his water skin. He crouched down by the river and held the skin submerged until it was full and the last air bubbles popped up against the surface. Dravite hadn't brought anything other than the cooking pan along for the ride and boiling water in that wouldn't happen very quickly.

Sitting there he recalled that his pavilion used to run water through crushed charcoal to purify it, but he would have to build a fire if he was to make any of that. On his continued search for the lion, he kept a look out for any pieces of discarded wood he might be able to use later on. Grim seemed to have lost the scent near the river and Dravite wondered if lions were any good at swimming. perhaps he went across? The man wondered and slipped from the back of his horse to collect some fire wood and search for tracks along the edge of the river.

Instead of continuing on to the lake, Dravite folded back, searching for anything that might offer some form of clue as to where the lion had gone. It was at least an hour before he came across a set of tracks that looked large enough to be a lion, though he had no idea how to be sure. The tracks led down and into the water and the Imperial Watcher, Grim seemed to be quite excited about them. The horse lord took his sketch book out and started drawing the prints in case he stumbled upon them again later, it had become a great point of reference for all the animals he hunted and later on when he got back to the city, he would be able to compare his sketch to the padded foot of a real lion.
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[Dravite]

Not wanting to get wet and having come across a sizeable anaconda earlier in the fall, Dravite climbed up onto Cree's back knowing the stallion was tried and tested with river crossings, while he was yet to see how Vicious would react to them. He led the mare behind him to a shallow part of the river and slowly steered Cree into the running water, lifting his feet as the stallion waded into the depths. The Bloodbane followed without too much protest and shook her mane and tail dry on the other side. Grim paddled comically to the edge and shook the water from his coat before giving a wage of his tail and bounding over towards his master. "Good boy," Dravite offered and threw down a small piece of dried deer meat for the dog to chew on.

As they continued up stream, Grim caught on to the familiar scent of the lion and barked, pointing with a bent leg into the tall grass. Dravite double checked the tracks before closing his eyes to trance and venture into the web, following the tracks into the grass with perfect clarity. He wandered through the webbing for a while, checking ahead to make sure the way was clear; it would be no good to come all this way only to stumble upon a Glassbeak. There was no sign of any lion or other predators for as far as the eye could see and with the web offering little insight, the watchman returned to his form to find that Cree had knocked him off and bolted.

Dravite grabbed his elbow and sucked in a breath through gritted teeth; it was never a good idea to trance while on horseback, but he thought Cree was different. Still, there was only one animal that tended to upset the stallion this badly. Snake, Dravite surmised and quickly got to his feet, checking on his grazed elbow once he was up. The blood had run through his folded shirt sleeve and down the length of his arm to drip from the ends of his fingers. The horse lord checked the ground to see what he might have knocked it on and found a jagged rock peaking up out of the soil. He kicked the rock with his leather boot and cursed; Cree had left him without a weapon and caused Vicious to bolt off alongside him.

Only Grim had stayed put and seemed to have already discovered what had spooked the horses. He stared down at the snake, barking and stomping at the ground with both front feet. "No!" Dravite scolded the animal, "get back," he didn't know whether or not the snake was poisonous without getting a better look for himself.

The snake was about five feet long and curled up around a rat he had managed to snatch up out of the grass. "Black Kingsnake," Dravite took a guess, they were common along the rocky parts of the river and usually came out when it was nice and hot.

He sat watching the rat twitch, only half dead it seemed. Grim crawled forwards on his belly, trying to get a closer look and though Dravite was quite sure this snake was a constrictor, and therefore not venomous, he didn't want to encourage the Imperial Watcher to get too close to such animals. "No!" He scolded again and swiped at the dog's nose before making the low hissing sound of a snake.

Grim whined and edged back while Dravite went for the dagger on his belt; he wasn't about to pass up on a free meal and took the snake's life while he was distracted with his own dinner, "blood for blood, life for death," he thanked the goddess Caiyha as he cut the snake's head from its body, leaving the rat for other scavengers.

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[Dravite]

19th Bell

As Syna dipped below the horizon, Dravite finished rolling out his bedding to settle down on. It had taken him the better part of the afternoon to catch up with the horses and finally bring them under control. He used his flint and steel to start a fire, lighting some knots of tightly woven dry grass he had plucked from the earth to clear a spot for his camp. The sparks from the fire tools jumped at the grass and slowly chewed through the long twisted strands before flames rose up between the twigs he had piled around the grass.

As the fire found its strength, Dravite took the opportunity to go into the web, traveling home to the city of tents in order to deliver a message to Roan who was there and ready to greet him on behalf of the pavilion.
"I thought you would check in sooner or later," Roan chimed.
"Are you feeling better?" The horse lord inquired.
"My arm hurts but Pearl cleaned it up for me and Yuki is cooking a really nice meal with the girls."
"Are they all right?"
"Belkaia is still angry," Roan admitted, "Pearl seems concerned but you know what she's like."
"I know," Dravite smiled to himself, "she's very mature."
"I was going to say tolerant," Roan quipped.
"Well I'm glad everyone is doing well."
"Are you?"
"I haven't found the lion brother and Coral turned back just after lunch."
"What?"
"Yeah, said she was hot; thought the idea was silly, she went back to the city to tell Aris in the hopes that he would send a group."
"Do you think he will?" Roan asked.
"I doubt it; he knows what I'm like."
"The Lone Ranger," Roan laughed.
"No, I just don't like people to go out of their way for me, besides, how much trouble can one lion be?"
"Raven says there will be thunder tonight."
"I heard it rumbling a moment ago."
"Don't get wet!"
"Don't tell the girls I'm alone," he replied.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Roan worried and it showed in his change of tone."
"It is what it is," the horse lord sighed, "hopefully I'll be home some time tomorrow."
"We look forward to seeing you," Roan offered and without reply, Dravite left the web.

He used his hunting knife to cut down the length of the King snake's belly, peeling the skin back slowly as not to tear it anywhere. The opaque flesh beneath was cold to touch and forgiving, bending to the man's embrace. He thread a narrow stick through the meat after gutting it and pinned it up over the flames before adding wood to the pit for the fire to consume.

Up above the sky rumbled and all around the earth was quiet. Dravite took the opportunity to clean the cut on his elbow and used one of the bandages he had taken from Pearl's medical kit to dress the wound after smearing a bit of honey over the flesh. With the bandage set in place, he turned the snake over the flames and then set to work, rubbing salt into the skin of the snake in order to preserve it, a basic step in the tanning process that tended to work best on thinner pelts such as the snake skin or rabbit hide.
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[Dravite]

After finishing his meal, Dravite fed Grim the remaining half of the snake and even offered a slice to Vicious who seemed more than happy to accept the delicious morsel. He then took one of his charcoal sticks and crushed it onto a large flat rock until it was as fine as sand. He managed to roll a burning ember from the fire and broke that up too, repeating the process until he had enough of the fine, hot powder to wrap up in an odd cut of the bandage he had been unable to use.

The horse lord took the water skin he had filled at the river and opened it up to block the mouth of the container with the charcoal and powdered wood mix. He then took his empty water skin and held it below the first, waiting for the water to slowly trickle through the makeshift filter, hopefully cleansing the liquid and leaving any of the bad stuff behind. Tentatively, the man took a sip of the clean water when it was done; it didn't taste quite the same as when he boiled it, but he would continue to take small drinks from it throughout the night until he was sure it wouldn't upset his stomach.

Dravite set his spear on his right side and leaned his Bec de Corbin against the tree just in case anything tried to take a bite out of him during the night. As he lay back on his bed roll, Grim got up and came to sit down beside him, the two of them sharing body warmth. The horse lord looked up at the sky as the thunder boomed and lightening raced through the slate grey clouds.

"Zulrav?" The watchman whispered, "They say you're always listening, that wherever the wind blows you will hear."

The leaves of the evergreen overhead rustled and Dravite found himself smiling, "who do you sing for tonight? Is this storm a blessing? Do you welcome a new storm warden this eve?"

Another fork of lightning cackled overhead and the tall grass bowed to the wind. "They say the only sure thing in this world is the promise of change," Dravite mused aloud, "that you have the ability to mould rock and summon the sea to rise."

The sky boomed but no rain came.

"Sing to me softly of sweet summers gone,
Keeper of secrets and bringer of storms."

Dravite sang and the sky did protest, the thunder drowning out his song, "well if you will not have me sing for you," he smiled, "then perhaps a tune for the mother?"

There came a rumble and all around him the air seemed to crack.

"Raise them up on feathered wings,
To the dead the living sing.
Mother do you hear my call?
Would your lover see me fall?"

The sky roared jealously and the air grew still, "you see, Grim? Now he listens," the watchman teased, foolish to trick himself into believing that the gods had any time for him; he tried to imagine what it would be like, to see and know all, what then would interest a man or god? "We are such selfish creatures," the horse lord murmured, "and foolish to look past our blessings in search of more, when is enough, enough?" He asked the wind god, "and why so often do we refuse to see it?"

His had once said that a man who wants for nothing is dead. Dravite started thinking of the lion he was hunting; the one he had tracked a day's ride from home, for what? Revenge, some form of moral justice the creature he hunted could never respect or understand; he had already taken the nomads brother, was one life not payment enough for that of another? "Pride has blinded me this day, my god; forgive me. Tomorrow I will make my way home at first light."

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[Dravite]

2nd Bell, Early Morning

When a man makes plans for the future, fate often has a way of changing them. In the dark of the night Dravite was awoken not by the rumble of thunder that still lingered, but the slow, measured footfalls of something or someone that edged near. He reached out to take his spear and felt Grim stir at his side, the dog's silhouette sat with ears pricked as lightning raced overhead, highlighting their surroundings for a few short ticks.

In the distance there came the sound of a loud roar, like a challenge to the thunder. Taking no chances, Dravite scaled the tree he was camped near, using the hatchet on his belt as a secure rest for his footing. He wasn't able to get very high, but enough so that he would be out of reach without risking his neck in the higher branches that didn't look as if they would support his weight. Dravite felt a strange sense of déjà vu pass over him as he had once before been in this predicament, only a bear had stumbled upon him that night.

He hunts me, Dravite thought as the roar turned into a low woofing sound that saw Grim take off into the tall grass in the opposite direction. The watchman did not think his dog a coward, for he too had moved to safety before danger presented itself. The nomad raced from the tall grass to pounce on the man's bed roll, rustling it about with his fearsome claws and teeth. He sniffed at the surrounding area and slowly followed the horse lord's scent to the trees. It was then Dravite realised that his horses were nowhere to be seen and he wondered when they might have bolted on him; perhaps the storm had startled them, he tried to rationalise rather than jumping to ill favoured conclusions.

The large, ash coloured lion jumped up at the trunk of the tree and Dravite could see the tip of his nose moving in the night. His actions were swift with little time for too much planning as he struck at the lion like a scorpion, thrusting his spear at the animal's chest. The beast gave a terrifying roar and backed away from the tree to lick his new wound. When another fork of lightning passed overhead, Dravite noticed the collection of scars the male already wore like war badges and knew his strike would be little more than an annoyance to the beast, something else to recover from and go on to wear with pride.

"Zulrav give me strength," the man whispered to the wind, "it seems one of Caiyha's children does not intend to let me leave this place until one of us joins his friend in the web."

For half a bell the watchman sat with the lion guarding his tree, woofing and chuffing, seemingly calling for backup or staking his claim on the area in order to see to it that no one interrupted his feast. Dravite knew if he didn't act the lion could keep him up here for days and though the man was well fed, he would not last very long without the water skin that lay near his bed roll that would soon become just another play thing for the disgruntled lion.
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