Field Day [Grandfathered]

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Day 40th of Winter, AV 510 Location: Just outside Endrykas

It felt so strange to go out alone. Completely alone. It wasn't wise, but Eldon knew that the slightly cooler air would at least drive some predators away, others into hibernation perhaps. Nobody, nothing, anything with a brain enjoyed being cold, but Eldon would except the faintly chilled breeze to roll over his body as he walked, not rode, into the Sea of Grass. Eldon had no plan to go very far, hell, little a trio of riders were still seen in the distance as the rode around playfully with each other. Eldon would have joined them, or at least rode around on Vanah's back without a care, if only she weren't ill. It wasn't dangerously ill, but Eldon dare not push her when she was recovering from anything. Eldon had to get out though. If only to brush his fingers through the grass or search for a tree to climb in so that he could relax, or even just watch the single cloud that drifted slowly across the sky without motivation for haste. Eldon had been working hard recently, very hard. Within the past ten days alone he nearly drifted into overgiving four times. Something was making him restless, careless, and it was bothering his father to no end. Or so Eldon assumed. The elder Drykas told Eldon not to work for a few days. It wasn't a request, but a command, and though it irked him that his father was so stern and stubborn on it, since he knew a good portion of their income relied on him, he couldn't deny that he needed a few hours, maybe even days, just to relax. Still, relaxing in the plain was always in itself a great danger, thus Eldon brought along with him his axes, small but aerodynamic. He had become a fairly good shot too. Maybe that is something he could do while taking his break from work. Eldon fell into a trance as his feet methodically crunched the dried bristles of grass under his heels with each step. His breathing brought a strange comforting coolness of the air through his lips, his throat, his chest, and out a warmer, almost mist-like cloud. Eldon supposed this was one of the colder days this season had to offer, and though it was hardly 'frigid' or even frosty, it was cool to the skin, causing faint chilled bumps to sprinkle across the arms that swayed by his sides.

[Denen Sunsinger]

Eldon was not the only one out alone at that particular moment, and it was, perhaps, even more foolish for the young healer to be out by himself, but he needed herbs for Reth's joints, and he hadn't wanted to bother the Whitefeathers for more, when he already felt he took too much. And there was no way that he would go to the Brokensong Pavilion in order to retrieve them when he could get them himself. As it was, he was walking alongside his Strider, wearing the hood and gloves Dymphna had given him for his birthday. Reth snorted as they began their way back, and Denen would pause occasionally to adjust the bags on his yvas or whisper softly, soothingly, to his horse. His arthritis was intense on that particular day, and Denen hadn't the heart to ride him in that condition. Reth, however, hadn't wanted to stay behind, and as such, lumbered alongside the deaf healer on their way back to their new Pavilion. He hugged an arm around Reth's neck as he walked, his spirits lower than he cared to admit. Reth knew it, too, and Denen was sure that the old horse knew why. His throat tightened as he walked. He could only keep this up for so long. One day, Reth would be unable to stand, and Denen would be compelled, by Drykas law, to help his old friend into the next stage of life. The thought made him sick. He couldn't bring himself to look in Reth's dark eyes, knowing that it would be by his hand that such a thing came to pass. He had been watching the ground when Reth saw Eldon. He stopped, nudging Denen with his head, and the boy looked up. It took him a moment to recognize him, but when he did, he smiled, and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Eldon!" His voice was unmistakable, and a bit awkward, as it was so rarely used for shouting. He raised his arm above his head and waved it, making his way in Eldon's direction. His thoughts were, gratefully, distracted, and he smiled warmly as he drew near. "How are you? What are you doing out here?" He signed, curiosity written on his features.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon jerked his head around quickly as his name carried across the plains. It wasn't far, but the voice seemed unfamiliar in the sense that he didn't immediately match it to its owner, yet familiar at the same time, because he knew that he knew the voice. Catching a glimpse of Denen from a ways away, he nearly slapped himself for not realizing who it was. Brokensong, the one that he still felt he owed. Denen had tended to Vanah's wounds when she managed to take a direct hit from a lioness's claw. Eldon moved towards Denen with in a faint jog. He felt that he didn't know Denen nearly well enough, even though they spent many days on the Great Hunt together the past season. Eldon smiled, merely saying "Denen." before he remembered Denen was deaf. Denen's hand gestures were to blame for this memory recollection. Eldon himself was fairly skilled in his Grassland Sign, but fluency was not yet claimable. Still, he could converse. He watched Denen's hands, noting every single motion, finger movements, and so on. Eldon lifted his hands to respond, though he was much slower at 'speaking' in sign than he was reading it. "I am well. Father told me to stop working today. I am rest." Eldon grinned in triumph as he was quite proud of his message, confidence in his near-perfection. Perhaps it helped that he audibly spoke along with his attempts at sign. Hopefully Denen could read lips. "I was just walking around, enjoying the wind and earth. Father always said it is important to know the elements." Of course, anyone that knew the Sunkiss Pavilion knew their status with reimancy. His father was even more obsessed with the elements, understanding them so that he could better control them. Eldon tried to understand, and would never admit to anyone that he didn't quite manage that. "And you? What brings you two out here?" Eldon noticed the horse at Denen's side seemed weak, or limping from pain, neither was a good sign. Eldon, however, decided not to question about the strider.

[Edalene]

Edalene skimmed the outskirts of Endrykas fairly often, but never on such a cold day as today. Cold winter days were rather spent inside her pavillion or at the Stalk Meet. She rarely, if ever, wandered out into the wild on such days. But today was different. There was something about today - the biting chill, the windless air - that ignited Edalene's wanderlust. And so, she went wandering.

Edalene had always had an obsession with horizons. She had always loved to see that spot where the land met the sky. There was an air of mystery to it. What was over that next hill? Where did the plains roll off to? The horizons went forever on and on, and Edalene wished she could run away over them. Run away from her father, from her Drykas heritage, and start anew, as something worth while, someone that would be remembered. One day, she would travel, but not today. Not any day soon.

As she walked around Endrykas, the mass of tents still in sight, she heard a yell and a murmur in return. Turning her head, she gripped her broadsword dangling at her side tightly for a moment, and tried to locate the source of the noise. Everything was silent after those two initial sounds, an occurance unusual. If someone was in danger, surely they would continue to make a scene, in the hopes that someone was nearby? Edalene sincerely hoped that no one was in danger.

But no, she saw instead two Drykas, with a horse at their side. The one man was tall and muscular, the other slimmer. The horse seemed old, and walked with a lumbering gait - never a good sign for their health. They were the two who had shouted, but now there ceased to be any noise between them. For some reason, they were now signing to each other in Grassland Sign - which Eda had failed to learn as a child. She wished she understood now. Hesitantly, she approached the pair, and began to speak.

"Hello, I'm Edalene, of the Sunblaze pavilion. Why are we signing? Is there something wrong?" Edalene kept her voice down, worried about the potential dangers around her.

[Denen Sunsinger]

Denen didn't speak much, especially around strangers, something that could likely be largely attributed to the fact that Eldon didn't recognize his voice right away. Still, he smiled sweetly as Eldon came near him, meeting him almost halfway. He went slow, due to the fact that he was looking after an aging Strider, one that needed all the patience and love the young man could offer. And Denen, with his giving heart, did just that. When the time came, he would be reluctant, but ready. It was the way of true Drykas, even those who were without kith and kin. He remembered the incident on the Sea of Grass very well, but he did not feel that Eldon owed him anything for it. It was, after all, his duty to tend to such things, whether in Endrykas or out of it. It was odd, almost, that he didn't know Eldon better, considering how Sam idolized him and that Denen spent so much time with his would-be Ankhal. Nevertheless, he was happy to see a friendly face. His smile widened at the greeting, pretty features lighting up. The cold had caused his cheeks to flush slightly, and he leaned his head against Reth's neck as Eldon greeted him. He was pleased that Eldon knew what he was saying. The shout had hurt his throat more than he cared to admit. Ah, such was the consequence of lack of use. He watched with an unwavering patience as Eldon replied to him. He appreciated the gesture. Within Sam's little Pavilion, grassland sign and Pavi both were spoken together. Denen could read lips well enough when hands were unable to be seen or used, but sign was, by far, the easier means of communication. He nodded his understanding, giving a silent, shaking laugh, one that wrote itself across his pretty features. Denen's smiles were never wasted, and always kind, kinder still to those he liked. Denen understood and appreciated the simplicity of enjoying the world the gods had given them. He did it often himself, when he could, at any rate. He motioned to his collecting bag, in which some small stones were held, minerals to be crushed and used with his poultices, as well as a few, scraggly herbs. They weren't as good this time of year, but he couldn't be picky. "We were getting some herbs," he informed. "I wanted to leave Reth with Dohaina and Dara, but he wouldn't have it." He reached up to cover Reth's ears, and whispered. "H-He...He's stubborn...st-stubborn as a m-m-mule. B-But d-d-d-don't tell h-him I said that." Reth snorted and tossed his head, to which Denen laughed. He looked up at the arrival of the girl, giving a shy smile and watching her curiously, focused intensely on her mouth, as she didn't sign. "H-H-Hello," he greeted, his voice timid. "W-We're...We're s-signing b-because I can't...I c-can-can't hear." He motioned to his ears as he spoke, doing his best to avoid straining his voice.

[Matasol]

Matasol had spent this day in meditation, he had very few chores to finish and had nothing pressing that needed to be settled. So he had wandered around his home, traversing paths that he had walked as a young child. The outlay of the tents may be always changing, but it remained his little corner of Endrykas. He had lived here his entire life and was quite fond of it's little details. The people are what shapes a city not the landmarks, and Matasol had learned to appreciate what little companionship he could manage to get. He had ventured slightly beyond the main city, and meandered around the outskirts taking in the natural wonders of the sea. This was his home, endless sky upon endless grass. His father had always told him that as a Drykas this land was connected to him, not only by the web but by his being born here. He was Drykas, he was of this land and it was part of him. He had grown up loving the elements, he would stand in a storm and let the piercing rain and wind blast into his tender skin. He loved the feel of a breeze running along his cheek, of a raindrop running down his face. The gods had created these things for their purposes and they were to be enjoyed by those who lived amongst them. At least that's what his father had always told him. This day was gorgeous, perhaps a little cold. But the sun was shining and the great blue sky arched over him creating a feeling of connectedness to all life in the Sea. His mind was lost in daydreams, when he almost ran into a group of people. "Oh.. I'm terribly sorry to intrude. Pardon my shortsightedness...."

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon offered a quick wink and a grin when Denen asked him to keep the secret from the strider, nodding faintly to confirm his promise of silence. Still, herbs was a topic he wasn't particularly familiar with. He knew they had medicinal properties, he heard some could be lethal, and other even edible. Eldon wouldn't be able to tell the difference between edible and poisonous mushrooms or anything like that, but he had to admit it was vaguely interesting. To the best of his ability, Eldon lifted his hands to once more communicate in the Grassland Sign. "Show me?" Eldon meant the herbs of course. Even if he never learned to be a healer of any kind, which he doubted he would since it hardly interested him (except that he did wish to help others, hence his seriousness about his own profession), it would be a good experience never-the-less. Then, only moments later, an unfamiliar face approached them. A young woman, Drykas (judging by her fluency in Pavi), and inquisitive. She didn't seem at all bothered that she was intruding on their conversation, be it sign or Pavi, or in their case both simultaneously. Still, Eldon couldn't help but have a little fun right? Before Denen explained, Eldon jumped to give a mock answer of his own. "We're talking about you behind your back. Or were I mean. It's kind of hard when you're right here watching." Eldon's mischievous smile lasted all the way through Denen's legitimate explanation, to which Eldon nodded. He turned back towards Denen, assuming it was much more difficult to read lips than Sign (why else would Sign be formed otherwise?), to communicate again. "I can translate if you want. Does that easier?" Eldon felt that if he did help Denen hear in a way, perhaps he could work towards paying off his debt, even though he alone in this world felt that he really owed Denen anything. Vanah meant a lot to him, and if she was made lame, or worse, from the attack because of Eldon's foolish mistake, he would never have forgiven himself. Eldon looked up, another unfamiliar face had walked right on top of Denen and he. At first, with just he, Denen, and Edalene, Eldon felt alright, but now that two others had approached in the vast amount of plains they could have been walking towards, he couldn't help but feel that he was some sort of strange magnetism pulling stray or lone people towards him. A ridiculous thought, but still... "Greetings, Edalene, friend (towards Matasol, whose name he had yet to learn). It's a pleasure to meet you both." Even if it did feel somewhat awkward, getting to know them might help.

[Denen Sunsinger]

Denen's hands were dirty from his digging in the dirt to find stones and to get down to the roots of the herbs he had been hunting for. He had found, too, peeking out from beneath a stone, a little patch of mushrooms, which he had thought was a very lucky find. Jelly Ear, specifically, which would be good for helping with colds. Jada had always sworn by it. He'd found some shaggy mane mushrooms as well, and knew he needed to get them prepped quickly if he wished to use them properly before they withered up and became black. He hated it when they did that. At Eldon's request, his blue eyes lit up, and he nodded agreeably. He moved around to open his bag, and drew out a bundle of rosemary. He brought it up to his nose and breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of it, before holding it out for Eldon to do the same. “R-Rosemary,” he informed. “It's g-g-good for the br-br-brain. And it...it smells l-like h-heaven.” That was tucked away once Eldon had his chance to smell it, and he brought out some twigs of sage. He offered these to Eldon to hold for a moment, so that he could sign. Sage was exciting, and he would jumble his words if he tried talking. “That's sage. It's my favorite. Sage is good for helping with liver issues, sore throats and mouth sores, fights excessive sweating, and some say it helps women as they age.” His cheeks flushed. “I haven't used it for that, though.” The sage was put away, and he fumbled about in his bag to hold up the mushrooms. “For food and colds, and...gods know what else. Mushrooms are amazing.” He tucked the mushrooms away, and then grinned widely as his fingers found a large, muddy, jagged, albeit pretty, green stone, which he offered to Eldon. “Here. Take it. It's called jade. I found this piece, which means there must be more of it! The gods blessed me today!” He was absolutely beaming, his grin stretching from ear to ear. “The stone is soothing. I mean, it has other uses, too, but...that's my favorite. I will have it washed and carved. Maybe...Maybe into a ring, or even a bracelet.” His eyes danced as he signed. Further discussion of his treasures, however, was put on hold when the woman approached. Denen watched her curiously, unable to help but smile as Eldon teased her. He batted at him playfully, much like he did with Sam, and gave his silent laugh. He was pleased by how considerate Eldon was in offering to sign for him. He nodded his thanks. “I would appreciate it, Eldon,” he answered. Denen leaned against Reth's neck, and the old gelding snorted and nuzzled into him with all the tenderness of a parent attending their infant child. The healer's slim, dirty hand rubbed the Strider's cheek, and he smiled up to him. He studied the newcomer curiously. Denen had never been one to hide the fact that he watched people, after all. If he didn't, he'd be left in the cold to be confused and frustrated. Fortunately, with Eldon signing for him, he'd be able to have some inclination as to what was going on. It was difficult to keep up in groups. Denen thought nothing of his efforts to help Vanah on the Hunt. She was as important to him as any of the other Drykas would have been. A Strider was as valued as a human being, and he could only imagine—perhaps far too well—what Eldon would have suffered if he had lost her. His blue eyes turned to Reth for a moment, and he felt a stab of fear. The day was coming too soon. The healer brushed dirt off of his hands as he watched the others, genuinely curious as to how such a gathering had come about so quickly. He smiled shyly and kept close to Reth and Eldon, the beings he was more familiar with. It was his way, childlike, to seek protection and comfort from those things with which he was familiar. He raised his hands and signed his greeting. “Greetings to you both.” He glanced up to Eldon, smiled, and shrugged. Sam would have loved this. He was so outgoing it was almost ridiculous. He almost laughed at the thought, imagining Sam's typical greeting. It almost seemed silly now to have forgotten to ask him to come along.

[Edalene]

Edalene stammered a reply. "T-talking about me? But you don't even know who I am!" How could they be gossiping about her behind her back if she had never met the two Drykas men? She suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable around these two men, and was about to back away, when the younger, prettier one told her the truth.

So, they were signing because he couldn't hear. Glaring at the ruder man, Edalene tried to remember exactly how to sign hello and her name, twisting her hands as she did so. Alas, all she managed to do was a little twitch and flutter which probably meant she was insulting their eighth cousin, or something. She sighed. She really should have payed more attention in her classes.

Edalene was extremely curious as to exactly why the nicer man could not hear, but something about these men intimidated her, preventing her from rambling as she normally would have done. Perhaps because there were two of them, perhaps because they seemed to be close friends - perhaps because they seemed to be more mature than she. Well, mature aside from that one dig he had had at Edalene's expense. Rather than responding to that insult, she instead decided to play nice. She was clearly far too mature to lower herself down to rude arguments. She had learnt her lesson on the archery range, she thought ruefully, looking down and grabbing her healing scar just below her elbow.

"I'm sorry about your ears," she said, sincerely sorry. Knowing how much Eda rambled, she would have felt seriously at a loss not being able to fully partake in some of the hilarious situations her rambling got her into. "Would you translate for us? I can't do Grassland Sign," she asked of the older man. The other man looked only to be a couple of years older than her, at most, and was far more feminine.

A lull in the conversation - or rather, not conversation yet, more the awkward pauses - was broken by the arrival of a familiar face. Matasol approached the group, only seeming to recognise their existance when he was almost upon them. Clearly, he had not recognised Edalene. They had not seen eachother since they had had that argument, or rather discussion, on the world of magic. It seemed that the other two Drykas men did not know him, a viewpoint which was emphasised by the nameless greeting the older man gave him. "This is Matasol! He's nice. And what are your names?"

[Matasol]

As he looked around himself, Matasol caught sight of Eldon. His entire world seemed to rivet itself upon the man. His half-brother, the man whom Matasol had wanted to meet since he was a young child. What happened in the heavens was too complex for his mind to grasp, but something must have drawn the two together. Such an opportunity must not be wasted, no he would introduce himself. But then what if Eldon did not believe his story, what if he thought of Matasol as a madman. That must not happen, and then his father had told him (albeit in a rather vague way) that he was to stay away from the other members of his family. His thoughts were broken first by a nameless greeting from his brother, and then a more enthusiastic greeting from a girl to his left. He quickly recognized her as Edalene. "Edalene! Well met my friend!" he exclaimed "What a coincedence to meet each other once again on such strange circumstances. I'll try to keep my... juggling under control" he gave her a saucy wink with the last statement. He turned to Eldon "Well met indeed friend, as my friend has told you my name is Matasol, what is yours" Outwardly he smiled, but on the inside he cursed himself for the lack of action. But there was another greeting from the quiet one. Matasol quickly made the sign for greetings, and then said "Well met friend" while facing the man who apparently was lacking the use of his ears.

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