OOC Note :
Jez Firetongue
40th of Spring 517 AV
Pavi/Grassland Sign , Common, Nari
40th of Spring 517 AV
Pavi/Grassland Sign , Common, Nari
It had been seven days since Jez had arrived in Riverfall, his journey from Endrykas completed. Most of that time had been spent in the city walls, the Drykas wanting to fully experience life within while he had the chance. However, he couldn’t stay away from his bonded Strider, Wind, for long. Luckily the stabling he had chosen, The Sanctuary, was less than a Bell’s walk from the city, so most days he had had time to make the walk and see his stallion. However, he had been missing the Strider in a way that a few moments with him, some grooming and playing in a paddock, could not cure. He missed working with him.
Jez had found out that The Sanctuary had claim over the surrounding lands, and that on them the owners had built a series of obstacles known as the Wolf Creek Cross Country Equestrian Training Course. He had never tried such a test and so didn’t know what to expected, but was excited to spend time with Wind again, to experience something new together. The sedentary lifestyle where horses were not required for survival was not suited to either of them, and the team needed some time to work with each other.
Jez had picked Wind up from The Sanctuary’s Boarding Barn in the late morning. He had chosen to equip the stallion in full yvas, wanting the extra support to hold if they struggled with some of the obstacles. The purple cloth pad had been placed first, covering part of Wind’s back and shoulders. Next the yvas was placed over this shoulders, the chest piece attached to hold it snug in place. His quiver and yvas bags had been kept with the yvas, attached to the metal rings, as had the knotted decorations of rope and leather dangling from it. It was strange to Jez to see so many horses used with a saddle and reins, and he was happy to see his own wearing the traditional Drykas gear.
Jez had mounted and led the stallion towards the exit of the factility, the creature perking up in excitement as he realised he wasn’t being put out to pasture but heading to spend some time with his rider. Jez had dismounted to open the main gates, with Wind pawing at the ground and tossing his head while waiting. As soon as the gates opened the stallion danced a few paces out of the facility before waiting for his rider to shut the gates once more and join him. The Drykas had mounted, equally excited for their day together, and directed them down the path that led to the course. The signs had pointed them to the outskirts of the pastures surrounding the facility, where a strip of forest lay on the ocean border.
“Hang on a minute, Wind,” Jez straightened, shifting his weight in his seat so the stallion would slow. They had made it to the course entrance, where a carved map clearly indicated the routes to take for the different difficulty trails. Wind’s ears flickered and he turned his head to nudge against his rider’s leg. Jez leant forward a little, eyes still looking over the map, to scratch at his horse’s forehead while he figured out where to go. “We should take the novice trail to start with,” he told Wind, “We don’t know what to expect and I don’t want us getting stuck between obstacles we can’t complete.”
Wind snorted and turned his head forward again, starting to walk down the trail ahead of them. Jez chuckled; the stallion clearly didn’t take too kindly to the thought of not being able to do something. “We’ll get there one day buddy, but for now we should take things easy. Let’s go left,” he pressed his right leg against the stallion’s side, tilting his pelvis left a little. Wind followed the direction, responding to both words and pressure, entering the start of the novice trail at a brisk walk.
Only a short way down the trail they encountered the first obstacle, one which Jez would hardly have thought about had there not been a small sign marking it as such. A small riffling river dissected the trail ahead, about ankle deep, and needed to be crossed to continue along the trail. A little to the right Jez noticed the trail widening to a shallower section, with a flagged staff marking it. Unsure what the marker meant, Jez shrugged and urged Wind onwards. The stallion paused for a moment in the water, pawing at the sediment curiously, before stepping back out onto the path. Having grown up on the Sea of Grass, Wind had little fear of crossing streams. Not only was it a part of life traveling through an entire region, but the stallion was often washed in rivers.
The pair continued their brisk walk, Jez taking pleasure in being out in the wilderness again. It was obvious the area around them was maintained by people, but enough wildlife had been allowed to grow that he felt comfortable. He thought of Caiyha, and her son Eywaat, as he looked around them. With a lack of Winter there were more insects buzzing around them, and the birds were out in good numbers to take advantage of them. This place was one of a few examples he had seen of Riverfall fully trying to embrace and work with Caiyha’s creations, rather than removing them in the name of progress.
Jez smiled at the knowledge that people existed outside of Endrykas who desired a life where man and nature could live in a side by side balance. He sent a silent prayer to Caiyha to thank her for the existence of this place, and for his being able to visit it. He was slowly growing more accepting of the culture where people chose to stay in one place. Upon first arriving in Riverfall he couldn’t understand why a people would stay in one place, manipulating their environment and not giving it a chance to recover. Now, though, he was beginning to realise that manipulation of the environment by planting and moving greenery, and setting aside specific areas for animals, was what made it possible for people to stay in one place. He didn’t see it as a perfect solution for a lifestyle, but it Riverfall he couldn’t understand why they would stay in one place, not giving their environment a chance to recover and manipulating it. Now, though, he was beginning to realise that the manipulation by planting and moving greenery, with only specific areas for animals, was what made it possible for people to stay in one place. He wasn’t sure it was the perfect solution for a way of living, but it was certainly better than if the people had doing nothing and let the environment wither away around them.
Jez had found out that The Sanctuary had claim over the surrounding lands, and that on them the owners had built a series of obstacles known as the Wolf Creek Cross Country Equestrian Training Course. He had never tried such a test and so didn’t know what to expected, but was excited to spend time with Wind again, to experience something new together. The sedentary lifestyle where horses were not required for survival was not suited to either of them, and the team needed some time to work with each other.
Jez had picked Wind up from The Sanctuary’s Boarding Barn in the late morning. He had chosen to equip the stallion in full yvas, wanting the extra support to hold if they struggled with some of the obstacles. The purple cloth pad had been placed first, covering part of Wind’s back and shoulders. Next the yvas was placed over this shoulders, the chest piece attached to hold it snug in place. His quiver and yvas bags had been kept with the yvas, attached to the metal rings, as had the knotted decorations of rope and leather dangling from it. It was strange to Jez to see so many horses used with a saddle and reins, and he was happy to see his own wearing the traditional Drykas gear.
Jez had mounted and led the stallion towards the exit of the factility, the creature perking up in excitement as he realised he wasn’t being put out to pasture but heading to spend some time with his rider. Jez had dismounted to open the main gates, with Wind pawing at the ground and tossing his head while waiting. As soon as the gates opened the stallion danced a few paces out of the facility before waiting for his rider to shut the gates once more and join him. The Drykas had mounted, equally excited for their day together, and directed them down the path that led to the course. The signs had pointed them to the outskirts of the pastures surrounding the facility, where a strip of forest lay on the ocean border.
“Hang on a minute, Wind,” Jez straightened, shifting his weight in his seat so the stallion would slow. They had made it to the course entrance, where a carved map clearly indicated the routes to take for the different difficulty trails. Wind’s ears flickered and he turned his head to nudge against his rider’s leg. Jez leant forward a little, eyes still looking over the map, to scratch at his horse’s forehead while he figured out where to go. “We should take the novice trail to start with,” he told Wind, “We don’t know what to expect and I don’t want us getting stuck between obstacles we can’t complete.”
Wind snorted and turned his head forward again, starting to walk down the trail ahead of them. Jez chuckled; the stallion clearly didn’t take too kindly to the thought of not being able to do something. “We’ll get there one day buddy, but for now we should take things easy. Let’s go left,” he pressed his right leg against the stallion’s side, tilting his pelvis left a little. Wind followed the direction, responding to both words and pressure, entering the start of the novice trail at a brisk walk.
Only a short way down the trail they encountered the first obstacle, one which Jez would hardly have thought about had there not been a small sign marking it as such. A small riffling river dissected the trail ahead, about ankle deep, and needed to be crossed to continue along the trail. A little to the right Jez noticed the trail widening to a shallower section, with a flagged staff marking it. Unsure what the marker meant, Jez shrugged and urged Wind onwards. The stallion paused for a moment in the water, pawing at the sediment curiously, before stepping back out onto the path. Having grown up on the Sea of Grass, Wind had little fear of crossing streams. Not only was it a part of life traveling through an entire region, but the stallion was often washed in rivers.
The pair continued their brisk walk, Jez taking pleasure in being out in the wilderness again. It was obvious the area around them was maintained by people, but enough wildlife had been allowed to grow that he felt comfortable. He thought of Caiyha, and her son Eywaat, as he looked around them. With a lack of Winter there were more insects buzzing around them, and the birds were out in good numbers to take advantage of them. This place was one of a few examples he had seen of Riverfall fully trying to embrace and work with Caiyha’s creations, rather than removing them in the name of progress.
Jez smiled at the knowledge that people existed outside of Endrykas who desired a life where man and nature could live in a side by side balance. He sent a silent prayer to Caiyha to thank her for the existence of this place, and for his being able to visit it. He was slowly growing more accepting of the culture where people chose to stay in one place. Upon first arriving in Riverfall he couldn’t understand why a people would stay in one place, manipulating their environment and not giving it a chance to recover. Now, though, he was beginning to realise that manipulation of the environment by planting and moving greenery, and setting aside specific areas for animals, was what made it possible for people to stay in one place. He didn’t see it as a perfect solution for a lifestyle, but it Riverfall he couldn’t understand why they would stay in one place, not giving their environment a chance to recover and manipulating it. Now, though, he was beginning to realise that the manipulation by planting and moving greenery, with only specific areas for animals, was what made it possible for people to stay in one place. He wasn’t sure it was the perfect solution for a way of living, but it was certainly better than if the people had doing nothing and let the environment wither away around them.
|| Jez Firetongue || 25 years || Drykas || Amethyst Clan || Firetongue Pavilion || Bond to Wind ||
The Heart of Nature Soothes the Heart of Man More Than Any Woman Can
