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[Taylani]

Taylani realizes the other girl was also trying to put their differences behind them. Though, for Taylani, the differences were vast she realizes that her years in Endrykas will go far faster and better if she attempted to assimilate at least a little in the culture. If she had people she could at least be a parody of friends with. The last thought threatened to sadden her again so instead she did what she has always done. Left the thought and feeling behind, and throw herself into learning. Granted before it was learning a new style of dance or a new song, now it appears it would be about learning about these animals.

She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before entering the paddocks the same way she had seen Rue do so. Though once on the other side she felt a particular brand of vulnerable, and it was all she could do to keep walking haltingly toward the other redhead. Her features were transfixed upon the strider, her blue eyes wide with a little distrust but also admiring the sleek muscles. Too bad that those same muscles spoke of what damage he might do if he got spooked or just decided he did not like the non-Drykas woman.

She listens to Rue's words, struggling to piece together the phrase, but understanding the importance of learning Pavi she takes a moment to process. It took her a bit, at least a full minute, to respond in both a mixture of common and pavi. " You and the horse together" She pauses, confusion easily read on her features, her brows knitting together some. " you and Wildfire...married?" Surely that is not it, Taylani knew it had to be a simple matter of her not quite understanding when Rue entwined her fingers, said together and pointed to her heart. However she couldn't think of what else it could be.

OOC Info :

Bold is pavi,

[Naiya]

She noticed the girl's hesitation as she moved forward, staring at Wildfire as though he was a hunter stalking her and she a rabbit, wide eyed and frozen with fear. That was new to her. Fear of horses. Almost unheard of in the city. Before she could think of the words to soothe her, she spoke the common word that Rue had searched for earlier. Marriage was the joining of man and woman, she recalled now, and definitely not the bond between her and Wildfire.

That thought caused the Drykas girl to laugh, a sound that burst from her lips as unexpectedly as the comparison the other girl made. Other horses that grazed nearby looked up, startled at the sudden loud sound, Wildfire just glanced at her with a look that could have been enjoyment of a shared joke.

"I'm sorry, not mean make fun." She spoke in common, searching once again for the words to explain.

"Marriage wrong word, but some same. Wildfire find me pick only me to be..." She knew there was a word for people who work together to reach the same things, enjoy each other's company, "Friends? Pa- Paners? Parners?" She looked to the girl for some sign that she understood.

[Taylani]

Taylani does not take offense at the other girls laughter, instead felt a great deal of relief at the other girls amusement and explanation. She was grateful that of all things, she was definitely wrong about their relationship with their animals. After the season she has had, she does not quite put anything out of the realm of possibility.

After a moment she realizes what Rue was trying to say, and she smiles before nodding. "Partners." She says in common, slowly. "Partners. But I do not understand, not really..." She pauses as she watches the horse and the woman's body language together, the ease at which each seemed to be with each other. Her arms wrap around her flat stomach, more of defensive movement then something to keep warm for the air was still pleasant. "Does..do you ..does he ..I mean .." She stumbles with trying to find the correct way to ask her questions, while still keeping a healthy distance between herself and Wildfire, and an eye on the other horses in the paddock. "What I am trying to ask, is he for riding...or carting...or is he ...trained for fighting?" This last is said hesitantly, her eyes still glued to the horse.

[Naiya]

Rue

"Partners. Yes. Partners." But she did not understand still, she said. Rue hardly had more to tell her, limited as she was with her words. "Girl and Boy, not true Drykas until strider choose. Is big proud, get windmarks." She pulled her hair aside and moved her collar so the girl could see the top of her own marks. That was all she could offer the girl on that subject, so she opened her hands to show she had nothing more to share.

"For riding, he fight no more than other horse." She moved to him patting his head as he raised it in greeting. "Wildfire no scare easy. Can-" She mimed drawing a bow and arrow, "From Wildfire back. Hunt together too. He smart, understand signs, learn how want behave." She showed the girl, signing a greeting to the horse, who snorted. Then she stepped to the girl, not too close, leaving her plenty of room to run if she chose. "He is like pet, good for meeting." Then she made the sign for 'here' the same she had shown the girl earlier today, and Wildfire padded toward them.

Nightsong

[Taylani]

Interested, Taylani leaned over as Rue pulled the collar of her garment back her brows raising slightly. "And..." she pantomimed 'everyone' by waving her hand toward the camp, but also toward the open grasss, then ended by indicating both herself and Rue, "everyone can...get partnered with these? No special blood lines or anything?" Basically Taylani was roundabout asking if only those who were 'true' Drykas could bond with a strider, though she tried to keep her words simple for the other, and easily pantomimed. She was curious, more so then she should be for her own good, what any children Fallan would father upon her would go through. Would they be able to bond with a strider, was it not really the Drykas that did it but the Strider themselves? So many questions, and so few words that the two women shared.

She stiffens slightly, her legs adjusting without thought in a defensive pattern, prepared to back away quickly should there be need to when Rue comes closer. She was not frightened of Rue, not really, it was just she had never been this close to such a tall animal. Horses within the city was not common, though they weren't rare, but Taylani had only seen them from a street away. And within the city she felt far safer then she did out here in the open grasslands.

Yet when the other motioned for the strider to come, Taylani did not move but neither did she offer her hand or any other indication that she was warming to the animal. Instead she grew very still, hardly daring to blink an eye. "Is...is any of them..not ...Wildfire..but any of them...wild or..Dangerous?"

[Naiya]

Rue thought for a moment about what the other was asking. "I know word 'everyone' is too big. Everyone live in Endrykas, better. Yes. Strider know if" She pointed to her chest, her heart once more miming the shape of the word,"is Drykas. Strider choose worthy." She shaped a heart in the air once again, watching to see if the girl understood.

She grew very still once again as Wildfire approached, growing tense. "Horses big. Strong. More than people. No make them enemy, horse is prey. Get scared and move away from scary." That made sense to her, but she wondered if the words had the same meaning for the other girl. "Danger of horses is be little. People no big or strong like horse, horse not know this. So horse not careful. If horse treat people as people treat baby, horse never hurt people. But no can teach horse difference."

Did that make the horses sound scary still? The girl would not fare well if she was afraid of horses, too many of them in too close a space. "Drykas teach people, teach you, how to careful with horse, then no get feet step on." She smiled at the girl, proud of her explanation when all was said and done.

"Wildfire is good for teaching this, he move if you push, he careful no step on feet, but better if no put feet under his feet, yes?" To demonstrate she pushed on Wildfire's chest, backing him up a couple steps. "You try, is good for you." She gestured to the horse, the look in her eyes just short of a challenge to the other girl. She did not worry the girl would hurt Wildfire, he was big and strong, and he would move, he was well trained, after all.

[Taylani]

Taylani nods, not liking the melancholic mood the conversation was putting her in. But it did relieve her in some part to know that if Fallan kept his end of the deal and took her back to Syliras once she has born him two healthy children, that the children might be more or less accepted. Though the other girl's plight with her father made her wonder, if it was because the other girl did not look like the other Drykas. If that was it, then would Fallan's children, if they inherited any of Taylani's feature, would he be tempted to do the same? Pushing that thought from her mind she turns back toward the horse, with a deep sigh.

"My feet..?" Immediately Taylani looks down to ensure that her feet are indeed well away from the horse's, "My feet are precious to...well..never mind I suppose they aren't so important anymore." Another sickly smile is given before she nods. Even though she is relatively new to Endrykas, and new to this entire culture she had already noticed how important these horses seemed to be. Even if she never intended on becoming Drykas, or getting one of these creatures, she would need to overcome the puddle of fear that these beasts reduced her too on the inside.

Changing her stance, still her feet are squared but ..a bit further back from the animal then before, Taylani looks over at Rue questioningly before...lightly tapping the big beasts chests, barely touching it. Though her fingers make contact long enough to register the silky feel of its coat, and the warmth of its body. Once more she shakes her hand, and quite comically perhaps, squares off against the animal, and pushes again, this time with a little more force..enough to at least put her palms against the horse's chest...

[Naiya]

Amusement dances in Rue's eyes as she watches the girl, trying so hard to face down the larger animal. The first time she touched his chest, he did little more than eye the girl, giving her a questioning look. The second touch made her intent more clear, at least slightly and he took a halting step back, tossing his lead in question.

Rue signed him reassurance in the form of 'good boy' and he raised his head up higher, standing proudly. "Try again?" Rue asked, "or you move, tell him go different way." She eyed the girl a moment, trying to decide how scared she was and deciding that baby steps were probably better. "Or you learn signs, tell without touch? Is better?"

It was good though, it is difficult to touch a horse as sweet as Wildfire and still find him frightening, but that didn't mean it was impossible.

[Taylani]

A slight sound is given when the horse indeed moved back, his head raising causing her to dance backwards but a wide smile crossing her face. For that second she had forgotten everything that had happened this season, forgotten what had happened the night before, and she simply grinned at the accomplishment of something so simple as laying her hands on this beast that just minutes before had filled her with fear. It was, in short, exhilarating and for perhaps the first time a Drykas saw the light come back into Taylani's eyes, even if for just a mere second before she looked around and composed herself once more. Though her smile only lessened, but did not go away fully.

"That was almost as fun as finding a new step to dance!" She remarks, breathless and already hesitantly moving back toward the horse, though no where near as hesitant as she was before. Now she lays her hands on Wildfire's coat, not pushing but simply touching, cautiously stroking his neck and shoulder, keeping her touch extremely light. "He is so soft. Much softer then I thought he would be." She says to the other, before backing back to stand beside her.

"Do all Drykas talk...to horses and each other using those..signs?" She asks, gesturing with her own hands. "Is that custom or is it something that is part of your language?"

[Naiya]

Rue nodded, a smile to match Taylani's own at the girl's excited words. Wildfire enjoyed the attention, standing at attention and pulling his head back towards his chest causing the arch of his neck to become more prominent. For a moment Rue was struck by the resemblance between the three of them, the red and cream of his coat and main the same as the red and white of their hair and skin. He probably stood out among the Striders as much as the girls among the Drykas.

She was pulled from such thoughts as Taylani approached, a question on her lips. No simple question either. She scowled as she tried to come up with an answer for the other, but words to describe Pavi sign were not easily found in the mind of the Drykas girl, at least not in Common.

"Is both. Drykas can speak only with hands, is many words. Also can be... more, change meaning of words. Make, make serious, or question, or joke with hands as you say words?" That was the best she could do for the girl on it, but she could further explain talking to horses.

"Many Drykas is hunters, know importance of speak with no words. Teach horse signs, then horse can understand when no can speak. Is everyone in Endrykas do this? Think yes. Many many."

She turned her attention to Wildfire, calling his attention with a tap of her foot on the ground. 'With me.' her hands told him, and he moved towards them, but before he was close she began to move away from Taylani, hoping not to pressure her into closeness once again. They walked a large circle around the girl to show her how signing could be used. When they returned to their starting place, Rue grinned. She turned to Wildfire who was looking rather confused and scratched his cheeks and his chin, murmuring praises.

"Is good too if sneaking out of tent." Rue told her with a grin, "Can tell horse quiet or where find you. You try? Remember 'here'?" She showed the girl again in case, and moved back out of the stallion's way.