[Drykas Camp] Warmth (Solo)

[Oluse]

512 Spring 73

It had been another long day of riding, and Oluse felt as stiff as he did at the end of each day. Something of the recent climate change had taken upon him, however. He had never been in such warm weather, even in the height of Denvali summers. It energized him, and he thought much upon Sama'el's words. Just as Syna gave life and power to all things Oluse could feel her filling him. His skin had begun to grow warmer in shade, and his hair lighter, stained by Syna's gaze. More than anything Oluse had felt his spirits rising. Often, when they were still in the north, Oluse would go stretch and lay down after the day's ride, sleeping till dinner was ready, if he didn't have to help make it. This day, however, despite the drowsy nature of the rest of his group Oluse felt ready for an exertion. As much for fun as to stretch out his leg muscles which had been spread uncomfortably from what seemed to be an impossibly long journey.

He pulled himself from atop Velox, spilling off his side onto stiff leg, which ached slightly under his own weight. A slight grimace crossed his face as he leaned to one side then the other. Through the grimace, however, came a smile. It felt good, the sun across his skin, and the aching of his muscles. It was peculiar, but he had learned to enjoy the sensation greatly. He felt fulfilled, and knew he had made the right decision coming with the Drykas.

With a light pat on Velox's neck he came around to his front and unbuckled the latch upon his horse's bit, slipping it from his mouth unafraid. Much of his grooming fell on Oluse now, no longer being babied by the Drykas which had been encouraging him to take better care of Velox. He wasn't sure if they were quite a team yet, like the Drykas were with their mounts, but he at least felt comfortable around the handsome white beast, and had begun to see some redeeming qualities in him. Valox also seemed more comfortable, which made the rides, at least, much more bearable. Though the grooming still seemed little more than time consuming work.

Slipping the bit onto a pouch on Velox' back he tossed it aside, beginning to pull the bags from the saddle. Oluse didn't strip Velox every night, but it had been more than a day, and the roads had grown dusty, so Oluse figured getting him out and letting him clean off might make him perform batter the next day.

And so, careful to detach the bags evenly on each side, as to not weight Velox down too much on any one side, he set the bags aside near a small knoll and then finally pulled the large wooden box from atop off, and set it beside his kits. Velox has been snacking on said knoll, but decided at this point it better to explore closer to the other horses, beginning to slowly stroll off.

Oluse grabbed at the saddle, not having the reigns, and in fluid and sing songy Vantha said, "Hold up there, Velox. I'm not done yet. Do you want this thing off or not?" Oluse always spoke to Velox in Vantha, he seemed to respond better to it, likely because he was accustomed to the sound, and the melody above all. This time however he took another step, then two, before finally stopping and looking to the side at Oluse, unsure what he wanted. "Just hold yourself still a moment." Oluse poised one hand firmly on the horse chest to try to keep him from walking forward then with the other began wrestling clumsily with the large buckled upon the saddle straps which stretched securely along the horse's undercarriage and chest. After Velox seemed to understand he wasn't to move Oluse enlisted the help of his second hand the the process went much faster. Velox liked to please, and was innately obedient, or perhaps age and good training had taught him such.

[Oluse]

Once unfastened Oluse beckoned Velox closer to the knoll, and stepped up onto the slope for leverage. He had grown a bit on their journey, but still managing Velox could be a challenge at times. He reached over and hoisted the heavy saddle up, and off of the horse, nearly losing his footing upon the sloped grass in the process. He focused hard, not breathing, as he pulled the saddle to the side, trying not to contort his body in any way that might pull anything, while still not falling over. Using his legs he lowered the saddle onto the peak of the knoll and gave a sigh of relief as he straightened up, speaking to Velox. "There you go, all-" He cut off upon realizing that Velox had already trotted off, after the clumsy extraction of his saddle. He shook his head. No appreciation.

Almost tripping again he stepped down off the slope and turned to his hefty pile of bags and boxes. Velox really had been put under a lot of strain, but had handled it all in stride. Oluse felt very proud of his investment. He rummaged through them a bit, checking to make sure everything was still there, before deliberating to construct his tent later that night. Instead he would go take advantage of the last few hours of sunlight with free time. He could build his tent in lamp light. He had grown quite adapt at putting it up and taking it down with speed and some resemblance of grace.

Abandoning his bags he stood up again and hooked one arm with the other, stretching it across his chest, then doing the same with the other. He had been growing quite quickly for several seasons, and had to replace his clothes before leaving. Again they were growing a little tight, and Oluse could feel the process in his joints. It didn't hurt so much as just ache. Stretching helped, and so did some herbs he applied occasionally. He balanced himself and then leaned backward, planting his hands into his lower back for another stretch, his oily hair heavily following out of his dirty face as his came fully backward, then righted himself, feeling the blood struggle to reach back into his head. These stretched continued for another several minutes as he braced his legs against the knoll and pushed and pulled on every joint of his body he could reach, careful not to be too sudden or stretch in any painful manner.

Once thoroughly stretched he checked in with the camp, letting them know he was going for a little jog. He had been warned against going anywhere without letting somebody know first, a command he followed, like he did every request the Drykas made of him. They were his protectors and he would listen to everything they said.

[Oluse]

He set off slow and steady, focusing exclusively on his breath and balance, studying the uneven ground before him as he let himself slip out of thought and into his body. it was a cycle, he knew, that would plant him again deep into thought soon enough. He enjoyed it, thinking of nothing, then thinking deeply, thoughts coming at what seemed like random. Some days the cycle would deliver him to a dark place, memories of a shameful past. But, this day was warm and sunny, he would dare say hot, to his Avanthal acclimated body, and thus would yield only happy thoughts. Mostly he thought of herbs, all the new ones he had gathered since their travels began, and some of the stories the Drykas had translated for him. The trip had been magical, and hard, but mostly just freeing. He had been much more comfortable, physically, in Avanthal, but on the road he felt something else. A spiritual comfort. Days like this it seemed to spill from him like some tangible aura. He felt full of it.

Even with his body work becoming a common occurrence for him Oluse his endurance was still wanting. Oluse was persistent, but his body filled with a burning pain quickly, and his throat grew dry from the harsh breaths. A slight incline in the terrain beat him, and he slowed to a fast walk. He would continue till his breath had caught up with his racing heart, then he would slip back into a slow jog. He planned to wrap up around a small glade they had found themselves near, and come down through a patch of trees to the pond that the Drykas had pointed out on the way by. They opted to stop by a small stream, rather than the pond, for reasons they felt no need to explain to Oluse. Oluse had attempted to understand what little wilderness survival he could from the plains riders but it was not a field of thought that came easily to the young man.

Two more sprints of jogging, each consecutively shorter than the last finally delivered him to the pond. It had heavy brush surrounding it, fed by it's moisture, and a sparse collection of thick ancient trees which grew much stronger than those farther north which caught snow each season. This formed a small glade, with glistening water tucked securely in the center. Wildlife was there to see, but Oluse could only perceive the birds, chirping wildly at the boy's intrusion. Oluse's ears heard this as no more than a warm and melodic invitation however. Strong burst of sunlight filled the grass and water, and the water seemed clean, and was no doubt warm. Oluse trotted closed, smiling as he peered a snake's tail disappeared into the unkempt grass. He stepped up onto a large boulder, no doubt uprooted by the storm, half on land, and half reaching into the pond. Heat rolled off of the stone, noticeable from several steps away, unlike the cool grass cropping it.

[Oluse]

Standing triumphantly upon the boulder, still breathing hard and glistening with lost moisture, Oluse peered down into the clear water. His shadow insighted a scurry of tiny fish for hiding, which Oluse found highly entertaining. Wildlife or no Oluse had no fear for the shallow water, and his dry throat pushed him to drink. And so he did, lowing himself down, indulging in the feel of his left hand on the hot stone, he used his right to shovel the crystal water upward into his mouth. After two gulps he balanced back onto his knees and used both hands to shovel water up onto his grimy face. Baths were rarely a premeditated thing for Oluse, and this time was no different. He could smell himself, as usual, and could feel the sweat upon him, and within his clothes. He let the water still then leaned over it, peering in. His hair was clumped wetly together at the tips, from the water he had applied. The rest clumped together with day old oils and dust. He was glad for the haircut he had gotten before the trip, to save him from the heat, not smell so much.

It had been some time since he had looked at himself, and the sun above, shining over the surface of the water, and the dark rocks below gave the perfect glimpse at himself. He had begun to grow a little more defined in the face, his eyes were still brown. This comforted him. he was unsure, still, how often his eyes changed with his mood. But, something about it frightened him, so the thought that it was only occasional brought some form of joy.

He straightened up and pulled his shirt off. The water was warm, no more than a luke warm, but not nearly at chilly as the streams they had been bathing in. The sun had warmed it all day, and it had warmth still to share, though no doubt the wind would have some opposing agenda to inflict upon him. Oluse still did not care, the sun in that moment could defeat all in his mind.

He tossed his shirt to the far side of the boulder, closer to land, and began unbuckling the pouch strapped to his chest, letting it fall by his shirt with the chinking of money. He then rolled back into a sitting possession, his legs before him, and began still his shoes off. His haste, however, was dispelled by the pressure of sun across his exposed back. His hands stopped at his laces, and Oluse let his eyes close, sinking into the sensation of warm sunlight upon his back, still wet from the jog. The wind breezed across his in a weak counteraction, and Oluse wished it away. He wanted Syna to touch him, to hold him, to feed him that fire, that life.

[Oluse]

Slowly his hands undid his boots, and he slipped them off, letting the trapped heat and stench waft out. It felt freeing, to let his feet to the air, and he tossed the shoes aside as well. Flexing his toes out and in, he pulled the thick socks from his feet, peeling uncomfortably from his skin. He looked upon his stubby toes, and pushed down on each, each responding with a prompt pop of the joints. He then spread them out, wiggling a finger in between each toe, then lacing his growing fingers through them all. That is when he noticed that, like his hands, his feet had been growing some as well. He wondered how large they would become, how long it would be before his petite feet were gone forever. He was excited for the day when he would be full grown, no longer a boy in seeming. How much more seriously people would take him.

He then awkwardly skooched forward toward the water, lowering his feet in, the even pressure and wetness engulfing his core muscles. He grinned, and let himself fall back, chest upward tot he sun. His right arm went up, and shielded his eyes from the sun as he forced his eyelids open a crack, to observe the rays of sun beating through the gaps between his fingers. His palm and chest were warm, and his stomach was in heaven. He could see nothing but shapes, and blinding white light. The shadow of the back of his hands, and the silhouette of the arm which stretched back down toward him. Even it had gown stronger, thicker since last he had bothered to look upon himself. He wondered when exactly it had happened, when he began to develop in such ways, that his body had decided to catch up with his mind.

He was, of course, not as mature as he thought himself to be. But, in that which he understood he could rightfully boast a superiority to others his age. He had accomplished much in Avanthal, and thought it meant nearly nothing now, it was still the world to Oluse. A world which seemed irrelevant in comparison to how he felt in that moment, the sun blinding him, yet shedding light on that which he hadn't bothered to observe in seasons.

His second hand found the heavy medallion around his neck, also warm to the touch. Still, somethings never changed. It seemed right though, warming him instead of chilling him as it did in Avanthal. He had sparsely even noticed the relief before that moment, of the heirloom bringing him warmth instead of discomfort. Metal was a very peculiar materiel indeed. It seemed fitting, however, that aquiras would warm him as he traveled.

[Oluse]

Closing his eyes he draped the crook of his elbow over the bridge of his nose, letting his arm protect his closed eyes from the sun, which would shine right through. He slipped into the cycle of thought, wondering how long the journey would last. How long he could feel so free. He wondered if perhaps he could travel for a living, be a merchant. But he knew this was not possible. The roads were dangerous enough even with the Drykas, even with Sama'el. They would have no place for him once they returned home, and he would be on his own again. No, there was only one profession Oluse could ever had. He knew this was how the world worked, one to to be as their parents were. Only very rarely was there an exception, and Oluse was far from exceptional. Far from rare.

He sighed and turned his head away from the sun, letting his fingers work away at his own belt, then the ties to his heavy pants. With some struggle he pulled them down and turned them to the side with the rest of his clothes, the water clinging to his feet dripping about. Finally he pulled himself up, and slide into the water, which barely came to his knees. With a slow motion he twisted the cloth around his groin free and left it upon the boulder has he leaned back, his upper thighs leaning against the boulder's warmth. Slowly he began to work his body over, splashing water about and watching the dirt and grime free from his tanning skin.

He boggled at the fact that with the warm water went some of his tan, leaving him lighter than he thought himself. He treated the experience as more than his usual sessions of bathing, careful to thoroughly wash his entire body. He occurred to him part way through that he was, in some fashion, cleaning away more than just dirt. He wondered how much of the dirt had come all the way from Avanthal. Dirty, melted, Avanthal. How long his winter had been, how lonely. He couldn't remember feeling anything, really. Any emotions the entire season. Nothing stood out to him. He worked, and that is all that mattered to him. And he didn't work for repentance, he worked for a distraction. So distant he was from his emotions that it felt unfamiliar not to be happy, to feel the sun on him again.

[Oluse]

He rubbed harder at his skin, grabbing up a cloth from his clothes and using it to scrub away at himself. Harder, and harder. How distant he had been there, even being happy seemed painful, seemed overwhelming. Oluse didn't want to feel pain, he wanted to feel happy, and he wanted that to be simple. He begged, for reasoning he could not articulate, for Syna to deliver upon him power, the power he needed to be happy, to forget how cold and distant he had once been. Instead, though, he got nothing but clarity. His energy had brought him not only enough power and insight to see the joy he had been missing, but now had shed light upon his sorrows. The pain.

Oluse could scrub no more, and so he threw, with much gusto, the cloth into the water, a splash echoing out, and he lowered himself into the water, trying to withdraw from the sun, and he cried. It had been so very long since Oluse had cried, and there he was. He cried, not simply because of the pain, but because of the truth he had uncovered. Never could one have the joy, the pleasure, the happiness, and forsake the sorrow pain and melancholia. Seeing one, feeling one, meant seeing and feeling the others.

He held himself, still for a moment, and below him saw his reflection come together in the wake of the ripples. He looked into his eyes, a deep and vivid green. He was fearful, fearful of what he saw. Fearful that the pain would never go away. Fearful of a life without such pleasure as he had felt that day. And then, without thought his mind seemed to decide upon itself. And Oluse saw it's decision in the reflection below him. His eyes slid freely to a lighter paler green. Acceptance. Yes, he accepted this.

This didn't stop his tears, but he did find strength in it, strength to rise up and move to the boulder again. With effort he hoisted himself out, and lay down upon the hot stone to dry.

[Capricious]

"Watch Where You Swim, I Swim Too!" Oluse XP ✩Horsemanship: 3 ✩Running: 2 ✩Observation: 2 ✩Wilderness Survival: 2 ✩Philosophy: 1 ✩Cleaning: 1 Lores ✩Stretch Before Running ✩Water Can Be a Mirror ✩Using a Pond as a Bath ✩Velox Enjoys Vani Additional Notes I awarded you horsemanship because of the care with the horse. With a touch more detail or if you had rubbed the horse down, fed it, I would have awarded more. I gave you two points in running for stretching before running, your description, and how often you did it. I realize you asked for body building, but the skill utilized was more running. In the future, I suggest doing more lifting for the skill of bodybuilding. The skill of wilderness survival was awarded for using the pond as a drink and as a place to clean off. I awarded you philosophy for your mental thoughts. The skills of cleaning and observation should be self-explained. I enjoyed the thread and seeing how Oluse's mind works! My only note would be: You mentioned you are good at riding now, but do not have the skill back it up currently. Be careful of that. As always, if you have any questions concerning your grade please contact me. I would be more than willing to explain why I graded as I did and to discuss your grade.