A Runaway Horse

by **Merevaika** on December 28th, 2014, 9:27 pm

The girl started shouting at her accusation and Merevaika shrunk back, even more guilt lining her stomach. Maybe it was wrong to just go round guessing at things. But it confused her when she mentioned a mark given to her by a God. What god? Merevaika didn't know of many gods but the ones she worshipped: Caiyha, Semele, Zulrav. A god of purity and faith?

But the the girl calmed after Merevaika had apologised. "I'm
sorry too. This is not me... it's just I do not like
talking about where I come from. At least not now," she smiled, and Merevaika nodded understandingly. She would react like that if anyone pressed her about her family - the pain was too much. Perhaps this girl had been through similar things.

When she asked to stay and talk about the Drykas and their Striders, Merevaika nodded. It was amusing hear this girl ask questions which Merevaika was born knowing. But she didn't believe in free information, even simple like this.
"How about trade?" she smiled slyly, growing on Ayetah, "One question from you about Drykas, and I'll ask my own. On your god perhaps. Or Benshira. That alright?"
She hoped so. Without waiting for a response, she continued talking.

"Me first. You mentioned god of faith and purity. Who is he?" she asked softly, smiling. She beckoned Denviel away who quickly turned to chasing bugs. Hopefully this question wouldn't be to personal. She hadn't even mentioned the mark on her back.

by **Ayetah** on December 29th, 2014, 1:35 pm

"Now those are questions I can answer." Ayetah nodded in agreement. It's been awhile since she's talked about her own people. The last time she talked about the benshiran culture was to a young eypharian boy. A boy she had been raising like her own, caring and looking after him. If only she stayed in Ahnatep with him a little while longer she could have converted him into a follower of Yahal.

Ayetah was happy when she heard Merevaika's first question, asking about the god-- her god-- Yahal. There was so much she could say about him, what he's done for her and her people. She would have loved to tell the drykas EVERYTHING about him but there was only so many belles in a day. It would not be possible. So she decided to summarize it, "The god of my ancestors Biyram and his son, Rapa. The god of purity and faithfulness, the god with the kindest heart. I have been worshipping Yahal since I was an infant, all Benshiras worship him. We are his beloved people and he is our beloved god." She paused for a moment to whisper a few words in shiber.

"Do not get me wrong, just because benshiras are Yahal's beloved people does not mean he does not notice those who do good for others. He notices all of those who do not bow down to evil or follow dark gods. Yahal is a god who loves everyone but those who show purity and faithfulness get something in return from the god." Ayetah could not stop herself from smiling. It was only natural when she talked about her god."Let me show you what the reward is."

She turned her back to the girl, taking her shawl off her shoulders along with her tunic so she could show Merevaika her mark. A beautiful pair of wings that looked like a tattoo on her back."The mark of ennervism is one to be proud of. It is so beautiful. A honor too to be touched by the god." Ayetah began to weep quietly.

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by **Merevaika** on December 29th, 2014, 2:40 pm

Merevaika listened intently as the girl explained the God of Purity and Faithfullness. She sounded so complete when talking about him that Merevaika even became a little jealous. This God would never take place in her life, however. She stole, and wasn't ashamed of it.

Then Ayetah took off her shawl and pulled her tunic down, intent on showing the mark she had mentioned. Merevaika almost looked away, feeling unworthy to look upon it, but curiosity got the better off her. Two beautiful wings sat almlst tattooed to her back, reminding her of her own windmarks. She started to weep, perhaps in joy or thankfulness. Merevaika smiled at the girl who felt so passionately about her god.

In return for the Benshira revealing her mark, Merevaika did so too, pushing back the hair scattered with wraps and tugging one side of her shirt down. A tattoo was visible, a horse and dog that seemed almost a wolf. "My windmark," she smiled, "You get one when you bond."

She stared at the girl silently for a few moments, then started talking. "I hope it is not too personal, but how did you get it? The wings?" she asked gently, trying not to intrude, "Anyway, your turn to ask question. Ask anything you like." Merevaika smiled.

OOC :

by **Ayetah** on December 30th, 2014, 2:49 pm

Ayetah pulled her tunic and shawl back over her shoulder. It was cold, very cold and her clothes were awfully thin since it was made to keep her cool in the hot desert sun. She would be needing a new pair of clothes now because of the cold weather. Ayetah was surprised she was not shaking from the cold yet.

When Merevaika pushed back her own hair, revealing a mark of her own. The mark was a horse and dog. It made Ayetah wonder if the tattoo was based off Merevaika's own animals. "It's very nice. Lots of detail."

"How did I get it?"Ayetah shook her head. She remembered every little thing that happened the day she got it. "The mark of Yahal is an honor but the way I got it... is not something I'm proud of. Even after Yahal marked me... I still felt a little guilty." She looked down at the snow. Ayetah's face did not show much emotion but she was feeling the same way she felt when she killed that boy.

"A question..." She said aloud, without sounding like she was feeling."How about those." Ayetah pointed to the braids in the girl's head. "Why do you have so many?"

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by **Merevaika** on December 30th, 2014, 3:53 pm

The girl complemented her windmarks, covering up her back. She answered the question, but with not much detail. "The mark of Yahal is an honor but the way I got it... is not something I'm proud of. Even after Yahal marked me... I still felt a little guilty," she said hiding any emotion. Despite her interest, Merevaika knew asking would just drive the girl away. She like Ayetah, and it wasn't bad to have some friends.
Ayetah then pointed to Merevaika's wraps, asking what they were. Merevaika smiled. If she had asked a few years ago, she would have got silence as a reply. But now Merevaika had moved on, at least enough to talk about it.

"Wraps," she smiled, fingering them, "Braids, or silken ribbons. Drykas wear wraps, to remember. Remember birth, loved ones, battles, hard times." She stopped a second, finger lingering on a tear drop made from a tooth. Her brother's. "Death." Tears built up but she pushed them back. "I have so many, more than others. I been through bad times. They are family. My family."

She showed her the tooth tear, "Brother. First tooth. And this feather is father's eagle." Merevaika showed her a few others, explaining who and what. But the girl probably didn't know what had happened, why she wore them in her hair. "All dead."

Merevaika waited a moment, taking a deep breath, before starting, "When I 15, there was illness. My pavillion got it. We had not good healers. We alone in wilderness. Some sent to get help, but killed by glassbeaks. My father, Ankal, died. Mother, brother, other wives, other sibling. All dead. I was lucky. I survived it, but alone. Father's wife, she live, with son. She go to her firsr pavillion. Leave me for dead. Older sister, different mother, she stay, but she marry other. I did not go. I stay alone. Windchasers no more. I stay only Windchaser."

She became silent, ignoring emotions. She didn't know why she told the girl so much, but it felt right. Maybe Ayetah would now open up, realising she could trust her. "Who you stay with? Enough food, enough everything? I help, maybe? I have space, to stay. I can get food?" Merevaika smiled, "I ask, what Benshira life like? Houses? Tents?"

by **Ayetah** on December 31st, 2014, 3:03 pm

Ayetah had many emotions bottled up inside now and she was not the only one. The two went over their past, one mentally and the other went over their past aloud. It turns out, fate was not on their side. It had turned against them and using what they loved most.

The poor drykas lost her family. All the braids in her hair seemed to stand for death and that was not good. Not good at all. She was left alone in the grassland but managed to take care of herself. The girl was very brave and Ayetah admired that. Maybe she could learn from the girl, learn how to stand tall and face the world. Learn how to care for herself without the help of others.

[color=#FFFF00]"May Yahal be with you. To keep you safe, to protect you and be there for you." Ayetah felt her tone of voice changing. No longer soft and quiet but strong and powerful. That was a good thing too, it meant she was comfortable."I will pray for you. No one deserves so much sorrow." Ayetah wanted to hug the girl but she was too afraid. Instead, she moved closer to Merevaika so she could touch her hand and smile. She smiled a lot with Merevaika and did not know why.

"I stay with a woman named Madam Naomi Cutgrass. A old woman who deals with medicine." Slowly she slid her hand off Merevaika's when she talked."I do not need anymore charity, it will only make me lazy and dependent on others, thank you though."

"I see similarities between this place and my home. You live in tents, we live in tents. I see animals, we have animals. I only know life of a benshira as a child... it's the only thing I can remember."

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by **Merevaika** on December 31st, 2014, 5:01 pm

"May Yahal be with you. To keep you safe, to protect you and be there for you. I will pray for you. No one deserves so much sorrow, " she smiled, moving closer to touch her hand. Merevaika smiled back, glad for the first piece of comfort for years. It was a sad moment of remembering, from both girls.

The Benshira then told her that she was staying with an old healer, and denied the help offered. "It will only make me lazy and dependent on others, thank you though." Merevaika smiled, a little glad she did not have to give her something she was already struggling to get. "But, if need, please ask."

The life of the Benshira was similar, in tents and animals. The girl knew nothing more, claiming that she only knew of it as a child. Merevaika nodded, knowing that she wasn't telling the whole story, but didn't ask why she knew so little.

"Endrykas moves. Pavillions come, sometimes. Changes. Sometimes huge, other times small. I live near, sometimes in. Safer to be near people. The Sea of Grass is deadly, for strangers and Drykas. It can be hard," she smiled, the danger and fear not present in her voice. For she didn't fear her home, however dangerous. She knew her way, and that was enough.

"Do Benshira had horse? Or other animal? What is it... I don't know word. Large, hump?" Merevaika asked curious about them, "Do ride, or walk?"

by **Ayetah** on January 2nd, 2015, 4:05 pm

The Benshira nodded in agreement. It was time she stood on her own two though. She should not be asking for help from anyone. The life of a Drykas was not too different then the life of a benshira, so she could manage it. Even as a slave she did not really take care of her herself. Especially not in the Eypharian woman named Rayne's home. The Eypharian had several slaves who took care of the cleaning, cooking and so on. The slaves even took care of Ayetah when Rayne wanted her to look decent.

"What is the sea of grass? What's in there?" She was curious, never hearing of the place. In fact, she's never heard of a lot of places until now. Endrykas was the first place she's ever seen that was not in Eyktol. The drykas people were not very new, she's seen them as slaves in Ahnatep.

"We have horses. Not many people have them, only those that can afford them. As for the large hump animal," Ayetah stopped herself from giggling,"we call them camels. Better for desert then horses. They can store water in their body for a really long time."

"My. Turn..." Ayetah's voice soften again as she began to realize how often she was talking. This was the first in a long time."Uh, pavillions. What are those?" She asked.

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by **Merevaika** on January 2nd, 2015, 10:00 pm

Merevaika laughed at the girl not knowing what or where the Sea of Grass was. She was so naïve, it was... almost ridiculous, but it was mean to judge her. She knew as much on Cyphrus as Merevaika knew on Eyktol. "You are in it. Endrykas is in Sea of Grass. You see this grass, these plains around? That is all Sea of Grass. Almost endless, dangerous creatures. It is a sea of grass."

She smiled listening to Ayetah's reply to her question. Camels! That was it. She had seen them, but never knew why they were chosen instead of horses. They seemed uncomfortable, unnatural to ride. But in a desert, it made sense.

"My. Turn..." her voice went softer, perhaps thinking of a question. Merevaika couldn't tell. "Um, pavilions. What are those?" she asked, making Merevaika aware that half her explanations might have not made much sense, using all these new terms to her.

"Pavillions are families. One man, Ankal, he head. He marries, two, three women. My father marry two, but have captive to bear children. Live together, in large tent. Those who do well, skilled, are treated better, more food. Children work hard, to be skilled or marry well. Women have large dowry. All work together, family. Family."

Merevaika smiled realising that she had gone on about various things in her little speech. Oh well, the Benshira wanted to find out new things, didn't she? "Pavilions come to Endrykas to trade, to share news, sell things, buy things, seek healers, socialize. Always changing as they come and go."

"And how families in Eyktol? Do you remember? How many wives? Many children?"

by **Ayetah** on January 3rd, 2015, 3:55 pm

"I'm in it..." She repeated what the girl said. Ayetah was a little embarrassed now, her cheeks turning pink."I feel silly now. She shook her head a bit, crossing her arms as Merevaika answered her next question.

One man, Ankal, he head. That made her think of her father. He was the head of their family, blind as he may be, he was a great leader and whatever he said, the family would do without hesitation. Ayetah's father was a great man, Yahal knew that. He was kind and loving to everyone. Whether he knew you or not did not matter and that's what Ayetah loved most about her father. She missed her father so much. If only the gods allowed her to see him in a dream, so that she knows he is alright. That he is still alive and well.

"Two wives? How does one love both wives?" She asked. "Do you wish to marry?" Ayetah raised a eyebrow. She thought that most girls wanted to be married. Have a beautiful ceremony where vows are exchanged.

"Families in Yahebah are close."She didn't like that Mervaika said Eyktol instead of Yahebah."Everyone respects everyone. Nothing is more important than family, you learn from them. Daughters learn from fathers and fathers learn from daughters. We live in tents like your people and sometimes move around like your people."

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