Solo The Acceptance

[Ixzo]

67th of Winter, 515AV

Ixzo was not longer in shock. The shadow of the numbness of losing a bond had come over her the past moons, a result of the devastation on these people she'd grown to love. But in her time with the strange humans, she felt a connection even stronger than to those Myrians she was raised among. With the blood still fresh in the grass, and her prizes drying in the salts and sun, she felt an almost calmness. She had fought for these people, and she had provided for those she could. Perhaps they didn't consider her one of theirs, but she felt that she belonged.

The Lioness didn't need to look outside to know the dimness behind the canvas of her tent was due to fog. Iollu's warm hands were wrapped around her arm, and the sleeping child's warmth made the Kelvic not want to leave, but she had a greater worry on her mind. Not the worry of not belonging or the concern of her missing people, but a nagging thought about a particular lost soul that she feared to leave.

Gently as she could, Ixzo plucked the small, too thin for her age, fingers form her arm, folding the twitching toddler together. As she slid out, the chilly air immediately edging her tattoos with gooseskin, she tucked the furs and blankets over the child as best she could, trying to keep the trickster warm in her absence. Quickly shouldering on her used cloak, Ixzo turned to the foods. Long past dwindling, they were surviving off of little more than the meat she brought in and the long lasting grains, although Ixzo always worried about them going back. Yet in the bottom of the nearly empty food basket, there was a pound of oats. A luxury this time of year, which had been scavenged aside the pirate's booty. Ixzo didn't dare keep the oats for herself, but had decided that the lost soul outside needed them more than she did..

[Ixzo]

Quietly, glancing at Iollu's sleeping form to ensure she hadn't woken her, Ixzo slipped out of the tent, closing the flap as quick as possible before the cold barged too far in.

Ixzo froze outside the tent, wide silver eyes watching the fog around her. She couldn't see a thing past her camp fire, and would have started that. But she doubted the stallion would appreciate the thing. She wasn't sure how used to fires he was.

She stepped forward, careful not to disturb the tranquil morning air about her. On the ground beside her tent was the blanket she had offered the beast the night before. She was not surprised to find he hadn't taken it, although she stood for nearly a bell offering it.

Although her human hearing was weak compared to her lion form, she made out the distinct crunch of frosty grass under a horse's hooves, and slowly turned to look in the direction of the approach. A comfortably familiar black and white figure approached her. The poor thing was thinner than she had been when she first came to Endrykas. Though even in the winter months, she had managed to put on some weight, albeit mostly muscle rather than the fat she had wished. But this stallion had suffered something more fierce to be as skinny as he was. He approached subtly, not pausing when she turned to him, and she read the lines of his ribs on his sides, eyeing the point of his hips with uncomfortable worry.

[Ixzo]

"Hello, sweet one." She cooed in the deep comfortable tones of Myrian. With stiff fingers, she fumbled to undo the bag, opening it up for him. Slowly she extended her arms, offering the treat as inoffensively as she could. This stallion, like most of the Striders around her, had no qualms with her animal side. It was almost as if these horses saw past this aura of hers, paying attention to something deeper than animal instinct.

"I've saved you these, if you'd eat them?" She asked, continueing in Myrian, as if the horse was actually listening to her. But the think had stopped by now. Wheezing with effort, and favoring one side. Wide blue eyes were still lowered in caution and his ears perked forward warily. It wasn't hard to see the deep intake of breathe then, so she expected the blow that followed, and the horse turned his head slightly. She wasn't sure, but she thought he was curious. He had done the strange blowing of is nose frequently last night when she had tried to give him a blanket for the night, although she was starting to realize why. Hoping she had read it correctly, she shook the bag, trying to spread the smell of oats.

"Yes, you can have it. Have it all, if you would like." She cooed, as if answering an unspoken question. Likleu lured by the scent, the thin thing took another uneasy step forward. Ixzo tried to stay still, unsure about spooking the thing, but he took another shaky step forward. And within a few ticks she felt the pressure of his nozzle in the bag. Slowly, hoping this was her chance to make sure he was okay, she crouched, lowering the bag with her. The horse moved his head along, trying to inhale the oats rather than eat them, and was not bothered by her placing the bag on the ground. Although as soon as she let go, he spilled the oats, and easily nipped them up from the dead grass beneath them.

Ixzo waited, watching him for a moment before reaching her hand out. When her cold finger touched just behind his ear, over his tangled mane, he flinched, but continued eating.

"Good boy." She cooed, running her fingers in between his mane. The hairs tugged at the back of his neck as she attempted to untangle them, but he didn't seem to mind. After only a tick, she gave up, unwinding her fingers only to find a large clump of the brittle white hair in her hand. She eyed it, still worried, and knew that it was wrong.

"It's okay, it's okay." She whispered, more to herself than the beast that hardly seemed to mind her pulling a chunk out of his hair.

[Ixzo]

"We're going to get you some water after this. Warm it a little by the fire so it is not so cold." She told him, running a tentative hand above his neck. The horse stopped eating to look at her. Once he had raised his head, the crouched girl suddenly felt small beside him. Judging blue eyes watched her for a moment before he strained to meet her forehead, warm breath taking in her scent. She waited, and once he was done taking in her scent he wiggled his lip on her hair line, and turned back to his oats, which were very nearly gone

Ixzo giggled like a little cub once more, and reached back for the horse. Mud caked his legs and although it was clear his short fur was supposed to grow out for winter, the patchy coat was a poor excuse for winter warmth. Ixzo frowned at the thing, scared that he was too far gone. She made a note to scrape together enough money to buy a grooming kit, and perhaps someone to show her how to use it.

But all too soon, he was done with his oats, and the horse turned to nudge her expectantly. Almost as if trained, his nose flew to her pockets, and she turned them out to show she had nothing. A pebble to show for her own lack of food.

"I'm sorry, sweet." She said bringing a hand forward to pet him once more. The horse jerked his head away from her, and she froze, scared she had spooked him off. Instead he turned to wiggle his lip on her hairline once more and she grinned. He was getting over his fear from the night before. Although she didn't think the horse would have been comfortable with anyone after the past moons he has been through.

He moved down her face, sniffing as he went, but paused near her own nose.

"What? You want me to blow on you too?" She asked, looking down the muddy pink snout. Impulsively, she let a long breathe out between her lips, aiming them at the horse's nostrils in a sideways attempt to mess with him, but he seemed to pause, as if this meant something. Ixzo paused as well, did it? She blew again and then grinned when he blew back.

"Is this hello?" She asked, gently running a hand across cheek, and he pulled away from her, stepping past her to look at something past her.

[Ixzo]

"Zozo." The groggy voice of a child echoed in the small camp and Ixzo turned slowly, still worried about spooking the poor soul she was trying to earn trust from. Morning. She signed to the little girl. "Iollu, you up early?" She asked, switching back to Pavi, the only language he child knew. She caught a sign for cold and alone, and realized her leaving had woken the child.

Come. "Little one." She cooed in Myrian, which Iollu didn't mind so much. The groggy child had clearly barely gotten into her own cloak and she stumbled forward, Ixzo opened her arms for the orphan, forgetting the horse beside her, and hugged the small Drykas close. It wasn't until she fel the curious sniffing once more that the lion remembered she wasn't alone.

He hadn't spooked! Instead the Strider seemed more ready to greet the child, and Ixzo couldn’t help but wonder if it was because she had already warmed up to him, or because the child was born Drykas. To spare her pride she had to convince herself it was the former.

"Tea?" She asked the girl, leaning into a crouch so she could stand while still holding the Trickster. She decided to ignore the stallion for now, wondering if she could keep his interest.

"Yes, please." The child mumbled into her coat, her words still heavy with sleep. Ixzo felt small fingers dance to a sign she couldn’t read on her back. She was so distracted by the waking of the child that when she looked back at the skinny horse, she had seen he had already wandered to her own watering bucket, taking his fill with ease. Although the pail was small, not nearly enough for the horse, he didn't seem to mind in the moment.

At least he hadn't wandered far, much ot Ixzo's pleasure. Little did she know the stallion wouldn't be wandering far from her from then on.

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Ixzo

Experience

• Childcare: 3
• Planning: 1
• Stealth: 1
• Observation: 3
• Animal Husbandry: 2
• Hosremanship: 2
• Socialisation: 1

Lore

• Endrykas: A home away from home
• Iollu: The Trickster
• Childcare: Keeping warm, fed, and safe
• The look of a starving horse
• Cyphrus Striders: Hardy and highly intelligent
• Likleu: Weary
• Horsemanship: Working with a wild stallion
• Animal Husbandry: Mud Fever
• Iollu: The Orphan
• Pavi: Communicating with a child

Notes

Great little story, really enjoyed it. I like the realism and thought process of the character. Awesome work.