Closed Preparing for the Journey (Ivandra)

[Mihiya Darkmane]

Time Stamp 88th day of Summer AV 513

The girl was unsure if she wanted to wake Ivandra. She had slept most of the day that Mihiya had gone out hunting to find her food and had devoured the food that she had brought back and cooked for her. After all, she had been traveling for awhile from the looks of her, and Mihiya hoped that she would be ready to leave today, she wanted to get to Riverfall by the beginning of fall and hopefully find some people there that would be able to help them with their journey. Additionally, she was hopeful that she would be able to convince one of her fellow Drykas to come with them...and of course, there was Hadrian...she sighed as she thought of him.

"Ivandra? Wake. Today we leave to Riverfall." The girl said softly as she shook the shoulder of the Kelvic woman. She looked peaceful as she slumbered, and Mihiya felt guilty for waking her. Ivandra had purchased a horse yesterday and Mihiya felt confident that they would make good time on the way to Riverfall and arrive there in time to find a few companions and then leave for Eyktol. The ending of summer was upon them, she noted, and it would be nice to feel the coolness of fall before they headed to the desert lands.

She sat back on her heels and waited for Ivandra to wake up, hoping that she would soon and that they would be able to begin packing and heading for Riverfall. It was a fairly short trip and would require fewer supplies than voyage directly to Eyktol would. They would supply in Riverfall, perhaps gaining some companions as well.

[Ivandra]

She felt like she was flying. Her arms had transformed into feathers, wings, allowing her to take off into the air. Syliras appeared underneath her, the city gates once looming so high now appeared small and insignificant from her position. Then the scene transformed into another one. There was dense wilderness, full of nothing but trees all around, which finally morphed into a huge plain of endless grass and field. Then, from out of nowhere, a light nudge to her side interrupted her and she opened her eyes. It had all been a dream. Even though Ivandra herself had been in a deep slumber, her mind still woven scenes of her journey from Syliras to Endrykas.

The Kelvic sat up, blinking sleep from her eyes. Where was she again? Then the recent events came rushing back to her. She had agreed to travel with Mihiya to Riverfall, and she had gone to her tribe just yesterday to purchasing a Gildling mount. Today was the day the journey was to begin. Completely awake now, Ivandra scrambled to her feet. "I'm sorry, I must have overslept. We should start packing now if we're going to be leaving for Riverfall today. The more time we have left over today for traveling the better."

Excitement brought butterflies to her stomach as she thought of the journey, the travels through the wilderness. She was lucky enough not to encounter any monsters on her first journey to Endrykas. What about this time? To be honest, the prospect of monsters didn't quite scare her. More or less, she thought of danger as something that would spice up the journey. Perhaps it wasn't so wise to feel such, but it was her take. And then another perspective: the horses. She'd traveled on foot on her original travels. The Gildling she'd purchased was bound to allow them to reach Riverfall in a shorter amount of time, but getting used to riding them would also be an interesting experience. It was all so exciting, something she definitely looked forward to.

Ivandra began to pack her equipment up again, organizing them so she'd be ready once Mihiya was ready to go.

[Mihiya Darkmane]

"Is fine, Ivandra," the girl laughed easily as the Kelvic got to her feet rapidly. She smiled just as easily as Ivandra set about organizing and packing. In truth, she had little to pack herself. Just the tent to take down and carry with her to Riverfall and her weapons. The sling and bullets were in her backpack. Her sword was at her waist and her javelin was strapped to her back. She was quite prepared to head out.

"I think we hunt on way," the woman nodded as she thought about it. Surely a Kelvic that could shift into a cat would be quite capable of hunting. Or was that too much to assume. Either way, Mihiya had minimal hunting skills herself and could possibly supply them with some food whilst they traveled. The trip to Riverfall was not a terribly long one, nor was it something that she dreaded. Other than, of course, the fact that they would be traveling across the Sea of Grass, which could be treacherous. Still, she'd done it before and she did love Riverfall, in general.

"If packed, get horse. You ride okay? Need help?" Mihiya had met one too many foreigners who couldn't ride very well and she knew that if Ivandra was one of them she would be fairly patient. Perhaps Ivandra's mount could carry supplies and Ivandra could ride double with Mihiya until she got the hang of riding and then perhaps she could start riding her own horse. Or Mihiya could give her lessons, though the lessons might be fairly questionable. Mihiya was a good rider, but whether she could teach someone else how to ride well...that might be a bigger challenge.

[Ivandra]

Once Ivandra organized everything and had all her equipment attached to her, she glanced up against at Mihiya. She was ready to go. "Yes, that's a good idea. I'll be able to catch some prey for the two of us. You've already hunted for me the first two days, and I can't stay a burden." It was at times like these where Ivandra was glad that she was Kelvic, that she had the ability to change between human and leopard. Being human was quite convenient in the city life and if there was ever a situation where she wanted to blend in with the environment without being found. But when it came to hunting, the natural power of the leopard came out and allowed her to find and kill prey with more ease. In fact, she was looking to sharpen her hunting skills. If they didn't have any other source of food other than prey from the environment, that would definitely work towards improving them. But as Mihiya asked whether or not she was okay at riding, Ivandra froze. She hated admitting her weak spots, but it wasn't like she would be able to hide it long. Anyone would be able to point out an amateur rider who wasn't comfortable on the saddle. Better to confess now than fall off the horse later. "Well actually... I'm not that good at riding. I've been on a horse a couple of times, but never at a gallop, and even then, I've felt kind of uncomfortable."

[Mihiya Darkmane]

"This is fine, Ivandra," the girl replied as she admitted to both having hunting skills and having limited riding skills. She was unsurprised. Having been born in Endrykas, she had some riding skill granted to her naturally. This would not be the case in foreigners. She would teach the woman, for though she worried she might not be the best teacher, she was the only one the Kelvic woman had available to her.

"Call horse. I teach riding. Learn as we go. Will not be easy, might fall, but when fall, get back on." She nodded solemnly. Falling was not an unfamiliar aspect of riding. She hoped that the woman had purchased a horse that was suitable for a beginner. Her clan's people were known for breeding excellent horses, but this did not mean they were not spirited. The woman would not due well with a mount that was frisky or spirited. Hopefully her chosen one would be a bit calmer in disposition.

"No shame in not knowing," she added as she walked outside the tent and began to take it down, "Much I don't know." She understood that it was possible for Ivandra to feel shame over not knowing how to ride. Many often felt shame over what they did not know how to do. Mihiya often regretted her lack of speaking ability in Common, and this often made her frustrated, but she hoped that someday it would improve greatly and she would be able to speak with ease.

[Ivandra]

Ivandra nodded, reassured. From what she'd seen of Mihiya so far, she could tell that she would probably be nice enough about the whole riding process not to make fun of her or continuously remind her of her mistakes. "Yes, of course. Wait a moment, I'll be back." With that, she slipped out of her tent for a moment, heading out to the back where she'd tied her new horse to a pole. It was a Gildling mount, a beautiful palomino mare. Whichever tribe Mihiya had gotten her from was obviously quite skilled at horse breeding. She grabbed the lead rope with her hands and cautiously led the mare to the entrance of her tent again. "I'm here," she called to Mihiya. "I guess we should get going now." Ivandra hesitated for a moment before stepping on top of a small rock and throwing herself onto the horse's back. The mare recoiled, her ears flicking back for a moment from the sudden landing before settling down again. The Kelvic sighed in relief. For a moment there she'd been afraid that the horse would buck or rear.

[Mihiya Darkmane]

Mihiya finished loading up Komali when the other woman arrived with her horse. It was a beautiful creature, hopefully one that would carry the woman all the way to Eyktol and back. She admired the mare as Ivandra prepared to mount. She watched in partial concern and partial amusement (but mostly concern) as the woman awkwardly threw herself on the back of her mare and got her seat. One barrier to overcome would be to teach the woman how to mount properly. It was lucky the mare had not shied away from the sudden movement, but then, she was probably quite well trained.

"I teach how to mount better," Mihiya said as she mounted her own mare smoothly. She would have to remember that Ivandra was not as good a horsewoman as Mihiya was herself and she would definitely have to keep the pace slower than she was used to. If Ivandra was uncomfortable, there was no reason to make her more so.

"I speak bad Common, Ivandra learn Pavi on trip?" Mihiya asked. She knew that Pavi was often difficult for strangers to learn, but it would help with communication if Ivandra did learn some words. Of course, it was likely they would encounter far more people who spoke Common than Pavi, but still. She hoped that Ivandra would be willing to learn Pavi while they were riding.

"Pavi language of Drykas," she explained, reminding herself that not all people knew the word for her language, because not all people knew a whole lot about the other races in Mizahar.

[Ivandra]

Ivandra slid off the horse as Mihiya demonstrated how to mount on her own horse. She got on in a much smoother fashion, much more gently. The Kelvic noted her technique and form as she got on. So basically kick my left leg up and swing it gently over the horse's back. And as I get on, it may still be advisable to use that rock for added height. She replayed Mihiya mounting her horse in her mind before trying it again herself. With a deep breath she kicked her legs over again. It amazed her how much neatly the job was done this time; the new way Mihiya had shown her had assisted her quite a bit. Her landing was still a bit rough, yes, but it was much better than what she had originally done. She glanced at Mihiya and grinned. "Wow, that even felt better!" she exclaimed. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of it all." She glanced forward at the surrounding land, the Sea of Grass. Fronds of tall grass blew this way and that, stretching out as far as the eye could see. After a moment she tore her gaze from the landscape and was about to suggest that they start moving, when Mihiya spoke again. I speak bad Common, Ivandra learn Pavi on trip? It was practically as if Mihiya could read her mind. If there was anything Ivandra really wanted to learn from her, it was language. It wouldn't be an easy ride, of course, since language took years after years to become fluent in, but at least she'd be able to learn a few and perhaps some basic phrases that could aid her in the future. Then at least she wouldn't be completely clueless when she was around Drykas or in places like Endrykas. "Yes, of course, I'd be glad to. Anything you could teach would be nice. And I'm sure your Common would also improve on this trip," she added. "You want to start heading out? You can teach me on the way."

[Mihiya Darkmane]

Mihiya watched Ivandra remount, nodding with approval as the woman seemed to have a more fluid mounting. It was still a bit awkward, but it looked much more painful and easier that way. Mounting horses was the first step. The next would be to ensure that Ivandra did not fall off the horse and hurt herself. Falling off in general was not such a bad thing, for it would teach Ivandra to persist, but hurting herself would hinder their voyage and make the Sea of Grass a thousand times more dangerous.

"Good mount, felt better, good." The girl replied, eying Ivandra's seat. It seemed fairly stable, so long as they didn't try to move too quickly. Staying at a walk would definitely be best. She nodded as Ivandra suggested they set off and put her knees to Komali's side, trying to think of the best way to teach Ivandra Pavi. She pondered for a moment, before deciding she would teach her basic words while they spoke.

"In Pavi, hello is...hello." She said, changing to her more native tongue as they rode. She even added in the slight gesture that accompanied hello, but didn't overly gesture due to the fact that she was on horseback. Still, she was certain that she had given Ivandra the basic idea of how the word hello worked in Pavi.

[Ivandra]

Ivandra smiled at the compliment, which just voice how she felt about her mounting. It did feel so much smoother, so much better. She pressed her legs to the horse's side, signaling for her to begin walking. It felt much more comfortable than the first time she'd ever been on a horse; perhaps ability and the quickness to learn also came with age and maturity. After all, when she had ridden a horse for the first time, she had been young and stupid. As she looked down at the back of her horse's head from her position, she realized that she would have to give her mare a name. If she remembered correctly, Mihiya's mount was Komali. It was a pretty name, but probably also one that originated in the Pavi language. But she put the thought aside as they began moving and Mihiya started speaking about the language again. She had plenty of time to figure that out; there was no need for the rush. She listened to Mihiya as she spoke 'hello' in Pavi. It sounded strange and foreign to her ears, but pretty at the same time. "Hello?" she repeated, mimicking the sound.