To Build a Community

[Naiya]

Spring-37th-516AV
11th Bell

"Pass me that" please, twine. One hand clutched a small bundle of herbs while her other signed in the direction of Halo, who had just placed the bundle on the far side of his lap.

He gave her a bashful grin, tossing the small roll back to her so that she could bale the herbs. apology took shape on his hands, "I'm used to doing this alone." He commented, a reminder that it had been just him and Diani until recently. Not that Naiya minded his habits, she had her own and could only be understanding.

She wrapped the bundle three times, moving across the length of it to help keep it intact. She had only tied the end of a bundle the other night and it had come loose in the boiling soup and added grit and tough leaves to their meal. That was a mistake she didn't care to repeat. Once tied the knot in the twine, she used a small eating knife to cut the twine, placing it back between them.

"We could use some more medicinal herbs." Halo commented as he bundled herbs of his own. He was crafting wound washes and chest clearing tinctures, or at least the herbs for such a purpose. His skill with such things was better than her own, far surpassed it, in fact.

Naiya nodded, accepting the words as she added the task to her day's plans. She needed to go out and forage what they could, the sea being less giving this season, surely due to the missing winter and the continued heat.

All the same, they would find what they could and then go into the market and see fill in the gaps. Her gaze flicked across the fire to Diani, she was holding Shai, keeping him happy while Naiya's hands were full. The young girl grinned, reassuring Naiya with a simple sign.

Happy, her hands said, knowing her tendency towards worry. It was exactly what Naiya wanted to hear, and she smiled, nodding her gratitude. They worked side-by-side until Naiya was out of herbs. She checked the ones drying in the rafters of the tent, checking if any of those were ready to be bundled. She passed a few more to Halo, and the others she left to finish drying. Perhaps tomorrow they would be ready.

Her eyes traveled the flatbread next, checking for dampness that would cause it to spoil, or pieces that were already spoiling. She broke the pieces that had begun to grow the small white spots of mold, taking them out and tossing them to the goats.

She eyed the herd, looking for the behaviors of labor soon to come. There were still a few pregnant zibri, and the younger animals needed to be watched in the heat. Everything appeared calm enough, and Halo would be here to mind them should the need arise. If nothing else, the boy could go for help.

She grabbed her pack, checking that her spare dagger was there, as well as a spare bowstring. She strapped Shahar's hunting knife to her belt and attached an extra wetskin as well. Back inside she sought the woven sling, marked with knots and beads and bones to bring the favor of the gods.

Bunching the fabric on the end, she passed the thick yarn over her right shoulder, moving towards across the room, she smiled gently as she lifted Shai from the grip of the young girl.

Gratitude shaped Naiya's posture as she put Shai up high on her shoulder, bringing the trailing end of the sling up pulling it tight against herself where it wrapped around Shai's rump. When the cloth was tight, she tied the knot, the top moving over and around the supporting end, then switching to bring the support end around and through.

Once she was sure it was secure, she lowered Shai into the sling, spreading the woven fabric around his body and making sure it touched her own body on both sides. She tested the hold, hands hovering close as his weight was fully in the sling.

Sure now, she grinned at the two children, hands free to move at her comfort. Ready now? She signed her invitation one from earlier in the morning. Diani wanted to help forage, and Halo would provide the medicinal knowledge they needed to bolster their supplies at the pavilion.

Halo handed them a book of drawings, each one had a small description next to them in common. The plants weren't only for medicine, but they all had a medicinal use.

"Any of these you can find will be good, they're all useful." He explained, and Naiya nodded, flipping through the pages to see if she recognized anything. A few she did, others she had seen but not known the use of.

She added it to her pack, then snatched a yvas bag and an extra wetskin. The one she found was empty, so she made a note to stop and fill it on the way out.

"We'll stop for water on the way out." She commented aloud, stepping out of the pavilion to find her yvas.

The jingle of the tack brought more than one horse's attention, Naiya grinned as she moved out into the herd. There were a number of new faces out there, hiding behind mothers, and a number more to come.

She slipped a yvas pad onto Wildfire, and put the yvas into place, securing it with practiced ease. She placed the yvas bag on, and asked him to follow her. Beside the wagon she added her quiver and bow to the yvas. Her hand kept hold of her spear, and she added four gathering baskets to the yvas bag.

She clicked her tongue at the cats, summoning Banti and inviting the other two to join her, not that Kabek would ever be left behind when Shai was leaving. She glanced at her companion, the quiet girl stood ready, glancing towards the horses in question.

"I'm going to walk, but if you prefer to ride we'll tack someone up for you?" offering. It was safer to have a horse, but the girl was not so big as to be a problem in an emergency. Wildfire would carry the three of them if he had to.

Unsure She signed slowly, thinking perhaps, or trying to gauge Naiya's intention.

"I won't offer false options." Naiya told her, softening the words with comfort, no trick. "If you want to ride, it's no trouble to tack nearly any horse you want, if you prefer to walk, Wildfire can carry the three of us in an emergency." She seemed to lighten at the words, looking... more childlike rather than weighted with adult struggles of decorum.

"I'll ride," thank you She answered quickly, eyes falling again toward the horses. She landed on Aani, the old mare she worked with when they moved the pavilion. "Do you think Aani will let me ride her?"

Naiya nodded, assuring the girl she would. She tacked up the second horse, then made sure the girl had everything she would need. She gave her a knee up into the saddle and they were off into the city, Wildfire at her side and hunting cats at their feet.

They filled their waters and chatted with the others doing the same, but Naiya urged them on quickly, they were losing time, and the later it got, the less the market would have.

Still, they needed to stop to gather help, Naiya didn't want to be responsible for two little ones in the grass alone. Her first thought was Azmere, hadn't he helped her out in the sea before? Lodai came to mind as well, the hulking man would be a reassurance too, either way. She could have simply sought help at the Watch proper, but reaching out to the Stormblood pavilion gave her better friends.

And, if she went to the Stormbloods, she could invite Rufio to join them. Plan settled she made her way through the diamond clan, seeking the familiar face of any of the people she sought. The face she recognised, in the end, was Chaser, and she knew she had found the right pavilion. She asked Wildfire to stay, and offered a hand to help Diani dismount.

Together they made their way forward into the camp, only slightly, just enough to be heard when she called out.

"Hello?" Naiya called loudly, peering about the camp in search of a familiar face. "Azmere? Rufio? Jasmine?" Her voice rang out, but she would not intrude further in their home without someone's notice and invitation.

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Naiya space Pavi | Common | Tukant
other space Pavi | Common | Tukant

[Azmere]

Azmere focused on the corner of the wagon. He put his hands out to make a frame for his vision by setting his thumbs out at right angles. The block of focus on the sideboard was no larger than a large boot imprint –perhaps not Lodai’s- but would be more than adequate to serve the archer’s purpose. The man could feel the djed stirring from deep within his body. A voice in his mind coaxed it forward like a shy animal and drew it up into his hands. The tingling sensation was dull but not unlike the experience his eyes went through when chasing paths. Slowly, the substance that fueled all of life began to attach itself to the wagon right where the Drykas was staring with his contrasting gaze. The process to build shields had not gotten any faster for Azmere despite his almost constant efforts to improve. While he was able to do larger and larger pieces, the act of dredging up the ability seemed bound to a grueling routine that could not be shortened. On several occasions, he had tried to skip a step but it usually resulted in just wasting more time.

The ankal pushed more djed from his body onto the object. He wanted to coat the entire plank that was visible between his hands and being several feet away always required more concentration than when he could actually touch the surface of what he was shielding. Azmere bit his lower lip in concentration while watching the djed pool then spread and fill in the area. After several chimes, the scarred man felt that he had good coverage that was both even and complete. He lowered his hands and started to walk away but kept the unspecified shield in the forefront of his mind. The archer took Vihar and a hip quiver off of a barrel and walked to the other end of his camp.

Azmere was behind his pavilion and facing down the western side. He set the tip of the bow between his bare feet and rested the smooth wood against his leg while he tied the quiver around the opposite thigh. All the while, he thought about the shield on the wagon’s side. As the archer lifted his weapon, he used his mental connection to the shield to give it a task- a purpose. It was born of his djed and the ankal bade it to protect the wood beneath it from the physical damage that weapons might cause. There was a gentle shift in the way the shield looked once it was given a definition. Meaning dictated form, apparently, and Azmere couldn’t help but tilt his head a bit to admire his handiwork. The djed looked smooth like some kind of transparent cloth that was stretched over the sideboard of the wagon. It was this rectangular patch that the watchman made his target.

The archer drew the string quickly as his eyes narrowed which brought the tip of his arrow into focus. He put the arrowhead in the middle of the blurred out shield and released. The shorter distance and straight lie made for an easy shot for the man and the arrow thumped against the wood of the wagon but it did not sink into the surface. Instead the arrow bounced harmlessly away and onto the ground. This brought a smile to the right side of Azmere’s face. He turned his back to the wagon and drew another arrow. The ankal knocked it but held everything loosely. Without raising his bow, he bent backwards and twisted at his waist so that he was facing the wagon while his feet pointed in the other direction. The motion stretched his abdomen and back muscles in a way that he was unaccustomed to feeling. Two more times, Azmere would practice this move as he stretched as far as he could. It felt good but it reminded him to spend more time with his flexibility and dexterity instead of just strength training.

The scarred man turned himself back to face away from his target. The watchman twisted as he had before but this time included the addition of lifting and drawing his arrow tight against the bowstring. It took a tick for him to line up his shot but Azmere had no problem applying the same technique of alignment and fired the arrow. Vihar thummed and the arrow went a tad wide. The head missed the shielded portion and sunk into an unprotected part of the wood. Azmere instantly knew what he had done wrong. He was moving as he fired. More core strength was needed to steady himself as the projectile was being released. The Tavehk straightened himself to repeat the trial once more. He drew and knocked an arrow but held it slack. As he twisted, he pulled the arrow tight so that it was fully drawn up to his cheek when his body bent around to face the wagon. His side and back burned but the warrior held his position for an extra tick so that the ankal could bring his aim to a rest on the target. The archer let go of the string and watched as the arrow sliced through the air. It thumped against the shield and fell lifelessly to the ground. Azmere let out a short laugh of triumph.

The ankal marched over with his slight limp and retrieved his three arrows which he replaced in the hip quiver. The ankal was about to reset the whole exercise when he heard the low rumble of Grey who came up near his master with his face pointed towards the city. The dog was being informative moreso than vicious but the man scratched the canine behind his ears all the same. The blue and gold stare looked up and scanned the grass that divided their camp, which had grown rather large in the last few season, from the next diamond pavilion. The watchman quickly picked up the reason for his companion’s reaction. On approach from the next spoke was a horse with a set of heads on and around it. The fiery orange mane was unmistakable.

Naiya. The young girl was forced to become an ankal and had done well so far despite many in the community who disapproved of a woman having any kind of authority. Azmere had come to respect the woman over a series of encounters and even enjoyed her company. The woman was moving slowly and it didn’t take long for the Drykas to see why; she had children in tow. While she was still some distance off, Azmere made long strides into his pavilion. The fire was low but still burning from last night. The man squatted next to the pit and used a stick that Asher had left nearby. The weathered hands of the watchman poked at the coals until they came to life with flames that looked more like an aura than fire. He tossed a dried dung chip onto the coals then walked away to fill their kettle with water from the barrel. By the time Azmere got his water and turned back to the fire, the chip had caught and was burning with a warm yellow and orange tongue. The flames licked up through the grated portion of their large cast iron griddle of which the ankal was very proud. One could cook enough food for an entire pavilion at once over the flat and grated surfaces. It was on the slotted section that the man placed the kettle.

The red-haired woman was calling out. She had arrived at the pavilion and was wisely staying on the edge so as not to upset any of the animals. Azmere ducked out through the flap and smiled towards her. Greetings. His hands signed. Grey was at the man’s side but absorbed the relaxed vibe of the man and was not defensive. He walked towards her but took smaller strides to hide his limp. The scar tissue was being exceptionally agitating today but he played it off – having one side of your face immobilized by scar tissue certainly helped in that area. When he got close enough, Azmere leaned forward and took her arm the way that people do when greeting a peer. “Saiza, you look well this morning.” The gold and blue eyes danced from one young face to the next then back to the young woman. He waved at the kids by bending just his index finger a few times. Follow. his hands signed.

Azmere turned and started through his camp so that he could check on his water. As he moved around, the animals in their camp would give the newcomers wide berth except for the goats and their kids. This drew the attention of Lil Bit and Grey who watched the livestock carefully but neither would react in an aggressive way since they viewed this area as their own. Women and children did not smell like men and the canines had been well-trained to be delicate with the smaller and fairer beings. It didn’t take him long and the man returned with a few cups, a hot kettle and a bottle packed full of something golden and thick. The man walked to one of the wagons and spread out his wares. He poured some of the steaming water into each glass but kept the level several inches below the top. Azmere struck up a conversation with Naiya as he worked. “What brings you to visit, anklette?” The moniker had become something of an endearing term but also a way to pester some of the older, more stubborn, ankals of Tent City who believe women have two purposes – making kids and raising them.

The ankal opened the bottle and turned it on its side so that the opening was above one of the cups. Nothing happened for a moment as the thick substance didn’t want to come out. Azmere simply stood for a moment then drew his dagger and placed the tip inside the bottle. He drew it out with a thick dollop on the blade’s tip which he promptly put into one of the cups and stirred around. The substance dissolved and changed the color of the water to a slight tint of gold. The man smiled with the right side of his face and repeated this process for all three cups then put his knife away and closed the bottle. He turned to Naiya and offered her two cups. “Might be too hot for your dotras.” Azmere picked up his own cup and put it close to his lips but did not drink from it. He inhaled the hot and sweet vapors for several ticks while also blowing some of the heat away.

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Azmere]

Azmere:

Shielding: +1
Weapon-Longbow: +1
Acrobatics: +1
Wilderness Survival: +1
Endurance: +1
Cooking: +1
Socialization: +1

Acrobatics: Stretching the core
Cooking: Boiling water
Endurance: Dealing with the pain of an old wound
Socialization: Greeting visitors
Shielding: A slow process for novices
Shielding: Assigning a purpose
Weapon-Longbow: Gaining a target quickly
Weapon-Longbow: Release only when steady
Wilderness Survival: Using hot coals to rekindle a fire


Naiya:
PM me when you come back and get everything caught back up and I'll give you your grades