Open Worry is a Powerful Motivator [Syrus]

[Naiya]

Rue

"Mmhm." Rue made a sound of affirmation, her hands signing one as well. "Whenever Wildfire and I go out to do something of note together, I try and find something to remember the trip by."

She paused a moment as her hands signed silly, embarrassment, childish then she continued to speak, sharing a little more of herself with her hunting partner. "Pretty things, a small stone, a flower... a feather." She held up her green and red prize in her hands, "Each of them holds a memory."

She laughed then, glancing at her strider who was facing their home, "I like braid them into Wildfire's hair, then the first time they fall, I save it and it sits in my room until a special occasion. I imagine that one day there will be so many things in his mane that people won't know that color it is."

Syrus spoke again then, a mischievous smile crossing his face as he asked her to hold out her hands. Rue did as she was bade, holding her hands before her with her eyes softly closed. She felt like a child about to receive a sweet, eyes squeezed closed in excitement, and she hummed a soft sound of amusement.

Nightsong

[Syrus Shadowsong]

Syrus slowly placed the feather in her hands while she hummed a tone of amusement. "That would be a sight to see." He paused for a moment "Alright,now you can open your eyes." He smiled,thinking to himself if she would like it. It was not often that he had someone to actually talk to,more the less hunt with or enjoy his life. He was not alone. He had Icarus, his strider that saved his life that day. He sobered for a moment,remembering the moment the Velispar jumped on him. If it weren't for Icarus he would have died right then,right there. He tried not to think of the day,but he was extremely grateful to Icarus for that day."I hope you like it. I found it next to the bird when i went to bag it." In that moment,he looked towards the grassland, remembering how beautiful being a Drykas really is. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of that.

[Naiya]

Rue

The feather tickled her hands, smaller than the tail feather she had found he had been able to easily conceal it within his hand. It's size, however, did not subtract from it's beauty. The blue was deep and dark, dappled in lighter shades that she could barely make out in the dark of the night. It was that, more than anything, that made Rue realize how long they had lingered.

"Thank you, Syrus, it was kind of you to give this to me." Her hands signed her gratitude as she spoke, but then they moved again, more quickly as she signed make haste, dangerous then turned back to her strider to pack away the feathers and retrieve her game bag. She moved to her pigeon, glad to find that it did not drip when she lifted it and placed it in the bag.

"We should go." She told Syrus as she moved back towards wildfire, securing the bag carefully to his yvas. She took another moment to add her quiver to the yvas before mounting Wildfire, who, sensing her worry, held very still. She turned her head to glance at Syrus, "Ready?"

Nightsong

[Syrus Shadowsong]

Syrus came to his sense and realized how long they were out there. It was turning into the very late hours of the night,A bad time for a Drykas to be far from the city. He strapped the game bag to Icarus's back as he quickly jumped on Icarus,waiting for Rue's signal to move "Yes,I am ready." He signaled back speed,very dangerous "Let us go,quickly,i would hate to meet those who hunt us." They needed to move to the city as fast as they could just to be safe of the predators that hunt for the Drykas and it was worse because they would smell the blood of the game that both Rue and Syrus had killed in the past few hours.

[Naiya]

Rue

Rue nudged Wildfire softly and they picked up a trot, a medium pace that would let the cover the ground without wearing the horses out from the extra weight. Wildfire was antsy beneath her, taking the occasional prancing step and flicking his ears back and forward. She could feel how tightly controlled he was, his stride kept short to maintain the speed she asked for, ready to break into a sprinting pace at her command.

She took a deep breath of the night air, letting their movement towards the city relax her and hoping that her calm would allow wildfire to relax.

Even in the dark, it was a relief to see the city as they neared, knowing that their proximity would lend them a measure of safety. It was then that she really relaxed, patting Wildfire's neck to reassure him.

Nightsong

[Syrus Shadowsong]

Syrus quickly mounted Icarus,giving him a gentle nudge, to let him know to run at a medium pace so he would not get tired as quickly. With the medium pace he kept up to Rue's pace. The city was truly beautiful as they took a medium pace into it. Syrus took a breath of the sweet,calm-breezing air as they had neared Endrykas and savored the moment. This had been a good hunt and he had made a friend tonight,he was at least happy about that. Once they were in range of the city, Syrus quickly nudged Icarus to slow down to a walking pace,sighing a relief that neither of them were hurt tonight. Icarus was relieved at the nudge,knowing that he could rest a little bit more. Syrus calmly whispered to Icarus "Good boy,Icarus. You did a good job tonight." He turned his head towards Rue,as she was walking besides him "Rue,do you want to go get a drink at the tavern,maybe?"

[Naiya]

Rue

Rue slowed as Syrus did, shifting her weight so that Wildfire would slow his pace to a walk as they entered the boundaries of the city. The wind whistled through the empty streets of the tent city, carrying the sent of home to the two striders and their riders. It was late enough that the lack of people was normal rather than a reminder of their losses.

Regardless of the sleeping majority, there was a relief in being back among their own, the protection of the watch like a blanket over their homes. The comfort of being home again settled over strider and rider, despite what Rue had said earlier that day, Endrykas was her home, and there was a peace in knowing that.

Rue dismounted as she considered Syrus's offer, checking Wildfire's hooves for rocks. Satisfied, she patted the soon to be stallion's cheek, offering him words of praise. When she turned back to Syrus, it was with a smile on her face, after a long day, she would welcome a drink.

She nodded causing the charms in her hair to clink together, "A drink would be nice, I think." She answered neutrally, removing her hand from Wildfire's cheek to sign celebrate and friends. "We have certainly earned it." She commented, and Wildfire sounded his agreement.

Nightsong

[Syrus Shadowsong]

As Syrus dismounted Icarus, he checked him over for any bruises or thing stuck in his hooves. He found that there was none,with a sigh of relief. Syrus smiled back to Rue at her reply,as he signed friend,partner. "I'm sure all that hunting made you thirsty. It definitely made me thirsty" Syrus playfully laughed as he said this. This hunt was one of the funner ones he had been on and he enjoyed every second of it. He remembered the few hours before they had started their hunt and he was happy that the Anakal of his pavilion,who was also his father, did not leave Endrykas. Endrykas is the only place he knew as home. Syrus started to walk slowly towards the tavern,waiting for Rue to catch up to him.

[Naiya]

Rue

'You wait here." She told Wildfire, giving him the sign to stand. He would be waiting where she left him when they retired for the evening, or at least within grazing distance. They were working on that one.

Despite the hour, there were plenty of others in the tavern, male voices carried within the large tent and gave the place a relaxing atmosphere of anonymity. Rue took a seat in an empty spot at the bar, luckily there was another beside her for Syrus. She turned to him, as he approached the bar.

"Thank you again, for joining me. Your concern really was sweet." Her hands moved through signs akin to 'thrilling hunt' as she spoke.

Nightsong

[Syrus Shadowsong]

Syrus had signed to Icarus stand,stay. Icarus knew the meaning pretty well and he would stay at the exact spot or go to graze. There were some times that Icarus had went off a little too far. Syrus and Icarus were working on the grounds of whats too far. He never liked Icarus to be too far away,because he might not know what was going to happen,whether it be an attack out of nowhere or he just wanted to take Icarus out riding.

As both Rue and Syrus entered the tavern,he noticed the influx of people coming in and out. He was careful not to bump into anyone,due to people being drunk or making a bigger deal of an accident than it was. He had seen some pretty brutal fights just because someone might have spilled a drink on someone else by accident,or just two people bumping into each other.It was incredibly stupid what the drunk people or the people who would get angry at the simplest things would do.

He had gracefully sat down next to Rue on the stool next to her. As she spoke of how sweet he was to come to aid and joining her in her hunt,when he made sure that she was okay,it sort of embarrassed him. Syrus smiled for a moment then spoke "Thank you." he continued "There is just these times that i get this sense that something may be wrong,and i go investigate. Sometimes this sense comes out of nowhere and i just go to check on them,but some take it as a threat,sometimes. That is why i joined you on the ground and took a lot of precautions. Usually people draw their swords on me. Although I do feel stupid sometimes for following them, like in your case it was just because you were hunting but that sense just makes me check sometimes. With all the deaths recently, it puts me at ease, knowing that they are safe. I just do not know sometimes." He took a moment to pause before starting again "I am rather happy that i did decide to follow you though. This was one of the rare times that someone was not aggressive,and I am glad that you let me join you in your hunt. I really had a great time,Rue." He then noticed the barkeep moving their way as he quickly thought what he wanted to drink.