Closed Reach for the Stars, but be Prepared to Fall

[Taurina]

Mid-Afternoon of the 6th of Spring 517

She called him Starfire for that was what he was like. A star bright and burning. He was beautiful, but he was more than that. More than the mind could comprehend despite how hard it tried to. He was like a dream, or maybe a prayer, come true. What had she done to deserve him? What had granted her this creature so magnificent that she had only seen others like him in a vision, a nightmare? Maybe she should have feared him, but he was not like those had been apart of her hallucination last season. Starfire was no nightmare.

The Ethaefal had spent the morning using what water she had had left in her waterskin to clean the blood that had matted his coat. Syna’s light had revealed that he was dirtier than night led her to believe. Stains of crimson matted his coat in several places over his side, down his legs and it even sprayed across his neck and face. She did not know what had happened, but she believed that the screams that had drawn her out to him had played a role in the blood splatter. She feared that he had been hurt, but as she poured water out of her waterskin and used it to clean the stains from his coat, she realized that none of it was his. Or, rather, very little of it was.

It was after that that Taurina had begun the last leg of the journey home. In the late night she had gone back to Lilacwind to gather Melody and her yvas. Starfire had not liked the colorsplash much, but the Eth was confident they would learn to tolerate each other with him. With effort, the yvas was placed on the mare rather than the stallion. Starfire followed the Eth, Melody was not so easy. She needed the direction of a lead rope or rider. The trio had spent the whole rest of the morning getting back to the Stormblood pavilion.

Upon reaching the Stormblood pavilion, the Eth had sought Azmere out first. Excitement had fueled her like it never had to her knowledge before. Nothing compared to this. Wherever he had been, whatever he had been doing, she had told him of the great news with a beaming smile that brightened the whole of her face. She introduced him to Starfire, the pure white stallion whose soul had entwined with hers the night before. It had not been any remarkable adventure, there had been no daring rescue, but a fear had been faced to reach him. She viewed him as zulkina, a present from her god. A hope that despite the fall, she had not been forgotten.

The Ethaefal did not know everything. In fact, she knew very little, but she knew how pavilions crowded in Lilacwind at times like these. A whole family grew very excited over a members transition from just a born Drykas to being considered as fully apart of the their people. One of the artists would take the newly bonded Drykas and learn what they wanted to be inked upon their skin to remain forever as a representation of the bond they now had. Pavilions would gather around, embrace, celebrate the new member of their people. All would watch and take part in the receiving of first windmarks.

Taurina knew it was her time now and excitement fueled her, but she did not want what the others did. She was not as others were, in more ways than one. She was older than most getting windmarks, in appearance anyway, and she already had some. Across the whole of her back were the swirls, whorls, and symbols that represented the bond gained in a past life. This may have been a new life, but she still carried with her those fragments of the old. The two were wholly separate and yet wholly together. No matter how Drykas she became, she would always be Ethaefal. She would always be different than the rest. So it was her ankal who she asked to accompany her and him alone.

Whatever she had to do to convince Azmere to come with her to Lilacwind, she did. The last time they were there together was the day he had taken her in, brought her home. They had never actually gotten around to patching up his faded marks or covering the skin he had wanted made beautiful. The purpose for his trip had escaped them as they opened up and made pieces of themselves vulnerable to one another. He had taken her to meet his family and she had never turned back. She never would.

The Lilacwind pavilion looked different when seeing it through the eyes of a client. She was not the one helping this time, but receiving. Jarorra had been happy for her and so had Injal. Keil had not given much reaction other than what might have been considered a smile. That was more than she had expected from him so she had easily accepted it and signed gratitude. Jarorra had been quick about making room for the Ethaefal and her ankal, offering for them to sit on the furs and cushions she used frequently.

It was not long before a sketch had been produced and love of the design had been given from Taurina. The windmarks were going to be a half sleeve from her hand to elbow. It was a pattern of swirls like the ones on her back that looked like chaos when one did not see the whole picture. A representation of the Ethaefal and all that she felt. When one turned over her palm, however, the pattern would all come together and create something very similar to the Stormblood family knot. All that chaos brought together and rooted in family, in those who had become her people.

Taurina and Jarorra moved over -with an invite to the ankal to come as well- to where the work would be done. The supplies were gathered, pattern painted out on skin so it could be followed, and the skin stretched by Keil so things would go smoothly. Taurina was content, happy, and excited as she settled down in her seat and got comfortable. Jarorra began her work and while the Eth wrinkled her nose as the pain, she remained still. Her gaze dropped to the beginnings of her windmaks before she lifted it to Azmere and smiled. Everything was falling into place.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

[Azmere]

It had been some time since the ankal was able to stay up so late. The events that saw Spring’s arrival and a wretched Winter’s departure had made Azmere nervous. He had not been sleeping well for a handful of days and it was beginning to wear him down. Early morning saw the ankal rise and tend to his strider. Skylla was having issues with the heat and still trying to adjust to being part of a slow-moving herd. The scarred man had been forgoing the use of a yvas due to the strange weather and this day was no different. He walked out in his breeches and nothing else, his limp was bothering him a bit but that was nothing new.

Azmere ran his rough hands over the silky mane and sleek coat of his mare. She was tense and her skin twitched beneath his touch. Syklla tossed her head and stamped at the ground with her front hooves several times. The man knew what the animal craved and it brought a smile to the right side of his face. The rider used almost no verbal cues with his mount instead he relied upon Pavi to communicate. The weathered hands twisted into what had become a common exchange for the two of them. Time to fly.

The ankal laced his fingers into her mane and squatted down allowing his arms to extend upward while his weight settled upon the muscles in his legs like pressure being applied to a spring. Azmere didn’t linger long in the half-squat. He pushed up from the balls of his feet, through his calves and on up his thighs as he straightened his legs which propelled him off of the ground. He used the hold he had in Skylla’s mane to pull up with his arms, forcing the muscles to strain and bend with the vertical leap. He found it easiest to mount bareback from the left side since he was stronger on his right. This allowed the naturally uneven pull to aid in the process of swinging his leg over. The landing was a bit rough and might have looked a tad strange since the watchman was clinging to her neck and side for a tick. He flexed his arms again and squeezed his legs which gave him enough force to drag his body upright upon the mare.

The archer looked around and rubbed his hand across the scarred squares that had been carved out of his chest in an absent-minded way. He noticed that Atavan was gone but knew Lodai wasn’t on patrol. This caused his tanned forehead to wrinkle in thought. Azmere closed his eyes and brought to life the stars that lie in his sleep. When his lids were raised, the world revealed patches of color in various places. Slowly, the Drykas urged Skylla forward with his hands still clutching her mane and his thighs squeezing her slightly. She responded with a chime of choppy steps but eventually smoothed her pace into a quick walk. Azmere kept his head on a swivel while he searched the earth for prints. The first set he came across belonged to Nyne and Zora. The hunting duo was rarely separated and the difference was the depth of pressure that Zora applied to her central pad whereas Nyne always walked with his weight upon the toe pads. After a few yards, a swatch of the cats’ gold and brown colors was crossed by a deep shadow that reminded Azmere of the fertile soil near the Bluevein River. A massive hoof print rested on top of the cat tracks; Atavan.

Only a massive horse carrying an equally massive rider could leave such an indentation. The trail was easy to follow from this point and the ankal did so with relative ease until he found his friend cleaning a small hog that the cats had tracked and killed. There was some conversation about purchasing more equipment for carrying water as well as the involvement of Tomas in more of the outings. Haena had been a good addition and her older son was proving to be quite useful. The two men chatted for almost half a bell when a series of yawns and wave after wave of fatigue washed against the ankal like a raging sea. Lodai recognized the signs and insisted that Azmere return to their camp and get some rest. The archer was all too happy to comply.

*****

When Taurina arrived, Azmere was just getting his feet underneath him. He was groggy, still tired and a bit sore. The latter part of the morning had been spent helping Asher to fix one of the wagon floors and shave the goats. Normally a fit man, the art of bending and folding one’s self around a much smaller animal that refused to hold still was rough. After Duh and Suh had been finished, Azmere had put a halt to the entire thing. He went and retrieved some rope then proceeded to bind the feet of the next goat. He hoisted the immobilized creature up onto his shoulders and sat down while holding the milk-maker steady as his eldest pavilion mate used a set of sheers to remove the excess coat. Asher had said the mild winter kept the goats from growing their fur as long as normal but the uneven mop had to go to prevent hot spots.

The normally serious Taurina burst into his tent with such excitement that Azmere temporarily forgot how tired he was as well as the fact that he was naked under his bed furs. He flushed though his tanned skin hid that well enough. The man found such a notion strange that he would be embarrassed since he had been naked around others before without any thought to his appearance. The archer chalked it up to being an ankal and wonting to be respectable then went about finding his boots and a pair of breeches. He was dressed with his belt and dagger being applied as he stepped into the afternoon heat. The watchman had to pause. He took a deep breath and grumbled some but quickly shook the feeling as his eyes went to see his young mare dancing around and rubbing up against a strider of pure white. There, standing next to the wild stallion, was Taurina in her daytime form. She had tight muscles cutting along her small form but her radiance was greater now than it had been in any night he had seen.

The man’s eyes twinkled as he watched and listened to her tell of Starfire, her new strider. While her back was turned to him, Azmere came up and put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her against his chest, his chin resting upon her shoulder. He spoke in a hushed Pavi that was a mix of appreciation for the creature before them as well as an emotional response to the whole scenario. “You may be celestial in Leth’s light but the joy of your heart in this moment has made you more beautiful than I’ve ever seen.” Azmere kissed her cheek and was instantly unsure why then he released her. The ankal stepped around Taurina and up to Starfire who was enjoying the attention that Skylla was giving. At first, the horse resisted but he gave in under the mare’s calm reaction to the new human’s presence.

Azmere gave the beast a good walk around inspection and even checked the white horse’s hooves before coming back to stand beside Taurina. It didn’t last long as they were soon bound for the Lilacwind pavilion for a fresh set of wind marks. The ankal explained the normal process for a first time bonding but also spoke of special circumstances and asked several times if the woman wanted more company; more family around her. She refused. Azmere didn’t mind. He was too worn out to be social so he allowed her to lead him into her workplace. The entire process was much simpler than the spectacle normally put on display and the archer was grateful for the efficiency of the quiet event. He talked very little but listened to everything including the bodies of everyone present. The only time he gave his opinion when it wasn’t asked of him was to suggest that they open up one side of the pavilion so the newly bonded strider would be able to see, smell and hear his rider much better. It worked. For as Injal and Keil peeled back the canvas, Starfire made his presence known despite still being hounded by Syklla.

Azmere was most intent upon studying Taurina. The eyes that were often so heavy with woe and worry held a kind of brilliance that reminded him of fire being reflected upon a calm body of water. His chest fluttered but aside from a slight change in his breathing it would’ve been hard for anyone to tell. The ankal saw her nose wrinkle against the pain and smiled at her. He signed blessed then indicated to Taurina while also looking sidelong at her new stallion. Then he repeated the sign and indicated himself while holding a knowing look with the Eth. He watched the laying of the windmarks with his full interest though he couldn’t help but notice the few folk who had begun to gather at a bit of a distance to see the white horse.

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Taurina]

Cheeks reddened and eyes sparkled as that knowing, dual colored gaze fixed itself upon the caramel one of Taurina. His hands spoke of being blessed. That not only had she been blessed with Starfire, but he, her ankal, had been blessed as well. Normally the Eth would have questioned that, seeing herself as more of a burden than a blessing, but not this day. This day was a day to be filled with happiness and quiet celebration. A day set apart to honor the bond that had been forged. Taurina did not want there to be sadness, worry, or brokenness in this day. She wanted the fears that plagued her to leave and the image that appeared to her when dark emotions filled her to be gone this day. Just one day, that was all she asked for.

The blush was not one born from embarrassment, but shyness. Attention was something she was unused to receiving and her ankal was giving her more of that this day than he had before. In a different way than he had before. He had always been kind to her and seen a piece of her she had let none before him see. She was broken and fearful, but that had not turned him away from her. Instead he had shown her that he shared in her brokenness and then brought her to a place where she could belong. Since then he had always been kind to her, wrapping her in a blanket during a storm, speaking words of care and worry for her wellbeing. She was slowly growing used to his kindness and caring ways, something she had not had since the fisherman who found her on the beach what felt like so many years ago passed into the next life. She was comfortable with the ankal. Trusted him and found safety within the pavilion he had made her apart of.

Earlier, however, it felt there had been more than just his kindness. The embrace he had drawn her into, the words, and the kiss he pressed against her cheek. She had grown bright red at that, but he had turned luckily at that moment. Fixing his attention on Starfire rather than on her which had given her time to let the stain of red fade from her cheeks. What had brought the kiss on was unknown to her. Was it affection? Or a simple, overwhelming, emotion of happiness for her that found a way out through the gentle action? Taurina did not know, it could have been either or something else entirely. All she knew was that it had sent a rush of color up to her cheeks and a tingling sensation through her body.

It was Azmere who had suggested the canvas barrier between the newly bonded pair be lifted and Taurina thanked him for it. Starfire came as close as he could, his head peering into the tent and gentle gaze landing upon his rider. Taurina turned her gaze to look at the white stallion, a smile breaking across her face once more which made the red of the shy blush no longer stand out across her cheeks. Skylla, Azmere’s strider, still poured out her affection over the stallion which sent a wave of delight through Taurina. She was glad for the instant liking the two had taken for one another. Starfire had trusted the mare when Azmere had approached him, taking her calmness as a sign that the ankal was friend instead of enemy. The Ethaefal did not know much about horses, how they worked together, if they bonded as friends like humans did. She suspected so, she hoped so. It seemed like the two striders already had, for even now as Skylla remained close to him, Starfire seemed to accept it.

“I think Skylla likes him,” Taurina pointed out the obvious with a gentle laugh and happiness signed as best as could be with one hand, “Melody was not so thrilled, hopefully someday. If not, at least he has friend in Skylla. Horses need friends, family like us. Right?”

There was pain as needles pierced through skin to deposit ink beneath it, but it was nothing compared to the void that had once been within the Ethaefal. Today, she felt lighter than air so if the weight of the void remained, she did not know it. Only happiness and pure joy filled her now. She became numb to the pain by not acknowledging it. By focusing on the emotions Azmere earlier told her made her beautiful. She did not know if that was true, but it was another thing she decided not to question. She just trusted him. Let what he said be true for however long the happiness lasted.

While the ankal noticed the small crowd gathering to stare at the white stallion, Taurina focused solely on watching as her windmarks came into being across her skin. Jarorra outlined the pattern previously created by red paint with ink of black and white. There was to be shading, but not much. Mainly there was to be solid, bold lines that matched the style of the windmarks created on her back. The Ethaefal wanted there to be an intricacy in the way the lines melded together, created chaos that came together in the symbol of family, rather than in fancy shading and pretty colors. Simple, blond, cryptic elegance was the best explanation she could come up with for what she wanted.

Outlines were complete and beginning to be filled in when Taurina lifted her gaze to look upon Starfire. He was calm still, but it was then that the Ethaefal realized the group that had formed not far from them. She frowned slightly for now more attention was being given, but now it was from strangers wanting to see the white strider. There was a sigh, a murmured grumble of unintelligent common words. Taurina closed her eyes and gathered herself. She told herself that it was alright, it would not hurt to look. That they could not ruin the day by simply being curious. She had no right to judge for she knew that she was too curious for her own good. It had gotten her into trouble once or twice and likely would again many times over. A breath was released, the discomfort and bitterness let go. All would be well.

“They are interested to see him,” Taurina spoke aloud, letting her voice be light and adding a smile to indicate that she was choosing not to be bothered by it, “Semekhe. Zulkina. I would want to see too.”

The Ethaefal did not only get to see though, she got to know. He had chosen her to be his rider. They were partners now and would go through all adventures, trials, and tribulations together till something greater parted them. Taurina did not desire to think of that last bit though. She had only just found him and yet, she could not bear the thought of loosing him. So, the thought was pushed away and the joy returned. Taurina turned her gaze away from her stallion to her ankal, the caramel gaze still twinkling and lips upturned to create a lingering, but small smile.

“This day, I feel special. Chosen. Like things are not so hopeless as they something seem,” some words might have been obvious, others perhaps not well understood, but she spoke and sometimes it was more to herself than to Azmere, “you said I am beautiful because of my joy, but if anything it is because of a new hope. It feels… feels good. For today, things do not seem so grey as they usually appear.”

Taurina sighed contently, the smile still lingering. There was color, color everywhere. She did not want it to ever come to an end.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

[Azmere]

Azmere watched as the girl absorbed what was taking place and processed it in a way that was respectable and mature. It was almost surreal to see Taurina’s teeth. She rarely smiled and even when one could get her lips to curl up at the corners, it was tight-lipped or fleeting. The ankal found that the Ethaefal swung from wrinkling her nose in pain to cheerily chirping about her strider. It was a back and forth in which he found a solid bit of entertainment value. There were even instances where he caught his mind wandering while staring at the young woman. She was Drykas now. For some reason, he was as proud as she was and it was a concept he could scarcely believe. The scarred man remembered a warm day many seasons ago when a young boy had first bonded with a wild stallion colt. The mist was cool but Syna’s rays were warm and the colors that surrounded him were magnificent. The pride he felt on that day was easily challenged by the swell the ankal tendered as he watch one of his pavilion take her marks -not just in stride…but with a grin.

Azmere listened to her talk about the striders and nodded his agreement but choosing to remain silent around the artists of the Amethyst clan. There were things that he could share with his family which had been told to him as a boy but these wisdoms were not for outsiders even if they were Drykas. He flashed Taurina a talk later sign in response to the question of horses and family. When Taurina made mention of the gathering crowd, the amber and azure gaze drifted casually to observe what was taking place on the outskirts of the Lilacwind pavilion. Starfire was being patient as Skylla continued to be affectionate with him. The ankal chuckled softly with his arms folded over his chest. Even while being in the shade, it was warm and Azmere was sweating. He could see the methodical lashing of the mocha tail against the white rump of the new stallion. Most Drykas understood horses and how to approach and respect the majestic creatures. It was for this reason that the archer wasn’t grumbling or shooing the small mass of people who had turned out to investigate the pure, white strider.

Kiel was a somber man which was something he shared with the stoic watchman. The two met eyes and the artist made a very subtle flick of his gaze towards the horses. The ankal narrowed his eyes only slightly but received a nonverbal conformation when the man repeated his action. Taurina could not see this but Azmere made sure she wouldn’t suspect anything. He began to massage the scar tissue in his left thigh and winced slightly. He looked at her and smiled with a genuine happiness then stood slowly. He smacked his leg rather firmly several times then signed for a need to stretch. Without any more fanfare or theatrics, the archer limped out of the pavilion and over to where Skylla and Starfire were jostling for the more easterly position since it was the origin of the scant breeze.

Once Azmere got to his strider, he pressed his hands against her smooth coat and began to rub her down gently with his calloused hands. He moved in a way that kept the horses between him and Taurina. The mare was all too happy to see her rider and held still so that his affections would be easier to receive. The starburst gaze settled upon the crowd. Some nodded in recognition of the event and some signed congratulations while others praised Zulrav for his blessings. There was one, however, that seemed to shy away from the contrasting stare as if filtered from one face to the next. This must have been the one that Kiel had spotted. The ankal was not only grateful but impressed. The man inside the tent was not a warrior but as Azmere gave more consideration to the matter he realized that Kiel spent his days with all manner of folk and studied the detail of windmarks and drawings. The patriarch of the Stormblood clan would make certain to set aside time before they departed to thank the Amethyst clansmen for his diligence.

There was a merchant from the Ruby clan that gave a big grin and Azmere decided to share a greeting. He limped over to the other ankal while keeping the suspect figure in her peripheral vision. The burly merchant grabbed the archer with such a clasp that he nearly pulled Azmere off of the ground. After some kind words of encouragement and a congratulations on the new addition, Azmere agreed to stop by in the near future and take the man up on his word of a discount for various camp-related items. It was during this exchange when the shady man left Azmere’s sight. Not one to give away his motives, the ankal remained calm and said a quick goodbye then moved back towards the purple pavilion’s exposed side.

Boots made a very unique sound against the dusty earth. It was a dull and hollow scuffing noise that became louder as the steps were either lengthened or quickened. The extra noise would occasionally present itself as a slap and that’s exactly what the ankal heard coming up behind him. The warrior was not an expert at countering blitz attacks but Azmere was no stranger to violence. He staggered his feet as if taking a step but did not follow through with a second step. The watchman’s knees were bent and he dipped down while twisting to face the opposite direction. His hands were close to his body and every muscle was tense as his eyes drew in the encroaching man. Unfortunately, the man turned out to be a boy and from the appearance of his clothes the ankal assumed him to be a walahk. This changed everything. Rather than pummel the lad for being so brash, Azmere snapped off a palm strike into the kid’s gut. The boy’s eyes went wide as dinner plates while his diaphragm was deflated of its air and his body folded from the blow. Gasping, he tried to turn and crawl away but his cloak was quickly wrapped around the left fist of the watchman.

Azmere gave a firm tug and pulled the young teenager backwards with enough force to lift the malnourished youth off of the ground. There was a brief tussle while the delinquent tried to free himself of the grown man’s grasp but Azmere was not going to lose. His hand was completely knotted into the boy’s attire and he used his right hand to block and deflect the numerous attempts of harm the dirty adolescent threw. Finally, the ankal was able to take hold of the boy’s wrist and pplied enough pressure to elicit a whimper of surrender. The scarred man’s face was not angry in its expression –quite the opposite, in fact. Azmere looked amused by the circumstance and gentle released one hold of the boy at a time while maintaining a stern gaze.

“That didn’t work out like you planned, did it?” The ankal’s voice was even and low.

“I don’t speak horse shkye!” The youth spat back in Common.

Azmere smirked and switched to his secondary language. “You try and take horse. No like horse talk?” The crowd was paying very close attention to what was taking place but no one dared to interfere. Despite being a generally helpful man, the Stormblood’s ankal was covered in scars and had a shocking set of eyes that was off-putting enough to warrant a good distance.

The boy was stunned to hear Common repeated back even though it was rough. “I…uh…” There was a moment when the boy’s eyes went back and forth as he searched for a way out of the situation. He had seen Azmere limp and figured he could outrun the man. The Drykas saw this look and remembered when he would do the same thing. He smirked. As if sensing his need for containment, Skylla moved in a way that created a fence with her body, Starfire, Azmere and the Lilacwind pavilion composing the walls.

“I make you deal, boy.” Azmere chimed in with hopes to interrupt the angsty young man’s thoughts of fleeing. “You help my man do work. I teach you to ride horse.”

The boy looked up with a mixture of relief and anger. “I know how to ride!” He chided the grown up but also recoiled as if he didn’t mean to yell and expected a beating for his behavior. When nothing happened, he simply looked up with the doe-eyed expression that one would expect from a youthful mind.

Azmere pulled the boy close to his face with a firm hand on his shoulder. He was inches away and leaned his scars at the lad just give him a full view of the golden eye. “These striders. Best horses.” The ankal stood up and released the kid. “Come to Watch tent. Ask for Stormblood.” The scarred man put his right hand to his chest then extended it to the teenager the way one would do in a business accord. “You do work. I train you.” With his signature half grin, the archer put his idle hand on Skylla to push her aside; a command that she wiling accepted.

Dumbfounded, the boy took Azmere’s hand and gave it a shake. “D-deal, s-sir.” That was the end of it.

Some of the crowd was disappointed by the result but the boy left unscathed and the ankal limped his way back to the tent to check on Taurina’s progress. He was looking somewhat smug but gave Kiel a gentle wrap on the shoulder as a quick thanks. When the man wasn’t tending to one of Azmere’s herd, the watchman would offer a more proper sign of gratitude. He sat back down and refocused his eyes upon the newly bonded woman.

Taurina was so confident in her nighttime form. Everyone talked of how beautiful she was and how radiant she became in Leth's light. Azmere liked her more as a Drykas. She was tough, determined and patient but she was also attractive. Her tanned skin and caramel eyes fit well together but it was the way her lean muscles rolled under her skin while she performed various everyday tasks that reflected her inner strength. It was this powerful core that drew him to her; compelled him to want to show her that she was precious. He took a casual but deep breath and began to think of things that he normally denied for himself. It was a host of these thoughts that brought heat to the skin on his face and chest but there was no outwardly visible sign. Azmere almost felt awkward in this state of daydreaming but his eyes revealed just a bit of the fire that was catching in his soul.

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Taurina]

They did not talk then of the bonds of striders within family, in fact they talked then of nothing. There was only a sign of later and an expression of a kept secret. The Ethaefal did not mind for she was content and her thoughts fleeting. When one thing seemed important in one moment, another appeared and became important within the next. She had a mind akin to a child this day. Full of curiosity, excitement, and a joy she rarely felt. It was all as foreign to her as giving a smile that exposed the teeth and filled the face. Yet, she had given even that this day and it had felt good. Her heart was bursting for the day was full of color. Color and light.

Azmere left her for a time and she knew no better than to believe the story he told her. The limp, his leg, the scars that had formed and taken apart of him away. Yet he was not weak and Taurina did not see him as such. Everything he did, he did with a strength she admired. From what the Ethaefal had witnessed, he did not let weaknesses hinder him. It seemed as though not even the deep scars of the past she could only guess caused him pain in every step held him back. He did not let the pain be known, much. Yet, in these moments he let some show through. A wince when he massaged the muscle, a flashed smile of happiness before standing, the striking of the uncooperative tissue before giving a sign to tell of his temporary departure. Taurina did not look at him with a look or sign of pity, but with one of acceptance and trust.

Sweat, blood, and ink mixed over the Ethaefal’s skin as her focus returned to the marks being etched out down the length of her arm. She had watched Azmere only as far as the horses, seeing him greet Skylla before he disappeared from view behind the mare and the newly bonded stallion. Taurina chose not to let her gaze linger, but it was not a lack of curiosity that caused this. Instead it was something like respect that drew her to turn her gaze back to the forming marks. The ankal was allowed whatever privacy the presence of the striders and the forming mass gave. She was not going to be another set of eyes watching whatever actions he chose to preform.

Time passed, slowly and steadily. There was less distraction with Azmere gone from the pavilion and Taurina suddenly became aware of everything. Every prick of the needles bringing pain, every bead of sweat forming across her skin and soaking through her clothes, every beat of her heart thundering within her chest. There were sounds of life moving all around her. The gentle hum of Jarorra as she worked, the swish of tails from the two striders, a commotion of some sort going on outside.. That last was muffled, but the Ethaefal heard the sound of voices rising and falling with different words.

“I don’t speak horse shkye!”

The words were loud and clear, spoken in common by what sounded like a younger male. Taurina’s gaze shifted over to the exposed part of the tent, interest peaked. The little details of the world fell away as she tried to get a glimpse of the situation, but whatever was going on was just out of her line of sight. The Ethaefal frowned and allowed her brow to furrow together, but she did not dare move too much as that would not have boded well for her new windmarks. The marks were more important to her so answers would have to wait for later. Her consolation was that her ankal was still out there so she hoped he witnessed the event and would be able to give her the details. Though the more she thought about it… one of the muffled voices sounded like his and it was unlike him to just be one who stood by and watched events transpire before his eyes.

Taurina sighed and ran the fingers of her free hand through her knotted, multicolored hair. She wanted to know what all those on the outside knew. What she was sure Azmere was apart of. Either apart of or working to stop. Jarorra and Keil were both pinning her with a look, however. One that advised to drop it. A caramel gaze met the eyes of the tattoo artists and a stare was held until Taurina gave in and released her need to know all. The Ethaefal rested back and the work of creating her new windmarks was resumed. Keil pulled the skin of her arm tight, wiping away all of the unneeded material that he could as Jarorra worked in depositing color where it had not existed before.

Azmere came back not long after Taurina gave up her silent quest for information. His actions after once again entering the tent were … unexpected. Taurina blinked at the touch against Keil’s shoulder which created a look of something like pride in the younger man’s face. The Ethaefal tilted her head in question, the curiosity within her burning. What did Keil have to do with anything? What had gone on outside? Taurina cast her gaze over to the striders, but they had not changed. Both stood, calm, but trying to get to whatever position granted them a cooler moment in time. The Ethaefal just smirked before turning her gaze over to her ankal. Questions burned in a blaze over her face, but her mouth did not move. The looks she had received earlier kept her from talking. He would tell her, she decided… if it was important and not a secret, he would tell her later.

Azmere was looking at her now. His star-touched gaze just staring. Right away there was embarrassment. A flush of pink for she blushed far too easy, and an impulse to shrink back so she would not be seen. She felt silly for wanting to hide. He was her ankal, a watchman, one with whom she felt safe and maybe even wanted. Good things, good feeling. He understood her and there was a shared brokenness between them. Taurina sighed softly and allowed some of the shyness to melt away, making way for a sense of peace.

There was a light in Azmere’s eyes. One that Taurina had not seen before in his or in anyone’s before him. She did not understand what it was or what it meant. What was going on through that mind of his? When he looked at her like that.. what thoughts filled him? She did not know the answers, but she smiled anyway. Not a smile full of teeth, but one that lifted her cheeks and touched her eyes. A small, still shy smile that lit her face and added to the redness that had not yet faded away. How she wished she did not blush so easy. How she wished she could readily accept attention in this form like she did in the other. Being Ethaefal, being in that form, it was so easy. She was beautiful and the beauty made her feel strong. Leth’s light sustained her and she felt so close to him during those hours, especially on the nights he shined so very bright. Things were just not the same during Syna’s reign. Nothing was the same. Even on a day such as this when all the Ethaefal wished was to let the happiness that filled her thrive.

“The marks are complete, Taurina. What do you think?” Jarorra’s voice drew the Ethaefal from the labyrinth that was her thoughts.

Taurina blinked and refocused, forearm covered in the marks of complex chaos raising so that it could be better seen by her gaze. She turned her arm slowly, taking in all the details and her smile growing as she did. It was everything she wanted. Some put the literal story of their bonding on their bodies, others portrayed their striders in figurative designs or symbols, and others asked for specific tales to be etched across their skin. Taurina’s were different. There was no specific story or set of symbols. The only symbol was the Stormblood knot and there it was, etched out across the skin of her palm. The smile spread, teeth were exposed once more and the shyness was cast out for a moment’s time.

“They are perfect!” Taurina beamed with delight as she stood, reached out, and pulled Jarorra into a hug before moving away to sign her gratitude and thankfullness.

Taurina did not stop there for her happiness had not faded. She nearly skipped over to Starfire and showed him the new windmarks as if he could understand all that they meant. Maybe he could. Taurina decided not to put it past him.

“Look my darling, are they not beautiful? Everything they are suppose to be?” Taurina talked with pride as she showed him the bold, crisp lines of the interact work.

Whether he understood the significance or he was just picking up on all the emotions going through his new rider, Starfire released a soft nicker and nudged his gentle nose against Taurina’s newly marked arm. Probably not the best idea since the area that the windmarks covered was essentially a newly formed wound, but Taurina did not care much. She laughed and stroked her stallion with the hand that was free of marks, offering him a look at the other arm as long as he wished.

“I knew you would like them. They are just as they should be,” Taurina decided Starfire agreed with her before she parted from him to return to Azmere.

Jarorra had been thanked, Starfire had been shown, but she had not yet shared with her ankal. So she went to him and when she found him, she reached out and entrapped his larger hands within her scarred ones. Her thumbs moved over the back of his knuckles on impulse and her smile -which had toned down at some point- once more reached its fullness across her face. If anyone understood what this meant to her, it was him. Taurina turned the hand of her newly marked arm up so the palm was facing the canvas ceiling of the pavilion. An offering for him to look, take in, and know of all the new marks contained.

“Drykas now, not half or a piece of me left in the past. All of me. Whole. Bonded,” Taurina spoke with her joy contained in a calmness, but that did not make it less, neither did the fact he knew some of this already, “look, see all there is. Chaos, different and complex, like I am. Yet you took me home, gave me a home and family despite it all. Offered me all that I had been missing. It is Starfire that has come to further complete what you started. So now, in my marks, there is both. The lines, like the hairs of his wild mane falling in so many different patterns, and then the knot. Our family, here upon my flesh forever. Just as it should be. Just as it is meant to be.”

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

[Azmere]

Azmere listened to the cheerful notes of Taurina’s voice as she proclaimed her joy to everyone –including her new strider. The ankal looked up and saw that Syna was retreating down the western sky which meant their time was limited. He rose slowly as she approached and allowed her to take his hands. The delicate caress was foreign and unexpected but he did his best to hide the ruffle that passed through his skin. He didn’t know if it was a good or bad reaction but he didn’t mind the soft hands that disappeared into his grasp. The amber and azure stare fell upon the emblazoned lines of ink on the woman’s arm. Her delicate skin elevated to show its irritation but not in a way that suggested abuse as some windmarks but almost like there was pride pushing out beneath the surface and elevating the sign of his family; of their family. The ankal shifted to gaze upon the caramel orbs as the Eth spoke such kind words. Azmere shifted almost awkwardly. His heart warmed to hear such things but he didn’t know how to tell her what it meant to him that she felt like she belonged.

The scarred an offered his half smile to the Lilacwinds and ushered Taurina towards her strider who was peacefully waiting with Skylla who had calmed down a good deal. When the pair reached their mounts, Azmere stopped her by giving a light tug on the hand which he still held. He waited until she met his gaze then led her to stand beside him so that both Drykas were standing near the faces of their horses. He released her and felt a cold sensation spread where her hand had been but did not linger on the thought. The archer put a hand on Skylla’s nose and scratched her for a moment then slipped his hand under her jaw and held her head firmly but gently. He signed the Pavi for friend then touched Taurina and moved the equestrian gaze to follow his indication. He repeated this three times then gave his mare a good long scratch along the jaw as he explained the process to Taurina. “Striders are smart. You can teach signs and communicate. It just takes patience.” He smiled and motioned for her to do the same. After watching for a moment, Azmere limped to the side of his wild mare and climbed up. His arms and legs worked in unison while muscles flexed and tendons stretched to get the big man onto the bareback of Skylla.

The rode hard for home; almost losing Grey in the process, Azmere made sure to show off his expert skills by pushing and rubbing his mare against the newly bonded team of Starfire and Taurina. It was easy, really, because Skylla was playful by nature so the gentle tugs of her mane and nudges from his legs were more than enough to coax her into being rambunctious. Once, he felt he pushed too hard and wrapped his arm around the girl’s waist over fear that she may fall. The joining of their spaces made the striders slow to a soft walk and Azmere chuckled while still clutching the girl to his side. He gently released her and again felt a cold presence appear immediately after her absence. Had it always been this way? The man wasn’t entirely sure but the journey to the Stormblood camp was short. When they arrived, Asher was teasing Lodai as the bearman made some kind of stew. Both greeted the ankal warmly and also did the same for the Eth though the bond kinship was clearly lacking. The old herder was the first to comment on the white stallion. His deep teal eyes went to glass as he studied and fawned over the creature. Asher also saw the fresh tattoo and gave Taurina a tight squeeze. He knew her to be shy –better than most since he was always around camp- and didn’t make a big fuss. He patted Azmere on the arm and hobbled back over to check the meal. An explicative explosion informed everyone that Lodai was no chef. He was the next to come over and inspect the new strider. When he saw the marks, he started to be his big loud self.

“Az! We need to host the ezihiwe! We-“ Man child that he was, the raised hand of Azmere stilled the growing excitement though it was met with a cross gaze from the dark brown eyes.

“No, brother. That is not Taurina’s wish.” Azmere signed silence is greater than shouting. Asmodeus often teased his grandson with little quips and sayings like that but now it was the archer’s turn to perpetuate the cycle.

“You’re something else..” Lodai began. His big hands signed geht voune.

“Lo.” Azmere started in but he was cut short.

“Az!” Lodai was almost pleading to throw a party.

“We’ll come up with a different reason.” The ankal had planned for something else later in the season and he would need the big man’s help so he signed tomorrow, talk. Lodai agreed and swallowed Taurina in a big hug while he glared at Azmere then went back to see what Asher had done with the food.

Azmere led Taurina into the new pavilion that Adon had constructed for them and Grey went right to his place near the door where a hay-stuffed sack marked his bed and laid down. The tent was massive and easily accommodated them all. It even had a space for the smaller animals as well as a fire ring but the heat had forced the agreement that cooking should be done outside for a while. In one corner was an area where trades and crafts could be practiced and it was this mat that the ankal directed the woman. He bade her to sit and when she did, he sat across from her with his legs crossed the reached out and took her by the hand. The watchman turned it so that he could trace his finger about two inches away from the lines of her fresh mark and explained the tradition of the web and being bound. “When one is chosen by a strider, she must be tied to the Web. Striders are creatures of the Web in that they can sense it and tap into it to fly over the grass. To be one with Starfire, you must be a part of the thing which makes all Drykas one people.” His hands signed the Web. “As you ankal it is my duty; as your friend, it is my privilege.” He offered her the half smile that was becoming more common on his face. “While I’m in the web, you must be my protector.” He was not joking as evidence on his face then he lowered his head and shut his eyes.

Within a moment, the man had slipped his physical form and was standing near their bodies. He could see her radiating within the shell of her body; the heavenly light that she was made of showed through like a beacon or that faint sliver of moonlight when an ornery wind opens the flap of one’s tent at night. The watchman wasted no time and moved in a wide angle around his body then knelt behind Taurina. His hands flexed as he called for the djed of himself into two orbs of throbbing light. He worked quickly to form it into strands. Azmere worked quickly to make his knot around a webline running through the middle of their pavilion. He had made his anchor so many times that it was second nature to generate the complicated origin. From it, he braided a thick strand of four individual cords to Taurina’s essence. For some reason, he paused and ran his free hand along the woman’s glowing figure to just trace her sitting outline. The moment passed and he went back to work now using the second orb to stretch the braid and meld it into the woman; a Stormblood and Drykas. The ankal was very proud and made sure that everything was in order before moving around and slipping back into his body.

The scarred body inhaled deeply as his spirit rejoined. He smiled and felt the stress from his day set into his muscles and bones. Azmere firmly believed that if his mind would let him, his body would sleep for days. Slowly, he rocked up onto his knees then leaned forward until he towered above Taurina. He placed a hand, gently, on either side of her face and lowered his lips to the place where her hair started above her forehead. He held the embrace and inhaled her scent then released her. The ankal allowed the momentum of his backwards easement to fuel a movement to stand. “You’re a Drykas now, gapee. Be proud.” Be brave. He was now at his full height and looked weathered; tired but his words were still clear and crisp even if a little hushed. “You’re a Stormblood, too, so hold your chin high and let the world see your smile.” He took a few steps towards his sleeping quarters then stopped and half turned back towards her. He was smiling with his eyes. Strength comes from your heart. With that, he was gone, a shifting shadow at first but then nothing. Grey

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Taurina]

The ankal did not speak any words, but that was alright. When Taurina’s caramel gaze was met with his star-colored one, she knew he understood all she had said and that was all that was needed. In all her joy she did not pause to think of how the words might pull on his heart. Tug in ways he did not know how to express. Usually that was her, but this day things came easy. Easy smiles, easy touches, easy words. Never had things been this way. If only she had savored it more. Her joy was so great that she did not realize it could be stolen from her within a single moment. If only she had paid better attention. All great things found their end.

Azmere swept the Ethaefal away towards the horses after signs of farewell were exchanged with the Lilacwinds. The ankal’s rough yet gentle hand still grasped her unmarked, yet scarred hand as he led her. Taurina did not need the guide, but she did not pull away from it. It was a strange sensation that went through her at the touch of his hand around her own. A sort of warmth that she did not fully understand and did not try to understand. She allowed herself to just get lost in the haze of it all. To be taken over to the horses where they stopped and Starfire was within her reach once more. Taurina released a soft laugh and reached out to stroke the stallion’s velvet soft nose with her newly tattooed hand.

“My sweet zulkina, how are you darling?” she murmured to him with an almost childlike tone in her voice before her attention was turned to her ankal and the lesson he had to teach her.

His hand was gone from hers now. A fleeting feeling of emptiness overcame her before it was shaken off and her attention fixed upon what he had to tell her. The Ethaefal was instantly fascinated by this new knowledge Azmere was giving her access too. The striders, they could learn the signs of their language. With patience, they could learn anything. Azmere taught Skylla that Taurina was friend which caused the Ethaefal to beam with delight. It was not like she thought herself stranger to the strider, but to now be acknowledged as something other, something more. Her heart rejoiced.

Taurina’s hands mimicked the same sign that Azmere’s had. Friend and a gentle, brushing touch against the ankal’s shoulder. The movement captured Starfire’s gaze enough that he followed where she directed. Three times and then a reward of a good scratch along his jaw. The stallion blew out a gentle breath as he earned his prize to which Taurina laughed once more. A kiss was brushed across his face. There was nothing but love given to him from the rider he had made his own.

Taurina looked up to see Syna nearing her final bell of reign for the day and smiled softly. It was time to get home and looking over to Azmere told her that he had the same idea. There was just one piece of business to settle first for she had nearly forgotten. The Ethaefal went to the yvas on her stallion’s back and pulled open the single bag that she had left attached to the thing upon leaving their pavilion earlier in the day. She pulled out the Mizas required plus a bit more before going back into her place of employment for only a moment longer. Before any could catch her to accept or deny the payment, she placed it where one of them would find it before leaving without a word.

The Ethaefal returned to Starefire -Azmere up on Skylla by this time- and grabbed hold of the yvas handle. It took more strength than she was used to for he was much larger than Melody, but after some effort she got herself up onto his back. Her legs stretched across him and once balance was found, her fingers tangled into his long mane. Then they began to move and they went so much faster than the Ethaefal ever had before. There was a rush of fear and adrenaline filling her to the core. She was clumsy, unknowing, but Azmere had her back. His expert skills were laid out for show. Skylla heeded every direction, playing with a receptive Starfire. This was new and terrifying to the Eth who was still so very unsure, but when she felt herself begin to fall, she felt Azmere’s hold wrap around her side. He had her. She was safe. He would not let her fall.

The pair slowed and the hold was released. Taurina gasped for breath, her face flushed red from activity, and her hair mangled from the wind. It was a brilliant smile that spread over her lips and set her eyes ablaze. She looked to Azmere and gave a delighted laugh before scratching at the base of Starfire’s neck. With them, with them both, she was safe. Azmere would not let her fall and Starfire would never leave her bored. The pair of them, her ankal and her strider, were all she could ever hope for. They were more than she ever thought possible and she found what they had given her nothing short of amazing.

Home. Their destination had been reached. Flushed red, but smiling no less than before, Taurina dismount to be greeted by the sight of Lodai and Asher greeting their ankal. They greeted her too, but it was not the same. They knew him, respected him, were great friends with him. She was a passing presence, her existence new and still unknown to them. It was all her fault and she knew it. Her quiet soul, solitary ways, and lack of trust did not invite people in. So it was few who knew her, truly knew her. These two were not in that group of people, but Asher was still kind to her. He understood her shyness and respected it. There was a quiet squeeze of congratulations, a gentle show of admiration for the animal that had chosen her. Taurina reacted with a warm smile and a silent resolution to be better in the ways of interacting with him, with both of them. They were part of the family and she was too. She had accepted that and now it was time to accept all that came with her family.

Lodai was not so quiet and it would have been foolish to expect him to be. Instead of be startled or upset by his pleas for a party, Taurina found the scene amusing. She was touched at how Azmere made her wishes be known. How he made a promise to find another reason, but did not force the Ethaefal into doing what she did not wish. Enough attention had been given over this. No more. She was growing weary. The attention of her family, of her coworkers, and of the small group that had gathered to view the white stallion was enough. It was more than enough. Taurina was satisfied. She was glad that in the end, Lodai accepted her wishes and gave her a hug that she easily reciprocated. Then they parted and went two different ways; Lodai back to the food and Taurina into the new pavilion they all got to share with their ankal.

Taurina was a quiet student as she sat upon the mat she was directed to. Her hand was given over to Azmere and warmth spread throughout her as his fingertips gently moved across the unmarked part of her hand. He told her of the web, something that was a piece of Starfire that now needed to be a piece of her as well. They would be one because of the web according to Azmere. Caramel eyes filled with excitement. She wanted that. To be as close as physically possible with the one who had so rapidly become a huge part of her life. There was a seriousness within Azmere’s gaze. Though he smiled his half-sided smile, he meant it when he said he needed a protector. She did not know what he meant, but felt the weight of his words. Protector, shield she signed, meaning both. In all ways possible, she would protect him.

Things went quiet as Syna splashed her last colors of the day across the sky. Azmere’s body had become still and quiet. Wherever he was, it was not a place fully within himself. Taurina was quiet, slightly worried, but quiet. She trusted him. She trusted that he knew what he was doing. Her hand grasped his, a quiet hope that he would return quickly.

It was not long, just before Leth rose to take his rule, before Azmere returned. A breath signaled his return to himself, whatever that meant. All Taurina understood was they his eyes had opened and a tiredness lingered in his face. Had that been there throughout the day? Had she failed to notice the exhaustion that was clear now? Despite it, he rose to his knees. The gentle touch of his hands cradled her face while his lips pressed against her head. Her heart fluttered within her chest. He rose before letting words and signs pour from him. Words that filled her soul with delight and her cheeks with heat, but she did not speak. Though feelings pulsed through her, words would not do them justice. So she watched him go. As her form turned from Drykas to Ethaefal, she watched his shadow till it found rest. Then she stood and went out to join the other male Stormbloods. Sleep would come this night for her mind needed rest, but not yet. She had two others catch up with and a strider to show off first.

Ledger-20 GM for Forearm tattoo (8GM) with black ink(2GM) with a tip(4GM). Math : 8x2=16+4=20GM

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

[Taurina]

Morning of the 7th of Spring 517

There was a field stretching out before her. Grasses grew out long and green, reaching towards the sky. The Ethaefal knew this was not her home. No, her home had been destroyed by Morwen’s absence. The grass was nearly all brown now and heat seeped through them all. In this place, there was a breeze and Syna’s light was gentle. Where had her dream taken her?

Starfire was there. White and brilliant against Syna’s morning rays. He looked happy, kicking and playing with another. Who was that? Was that Skylla? Yes, Taurina realized. It was. How had she not noticed it before? Oh look, just now, another appeared! A big black stallion standing apart from the other two. It looked like Atavan, but it was not. Taurina knew it was not. It was the Stallion from her dreams. Her scattered memories. The one who reigned big and powerful with passion blazing in his eyes. A piece of the past melding with the present. Those bright eyes looked to the new white stallion and the one with whom he played. The black horse called out to the pair and Taurina watched as solely Starfire looked over.

Connection. An instant bond formed between the stallions. Taurina was a simple bystander as the two stepped closer and closer to each other. Skylla was forgotten by Starfire as the black stallion called his attention. They met and they did not fight. There was no strife. No, in this dream, in an instant, they both fixed their gaze upon Taurina. The black one called out to her, but it was not a sound of hate or anger. A sound of friend. Something that in the dream was easy to understand as "I like this one". Then, just as suddenly as he appeared, the black stallion was gone and all that was left was Starfire, staring at her with love and fire set ablaze in his eyes.

~

The dream faded into blackness as Syna once more rose to greet the Sea of Grass. It was a rare time when sleep found her in the night, but this once Taurina had let it come. So now she rose with her god’s great love when the light began to brighten the canvas walls of her sleeping area. The daughter of Leth braced against the light as her eyes slowly cracked open. It was this that she did not miss about being human. She was used to watching Syna rise and then finding sleep to rest her mind shortly after. It was the slow rise of Syna, more so the time of grey when the world was just a blank canvas void of color that was the Ethaefal’s favorite time of the daylight hours. It was when her god and his love got a fleeting moment of time to dwell together. It only happened twice a day, a few spare moments when the mantel of rule was given from one to the other.

Taurina yawned as stretched out her legs and curled her toes. It had been too hot for a blanket, but she had hidden herself under one anyway. There was something about the feeling of being cocooned in something outside of herself that brought sleep faster. Like another was embracing her, keeping her safe while she slept. A foolish thing really, but could not all things in the end be considered foolish things?

Arms rose far above the Ethaefal’s head, hands twisting and fingers interlocking as they met at the top. Back arched, resulting in a satisfying pop towards the middle of it before whole being came down and relaxed once more. Eyes half shut, Taurina ran fingers through a large section of her hair, bracing against all the tangles she found within it each day. She ripped her fingers through some of the easy knots, her mind recalling the events of the previous day and night while she slowly finished waking up. Starfire, time with Azmere, the windmarks that covered her arm now, a night spent conversing with Asher and Lodai. The Ethaefal smiled. Everything was perfect. Everything was just as it should be and it was her hope that things were only going to get better.

There was another half yawn before the caramel gaze finally fully exposed itself. Taurina was smiling. She felt the strange pull against her lips formed by nothing but memories and the dreamed she had dreamt. Fingertips came up and brushed across the soft, human lips of this form, for she was so fascinated by the simple thing that was her own smile. When before had something made her so happy that she woke up smiling?

She did not savor the moment. She did not think that the moment would ever pass. That is… until it did.

Her fingertips, the arm that carried her new marks. The Ethaefal wanted to see them. Not just in her memory, but see the ink stretched out across her skin. See the Stormblood knot forever marked in her palm. See the tangles of chaos stretching out down her forearm to all converge within the knot. There would be some marks of healing, redness and perhaps peeling or scabbed over skin, but that was to be expected. With time that would all pass away. So, the arm was lifted and what the Ethaefal saw caused her heart to plunge into the darkest depths of her existence.

Nothing.

She saw nothing.

There was nothing there.

Just dark opalescent skin scarred in a past life.

Panic rose. The other arm checked just in case only to find the same thing. Nothing. A scream. A multitude of tears.. Both rose so quickly within the one whose heart ached, but neither made the way out. How? Why? Her marks… gone. Just gone. Like they had never been before. Her skin returned to the way it had always been. The way she had been on the day of her fall.

Had it all been a dream? Was any of it real?

Taurina rose, her blanket thrown to the ground and her boots forgotten about. She did remember to pull on her pants -which had been left off during the hot night- just in case anyone was out there. She was not quiet as she made her way through the tent, barely pausing to properly open the canvas doorways of the pavilion tent. She barreled through everything, noticed no one who might have already risen. Her focus was on one thing, Starfire. Was he real? Or had she lost him too?

Feet touched the course grass that made up the plains and from that point, she ran. She ran wild and messy with no strategy or technique. She forced her heart to rapidly pump blood and her lungs to cry for air as tears began to mingle with sweat. By the time she reached him, though he had not been far, she was a mess. But in honesty, she had turned a mess the moment she realized the marks were gone.

“Starfire!” she exclaimed, joy and complete destruction bursting open her soul.

He was there! Beautiful and dazzling in Syna’s morning rays. His head raised up to meet her gaze, but if it hadn’t Taurina’s sudden arms wrapping around his neck and face burrowing in his mane would have raised it anyway.

“Starfire, zulkina. My beloved,” Taurina sobbed with tears pouring from her eyes and flooding down her cheeks, “they are gone Starfire. They are all gone. The gods have taken them from me. My mark as a Drykas… It is all gone!”

Taurina blubbered and sobbed. Feeling complete and utter betrayal. How? How could this have happened? Finally a Drykas just to have it stolen from her. How could anyone be so cruel? The Ethaefal felt broken inside and though her stallion was calm in the face of her sadness, she sunk to the ground with his mane between the grasp of her fingers until she was too low and all slipped away.

“Why Starfire? Why me? After everything that has happened… why this?” Taurina sobbed in a choked whisper, her hands covering her tear stained cheeks as she sat in the dead grass of spring with Starfire calm beside her, “Why?!”

The joy of the previous day was gone and it had been replaced with something not nearly as beautiful. Sadness, pain, and a twist of anger as all that Taurina could come up with was the simple question: ’why?’

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere

[Azmere]

7th of Spring, 517 AV
3rd Bell

In the middle of the night, Azmere woke with a start. He stared up at the ceiling for chimes that he could not count while he contemplated a great many things. The ankal’s life had become full with people, love, animals, duties and all of these spelled complications. The Diamond clansman abhorred complex and difficult but he was not one to shy away from problems. The archer didn’t have answers or even ways to approach most of the issues that faced him as the head of a growing family. Not willing to toss and turn, the scarred man sat up then moved to get dressed. The world was not nearly as hot as yesterday but it was still warm. He pulled on his ‘faithful’ breeches which were worn along the inseams, his belt, dagger and his gauntlets. He moved through the sleeping abode with a dog at his heels and a caged bird in his arms.

Azmere mounted his strider barebacked and rode out into the grass behind the Stormblood camp. He closed his mismsatched eyes and felt the elliptical orbit of Skylla’s back and matched it with a timed cycle of pressure from his hips. Once the duo was in a synchronized rhythm, the ankal maintained his eyes shut just long enough to feel the stars in his eyes absorb some of his inner djed. When the watchman took a chance to gaze upon the steppe in its shadowed veil, he saw the inky black which pouring in from Leth’s absence and Syna’s tardy rise. Anyone awake at this young bell would see the same thing but only a select few could see the tiny traces of color left strewn about like food from an overturned cart.

The trails and blotches signified the animals that scavenged in the haze of transition between day and night. Azmere slowed Skylla to a trot then a complete stop. He dismounted and set the cage upon the ground. The watchman double-checked the tightness of his gauntlet then moved the latch aside. He reached in and took the jesses which held the hooded hawk. He stood up and back then scoured the open field before them. A big furry body pressed against his right side and Azmere reached down to give Grey a good scratch then pushed down on the dogs shoulders until he laid flat in the grass. Despite being, primarily, a companion, Grey was a hunter by nature and not too shabby for the little amount of practice that he received. However, this was a chance for something else.

The weathered hands of the ankal reached up and removed the hood from Bareth. The Harris Hawk was a deep brown and had beautiful brick feathers along his wings. The gaze was patient as the head snapped around. The young male opened his beak but made no sound. The keen eyes must be picking up something in the deep shifting blades but not as well as the pathfinder. Tomma Thunderpaw assured Azmere that all he had to do was find a critter and throw the bird in that general vicinity. It sounded easy enough. The starburst stare found a cluster of three figures dancing in color a ways out in front of him. The general shape of a path was always muddled but these rodents seemed to be ferrets or gophers. Azmere took a few steps forward while keeping his left arm out to his side then threw it forward an released the jesses.

Bareth took off like an arrow. He stayed low over the grass just close enough that his downdraft pushed the stalks over. A sharp call echoed out when he got within ten feet the rodents. The call made them freeze and then bolt in a line towards some kind of cover. The Drykas watched all of this with interest. The way animals worked fascinated him. He thought it would make more sense for the prey to split up but then again that’s why some creatures were food and others were hunters. The man smirked. Another caw went up from his new companion and the flowing trail of brick-colored djed swooped down upon the tiny things that scampered beneath. The way that the wings of the raptor spread gave Azmere a feeling of awe that he had not experienced before. A third call rang out and the bird took off from the ground with something in its talons…and flew to a nearby rock to eat it.

“Petch!”

A Few Bells Later…

Azmere rode back to his pavilion with Grey jogging behind and a very full hawk. The bird had captured and killed four rodents then proceeded to devour them before making his new master fetch the raptor each time. The ankal was not made since it was his first attempt at falconry but he was going to have to find help in this endeavor. The novice hunter expected a sleeping camp; anticipated quiet. What he found was something else entirely.

Cries of pain. Weeping and negative emotions that were so powerful he felt his heart crinkle as it beat like the smooth edges of the muscle had become tinder. The Drykas dismounted and steadied Bareth’s cage on the ground. Grey felt the change in his master’s attitude and stayed on Azmere’s hip. The ankal made a few quick steps that readily showed the shorter gait of his left leg until he was behind Taurina. He squatted down behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She was horribly upset and he had no idea why. Complicated.

The azure and amber gaze scoured the area for signs of damage or trauma but he found none. The archer’s big hands squeezed her shoulders to let her know that she was going to be fine but he had no words for her. How could he? Azmere was built for certain things in life but ascertaining emotion stressors was hardly one of them. She was asking why and even spoke in Common the same word. With no other options, the man sunk down to his knees, each one placed just outside her feet and ran his hands down her arms until he found her fingers. Interlocking his own, he wrapped her in a big hug. Lodai swore that a good hug could fix anything. ‘We’ll see if you’re right, bruh.’ Azmere thought to himself. It was in this silent act of kindness that the confused leader found the case of Taurina’s meltdown.

Her windmark was gone.

The Drykas blinked. He had seen them –touched them. Where had they gone? He was not sure but he could only imagine the harmful thoughts that were running through the mind of this young and frail woman who already lacked the confidence of most. Azmere had encountered doubt before in his own life and only knew one way to solve it.

Without any warning to Taurina, Azmere brought his feet underneath his body and stood up while clutching her to his chest. He avoided any confusion on her part by keeping his hands laced overtop of hers and wrapped his arms around her so tight that she couldn’t escape if she had tried. His arms formed stone solid masses that bounder her against his bare chest while his legs rippled from the near hop that brought him to his full height. The ankal made a switch once she was standing and released her hands only to take hold of the opposite. With her arms still crossed, he pulled with his right hand and lifted her right with his left until it went over her head –a motion that would spin her around. Azmere was moving so quickly that he didn’t realize the intense gaze that he bore or the almost audible pounding of his heart. The pain that she felt seemed to transfer directly into his being and the warrior dealt with pain like any animal or champion…

He pushed back.

Azmere caught her by the waist and stopped her rotation dead against him. Hip to hip and chest to chest, he arched over her with an expression in his eyes of absolute certainty and an unwillingness to accept defeat. For him, it was love and pride and duty; a personal vow that he would protect his family from all threats including the ones they posed to themselves. Despite the veins and tendons that creased his neck or the heat that rose from him as he prepared for battle, his voice was as soft as the whisper of the grass but like the wind it held a constant tone that relayed a promise built on faith. The breath of Zulrav would always blow the seeds and storms which kept the grasslands fertile and alive. So, too, Azmere would always be there to pick Taurina up when she fell and remind her of the promise he made.

“Stop crying, zulkina.” His grip on her sides shifted slightly as the pressure changed from his palms to his fingertips that now played against her hips. “No one can take away your spirit.” The more he talked, the more his presence softened. The fiery stare and the hard embrace evolved. “Starfire is still yours and no amount of ink can change that.” His left hand ran up her torso to tuck a few strands of the brunette hair out of her tear-stained face. “I brought you here to be a part of this family.” As his hand slowly fell back towards her hip, the backs of his fingers grazed her arm.

The Drykas tilted his head to the side as more of his concern began to reveal itself on the right side of his face. “No mark, no army and no god can take you away from this home- only you can make that choice.” He paused a moment and lowered his gaze to be level with her own, glassy moisture formed along his eyelids as the prospect of losing her dawned on his mind. Azmere had never anticipated what would happen if someone willingly left his family. Almost dazed, he forced the thought away for later consideration. The dichromatic stare focused back upon those caramel eyes and the right corner of his mouth curled up to a genuine Azmere smile. “You belong to me.” He took her right hand in his left and placed it against the recessed scars on his chest which sat directly over his heart. “Because I will always be here for you.”

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Taurina]

Hands warm and gentle grasped at the Ethaefal’s shoulders before squeezing with a reassuring force. She did not have to turn to know who it was for none other would come to try to comfort her so. Well.. maybe that was untrue. She did not want to imagine it being any one other than the one she thought it was. For the others to see her so broken, so damaged would be shameful. But she was. She was frail and this blow to her soul felt as though she had been decreased to mere fragments of existence. It was he who was the only one she would allow to see.

Azmere trailed hands down her arms, caused fingers to interlock with her own, and pulled her into an embrace that her body melted against. Her back caved in towards his stomach and her head rested against his chest. She did not fight him, but let him learn the cause of her distress. The marks that had disappeared and caused her to once more be as she was before. Not a Drykas marked for all to see, but a Drykas marked from a past life and only that. Even looking to see Starfire gazing at her wrapped in her ankal’s embrace did not bring her peace. She had him, but what good was it if only she knew of their bond? What good was anything anymore if she was fated to forever be trapped in a past she could not even remember?

Taurina felt her body begin to tremble as the sobs racked her to the core. Since her ankal had come, she had stopped crying out the questions that plagued her heart, but inside all still lingered. ’Why? Why me? Why this? Am I not allowed a bit of happiness? To get a piece of this world I have forced to live in?’ She cried and as if he did not wish to see her collapsed any longer, Azmere began to draw her upwards.

Had she been in her right mind, the Ethaefal might have enjoyed the closeness she had in this moment with Azmere. The stone like barricade he formed around her to protect her from the world that seemed to do nothing but try to hurt her. However, she was not in her right mind. Pain and anguish filled her as tears made continuous streams down her cheeks. She was unmoving as he drew her up. Her fingers gripped in a hold with his, but he was the one doing all the work. She was like a wet pile of clothe in his arms, limp and useless if not a little heavier than normal. It was only when her legs became straight that she forced her muscles to work again. She stood in his arms for the moment it lasted. Letting the pain fade and the tears lessen for just a tick before he began to shift and move once again.

Hands were released before being captured back up again. Her body spun till it no longer faced away, but towards him. Their bodies were close. Hip to hip, chest to chest. His gaze met hers, but his did not hold the brokenness she felt. She was glass that had fractured in a thousand places. He was stone that had withstood the burden of a thousand storms. Weathered away some, but solid and unmoving. Sure of all he knew and unaccepting of defeat.

Taurina met that gaze. Her red, tear filled eyes, revealing the whole of her soul. Her breath caught up and trapped itself within her throat before she hiccuped and her body forced it to be released. Then she was able to breath again till another breath was caught and the cycle repeated. ’Why?’ her gaze asked, ’why me?’ There were so many questions, but that was the one she kept coming back to.

“What did I do to deserve this?” she whispered before he spoke, not even sure if her voice was audible.

It was no longer just about the windmarks. The mind had spun and all became connected to this moment. Why had Leth allowed her fall back to this realm? Why did he not come? Even now, when nothing but the pain of betrayal filled her, he did not show his face. It was not him, her god, the one she gave most loyalty, who held her now. It was not him who whispered soft words and called her zulkina. No, that privilege had become the task of another.

Azmere’s voice was gentle. The fiery blaze his gaze had formerly been now a softer beam of light. His touch brushed against her hips as his fingertips held her in place. Not that he needed to, she was not going anywhere. Her feet felt leaden, chained to the ground beneath her. It was only her ankal’s hold that kept her up. She leaned against him for support, her face rested against his chest as she listened to his words. Her sobs decreased to whimpers and her whimpers faded to a whisper in the shadow of her soul.

Taurina listened, her head lifting when a hand strayed from her hip and rose to replace a fallen strand of hair. He was so kind to her and she did not understand why. What had she ever done to deserve such care and tenderness? Sweet, reassuring words poured from him. They had chased away her tears and now they worked on finishing off her sadness. He reminded her that her spirit could not be stolen. That Starfire was hers, she did not need to prove that for it was not going to change. The stallion blew a gentle breath upon the pair when Azmere spoke of him. It was if he was telling the Eth, ’this one is right, I am yours’.

His hand trailed down, grazing her now unmarked arm as it returned to her hip. A thousand bumps were left in the path he left until they faded with the heat of Syna’s rays. Her breath caught again, but this time not because of her own sadness. It was the sight of the sadness that had found his eyes.

“No mark, no army and no god can take you away from this home- only you can make that choice.”

The words reached down and were marked upon her heart. He wanted her. If no one else wanted her or accepted her, she had him. An ankal and the family he had given her. She could see in his sadness and hear from his words that he did not wish for her to stray from their home. He wanted to protect her and more importantly, he would. No mark, no army, no god. In this, only she could bring about her own demise.

Though she had done nothing, said nothing, he smiled and his smile brought about one of her own. It was not one of those like the day before, with teeth exposed and heart abandon, but it was a smile. Closed lipped with eyes sparkling with light instead of tears. Her hand was captured up and pressed up against the scars above his heart. His skin was rough and mangled by whatever foul beast had tried to destroy him, but like the weathered rock he had persevered. Nothing was going to break him. He was the one who could not be moved and somehow, he was putting back the pieces of a heart that had been broken.

“You belong to me,” he spoke, “Because I will always be here for you.”

Taurina’s gaze lowered from his, locked on the hand that rested over his heart and the scars that existed beneath her touch as she allowed the words he spoke to fill her. The Ethaefal stared for a moment before her fingers curled inward, allowing a loose fist to rest just below where her had placed her hand. She had to come up on her toes a bit in this form, but she rested her head where her hand had been. Her ear pressed up against the remaining skin he had over his heart and she listened. The loud thudding beat filled her and for a time, it comforted her. He was here and he was alive. Unlike her god, he had not and was not going to disappear from her life.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Taurina spoke with a voice raw from tears, but words still clear, “I’m staying right here. Forever. I promise.”

And she meant it with all her heart, soul, and mind. For to her, forever meant all of eternity and in this moment -whether it was rational or not- that was what she wanted. To be with him, safe and protected, for all of eternity.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

Boxcode credit goes to Azmere