Solo The Half-way Point

[Aran Windblown]

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75 Summer, 514AV

Things in the Windblown Pavilion had been tense ever since the run that Aran had made to Kenash and came back to have an argument with his Ankal. It seemed that his Ankal had been listening, however; the other jobs that Aran got-- all simple ones-- were from people who approached him directly. Sirot did not approach him with jobs, and Aran was glad for it. He may be living in his family's Pavilion as he was not married and they had plenty of room, but he was still his own person. At the moment, Aran was speaking with one of the weaponmakers from the Ruby clan; this man wanted Aran to make another run to Kenash. When the location was mentioned, Aran frowned heavily. "Did you request a delivery earlier this season?" he demanded. The woman looked startled. "Yes, I did-- What of it?" "The men who took the weapons and scrolls said that they were displeased with the lack of bows. They nearly shot at me and Anyalvis; if Anyalvis had not been any faster, or I any less experienced, we could have been seriously hurt. If this delivery is to the same people, then you can find another courier." The woman bristled. "Now, see here-- I am paying you to deliver goods! I cannot control others' reactions!" "But I can control which packages I take. If this package you wish for me to deliver goes to those same men, then I will not take it and you would do well to seek assistance elsewhere." Aran folded his arms and waited while the woman worked through whatever was going through her mind. "If you can take this to the Watchtower I can have someone meet you there," she finally said tersely. "I need this delivered, and Anyalvis is the fastest courier's horse in Endrykas." Aran thought this offer over for a moment before he nodded. "I will take the job, then."

[Aran Windblown]

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As Aran readied Anyalvis, the bags with the materials to be delivered was brought to him by a young boy-- he hadn't yet gotten his windmarks, and looked at Anyalvis with envy. "Thank you," he said in Pavi, taking the bags from the boy. The boy flushed and nodded before returning to wherever he'd come from, and Aran quickly affixed the bags to the yvas. With a quiet sigh, Aran patted Anyalvis's neck. "We need to try to find better, safer jobs," he murmured to the horse, who whickered and bobbed his head. Smiling slightly, Aran scratched Anyalvis's neck before swinging himself astride the Strider. They set out for the Watchtower; this journey would only take a day or so, and Aran had brought along his bow to use to hunt down some extra food. They camped overnight, and at about noon the next day, they approached the watchtower. Aran could make out another rider and horse waiting at the base of it, and he urged Anyalvis into a smooth canter with a small nudge of his heels and a soft clicking noise. The stallion complied easily, and it only took them a couple of chimes to reach the other pair. "Who were you sent by?" Aran called. "Madame Zeron," the rider answered, and Aran nodded. "Zulrav gives wind to your wings," he said-- this was mostly to determine if this was the right rider, or if Aran should haul tail out of the area. "And may Semele bring song to your life." Good, Aran thought, relieved. He couldn't wait to get out of here and back to Endrykas; he really didn't want anything more to do with whatever was being planned. He nudged Anyalvis closer to the rider, who did the same with his horse. A quick swap of the bags for the receipt, and then the two riders were heading in opposite directions.

[Aran Windblown]

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It took another day and a half for Aran and Anyalvis to return to Drykas; they hunted a bit along the way, and Aran dropped off what was left of his kills at his family pavilion before heading to find the woman who'd commissioned this delivery. When he found her, he handed over the receipt. "I really don't want to know what's going on in Kenash, or what's being planned," he said, "and I don't want to be involved anymore. My apologies, but I'm afraid you'll have to find another courier if you must have more items delivered to Kenash." The woman narrowed her eyes at him, studying him intently, but Aran simply kept his head raised and met her gaze steadily. "Very well," she said eventually. "Thank you for doing this. I will see that you get paid." Aran nodded and left the tent. ~~~/*\*/*\~~~ Aran was grooming Anyalvis when Sirot came out to find him. Aran glanced up at the approaching footsteps, gazed steadily at his Ankal as the older Drykas approached, and then looked back to his work, waiting for Sirot to make the first move. After several tense chimes of silence, Sirot did. "You took another delivery to Kenash?" "No, I took it to the Watchtower; another courier took the bags to Kenash," Aran corrected, trading the curry comb for a body brush and beginning to brush out the dirt that he'd loosened with the curry comb. "And I told the customer that I would be making no more trips to Kenash. I value my hide, and my life comes before the job." Sirot was quiet for another moment; the only sounds were the brush moving against Anyalvis's hair and the tearing of the grass as the stallion grazed. "I cannot blame you for that," the elder Windblown said eventually. "You know what you are doing, I suppose." Aran wanted to snort at that-- who did know what they were doing at any given moment of their life?-- but he refrained from doing so, not wishing to further weaken the already thin ice he stood upon with his Ankal. "I have a good idea," he settled on saying instead. Sirot nodded, and then as Aran grabbed the hoof pick and bent down to ask Anyalvis to lift his off front hoof, he heard the other man's retreating footsteps. Aran cleaned out the first hoof, careful not to dig too deep and to remove all stones and dirt, and when he straightened, he sighed to himself, patting Anyalvis on the shoulder. "I hope I have a good idea."