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[Jade Laken]

44th Winter 515 A.V.

The young female Drykas stretched out while the tea made. Taking a deep breath while backing up the she took a few quick steps forward and did a front hand spring. Jade had never been one to try and wake up and stretch like most of the normal Drykas. She wanted to feel a rush from almost falling on her face. A loud whistling sounded from the kitchen getting the gray eyed woman's attention. Walking into the kitchen the woman rolled her neck making it pop several times on each side. Jade grabbed a cup and poured herself some tea taking the tea off the fire before walking over to the couch and relaxing before she had to go to work.

A hot cup of tea calmed Jade's nerves as the woman thought about what all she would be doing today. She had been informed that several men were suppose to come in with money to buy some of the stallions. Taking a deep breath Jade rinsed out her cup and walked to the door of the apartment. Grabbing her coay and wrapping it around her shoulders hooking the front the woman stepped outside while still stretching. Shivering some Jade made sure her coay was wrapped around her properly before walking downstairs. Jade signed a greeting to the woman at the front desk before continuing to walk. Once outside the young lady looked up seeing the snow had began to fall harder, but not hard enough to stop anyone walking around on the streets. Shrugging Jade began walking away from the door humming gently with a smile.

The world around the woman was beautiful and yet so foreign. Tall walls, streets that were stone not dirt, immobile buildings. Such a strange world. Looking around Jade saw the stables up ahead. Another thing that seemed to blow her mind and irritate Diria. The stables were closed in where the horse's were not able to just freely roam. Many days Jade found herself wondering how she had managed to talk herself into entering the city to begin with. Though when one is cold and tired one does not beg.

“Hey,” Jade said with a bright smile seeing Diria when the woman walked into the building.

The mare snorted and pawed at the ground looking at the young female Drykas. Jade laughed and walked over petting the mare's muzzle gently to calm her.

“We can't go riding to day big girl,” Jade said looking up at her gently, “I have work to do today.”

Jade didn't want to be cooped up inside of the stable all day, but at the moment she had to work in order to not only house Diria. But. To also make sure she has what she needs to survive. The young woman walked to the office and got the list of horses that would need to be cared for first. Jade popped her neck once more before going to get her supplies.

[Jade Laken]

Jade took a deep breath with a smile. She was so ready to get to work with the horses. Opening the door to the tack room Jade grabbed the cleaning supplies she would need. Looking at the list once more Jade walked to the first stallion's stall. She looked up and yelps seeing fangs.

“Fangs?!?!” Jade nearly shouted as the owner stepped out and started laughing.

Jade looked over to the woman very confused now.

“Am I missing something?” Jade asked gently watching her walk down.

“This stallion is a Ravok Bloodbane,” She said and gave Jade an old copy of horse breeds.

“I thought books were impossible to come by,” Jade said and looked up at the woman confused now.

“They are. This book has been passed down through our family for years,” The woman said with a soft smile to the young unmarked drykas.

“May I take it with me home to read?” Jade asked with a soft pout to try and help her chances of taking it with her once work was over.

“Yes, just make sure it comes back when you are done,” the woman said and walked off back to the office.

Jade squealed jumping up and down before running off to put the book in her bag and beginning to brush the Bloodbane's teeth. She was surprised that the horses actually needed their teeth brushed with all the meat they eat. Jade gulped gently looking at the stallion before getting the brush and walking over to the stallion putting her hand out for him to smell. A few chimes passed that felt that bells to the blond haired young woman as she let the Ravok sniff her hand and decide whether to bite or allow her to do her job. After some time had passed of nothing but the Ravok sniffing her hand the creature decided that she was okay and looked away from her. Releasing the breath she had held for so long Jade lifted up the lip and began working on the horse's teeth so that it would have no chance of getting an infection.

“I never imagined in all my years in Endrykas that I would be brushing a horse's teeth,” Jade said while moving around to work on the other side of the horse's teeth.

The stallion snorted and yanked his head back to show that he had had enough of her cleaning his teeth. Jade blew some of her bangs out of her eyes.

“Look I don't like this any more than you do, but acting out won't help this go any faster,” Jade said looking at the stallion.

The Ravok seemed to just stare at the girl for a moment. She was unsure if the stallion was deciding whether to bite her or to trust her words. The horse once again turned away from the girl almost as if he were pouting about the situation. Jade laughed gently and finished up his teeth with a smile.

“There all done,” Jade said with a smile looking at the stallion.

[Jade Laken]

Smiling gently Jade petted the stallion's muzzle. Jade put the brush away and grabbed the coat brush and began to clean the stallion's coat.

“Such a handsome boy,” Jade said with a smile and almost laughed seeing his chest puff out some.

She knew that flattery would get her far with the stallion. It amused the girl to know a stallion's ego could be petted the same way a human man's ego can be petted. Tucking that little tad bit of information away Jade continued to work on getting the stallion cleaned up and ready to sale. The girl's attention was pulled away from the Ravok's grooming once she heard the door to the stables open and close quickly. Such a noise indicated that a person or animal had entered the stables with the two women. Patting the stallion's side Jade walked to the left and looked around finally spotting who had entered the building. Dusting off some Jade walked up to the hunk of armor that was looking over some papers.

“May I help you with something sir?” Jade asked with a smile looking at the man.

“Ah yes, I am here to pay for a Ravok Bloodbane. I was told by your superior that one is available for purchase,” the knight said.

“Oh yes let me go get Mrs. Serena,” Jade said with a smile and hurried off to find the woman.

Jade hurried off to find the woman over the stables. She waved to Ulliver as she kept looking, finally the woman found the person she had been seeking.

“Pardon the intrusion Mrs. Serena, but the man to buy the Ravok is here,” Jade said as all that was left to do was shine the hooves on the stallion.

“I will be out in a moment to inspect the Ravok,” Serena said looking to the young Drykas.

Jade bowed at the waist and left the room grabbing the rag and polishing off the hooves of the stallion as Serena came out and saw the stallion. She nodded in approval before instructing the young girl on how to do the sales of the horses. Jade listened closely wanting to make sure that when the time came she would be prepared to sell the next horse.

Jade stepped forward when Serena motioned for her to do it instead. Jade took a deep breath putting on her game face and looking at the knight before her.

“That will be 300 GM for the Ravok sir. Would you be needing any gear?” Jade asked looking at the man.

“Hm Yes I will. I need to know your price for a Barding, I will also need to know the prices of a saddle and bit & briddle,” the knight said.

Jade thought for a moment on the different prices.

“The Barding is any where from 20 GM to 2500 Gm. The Saddle is 10 GM and the Bit & Briddle is 2 GM,” Jade said thinking more to make sure she had not messed up.

[Jade Laken]

“Hm for now all I need is the bit & bridle and the saddle,” the knight said looking at the young girl.

Jade smiles looking at the man.

“Yes, sir. That will be 312 GM,” Jade said with a smile looking at the man.

Once the knight handed the woman all that was owed Jade gave the money to Serena and hurried off to get the bit & bridle as well as the saddle. Jade lugged the saddle back first as the knight took it and equipped the stallion with it. Jade watched the man put the gear on the horse and crinkled up the side of her nose watching him put what appeared to be the uncomfortable gear on the stallion.

“Won't that hinder the stallion's movements?” Jade asked looking at the knight.

“Of course not,” the knight said looking at the woman beside him strangely.

“Sorry I'm from Endrykas and I've never witnessed a stallion or mare get so much stuff attached to their form before,” Jade said feeling the need to explain herself to the knight.

“I see,” the knight said then turned to look at the Ravok once more.

Jade excused herself feeling like an idiot for asking the question. Jade had known that her culture viewed horses differently from others, but until that moment Jade had not realized just how different the views were. Jade marked through the horse's name on the list and moved to the mare next. The young woman walked out the beautiful mare noticing that the knight had left with the Ravok.

'Sharp fangs did not suit a horse,' Jade thought before shaking her head and walking over to the post and tying the mare to it.

Jade took a rag dipping it in some water she had gathered earlier in case the stallion had needed to be washed off. Thankfully all he had needed was to be brushed and his hooves filed some to keep the pain away. Wrapping the towel around the mare's leg Jade began to work on getting the mud caked around her ankles off. Sighing Jade stretched her back as it finally popped. The girl grunted gently at the feeling of the tenseness in her back releasing.

Popping her neck Jade rolled her shoulders before kneeling back down and returning to work on the mare's legs. After some time the woman stood up and looked down at the work she had managed to finish. Smiling gently nodding her head the blond was happy with how her work had come out.

“Very nice,” Jade said with a smile happy to see the mare's legs so clean.

Jade went outside and tossed out the dirty water. Making sure the water was completely out of the bucket, the woman walked over to where she was shown to get the water. Filling up the bucket Jade walked back inside and started to work on washing smile of the mud from the mare's mane.

[Jade Laken]

Snorting the mare turned her attention to the little two legged creature below her. Jade smiled and petted the mare's muzzle gently. She continued her work putting the rag down and grabbing the brush working out the dirt out of the coat before going back over the areas with a brush. Dirt slowly crawled down the mare's side and legs. Smiling gently Jade patted the mare's back gently as a reward for how well she was doing.

“Such a beautiful girl,” Jade said with a smile.

Laughing gently at the mare turning her head away the young drykas continued to work. Getting a towel Jade dried off the mare to keep her from getting cold. Jade took the lead and moved the mare out of the water at her feet and tied her to another post before getting the broom and sweeping the water off to one of the corners. At least until she was able to go check on where she was supposed to put the water at during winter. She figured when spring rolled around Jade would be able to take the mare's and stallion's outside to wash them off of dirt.

“Alright big girl let me get your stall cleaned out and I will put you back in to place,” Jade said with a smile and went to work on the stall.

She was never one to fear getting dirty in the least. Sighing gently Jade couldn't stop the thoughts of being picked on when everyone else around her was earning their windmarks and yet she was never able to earn them. Such things shouldn't bother her now that she was in a place where windmarks are a foreign tattooing, but her mind tended to wander often.

“Come Jade just a little while left and work will be over,” Jade said knowing the horses didn't help any.

She was content with her job, sure she wished to do something more exciting. But. She just didn't have the skills right now to help her much. Finally getting the stall cleaned out Jade smiled and hurried over to the mare and lead her back into the stall. She closed the door and took off the lead. Jade grabbed the cleaning supplies and put it back up before grabbing the wagon and taking it out side. Dumping it for the final time that day Jade got her stuff and walked back inside of the stables with the wagon.

“Night,” Jade said with a smile waving to her boss and heading outside.

Jade pulled her coay close to her and walked through the streets excited to head by the market and get a few things before heading on to the apartment. She hoped to have a nice soup ready for when Ferrin made it in if he didn't already make it in before she got there.

[Aladari Coolwater]

Grades Ahoy!

Name:Jade Laken

XP Award:

• Horsemanship + 4
• Cooking +1
• Acrobatics +1

Lore:

• Drykas View Horses Differently
• Saddles Don't Restrict Movement
• Ravok Bloodbane: Fanged Horses
• Tea Calms the Nerves
• Acrobatics: Front Hand Spring

Penalties/Rewards :

+1 Horse Breed Book.

Comments :

Be careful about roleplaying at your level. With only 1 XP in Acrobatics, I wouldn't expect a character to be able to do a front hand spring. Also, try to run a spell check filter on your posts. You wrote "coay" instead of coat three times. Other than that, I enjoyed your writing and look forward to reading more of your threads. Jade is sweet, and I love her relationship with the horses.

Please don't forget to edit your request to show that this thread has been graded. If you have any questions, or feel I missed anything, please PM me or a local storyteller.