Closed Breaking the Pattern (Hope)

[Colt]

1st of spring, 514 a.v
not quite midday

Shahar was done. No more creeping, no more avoidance, no more trying to be quiet when he would discreetly slide food into her tent and no more deafening silences whenever they were within sighting distance of each other. He had been practically driven from his own camp in his attempts to avoid her, and he refused to tolerate it any longer. He’d tried to be gentle in her instruction, he really had, but it had come to nothing. He had given up on teaching her.

But gods be damned, if he couldn’t teach her then he was going to show her.

Akaidras and Dainellas both sensed Shahar’s distress when he approached where they were grazing, and if that wasn’t enough of a signal then the two yvas in his arms declared his intentions without the need for sign. Akaidras didn’t put up much fuss; in fact, the stallion ambled over to meet his rider amiably. He was ready to ride.

Shahar set Dainellas’ yvas on the ground and slung Akaidras’ yvas pad onto his back. He took a moment to make it symmetrical, then settled the yvas on top of it. He tightened the straps quickly and efficiently, then gave the not-quite-a-saddle a firm shake to make sure it was secure.

Dainellas was a bit more uneasy, which gave Shahar pause. He knew as well as any Drykas that horses were affected by the emotions of those around them, and she didn’t like his annoyance in the least. Shahar sighed and signed apology, peace. Though the mare didn’t relax completely, she did allow him to approach and give her a reassuring stroke on the shoulder. Then a pad went on her back, followed by the yvas, and within minutes she, too, was ready to bear rider.

Shahar bid them both to wait, please and returned to the camp. It was almost noon, and he knew exactly where he was going; ever since the incident at the beginning of winter, Shahar had found himself hyperaware of Hope’s comings and goings so as to avoid her as much as possible, and so he was fairly certain he knew where she’d be.

“Hope,” he said, voice louder than it had been in a very, very long time. It wasn’t accusational, wasn’t angry, it was simply loud and perhaps a bit firmer than usual. Either way, the volume was meant for attention; he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

[Hope Dawnwhisper]

* Hope * * At the disappearance of Shahar from their small collection of tents, not two bells earlier, Hope had emerged from her own tent, the remnants of the plate of food the Drykas had silently slid into her tent in her hand so that she could finish her meal by the warm glow of the still burning fire. Some mornings, Hope would be up and out of he Pavilion area before Shahar rose, but those were few and far between. She had slipped back into her habit of staying up late and rising even later. Mornings were spent lying on her back, staring up at the light that filtered partially through the tent canvas, at least until she no longer heard the movements of her guardian, or the bondmate. Slither was an acceptable companion - he was silent, and Hope imagined not judgemental in his presence. But in the countless days following the incident, Shahar had been avoiding Hope, and Hope had gone to great lengths to avoid everyone. In silence, she picked at her plate of food, not particularly enjoying it, but forcing it down her throat nonetheless. She knew that Shahar hadn't rejected her because of her looks or physique, but the momentary fear that that had been the cause was enough for her to force herself to eat any food offered to her. “Hope” She closed her eyes as she heard Shahar's voice. Despite having not heard the Drykas' voice in such a long time, she recognised it instantly. Though Hope had avoided the voice, and the man himself, she had still hoped to see him, still hoped to speak with him and, in doing so, mend the rift between them. A rift that had been caused by her own folly. Still, as she heard his voice, she cringed inwardly, and wanted to sink into the ground, disappear from his sight. But she couldn't. Instead, she stood up, placing the remainder of her food on the ground beside the his smouldering fire. Slowly, she turned and met the eyes of her Mast-guardian. It was difficult, but when she trained her eyes on the man, she managed to keep her gaze steady. From the direction he was standing, Hope knew where he had just come from, and she could guess why he was coming to her now. She began to walk towards him, embarrassed at the conversation that was surely about to come. But if she stayed silent, maybe she could avoid such talk.

[Colt]

There was a moment-long pause before Hope responded, put aside her dish of food and rose. Her eyes were to the ground, but after a few steps, they rose and locked with his. For a heartbeat, Shahar was unsure how to respond; it was completely unexpected, this mutual, almost intimate visual contact. Her gaze was so completely different from what he remembered it to be. Her piercing blue eyes weren’t cold or empty as they held him, though they weren’t exactly blazing, either. They were almost… warm.

Shahar blinked and did his best to regain control of his surprise. He nodded once and glanced away, a little unnerved, but didn’t falter in his signs.

Come, he said. This way. Shahar turned to make his way back to where the horses grazed, still not sure what to think of what had been in Hope’s eyes. After so long without truly looking at her, eye to eye, the sudden force of her gaze was disarming. Perhaps it could bode well? It wasn't something to think about, though, at least not right now––he was still going to show her what it was he wanted her to do, after so long avoiding what it was he didn't want her to do.

“Here,” he said, coming to a stop by Dainellas. “Give me your hand.”

Though it was worded as a request, Shahar still took ahold of Hope’s hand anyway, guiding it to Dainellas’ withers and setting it upon the handhold of the yvas. He didn’t meet her eyes, and he didn’t touch her anywhere but her hand. He wrapped his fingers over hers, closing them around the handhold where it was proper to grip. He took extra care to position Hope correctly; he wanted to do this properly from the beginning, and it wouldn't do for her to have a weak hold on her first try.

[Hope Dawnwhisper]

* Hope * * The silence that drew on between the pair as they made the relatively short walk over to the paddocks seem far longer than it should be. Whilst the silence was not particularly uncomfortable, Hope could not shake the distinct sense of unease that she felt as she spent more time with her Drykas guardian than she had in too long. In the past, the pair would remain silent because of the language barrier between them; the only common language between them was one which was neither’s native dialect, resulting in a loss of words to share, or a miscommunication. “That’s all this was because of, some miscommunication” The idea angered her slightly, that she hadn’t grasped enough of the Pavi language to understand her original purpose in Endrykas. Yet, thinking back, she couldn’t recall a time where Shahar, or even Khida, had bothered to explain what they required or wanted of her. They had bought her, taken her home and left her to her own devices until such time as they desired her company for either assistance or a lesson. There had been no explanation and the only words regarding to her situation were from a fellow captive from Syliras, whose name escaped Hope for a few ticks. The young woman had informed her of the Drykas desire for more children to populate their clans, and her engorged stomach had only been proof of those words. Hope could only make assumptions from that point forward and, though she had made the wrong assumption, she guilt had subsided a little for the man’s adverse reaction to her propositioning - as she viewed it as his fault that he, as her guardian, had not felt it prudent to divulge information with regards to her purpose in the tent city. The silence became too heavy for Hope and she finally uttered her poor excuse for her actions, “The girl, Taylani, she was with child. Said was reason for captives.” She didn’t bother to try to find the words in Pavi, having had enough trouble forming the sentence in the Common Tongue… she didn’t want to dwell on the subject matter for longer than was necessary. Inevitably, the two reached the paddock and a number of horses looked around to see whether it was their rider who had come to greet them. Dainellas and Akaidras were the closest and, as they neared, Hope noticed that they were both tacked up with a pad and the same device that Shahar had brought out the last time they were together. It occurred to the girl that, had their break not gone so badly, she would have finally ridden Dainellas that day. Taking a moment, she took in the bizarre device strapped to the backs and wondered just how it worked. She opened her mouth again to ask her guardian, but was stopped by his grasping of her hand, against which she flinched uncontrollably – though out of confusion, rather than fear; clearly not enough time had passed. Yet she did not pull away, and she allowed him to guide her hand to where it needed to be, resisting the urge to smile as the man’s brow furrowed slightly as he appeared to fret over where her hand was placed. Deep down, however, she was glad; it had been far too long since she had last been on the back of a horse and, whilst it wasn’t something she thought that she could forget, she wondered how different it would be to ride a new horse, and on this new device.

[Colt]

Shahar didn’t respond to Hope’s common phrase. He could only pick out a few words, like “girl,” “child,” “captive,” but he did not possess enough of a grasp on the Common speech to pick out any more or even begin to form a proper response. Was it a question she was posing of him, or a statement? It sounded like it could be either. Then child and captive--that was what most of the captives had been bought for, he knew. It was children that the Drykas wanted. Was that something Hope had been told? What had they told the captives when they had been taken?

Questions whirled through his head that he could not put words to, and so he was sentenced to an uninformative silence as they made their way towards the horses.

Hope flinched, as he had expected she would, but she did not pull away from his hand. That was something, at least. She accepted his fretting silently as he positioned her fingers where he needed them to be, and when he was satisfied with it he released her and stepped back. That was one step accomplished, and there were many that were still ahead.

A season ago, he might have waited a moment for her to become accustomed to the leather of the yvas, but he had waited far too long already and that waiting had gotten him nowhere. He was finished waiting. Now was time for acting.

Shahar placed himself directly behind Hope, movements neither quiet or self-announcing, and took Hope by the waist. If he gave too much regards to her comfort, it would take far too long, and so he opted to spend this single moment doing rather than thinking. With a heave, Shahar lifted Hope into the air and onto Dainellas’ back.

oocSorry, wasn't quite sure if I was taking too many liberties with this post. If so, give me a shout and I'll change it.

[Hope Dawnwhisper]

* Hope * * She was lifted up onto the horse, to her surprise. From her weight, Hope knew that the man would not struggle in the slightest to lift her; even though she had been eating healthily and substance had returned to her bones, she would always be a slight, petite woman. Unsure of herself, she stiffen uncomfortably in the strange device that held her onto Dainellas' back. The saddle had seemed so much simpler compared to this contraption, but she had never seen a saddle in Endrykas. Being in the back of Dainellas, she was reminded of her own beast, Shadow, the black weakling that she had stolen all those seasons ago. The tumult of emotions that she had recently been through with Shahar, followed by the self-imposed isolation in the days after, had left her suppressing everything, the fear, the anger, the humiliation, the distress, al, had been forced down with a deep breath each time they threatened to overcome her. And it was all she could do now to ensure that she didn't lose all composure in this field in front of her... guardian. So, instead, she sat, almost limp, upon a horse whom she had come to know quite well. The horse she was used to, Dainellas was not ill-tempered, like Shahar's horse, and she trusted the mare not to bolt or unseat her. It was the contraption on the horse that had her sitting so nervously, brow furrowed in concern. She wondered what she was supposed to do next, where she was suppose to grip, or squeeze. It hurt even more that Shahar had not deign to answer her statements. She wondered if it was because he didn't understand the mixture of Pavi and Common that she had used, or maybe she had used the wrong words. But, as her gaze flickered over to where the Drykas now stood below her, she knew that he did understand at least some of it. Enough to know what she was talking about, and enough to make the conscious decision not to answer her. After a moment's hesitation, Hope opened her mouth again to speak, intending to get something, anything from him, in order that they might return to more common ground. It had been a misunderstanding - it had taken Hope a long time to accept that. Shahar hadn't bought her for the purposes that she had imagined. He knew nothing of her history, of why she might be inclined to offer herself to a man in the way she had, and Hope knew nothing of Shahar's past, so she did not know why he had reacted the way he had. They had a lot to learn, and few ways of expressing themselves for mutual understanding. She closed her mouth, knowing that there were no words at this point. She had tried, but maybe the man wanted to forget, and move forward as if that day hadn't happened. If that's what he wanted, she wouldn't jeopardise the baby steps they were taking to fix the rift. OOCSorry for the delay - all yours now! All ready and prepared for awesomeness!

[Colt]

She was obviously surprised at the sudden change in location, although she didn’t struggle or even protest. Once upon Dainellas’ back, Hope seemed to lose all posture in her body, going limp in the yvas in a way that would not serve her on any horse she intended to ride in the future. But Shahar didn’t want to bother with the proper way to sit; that was a lesson for later. Her hand had fallen from where he had placed it, though, so Shahar put it back and wrapped her fingers around the handle. He gave her grip a firm shake to emphasize the need for strength, then turned and placed a hand on Dainellas’ hindquarters.

“Run, Dainellas!” he said to the Strider. “Show her what it means to ride with Zulrav!”

And with that, Shahar shoved the horse and her rider into motion.

He didn’t pause to see how Hope was taking it; unless he had speed of his own, he doubted his ability to catch up in time to prevent anything. But he did have speed of his own; the intensity and determination on his body was enough to rile up his own Strider, and Akaidras let out an excited whinny and pranced as Shahar swung into the yvas. Hardly a touch was needed before they were moving too, dark, long limbs tearing at the earth and devouring the distance between themselves and the yellow mare.

Today would be a ride to remember.

[Hope Dawnwhisper]

* Hope * * It was awkward up here, so different from how it had been to sit on a different saddle, too different. Shadow had also been far weaker, thinner than Dainellas. Too thin, yes, Hope had be ever really realised how frail Shadow had been, but it was easier to sit on him for those reasons. Trying her best to grip the saddle, and maintain balance with her thighs, Shahar renewed contact, and gently, yet firmly, guided her to hold on, clearly emphasising the importance of that grip worth his shake. Hope nodded vaguely. It was unfamiliar and uncomfortable, yes, but she would do her best to get used to it - she had no choice but to if she planned on integrating further into Shahar's people's strange ways. Beneath her, she could feel Dainellas settle. Hope wondered how long it had been since the mare had felt someone sat atop her; she'd never seem Shahar ride her, nor anyone else, but she was not always near the mount. Closing her eyes, she could easily imagine that she was mounted upon her dark pony, the friend she had come to trust and love, and it made her feel safe again. Dainellas seemed to have forgiven her for the frog incident, so she would not be thrown off out of spite. Whilst they weren't moving, everything was fine. But then, she felt the vibrations of Shahar's hand making contact with the mare's hind, and heard the words demanding movement from the beast. She made no effort to muffle her shriek of surprise as the beast dove immediately into a canter, and a gallop not soon after. Her body jostled in the saddle, not sure of where she was actually supposed to grip, except to cling with all her might. However she was supposed to do it, she felt sure that she was doing it wrong; there was no way that the horse lords of Endrykas had designed a saddle that made it harder for them to ride. Her only saving grace was that Dainellas, probably sensing her rider's discomfort, did not turn, simply running straight. Hope wanted to look behind her, to see if Shahar was watching, if he was worried, or amused, or if he had also mounted and was following. But she did not dare look anywhere but forward, so frightened was she that she would lose what little balance she had. But, after what seemed like bells, though it could not have been more than a chime or two, Dainellas began to slow, first to a fast trot, then slower, to a more acceptable walk. She didn't stop, however, and Hope was glad for this, as it gave her the breathing room to adjust herself and see what she might do to make her ride more smooth. “Guide me, Dainellas...” so focused was she on her ability to ride that it was simpler to revert to her native tongue, “These horse lords value their horses over everything... they know better than any... so how do I use this thing? What do I do with my thighs?”

[Colt]

Akaidras flattened into a full gallop almost immediately, hooves striking the ground with the violent need to run. Shahar leaned forward, tangling one fist into his Strider’s mane and letting the beast do as he wished; Akaidras was smart enough to know that they were following Dainellas, and so Shahar trusted him to keep moving in the mare’s direction.

Hope seemed to be at a bit of a loss, causing Shahar to nudge the stallion into even greater speed to catch up. She was clinging to the mare’s mane and appeared to be on the verge of falling off completely, but to Shahar’s pleasant surprise she did no such thing.

Swinging Akaidras wide of Dainellas’ path to get into the mare’s line of sight, Shahar signaled to her: slower, he said. He tapped the same sign against Akaidras’ shoulder and pulled the stallion short, and the two of them fell into a jagged half-canter, then a lope, then a brisk trot. Dainellas slowed as well, falling behind and forcing Shahar to carve a wide arc back around to get to Hope.

The woman had managed to seat herself in a more upright position, and was speaking to her mount in the strange language Shahar had sometimes heard her use.

“Hope,” he said, pulling abreast of the mare. “Good ride for first time.” Pleased, more to teach. “Up.” He straightened in his own saddle, then gestured at her. “Sit up.”

He then gestured at her legs, which were far too high on the yvas. He pushed at one of her knees gently, trying to encourage her to scoot back to where the proper seat of the yvas was.

[Caelum]

Thread Award

Shahar

Skills
Animal Husbandry +3
Horsemanship +3
Leadership +2
Riding (Horse) +2
Teaching +4

Lores
Tacking Up A Horse
Hands On Teaching Method

Hope

Skills
Deduction +2
Horsemanship +1
Observation +2
Riding (Horse) +1

Lores
Drykas Yvas: Construction
Drykas Yvas: In Use

Notes

Please edit your post in the grade request thread to reflect completion and, as ever, don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. My PM box is always open.