PM to join Smoke and Splutter

[Sami]

21st Spring 513AV

It could be seen on the distance, a signal and attraction for those who looked upon it. A bold streak of black across the blue. Smoke billowed out into the sky, a wave of heat and ash being thrown up into the air. The scent of burning grass and wood caught on the wind, the faint black having now scorched the ground. Those that would go to investigate would see the smouldering remains of a camp, the skeletal remains of things caught in the blaze, the dying embers of a fire that went out of control. Crackling hung in the background, the snapping of wood that had caught alight. The camp however was abandoned, the owners having left in a mad rush. Dirt had been kicked up, the burning ground trampled as if the people were wrapped in panic and were scattered in all directions.

But that was now behind. That was in the past.

She licked her cracked lips as faded blue eyes stared onto the horizon, as the near silence of the grasslands took over. The sway of grass and the sounds of crickets being the only thing to fill the void, with the occasional crunch of feet. She turned back to look briefly at the smoke, but not for too long. There was nothing there for her anymore. Then again there was nothing here for her in this endless sea of grass either. But here she was, whether she liked it or not. The girl had dragged herself forward, ash covered and singed at the edges. Heavy steps landed against the earth as the girl walked on with no immediate destination in sight. The colours of the land shifted before her, the breaks of colour in the sky dizzying the mind.

She wheezed as present and past intermingled, scenes dancing before her. Tricks and illusions played havoc on her mind, with the sweet whispers sounding in her ear. Her hands trembled as she waded forward through the long grass, clenched fingers wrapping around the bow shaft. It was one of the things she had grabbed in the confusion, along with the little else she could carry. Not that she gave it much thought; the whispers were too loud for her to think clearly. She felt the twinges of pain grasp her, dull aches tightening its grasp upon her. Not that it mattered anymore, along with the heavy metallic taste that rested in her mouth. None of it mattered.

She looked back again, her eyes focusing on the growing distance and the pale sun that sliced through the sky. How long had she walked? The girl shook her head, and lurched forward into the unknown. Her mind shifted through shades of light and dark, her throat growing tight as she looked ever on. Even in the early air of spring she felt warm, hot even to the point it almost seemed to suffocate. She watched a shadow dance into her vision, an echo of words in her head before it ripped out of sight once more. Tricks of the mind or reality, she could not tell.

Her legs buckled beneath her, her knees kissing the earth. The strength to walk had left her, though it was pure willpower that had dragged her on so far. Broken, the Inarta stared up to the sky, her arms falling to the side. She had felt her limits, she had felt the toll it had inflicted upon her. But to stare upon the sky once more, unrestricted and unchained was worth it all. A gasp reached her lips, a mumbled cry in Nari barely emerging. She felt herself sink deeper, her mind turning hazy as she lost the final strings of her focus. Darkness ensnared and took its hold and the head of the girl hit the ground.

Her body was broken, her mind caught upon the knife edge. But she was free, and that was all that mattered.

[Vanator]

Maybe it was pride, maybe it was the desire for solitude, maybe it was the dark thing buried inside that sought to kill more and more Zith. Maybe he sought challenge, or even death. Regardless of what compelled Vanator to send Larik back to Sanctuary after a bell into the grass, it had left him alone in a wilderness that was so familiar, but no less dangerous for all the Drykas' knowledge and experience. The man relished the day, the renewed grass astride Sirocco, beneath Cyphrus' sun, his lungs filled with the scents and smells that were deeply entangled with the memories of the past. Though he had learned to find solace in worship and offerings to the gods at Sanctuary, and upon the beautiful shores of the Suvan, here, in grassland, he felt closest to the mother's of his kind, Caiyha and Semele.

So, though he could not afford to neglect dilegence, Vanator relaxed his form into the seat of his yavis, digging out a strip of dried meat from a pouch at his belt and gnawing a piece off of it. The air was still, only the occasional kick of a breeze that tugged at the Denusk's stray locks and bent the tall grass in smooth, undulating waves. But the finicky winds had laid still for several chimes before Van spotted the column of smoke rising into the crisp blue sky. The amount of smoke, and the dark cast of the billows, indicated something more than a campfire. Drykas typically burnt dried zibri or horse dung, which produced much less, and much lighter smoke. Van had a haunting suspicion the smoke was a harbinger of something gone wrong.

Nudging the Strider stallion with his knees, Vanator urged Sirocco forward into an even gallop. His senses alert, the Drykas scanned the horizon for anything moving. Aside from the distant dots of an olidosapux herd, the slightly rolling plains around him seemed clear. But the grass was tall enough to hide a crouching...anything.

Slowing the Strider's gait to a trot as he neared the base of the smoke column, Vanator could see the source. Scorched grass, burnt tents and implements, indications of a fire out of control. Much of it was still burning embers, a flame darting up from a piece of wood here and there. The breeze kicked up, lifting feathery bits of ash into the air around the rider. No bodies were visible, but the grass was trampled in several directions. A slavers raid? maybe, it would explain why no one was left, but he had never seen slavers burn a camp.

The grasses were green with Spring growth, and there was little fear that the dying fire would start a conflagration. Vanator rode off a ways, eyes searching for any indication of what had transpired at the camp. Then, above the tufted heads of the grasses, a glimpse of bright red caught the horseman's eye. The fiery blotch then disappeared beneath the waving surface of the Sea.

Galloping towards the spot, Vanator brought Sirocco up short when he spied the body. He could smell the smoke on her, see the singe marks on her clothing. Slipping from the horse, the Drykas knelt by the body. It was a girl. Younger in appearance than his daughter, though certainly older than Cadra, unless this one too was a Kelvic. Van laid a hand on her back, relieved to feel a slight rise and fall as her chest expanded with shallow breaths. He took the redhead by the shoulder, gingerly turning her over onto her back.

Her condition was not easy to assess, the poor wretch covered in dirt and suet. But the brightness of her mane, and the lightness of her skin made him think of Chalce, the falconer, or the woman that had taken up with Leo, who called herself Inartan. No limb appeared distorted, and by the lines of her form, she was as adolescent, the contours of womanhood only hinted at in her young body.

Reaching down, Vanator tapped lightly on her stained cheek with the palm of his hand. "Hey, Hey, wake up." His voice was calm, wishing not to alarm the girl should she revive to find him looming over her. He was convinced she was not Drykas, so he spoke in Common. "Come on kid, are you alright?" He slapped her, lightly still, but enough to make a smacking sound.

[Sami]

The girl lay there, dead to the world and with the ground as her comfort. The scent of grass and earth filled her senses, the broken soil being now pressed against her skin. But here in the darkness it was safe, though she was indeed unaware of the dangers that surrounded her. Whatever lurked in the long grass was a mystery to the Inarta, and currently was far from her immediate concern. Should danger approach her whilst caught within this state, she would not know until it was too late. Blood would have hit the ground before she would have had a chance to react. Nature at its most peaceful yet at its most deadly, for that was the way of the sea of grass. The beat of hooves against the ground was deaf to her, the pulsation of the earth as it vibrated beneath every strike. She was simply gone, her mind a daze from what she had left behind. It filtered through the fragments, pulling to desperately pull together a puzzle and give her a clear answer on what occurred. For it was in the moments that the mind was freed from the outside world that what happened could be revealed.

Sami remembered the cage. She remembered the confined space that kept her trapped. The fast tongues that went through the air and taunted her. Rage had consumed her, a trembling and uncontrollable anger forcing her to lash out. The taste of metal in her mouth was the first thing she noticed, the whispers encouraging her to go on, to let go of all her worries and simply get out. Even if it meant losing control. Fire ruled, it crackled and blazed its way through everything. What was supposed to be an escape turned wrong. The whispers screamed, the wanting to cast more controlled and in turn sent the smoke into the sky.

Her eyes opened a crack as she looked upon the dark earth, before sliding shut again. She had no strength to move from her state. Not that she particularly wanted to, she was quiet content with not doing anything currently. Her head lulled about for a bit, a murmur barely reaching her ears. She existed for a moment on the cusp between waking and sleeping. The world beyond was distant, a static buzz as she hovered on the edge of conscious. She felt the pull of another on her, a tap of rough fingers against her face. Shades of red danced behind her closed eyes, the shadow of movement that existed just beyond her lids. She felt the tap again, firmer this time. Her brow twitched, the corner of her lids flickering as she was dragged forth into a forceful state of consciousness.

She considered for a moment opening her eyes and addressing who was talking. A man by the sounds of things, unless of course in the region had deeper voices. She heard the words in Common, seeking a sense of confirmation in which for her to respond to. Her nostrils flared slightly at the unfamiliar scent of horses and sweat, though barely above the smoke and fire. Yet there she remained still and unmoving, playing possum as her awakening mind worked upon the next course of action. It could have been a trap, a move forced by her previous captors to lead her into a false sense of security. Not that she could tell straight off.

It was the call to react and to fight beckoned her, a state she was far too familiar with. The eyes flared open, her brow turning into that of a scowl as she grasped onto the little strength she could muster. She lunged forward towards the hand that was touching her teeth bared and snapping. Her intent was to bite, or if not that to create enough space for her to struggle. She did not waste time looking at the Drykas or what he looked like, her mind was too set. The blue sky wheeled above her head a vision turning to that of a blur as she forced her aching muscles into life. She watched the grass disappear from her sight as she threw a hand forward, her body arching over as it followed after it.

Momentum was what carried her through, but it still did not get her far. She hit the ground hard again on the other side of her wide swing. She body trembled whilst her jaw tightened, her eyes having now honed in onto him burning with anger and rage. A hiss of discomfort escaped, but it was those eyes that locked upon him, waiting and watching for the next move to be made. She cleared her throat and prepared herself to speak back in Common.
“Coming for me now then slaver?” she spat in a venomous tone, “How kind of you.”

[Vanator]

Vanator considered the girl unconscious, mostly likely from some trauma suffered during the event at the camp. Such was his confidence that her sudden resurrection caught him by utter surprise. Her bloodshot yet sharp sapphire eyes shot open, glaring deadly intent as the once prone body now wrangled to life, twisting and flailing. Young, strong teeth gnashed at him like a rabid snarlwing, latching onto his forearm, eliciting an growl of pain from the man. Van rent his skin from the youth's maw as her arm swung around in a wild haymaker, the grasslander leaning back to avoid the wide attack. The sting of the bite, enough to draw blood as the stranger's teeth tore from his flesh, had stirred the Drykas' ire.

His large fist grabbed the front of the girl's ragged garment, pushing her back to the ground. "Petch! Get a hold of yourself girl! I'm not some filthy slaver!" With ease he shoved her away from him, standing to his feet, wiping the droplets of blood from the bite. Vanator took a deep breath, allowing wisdom to temper his anger. She was a victim of attack after all, and may have suffered worse. Her reaction was well within reason.

Vanator held up his hands, palms towards the teen, indicating he meant no harm. She had the same accent that the Inartans Chalc and Eosi had when they spoke Common. What someone so young was doing so far from that far flung country baffled Vanator. "I am not going to hurt you. I saw the smoke and came to see what happened and to find out if anyone needed help. You are the only one left. Are you hurt?."

The Drykas did not approach the girl, she obviously felt threatened, and, like any cornered creature in the Sea of Grass, she was ready to fight. He attempted to garner her trust. "I am Vanator, a Drykas. I can help you. You are alone out here and you will not last long by yourself."

[Sami]

It was those eyes that stared back, the firm shove giving her the distance she desired. Her hands scrabbled beneath her as she braced herself on shaking arms. But those eyes were now locked, untrusting of this man, this Drykas who spoke in to her still. She felt the rough ground beneath her, fingers gripping onto the grass as she tried to comprehend what was being said. She winced, her eyes snapping away for only a moment as she felt the pang of fatigue grasp at her once more. The bow was easily within reach should she need to grab it, though she was not sure on what good it would do within such close range. She gave a grunt, her ears twitching to the words.

“Why should I believe you?” she struggled to keep her tone neutral “Your words are just like those people all that time ago. All became lies in the end.”
She was not about to let herself to be caught off guard by this friendly charade. Her defences went up, even in her weakened state she was still going to struggle. But it was his tone that made her think, that sound of disgust and denial of being what she had accused him of being. Her fist clenched tightly, weighing up the next option. She knew she could not hang around long in this alien place. She needed to find a way home, in whatever direction that was in. If she was not caught first that was.
“Help? Help!?” she turned her head away and looked upon the distant horizon “They do not even deserve the thought.”

Anger seethed within her, a state of mind that turned her blind to the situation at hand. She knew deep down she needed help, yet still the emotions raged and overruled her mind as pure stubbornness took over. Or willpower depending on the views of the individual.
“I am fine,” she was not about to start speaking his name even when it was given to her "I do not need your charity, Drykas."
She did not need him. Or at least so she thought. With unsteady feet she tried to push herself up. A stagger followed by a stumble. Her sight became a blur as she did the world little more than a haze of colour and light. Her muscles gave a scream, as pain sliced through and cut off thought. It was not long until she buckled again and a curse escaped her lips. Her hands trembled as she flickered through her thoughts, a nagging worry grasping at her. Just how far did she let herself go?

[Vanator]

Vanator folded his arms across his chest as he looked down at the girl. She was not fine, obviously physically shaken at the least, covered in dirt and ash, reeking of sweat and smoke. The only thing that seemed intact was a fiery spirit, and stubbornness. The kind of stubborn he recognized, though to be so hard headed in her current situation only emphasized the teen's foolishness. She was the kind that had to learn for herself, or be forced to understand. The Drykas listened to her, reflecting on the burnt camp, the absence of anyone but her, trying to piece together what happened as he rubbed the bite on his arm.

"I do not need your charity, Drykas."

She struggled to stand, unsteady and weak. Vanator began to move to help her, but stopped, crossing his arms again. The child was not ready to accept his help. "No you don't need help, you don't need anything do you? You are certainly in shape to walk off into the grass, aren't you? And if you manage to get anywhere in your condition, what direction would you go? You have no idea where you are." Van tapped a finger to the side of his head. "Think girl. You are going to collapse twenty meters from here, and wait until a glassbeak tears out your guts,, or a night lion rips out your throat, or pack of wolves tear you limb from limb, or a grass bear mauls you, or a flock of starving snarlwings rip off your face."

He looked down at the bow on the ground near her. "Can you even pull that string back to defend yourself against them? If you are really unlucky, you will simply dehydrate to the point you can't move, and the vultures will circle overhead until they think you are dead and pick you to pieces. Or maybe slavers will find you." The horseman shook his head, looking back to the pillar of black smoke hovering over the destroyed campsite. Slavers? was that who occupied that camp?

Van whistled for Sirocco, who had moved out a bit, watching the surroundings. The strider galloped up to his rider, and the Drykas unslung the waterskin from his yavis, holding it out to the youth. "Here, drink this. And stop being foolish, Drykas aren't slavers, I am not going to hurt you. If I was, I could have already done whatever I wanted with you. We should not stay long, that smoke will attract attention"

[Sami]

Sami stared down at the ground. If anything it was because it was the only place she could, her energy and strength was all but sapped from her once more. What little she managed to drag out last time had died, and so the Inarta was left as little more than a quivering form. She did not answer the words of the Drykas, she did not even look at him. He spoke words of strange creatures that existed in the grass, which would no doubt spell demise the moment she got any distance away from him. He told her to think, he told her to learn. But why? She was just an outsider, he should not care. Right? The girl did not look up. She simply clenched her eyes shut, a feeble attempt to drown out the world around her. She did not want to think about it, she just wanted to move on. She just wanted to go in the direction of home. Her jaw tightened, her hands forming into fists. She heard his lecture, for that was it was. And she hated it.
“Why do you care?” she gave a mumble, her thoughts being voiced out loud.

She flinched at the word of slavers, the little energy she had making her face turn to him. For a brief instant there was the flash of fear, that nagging worry that his words would indeed come true. But just as quickly did it rise, was the fire of it covered. She snapped her head away, her eyes looking upon the rolling land around them. She heard the sound of the Drykas and his horse, and the offer of water. She did not move from her spot, her mind turning clouded as she willed herself to remain standing. How easy it would have been to simply allowed herself go, to simply scum to herself. She heard his strict words, on what he wanted to do. She gave a hesitant glance at him, her wall of stubbornness already starting to crumble. Though in her current state it was an easy task, or so she kept telling herself. Her shoulders hunched in, as her priorities began to list themselves in her mind. Food and rest was what was needed.
“We?” she questioned the word “Then were would we go? And after that what should I do? Where should I go? What is the point?” She found herself shaking her head, as defeat grasped hold of her.

[Vanator]

Vanator stood still, waterskin extended in his hand towards the youth. The teen was physically near collapse, her posture slumped and her slight form wavering. He could see too, by the distant, forlorn cast to her features, that her spirit was nearly broken. She was a pitiful sight.

“Why do you care?”

Van looked down at the ash-covered, disheveled girl, his heart softening, the offered waterskin lowering to his side. "Because, apparently, someone higher than I cares, or you would not be alive." Vanator did not play all his cards. He cared because he simply did. She was a lost child, the father and Ankal in him could not just forsake her.

“We? Then were would we go? And after that what should I do? Where should I go? What is the point?”

Van moved to pick up the bow, eyes darting around them and back at the burning camp. "One thing at a time. First place we go is away from here." Where from there, Vanator didn't know either. He could take her to Endrykas, it was the closest to Riverfall this time of year, though he was not sure who was there that he may know. He could take her to Sanctuary, or Riverfall. But first he needed to find out more about her, where she came from, and if there was a place to which she could be returned.

Vanator gave her his best comforting smile, one that was sincere. He knew any insincerity would only deepen the despair she experienced. "We will figure all of that out soon. For now, trust me. We need to mount up." He motioned Sirocco closer, tucking the girl's bow in with his own, hanging from the yvas, and hung the water skin up in is place. "Again, I am Vanator, you can call me Van." He held his hand out towards the ginger, offering to help her up onto the Strider. "He may be big, but he will not hurt you."

[Sami]

Sami did not look at him. She felt the turning of embers within her, the words that would have perhaps been of encouragement for some having turned deaf to her. Someone else cares? She felt the bitter taste forming in her mouth. A higher force cared? She would have laughed if it was not for the lacking strength. If they truly cared – she mused – then why was she made to suffer? To test her spirit and resolve? Well they had most certainly done that task well. She licked at her cracked lips, her eyes narrowing as she tried to hold onto focus. She was not ready to let her guard down just yet. The Inarta gave one last look out across the sea of grass, a final glance at the ruins of the camp, with a heavy sigh being released.

The girl gave a nod to Vanator, the final straw having now been pulled. He had yet to turn on her so far, so what did she have to lose? Not a lot by any standards, meaning she could gamble all without losing a thing. She looked upon the hand of the Drykas, a brief snort before she tested out the name, sounding out what she could “Van-at-or.”
With slow and careful steps she went forward, a moment of hesitation as she took the hand of the elder man. The past was now behind her, and now a future was before her. One that was much better than simply being stuck forever in that cage.

“You can call me Sami,” she gave a nod before turning her attention to the Strider beside her. She stared at it with tired eyes, a brief study of the creature up close “And for now…” she gave a sniff “I’ll trust you. But only for now,” her voice at that moment seemed to turn stern, a feeble attempt at trying to display a state of being stronger than she actually was. A simple childish bluff, “Any funny business and I’ll bite you. Again.”
With him she would go – willingly for the moment. Where ever that was would be for him to decide. She had after all, no other choice. She was just a child who was ignorant of the world that surrounded her.

[Vanator]

Vanator was relieved when the girl's resolve vanished, giving in to the wisdom of his words. He understood her trepidation, being beyond one's self was distressing, forced to rely on strangers a hard thing to swallow. The Drykas nodded at her admonitions, allowing her the ghost of free will. In reality, Vanator would have taken her from the place willing or not. He would not be responsible for a child's death, no matter how defiant and surly she may be, and would have removed her physically if necessary. Vanator was thankful she saw the light.

He did take her threat to bite seriously, the teeth marks in his arm still stinging. The Dyrkas offered her a small smile when she revealed her name. "Alright, Sami, up you go." With ease Vanator lifted the youth onto the stallion, Sirocco being especially still, seeming to sense the fragile condition of the new passenger. He had thought it more secure to set her in front of him on the yvas, but she may not take well to such a close situation, his arms around her. So he opted to sit in front of her.

Vanator pulled himself up into the yvas, shifting his backside to settle in. "Now, you may hold onto these," he pointed to handles near the front of the yvas, "or you may hold onto me." Whether it was the handles or him, Sami would have to get over herself and reach around him. "Either one, but you will have to hold onto something."

Once Sami complied and secured herself somehow, Vanator urged Sirocco forward. He did not allow the Strider to tap the web and launch into a high speed run, Sami was too weak and the Drykas feared she would fly off the back of the horse, so Van set an even gallop to put the burning camp and the column of black smoke behind them, heading roughly back towards Riverfall. Only after several leagues did Vanator ease the stallion into a walk and begin looking for a site to make camp, riding on in silence. He was still concerned for the girl's well being, knowing she was in no shape for a long journey. Besides, he was still curious as to what happened at the camp, and why she survived.

Finally, Vanator spotted a small, gnarled tree, a small stream nearby, but not too close. He slid from the yvas, putting up his hands to offer Sami assistance down from the tall horse. As he began to unpack his gear, he spoke, not looking at the girl.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened back there?"