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[Azmere]

10th of Spring, 516 AV

Azmere walked into the tent of his Tavehk with Grey underfoot. Walk was a generous word for his movements. To everyone with eyes, it was plain to see that the watchman was not one hundred percent. He had been back for almost a week but his recovery had been slow and some of the wounds were still covered in bandages. The dog stayed to where he was just a few degrees of lean away from touching his master’s leg. The banged up young man paused a moment to close his eyes and give them the time needed to adjust to the dim light underneath the canvas. When Azmere lifted his eyelids, his gaze fell upon Aris who was looking up at him from the rudimentary desk. The superior regarded his subordinate with a stare that obviously questioned the sanity of the younger man.

“Your caretakers assured me you’d be in bed for another week…maybe two.” Aris commented dryly. The history the two held was a distant blood feud from years past that never seemed to go away. The way Aris spoke it was plain that he did not are much for Azmere though he tolerated him because of his proven usefulness in certain situations.

Azmere signed a disregard for the doctors’ and healers’ recommendations for rest. “How long could you lie still?” The archer reached down and scratched Grey behind the ears and then snapped his fingers once. The dog looked up at his human companion and for a moment he did nothing. Azmere snapped his fingers again while the dog’s gaze was upon him and Grey sat down on his bottom. The Drykas then pointed with one finger towards the ground and Grey slowly walked his front paws forward until he was resting on his stomach. The dog knew these commands but still tried to push the envelope on occasion. Though told to lie down, he kept his front paws out in front and together as well as maintaining a straight neck that held his head and pointed ears high. Azmere sighed and nodded. It was good enough for now. With a slow and slightly uneven gait, the warrior moved towards the center of the tent where he could brace himself up on the support pole. Aris watched all of this with slight disinterest.

The elder watchman could respect someone who fought through the pain. He just didn’t like Azmere. He signed a question wanting to know of the pain Azmere was feeling. Azmere shrugged and signed that it comes and goes. Aris nodded and stared at one of the bandages that had grown slightly discolored. Azmere saw this and moved his body to hide the semi-soaked cloth.

“What are my orders?”

Aris looked up in almost disbelief…almost. He’d long ago realized that very little would stop Azmere from doing something. Aris had come to rely on the scarred Drykas’ relentless pursuit of atonement or whatever it was that drove him. This had made some parts of Aris’ job easier. It had also made some parts of it very difficult. The Tavehk laughed and sat back in his chair causing the wooden legs to creak. This stirred Grey who blew air out from between his cheeks that caused his lips to momentarily bare his teeth. Azmere made a ‘ssst!’ noise through his teeth that instantly stopped the canine’s train of thought and shifted focus to Azmere. The archer did nothing else; it was simply a distraction technique.

Word Count578

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Azmere]

Aris tilted his head to watch the interaction for a tick then returned his cold, tired gaze to his underling. “Go home. Heal. Rest. Come back when you’re healthy.” Having said this, Aris sat back down and hunched over his work. He went back to pouring over whatever he had been doing before he was interrupted.

This was unacceptable to the Ra’athi. For one, Azmere felt strong enough to do small things but the main thing was just being blatantly dismissed. He knew that the watch had countless things which could be done here in the city that didn’t require much physical exertion; just knowledge. Azmere cleared his throat. “I’m healthy enough.” His voice was strong but his signs relayed that the tasks should be in the city and for rookies. A flush came to the unmarred cheek. The Diamond warrior had worked hard to be off of babysitting duties which always fell to the newest member or someone who was in bad graces with a superior. Regardless of the task, Azmere needed work. He could not spend another day lying on his back while being fussed over. His eyes revealed as much to Aris.

The older man smiled a grin that was agreeable but devious. “Very well, Ra’athi, I do have something that needs attention.” He dug down and pulled a ribbon from his desk. With no legitimate light source, Azmere could not make out the color but stepped forward to take it from the outstretched hand. Once the ribbon was passed, Aris continued. “Amethyst pavilion got robbed last night.” He signed drunks, kids and then rolled his eyes. “Go see what you can see with your crazy eyes and…” Aris lifted his eyes to Azmere with a very stern expression. “I expect a full and timely report, Stormblood.” He dismissed Azmere with a wave of his hand.

The Ra’athi turned to walk out and patted his leg. The dog got up and followed him through the flap to where the beat up mare waited. Azmere started to mount but stopped. Just touching another horse made him cringe and his stomach did somersaults as flashes of that horrid event played in his mind. The highlight reel made his dizzy and caused his legs to weaken. With a heavy sway, the warrior stumbled into this half-breed mutt of a horse. After a few ticks and the cold, wet nuzzle of Grey’s nose on his hand, the watchman was able to regain his composure and balance. Azmere decided not to ride and simply used the horse as a pack animal. Moving through the city, the trio of man and beasts headed towards the outskirts of the Sapphire spoke. It was the quickest way to get to the cluster of Amethyst tents and enabled him to avoid the center of town. It wasn’t the physical pain that burdened the mangled Drykas; it was the loss of his friend that highlighted the sunken cheek, pale skin and hollow eyes. A loss like this was not easily forgotten nor overcome. Azmere needed the work as a distraction…that was the truth of the matter.

Word Count1097

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine sighed gently as she had been there when several of the older striders had passed early this season. It put a bad taste in her mouth knowing that when Chaser goes many years from now it will hurt the woman. She let Chaser set the pace yawning as she had been out "hunting" all day. At least that is what the drykas was calling it. Chaser snorted and jerked backwards sensing something was very wrong. Jasmine gasped at the sudden jerking movement. Confusion circled in the woman as she looked ahead and saw several items outside of her tent.

"Oh no," Jasmine jumped down and ran over to the tent not caring of the danger.

She wanted to make sure that the small fox and puppy were okay. Sighing Jasmine took an inventory of what all appeared to be missing. A simple brown shirt that was slightly thicker than normal for the later and earlier winter days when the air was slowly starting to warm and cool. There was also some food missing, but Jasmine did not mind as there was very little left. She had to go by the market anyways to get some small stuff. Walking out Jasmine saw one of the watch men and waved at him.

"Excuse me for taking up your time, but if you will let someone know that a member of the Amythyst has been hit by the recent burglares as well," Jasmine said.

The man looked over and saw the tent, the nervousness of the animals that stood a little distance from the tent, then looked to the nervous yet some what relieved woman before him. He nodded and continued to ride on. Jasmine sighed and rubbed her face walking over to Chaser.

"Come let us go to the market while we wait," Jasmine said and mounted up as she put the kit in one of the bags on the yvas where she could curl up and sleep.

Jasmine also put the pup in the opposite bad that had an open flap so the pair could breath.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Azmere]

Azmere nodded to a few people in blue wrappings and then found himself in the open grass between the spokes. He stopped and closed his eyes letting his head lull back until his face pointed at the sky. Slumped shoulders and washed out skin seemed to highlight the torment he had been trying to fight. The horse just went about eating having no loyalty or attachment to the Drykas. Grey, on the other hand whimpered softly and pressed his cold wet nose against his master’s hand until the watchman finally gave in and scratched the dog’s nose. Elated, Grey pushed his body against Azmere’s leg which made the man stumble a bit. Instead of trying to correct himself, the archer carried his motion into a very clumsy tumble that planted him on his rump.

Grey reared up on his hind legs thinking that it was time to wrestle. Azmere quickly threw his right hand up with fingers together and palm turned towards the animal. The dog was back on all fours and cocked his head to the side not remembering this sign but he knew enough to pause before trying to walk forward once more. The Drykas snapped his fingers and repeated the sign. The snap froze the animal in his place; again, Grey tilted his head to the side. Azmere pushed air with his hand and reinforced the command with a stern voice. “Hold.” Grey sat down. The watchman shook his head. The snap must have confused the animal. He made a note to not to use the snap as an attention grabber since it had already been assigned to ‘sit’.

The archer turned his palm upwards and lifted it a few inches. The canine’s response was perfect because he rose to all fours in an even stance but did not move from his place. ‘Sit’ and ‘Stand’ were pretty easy since Grey is a naturally obedient animal. Azmere always attributed it to Grey’s nature being one of needing to impress his master. He had known other Drykas who had dogs and other pets that would go out of their way for tasks, kills and such to please their masters. The watchman was hopeful that Grey would be such a hunter. Once more, Azmere turned his palm form the ‘hold’ signal. Grey did not incline his skull but simply remained where he was. After a few ticks, the watchman slowly rose to his feet and then repeated the nonverbal command. Azmere smiled and started to move away from Grey and towards the Amethyst tents. After he had gone a few yards, he turned and saw that Grey was still in the same spot watching everything his master did. This brought a smile to Azmere’s face and he patted his leg twice. Grey came bounding up and was received with a kind expression and a vigorous head scratch.

The watchman was about to continue forward when he realized his damned horse was not being as disciplined. He made a few long strides to grab the lead and then turned to go about his business. Azmere used the wrap he’d been given to inquire about the pavilion that had been robbed. One of the young men who had answered gave a look to his friend that Azmere read as excitement. He signed in Pavi for the boy to explain his actions. The friend giggled and the one in question blushed.

“They have some good lookin’ women, sir.” The boy blushed some more. Azmere chuckled and gave the kid a slug on the arm.

“Go kill something ferocious and give it to one of them. Maybe the ankal will give you permission to marry.” Azmere was merely joking but caught the glance between the two young Drykas. The wheels had already been set in motion. The boys both took off but Azmere snapped his hand out to catch one by his arm. “Be careful, boy…not stupid.” He released him but held the youth there with the sternness of his gaze. Azmere signed arrogance and motioned towards the scars on his face. The boys both signed an understanding and then a thank you before turning tail and disappearing into the rows of tents.

The look on the young men had reminded Azmere of how he and Wikus used to pull pranks and other stupid games to impress one another or bother the elders. Shaking his head, the watchman lead the horse by his lead past this tent and then around a huge mudpit. It looked like people had been wrestling in the space as eveidence from the hand and boot prints that littered the scene. Azmere only paused long enough to study some of the impressions which would be useful for tracking or so he figured. Rounding a large tent, he came to the one with the layout that had been described for him. He released the horse’s lead and walked towards the fire pit in the midst of the encampment. He didn’t see anyone offhand and did not wish to enter any tents uninvited so he called out in a moderately loud voice. “Anybody here? I am Ra’athi of the Watch.” Azmere’s eyes looked around taking in the possessions and markings that littered the pavilion. Grey stood next to him with perked ears.

Word Count1978

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine walked into the Garthos supply as Chaser waited outside for his rider. Looking around the woman wanted to get some more fish maybe, for sure apples, cheese, salt, rice, and honey. Sighing gently the woman looked over to the other meats and items that the business sells. Shaking her head Jasmine walked over to the man and bought some of the stuff opting out of buying the meat. She planned to start seriously hunting soon. Not only to make a little extra cash but also to help feed herself and her two new hunting companions.

"Thank you," Jasmine said waving to the man as she exited the tent.

Walking out the woman put the bag on the yvas next before mounting up. Clicking her tongue Chaser turned and started to walk back towards the tent. Jasmine watched the world around her as the strider walked calmly throw the city. So much had happened yet people still went about their daily lives happy. The Drykas spirit is a hard thing to break no matter how many times it is bent. Shaking her head once more Jasmine heard a noise of a man from an area close to her tent.

"Yes?" Jasmine asked and jumped down from Chaser when the stallion stopped.

Jasmine gasped when she got a good look at the man as flashes of the previous season played back in her head. A cold restless night, a chase, and a tree contest; Jasmine chuckled though the reason for his visit was not a laughing matter.

"Seems I am always in some sort of trouble when we meet. Hello again," Jasmine said with a smile looking at the man as she walked closer to him.

Haven barked and wiggled in her bag curious of the new scents outside of her pouch. Jasmine laughed and picked the puppy out of her bag before placing her on the ground. She also walked around and picked up Lara who had awoken less noisy than Haven and placed her on the ground as well. Haven shook out and ran over to the bigger dog sniffing him as her tail swung back and forth vigorously in excitement.

"Sorry about her. Haven come back over here and leave him alone," Jasmine said walking over as Lara was close by her legs nervous of the larger creature.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Azmere]

Azmere turned at the sound of an approaching rider. His eyes, like broken stained glass honed in on the horse and it seemed familiar. He moved his gaze up and past the pointed ears to see the bright blue eyes and vibrant blond hair of Jasmine Moonstone. The watchman’s mind instantly went back to a cold winter’s night where he was lead on a wild chase that ended in such a strange way that Azmere never tried to wrap his mind around the event. It happened and that’s where the process stopped.

Jasmine bound up with her warm smile and made a joke about the two of them meeting when she was in trouble. Absent-mindedly, the archer thumbed at the wrap he’d been given to identify the pavilion. The man knew Aris had passed this assignment on to him as a way to keep Azmere busy and out of trouble. He couldn’t ruminate on this much as the puppy charged ahead towards Grey. The bigger dog looked up to his owner as if asking what he should do while the pup sniffed and pawed at a giant version of herself. Azmere reached down and rubbed grey on top of his head between the ears. Azmere’s eyes traveled to the kit that was staying near Jasmine. He felt tired but knew if he focused on the details of the case that he could get through until it and then go get some rest with a small sense of fulfilment.

“Don’t worry about the dogs, they’ll be fine.” He signed small matter and began to look around the site. There were tracks everywhere and he couldn’t be certain how long it had been since the theft had taken place. Chances are it was the middle of the night and there was nothing that he was going to be able to do for the Moonstones. “Can you tell me what all was taken?” Azmere released his hold on the lead of his horse and leaned against the creature heavily with his shoulder. He closed his eyes then used his thumb and index finger to rub some of the soreness away. When he opened his eyes, the colors had appeared.

The first thing Azmere looked at was Grey. There was a soft blue lingering around him as well as a vivid swirl of pink that indicated the circles the smaller pup had made. Azmere lifted his eyes to Jasmine. The starbursts glittered when the magic was active but it was hard to see. The girl had a pale yellow like reflected sunlight surrounding her. Azmere closed his eyes again and leaned against the horse a bit more. The magic was too much for his weakened state and he knew he had to leave it behind. He stood on his own accord and held his eyes shut for a few ticks while he focused his brain on letting skill return to idle. When he opened his eyes again, everything was back to its typical view. He snapped his eyes up to the girl and tried to focus on what she was saying so he could make an accurate report.

Word Count2502

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine watched the man as he looked down at the two dogs. Haven ran back over to Jasmine and barked playfully at Lara. Lara hissed some and ran into the tent with said puppy right behind her. Slowly the woman shook her head watching the two little ones play. She turned her attention back to the man before her. A part of her wanted to tell him that she was so happy to see Azmere instead of anyone else.

"All that I can see that is missing is a couple of eggs, a dried piece of meat, and one of my shirts," Jasmine said with a shrug.

Watching Jasmine looked at him confused as he seemed to hold on to his mount.

"You okay?" Jasmine asked noticing he looked light headed.

She was worried that he was hurt and would need a healer. Jasmine walked over and gently touched his shoulder as he seemed to have a hard time focusing. A part of her could not help, but find the man attractive and much more comforting than any of the other Watch.

"If you need to step inside and look around then I have no issue with that," Jasmine said looking at the man gently.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Azmere]

Azmere spent a few more ticks figuring out how to stand upright without support. His legs strained a bit due to exhaustion and overexertion. He had been told to take it easy for much longer than the time he had allowed. Healers and doctors are all the same in the fact that they overshoot recovery time. It’s very logical; under-promise, over-perform. It’s a formula that most businesses use and for good reason. Azmere gave his head a shake to try and roust his thoughts back to the present task. He had to figure out what was taken. Jasmine’s chipper nature broke through with her voice filling the Watchman’s ears with the answer to his question. He nodded in acknowledgement and signed a thank you for her response.

The archer pushed himself off of his horse. A brief mental note struck a chord wondering when the horse was going to get a name. Deep, deep down, Azmere didn’t want to give it one. He heard her question but the watchman wasn’t sure how he wanted to answer. Sometimes it was nice to have someone fix your problems for you. On the other hand, Drykas women have a way of holding on for dear life if you lend them a hand hold. There’s some old saying about a Drykas never falls from his horse…or hers. He signed ‘Ohs Tratche’. Then, as an afterthought, Azmere offered her his uneven smile.

He moved around the horse quickly slipping away from her light tough. Jasmine was a sweet girl and one that had proved to be more interesting than most but Azmere couldn’t afford the distraction right now. His patron, Yahal, was still foreign to him. The god had reached out from the world beyond and given Azmere just enough strength to return home and receive some much needed healing. How does a man trust a god he doesn’t know? How does a man learn such things? Endrykas doesn’t exactly have a library. Once again, the man had to reestablish his connection to reality. His contrasting eyes met the light blue orbs of the young woman. He smiled again and patted his leg twice. Grey perked up and moved closer to his master. Azmere reached down and stroked the dog’s head and used the action as a pivot point to turn his body back towards the heart of the city.

“Thank you for helping me with my investigation, Jasmine.” His words were a bit raspy highlighting that his strength had not yet returned to its full state. He signed for gratitude and then a simple goodbye and starting walking away. He pulled at the lead and the horse reluctantly followed along. Grey remained steadfast in his place and after the separation had past ten feet, he gave a sharp bark. Azmere looked back over his shoulder and patted his thigh twice. The dog popped up from his position and jogged over to fall into stride with the Watchman. The big hand reached down and scratched the dog behind his ears as they walked.

To see a Drykas walking was strange but any true Drykas would know that every step is announced in the soul like breaking glass. Azmere had not told anyone what happened to Hephiestian and he never would.

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine watched as the watchman pulled away from her. Confused the woman slowly pulled her hand back before stepping back to give him some space. It was obvious that he was still hurt about something. She was unsure if it was over his injuries or if it was over having to learn how to ride another stallion instead of his strider.

You are welcome Jasmine signed before watching the man begin to walk away.

"If you ever need anything Azmere even if it's just an ear to vent to know you can come to me no matter who turns their back on you," Jasmine said before walking into the tent silently allowing him to go on about his business.

She wanted to have someone to lean on herself with everything that had been happening the last few seasons. Jasmine knew that she would have to pin down her mother about who her true father is. The blond looked nothing like her father, mother, or siblings. All of them had brown hair and green eyes of some sorts. In time Jasmine would find out what was going on and who she really is.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Rufio]

　

┍ lookie lookie
ive got a hookie! ┘

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a z m e r e

xp

Rhetoric +2
Animal Husbandry +2
Persuasion +1
Leadership +1
Socialization +2
Observation +4
Investigation +1
Magic: Pathfinding +1

lores

Azmere: A stubborn patient
Azmere and Aris Riverwatcher: A blood-feud never forgotten
Hiding wounds to appear stronger
Azmere: Pursuing atonement
Animal Husbandry: Use a sharp noise to distract a dog's attention
Aris Riverwatcher: Devious
Azmere: Deeply grieves Hephiestian
Azmere: Work distracts from loss
Animal Husbandy: Train dogs with one command per signal
Grey: Naturally obedient & desires to please
Animal Husbandry: Successfully teaches Grey to 'Stay'
Pathfinding: Requires a strong body
Old saying: A Drykas never falls from their horse
Jasmine Moonstone: Sweet and interesting
Yahal, God of Faith and Purity
Azmere and Hephiestian: A painful secret

penalties

Azmere will feel exhausted for the rest of the day—resting for 1-3 hours will alleviate this.

notes - From one drykas to another...
*very heartbreak much feels*

　

j a s m i n e

xp

Rhetoric +2
Observation +5
Socialization +3
Riding: Horse +1

lores

Jasmine: Fears the loss of her Strider
Jasmine: Has been burgled
Jasmine: Wants to get serious about hunting
Drykas' spirits are strong
Haven: Curious of new scents
Lara: Nervous of large dogs
Azmere Stormblood: Attractive and comforting
Jasmine: The sting of rejection
Jasmine: Compassionate
Jasmine: Wishes for someone to depend upon
Jasmine: Wishes to learn of her true father

penalties

-2 eggs
-1 dried meat
-1 Shirt

notes - A pleasure getting to know Jasmine.

　

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