Closed New Kid On the Block (Nate)

[Arundel]

513 AV, 11th Day of Fall

Arundel stormed inside the pavilion with her brothers -the twins. She dropped her backpack unceremoniously on the ground, halting when the rest of the family converged on her. Before she could shout or scream anything, her mother placed what was supposed to be calming hands on her shoulders and started to speak. "Daughter, this is not your fault." She pulled away as if the words were a snake trying to bite her. Incredulously, she stared at her mother. The only thing she could manage was a silent sign. How?

"That is because we all thought he was fetching food for tonight," her father answered unhappily. His eyes darkened like storm clouds, and Arundel looked at him with dismay. Had she not made an effort the other night? She was going to come back a retrieve him, and take him on the trip. It would give her time to get to know him. "Where is he?" she asked. Her father shook his head. "They cannot find him. He has disappeared." Arundel's heart dropped. Why had she allowed herself - for that one small moment - to try to care? Dead? she signed silently once more. It was a pleading question. Wouldn't they tell her if he had died? They all shook their heads. Her older sister couldn't look at her. She must look devastated.

Arundel looked at all their faces. Anger - pity - uncertainty. She didn't want them to feel sorry for her. What had she lost? 60 golds, and an evening's worth of emotion. Reeling in her disturbingly sharp sadness, she wrestled with it and bottled it down quickly. Her face hardened, and she straightened her back. Her brothers looked at her warily, recognizing this. She glared at them for a moment, then met her father's unhappy gaze. He was furious that Aleixo had disappeared, and so was she. Arundel refused to let herself be sad about it. She would be bitter and hateful toward the memories of last night, where she tried to break the communication barrier and actually let herself feel attracted to him. One night of weakness - that was all it had been. There would be no more.

A disturbance at the entrance of the pavilion made everyone turn. In marched a man and woman of the Watch - it was unmistakable that they were thus. Between them was a man she had never seen before. He looked close to her age. Their eyes locked, and she stared at him. "Arundel," one of them spoke. Her eyes reluctantly left the stranger's and connected with the Watch woman. Yes, she signed. "I am her." Greetings, the two Drykas both gestured. Her family offered their own respective greetings, which were also returned. "We cannot find Aleixo." She stiffened at the sound of his name. Her fists clenched once, but she forced herself to relax. I know, she signed. "I've been informed." The man nodded and took his turn. "It has been decided to replace him. We have brought Nathaniel Deveraux to act in Aleixo's place."

He spoke Nate's last name in Common because the complexity in Pavi was a strange matter. Not every word in Common had a sister in their tongue. Arundel could barely believe what they'd just told her. She was trying to be an island - unreachable emotionally and calm, but a storm raged on her precious little beach. Trees snapped and waves crashed on her surface. Her mouth opened a few times, but no words came out. Her hands tried to articulate gestures, but none would form. I am an island. I am an island. She was not an island. She was a desolate desert, and the only occupants were her and Nate. Arundel stared at this new man in awed fury. Her eyes were alight with fire. If he got too close to her right now she would surely burn him.

Her mother touched her shoulder and spoke something, but she didn't hear. Her father exchanged farewells with the Watch, and they left. That was it. "-el. -ndel. Arundel!" Her eldest brother's voice finally cut through the fog. She had been staring at Nate for a solid chime without blinking. Startled, she turned around to face Ganden. "The same stipulations apply to this Nathaniel as well, they said. With the Web and with teaching him our ways. He was a captive brought from Syliras." Arundel glanced at all of them blankly, feeling wrung out and emotionally exhausted. They had just dumped this man on her so easily. She wasn't prepared. At least she had gotten a little used to the idea of Aleixo. But now he was missing, and this Nathaniel was to take his place. Anything to get me to breed, apparently.

The bitter thought made her want to laugh. Or cry. No! She refused to cry. "May we have privacy?" she asked her family. Please, her hands emphasized. They all hesitated for a moment, but finally disbursed. Reed, the youngest, watched Arundel and Nate over their mother's shoulder before disappearing behind a curtain. In less than a chime the two of them were alone. She regarded him quietly for a moment longer. He was rather tall, but not especially strong looking. Arundel couldn't deny the intelligence that challenged her in his brown eyes. She refused to think he was good looking. There wouldn't be any walls let down this time. The Drykas approached the Syliran slowly, looking him up and down. A few feet from him she stopped and pointed to herself. "Name Arundel." Her Common accent was thick and rich, but understandable. Her grasp of his language was loose.

He had nothing with him except the clothes on his back. Perhaps they were holding his belongings until she came to retrieve them. She would want them to give them back. Arundel couldn't afford to arm him - and she would have to if she was going to take him on this trip. It was sudden, but she refused to risk him running away like Aleixo. At least if this Nate ran off out in the grassland far from Endrykas, she was positive he would be dead. There would be no terrible uncertainty. "You... Nathaniel. Capture or.. or..," she paused, trying to find the word. "Give?" No. Arundel wracked her brain, trying to remember. "Volunteer?" That was the word!

[Nathaniel Deveraux]

Nate didn't know how long he'd been sitting around, twiddling his thumbs while his sisters got sold off like chattel. He'd only heard snatches about the Drykas, nothing concrete but he knew they were apparently excellent horsemen and quite proud. He'd never heard anything about slavery. It must have been a well-kept secret.

Images of the night he and his sisters were taken echoed in his mind, as he was silently marched to a tent on the far side from where he'd been before. Apparently he was not to be auctioned off. He briefly wondered if that meant he was to be killed off. After all, they had Kat and Lea now, what use would they have for him? When the girls had been taken, he remembered the burning rage in his heart, the sense of helplessness as they were taken away.

The worst part was they didn't struggle. He supposed, it wouldn't have helped. They'd taken him too, when he'd indicated he wouldn't resist. How could he? Any injury he inflicted on them would undoubtedly be visited on his sisters in turn. So he had to behave. But that did not mean he had to like it.

The city of the Drykas appeared to be essentially an enormous series of colorful tents, each one clearly belonging to a family. Or perhaps just to one person, he couldn't know, but their size seemed to indicate they were families inside. Besides, since he had not seen a single solid structure, he imagined this was a city that could be easily packed up and moved; such a city would, by necessity, be very family-oriented. If he was not in such a foul mood, Nate might have been impressed.

As they walked, Nate noted that a great deal of the people there had tattoos on them. He noticed it of the Drykas that had seized him and his sisters as well; he wondered if those tattoos signified something. They probably did, since none of the captives had been given tattoos, so they probably marked one as a Drykas. Nate would have been impressed by the complexity of some of those tattoos if he wasn't so busy being upset.

The two guards, a man and a woman, who had been escorting him pushed him into a tent, where there was a small gathering of people who looked to be related, if their similarly-colored hair and eyes were any indication. They were speaking to one another in their strange, halting language, their hands flying with unspoken signs that Nate could not understand. Would not understand. This was none of his concern; he only cared to ensure the safety of his sisters. If they were safe, he'd do as he was asked. But no one said he had to like it.

The two guards spoke up, saying something in their strange tongue. They sounded... apologetic. In fact the whole vibe of this meeting felt off somehow, like someone had died. Well that's just great. He hoped he wouldn't be the next sacrifice on their pyre, to be given to whatever god they prayed to for a good hunting season or whatever it was they planned to do with him.

His ears pricked when he heard his last name. Great. Oh that was just fantastic, a grim mood, and they mention him. Images of them prancing around a campfire with his disembodied head mounted on a pike danced in his head, but since he'd not seen similar activities in their camp he guessed they probably didn't do that. Maybe. He hoped.

And then the other people left. Filed out, one by one. Oh, lovely. Was this where they killed him? Maybe this had been a test of some sort. Or perhaps they just had wierd rituals for killing off slaves they didn't want, he couldn't tell, but either way he had a feeling something bad was probably going to happen soon.

Soon the only person left was himself and one of the people who'd been in the room before. If Nate was being honest with himself he'd admit she was quite attractive in a thin, wiry sort of way, with her wavy brown hair framing an oval face that possessed a pair of keen green eyes. In another life, he might have considered her pretty, but even if he'd met her in Syliras he wouldn't have done more than given her an appreciative nod. Back then he was far too busy taking care of the girls to have any time for something as absurd as romance.

"You... Nathaniel. Capture or... or..."

Nate's teeth instantly set. Nobody called him Nathaniel. Not even his sisters. The only person to ever call him that was his father, and this woman was most emphatically not his father.

"Nathan," he corrected her through gritted teeth, as she searched for the word she was looking for. She tried "give" before settling on "volunteer", which just made him bark a bitter laugh.

"My name is Nathan," he repeated, brown eyes dark with anger. "Only my father ever called me Nathaniel. Only family ever calls me Nate."

He tilted his head to the side a bit and considered her. "Oh yeah, I'm totally a volunteer," he replied, his voice about as sweet as wormwood. "You know, if you ignore the fact that I was captured, and that I'm a slave with basically no choice. Oh yes, and my sisters are being held here to make me behave. Besides that, I'm totally here willingly."

Nate wasn't sure how much of that this woman understood. It was clear from her halting speech that she was not used to speaking the Common tongue, so he had made sure to keep his tone as bitingly sarcastic as possible. Surely that could cross any barriers of language just fine.

"Now let's get something clear here," he growled. "I could tell the moment I walked into this place that you didn't want me here. When they introduced me I saw the look on your face. So let's not pretend we're going to be the best of friends."

Nate crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the woman coolly. "You wanted a slave, well congratulations you've got one. I won't pretend to always be friendly, but as long as you have my sisters I'll at least be obedient. Mostly. Y'know, unless you're going to be throwing me at wolves or lions or something."

With anyone else, that last sentence would've been delivered with a lopsided grin and a quick laugh, to assure the listener he was just joking with his usual sarcastic humor. But Nate did not grin nor laugh. Because for all he knew, this woman would be doing exactly that.

[Arundel]

Her shoulders stiffened at the tone of his voice. It was the universally understood and lowest form of wit. Sarcasm. It didn't matter that most of his words were foreign and lost to her. It didn't matter than he didn't glare and shout. His voice dripped with attitude and dislike. His eyes were filled with contempt - and hate. He hated her already. Deep down, that small part of her that wouldn't obey her orders to be pitiless and uncaring toward this new man shuddered and cringed. She stomped on the emotion with the toe of her boot, and dug it in the ground deep at the back of her psyche. Arundel squared her jaw and stared him down, even raising an eyebrow as if to ask Are you done?

There were a few words she picked up. He wanted her to call him Nathan - fine. Then he mentioned volunteer, slave, sisters, face, and a smattering of others that didn't fit in her translation. His sarcasm made this a dangerous message to try to decipher. She decided to assume it was a mystery now as to what he was - volunteer or captive. There were some even who were a little bit of both. Nate mentioned sisters, and that struck a chord. Aleixo's sister Antia still lived. She was the reason he'd been here in Endrykas. They hadn't told her yet. That would be left up to her brother, who intended to take her as a second wife. She was still resting after her hard journey, protected and supervised at the back of the pavilion where she wouldn't be disturbed.

Last night the physician had seen to her and left them with the assurance that she would recover in time, as would the baby she carried in her first trimester. Arundel glanced at the curtain at the back of the pavilion where she knew she was. She hadn't paid attention to see who had disappeared back there when the family dispersed. Reluctantly, her eyes focused back on Nathan. So she was stuck with a ward - and likely future husband - that hated and resented her. It was clear that he did. Dislike radiated off him like a solid entity. She could almost touch it and taste the saltiness of it on her tongue.

Would he listen to her? "No slave. Family, later. Now, learn. Become." Arundel patted herself solidly on the chest. "Drykas." She pointed at him, but didn't dare touch. "You Nathan become. I show." There was no way to explain what she truly wanted to in his language. Just wanting to know she said it, she lapsed into Pavi. "I know you hate me. I don't like you, and I don't like the situation." Her hands signed dislike and we are both forced. "I didn't choose you. The man I chose - he might as well be dead now. He ran from us and the home I was going to try to provide. Don't disappoint me like he did." Her eyes were hard, but the sadness in them could never be denied.

"Come," she ordered, once again speaking Common. Her fingers curled into the sign to mirror in her own language. Come. His training would begin immediately, even if he himself did not know it. Arundel moved to retrieve her heavy pack and slung it over her shoulder. As she brushed past Nathan to exit the pavilion, an agonized wail pierced the air of the pavilion. She turned sharply at the sound, focusing on the curtains at the back of their large home. A young woman's voice keened and moaned with such pain that it was impossible not to feel it in her own core. They had told Antia. Listening to her cries of disbelief and heavy grief, Arundel felt like an intruder. She hesitated for only a moment until another pained sob drove her feet forward. "Come," she ordered again quickly before rushing out into the open air.

Tears pooled in her eyes and her heart pounded. It sounded like a drum in her ears, and even outside she could hear Antia's mourning for her missing brother. Do not cry! she ordered herself harshly. Do not let him see you cry. Arundel turned her face down and away from Nathan as he followed, and she forged ahead at a quick walk. Her mare, Juniper, nickered quietly and began to follow as well. The Seme still was tacked and carried the gear for their extended trip into the Sea. The big black mare sniffed and nosed Nathan experimentally, getting a sense of his foreign scent. She seemed pleased, and for for some reason that deeply annoyed Arundel.

She would take him and they would retrieve his belongings which were confiscated at the time of his capture, then they could meet back up with Tsarvik and be on with the trip.

OOCIs it me or does Arundel trying to communicate with Nate feel like a scene from Avatar?

[Nathaniel Deveraux]

Well. That was interesting. They wanted him to become one of them? Were they serious?! Nate made absolutely sure his skepticism showed on his face. That did not make sense at all. None, whatsoever. In fact, he was pretty sure it made negative sense. His sisters, he could understand. From the snatches he'd picked up that were spoken in Common he gathered there was some sort of disease and the Drykas were trying to... repopulate. So they took women to assist in that, and he rather understood where such slaves would stand.

This "Arundel" kept glancing into the back, and apprehension of some sort was clear in her eyes as she did. Nate had no clue what she was apprehensive of. Perhaps her family did not approve of her taking a slave. Or perhaps that was where she was supposed to lead him to chop his head off, who knew. Maybe he'd become a Drykas by being food. At this point he really didn't care. In any case he raised his own eyebrow, looking defiantly back into Arundel's green eyes.

She started speaking in her own language, the words harsh and occasionally sad. Whatever she said (and signed) was lost on Nate, who suspected she said what she said as much for herself as for him. It was absurd; did she honestly think he'd understand any of what she'd just told him?

it didn't matter. Apparently he was to go with her. Well, he said he'd obey, and he would. What else could he do? And Nate was not so stupid as to run without a plan. Where would he go? He didn't know the region, and even if he did, he couldn't navigate worth a shyke as his sisters would eagerly attest to. And even if he could navigate, he'd probably get eaten by the first hungry beast he came across out there, stumbling right into its stomach because he didn't even know what lived out here.

No; escape, if it was even possible, would require planning. Years of careful planning. Years he loathed having to spend here, in this prison of horses, and tents, and tattoos. And what of his sisters? He could not simply abandon them here. Not for the first time he wondered why he had to be sold to anyone. He was useless to the Drykas; he couldn't be a walking womb for them like Kat and Lea could. He almost preferred they'd just stuck a knife in his back and been done with it.

Then, as they were walking through the flap, a piercing screaming sob of anguish pierced the air and Nate's face turned white. He paused, frozen, unable to move, the scream rooting his feet to the ground. He'd only heard a scream like that once before, and his mind went, unbidden, to that awful, awful night. That night when he'd come home, alone, bloody and bruised and without his father. The faces of the Knights looming above him stern but full of sorrow, the look of dawning horror and understanding on his mother's face as they explained how they couldn't save his father in time...

It had been his fault! Why had he used his own shirt, unsanitary with blood and dirt, to bandage the wound?! Why hadn't he washed the cut clean with the water he already had?! Why did his father have to pay the ultimate price for his own ignorance?! Instead he had to watch his father slowly decline, the infection spreading quickly throughout his body in a matter of chimes, septic shock setting in mere bells later. By the end, his father couldn't even walk, and Nate had to half-hold, half-drag him, begging and pleading him to take just one more step, just one more step...

Nate's instincts as a doctor screamed at him to go and see if there was something, anything he could do to help the woman. He'd promised, that day when his father died, that he'd never let his ignorance mean the difference between life and death ever again. But as the scream turned to wracking sobbing wails Nate knew there was nothing he could do. Any more than there was anything he could have done for his mother, who wasted away after his father's death. Who wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, and eventually, just sort of faded out of her own body. First, do no harm. And any action he took would do harm. With a heavy heart, Nate gritted his teeth, and pressed on forward. To the cool air outside. To this strange woman's waiting horse. To, apparently, a new life.

[Arundel]

The Drykas glanced over at the Syliran, after discreetly wiping the moisture from her eyes. He had delayed following momentarily, and she noticed the strain on his face. The tightness of his eyes, the grim set of his mouth, and his tense posture. Surely it was because of Antia. They were now well enough away to not hear the grieving cries of Aleixo's distraught sister, but the sound of her sadness would stay with Arundel for a long time. A cold chill crawled its way up her stiff spine, making gooseflesh rise on her arms. She quickly rolled her long sleeves back down to her wrists, seeking some kind of warmth. It didn't help.

Again, her wary green eyes wandered to Nathan. He walked beside and slightly behind her, with Juniper close at his heels. They were approaching the large pavilion that had been used for the captives before the auction, where his gear would be being held. Her anxious stride began to slow marginally, until the two of them were walking side by side. She matched his long-legged pace and tipped her head slightly toward him, now looking ahead. "Antia," Arundel began uncertainly, "is Aleixo's sister." The words did not elude her for that simple explanation, to which she was grateful. "He is... disappear. Missing." Her hands instinctively signed ran away. "She grieves him." So do I, she told herself. The thought popped unwelcome in her mind, and she frowned.

"Aleixo volunteer. Like you." Her voice was dull and flat. The similarities between the two of them had her doing a metaphorical double take. Both men had that defiant light in their eyes. The handsome faces, and able looking bodies. Nathan seemed more fiery than Aleixo was, but they were cut from the same cloth. The next question left her wind burnt lips before she could even think. "You have family?" She could grasp these simple questions in his language. They could make progress like this, but Arundel didn't want to distress Nate with thoughts of his old home. She knew if she were in his position, questions of Endrykas would hurt her heart. So feeling guilty, she clicked her teeth shut and pursed her lips.

[Nathaniel Deveraux]

Antia. Aleixo's sister. Apparently, Aleixo had run from the Drykas and disappeared. And the only question in Nate's mind was why?! It was a stupid plan! Perhaps this Aleixo was not a hunter, didn't know how dangerous the wilderness could be, how unforgiving the wilds were to even the prepared. When he was in Sylira he made every effort to never stray too far from the safety of Syliras' walls.

And if he and his sister were both captives, it meant they came from Syliras too, which meant this Aleixo could not have known what sorts of beasts roamed out there, when even a hunter like Nate didn't know. Nate was absolutely positive he'd never make it out there, and he was an experienced hunter and medic. Either this Aleixo was a master survivalist, or he was almost certainly dead.

The dangers outside the safety of city limits were very real. His experience with his father taught him that lesson painfully and permanently. And if he died out there... who would take care of his sisters? What was Aleixo thinking, just abandoning family like that?! Nate could not understand. It made no sense to him. Well of course his sister would grieve him, but Nate could feel the cold chill of worry grip his spine. He'd seen grief like that rob a woman of life before. And he wasn't sure he could bear watching it happen again.

"Aleixo volunteer. Like you." Yeah. For a given definition of "volunteer". Nate just half-snorted and raised an eyebrow, but didn't reply, letting the skepticism on his face speak for him. He supposed it was true that he hadn't kicked and fought when his sisters were taken, if only because he knew any injury he caused the Drykas would be visited tenfold on Lea and Kat.

And when they'd been captured he'd been offered three choices: stay and abandon his sisters, fight and die, or come along quietly. There really wasn't any choice. Family first, after all, and after Anton and Lydia had died, his sisters were all the family he had left. He'd spent years raising them, he wasn't about to just let them go to an unknown fate. He'd be there for them, no matter what.

"You have family?" she asked. Nate nodded. Perhaps she'd know what happened to them. For all he hated the situation, hated what the Drykas had done, hated her, he had enough presence of mind to know an opportunity when he saw one.

"I have two sisters, Lea and Katerina. They were taken with me. I don't know where they are." Nate's clipped tones and worried face betrayed his concern for their welfare and whereabouts, even as he tried to shrug it off like it didn't matter. He had parents too, but they had both died years ago. He saw little reason to tell Arundel this; it was hardly of concern now, anyway. And he had no other family in Syliras. He briefly wondered if anyone would even know, even care, that they were gone...

"Where are we going?" he asked her, brow raised in curiosity. Nate supposed it didn't matter in the end, but if they were going to throw him to the wolves he'd prefer to know how exactly it was going to happen.

[Arundel]

This Nathan would be a handful. Of that, the Drykas was already certain. He snorted at something she said, but wasn't sure what. The fact that he answered her question though, genuinely surprised her. She expected more sarcasm in his foreign tongue. Interest was clear on her face, and she watched him now as he spoke of family. Most of these words she understood. He had two sisters, and Arundel would be sure to remember their names. Something also about not knowing, but what he didn't know, she was uncertain. Their location, perhaps. Either way, she could inquire where they were when she spoke with the Watch. The large pavilion was up ahead, and they would arrive shortly. Would he trust her more after she retrieved his confiscated things? It was a possibility, however small. They didn't have to like each other, but trust was something entirely differently. Trust kept you alive.

"Belongings," she explained when he asked of their destination. "Yours." Not long afterwards, they arrived. Arundel gestured at him once they stopped. Wait, her sign said. "Be back," she told him. "Stay," she ordered. He would give her Common a good exercise. They would have to teach each other their native tongues soon. It was a big hurdle to overcome, but was no different than what she'd faced with Aleixo. Not knowing if he would obey, she turned and entered the expansive pavilion, leaving him at the drawn back opening. It was busy and lively inside, filled with Watch men and women among many other Drykas. Excitement at the sight of their warrior protectors coursed through her veins like adrenaline. Her dreams were often filled with imaging herself among their ranks. Arundel smiled to herself, a little sadly. Maybe one day. She still had far to go.

A tall lanky man stopped her. Windmarks decorated his cheeks and crawled down his neck, disappearing into the neckline of the green shirt he wore. He looked fierce but strangely sociable. "May I help you?" he asked in a surprisingly airy voice, gesturing greetings in sign. "I have a man brought in from the raids," she explained while returning his greeting. "I wish for his items to be returned to him. He is waiting for me outside." The man of the Watch didn't question her. He nodded his tattooed face and motioned for her follow. Within just a few chimes, Arundel had his things. It was gratefully a very simple procedure. They knew of her predicament and Aleixo's loss, after she explained who she was.

Arundel inspected Nathan's items curiously. His things were distinctly foreign in their own way, but she liked it. Her main interest lay with his bow and blade. After a cursory rummage inside his backpack and rucksack, she moved on to his weapons. The Drykas removed an arrow from its quiver and inspected it thoroughly - running a thumb across the broadhead and over its fletching on the end. Next, the bow. It lay lightly in her fingers, unstrung but powerful looking. Its string was coiled neatly inside of the rucksack. The Drykas had done that so the limbs wouldn't warp. A thoughtful gesture, she personally thought. Nate's kukri was the most interesting to her. It was heavy in her hands when she picked it up, with a pleasant weight and a well-worn grip. The blade had been loved and cared for, that much was clear.

Like with the arrowhead, Arundel ran her thumb across the blade's edge but quickly flinched away with it cut a fine line in her flesh. Blood instantly rose to the surface, and she stuck the digit in her mouth to try and stop its flow. She threw his pack over one shoulder where it rested against hers, then buckled his rucksack around her waist. The kukri was slipped behind her belt, and the quiver of arrows went over her other shoulder. She carried the bow in her hand on the way out, feeling like a hunched over pack animal when she returned to Nathan. Silently she handed over his bow and laid the backpack at his feet. Arundel shrugged off his quiver and unbuckled the rucksack, carefully tossing those on the pile. "This is all," she assured him as she pulled the kukri from her belt. "Now, need horse."

[Nathaniel Deveraux]

Nate was not certain what to think. She was... giving his belongings back to him? Why would the Drykas re-arm an enemy, right in the middle of their own camp? Granted, he was not an idiot; they had both his sisters, he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize them. But a lesser man would have simply taken his weapons and gone on as big a killing spree as he possibly could. The whole thing struck him as utterly stupid, but then he was not going to complain.

Arundel had left Nate to his own devices at the entrance of the tent, and he looked around, honestly somewhat bored. There were several fierce-looking Drykas warriors guarding this place, so he assumed it must be where they stored all the items confiscated from the captives. But, he couldn't imagine many of them carrying what he was carrying; the overwhelming majority of the captives were helpless women, not hunters and fighters.

When Arundel had left the tent, she had brought his things with him, and if the situation weren't so severe he'd have smiled at the sight of her almost bent over with the backpack and rucksack. But a flash of red on her hand caught his attention immediately, and even as she was placing the items in front of him his instincts as a medic caused him to spring forward and seize her hand. Blood. She'd cut her thumb on something. The wound was not serious, but he ignored her statement about needing a horse.

"You've injured yourself," he announced, taking a closer look at the cut. It was clean, which was good news. A jagged cut usually meant she'd snagged it on rock or wood, and that often left gross debris inside that could lead to infection. Nonetheless, even a clean cut could lead to more serious problems if left untreated. Sadly, he did not have any wraps on him, but he hoped that the Drykas did not empty the contents of his water skins before they took them.

Opening one, he smelled inside. No, this one was just water. Nate seized his second waterskin, and felt the weight, shaking it somewhat. Yes, it still had liquid. Popping it, he sniffed it, and nodded when he smelled the tangy odor of alcohol within. Nate looked back up into Arundel's green eyes. Gone, at least temporarily, was the seething hatred and undying anger, and instead was the gentle reassurance that Nate had learned was the hallmark of any good medic. "This will sting," he quietly warned her, and poured some of the alcohol onto her finger, making sure to keep her hand steady with his left, so that she didn't instinctively jerk it away.

He did not pour too much of the alcohol onto her finger. It wasn't necessary to bathe the wound, nor wrap it, as the injury was neither deep nor serious. But the application of the natural antiseptic ensured that it was both sanitized and sterilized. Satisfied that Arundel was no longer in danger of having the injury infected anytime soon, he re-capped the water skin, sealing the precious alcohol inside, and returned it, along with his other things, to his backpack and rucksack.

"Do not suck on it," Nate cautioned, grabbing Arundel's hand before she could do so. He knew it was a bad habit some people had with injuries of that nature. But saliva carried too many infectious agents and was not particularly clean, and sucking on a wound often just made things worse. He just shook his head, explaining, "No need to risk infection."

Turning his attention back to his gear, Nate made certain to inspect the coiled bowstring, making sure it was still in serviceable shape before carefully storing it in the rucksack. He was not planning to string the bow unless he was actually planning on shooting something. It saved on wear on his weapon. Finally, he took his father's kukri , inspecting the blade first to ensure no dings or other blemishes had tarnished it. But nothing had; the generations-old weapon was still as pristine as ever. Nate nodded, and put it into his belt.

Nate's remarkable transformation from sarcastic and angry to caring and gentle reversed in an eye blink, though, as he put the last of his things back into place. "And why would I need a horse?" he asked Arundel, one eyebrow raised. "You Drykas need to take me that far to kill me?"

[Arundel]

Nathan's hands flashed, reaching out for her after she handed over his things. There had been no preparation mentally for this. She hadn't planned on touching him at all, let alone him grabbing her. Her body tensed, and she watched him suspiciously. He said something about her, and inspected the narrow cut on her digit. It burned, but surely was fine. What was the big deal? Arundel frowned at him, wanting to pull away. When she looked up from their hands, she was startled to connect with his eyes. His angry, observant stare had been replaced by something gentler and more controlled. It instantly put her on high alert. Another remark fell upon her unpracticed ears, but she picked up the word this. This what? She looked at the waterskin in his other hand, and tried once more to pull away too late.

The alcohol ran across her skin and invaded the wound, stinging the sensitive flesh exposed by the sharp edge of his kukri. She stood still, showing no discomfort except for a slight narrowing of her eyes. His grip was firm and sure, keeping her securely in place. Appearances aside, he seemed surprisingly strong. It was over quickly, since he used very little of the waterskin's contents. Instinctively, Arundel lifted her hand to her mouth to lick the digit clean. Before her lips could touch skin, Nathan's fingers pulled it away. Even if she didn't understand all of his reprimand and warning, she understood in essence what he was saying. Actions could speak louder than words. The Drykas nodded, embarrassed. She knew what infection meant, at least. Her cheeks grew warm, and she frowned to herself, feeling like an errant child. "Thank you," she mumbled reluctantly.

Luckily he turned his attention away to inspect his newly returned belongings. Arundel folded her arms close to her chest, feeling less exposed that way. When his eyes found her again, she was looking more in control of her discomfort. It seemed his attitude was back. She met his challenging stare with a raised eyebrow and deadpan expression. "Journey north. Hunting. You go. Must. Not leave alone. Come!" The accompanying sign for follow emphasized her order. Arundel was glad her calm exterior lasted until she turned and began the walk back to the pavilion. She would borrow one of the family's Semes as well as a full set of yvas for him. She frowned as she led him back to her family's home with Juniper on their heels. When they returned, she quickly ducked inside and dashed off into her brothers' quarters to retrieve gear for Nate.

The twins were inside, playing dice and cards with her older sister and the second eldest brother. After a quick explanation to the siblings, she was back outside with Nate, holding the yvas, a pad, and set of bags. The family had already known of her plan to go hunting. It would be a rather lengthy trip, and she had been going to take Aleixo, but then this happened. She didn't really want to think about it. So now, Nathan was going. It was short notice, but one couldn't expect everything to go as planned. "Come," she ordered once more, brushing by him and briskly marching around the back of the pavilion. From there she wound through the maze of homes, through what would be considered their streets, until they fell upon her family's herd. Many horses grazed in and around Endrykas, often keeping rather close to where their Drykas were. This was only a portion of theirs - a group of five strong pulling horses - but she automatically spotted a mare that would suit this task perfectly.

"This way," she assured Nathan as she led him to the cluster of large, dark horses. Their coats varied, but were all similar. Black and sometimes dark brown bodies, with manes and tails that were either white or blonde. They were large, powerful beasts, built for pulling pavilions and other loads when Endrykas moved along the Run each season. This was their main job, but not nearly the only one. She stopped beside the big mare, a little taller than Juniper, and touched her dark brown - almost black - shoulder. Her large head lifted, and intelligent eyes greeted the two of them. The mare snorted quietly, chewing contently on a mouthful of fall grass. "You partner. She carry. Respect horse. Understand?" She adjusted her armful of equipment, drawing his attention to it. "This yvas. Use to ride. I show."

Arundel wasn't sure he knew anything about horses, let alone Drykas horses. "Special style. No saddle. Ride as one. One with horse. No barrier." She made a demonstration of tacking the mare up. She did it slowly, motioning sternly for him to watch when his eyes at first traveled away. "Attention!" First the pad was laid atop the Seme's back. This got her attention completely. They were well trained animals, and knew what was expected of them. Each of them could be ridden as well as pull, making them versatile creatures. If a Drykas horse couldn't be utilized to its fullest potential, someone had done something wrong somewhere along the line. Next, Arundel buckled the simple yet complex yvas around the mare's girth area. It hugged her like a belt, with hooks that hung on either side and handles up toward her withers that could be held just in case. She hung the yvas bags on said hooks, then ran her hands along the mare's thick, muscular neck, murmuring praises into her pale mane.

Ducking under the Seme's neck so she was again standing with Nathan, she explained further, "No reins. Free head. Seme smart. Use legs." Arundel positioned herself at the mare's shoulder, and cupped her hands in front of her. It was a clear signal for him to step into them. "Up," she ordered simply. Never had she actually taught an outsider how to ride like the Drykas did, so hopefully this wouldn't be a disaster. Teaching horses was one thing. Teaching a person - let alone this man - was something completely different.

[Nathaniel Deveraux]

In truth, Nate's instincts as a medic could be problematic, especially for a man with a goal of not trying to feel any sympathy for the people who'd captured him and his sisters and pressed them into service. In the end, though, he wouldn't change that part of himself for all the world. It was a crucial part of who he was. And while in the past some had mentioned he was almost a different person when somebody was injured that was not actually true. That part of him had always existed. It didn't always show, and in fact often did not, but that didn't mean it didn't exist.

And it had showed itself to the Drykas woman in front of him, who seemed rather surprised that he was even willing to assist her. He supposed he could blame that reaction given his behavior so far, but it simply wasn't in his nature to abandon someone clearly in need of medical attention just because of who they were. At least she thanked him after he was done, he half-expected she'd simply pull her fingers away and glare at him angrily, which would've suited him just fine.

So he was to go on a hunting trip. She said "must" which led Nate to believe that perhaps she knew he was a hunter and a medic and that was why it was required that he go? He had no context to work with here; no explanation given for why he needed to go, simply a command that left no room for argument. An order, really, and Nate as a captive had little choice but to obey like an obedient little slave. Nate gritted his teeth and nodded curtly, following her when she gave the command to follow.

Not like she was really giving him any choice in the matter, pivoting on her heel and marching away, forcing Nate to scramble to keep up with her, pointedly ignoring her hand sign which was obviously the Grassland Sign for the same word she spoke. He wouldn't lower himself to learning their language; bad enough he was forced to obey their commands. Childish? Perhaps, but it gave him some measure of the feeling of control, even if that feeling was entirely illusory.

She led them to the tents where apparently some equipment was stored, though Nate didn't know that this was also the tent where her family lived, and where he would as well for the foreseeable future. Nate waited outside, only catching glimpses of the interior that he would eventually by necessity get to know a lot more intimately.

A pair of very similar-looking youngsters were playing with dice and cards and there was a woman and a man inside but Nate wasn't able to really see much more before the flap closed and he was left waiting outside for Arundel's return. When she did, she was carrying gear in her arms and with another curt command ordered him to follow. Nate almost growled at being treated like a dog but he complied regardless.

They moved quickly past tents and pavilions, thoroughly confusing Nate as to his location now as he had no clue where all these tents were located in relation to each other and there weren't even friendly neighborhood street signs to help him this time. But, Arundel seemed to know where she was going and after a few moments they found themselves in front of a herd of horses.

Nate did not know these horses belonged to Arundel's family, nor did she state this fact, so he was curious why they were allowed to simply utilize them seemingly without permission. He decided it really didn't matter; if this was not permitted it was probably on her head and not his, so he figured it wasn't any of his concern.

Nate found himself being led to a large mare. He had no idea it was a mare; to be perfectly blunt his knowledge of horses was pretty much nonexistent. He was not familiar enough to tell at first glance the difference between various different kinds of horses; all he knew was that horses had four legs, ran pretty fast, and were of a certain shape and size. Oh yes and apparently they could be ridden if you knew what you were doing, which he did not.

Nate understood what Arundel was saying, about respecting the horse as a partner, but he did not agree. One of the first lessons of the hunter his father taught him was that you must never rely on anyone but yourself. Because out there in the woods, anything could happen; over-reliance on a partner was dangerous. He remembered how he'd relied on Ama's nose, and how badly he'd failed at hunting when she wasn't there. A partner was a luxury, not a given.

There was some sort of strange... well it wasn't a saddle. That was for sure. Nate had remembered seeing these strange things covering the horses ridden by the Drykas that had taken him and his sisters; apparently they all used them. According to Arundel, they were called "Yvas". Despite himself, Nate found himself attempting to pronounce the word, but it felt foreign to his tongue. Foreign like everything else about this place.

Given that the Drykas appeared to have a special connection with their horses Nate supposed it wasn't so surprising they had saddles that didn't limit their horse in any way. No bridles, no stirrups, none of the trappings Nate had briefly seen of the warhorses that the Knights occasionally rode. Those horses seemed different too; he couldn't explain how exactly, but they seemed shaped differently. But he was no horse breeder and had no expertise whatsoever, so perhaps it was just his own untrained mind jumping to all the wrong conclusions.

Nate's mind began to wander a bit, looking off to the side to see what other horses this place had. They were all of various colors and shapes and sizes and although he didn't know anything about breeds he figured they were probably quite strong. At least they looked strong, with powerful muscles peeking through shiny pelts. The large expressive eyes seemed to express some degree of intelligence too, though he didn't know how intelligent the horses of Cyphrus were, or weren't.

"Attention!"

Oh right. her. Nate was honestly starting to get a little annoyed now. Seriously? Attention? What was he, some sort of pet? Grinding his molars he dragged his attention back to what Arundel was doing as slowly as he could, feeling the annoyance in his bones as he watched her put the Yvas on the horse. So first apparently there was some sort of pad on the horse's back. Nate couldn't tell, with his admittedly nonexistent experience, whether it was to protect him from the horse or to protect the horse from him.

Next was the yvas itself, a simple-looking thing but it seemed kinda complicated how it was hooked under the horse and he was quite sure he wouldn't have been able to replicate what this horsewoman was obviously quite skilled at doing. Or had been doing a long time. Or both. Probably both.

There were hooks and such that lined the yvas, obviously intended to hang the Drykas equivalent of saddlebags on, and Arundel informed him with her clipped Common that there were no reins, that the horse's head was free. That the "seme" was smart and that he should use his legs. That was great. Use his legs how, exactly?

Well, it seemed that she wanted him to step up to the horse, as she cupped her hands and indicated with her eyes and words that he was to clamber onto the animal. Nate was... not really very eager to do this. Beyond the fact that he knew this could only end in disaster he still didn't really trust this woman. Especially didn't trust this woman.

Nonetheless, he acquiesced, putting his right foot into her cupped hands and allowing her to lift him up into the saddle. Nate had never ridden before in his life. He'd never even been within five feet of a horse; the closest he'd ever come was seeing the mounted Syliran Knights in full regalia from a distance.

His leg swung over the pad on the horse's back, and he should have sat snugly on the animal's back but something went wrong. He could feel himself sliding down the other side, and he tried to steady himself with his arms but it was too late.

With a curse that was equal parts annoyance and surprise Nate slid off the yvas on the opposite side of Arundel, and he had the hard luck to even get his shirt caught by one of the hooks. So by the time he landed on the ground, Nate found himself seated on the hard dirt without his shirt and quite upset.

Jumping up, he snatched his shirt and marched over to Arundel, giving her a sour look. "Well, that went just fantastic," he growled, tone hard and sarcastic as usual. This was going to take all day. He could feel it. His annoyance was such he didn't even notice he hadn't put his shirt back on, though a breeze brought a shiver that caused him to scowl and slip it over his head and back onto his body.

If Arundel had seen the scars across his chest, he didn't notice, as he was glaring at the yvas as though it was the fault of the unique-looking harness that he fell off the horse.