Calm Before the Blizzard

[Crystian]

Timestamp: TBD 25-29th of Winter 512AV depending on how long they stay out riding and training.

Crystian and Joss had known each other for some time now. Mostly due to time spent together as members of the Topaz Clan. Recently, they had begun to pick up a habit of riding together to develop their skills in their respective combative and supportive art forms. The two young Drykas kept themselves motivated to become skilled and contributing members of their respective Pavilions, Clans, and the Drykas as a whole. Joss, in particular, had aspirations to become a member of the honorable Watch.

Speaking to his horse in rudimentary Pavi, Crystian was riding out among the vast snow mottled plains that made up the Sea of Grass during Winter. Letting the crisp air cut his face as his horse began to accelerate made the young Drykas feel alive as he began maneuvering his Strider playfully in between patches of snow.

Looking over at Joss he smirked deviously with competition. “Lets race!” he shouted over the loud stomping of rapid hooves meeting with the earth. “To make it interesting, you can’t let your Strider’s hooves touch a single patch of snow!”

This contest was destined to end in failure or disaster considering neither of them were very good riders, but Crystian liked the challenge of it nonetheless. Atop his muscled Strider stallion he felt invincible, losing almost any of the cares or burdens the world had in store for him.

[Joss Hawkeye]

Joss had dressed as warmly as he could for this winter outing with his friend, Crystian. As they had passed out of the moving city, Joss had looked to the sky and tested the winds as best he could. But he was no storm warden, and his guesses about the coming weather were mostly that – guesses influenced by a life on the great plain. They were going out to hunt, to train, and to simply expend some of their youthful energies. Joss had need now to improve the skills his apprenticeship with the Watch called for. His master – Garin Blackwind – had yet to set aside the time to sit down with Joss and really get him started on whatever duties befitted one of the lowest echelon of the body that guarded Endrykas, and its inhabitants, and all Drykas who roamed the sea of grass. So he had been given permission from Garin to take a few days and have this last little jaunt of freedom until he had to hunker down and be tied to the structure of the Watch.

He returned Crystian’s grin with one of his own, already their striders’ hooves flying across the cold, hard ground. Without even really having to urge Lydi on, Joss and the mare spend forward as he yelled back, “You’re on!” It was no telling where the race would end, but that was hardly the point. Just the pure joy of soaring together over the snow speckled grass, horse and rider, was enough. With his knees and voice and inner calves, Joss transmitted to the extremely intelligent animal what the goal was, and they began a zig-zagging course, eating up the bare ground and avoiding the snowy patches. As Lydi’s stride lengthened and shortened to accommodate the ever changing path, Joss adjusted the movement of hips and thighs and torso, to match his movement to hers. For the most part, the two managed to avoid veering off towards Crystian and his mount, until all four approached a larger patch of snow that would require Joss to swerve far to the right to bypass it safely. There was a narrow clear path through the large swath, and Joss and Lydi made for it, joss realizing that Crystian probably would as well. It remained to be seen who would make it there first.

[Crystian]

His stallion’s muscles rippled with power as it was already on due course for the narrow clear path absent of snow. Trying to guide his powerful strider around the patches of snow proved increasingly difficult as it picked up speed, now wanting to unleash itself upon the grasslands for a straight sprint. Crystian struggled to guide with his knees and grip on his Strider’s mane as it blew over the snowy patches like they weren’t even there. It was not that his horse lacked the intellect, simply the care. Mostly able to maintain his flimsy position on his yvas due to the skill of his horse, Crystian found himself on the edge of being at the mercy of his own limited skill and the bond he shared with his Strider. Each time he nearly fell off he was saved only by his rudimentary knowledge of acrobatic balance and the protective nature of his horse.

Before reaching the edge of the path one of his Strider’s rear hooves touched the edge of the snow, although it breezed onwards, unnoticed by Crystian. Passing Joss and his mare to reach the snowless patch first Crystian shouted with triumph at his “victory” and the adrenaline of having riden well beyond his means. Thankfully for him it was mostly his horse’s doing.

Coming to a slow Crystian quickly retreated within himself, realizing the way he presented himself may have been a bit discourteous to Joss’s feelings. “It was a good race,” he spoke, “you almost had me!”