The Woman and the Gentle Man [Edalene]

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

13th Spring, 511 A.V. Taking his mentor's advice, Sama'el had gone apart from Enrykas to practice with the Web. His skill was growing, but he still liked to just spend time outside of his body to grow ever more accustomed to working on that energetic plane that overlapped and juxtaposed the reality with which he had grown up. His golden mare stood watch over his body as he took greater control of his breathing in order to calm his body and his mind, and also his spirit as it was his spirit that drew itself carefully out of its mortal shell to stand apart, connected only by a silvern umbilical now. His spiritual form, or astral projection or whatever a person wanted to call it, did not travel far, but he took the ley-line beside him in his 'hands' and from there he could see in several directions and farther than his mortal eyes could fathom. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, as it was unlikely any sort of threat would get this close to Endrykas without his betters detecting it long before him, but he kept an eye out to his surroundings so Dohaina could graze without fear. Somehow she seemed to know that he was still aware and so her vigilance relaxed; perhaps it had to do with a Strider's ability to tap into that Web. But due to his vigilance and as luck would have it, he looked in the right direction to see a certain woman who looked to be of the Diamond Clan riding almost directly toward him. She seemed rather upset and ill-equipped to leave Endrykas for any length of time with what little she carried. Feeling it incumbent upon him as a member of the Watch to shepherd wayward Drykas girls who were upset, he rushed back along that silverly cord to his body and climbed in, gritting his teeth and breathing through the thousand needles stabbing into his skin as his body and soul reforged their bond. At least it was needles rather than knives now. Instantly alert, Dohaina was looking at him with too intelligent eyes for a horse. He stood up, stretched quickly but thoroughly to get the blood flowing where it ought, and did a few cartwheels to ensure that it kept moving. He had been neglecting his acrobatics, but there was always so much to do. Since nobody was watching other than Dohaina, he could not be accused of showing off. All the same, with a running start, he vaulted over Dohaina's rump to land lightly in her yvas and they were quickly off, pelting in on an intercept course with the lone traveler. "Ho, stranger!" he called when he approached. Though he was of the Sapphire Clan, he wore the proper markings of a Watchman too, and any Drykas born and raised within the culture should recognize that.

[Edalene]

OOCSorry for the delay (and the longish post)! Sometimes, it seemed, being a good person was not a great thing to be. Eda had helped Eldon, made sure he was okay, stayed with him as he recovered from the overgiving and made her way back to Endrykas with him. All of this, straight after he had snapped and attacked her. He had poured res into the ground and into her mouth, encasing her in stone and drowning her in water, two very different forces that battled with eachother to the point where they complimented the other perfectly, both working together to overwhelm Eda. It had nearly worked, too - would have worked if Eldon had not overgiven when he had. Eda was a good Drykas, she had helped her racial brother, and it tore her up inside. She had made her way home, last night. Riding slowly back to the Sunblaze Pavilion on Ayira, the rocking of her Strider's pacing flanks comforting, she had debated on what to tell her family. Yartree and her father, Damie... would they care? Not particularly. They would not care about Eda and what she had gone through, they would only care about honour. They would pick a fight with Eldon, and she did not want that. Eldon could not help that he was slowly cracking inside, his sanity seeping from the lines within him. He was terrifying, utterly terrifying, but she would not wish the wrath on anybody. Eldon could not help it. She did not tell her family. The night was as simple and normal as any other night at home. That did not stop the dreams, last night. An active imagination turned the simplest action into something complex, and the most complicated into something truly horrifying. The stone res kept rising, it did not stop at her hips, rising and rising, to her waist now, her breasts, her shoulders. All the while, Eldon ripped out chunks of her hair out as he poured water into her throat, but he did not stop - and neither did the stone. Water filled up her throat, overflowing down her neck while Eda could not swallow fast enough, stone rising past her neck and over her jaw, creeping into her mouth, over her nose, her eyes. Choked to death by water and stone, Eda stood forever more, the screaming statue girl in the Sea of Grass. She had woken early - it was still dark out. She did not ride off hastily into the distance, eager to be away, he hair flowing out behind her and Syna slowly took control. No, she did not do anything of the sort. Instead she sat. It was still cool in the mornings, Winter not entirely willing to abandon them. Still in her bedroll, she was warm and cozy with her blanket, and she watched the sun's light slowly illuminate everything in her room. It was the longest she had ever just sat, she realised. She never had time to sit and think and breathe and just be. She was always doing something, thinking about something, reacting to something. She never stopped doing anything. The only time she paused was when she slept, and she slept late and woke early. It was as if she didn't want to sit and be her. She would really rather be someone else. Someone who was a good Drykas. Someone who was a good Diamond Clansman - or woman. She would be able to handle the sword with dignity, not dropping it every few seconds. Her Strider and her would have bonded young, growing up as a fully recognised Drykas. Her father and cousin would have liked her. She would not have killed her mother. Yatree had accused her once of killing her mother. It was a poor exchange, he said, of Hiya's life for Eda's life. The comment had stuck. She knew she wasn't good enough. She knew she would never be good enough - not in the eyes of everyone else, at least. But she could prove them wrong. She would prove them wrong. She was a warrior of the Diamond Clan! She could one day become a member of the Watch, if she so chose. She was skilled - more skilled than anyone gave her credit for. Her father boasted so much and so often of his skills - he had killed four glassbeaks in a single year, he said. They shared the same blood. Her mother too, was an accomplished spearswoman. No one gave her the credit she deserved. Not her father, not her cousin, not Eldon ... not Kayiri. Kayiri treated her as a doll, as something that was going to break any second if he squeezed too hard. She needed to fix that. She needed to prove to everyone she was a Drykas for a reason. It was mid morning now. She was leaving, for the Sea of Grass. She doubted her father and cousin noticed her leaving - Yartree had a woman in his bed. Her father slept long and heavily. Ayira snorted a greeting when she saw Eda, a happy one. Eda did not smile in return. A yvas was hastily fitted onto her Strider, and with naught but her broadsword at her side, she rode out of Endrykas, riding hard, swiftly, capitlising on Ayira's pure speed. Any Zith or glassbeaks that stood in her way today needed to be wary. She would be returning that night with the head of a Zith or the beak of a glassbeak to display. All would love her then, and despair. Ayira ran fast, showing Eda the meaning of haste. The Strider was small - by no means a warhorse, but certainly one of the fastest she had met. She was quickly out of Endrykas. It was early enough for the heat not to overwhelm, but there were bustles of people amongst the ragged arrangement of tents. She was not too far out of Endrykas when she saw the figure of a man. She debated briefly veering off course - not that she had a course, she just needed to get out of Endrykas. She decided against it. She doubted he would stop her. She was wrong. He did stop her. She briefly considered continuing her course, not stopping for this stranger, this man who seemed eager to talk with a lone teenager girl. A scowl crossed her face and stuck there - scowl so rarely seen on the normally bubbly Eda's face - as she realised he was one of the Watch. It became more and more evident as he neared. She pulled Ayira in, stopping. She may have stopped for him, but she did not have to be happy about it. She was angry today - angry like she had never been before. "What do you want, Watchman?" She was irritated at him for stopping her. "I have things to do."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el was not much older than her. He was not wise yet, and while his mind could be quick, it was often blind to things that were obvious to others. She was upset, and that he could understand. And she was riding off alone, which he could also understand. The idea of leaving it all behind, just being Sam again, with short hair and windmarks hidden from view, was sometimes quite tempting. "I saw you on the Web," he said. "I will ride behind and keep you safe." She could not really argue that, as it was his sacred duty as a man of the Watch and a minder of the Web. She might not like it. He might not like it. But it was one of those things ingrained upon them. "I will ride far behind," he promised. "You won't even hear Dohaina's hoofbeats. But you should not be forced to flee into danger in order to be alone. If nothing happens, then I will just be a bothersome speck on the horizon. If something does happen, you will have my scimitar and my fire on your side." It was, perhaps, a gallant offer, and sensitive to her need to be alone as well, but if she insisted, he would relent, only to meditate in silence upon the Web again, monitoring her in his astral body, quick to ride to her aid should she require it.

[Edalene]

OOCSo, I left it pretty open... you said you had a thread plan, and I wasn't really sure what it was, so go where ever you want from here. Eda hesitated. Her original anger and irritation disappated a little as he began to speak. He was young - not that much older than her. Definitely still in his teenage years. He would understand this frustration she had, this awkward stage of her life where she was neither child nor adult. When people expected her to be more than a child, but did not think she had mature capabilities. None of her determination disappeared, but certainly a lot of her frustration did. An expression of incredulity, nevertheless, appeared on Eda's face. Ayira warm from her sprint beneath her, she was irritated that this man wanted to follow her. Like a toddler that needed to be kept in its room, and not toddle out into the world beyond. "I am not a child, Watchman," she protested. "I do not need your care." She sighed, hating the logic that spewed forth from his mouth. "Fine. You can follow. I suppose it's your job," she spat, checking Ayira and riding forward a few paces. Halting her Strider suddenly, she spun her head and shouted back at him. "If we run into trouble, you have permission to help me out. But just be aware--" Here she turned Ayira around and glared at the man. "--I am to be the one to kill whatever we come across." She nodded once, and turned away. Stroking the neck of Ayira, she took off again, riding forward in a straight line - not really sure where that line would lead her.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

This was not the ideal situation, but at least she wouldn't be attempting to shake him from her trail. It was unlikely she would be able to, of course, as he was one of the better riders among the Watch, but it certainly made his life easier. Watching her go, Dohaina moved restlessly beneath him, but he patted her shoulder and whispered calming things to her. After all, he had promised her a head start. When sufficient time had passed, he gave his golden mare a silent signal and she shot after the runaway girl. Dohaina moved like a bolt of sunfire, and Sama'el stayed low and close to her, moving his body in constant minute ways to work with her body's momentum and be less of a burden. He could see how Dohaina veered toward a ley-line of the Web and suddenly her speed began to increase. He grinned, gritting his teeth against the wind and the flailing of her mane. They began to gain on the girl and her steed, but not in time... They were enjoying the competition of the run too much and his skills with the Web were novice yet. He had not seen what lay in the shallow valley that the girl eventually sped into: a small herd of odilosapai taking water at a watering hole. Of course, Sama'el could not see them yet, just the darker smudge of spring green where the water fed more plants to verdance. But the odilosapai could see the girl and her horse pounding toward them, and the bulls didn't like it one bit. They began to charge.

[Edalene]

She kept glancing over her shoulder, trying to see where the Drykas man was. She knew he would be there, but he appeared to stop for the moment. Squeezing Ayira's flanks, she pressed her on, using her speed to try and outrun the Drykas, but not really looking where she was going. All she knew was that she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. He would ruin her chances of killing something all of her own. All she wanted was the head of a glassbeak SHE had killed to take home to her father. That was it. That was all she wanted. And some presumptious watchman wanted to infringe on that. The speed of Ayira, though, and the feel of the wind against her cheeks eventually calmed her down. The speeding Strider gave her a high, utter joy, feeling as if she was not on the ground at all, but instead flying over the ground and the long grasses. She ran into a small valley, just running whereever she felt, her eyes closed for the most part, trusting Ayira to not lead her astray. It was only when she heard a thundering sound that her eyes snapped open, automatically looking up. But the skies were clear, there would be no rain today. Puzzled, she looked straight ahead. And felt her heart drop to somewhere within her knees. A herd of olidosapai were headed straight for her. Her heart froze, her muscles did too, and it took several moments before she reacted, Ayira still plundering straight towards them. With a high pitched scream, she veered Ayira off to the left in a wide looping arc, hoping that they would lose interest. They didn't. She was too much of a threat to their young for them to just ignore her like that. They were gaining too, for as fast as Ayira was, they were well known for their charge abilities. There was only one thing she could think of. Screaming, she began riding Ayira all the way back to the Watchmen. "WHAT THE PETCH DO I DO?!" she yelled out, nearing him, gripping onto Ayira's yvas in an attempt not to fall off. "I've never fought anything before! What do I do?! I DON'T WANT TO DIE." She was near him, now. Hopefully he would have an idea. Her mind was blank with fear.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el was more a horseman than a people person, so he noticed the reaction of the girl's Strider before her own. But he could see how she reacted to her Strider, stiffening in alarm and then the both of them were moving awkwardly, changing course. As Dohaina sped along toward them, the dust along that green smudge of grass in the distance became apparent, and before long he could see the charging odilopasai. Only Zulrav heard his curses over the pounding of Dohaina's hooves and the rush of wind past their ears. After all their time riding together, he had learned to perform tasks without breaking her stride, maintaining the rhythm of his body that best suited the rhythm of hers. Just now that rhythm involved unlashing his shortbow and drawing an arrow from his quiver. There was time yet before he was near enough to loose a missile at the odilosapai. When he realized she was coming back in his direction, he tucked the arrow under his finger, holding it against his bow to free one hand to make grassland sign at her. He could only hope she was watching, for she certainly wouldn't be able to hear him at these distances and breakneck speeds. 'I will distract them,' he signed, the communication terse. 'Either run home, or...' Shyke, but she didn't have any sort of ranged weapon on her, he now noticed. 'Run home or run alongside me.' He probably should have just told her to run home, but she was of the Diamond Clan, and her pride might prevent her from a savvy retreat. But they passed each other like two arrows loosed in opposite directions, and he readied his bow for action even as Dohaina began to wheel gradually to the left in an arc that would expose their side long enough for him to get a few arrows off. He sighed the lead bull's head, hoping to take out an eye and send him reeling, which would cause collisions with the others that would rob the charge of its cohesion, giving the girl and Sama'el a chance to flee. There was no question about defeating a charging herd of odilopasai. The best they could hope for was survival. The bow was drawn with all due force, the string taut and ready by his ear. There was a snap and a quickly fading buzz of the feathered shaft as it raced toward the charging bull. His next arrow was nocked, aimed, and loosed before he saw that the first was ineffectual. His third arrow flew before the second landed, and then he finally scored a hit in the lead bull's mouth as it was sucking air in to maintain its pace. It was not the eye, but the soft inner tissues were painfully pierced and it reared its head in one direction, knocking it into another bull close on its heels, and the charge of olilosapai split into a few fragments, only some of them continuing the charge. Wheeling about, Sama'el raced back toward the woman to see if he could catch up with her and lay down covering fire over their retreat.

[Edalene]

Eda rode back, eyes fixed on him, too terrified to really look back. Glassbeaks would have been preferable! Petching ZITH would have been preferable! Then at least she would have been on the ground. But there was nothing she could do with a broadsword on horseback. Nothing she could do except ride the petch away, and fast. Being trampled to death did not seem like a fun way to go. She saw his fingers flutter, and her heart sunk. They were too far apart to yell. She doubted he even understood what she had yelled earlier. But there was one small problem with what he was doing. She couldn't understand Grassland Sign. Ayira ran past him, and she checked her Strider. Gulping, she rode up behind him, following him, riding now head on towards the olidosapai. She nearly screwed her eyes shut, but she was too nervous and too worried to do so, convinced that she might fall off otherwise. Her heart thudded wildly as she saw the man raise the bow. "Don't shoot!" she cried desperately. "What if you make them angry?" She cringed as she saw the arrow loosed three times, only hitting true the third and final. The bulls knocked into eachother, and only two or three olidosapai continued to charge at them. He veered away, and she ran with him, still not sure what on earth he had said to her. She galloped next to him as he ran. "How do you know they will stop charging?" she called to him, shouting over the wind. Wait. If she ran away from them, and returned home empty handed, she would not have proved anything. She would just be the same Edalene who had never killed a thing. "I'm not leaving yet!" she told the Watchman. She veered off sideways, at a right angle from where the other man was riding, aiming to ride off in a wide arc, eventually coming up behind the olidosapai. Only one was charging now, the other two tapering off. "Shoot at it! Cover for me!" Her plan was not immediately obvious, but it would become so as she rode behind the charging bull. It was a stupid plan, an idiotic plan. Chances are she would break something, or even be trodden to death. But she was sick of being no one.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el thought that they had a good chance to escape now, but communication seemed to be an issue with this one. Of course shooting would make them angry, but they were already angry, hence the stampede. But he had divided their strength, bought them some time, and now she was wheeling about yet again. What could she be doing? Dohaina followed suit with some invisible signal, some pressure of his knees or ankles into her side. She was really insane, trying to flank them when she should have been focusing on not posing a threat to them and their young so they might leave off attempting to skewer them on their fearsome horns. But the girl was having none of it and Sama'el could do nothing in good conscience but stick to her as best he could. He readied his bow again, sighting one odilosapux after another, whichever might pose the clearest and most present danger to her person. For a moment, he considered shooting her as she seemed bound and determined to get herself maimed, if not killed. But how would he explain that to his superiors, to the Sayaph of the Watch? Yeah, he didn't think so. Without time to sigh, he merely steeled himself, attempting another volley of arrows at the solitary odilosapux she seemed to be stalking, ever so ineptly. He was attempting to distract it, if not disable it, if she was trying to kill it for whatever reason. His arrows made it disoriented, which might have been a help. He rode closer, keeping apace with the girl, but far enough away that he would be safe if she drew that broadsword, and kept his missile trained on the beast, knowing it would get easier the closer he got. Their thick skin would turn away most arrows, so one had to aim for more vulnerable bits. If he was lucky, he could score a mortal shot and let her finish it off with her sword so they could all go home and live to tell the tale. Anything to get this series of unfortunate events past them...

[Edalene]

The beast had seperated from the rest of the herd now, being the only bull left charging. The arrows he was shooting towards it made it disorientated, but all the more determined to charge the two Drykas who had threatened their young. Leaning down low on Ayira's flanks, she squeezed her flanks, urging Ayira as fast as she could. She liked to think she was silent. Whether or not the bull heard her, she was not paid any attention to. It was entirely intent on the Drykas shooting arrow after arrow at it. So far, none had stuck, but she hoped one would, and soon. She closed her eyes for a moment in pure tranquility, still riding behind the olidosaplux. Eda was not a religious person. She hardly believed that the Gods would care about her, why should they care about this one little Drykas girl who could hardly do anything right? She didn't matter to anyone, really. Not her father, not her cousin. She was just kind of ... there. But in this one moment, she prayed to absolutely every God she could think of, she prayed her little heart out, that right now she mattered. And that they would please, please, please keep her alive after this stunt. She would like to live. Slowly, Ayira still cantering, she precariously stood up in the yvas. She drew the gleaming broadsword from her side, sun glinting off the blade, as if illuminating just what she planned. She rode up directly behind the olidosaplux and paused, broadsword in hand. A tense moment as she contemplated jumping onto the Odilosaplux's back, seeing herself land on the back of the bull and jam her sword into the neck. But it was impractical. Her sword was too big to wield in a way that would maim the galloping beast. And surely it would buck if she landed on it. So many bad things could happen to her. She could break a bone, puncture a limb, be trampled. No. It was embarrassing, demoralising, but there was no way she could do it without hurting herself badly. Slowly, she turned Ayira around, and rode away from the slowing bull. She met up with the man as the lone bull finally gave up the chase. She could not look at him, it was too ... awkward. Instead, she stayed looking at Ayira's neck, stroking it. "I'd like to go home now," she murmured, her voice quiet and broken. She had not accomplished anything. It looked like she wasn't a very good Drykas after all. Without even looking at the Watchman, she turned her Strider around and starting to ride back to Endrykas. If she looked at the man, he would see the tears welling in her eyes. She had failed. Again.