Riders on the Storm [Kashik][Completed]

[Vanator]

Timestamp 15th Day of Spring, 510 AV Location: Half day's ride from Endrykas Time of Day: Early afternoon Tag: Kashik Brightsmile The crisp sunlight waned as the horizon darkened with heavy clouds. A telling breeze brushed against the grassland, carrying the cool promise of rain. Vanator found the stirring wind a welcome sensation on his skin as he observed the gathering thunderhead. Still a ways off, he knew there would be more than rain when those clouds arrived. With sober intent the Drykas set back to his grim work. The Strider's carcass was a fairly fresh kill, perhaps from the night before. The stench of Zith must have clung to the body, for no scavenger had approached to dine on the darkening flesh. Large talon gashes had rent the yvas from the animal's back and laid open its side. The gruesome sight disturbed the grasslander. Striders were more than mounts, they were part of the fabric of Drykas society, and said to carry the spirits of those who had passed. Vanator glanced over to Backash. The buckskin Strider was avoiding the corpse, staring out at the gathering storm. Van had managed to close the horse's eyes, but would leave her as is, to feed Caiyha's children. As far as the Strider's rider, all he found was a forearm, which must have been ripped off as he, or she, was carried off. Wild dogs had managed to render it barely recognizable, and the horseman could not discern whether the poor victim was a male or female. A rumble of thunder pealed in the distance. Scanning the surroundings, Vanator spotted a large rock outcropping not far to the east, one of the many that burst through the earth during the Valterrian. It should provide adequate shelter for he and Backlash. He did not want to try to set up the travel tent now. There would be time to make the formation before the storm hit. Crouching down beside the dead beast, Vanator sifted through the supplies left behind, most of it shredded by the savage attackers. There was no shame in plundering necessities from the dead. Or dead and gone in this case.

[Kashik]

Painted in flames All peeling thunder Be the lightning in me That strikes relentless Kashik had been traveling towards Endrykas for the better part of two weeks, and was just about fed up with the whole thing. It felt as if she were always a day behind the city, would chase it from one end of the Sea to the other before she finally caught it flipping on its tail. Of course, she'd been enjoying the opportunity to sleep in whenever she wanted now that she didn't have a host of family members jibbering at her... Still, enough was enough! She was almost out of wine, and that simply wouldn't do. So she decided that today was the day - if she didn't find Endrykas today then to shyke with the lot of them, she'd turn towards Riverfall and just go straight there. Finally, finally she saw a horse in the distance - one with a yvas on it! Civilization! she thought, and urged Hiloha to a faster pace. The Strider, eager for some companion other than his flighty, lazy rider, took it upon himself to break into a gallop. And so the thunder of hooves preceeded Kashik's arrival, her horse's black mane streaming over her hands. Both mane and tail were braided with white ribbons, and the pads of the yvas were creamy ivory embroidered with teal and white diamonds. She herself was dressed in her armor (better safe than sorry), her spear tied to her back and thudding against the back of her thigh as she clung to her obstinate stallion. They skidded to a halt beside Vanator, churning up divots of grass as the horse stomped and snorted once it got the stench of Zith in its nostrils. Kashik, focused entirely on the familiar joy of another Drykas face, just grinned brightly and laughed. "Heyla, stranger!" she called to him. "Thank the gods I finally found someone else in this... ohh," she breathed, the smile disappearing as she realized what it was that lay at his feet. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize... do you need help?" she asked, dark brows drawing over teal-bright eyes.

[Vanator]

The shredded backpack and saddlebags were yielding little of anything useful. When Backlash whinnied, Vanator looked up from his search to see his mare's head bobbing. Then the Drykas caught the sound of pounding hooves. He turned towards the disturbance, rising from his crouch. The Strider and rider consumed the ground beneath them with stunning speed. Vanator's hand instinctively pulled the hand ax from is belt, his shoulders shifting to balance the weight of the leather armor encasing his torso. It was a woman, he could see, Drykas for sure, and well armed. And she bore down right on him. Backlash slipped beside him. The Strider knew Vanator would want to be within reach of the large battle axe hanging from her yvas. The pride of the Drykas man would not let him flinch as the rider drew closer with no decrease in speed. But his age had tempered his pride with some hard-earned wisdom. He legs remained bent, ready to dodge and defend if necessary. His defensive posture proved unnecessary as the woman brought her stallion to an abrupt halt beside him. The steed's quick reaction rivaled Backlash's, for which the mare was aptly named. It was then Vanator got a good look at the rider perched atop the prancing mount. She was small in stature, no taller than Pygmy or Hex. But unlike his friends, this woman was without a doubt a Drykas, from raven-black mane to feet shod in tall leather riding boots, from beaded tunic to studded armor. And she was gorgeous. Distractingly so. His matchmaking father would say she appeared the shining example of the perfect Drykas woman. In appearance, Vanator would have found little to argue. But the Ankal's son was also wary never to let beauty cloud his judgement. The woman's grin lit up her face and ignited her bright blue-green eyes, defying the darkening sky, which suddenly seemed to close in as her smile faded. The woman's changing countenance broke the gaze Vanator had fixed upon her. Looking down at the Strider carcass, he simply sighed. "I just came across her. Vile stinking Zith took her rider." Another rumble of thunder drifted across the grass, as if to voice Vanator's disgust. He turned his gold-flecked brown eyes back up to the stranger, offering a friendly grin. "I am Vanator, of the Denusk Pavilion, Sapphire Clan." His smile turned up at one corner as he gave a shallow curt bow. "The storm will be here soon. I was going to shelter in that rock formation." Vanator gestured towards the basalt outcropping a short distance away. "I suggest you do the same. I have some food, fresh from Endrykas, if you'd like some."

[Kashik]

His smile gave her permission to use hers, and she did, without hesitation. A leg was thrown over her horse's back, and she hopped lithely down to her feet. "Oh, ow," she winced, a little sore from that last round of galloping, and she punched her stallion lightly on the shoulder. The Strider gave an unapologetic snort and rolled his eyes, a silent accusation that if she didn't like it she shouldn't suck at riding. "I'm Kashik of the Brightsmile Pavillion, Diamond Clan," she said, then jerked a thumb at her her Strider, "and this is Hiloha." Thunderclap, his name, and even as she said it there was a spiderweb of lightning across the sky behind her, and she closed her eyes a little in pleasure at the sound. "Ah. Zulrav feels it, yes? The stench that lays over this tragedy. He comes to cleanse our fallen sisters and wash away the stink of evil." Over her shoulder, Vanator would see the rain falling miles away, a wavering curtain that billowing between cloud and grass and was approaching them with haste. Her eyes flashed open, and settled on Vanator with unswerving attention as she smiled again. "Come! If your delicate sensibilities require a shelter, we must find you a shelter," she teased, winking as she bounced the step back to Hiloha's side and hauled herself up onto his back again. "Besides, you have food, and I have wine, and my Lord Zulrav brings the entertainment! Let's see who gets there first, eh?" she laughed. The challenge sharpened her wild grin, and she winked once more - and then she was off, her bored horse more than happy to head towards shelter at the fastest pace possible. He, too, smelled the closeness of the storm, and unlike his rider he much preferred to stay dry.

[Vanator]

With a captivating smile and a few well spoken words, Kashik had dispelled the somber air over the remains of the attack. Quick too in wit, Vanator had no opportunity to respond to her barb before she vaulted back onto Hiloha. Her proposal sounded better than his solitary plans for the day. He jumped back onto Backlash and with a lunge the Strider launched after Kashik. With Kashik's head start, Vanator and Backlash had little hope of catching her. As the woman and Strider rounded the large rock outcropping, Vanator and Backlash trotted up beside them. The giant shards of stone thrust up at an angle, providing an overhang that faced away from the storm. The area was tall enough for the horses, not deep, but adequate to shelter the four of them comfortably. Sliding down from the yvas, Van stepped under the overhang. The dirt was cool beneath the shadow of the rock. A brisk wind kicked up, whipping the tall grass surrounding the outcropping, but inside, only lightly brushing at Van's light brown mane, slightly stirring the small braids on either side of his face. Van turned, almost bumping into Backlash, who had made sure she was not going to be left with her arse hanging out. The man pulled a pack from the Strider's back, placing it near the rear of the overhang. He turned to Kashik. With a wry grin, he took a moment to vindicate himself. "I have no issues with a bit of rain, but I would hate for the pretty ribbons in Hiloha's hair to get wet." He returned to his mare, unstrapping the yvas and removing the rest of his gear and weapons. The Stider snorted and shook her dark mane, grateful to have her burden removed. His eyes glanced at Kashik, another grin stretching across his face. Her company was unexpected and most welcome. Once again the Storm Lord rumbled, the thunder closer, the breeze stronger and more steady.

[Kashik]

Just for a minute The silver forked sky Lit you up like a star That I will follow Kashik hadn't beaten them by much, and she was grinning once more as Vanator pounded up beside her and dismounted. She listened to his teasing, staring dreamily out at the approaching storm - and Hiloha apparently decided that enough was enough, and sidestepped, ramming his rider's shoulder against the outcropping of rock and nearly tumbling her off his back. "Ow! All right, all right," she laughed, rubbing at her shoulder as she slid off his back. "I think Hiloha agrees with you, big vain thing that he is," she chuckled, which got another snort out of the horse as he reached around to nose at her shoulder in apology. "Yes, yes, I know, I'm insufferable," she said with a rueful shake of her head, then followed Vanator's example and stripped off her saddlebags, yvas, and blanket, piling them under the rock. Though she did make sure to dig out a bottle of wine to toss to Vanator. "Gods, I love storms!" she cried, quickly untying the laces on her armor and laying it atop the rest of her things. Without the studded leather breastplate and riding skirt, she looked even more the epitome of a Drykas woman - riding leathers embroidered up the sides with tiny white flowers, reflected in the teal flowers sewn into the hems of her white sleeveless tunic. A braided chain hung from her neck, holding a bright blue and green gemstone that almost exactly matched her eyes. "Don't you? I think everyone should love them. Raw power, nothing held back. Passion and danger and anger and love all wrapped up into one! There's really nothing better," she sighed, smiling in pleasure. Hiloha, used to this sort of thing from his rider, just grumbled quietly to himself and joined Backlash under the rocks. "Oh! But food, yes," she said, skipping back over to Van with a laugh. "Do you know where Endrykas is? I've been trying to get there forever," she moaned, rolling her eyes. "Well, not forever, but seriously, it's been, like, days. I'm almost convinced that it's a great trick by Ionu, convincing us all that we have a city and letting us chase hares through the Sea," she giggled.

[Vanator]

Vanator had to drop the bow and quiver he held in his hands to catch the bottle of wine Kashik sent sailing his way. The quiver upended, the arrows spilling out across the dirt floor. He sighed and gave the woman a smirk, which soon returned to a generous smile. Seeing that Kashik was removing her armor, Van found no need to bear his. The only thing that this woman had threatened to do was wound his ego, which his armor would not prevent. As he slipped the leather breastplate over his head, he found himself compelled to glance at Kashik as she shed her armor. She was as lean as any Drykas woman, though she possessed curves that few of the grassland women could boast. She appeared very feminine, but exuded the strong, free-willed spirit of a true Drykas. Vanator felt an instant familiarity with Kashik, her friendliness and humor hard to resist. Tossing the protective gear aside, Van tugged on his tan sleeveless tunic, a dark brown knot work adorned the hem and neckline of the garment. He stretched his arms and upper back, the sharp points of his windmark peeking out across his broad shoulders. "Ah yes Kashik, I love a good Spring storm. Thunderstorms bring change, blow away that which is stale, cleanses that which needs refreshed. I agree, their raw energy is thrilling." As Kashik traipsed near, Vanator laid the bottle on a blanket he had laid out and picked up a pack, rooting through its contents. He produced a long loaf of fresh bread, four apples, several strips of dried beef and a hunk of cheese wrapped in a cloth. With a flourish he laid them on the blanket with the wine. As he unpacked, he laughed at Kashik, flashing her a grin before answering her. "I know where Endrykas is. I bought this food in the market there this very morning." He crouched to take a seat on the blanket, patting the space across from in as an invitation to join him. His smile curved up at one side. "I am a Webber, I can always find Endrykas." His boast was more of a tease.

[Kashik]

While Vanator set out the little picnic, Kashik skipped over and gathered up the fallen arrows, almost instinctively and without really acknowledging that she did it - which was as clear a sign as any that this girl regularly caused mishaps, and just as regularly cleaned them up without complaint. She settled the quiver and bow atop the rest of his gear, just in case some water trickled in and tried to ruin them, and then she dug her own blanket out of her pack, kicking her things over beside his and spreading the blanket over the whole of it for protection. "You're a Webber?" she said, eyes darting over him, and her smile reflected that she was duly impressed with his skills. "I can't do any of that. I want to be a Stormwarden some day though," she said as she collapsed in the indicated spot. She was so personable it wasn't hard to imagine that, without that pat to the blanket, she might have just sprawled across his lap. "Oh! So are you going back there? I want to go and pick up some supplies before I head over to Riverfall. Figured I might as well since it's on the way. Plus I haven't been in a while, and I've never been by myself," she said, and the wicked twist of her lips said that she intended Trouble, preferably some extraordinarily Fun Trouble, and if he wasn't a wuss he'd encourage her. She pulled a little knife no bigger than her finger from its sheath on her belt, and picked up the bottle to break the wax seal and dig out the cork. Which she did without any difficulty, well versed in that particular set of actions. "So what are you doing out here? I mean, were you searching for that.. person?" she asked, brows drawing as she hoped it hadn't been someone her knew. The uncorked bottle was passed to him for the first drink, and she went about coring and slicing one of the apples for them. It seemed she planned on serving him his own food as well, for she leaned over to lay half the slices on his knee and started to slice the bread.

[Vanator]

Vanator had been sufficiently distracted to forget the scattered arrows until Kashik moved to collect them for him. He looked up and offered her a grateful smile. As the beautiful Drykas returned to plop down in front of him, the first drops of rain began to hit the grass, the sky now darkening and the thunderclaps more pronounced. So she aspired to be a Stormwarden. Vanator was not surprised. In the short chimes he had known her, Van had found Kashik to be free, volatile and as full of life as one of Zulrav's Spring thunderstorms. Accepting the bottle from Kashik, Vanator placed it to his lips and took a swig of the wine. It was sweet and went down smooth. "I don't know who that was out there, I just happened across them." He paused, wishing to put the grisly discovery behind him. "I have been in Endrykas since late Winter. I am used to being in the grasslands, so I often make excursions into the plains to get away from the busyness and crowd of the city. " Vanator found himself quite pleased to hear the woman was heading to Endrykas. His glance met Kashik's bright teal gaze and held it. "The gods have smiled on us today, for neither of us have to return to Endrykas alone. Nor do we have to enjoy Zulrav's glory in solitude." Van's crooked smile and the playfulness in his gold-glinted brown eyes indicated that he was more than willing to get into some trouble, if it was fun. The current circumstances proved too tempting. Van's words hung between them as Kashik leaned forward to place the apples slices on his knee. With some difficulty he broke the gaze fixed on her to reach for a piece of the apple, taking a bite of the crisp fruit. Van retained the bottle, holding it out once she was finished slicing the bread. The sky outside their retreat lit up with a flash, followed shortly by a sharp peal of thunder. Scooting towards Kashik just a bit, so she would not have to reach so far while sharing the food of course, Vanator leaned forward to rest an elbow on the knee not serving as a fruit tray. Watching the woman deftly wield the knife to prepare their meal, he posed his own question, his eyes narrowing in true interest. "And what compels you to travel the perilous Sea of Grass alone?"

[Kashik]

I want pinned down I want unsettled Rattle cage after cage Until my blood boils She went about preparing the meal for them both, shaving thin slices of cheese and coring another apple and laying out his bread slices, all done in unconscious movements that she barely even recognized as things she was doing. And so while she held Vanator's gaze as he shot her a playful smile, she was also making sure they were both well fed - and taking the wine back. "Ah, true, the gods may have brought us together," she laughed, scooting closer when he did so they could share knees, apples and meat on each of his, bread and cheese on hers. "Now we must see what sort of mischief they want of us. I firmly believe," she said, voice lowering as a teasing spark lit her eyes, "that the gods want nothing but mischief out of me, so I do my best to oblige them." With that she wiped her knife clean and resheathed, and began popping bits of food into her mouth and chewing her way through it, talking non-stop and somehow managing to make it endearing rather than repulsive. "Oh! Me? I'm going to Riverfall to do weaponstraining," she said, pausing for a few gulps of wine before passing it back to him. "I mean, I could stay in my Pavillion and learn from my father and my uncle and all, but, like, I've fought with them my whole life, you know? I know their moves, even if they're way better than me and I'm not good enough to mimic all of 'em. But I know them, I've seen them every day since I was five," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm so tired of practicing the same drills. So anyway, I heard the Akalaks were pretty badass, so I figured I'd head over there and see what's up. Gods, I love that smell, don't you?" she laughed, flinging herself headlong from one topic to the next. "That scent when the ground first gets wet, but before it soaks in. The was always my favorite thing."