Savior

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el wasn't sure he wanted to be treated by someone who didn't know what he was doing when he had Denen, a trained and goddess-blessed healer, waiting for him back in Endrykas. He didn't want to seem rude, though. "Indeed, bleeding is proof of life." He glanced back toward Endrykas; it was difficult for a web-weaver to lose track of where the traveling tent city laid. They were connected to the weave even moreso than the average Drykas. Then he glanced down at the bodies. "Take what trophy you will. I'll leave the rest to feed the scavengers and serve as a warning if the Zith come back. We had best put some space between us and them, though." He cleaned his scimitar, slung it back into its scabbard, then took a bit of a running start to plant his foot and vault acrobatically onto Dohaina's back. They had long ago mastered such maneuvers such that neither of them felt any discomfort, and his feet found the stirrups of the yvas.

[Daithi]

Daithi watched as Sama'el chewed and packed his wound, speak and then glance away. After Sama'el had finished saying that they should hurry up Daithi walked over to the body of the Zith he killed and quickly decided which body part he would take for a trophy. He took out his knife and cut off the creatures head, then he pulled the two arrows out of the body. With head in hand he walked back to his strider, Brother and mounted.

Once he had put the head in his saddle bag and secured his bow he told Cian, his now blood smeared cat to follow. He turned to Sama'el and said, "Alright I'm ready, lead the way."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Just a moment," he cautioned. "Please watch the skies for a moment." With that, he rather quickly brought his breath under control, and managed to loose his soul from his body with practiced ease, vaulting out of it and onto the Web, racing back toward Endrykas with an eye for possible dangers. He swam through the braided, gossamer energies like a fish, his consciousness occasionally leaping up for a sun's eye view, engaging his Inavalti. It only took a couple of minutes, and while there were beasts out there, the Striders could easily avoid and outrun them and few beasts would attack a galloping Strider. He climbed back into his body, breathing himself into his lungs, then spreading his soul through the baser flesh until his skin was tingling with the renewed connection. Smiling, he nodded toward their home. The cat would have to ride pillion or be left behind, but Dohaina, shining golden in the sunlight, turned and began to trot in the right direction; when Daithi caught up, they would raise their speed.

[Daithi]

Daithi nodded after Sama'el spoke asking for a moment and to watch the skies. As he watched for a returning threat Daithi wondered what Sama'el was doing, likely some more magic of some sort. A few minutes passed as Sama'el was in what Daithi figured to be a trance, then he was back and nodded in a direction.

As Daithi got Cian onto his strider with him and tried to make sure both animals were comfortable with it he asked, "What was it you were just doing?" Then they started off in the direction of Endrykas riding at breakneck speeds. There were few creatures that could match the speed of the strider, the time they made surprised Daithi as usually he did not push his horse that fast out of fear of lossing his cat in the process.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Daithi asked his question too late; they were off before Sama'el could answer properly. The man was a decent rider, Sama'el thought, but couldn't match him. Then again, few Drykas had gone through the childhood he had, living on horseback for years. He was also fairly adept at gauging other riders, and so he slowed Dohaina's pace with an invisible signal from his knees until he could ride apace with his new companion. The sting in his back was pushed away, and between mouthing his words and his grassland sign, that visible companion to Pavi, he explained, I was checking the path ahead on the Web. Not every Drykas knew the Web as intimately as those who crafted it and traveled it, Ankals and members of the Watch, but they all grew up aware of it and knowing the stories and lore. And too, he was a member of the Sapphire Clan; the Mysteries came easily to him, it seemed.

[Daithi]

Daithi instantly knew that he had spoke to soon, but Sama'el mouthed and signed that he was checking the web. He had heard and knew some about the web but never had he actually seen such a thing used before. After all Daithi did not come from a clan know much for it's use of magic.

All the rest of his question Daithi thought could wait until they reached Endrykas. Daithi could tell that Sama'el was a more experienced rider by the way he had mounted and dismounted, also by the way he rode. He felt humble in comparison and knew that he owed this man a great deal. They rode along, Daithi in thought the whole way, though a quick ride it was compared to the ride out for Daithi.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

There was a time or two in their ride home where Sama'el noticed some flaw in Daithi's riding technique. Rather than let him continue doing something wrong, he showed him the respect of correcting him. After all, what good was Sama'el and his riding skills if he didn't use them for the benefit of all Drykas? He caught the man's attention with a flash of grassland sign and words mouthed rather than screamed over pounding hooves and rushing wind. First he signed you and demonstrated an exaggerated version of how he was in error, then signed like this and showed him the proper carriage. If Daithi didn't want to learn, that was his business, but Sama'el was going to offer pearls of wisdom, such as they were. When they finally neared Endrykas, it was much later in the day. They couldn't travel at full speed with a hunting cat riding pillion, after all. He slowed their pace and Daithi's horse seemed willing to follow Dohaina's lead. The mare was a dam now, and perhaps that lent her some authority in herd dynamics. "Carried that trophy all the way back?" he asked, amused and a little weary.

[Daithi]

Daithi knew that he was not the greatest horseback rider there was so when Sama'el offered some corrections by both sign and mouthing the words, Daithi was thankful. After he made the neccesary changes he then signed and mouthed a thanks back. Many others would have just let the hunter go on doing things wrong.

As they traveled along at a somewhat slowed speed Daithi thought about the days events and how without Sama'el things would have been very differnt, he would have been torn to ribbons without a doubt. Though he did show up to help and it was no use to dwell on what could have been. They had finally made it back to Endrykas though it would not be light for much more of the day. He did not realize he had traveled that far during his hunt, but it mattered not now.

Sama'el asked about his trophy and Daithi answered with a grin, "It will put a bit of fear into the Zith seeing their comrade headless I think. Also I wanted something to show the boys at the Windhowler Pavilion. He broke off his speech for a second to think then went on, "Where did you learn all that magical stuff? It seems like it's good to have in a sticky spot."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el smiled. No Drykas could really be expected to fend off three Zith on his own. Many had, and they were lauded for their achievement, but he could understand why Daithi wanted a trophy. His archery wasn't amazing, and he had pulled no other weapon in the fight. This was strange for a man of the Diamond Clan, but Sama'el was hardly one to judge. "The Ankal of Whitefeather Pavilion initiated me into the Web, thinking I was to marry his daughter, and he vouched for me to join the Watch," but of course he had found a more established man to marry his daughter off to, much to Sama'el's dismay. "And my cousin is a dowser and taught me to call my element. His is Water, mine Fire. Dangerous weapons, but they can be useful." He nodded.

[Daithi]

Sama'el had smiled, this was something Daithi could not remember seeing before. Though much of the time he had known the man had been spent either fighting or on horseback. Daithi could only imagine that the reason for the smile was what he had said about his trophy, the head that he had been holding on to for such a distance. Looking back he could see how the much more able, Sama'el, would find it funny.

Daithi listened to the man as he told the story about how he came about his magical ability, it was something Daithi found not at all dull. He said, "Well maybe someday I will be looked upon as worthy as to learn something as you were."