The Sun Never Truly Sets

[Kavala]

Timestamp: 88th of Fall, 514 AV

The Konti was surly, short tempered, and unwilling to go about her normal chores that day. She was tired of the routine, the daily grind, the training, the running, the lifting weights and fighting with the kelvics to keep strong. Life had more to offer than memories and fears that the Konti constantly chased. There were memories haunting her, driving her, and she needed a distraction. She also needed to work on the training of several of the young Denusk horses that were up and coming. Some were going to be sold to the Kuvay'Nas for their Calvary division. But before they could trade hands, Kavala needed the massive animals in fighting shape and form. So she left the children with Larik and Cadra and picked out two of the more promising young Denusk colts and threw yvas on them.

Her hope was that she'd find Caelum in town and could lure him away for a good training session on the Sea of Grass away from her daily grind and usual parade of clients. So once she was dressed in her leathers, outfitted with her weapons, and had the youngest stallions yvas bag loaded with supplies for a trip to The Sea of Grass she took both horses to town.

The exercise wasn't bad for them. Kavala trained her warhorses to go without bridles so the riders had their hands free to fight. That meant one horse was loose behind her following - that in itself took days and weeks of training - while the other horse was guided only by her knees. She had to navigate them across the bridge, through the main gates, and down the streets that became increasingly narrow and steep. Crowds roamed, sellers hawked wares on come corners, and there were noises all over the place.

Kavala knew the practice was good for the two young Denusk horses. They weren't in town much which meant they got a chance to work on gently parting crowds, easing past noisy wagons, and navigating cobbles their hooves weren't used too. And visiting Alements meant she had to take them down steep streets all the way to the bay level. Kavala urged the pair on with her voice, centering her body well over the spine of the white colt she rode while often twisting behind her urging the colt following to keep up.

People gave them wide berth too. The Denusks were unusual in their coloring. Kavala's mount shimmered with a rainbow hue while the young male following was a deep burnished copper color. His coat shimmered with greens and golds that made him look more metallic than brown. She wove them expertly through the crowds, took a narrow alley cautiously, and then ended up walking them out onto the stone dock that made up the veranda area in front of Alements.

There, she dismounted, ordered them both to stand and guard, and walked into the bar looking for Caelum. He was evidently not there because after scouring the main room, the clinic portion, and even the storeroom all she found were a few patrons. It was early in the day, so only Nysel knew where the Eth had gone off too. Kavala wasn't sure. So she stood awkwardly at the bar, looked Elise up and down, and shook her head after her search.

"Where's Caelum gone off too? I brought a couple of warhorses to town for us to go work, but if hes out and about, I made the trip to find an extra rider for nothing." The Konti said with a slightly frustrated tone. She hadn't been her usual patient self this season, and as the days progressed it was wearing on her even mroe.

"No one wants to go for a run out on The Sea of Grass and put some of the new colts to the test at home. I was hoping Caelum would be game to go." Kavala said, glancing around, not only looking this time for her absent friend, but for perhaps another willing person.

Elise shook her head. "Not sure where he went, Kavala. He said he'd be gone most of the day though when he did leave this morning." Kavala nodded, looking thoughtful. She glanced outside through the stained glass windows of quartz and made sure the two colts were behaving themselves. Then she shook her head.

"How about a glass of tea while I'm here? It will be a long ride alone." She said, suddenly angry that everyone seemed busy and no one had time for what used to be all sorts of fun for their family as a group. She never stopped to think her emotions might be ill placed or unfair. She hadn't asked him ahead of time and hadn't made arrangements at all. But it was still disappointing. She rarely got a free day and made time to spend with Caelum because they both were hugely busy. This had been an exception.

[Aoren]

Restless.

That was the only word that Aoren could use to describe himself that day. He felt like he wasn’t doing enough. He felt like a freeloader. He felt horrible. He was completely thankful to Caelum for allowing him to stay at the Alements tavern in one of its spare rooms. It was the fact that Caelum refused to accept any form of compensation for it. That simply did not sit well with Aoren. He knew it was in good spirit but the Drykas man just didn’t like the weight of that on his conscience. He sat on the edge of the bed the Ethaefal had been kind enough to grant him staring at his belongings in the room. He had done very little unpacking in the three days that he’d been in Riverfall. In fact he had more things to add to what he’d brought with him from Zeltiva.

He’d learned shortly after arriving that prospective citizens had to pass a trial of combat in order to be accepted into the city. Aoren had yet to take this trial. Part of him didn’t quite feel that he was ready for it. To that end he’d purchased a few things to prepare himself for the day that he would undertake it. That day would be coming soon but he knew that it would likely be the first few days of Winter before he approached the city authorities to step up to his trial. It was the wise thing to do. It was the prepared thing to do.

It was driving Aoren nuts.

He was raking his brain for things to do to prepare himself for the event. It was unlike him. He felt nervous. He felt on edge. Normally he would have approached the matter with a calm, patient plan of preparation. At the moment? He was just itching to get up and be productive. In Syliras his days had been spent tending to the medicinal needs of the populace through the creation of poultices, tonics, and sometimes aiding in the creation of potions. In Zeltiva he had been a Healer for the city and a student at the University. In Riverfall? He had been compelled to come to the city. He felt very sure in the knowledge that it was the right thing to do. But why? He had no real plan. He had no idea what he was getting himself into in regards to making a life in the city. He had a dream and a journey under his belt and for what?

Rising from the bed with a frustrated grunt, Aoren huffed. He grabbed the pieces of his newly acquired set of leathers and began dressing himself. He needed to train. He needed to get himself used to wearing it. He would be wearing it when he took his trial or at least he assumed he would be.

“And by all the Gods above, I need to go out and clear my head.” He was going to do it the only way that he knew how. He was going to push himself physically as hard as he could for a few bells. He adjusted the straps of the bracers and rolled his ankles around a few times to get the feel of his new boots. Running both hands through his recently shorn hair he heaved a sigh. Isikai raised his head up staring at Aoren expectantly.

“I’m okay, boy. Stay here and don’t cause any trouble.” He walked up to the canine giving the dog an affectionate pat on the head. Isikai yawned quite content to be lazy after a busy, busy day of running around the day prior. Exiting his room Aoren made his way down the stairs fiddling with his waterskin as he did. The leather was a little stiff compared to the cloth he was accustomed to wearing but he could get used to it. When he made his way down the stairs and into the main room he caught the tail end of someone making an inquiry for Caelum. Then he heard a name.

“Kavala.” Caelum had used that name several times when he’d first arrived. The proprietor of the Sanctuary and from his words a close friend. Aoren found himself scanning the room until his eyes came to rest on the white hair of the woman herself. For a moment he simply stared at her. He had yet to see her face as she was facing away from him but the rest of her form spoke to Aoren in a number of ways. The leathers she wore implied she had some familiarity with them. They certainly didn’t seem to be as uncomfortable on her as they were on him. That could have been his imagination though. She appeared slightly agitated but he couldn’t be entirely sure. Aoren remembered that Caelum had suggested approaching this woman for possible work.

“Well, the gods must have heard him. Might as well approach her now.” Striding forward Aoren spoke to Elise.

“Good morning, Elise. Mind if I fill up my waterskin?” He held up the empty pouch to which he received a nod and a smile.

“I can do it for you, Aoren. I need to get the water for tea anyways.” Elise extended a hand for the pouch and he placed it in her hand with a smile and a nod of thanks. As Elise went about her business Aoren turned to regard Kavala.

“Forgive me but I couldn’t help but overhear that you are Kavala. Kavala of the Sanctuary?” He quirked his head and clasped his hands behind his back adopting a relaxed parade rest stance. He was almost certain that this was the very woman he’d heard about but it was better to be sure than to be a fool.

[Kavala]

The Konti nodded at Elise's words and settled onto a stool at the copper monstrosity Caelum called a bar. She loved her Eth friend dearly, but his capacity for all things gleaming like Syna became an annoyance after a while. Some glow and sparkle was fine, but Kavala was made of plainer stuff. She'd rather power be contained and beauty be manifested in the strength of a finely contoured line - be it someone's muscles or the curve of a strong horse's back. She settled in, knowing Elise would need some time to pour her some tea.

The Konti scanned the room and then reached out to trace the lines of the bar. She hooked her tall riding boot in a rung on the stool and seemed to own the space with a casual grace that bespoke martial arts training and good posture.

The voice interrupted her train of thought and she turned, meeting the cobalt gaze of the tall sandy blond stranger. Her icy blue eyes offered an assessment of him, roaming freely despite politeness. The Konti couldn't help it. She judged men and women the same way she judged horse flesh. Long clean lines with no excess fat and a strong curved back. The stranger looked muscular without being bulky and moved with a grace most men did not have. She noted his clean teeth and the slight softness around his eyes that bespoke a bit of restlessness or boredom.

And then she closed her eyes and relaxed a bit because her Rak'keli marks sang to life, acknowledging the presence of another of the dark sister's healers. For the moment, the man was not speaking to Kavala, but to Elise about his waterskin. It gave the Konti more time to gather herself wondering if perhaps Caelum took on an employee or partner to help mix his potions.

She opened her eyes again when the strangers attention turned to her and he asked his question. The Konti could not place his accent, but was startled he knew her name. She raised an eyebrow and turned to give him her full attention. The Konti tucked a strand of pale almost translucent hair behind her ear and looked thoughtful. She wasn't exactly pale like her sisters. Instead, her skin had taken on a deep tan from all the work she did outside. It made her scales that swirled down her bare arms, forehead, and neck more prominent in their iridescence. She wore a pale cream set of leathers that were sleeveless. A weapons harness encased her torso and tall boots protected her lower legs and upper thighs. Kavala looked comfortable, but not at all like a healer of some renown. She looked instead like a mercenary and indeed moved like one.

"Yes, I am Kavala Denusk, of the Denusk Clan, Sapphire Pavilion. I own The Sanctuary. I'm sorry but I do not have the honor of your name." She introduced herself in common, but her Pavi accent was evident. The Healer offered Aoren a smile, one that was more curious than flirty. He was human and sadly in the Konti's mind, that meant he was a dangerous creature best avoided. Time and experience had told her humans were fickle, unreliable, and had a tendency to take what they wanted without earning it. But this one had Rak'keli's mark, which was unusual and something she wasn't used to seeing.

Rak'keli marked Konti... and a few others. But Kavala had rarely seen her do thus to a human.

"A healer too, unless my marks misinterpret feeling a kindred soul." The Konti added, smiling slightly. By that time Elise was back with Kavala's tea and Aoren's full waterskin. Kavala reached for the beverage, with a thankful nod to Elise, lifted it to her lips to sip.

[Aoren]

“Sharp as a knife, this one.” That was Aoren’s immediate impression of Kavala. The way her eyes dissected and studied him from head to toe was a definitive clue into just how observant the woman was. Her gaze was more than a little intimidating if he were being entirely honest but it didn’t deter Aoren. Part of him hadn’t known what to expect when faced with the woman. He hadn’t been expecting a keen eyed, Konti with the bearing of a fully-fledged warrior that was for certain. Then again one could never judge a book by their cover. That was a lesson Aoren knew all too well. Then she gave her name. It was an introduction the likes of which Aoren had not heard in several seasons.

“My father bore the clan name of Skycrown among the Drykas people. I cannot rightly say that name is mine so I shall offer you the only one I have, Aoren.” He inclined his head respectfully. A pensive smile touched his face as Kavala remarked on his status as a Healer. He’d been in such a slump he hadn’t quite noticed the familiar warmth that spread forth from the spiraling sigil on the right side of his face. The gentle nudge that told him he was in the presence of another healer. In the back of his mind however there was something different in the flag that was raised about Kavala.

“You are not wrong. Rak’keli blessed me with the honor of her gift in the Fall of last year.” He quirked his head studying Kavala for a moment taking in the whole of her form. He could not see her mark from the Goddess of Healing but he could feel it or more specifically them. He was beginning to get the sense that there were more than one.

“She has touched you as well. More than once if I am not mistaken?” Aoren accepted his waterskin whereupon he fastened it to his hip to hang from the belt around his waist. He gave Elise a smile and a nod of thanks. Grabbing a stool he took up a seat beside Kavala running a hand through his hair. It was a habit that served to calm his nerves and help him focus his thoughts. The Drykas man considered how he was going to approach the subject dancing on the tip of his tongue.

“I apologize if I intruded on your thoughts. Caelum spoke of you when I first arrived to the city a few days ago. He recommended I approach you in search of work. The opportunity presented itself. I thought to make use of it.” He folded his hands together resting them on the edge of the bar. “If you have the time or inclination I would be grateful for an interview.”

Aoren wasn’t entirely certain how much Caelum may or may not have told anyone about their prior association. It was years ago after all. That Winter in Syliras when Aoren had used his gifts as a Seer to get the Ethaefal in touch with the identity of his night form, Kasb’el. Aoren had been unable to uncover everything about the man who was once a Drykas Ankal but he had been able to start Caelum in the right direction. If the Konti woman wanted to know then Aoren figured she would ask. If she already knew then it would give him an idea of just how much explaining he didn’t need to do.

[Kavala]

The Konti listened quietly to the tall blonde, wondering suddenly why he didn't identify with a Clan and instead just gave a Pavilion name. Was he that disassociated with his people? There was a story there, she was sure, though she didn't quite know what it was. She watched his mannerisms though, how he worded things, and what he was focusing on as important. Something struck her as odd. The story would come out later, surely, as time passed. All stories did. They were not things that remained untold, but instead found ways to creep into the light.

Then he mentioned Caelum.

"Caelum? How do you know him? Did you just meet him or have you been acquaintances a while?" Kavala wasn't sure Caelum would recommend someone he didn't know for employment at her facility, but then again the Eth hadn't been quite himself this season. "Yes we are hiring, but I'll be honest. Iwant a specific skillset for employment, and it just doesn't involve healing. We are branching out." Kavala said firmly. She never pulled punches on people hopeful for a career. She'd seen too many timid healers or gentle folk that couldn't handle triage or emergencies.

"I'm taking on a few students this season, opening a full healing college for animals a little at a time. I need people that can teach as well. And because they are going to be healers at the clinic and instructors, we'll have young people around and dangerous animals. You'll need to be able to protect yourself, your students, and your clients. That means being in good shape and knowing some defensive skills." She said thoughtfully, shifting on her stool to sip at her tea and watch Aoren's reaction.

"But we can talk about that later... what you have to offer. You want an interview right?" The Konti said with a half smile. Then she turned and nodded out the door where the two warhorses stood stoic, each twisting their heads right and left as if watching the dock, almost guarding it. "I'd like to see you go approach one of them and attempt to move them across the dock. Then perhaps afterwards, we'll go for a ride... erh interview." Kavala chuckled, finishing off her tea and sliding around to step off the stool. She didn't wait for Aoren to answer this time, but headed out the door with a nod of thanks to Elise.

The estranged Drykas wouldn't understand, but she had no intention of testing him. She wanted to test the two warhorses to see how their training held up when a stranger approached them and perhaps tried to steal one.

It was going to be challenging for the man. Both warhorses were young, but already huge. And neither of them wore much in the way of tack. They were bare faced and had only a yvas wrapped around each of them like a girth. A colorful blanket protected their back from a rider. They had an over abundance of mane and tail, but nothing on them looked anything like a lead rope or even something that could be used as a makeshift lead.

[Aoren]

“I helped him remember something he’d forgotten. A long time ago.” Aoren left his association with Caelum at that. If the Ethaefal hadn’t chosen to breach that subject with Kavala he saw no reason to violate the man’s privacy if he’d kept it to himself for so many years. Then again, as Aoren thought on it there were many things he suspected that Caelum tried to keep to himself.

“Skills, I have many. Though of the ones I possess not many of them are aimed toward the care of, or handling of animals.” He listened quietly as Kavala went on to explain a few more needs that being under her employment would entail. He gave a polite nod of his head at the conclusion of her statement. There really was little more that he could say in that regard. He was glad that she was even entertaining the idea of speaking with him. Then she nodded her head toward the docks where stood two great warhorses. Aoren studied for a moment before returning his attention back to the Konti. A smirk touched Aoren’s lips. Mild humor shone in his eyes as if he were enjoying a joke. He bobbed his head up and down in affirmation of Kavala’s request.

“Very well then.” A test it seemed. In short order Kavala would see just how unfamiliar Aoren truly was with the intricacies of horse lore. What little experience he had with mares, stallions, warhorses or equine of any shape or size was limited to many years ago in service to the stables of Syliras. It had been a very long time since he’d tried his hand at doing much of anything with the beasts. As he could see no way of taking a horse by the reins he wasn’t entirely certain how Kavala wanted him to go about moving one of the horses about the dock. For a moment he merely stood there observing the horses as he searched for a way to get his bearings. When nothing was forthcoming he just shook his head, took a few steps forward and approached the matter the only way that seemed suitable: head on.

Aoren knew enough about horses to know that it was never a good idea to just waltz up to them without making your presence known. He wasn’t too keen on getting a mean kick to the ribs. That was the last thing that he needed. His steps were slow. He did his best to maintain eye contact with the nearest horse. Reaching out he brought up a hand intent on perhaps touching the horse on its flank. Honestly he had no idea how the towering warhorse was going to react. He wasn’t entirely certain of how he would react himself either. Uncertainty was written all over him but he did his best not to let that stop him. The only way to learn was to find the lessons in his mistakes. Aoren suspected he was making quite a few of them already.

NoteGoing to be 1000% honest and say I genuinely have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to horses. This will be a learning experience on all fronts!

[Kavala]

Kavala nodded at Aoren’s words. She didn’t pry. The Konti knew some things were sacred between men and needed to stay that way. And because she was a Dreamwalker too, she knew how important the past was and how sad it was when something was forgotten. “I’m sure he is very grateful.” She said simply offering Aoren a rare smile.

She had to admit she was curious though. Many skills? He did not elaborate, and that was somewhat of a disappointment. Kavala was more than her horses and so too was The Sanctuary. She needed people with ‘many skills’ depending on what sort of skills they were.

Regardless, he had an easy open way about him which Kavala already enjoyed. And he was discrete, keeping Caelum’s business as Caelum’s own. The Konti followed the man, not too close though, since she didn’t want the stallions to react to her being there and not just him. So when the roof ended and the dock started, the Konti lingered against the stone supports – supports she’d made for Caelum of her own hands – and stroked the stone enjoying its song as she studied the scene unfolding before her.

The nearest horse, Galax, was the deep mahogany that showed copper with an almost green shimmer. He was the one that Kavala had following as she rode in. The white, Sufa, that refracted rainbows she’d rode because he was smaller, more trouble, and not as quick to pick up on things than his fellow had been. She hoped her training would hold and that the stallions would threaten the man without harming him unless he pushed. They were taught not to be allowed to be stolen, and to give warning when something was amiss. All she wanted was a stranger to approach and see if they would give an alarm call.

Aoren’s hand never got to Galax’s flank. The horse arched his neck, bunched his muscles, and stamped his great feet with a vicious squeal. The squeal was accompanied by his head snaking around and snapping at Aoren almost snake-like. A stallion at full fury was something fierce, his huge hooves all bunched under him, his massive rump crouched to strike, and his head intent on murder.

The white stallion standing guard next to Galax looked on impassively at the show. He didn’t seem impressed at all with the copper stud’s bravo. He did however tip up his head an trumpet an alarm abruptly, then arch his head to nip at his chest where a fly was worrying at him as if nothing at all disagreable was happening.

The Konti smiled.

Kavala hoped, in that moment, that Galax remembered his lessons and wouldn’t hurt Aoren unless he pushed the issue. Then, he was trained to crowd would-be thieves away, using his body to block any motions. She’d also taught them to tuck their heads and arch their necks to their chests at the sight of a rope, preventing would-be thieves from tossing one over their head and leading them away. They wouldn’t hurt him if he didn’t push the issue. But Kavala didn’t tell Aoren that. The Konti wanted to see if Aoren was brave enough to try to approach, but smart enough to know when it was time to back off.

[Aoren]

Aoren had to admit that he was impressed with the appearance of the warhorses in front of him. It was clear that a great deal of time and care had been taken to groom the great beasts to the height of their potential. Seeing the pride with which the horses both held themselves he felt something within him simply fall into place. During his younger years in Syliras Aoren had spent some time at the Windmount Stables. The horses had always helped to put him at ease, especially when his surrogate sister was away on patrols. There had been many days when he’d been so ill at ease with what she might encounter or her training that the only way he could calm himself down was to spend time around the mares and stallions.

As his hand neared the mahogany stud’s flank, to have it move away wasn’t surprising. The squeal that accompanied the motion caught Aoren a little off guard forcing him to break his slightly trancelike awe of the beasts. He noticed the bunched muscles, the aggressive posture and the pounding of the hooves. Not even in the furthest corners of Aoren’s mind did he believe that he was skilled enough to calm down an angry horse. He’d been kicked in the ribs by a stallion before and that had been a terrible experience. He was not keen on the idea of going through that again. Dropping his hand he backed away slowly with his head quirked to the side ever so slightly. He made no other gestures than simply stepping away from the horse.

“Forgive me but I don’t think I’m going to be able get much leeway with these horses. They don’t seem too keen on me getting near them.” He turned to face Kavala reaching up to rub at the back of his head. He gave the Konti a lopsided smile before clearing his throat. Part of Aoren felt like he’d failed an unspoken test but he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself for bravado’s sake. He was a man who knew what he was capable of and he wasn’t going to pretend like he was more than what he was.

There might have been a time when he was younger that he would have barreled forward intent on proving he could tackle any challenge in front of him. Without thinking. He was tempted to try and see if he could convince the horses he wasn’t a threat but something told him he’d just end up with a broken bone and some very nasty bruises for his trouble. He gestured to the horses.

“Care to show me the ropes? So to speak.” He figured if he was going to stand there he might as well learn something. If he could at least show Kavala that he was a very attentive student perhaps that would be a point in his favor. It was better to show that he was capable of learning than to fall back on the excuse of not knowing how.

[Kavala]

Kavala carefully observed Aoren. There was no judgment in her eyes in regards to his actions, though there was plenty of critical observation where the two warhorses were concerned. Aoren tired. She could tell immediately that he had a limited skillset when it came to animals, and that was something he’d already admitted. It was enough for her that he was not afraid of the animals, only respectful. To her, that made all the difference in the world. He backed off when he felt it wasn’t safe and told her his thoughts immediately.

The Konti nodded, walking up beside the human and studying the two horses who made no further move as soon as their mistress approached. “The test was not for you. It was for them.” Kavala explained. “For all their size and might, they are young horses, with virtually no experience and have only training to lean on. I wanted to see how they would react. The white, Sufa, was slow on his alarm call. They are in what’s called “Guard Stance” which sets them as watch for a camp so a rider can sleep while the horses rest. Horses need sleep too but often you can set one warhorse to guard and let the rest of them sleep and rotate that way, adding numbers to a small party. They know the routine. Alarm call at any sign of trouble and let no hand touch them that has not been introduced.” Kavala said. “Galax was just warning you off. He’s not mean. In fact, he’s perhaps a bit more friendly than most.” She said, suddenly reaching out to take Aoren’s hand. Her fingers were small, webbed, but he could felt he calluses across her palms from the weapons she wore. She lifted his hand – if he let her – and gently laid it on the horses’ flesh, covering it with her own. He could feel the warmth there and the gentle rasp of the scales across the back of her hand.

The copper stallion’s neck shivered where Aoren’s hand touched it, fingers splayed out, while Kavala whispered the stallion’s name then proceeded in Pavi. “Galax, accept this man as a friend. Carry him today and keep him safe. Listen to him as you would listen to me. For a time he will be your rider.” She said and released Aoren’s hand. Then she turned to him, linked her fingers together and formed a sort of step as she kneeled next to the horse.

“Well, up with you. We might as well go for a ride since we’ve both finished our tea and they need training. You want to see the ropes? Best seen, in my mind, from the back of a horse.” She said, tipping her head up to meet his eye.

If he mounted, she’d mount Sufa and give him the basics.

“Horses can feel the tiniest motion and shift of weight.” She said, starting Aoren’s lesson. “They can tell a fly is on their ass all the way up in that tiny brain between their ears. So they certainly are well aware of where you are on them. You need to sit forward, getting out of the way of the motion of their shoulders. If you lean forward, putting your weight more on your thighs and knees, they will speed up eventually breaking into a run. If you sit back firmly, they will slow and stop. Now, mind your legs. Horses don’t like pressure and will move away from it. You can hold on with your legs, but you must steer with them as well. If you want them to go right, open your right leg and press with your left. They will move away from the pressure and shift to center themselves under you. If you want to back one up, visualize them as elongated balls of fluid between your legs, much like a child’s toy such as a sheeps stomach filled with water. Shift your legs forward and press them backwards, visualizing yourself moving the liquid backwards. They will understand and back up.” Kavala then demonstrated, backing up the white stallion and suddenly spinning him in place, halting him and spinning him around the other way. The stallion stopped when she asked but started pawing the stone of the dock as she did so. The Konti gently slapped his shoulder and whispered a reprimand to him. He quieted and looked expectantly back at Kavala.

“Now you try. Move him forward and back, right and left. When you think you have it, we’ll leave. But remember, there are crowds. You must direct where he puts his feet and be confident.” The Konti said, worrying for the safety of the people more than she did for Aoren or herself.

If Aoren managed to do as she asked, Kavala would set them out through the city, where they could practice moving the warhorses in crowds, shoving their way through, dodging carts and vendors until they could ride out the front gates. Once outside, they’d have time to talk and perhaps move the horses at a slightly faster pace… a trot.

“So what brought you to Riverfall?” Kavala asked. “And what did you do before?” She said softly, wanting to make sure about Aoren and give herself time to watch him interact with the horse and the world around him in general. Employees were employees, but she wasn’t looking for labor. She was looking for more family, someone to trust her facility and her people with. If anything seemed off about Aoren, surely it would show up in this moment, vulnerable on the back of a warhorse, alone with someone who was capable of controlling both animals together if need be.

[Aoren]

“What goes into teaching a horse something like the Guard Stance? How do you get them to emit the alarms that I just heard? I imagine it takes a great deal of time and patience. How do you reinforce the fact that they are just issuing a warning?” Aoren was impossibly curious. He recognized the opportunity to learn when he saw it. He hoped that his influx of questions didn’t grate on the Konti’s nerves but he was genuinely interested in what went into the training and care of these animals. He pondered for a minute before proceeding with his next question.

“What is it that stops them from just charging a perceived aggressor?” Aoren offered no resistance when Kavala took his hand guiding it to the strong neck of Galax. He could feel the soft scales that were a subject of much fascination for the young man when it came to Konti. He had met a few in his life. The one closest to him being a woman by the name of S’Essy. The calluses on Kavala’s palm told him that she was a good and true worker who labored quite fastidiously. The warmth radiating from Galax was welcome. Then the woman was speaking in the tongue of his people. Several emotions always went through Aoren whenever he heard others speaking so fluently in Pavi.

Something inside of his wanted to know more. Something inside of him ached for the life that he might have had if his father had chosen differently. Whatever the man’s reasons Aoren wasn’t sure that he’d ever really know. All he had was where he’d come from and the road that lay ahead of him. There was no sense in mulling over what might have been, even though part of him was angry with the choices of his sire. After wrestling with these emotions, feelings he’d long suppressed, Aoren directed his attention more firmly on the here and now. He caught tidbits of what Kavala spoke managing to understand the gist of the request she was making of the horse. When she knelt he wasted no time in mounting up. Aoren did know enough about riding to manage that much without looking like an idiot. He braced himself with a hand as he got his bearings upon the back of the stallion. Now that he was situated on its back he realized just how large the horse really was given how high up off the ground he was.

For what it was worth Aoren was thankful that he was blessed with a moderately good capacity to learn. The information that Kavala directed at him was large in amount and he had to focus to grasp all of its meaning. He was beginning to get the impression that with Kavala, you either kept up with her or you were left behind.

“So, fast paced is it? This should be interesting.”

He cracked a smirk on that thought but made certain to keep his attention focused on the Konti. With a steady intake of breath as a means of readying himself to put into practice what she asked he followed suit with her instructions. First Aoren got himself comfortable upon the back of Galax. He leaned forward adjusting his hips so that he was not in the direct path of the motion of their shoulders. He centered his weight around his thighs and knees as instructed. For a moment Galax hesitated as Aoren got the feel of the motion before taking a few steps forward. Aoren let him keep walking for a few paces before he sat up sliding back firmly doing his best to visualize this ball of fluid between his legs. He wasn’t entirely certain how a horse compared to a ball of fluid. Nevertheless he got the basic idea. The motion of a horse was one that should be directed fluidly and with smooth confidence. He glanced at Kavala hoping to get a glimpse of how she was assessing his efforts. Galax didn’t exactly obey Aoren’s unspoken command right away. It was mostly due in part because he had moved too quickly instead of sliding into a smooth transition.

The jerk of his motions was born of his lack of experience but that would change with time. It was going to take some getting used to not directing a horse with reigns but instead completely with silent commands issued through body motions. He loosened up his right leg adding pressure with his left in an attempt to get Galax to move right. His first attempt wasn’t successful in the least. Without thinking he ended up sliding his right leg back adding pressure from both sides which only served to make Galax huff and stamp his foot. Upon realizing this mistake Aoren immediately remedied it. The result was Galax moving to the right as intended. He repeated the motion on the opposite side with nominally more success than his first attempt on the right. When he felt that he had the basics of how to maneuver the warhorse down he gave Kavala a definitive nod.

“Let’s go.” Using his legs to direct Galax Aoren realized very quickly that he would have to put some work into his lower body and core strength. Directing horses without the traditional reigns would quickly become a very demanding task. He did his best to follow Kavala intent on keeping pace with her. Occasionally he was forced to brace himself using a hand so as not to topple off Galax or simply as an anchor to orient himself in giving the proper queue. To his credit, Aoren was an observant man. He managed to prevent Galax from trampling the cart of a vegetable vendor rather quickly albeit his motions were still far from smooth. Between managing the horse between his legs and keeping an eye out for people, Aoren had his work cut out for him but he was slowly getting the hang of it. When Kavala questioned him he waited until he had his bearing a little more in hand before answering.

“Would you believe me if I said it was fate?” Aoren gave Kavala a lopsided smile accompanied by a small chuckle. “No. Perhaps not.” The displaced Drykas reached up rubbing at the back of his head as he thought.

“I had no intention of coming to Riverfall until a season ago. Truthfully, I barely even knew the city existed until then. I am recently traveled from Zeltiva where I spent time at the University studying the nature of the world.” Among other things but that wasn’t something that Kavala needed to know just yet.

“It was during the course of my studies that I met an Akalak warrior. We shared a story or two before parting ways. After that I met a Konti healer who told me of her time here in the city. One of my professors at the University once ventured to the city and told me that it was a place of beauty. The signs continued from there. Deep inside of me, the more I thought on it, the more I was compelled to come here.” Aoren nudged Galax to the left to avoid steering him down a road at an odd angle. He sat up straighter but tried to convey that he didn’t want Galax to stop, merely maintain an even pace.

“I was…drawn here. Before that I lived in Syliras where I worked under the apothecary in residence there. My work often drew me closer to the Squires there and while Syliras was where I lived for most of my life, it was never my home. I met Caelum there and when I met him again here…” Aoren shrugged his shoulders. The slightest hint of a smile touched his lips. He averted his gaze retreating into his own thoughts for a few moments before continuing.

“Riverfall feels like home and I’ve been searching for exactly that for a long time.”