[Riverfall Location] The Sanctuary

[Kavala]

----> Follow Me!

Gideon

Kavala smiled. "Alright, we have an agreement then. Let me go get a pair of horses and throw some yvas on them. I'll let you rest your horse and we can take one that needs exercise. Then we can move the herds and check on things to make sure everyone is fine. I'll be ready in ten minutes. Meet me in the courtyard?" Kavala said, then swiftly departed. She grabbed her traveling medical kit, a yvas pack filled with emergency supplies, two canteens and then went to put yvas on the two herd stallions to ride them out together.

She'd meet Gideon at the center of the courtyard by the old fountain with Silk and Ghost, both ready to ride out.






NoteOkay, please feel free to stalk the Sanctuary Consorita. There's stuff in the OOC thread there for you to fill out. Also... here's the link.... http://www.mizahar.com/forums/post83595.html#p83595

[Kadrath Onktaka]

Fall 1st, 511 AV A calm young man stood before the gates with an enormous Karabash hunting dog at his side. He scrutinized the doors to the Sanctuary for a full chime, and then made a small gesture with his left hand, signalling the animal to stay close as he entered. Kadrath walked confidently through the doors and looked around the courtyard with ice blue eyes that raked over every detail. If his grandfather were alive, his kennels and cattery would have stern competition with the looks of this place. Stepping closer to the building, he looked over the foundation, the corners of the windows and even the neatness of the Sanctuary overall. 'Speak up and announce our presence you timid little girl. Are you waiting for a petching servant to take your hand?' 'Hold your tongue and have the patience to get the feel of the place first. The last one was filthy and badly organized. I will not commit us to apply at an inferior place.' Rath carefully looked over the inner courtyard, noting the solid fencing and good condition of the ground. A large oval path had worn away some of the topsoil, giving evidence of the many hooves that paced the area daily. Not a single blade of grass was out of place and the walls were sound and well made. When he'd finally looked over his fill of each building and was satisfied, he called out in a neutral voice, "Greetings. I'm Kadrath and I am here to apply for employment."

[Raiha]

Shadowplayer, shadowplayer, the shadows sang at her as she tidied her mews. The kestrel chicks made a lot of noise and even more mess, as did the Deerstalkers. Diallo, of course, was tidy and well-behaved, but the older pups were still learning, and the pack of them had chased Raiha's geese around the mews until she had came running. The birds, as a result, had made a total mess of the place, and were honking unhappily from the nestbox. As mean as the gander could be, he wasn't used to having to threaten dogs away from the geese. After all, all three of them, as goslings, had cuddled into and onto Diallo and dozed together. That these speckled pups were behaving so outrageously had earned all of them a time out in an empty flight.

She could just imagine all of them sitting there and whining and trying to give her the saddest face. And she wasn't angry, not really - Raiha had an very slow fuse, and she just shook her head. It was her fault, really, because she hadn't watched them. Therefore, she had no one to blame but herself. "What is it?" she replied as she tucked some of the white hair that had slipped her ponytail back behind her ears, straightening. By now, Diallo had gotten up from where he had been lying in the middle of the mews licking at a goose's feathers and stood in the doorway of the mews, watching the action down below. Apparently, they had company. That, in itself, was not uncommon. Sanctuary had grown steadily popular, and Diallo tended to watch and wait, to see if what showed up was threatening or not. Injured animals tended to get more difficult and skittish with a large dog barking at them, so it was a habit that they'd gotten into since they had come here.

The puppies, however...

Just kept yapping, and yapping, and yapping inside the flight. Raiha ignored them for now, and emerged from the mews, trotting down the steps with Diallo in tow, sizing up the newcomer and that big damn dog he had with him. Well, that might have been a surprise to him - another Akontak. And, unfortunately for Uruk, a female. "Nice dog," she greeted him. Raiha wasn't a big talker, but she could appreciate a good dog. It was a common thread to start with. "And you're looking for a job... then you're looking for Kavala should be in here," she indicated the building containing the Konti's office before heading in, inclining her head to indicate he follow her. Diallo trotted after her, sizing up Kadrath and his companion, but so far, he wasn't showing any signs of aggression. "Kavala?" she knocked on a door and stuck her head inside. "Someone wants a job."

[Kadrath Onktaka]

Before he'd finished speaking, he heard puppies barking in their distinctive, high pitched yips. While it brought a smile to Kadrath, his canine companion, Fidens, answered with a low warning growl. Two indigo fingers shaped into an upside down V and the large dog turned silent. An incredibly beautiful woman answered the summons. Rath's ice blue eyes took in her height and muscle tone along with her gills, webbed fingers and long white hair. His gaze moved to the well bred dog at her side, automatically checking for injuries as was his habit. 'She has a dog and and she's Akontak like us.' Rath thought optimistically. 'It's still just a woman.' Uruk's mental tone dripped with disdain. "You have a handsome animal, yourself." He answered Raiha in a voice as deep and dark as his skin tone. Fidens watched the woman and dog with piercing ebony eyes. He heeled by Rath, padding on giant, soft paws. He'd evaluated Diallo as smaller and non threatening-so far. His confidence matched his size as the dog paired his stride to his handler, occasionally glancing at the man's hands for any further cues. They followed Raiha at a respectful distance, awaiting this Kavala person, and a possible new job.

[Kavala]

Kadrath & Raiha

Kavala was indeed around, but she was deeply asleep. Bent over her books in her office, Tasival sitting quietly in his bouncer not doing much but dozing himself, the mother was exhausted and tended not to show it. There were always numbers to crunch, salaries to be paid, feed to invoice, sales to tally... running a business was hard work. So hard, in fact, the new mother snatched catnaps where she could. Alone, with Tasifal quiet, her office was the perfect place... even if the boss would get annoyed there was drool on her books.

Raiha's knock startled Kavala awake, caused her to gasp, which then caused Tasifal to wake up and start crying immediately. Kavala picked him up out of the bouncer, cuddled him too her to sooth him and opened the door. She looked tired and it was obvious she'd been catnapping... but she still plastered a smile on her face and walked out into the reception area with child in tow.

"Hi there. I'm Kavala. You're looking for work? What kind might I ask? We've always have need for...." An akalak, Kavala decided, then regained her composure. She didn't want to jump out of her skin everytime a new one came over. This one wasn't looking for a contract and obviously knew she was probably under one already. "... for healers, grooms, trainers.. that sort of thing." She added, letting him speak.

[Kadrath Onktaka]

A child's cry pierced the air and Uruk stirred fiercely within him. Kadrath's expression remained cool and appraising as he worked to quell the instant maelstrom of conflicting emotions. With his lower vantage point, Fidens' eyes locked on the squalling baby. For a brief chime, he pinned his ears back at the abrupt noise and then his expression changed to one of interest. The enormous dog stayed completely still; well everything except his thick, rudder-like tail that thumped against the floor. 'Rath, if there's a baby, there's a breeder. We should take her contract!' 'That has nothing to do with whether or not we work here. Be calm.' 'Tell that petching female to move!' 'Raiha is Akontak like us. We will show her respect.' He looked over Raiha's head to see Kavala and the smaller form she held. Her sleep tousled hair might be attractive to most, but it looked inefficient and messy to him. Although Rath would have missed the micro expression, Uruk pounced on it like a hungry predator. 'She fears us, as well she should!' the darker soul stated with pride. 'But look--a baby Akontak!' Rath exclaimed to his brother in triumph. 'It's a good sign. Here is where we are meant to be.' The inward discussion was brief and nearly done before it had started. Reaching a balance after a few chimes of debate, Kadrath nodded briefly to Kavala. His icy blue gaze swiftly evaluated her figure, scars, face and overall form. She had indeed felt a moment's fear, but controlled it well, he noted. "Good morning. I am Kadrath and I seek employment as either a veterinary or trainer. I have experience with healing animals of most varieties as well as breeding and training hunting cats and dogs like Fidens here." He answered, placing a large hand on the dog's head. The large canine stood and his back reached all the way up to Rath's waist.

[Raiha]

The massive Deerstalker had no injuries that were visible. He may have had some scarring under his coat, but there was nothing that was immediately visible. Had he glanced with Auristics, the man would have found that he was looking at a perfectly healthy mutt. “Thank you. He’s a good dog,” she smiled down at Diallo. She winced inwardly when she realized that she’d woken Kavala up, to judge by the looks of her and Tasi. The little monkey was a screamer. But it was better that way, she thought, personally, than to be a sickly baby like she had been.

Still, she just leaned against the doorframe and just watched, thumbs hooked in the leather belt at her waist as she watched Kavala and the Akalak whose name was apparently Kadrath. She could have left, she knew - Gods knew there was plenty for her to do - but she knew just being there usually was enough to keep pushy males to some level of politeness. Diallo left her side, though, to go rub his head against Kavala’s knee and nose Tasi’s feet.

[Kavala]

Raiha & Kadrath

Kavala smiled. "It's nice to meet you Kadrath. We're interested in taking on new healers and trainers so the position would be one of multiple tasks. Everyone here fills in here needed even if its only collecting herbs or cleaning stalls. Can you tell me a little bit about your experience with horses and dogs? Raiha and I can take you on a tour of the facility and you can give us some idea of what you know. I'd like to know your worst day as a healer and your best day as a healer... same goes with as a trainer. Then too... I'd like to speak with your other brother as well. I understand fully that hiring one of you means hiring both of you and we need to make sure all personalities are ... in agreement." Kavala said smiling. "I don't often get introduced to just one Akalak brother. Around here we embrace facts and introductions are often made with both. Do you have any objections? We'll start with the inside as you answer questions." She said, beginning to walk.

Kavala lead them into the heart of the clinic itself, slowly beginning a tour with the exam room and storage rooms. The philtering lab was then exposed and the reception and office areas were seen. From there they went downstairs to look at the Kennels and storages below.

[Kadrath Onktaka]

"A pleasure to meet you as well." They nodded before continuing, "Uruk is more of the healer and Rath is more of the trainer, though some situations have a need of us both." Their voices melded in rich harmony with the hint of a peculiar echo. Uruk's green gaze scanned the surroundings as they walked, checking for loose boards or errant nails laying around. He continued his thorough examination while they spoke. "Our grandfather raised hunting dogs and cats along with horses as a hobby. Our mother, Kaslima is an excellent healer and specializes in auristics. Rath learned breeding, handling, corrective techniques, and advanced training for dogs and cats along with some basic manners and ground work for horses. Uruk learned healing, preventative care, diagnostics and auristics." Rath's icy blue eyes appeared pensive for a moment and he almost smiled at the fond memory. His response was pitched smoothly and quietly. "My best day as a trainer was discovering that not all dogs respond to the same methods. About a decade ago, someone brought in a pup to train. He warned us the dog was stubborn and he'd tried to train the dog for moons with no success. When I tried the standard methods with him, I got no results. To give him a break, I kenneled him with a Jubatas kit each night for a seven day. The kit would sit nearby just watching during the day and she responded well to the training. The dog would look at her intently and then perfectly modeled her behavior! This in turn, taught me that body language and signals were more important to the dog than any amount of vocal commands. When Uruk examined the pup with auristics, he found that the dog was almost completely deaf! Now that I understood this, his signal training and silent gestures worked beautifully. It was an eye opener on how to approach each animal with individual training instead of a one method fits all." With a frown marring his sleek features for barely a chime, he answered the other memory. "The worst would have to be trying to retrain a badly birded hunting dog. She'd originally killed the birds instead of just retrieving them and grandfather thought it would be best to end the fault immediately. After a long debate, I spent several moons of daily training with her and she showed signs of herding much better than retrieving. I got her to respond to cattle herding instead, because the larger animals teach dogs to respect what they're herding. Thinking everything was fine, I took her out on a short cattle drive and we stayed out overnight. I didn't think to correct the behavior and then retrain. One morning I woke up to find that she couldn't resist the feathers any longer and unfortunately they were attached to a glassbeak." Mournful blue eyes eventually gave way to green. Uruk walked with pride showing in the carriage of his body and the firmness of his stride. His voice was deeper and his words were more concise to the point of biting off his own sentences. Stormy green eyes raked Kavala's figure insolently, slowly taking her measure before answering. "The best memory was sewing up a strider after a wild dog attack. That beast was bleeding and in shock so it stayed still almost the entire time. I got those skin edges in perfect alignment after fifty stitches across the ribs. A few bells with a blanket and some warm water to drink and it got up and walked away! It was good to have that horse fixed up nice and neat with a great scar to show for it." Uruk nodded in satisfaction to himself. "The worst memory was an idiot foreigner bringing in a sick hunting cat too late. A typical toxemia with vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, and diarrhea. She was bit on the back leg by a stray animal and the guy didn't do squat! Her gums were white, the CRT took eternity and she was just suffering. I had to kill a good hunting cat because someone was too petching cheap to bring her in for healing when she got bit."

[Raiha]

Raiha was content to follow along and listen and watch. Diallo had tucked himself between Kavala and Tasi and the strange dog. All of them knew enough about dogs to recognize the white and grey Deerstalker’s behaviour as looking after Kavala and Tasival. He wasn’t posturing, and he wasn’t afraid of Fidens, big as he was. But he was smart enough to wait until the bigger dog showed a threat. There were all sorts of strange animals coming and going, and none of them were unduly bothered by them.

Raiha and Kanikra listened to what Kadrath and Uruk had to say. She was personally kind of glad she had managed to slide under the two-soul interview setup way back when, and personally felt that the young Akontak was the reason for said process. Kavala knew Kanikra well enough that asking her to show up like that could leave Raiha shrugging her shoulders and vaguely headachy from trying to push Kanikra out when she utterly refused. And sometimes she would come out just to interrupt. It may have been somewhat childish, but her whole point was that bitch though she was, she was not a dog that sat up or jumped through hoops on command.

Which probably would have cost Raiha a job and a place she could learn, grow, and be happy, but the point would have been made.

“And your experience with horses?” Raiha inquired as they went down another hallway. Even though she specialized primarily with birds, she was more than comfortable working with dogs and horses, and as Kavala had said, it was important that they could slide between roles. As much as he was checking them out, Raiha knew that she and Kavala were having the opportunity to inspect him, too, and she wondered what the Konti thought of him. He seemed knowledgeable and passionate about what they were doing.