A Sight to Be Seen (Jarhal)

[Cardinal]

49th of Winter 510AV The day was warm. Syna was shining above, unhindered by clouds in the bright blue sky. A wind from the south brought a pleasing breeze lacking in even the slightest chill. Despite being closer to Eyktol and not experiencing the bitterness of the northern parts of the plains, a citizen of Endrykas could still appreciate a day more like spring than winter. Grass swayed this way and that outside of the tent city. In the distance there was a triumphant shout in Pavi, likely some hunter bringing down a glorious catch. It was, all-in-all, a perfect day to begin an adventure. One only had to decide which direction they wished to go… Tallgrass Prairie by Vermilionbird

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

What a beautiful day to be a Drykas. The grasslands could be a grand place even in the most inhospitable season, nature had a resiliency Jarhal envied greatly. He had bitten his lip a week ago and it still hurt! But out here he barely noticed any pains or worries. When he caught a breeze, untainted by any smoke of a campfire or other touch of man, and saw the stalks of grass around him bend in a dance with the wind... well, it made him a real optimist about the world.

Today he was dressed much the same as he always was. Snug brown leather boots with scant fur about the tops met with the dull green of his stitched pants. A matching green long-sleeved shirt was covered by a brown leather vest, and he wore green archer's gloves on both his hands. Draped over all of it was a heavy cloak of a darker green with an elk fur lining. His quiver and pack, with what he'd need for one of his journeys like today, shared space on his back as he carried his simple wood-and-horn composite bow in one hand.

These journeys were not too rare for the emerald hunter, to go any more often would be to invite bad luck. They were journeys with a very general purpose: to find things others had not yet seen. One might think he was a treasure-hunter and that might be correct, but he cared little for gold mizas or ancient ruins. No, he was looking for Caiyha's treasures planted in Cyphrus like the jewels the Clans took for their namesakes. Even though he had failed to find anything notable yet in his searching, he was not disheartened. The act of searching was enough to keep him satisfied.

This time it was a bit different however. For the first time he had someone else to search with, someone closer to nature than him when you got down to it. Featherline would be an interesting companion, and certainly much better to talk with than Chural or Topher. The dog and horse accompanied him today, standing to either side of him in the tall grass and looking as eager as their human was. He had been unsure if he should have acquired the Kelvic woman a horse or not, but he decided they could share his strider if it came down to that. The woman could turn into a bird at will, after all.

[Featherline]

Featherline looked like she was wearing a grinning mask today. When she had sensed the warmer weather earlier this morning, she had thought the terrible winter was over, a big relief for her. This meant she didn't have to wear tons of clothes when she went outside. Nor did she have to borrow Jarhal's clothes. She still didn't dare throwing her clothes away though, and wore a loose dress that looked like it could be blown off her shoulders by the slightest breeze. This wasn't far from the truth, and she liked this dress for being so easy to put on and get off again whenever she needed to. This meant she could be in her true shape more often, and that meant she could hunt and behave like she used to, before the winter came. From what she had understood from Jarhal they were not going to hunt today, but she still smiled like a fool.

"So, what are we looking for again?" Featherline asked because she wanted to know if she was correctly informed, or if it was just a joke. Shiny stones... Well, maybe they meant something special for these strange people. Or maybe they just liked shiny stuff, like crows. Being in the good mood she was in, she giggled by the thought of seeing the Drykas as crows, jumping around in their huge nest.

[Cardinal]

It would be easiest for the two adventurers to begin on one of the trod-down roads while getting outside of the city. While these were not official roads, it seemed the people and horses tended, like most animals, to stick to certain paths. It caused the grass to be beaten down with travel, but far enough out they’d simply disappear as less and less traffic happened over them. They had a choice to make in which direction they took. North would send them into the heart of the plains. East or West respectively would curve them around the general direction of the Run of Endrykas, but if they kept at it they’d eventually see the great bodies of water that hugged the region. Of course, South would take them closer to the desert, but Jarhal likely realized neither of them had experience with a different environment. Plus, surely, it wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the bounty of Sea of Grass – The diversity of plants lacking, the air dry, the comforts of home far away.