14nd Day of Summer 513 A.V
Ariel's hand tapped the ground lightly, signaling his defeat. The smile on his face, though one could expect it to be sour, showed nothing but pride. His little sister was growing up so fast. It was not too long ago that he carried her little frame in his arms after she had fallen asleep near the campfire, while listening to the tales of two wondering merchants. And now, now she was a young woman competent enough to beat him, skillful enough to provide for herself and lucky enough to have found a man matching all of that.
His drifting thoughts interrupted by a hand ruffling the loose, golden locks spread over the dirt. She might have grown stronger, but she was still the same, silly, playful teen they all knew and loved
"Why in Gods' name would you do that? Have you no idea how long it takes to brush all of this out
You evil, little pest!" Ariel added, in what was evidently an attempt to sound annoyed. The smile warming up his entire face, however, proved otherwise. His body shifting effortlessly, allowing the young Drykas to stand on her own two feet.
"Ah.... I had almost forgotten... Mother taught you how to braid in new ways. Does this"- pointing at the leaf attached to the, now messy locks falling past his shoulders, "Mean that I will be on your tormenting list tonight?" The question seemed more like a statement with a hint of joke to it, than anything.
"My dear brother... how is it torment to have your hair taken care of? How will Marsha ever live with you, is a mystery to me". A little jab at his pride seemed to be a necessity every time they spoke. Just as Ariel was about to retaliate however, a woman's voice could be heard from a tent near by.
"Ariel, your father needs assistance. Come quickly! Oh and Dani dear, go out of the camp south please, Marcel and the boys should be coming back shortly!"
A soft pat over her head, and the young Drykas was left alone. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed a string and moved it up to her lips. The white teeth seemed to shine against her tanned complexion, as they held onto the object, freeing her hands in turn. Her fingers carefully moving upwards, to bend and braid her red hair in a rather particular way. Once done, the string served as a way of tying it all together. A now visible smile curled her lips upwards in anticipation of her loved one and her brothers' return.
"I'll head out mother!" she screamed, a bit louder than she had hoped to, before making her way out of the camp.
She wouldn't go far, she couldn't. The Sea of Grass was not a safe place, particularly so at dusk, for a Drykas with no Strider. Dani spent a significant amount of time thinking of that, daily. Everything else in her life was perfect, everyone around praised her, and yet, at the age of 12, no Strider had chosen her. No one in her family or her clan spoke of it, unless she brought it up. Almost as if they were certain that one day, sooner than later, she would bond. She did not share the same level of certainty, even more so with each passing season. It was not only a hit on her pride, but a pain in her soul as well. An odd feeling, almost as if a part of her was missing.
The sound of hooves in a gallop snapped her back to reality. Two beautiful, brown horses - each ridden by one of her brothers and a white one, ridden by Marcel. To her surprise, though, there was one more, one more galloping alone. In her eyes, it was as dark and as beautiful as the night sky. Its thick, luscious mane and tail openly showing it was no humans' horse. With each fast, heavy step, the beauty of this magnificent animal shone through. Their eyes seem to have met and simply would not part. It was as if some invisible force was tugging at her very soul, pulling her towards the beautiful beast.
Only after a quiet cough from Marcel, did she realize that all three men were now off their Striders and for the first time in years, her arms were not wrapped around her love, before his feet could even touch the ground.
"He followed us here... we did not feed him, nor did we call upon him... he just came", Marcel explained, his finger questioningly scratching the side of his head.
"I... I'm sorry. I just have to..." Dani, yet again, ignored the man's presence to everyone's surprise. Instead, her body gracefully began moving towards the dark animal. All the Drykas present could sense a switch within both her mood and her demeanor, with Marcel being the one to break the odd silence this time as well
"We will head in. I will inform your mother of your excused absence, my love. Please, stay vigilant". Following the statement, all three men entered the camp, with their Striders remaining at their designated spots.
Her mind was blank, so the lack of a response to what was said came as no surprise. That pounding heart within her chest, however, felt as if it was about to burst. Aching within her soul only decreasing as she closed the gap between her and the animal. When she was mere inches away, her feet finally stopped moving.
"By all that is holy, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen", her voice soft, quiet, with a subtle choke at the end of the sentence, showing just how emotional she really was. Her hand instinctively reached up, towards the animal, stopping close enough for the warmth of his body to radiate onto her palm. A slight flinch of it's beautiful, dark body felt like a sword being shoved straight through her.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I did not mean to frighten you", her voice and the words said, resembling those of a child begging to not be punished.
That flinch seemed more of a curious, albeit cautious one, than one caused by fear. This thought in Dani's head only further asserted as the animal tilted it's head lightly, sniffing the young Drykas' palm, then her hair and finally, her neck. Her own nostrils filled with a scent so beautiful, she could not even begin to describe. A gentle nudge against her hair made every part of her body shiver.
The very second her fingers pressed against what she now felt was her Strider, the whole of her being sprung alive. Every worry, every uncertainty, erased in an instant.
Their gazes met, once more. The settling sun revealing a stream of tears moving down Dani's cheeks. As much as she tried to hold herself back, she couldn't bare the amount of beautiful emotion flowing within her.
"I will forever cherish this bond, my friend. I promise." She whispered, her body gently moving to the animal's side. A firm, yet soft grip on its mane allowed the young Drykas to climb up.
"So, Katala, how about we head home together?", her words causing the animal to joyfully perk itself on its hind legs and neigh. "Aye - you like your name?", she gently patted Katala's neck, giggling softly.
"Mother! Father! Brothers!", she called out, making half of the clan questioningly come out of their tents.
"Marcel..." her eyes still filled with tears as she now stood by Katala's side "Isn't he majestic?". A question that need no answer, as it was obvious of the bond they shared. Mere blink of an eye later, the first clapping noise was heard, then the second and the third, until the entire clan was clapping, cheering and dancing, with her father already arranging a celebration as well as a day of her marking.
It was on that day, that she found herself as a Drykas.
