Flashback To Know is Bliss/My Savior Comes: pt V

[Delani Denusk]

Timestamp: Summer 24, 512

Grinning, Delani popped a blackberry into her mouth, her teeth and lips already stained by the dark and sweet fruit from snacking on them. She had taken Ysira into the grasses nearby to berry pick and talk a bit about the caravan, asking of Loktupar and how her father had become a part of it. The older woman took the younger along the game trail that connected to the caravan and pointed out the bushes as they went, letting Ysira pick the plump berries.

Eventually, though, it was time to separate as Delani spied Loktupar exitting from Kyanapa's tent. Popping another berry into her mouth, she signed a parting to the other in Pavi and hurried over to the man.

"Loktupar, hey, wait up." She called, drawing beside the red skinned man, sucking juice from her tongue and smacking lips. It had really been a wonderful snack and there'd been plenty in the bushes they'd foraged from for use in the evening's meal. Delani reached for the Chaktawe's elbow, saying, "Hey, we found some blackberries, Ysira and I. There's enough for everyone tonight, too." Only a day had passed since the man had shown her the basics of meditation, something the Drykas had taken to like a fish to water. It showed him the depths of her learning ability, a mind like a sponge waiting for knowledge. And since initial period, she'd wondered more about it, yearning for more on this which he knew so well.

"I was wondering, though, about yesterday. You talked of breathing and concentration in meditation, but is there not more? Are there other ways to focus? Can it be done in movement or must it be done only when still?" The excitement that filled those intelligent eyes made them shine anew as she walked beside the man, pressing him with questions. Today was a good day, it seemed, her hand and shoulder evidently not bothering her. "If so, teach me. I wish to learn. I am certain it will help. I felt calmer, more clear of mind yesterday, though the moment was brief. I want that again. Perhaps it can aid in showing me what Eyris wishes me to Know." It was the first time the woman had mentioned the goddess since her rescue, though the Lykata had been visible the entire time.

x

[Praetorian]

The moment that his name was called, instinct took over and the Chaktawe turned, a knowing smile turning up the corners of his mouth as he saw the Drykas woman approaching, removing some sort of food from her fingers. Before he could even ask, she explained. "She will take them to the cooking tent, I'm sure, and the women there will make us sweets in their stone oven before the day is over... We can just hope that it is Entaiya cooking for us and not her daughter. Poor girl could burn water..." He laughed once through his nose, starting his walk towards the far end of the caravan, completing his rounds to make sure that no one needed assistance. It was odd, to most, seeing their caravan leader out and about. If only they knew the reason...

At her question, Loktupar smiled again. This woman... always wanting to know more more more. Eyris had chosen her child well. "It is possible, but requires years upon years of constant dedication. There are stories of men who walk in a slumber, with their mind in the moment and in meditation, in every moment. I can meditate while walking, running, doing repetitive tasks. But, I cannot meditate while doing more complex tasks. Meditation is all about finding a rhythm and sinking into it. The very best can find a rhythm in everything and maintain it despite whatever they may be doing. Some say that the rhythm exists within them... but I do no-" He stopped abruptly, putting his arm out in front of Delani. A tick later, a large Colorsplash stallion ran across the camp, thundering through where they would have been had they still been walking. He was followed by tanned human, cursing in a language even Loktupar did not know, broken halter in hand.

After sighing deeply, the man rolled his eyes, lowering his arm. "It is hard for me to remove myself entirely from the lines of chavi. Every instant I live has already been seen. I've limited myself to seeing about 2 chimes ahead, otherwise it is like a waterfall... I find it hard to stop continuing onward. And onward until-" He knew that the smart woman would discuss where he was going before the words left his lips. For some reason, it was more painful to voice his abrupt vision than to see it, at times. Some part of the russet-skinned caravan master noticed how odd it was to discuss his gift so freely with another. But, he knew that the woman would not accuse him of spying or meddling. If anything, he realized with a small smile, she will only be more curious. In some ways, being able to read and follow chavi backwards and forwards, side to side, was addictive. Loktupar felt dependent upon his ability to See, growing anxious whenever he removed himself from the stream. But, he was tired of seeing a shade of Delani an instant before she did something.

The real woman was so much more vivid than the morsels of her he saw. And so, with a quiet groan, he immersed himself in that moment, fighting the chavi's siren call. He had seen her turning to ask him another question, but, in a way almost blissful, Loktupar was able to be surprised by that which left her lips.

[Delani Denusk]

Dedication...that could be a challenge, Delani believed. Of all the things she'd learned in life, concentrating and dedicating herself to a single thing was virtually impossible. She rushed to learn as much of it as she could before her interest waned to something new. Eventually, as with meditation, the Drykas found her curiosity would be piqued again. It was rare, of course, but it came in time.

Now, though, the woman yearned to know what he would teach, what he could show her of this so simple yet vital artform. As she listened, the questions built in her mind and one was soon to slip from its cage to ask of him the answer before the horse galloped past them and Loktupar stopped her. Here, Delani found her focus completely captivated, brows raised at the remarkable beast. Colorsplash were common in the herds of the Drykas, their driving ability well known and often utilized (like the Seme) to haul the massive carts that moved the mobile city to the next nights location.

When at last her attention returned to the chaktawe, she found her questions gone for a moment as she stared into his dark eyes, liquid and pure. They were fascinating and everytime she looked into them, she saw something new, like a window over the sea or the night sky constant but ever changing. "Amazing..." She whispered before snapping back to attention and pulling her eyes from his. "...until you are lost in the bounty of what you See. I can certainly relate to such a feeling." The woman tapped her temple with one finger. "I've long fought with this overwhelming desire to learn and know, to find that which will sate my thirst for knowledge. There are times I can hardly sleep for the questions that plague me. I am sure if I could master meditation the way you have I could gain the focus I need to understand why Eyris chose me. I am certain of it. Teach me, Loktupar."

And here, Delani stepped in front of him, grasping for his wrist, her emerald eyes dancing. "Teach me and tell me what I may give in return for such a gift as focus."

x

[Praetorian]

The Chaktawe was caught up in the Drykas' exuberance, in her desire to learn. Such things were, despite his calm exterior, close to his heart. Part of his joy in this caravan was all of the new people he was blessed enough to meet, the lives he was able to see unfold, the cultures he was able to observe. Smiling, he said, "I must finish my rounds, but yes. I will teach you more if such is your desire."

"But, first I must-" A great clanging filled his ears, startling him so badly that he actually jumped a bit. Startling... now there was a word with which Loktupar was not well acquainted. After recovering from his initial shock, the caravan leader took off in the direction of the sound, bare feet kicking up puffs of dust with his haste.

What they found was a sea of metal, and an old Myrian struggling to stay afloat. One of Vu'kernin's many weapons racks had collapsed, bringing the dusk-skinned warrior down with them. The man groaned long and low, the sound of someone in pain. Kneeling, Loktupar found that much of his body was obscured by long blades, curved blades, multi-edged blades... Goddess, how did any person need so many blades?! "Don't move," he urged the Myrian just as the man started to move.

Despite his grumbled refusal, the younger man put a hand on Vu'kernin's shoulder, holding him in place. In the span of a few breaths, the Chaktawe was in meditation, fingers upon the strings of chavi, feeling their vibrations before delving into the way that his and Vu'kernin's were currently intertwined. Now that he was relying upon the paths of future events to guide what he would do, the strings became threads, blurrier and far harder to follow. But, if he made a decision - such as to grab this sword...- the lines would grow clear once again and he would be able to see the outcome of his actions.

His movements were fluid, as if being guided by another force as she slowly removed the blades one at a time in the least destructive manner he could manage. If he were to move one, it would upset another and the keenly sharpened blade of another would slip into his flesh. Not that the bugger would notice, crisscrossed with scars as he was.

Once all of the blades were placed to the side, much to Vu'kernin's bubbling displeasure. "That blade should not lay that way. Don't let those edges touch! You've gotten dirt on it!" was his constant monologue as the Chaktawe worked. Eventually, he removed himself the streams of chavi and was aware that another being was standing behind him. "Please... fetch Kyanapa."

"I don' needer!" Vu'kernin protested attempting to rise into a sitting position.

"May be the case. But you're covered in little nicks, and I want to make sure that you did not hit your head when you fell. Now be still..." Loktupar could easily have delved into his future to see what would ail him... But, it had been hard enough to pull himself from even the momentary future... Peering through days and maybe even weeks would not do him well...

[Delani Denusk]

The words that came from his mouth were like honey to a bear and she felt the delight bloom in her breast only to be quashed when the strange man jumped and ran off in another direction entirely. Concerned, Delani followed close behind him only to come upon a most unsettling scene.

The bronzed skin of a mysterious foreigner peeked from amid a plethora of metal and sharp edges. Another of the caravan-men of Loktupars eclectic family, it seemed, had become trapped beneath the lethal edges and points of his weapons and the Chaktawe had dropped beside him in unyielding concern. Just as she was about to speak, the leader had closed his eyes in concentration (or was it something else?) and blocked the world from around him. Delani watched, transfixed, as he began to methodically pick this sword and that axe and that knife, slowly working his way through the entanglement to free the myrian from his lethal predicament.

Fascinating! Look at his hands, yet clearly his mind is far from here. How can he know which will kill and which will save? This must be the blessing of his god. Absolutely amazing...

The woman stirred from her focus to look upon his face with brows raised. "Oh! Yes, of course." Though the Myrian argued, Delani turned and hurried quickly to the wagon of the medicine woman. Kyanapa would be found napping, of all things, and it took some moments for the Drykas to rouse her, gently shaking the elder and explaining slowly in Common to her what they had come upon and who needed help. Evidently this was not surprising to the philterer for she simply grabbed a few things from her stores, and followed the woman back to where Loktupar and this Vu'kernin waited (the latter quite stubbornly insisting he did not need the elders aid).

While the mixed blood did her work, Delani stood to one side with brows raised, her bandaged hand held close and that same intrigued look awash upon her face. Finally, the woman found her voice and said, "I am in awe of your focus, Loktupar. Your clarity of mind to know which blades must be moved to save him a lethal prick...Amazing." The woman smiled then, the faint lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth slightly more apparent as she came closer and reached for his arm.

She sought to guide him away, if able, speaking low and finding the words for common failing more often than not. Pavi was so much more expressive and her speech continually switched between the two, throwing understanding to the wind, depending on how much he actually knew.

"I am ensorcelled, Loktupar. Truly, watching you work with mind so focused...How I long for that. Your goddess is truly wise to lay such talent in your hands, divine beyond words. I ask for your patience and your time, now, that you would teach me, guide me in finding balance and center. In return, let me serve you for a time." The woman offered her service in absolute humility and grace solely to learn that which enabled him to perform such as he had? It should have been unthinkable! Drykas were proud, women and men alike, it should have been a disgrace or at the least dishonorable; but the honor, to Delani, was in learning what could be taught.

x

[Praetorian]

Once the Myrian was in the gentle hands - Well, mostly gentle. Cantankerous old woman actually swatted at the older warrior's forearm as he moved to push himself into a sitting position. - of Kyanapa, Loktupar relaxed, sitting back on his haunches with the bridge of his nose pinched between his finger tips. The front of his head throbbed slightly, the result of throwing himself in and then yanking himself from the chavi with so little preparation.

But, at Delani's words, he could not help the smile that flickered across his fleshy mouth. Always so eager... "Your words are too much, really. I'm still learning my art." He stood, body protesting as he had been crouched motionless for so long. But, being upright felt nice enough that he stretched through the ache of his muscles, arching his back and locking his fingers together as his arms reached for the tent's roof. After that, he motioned for Delani to follow him from the tent, back into the warm caress of Syna. "I would enjoy teaching you more... There is no need to offer me service in return. What is the point of possessing knowledge if you chose not to share it?" The smile he aimed at her was filled with genuine warmth and companionship.

"Now, let us get some lunch from the cooking pavilion (they butchered a deer just this morning) for some soup and bread. First, we will talk of meditation, then we will work into it. Sound good to you?" Without waiting, the Chaktawe started to walk backwards slowly, in the direction of the food that was wafting towards them. "Who knows, they may have already started to cook with your berries from earlier." His grin turned impish, framed by inky black locks. It was an odd expression, but it showed just how comfortable he had come to be in the Drykas' presence. "I'd love to be able to get some while it is hot, if so... always better that way!"

[Delani Denusk]

Dela certainly wouldn't mind that and chose to accompany him this time. It was nice getting to know his funny little family of traders. The meal itself was quite fun, the woman sitting with her plate in her lap and her good hand spooning mouthfuls in while entertaining conversation with the young Drykas mix. They spoke more of weaving and Dela weaseled a promise out of the girl to show her a few techniques so that she could do some repairs on her own weathered gear.

The sweet pie everyone enjoyed, sitting around the firepit, most telling stories of the days events, until one among the group suddenly rounded on her as conversation waned. The question came as a surprise to her and made her wonder how much Loktupar had told them even more. It appeared very little had actually been shared so the question should not have been that surprising. Still, Dela was unprepared when one of the drivers who cared for the horses asked how she had managed to get caught out in the grasses the way she had.

Unsure, Dela looked to Loktupar and Kyanapa for guidance at first but it was not they who she should have sought. Closing her eyes, the woman sent a prayer to Eyris that her tongue would stay light to share this story with them clearly.

"Well, it is a long story that even your kind leader has not heard the whole of, so I am not sure what he has told you. But I would be willing to tell a little of it; you must understand, though, some I cannot. It is not for lack of want, but for the laws my people have. Some things are not for those not born and raised in the clans to know, I hope you understand." She paused, taking a breath before continuing.

"A very dear friend of mine and I were out hunting down a snake who had been feasting on one of the pavilions herds for some time. Why it had been out in winter, we still could not discern, but it didn't matter. it was sustaining itself on a source that was meant to sustain Endrykas, and we volunteered to hunt it down. It would return to us good meat for that which it had taken. We had not anticipated to be caught in the storm, though we had seen it creeping over the grasslands for some time.

When the first bolts began to rain down, it took our supply Seme instantly and knocked my friend from his horse. He leapt onto my Strider and we fled for safety. Luckily, there was a small ground-hollow a few hundred yards from where we had found and killed the snake. It was there that we took shelter...and there that they died."

Delani's voice took on a saddened, tear-tightened quality as she looked down to her empty plate, a few crumbs of cobbler left. "I would be a fool to say that they died by another, but it was my fault. Their deaths are on my head. I bare that shame and dishonor for my infantile curiosity." Her marked hand crept over the bandaged one in symbolization. "That is when my goddess came to me. Lady Eyris appeared, summoning me out when I would have rather remained in the cave, letting myself wither and die. She understood what happened, had witnessed it from her vantage far from this plane. And though I was disheartened and lost, ready to die, she would not let me. Eyris took my hand and revealed what had caused their deaths and so much more. A glimpse into the knowing of all is...terrifying. She Marked me and I hope to, with her blessing, return to Endrykas and my family, and bring new knowledge to them, show them things that...that maybe they would otherwise not know. Things that we may have forgotten. I hope to return my honor through such.

But I became lost. Sickness ate at me and I found myself wandering aimlessly until your fine leader found me. It is he I have to thank for my restoration and subsequent salvation. He and the kind Elder Kyanapa. I hope to share what I am able with all of you for this gift of life and protection you give in return. I am not here to take from you, but to share. If...if you will have me until which time I am able to go forth again and find my kinsmen.

So I ask with great humility-" During this latter part, the woman's eyes had moved from face to face, her emotions bared for all to see as she told her tale. When she finished the query, even Dela was surprised by what came forth as her eyes ended upon Loktupar. "-will you have me? Will you let me stay until my debt is paid?"

x

[Praetorian]

Did she notice the flare that lit Loktupar's ebony eyes as his caravan moved to embrace the woman? They welcomed her like one of their own, smiling and laughing and including her in their once private jokes. For years, he had thought himself immune to the warmth that now bloomed in his chest at the sight of his people so happy, so safe and content. If only... If only he had spent more time among them and less lost to the Chavi... His stone heart ached emptily, and a haunted look claimed his eyes despite the gentle smirk still lining his features.

Once Delani was thoroughly welcomed, he stood, russet-skinned frame like one of the tent's poles itself when erect. "I've promised our new friend a lesson, and the time has come that I make good on my promise." His eyes met Delani's for an instant and, nodding his farewell to the group before stepping from the tent. Interacting with others was still odd for him, he constantly worried over his actions without being able to reach into the Chavi and prepare himself to their reaction. He had not been a social child, choosing instead to go off on his own to explore or to sit and think about... things as he would explain it.

Once Delani joined him, he would lead her back to his tent, out of Syna's harsh rays. "Meditating while in motion," he began, "is rather difficult. Even I have not mastered it." He stood near the center of the tent, head tilted back so that his sheet of black hair formed a curtain behind him while simultaneously exposing the hard lines of his throat and jaw. His hands swung back and forth in a gentle, rhythmic motion. "It's all about finding a pattern, a rhythm, a harmony in life. Through that, you can sink into the stream of Meditation." Even as he spoke, his breath slowed and his features relaxed perceptibly.

After a tick of centering himself, he shrugged off the light meditation and motioned for Delani to join him. "Lay flat on your back. I was trying to figure out an exercise that will not strain your arm. It's oddly natural for one of hone their body and their mind at the same time." He also moved down to the tent's rug painted floor, laying on his back with his knees bent upwards, creating a pair of identical brown peaks. Without further instruction, he started to perform abdominal crunches, flexing his well-toned stomach to bring himself upwards and then his back to keep himself from falling too quickly.

"Move with me," the instruction came as he was at the peak of his arc. "And, as you move, focus less upon your body's motion and more upon how your mind is lulled by it. Use that lulling to find your focus." He knew that this was a rather simple and unrealistic approach to the art of meditation. However, he hoped that this would give her the start she needed.

[Delani Denusk]

It was strange to be welcomed so readily into these strangers group. They were so different from the Drykas nation and yet the community they now embraced her with lifted the woman's heart. She hugged and she cried and she laughed with a few of them though mostly just smiled and talked in return, her intelligent eyes set mostly to those around her and not to the caravan leader nearby.

At least not until he spoke to her, summoning her attention by a call that he owed her a lesson. Brightening immediately, Dela turned to the man and beamed, getting to her feet and skirting through the throng to join him. She could see there was much on his mind in the way he walked, and even as they moved back to his place of rest, he taught, and like the sponge her mind so often was, she heeded and learned.

Meditation in motion, synchronizing the body to the mind in an effort to transcend the conscious plane into a state of pure clarity. It was an alluring thought, one that she immediately equated to the joy riding had brought her. She could recall all the times she had simply sat upon Delani's back and swayed to the rhythm of the mares steps and the beat of life through the Web. Delani lacked the skills her brethren in the Sapphire clan had with the Web and magic as a whole. Before the Storm, she could still sense it the way all of those tied to it could; but now, the Web was a distant presence that she couldn't even feel. It saddened her, urging the woman to seek the clans and her family out swiftly, if only to reconnect.

Once inside the tent, Dela followed him onto the floor, laying with her back flat and eyes on the tent-top overhead. It was an uncomfortable position because of her healing shoulder, but it would have to do. Turning her head, the woman watched him and was struck by what she saw as he lay flat beside her, knees up but feet flat to the floor. A kind of ghostly beauty about him, a man wearing the burden of the world with none to help him carry it. Was that the cost of his gift?

He must be very lonely... She thought, slowly moving into the crunches after studying the way he maneuvered himself. Then, turning eyes away, she began to copy him. With arms crossed over her chest, she tensed the muscles in her abdomen and back and lifted upwards, grunting as she folded up to her thighs. It hurt, her shoulder flaring in distress as she slowly, whimpering, lowered back to the ground and then repeated the process. Her feet slipped a little but she quickly corrected them as she ascended a third time.

The repetition was easy; focusing through the discomfort in her shoulder and her own illness-weakened body was not. Trying to ease the pain, the woman let her shoulder go slack and closed her eyes, face contorted in strain. It was going to take some time before she could regain her strength enough to do this, and after only seven of the crunches, Dela simply laid back and panted, her eyes closed and her Marked hand laying over her abdomen. "I do not think I have the stamina for that yet, Loktupar." She panted, sliding her hand off of her abdomen and onto the floor, letting the feel of the throws distract her from the burning pulse in her shoulder.

They were soft and warm, she found, a comforting feel to her digits and curiously, she wondered what they could be made of. The thoughtless curiosity flared through her mind and let the Lykata flare to life again, granting her Vision...

A desert, the heat baking the tents and the ground, searing the earth. Syna was always hot here, and so was the old woman bent over the needle and thread, her hands gnarled with age but even with her stitchings. It was made of camel hair, dyed in the white of a desert flower. A simple garb, but soft and suited for travel.

An old seamstress, skilled and well loved for the quality of her stitches. Benshiran maybe? Delani's brow had knit, the pulse of discomfort in her mind as she continued trying to acclimate to the Sight Eyris had given her. With a long sigh, the woman whispered, "I miss Delani...She was such a smart, old girl. I could lose myself to the world on her back and find such peace." Turning her head to look at the man now, her features pensive, she said louder, "Loktupar, perhaps we are going about this wrong. I have never done well with sitting still and just..." She trailed off a little, gesturing vaguely to the world. "When I am in motion, I see so much more, hear so much more. Not in fighting or running, but just...I do not know how to describe it. When you're mind is at full gallop, how can your body be at rest?"

When she turned her head to look at him again, the Drykas had this frightening desire overcome her. It started in the pit of her stomach and fluttered through her chest and up her throat. "You see the world in shades of grey...What ifs and might bes and could happens. But I see the world in what is and what has been and what did happen. I see a world of actuality, not possibility; and yet, the comfort of a canter has ever evaded my mind. I wonder if that is the lesson Eyris seeks to teach me and has put you in my path to rein me in."

Dela paused, smiled, and then laughed at the horse anecdotes that came so naturally to her. "Of course, when you see the world in actualities, you don't stop to consider the possibilities." The woman lay there beside him for a long moment, just staring at the dark-eyed foreigner, the words hanging between them. Possibilities. Actualities. The only difference were the unity of words between them. And the actuality now was when the Drykas rolled towards him, using her unbandaged arm as leverage to get above his face (if he had stopped doing crunches this whole time, that is), and lay a kiss to his lips, her auburn hair falling about them. It was brief but not aggressive and before long the woman was laying back, staring at the tent top.

"I think perhaps I need a horse. If Delani brought me peace when we rode together, perhaps another will help."

[Praetorian]

The Chaktawe sat up, crossing his legs beneath himself. Her words had broken the rhythm of his trance, but his mind was still airier than it should have been. Thoughts came and went without much significance, but he found himself fixating upon Delani. She was so different from the woman he knew with her fair skin and reddish hair and, because of that, she was very alluring to him. Perhaps there is more to it... He admitted with a small smile, remembering how he admired her for her strength and her curiosity. "You may not now, but you will in time." He patted her shoulder twice before shining his palms against one another. His own body was a bit sore as he had been working harder and faster than his companion; a thin sheen of sweat gave his russet skin a fired-clay appearance. Huffing through his nose, he decided to lay beside her while she recovered, for some inexplicable reason.

And then she started to speak, and Loktupar could do naught but listen, enrapt by the way she thought. When she laughed, he could not help but smile at her. In the oddest of ways, he was able to forget the weight of the world for a few moments around her.

And then, the world disappeared entirely as Delani claimed his lips. It was so unexpected, so... surreal. A trickle of electricity danced across his skin and a pale flame shuddered in his heart as his breath was stolen. To be surprised by a woman in such a way, had he ever experienced it before? Even before being givted with Foresight, he was able to predict a woman's behaviors and reactions based upon their past. It was so refreshing to be lost to a woman's unknown whims.

He did not move for fear of disturbing the moment, but his mind raced. He was, after all, a young man. He attempted to force himself to believe that the kiss was entirely platonic, but parts other than his mind did not wish to believe it. As quickly as it had began, it ended and the Chaktawe was left with a body that burned like Ektoli sands. She moved onto a new subject as if that moment had never existed. Ebony eyes turned to her as dark fingers brushed over his lips, checking to make sure that they had not been scorched and chapped by the heat that radiated from the woman. It was... so odd. His dark eyebrows came together as his eyes rose to the peak of the tent again.

The kiss had not been passionate nor aggressive, but there was an undeniable heat - how original for a Man of the Sand to be stuck in desert analogies - in the kiss. After so long, he realized that she was his own personal oasis. She had saved him as much as he saved her. How long could he have gone on as he had been?

He shook his head, ridding himself of flies as he rolled onto his side. "If it is a horse you need, we will find one for you. The caravan keeps a small herd of horses..." Young as he was, the caravan leader appeared even younger - almost adolescent - as he rolled quickly, feet and hands on either side of the prone woman. For a fraction of a tick, he hung there, inky hair swaying belatedly on either side of her head as his toned physique held him suspended over her. A playful predator stalked his unearthly eyes.

He pushed himself into a standing position and then offered the woman his hand and his help in standing.

They left the tent and returned to the heat of Syna's golden gaze. It was a short walk from the majority of the caravan to the area where the horses were allowed to graze. The half-wild colorsplash that had charged by was picketed a short way from the rest of the herd and hating every minute of it. He had a habit of running and riling the herd, Loktupar remembered. But, as soon as he and Taylani arrived, he stilled, eyeing them curiously. Delani will likely find something desirable in his spirit, he sighed mentally, hoping he would be able to steer the still-healing woman towards a mount more stable. "Choose who you will."