Closed Harsh Reality (Lian) Windrunner)

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Timestamp: 3rd Day of Spring, 514, AV A tiny young girl sat on a stool outside her family wagon. She was too small to reach the ground, so her feet dangled in the air, and she swung them absently. Her mother stood before her, tall, and beautiful, with the bright sun behind her, making her long black hair shine in its light. "This is important, Seirei, so I want you to pay close attention to me, okay?" Seirei looked at her mother solemly, and nodded. When her mother spoke in that tone, it was best to listen, and obey. "Yes, mother." she said softly. "We do well for ourselves in this caravan. You, your brother and I have good lives here, don't we?" Seirei nodded. She loved living with their trade caravan. Seeing new places all the time was fun and exciting. Even if traveling was boring most of the time, and scary when it wasn't boring, it was worth it to live the way she did. "Yes, we really do do well here. But Seirei, everyone who lives with the caravan must work for the caravan. We can't afford to feed people who don't contribute to making our lives better. You are getting old enough now that you have to work to help us, too, Seirei. Do you understand?" Seirei thought about the question for a few moments, then nodded. Jared was only a couple of years older than she was, and he did what he could to help the caravan. Her brother learned quickly that he had little patience for wood carving, so instead of following his mother's path, he had looked around for something else he could do. He loved to draw, and he was pretty good at copying what he saw onto paper, so his best friend's father had taken him on as an apprentice, and was teaching him how to get better at drawing. The man was a map maker, but he was skilled at drawing other things as well, and Seirei knew that he hoped that Jared would become interested in making maps some day as well. Some of her friends couldn't play with her as much as they used to anymore because they too were starting to spend more time learning skills that would help their caravan prosper. "Yes, mother." Her mother smiled, and ruffled her hair, making her giggle. "Good. Do you know what you want to do when you grow up? Is there anything in particular that interests you?" Seirei gave this question some thought as well. Jared loved to draw. Ceras was really good at convincing someone to buy his family's wares. Trina loved to dance, and was learning how to get better at it so she could dance in the shows the caravan did during festivals. Seirei wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She liked doing a lot of things. So she shook her head. "Well, you have time to decide. For now, I'll start by teaching you how to carve wood like I do. You like the figurines we sell, don't you?" Seirei grinned, and nodded. The figurines her mother made were all very beautiful, and they sold well everywhere they went to trade. "They're really pretty." she agreed, making her mother smile again. "I'm glad you like them. Maybe some day you will be able to make figurines of your own that are even prettier than the ones I make." Seirei's eyes widened at the thought. She liked the idea of making something beautiful that others would like, but she couldn't imagine ever making something prettier than her mother's wooden figurines. "If you are going to learn how to carve, the first thing you need to know are the tools we use for carving wood." Her mother pulled a tool out of one of the pouches tied to her belt. It had a wooden handle. The metal tip was flat. Seirei studied it curiously. "This is called a chisel, Seirei. It is the most basic tool that a carver like me uses. Now, I only carve wood, but this tool can be used to carve stone, as well. The points on the tip are very sharp, so you have to be very careful when you handle it. If you aren't, you might cut yourself." Seirei nodded absently, still staring at the chisel. "I use this chisel to make deep cuts in the wood. Sometimes I can do it with just the chisel. But if the piece of wood I'm carving is very thick, the strength of my hands aren't enough, so I have to use another tool called a mallet as well. I'll tell you about mallets later." Seirei shifted in her sleep as a cool breeze blew over her, ruffling her hair. She didn't wake, though, and after a few moments, the dream changed as she settled deeper into sleep. Seirei stared at the block of wood in her hand, lost in a haze of memory, and grief. A gentle hand descended upon her shoulder, startling her into looking up to see who had disturbed her work. Jared stood, staring down at her. His eyes held the same grief Seirei felt. She sighed sadly. "If mother were here, she'd tell me to look into the heart of the wood, and let it tell me what it is meant to be. She always used to be able to see the "true form" of the wood she worked with. For her, wood carving wasn't a matter of deciding what she wanted to make. Instead, she thought of it as freeing the wood to be what it wanted to be. What it was meant to be. I think that's why she was so good at it." Seirei said softly. "I know. When I was younger, she tried to teach me how to carve wood, too. I always felt a little guilty that I thought it was difficult, and boring. But we can't all be wood carvers, I guess." "I can see it too, you know. Sometimes, anyway. The shape a block of wood is truly meant to be. Maybe some day I will always be able to free the wood the way mother could. Now, though...carving wood is a lot harder than it looks. I make a lot of mistakes. Too many." "You'll get better. It just takes time. Mastering any skill takes a lot of time, and effort." Seirei nodded. She knew that. And she knew that she would get better. But she couldn't help but wish that her skills would improve faster. She wanted to be as good as her mother had been. It seemed like a fitting tribute to her, carrying on her work for the caravan. And it was all that she could do for her mother now. Her mother would never free the heart of a piece of wood again. "Besides, you're pretty good now, you know. You'll do just fine." There was something buried deep in her older brother's eyes that made Seirei's heart hurt. After a moment, she dismissed it, knowing that Jared missed their mother as much as she did. "Come on, it's time for dinner. You can try again later." A single tear trickled down Seirei's cheek. Even in her sleep, the loss of her mother hurt. The wind picked up, and it got brighter as the sun began to rise in the sky. Seirei stirred restlessly. Finally, she opened her eyes blearily. They felt dry, and uncomfortable. Her entire body was stiff, as though she had been laying in the same position for too long. And her head felt hazy. Thoughts came slowly as she sat up, and looked around, trying to figure out why she felt the way she did. Her eyes widened in shock. Where...am I? she thought, the beginings of alarm starting to filter their way through the fog in her head. Instead of the comfortable bed roll she expected to be in, she was laying on the hard ground. Tall grass surrounded her. She stood up to see if she could get her bearings, but it didn't help. All she could see in every direction as far as the eye could see was an endless sea of grass. There was a backpack laying in the grass beside her, so Seirei bent and picked it up. When she rumaged through it, she found the wood carver's toolkit that was her most precious posession, having gotten it from her mother. She also found a couple of other toolkits, some food and other necessities, her wooden flute and its case, and some money. Which meant that she had means of providing for herself once she found her way back to civilization...if she ever did. But as Seirei looked around, she quickly realized that she was completely and utterly alone. There was no sign of her caravan, no matter where she looked. What happened? Why am I here? she wondered frantically. Seirei tried to think. She couldn't remember any disasters that might have led to her being left out in the middle of nowhere. The last thing she could remember was eating dinner with her older brother. Had something happened after that? Or...wait. There had been something in Jared's eyes as he watched her eat. A flicker of emotion that she hadn't been able to recognize. But what did it mean? They wouldn't just leave her out here to die...would they? Seirei knew that several people believed that the run of bad luck they were having with was a curse, and she was to blame for it. Or rather, her half Drykas blood was to blame. Not everyone felt that way, though. And it wasn't reason enough to abandon her...was it? Bad luck or not, everyone in the caravan liked her. She worked hard, and did her best to help everyone as much as she could. Just like everyone else did. Besides...there was no way that Jared would let the others abandon her even if they wanted to. Right? Seirei looked around again. There was still nothing to see but endless grass. With no better idea of what to do, Seirei picked a direction and started walking. Hopefully, she would find the caravan soon. If not them, then maybe she would find civilization, or at least a familiar landmark that would tell her where she was.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian sat motionless on Talise's back as he looked around, studying his surroundings carefully. Nothing seemed out of place. Birds chirped as they called to each other, hidden in the tall grass. That alone was a good sign that there was no danger nearby since any passing predator would startle them into silence, or flight. A cool breeze ruffled Lian's hair as it rippled through the grass. It should be safe enough to risk a brief trip into the Web. Lian decided. Lian looked around once more, but there were still no signs of possible danger. So he closed his eyes, and pushed his mind into the Web. Although it was easier for him to do so while in a light state of meditation, he wasn't about to risk that while alone out in the Sea of Grass. For that matter, he didn't think he was skilled enough at meditation to enter a trance while in a situation where he couldn't relax completely. The glowing strands of the Web welcomed Lian, and he took a moment to orient himself. When he had, Lian allowed himself to drift among the strands as he traveled in the direction of the stream he wasn't too far from in the real world. He wanted to make sure there wasn't anything he couldn't handle near the stream before he himself headed there in the hopes of catching some unwary animal that had come in search of water. He was in luck. The nearest predator other than himself was over an hour's ride due south of the stream. With luck, Lian would be long gone before the pack of wolves he'd located decided to move in his direction. After one last quick look, Lian slipped out of the Web, and returned to himself. "Let's get going, Talise. There's nothing we can't handle at the stream up ahead." Lian gestured with his knees, and Talise moved into a brisk walk. He shifted his weight in response to her movements, and both rider and strider settled in to enjoy the ride. It's a good thing I can access the Web. Using it to find prey, and keep an eye on dangerous predators is a lot faster than trying to track them would be. he thought as he rode. Before long, they were at the stream, and Lian gestured for Talise to stop. He dismounted, and squatted down at the edge of the stream. There were a myriad of tracks. They were a confusing mess to look at, and Lian couldn't even hope to tell how old any of them were, or where any of the trails went once they left the stream. He simply wasn't good enough at tracking for that. But he did see a few prints that recognized. He saw two types of prints that looked like hooves. One was larger than the other. Judging by the size of Talise's hooves, Lian figured that the larger hoofprint was from a horse, while the smaller one was probably a deer. A bit further down, he saw what looked like bird tracks. He didn't know what kind of bird had made them, but they were small enough that he didn't think they belonged to a bird of prey, since their feet were larger than those of other birds. And he saw a long, narrow print that looked like it might have been made by a rabbit's hind foot. What he did not see was anything that looked like it might have been made by the large, clawed foot of a glassbeak. This gave Lian a feeling of relief as he stood up. It's possible that one has been here, and the other prints are just covering it up. But if that's the case, I don't think it would have happened recently. The scent of a dangerous predator like a glassbeak would keep other animals away as long as it lingered in the area. Besides, I didn't see any nearby when I looked through the Web. he thought. Lian mounted Talise once more, and signalled for her to move over into the tall grass a little ways away. As long as the wind didn't betray his location by bringing his scent to any animal who came to drink, he had a decent chance of not being discovered. He made himself comfortable, and settled in to wait. And wait...and wait some more. It's a good thing I'm a patient man. Hunting isn't a good job for anyone who isn't prepared to spend long periods of time wating for their prey. he thought. A wild strider stallion approached the stream. It was large for a strider, and dark grey with a black mane and tail. Lian couldn't help but admire him. Talise tossed her head, and whickered softly, calling out to the stallion in greeting. The wild strider's ears perked up, and flicked in their direction. Talise whickered again, and the stallion turned around to stare right at their hiding place for a long moment. Then he snorted, tossed his head restlessly, and raced away. Lian continued to wait, and finally his patience was rewarded. A rabbit approached the stream cautiously. It's ears were perked, and it swiveled it head from side to side as it looked around nervously. Lian held his breath, not daring to move. After a long moment, the rabbit decided it was safe, and began to drink. Ever so slowly, Lian reached for his short bow. He pulled an arrow from his quiver, and froze when the rabbit looked up abruptly. The rabbit looked around, then went back to drinking. Lian slowly nocked his arrow. He took careful aim, and started to pull back on the bow string. But just as he was about to let the arrow fly, the wind shifted. Catching his scent, the rabbit bolted in alarm. Lian bit back a curse of frustration. Talise snorted. It sounded very much like she was laughing at him, and he glared at her. Lian decided that he had had enough hunting for one day. He put his arrow back into his quiver, and slung his short bow over his back. Then he signalled Talise into a walk, and moved further away from the stream. They stopped a short distance away. After taking a careful look around to make sure they were safe, Lian closed his eyes and entered the Web. The pack of wolves he'd seen earlier were still the closest predators, and they were moving away from the area at a fairly fast pace. Lian figured that they might have smelled prey, and were on its trail. Or they could be moving for some other reason entirely. Either way, it really didn't matter to Lian so long as they weren't headed in his direction. After determining that they were safe for the moment, Lian started to allow his mind to slip back into his own body. But something caught his attention at the last moment, stopping him. Lian sensed the presence of something that wasn't connected to the Web. He sent his mind along the glowing strands of the Web as he approached the presence, trying to determine if it was a threat to his people or not. But it was only one person. An adolescent girl, who seemed to be quite panicked if her frantic pace was any indication. She was moving away from Endrykas, and if Lian had to guess, he'd say she was hopelessly lost. Lian extended his mind further, wondering where she had come from, and how she'd gotten so far into the Sea of Grass alone. He sensed the presence of a group of people nearly two full days' travel away from the girl, and headed away from her at a brisk pace. Lian guessed that it must be a trade caravan getting an early start, and that they had abandoned her to die for some reason. He was tempted to leave the girl to her fate, but one thing stopped him. After the illness, his people were still trying to build up their numbers. He knew that a number of the captives who had been bought at auction were pregnant now, but Lian also knew that another one would be of help as well. So he sighed as he returned to himself, and signalled Talise to head towards the girl at a brisk trot. Every so often, Lian would stop, and enter the Web to see if he was still going in the right direction, and if anything dangerous might be approaching either of them. He would then make whatever corrections in their path that were necessary. Even with that, it took less than half an hour for him to catch up with the girl. Once he was close, he came in from behind at a brisk trot, slowing as he circled around the girl. Finally he came to a stop a few feet in front of her. "What are you doing here?" he demanded sternly as he glared down at her. "You don't belong here." Lian waited for a response impatiently. He hoped that he made an imposing figure looming over the girl from Talise's back. Maybe if he managed to intimidate her, she wouldn't think to try and lie to him.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei felt as though she had been walking forever. It was like a nightmare where you were trapped in a hallway, and no matter how far you walked, you never found a way out. There were still no signs of civilization as far as the eye could see. There was nothing but an endless sea of grass spreading out in all directions. Seirei didn't know what direction she was walking in, or which way she needed to go in order to reach Endrykas. She couldn't even seem to find any of the birds she could hear chirping all around her. Once in a while, Seirei came across a trail of animal tracks as she walked. When she did, she made sure she was going a different direction than they were. Seirei was familiar enough with what a horse's hoofprint looked like, but she knew she'd never be able to recognize anything else. She didn't want to get eaten by some horrible creature just because she was stupid enough to travel in the same direction it was. Now I really wish I could remember what my father tried to teach me about surviving on my own out here. I was so sure I'd never need to know that sort of thing since I was always with our caravan. But now... Seirei sighed. There was no use on dwelling on what she could have done in the past. She needed to focus on getting herself out of the predicament she was in now. So she walked. And walked. And walked some more. Eventually she was simply too tired to keep walking. So Seirei sat in the grass to rest for a while. She reached into her backpack, and began examining its contents once more. When she found the flint and steel, she paused for a minute. This would really come in handy if I'm still stuck out here after dark...if I knew how to use it. Why didn't I pay better attention to what Father wanted to teach me? she groaned silently. After she had rested for a while, it was time to move on again. Seirei was hungry, but she didn't know how long she'd be lost out here, so she knew she had to eat sparingly, and conserve her rations as much as possible. So she picked a direction at random, and began walking again. Before long, Seirei heard the steady pounding of hoofbeats coming up from behind her. Startled, she froze, and waited for whoever it was to arrive. She didn't have to wait long. The rider circled around her, and came to a stop just a few feet in front of her. Seirei stared up at the man in a mixture of startled shock and abject relief. The man was clearly a Drykas. Tanned, rugged skin that showed that he spent a good deal of his time out doors. A slight trace of the facial hair that so many of the Drykas men seemed to have. The confidence he showed while sitting on his strider. In some ways, he looked a little like her father. Enough that she recognized them to both be from the same people, anyway. Then the man spoke, demanding to know why she was there. He spoke in heavily accented Common. For a moment, Seirei wondered why he hadn't spoken Pavi, but she realized that it was obvious that she wasn't a Drykas. So why would he expect her to know his language? And it wasn't surprising that he knew Common either. Not when trade caravans came to Endrykas each year. Her caravan was one of those caravans. "I..." The man's cold, stormy blue eyes glared down at her, making her nervous and uneasy. "I am...was...am...part of a trade caravan that travels through here each year. We come to Endrykas most years." she said quietly. There was no way that she was going to tell this stranger that the other members of the caravan had abandoned her out here because they thought she was bad luck. It wasn't true, anyway. They would come back for her. Jared would make them...right?

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian studied the girl as she stammered something about being part of a trade caravan. He remembered seeing a cluster of people while in the Web that was probably the caravan she spoke of. But if she hoped that they were coming back for her...well. She would be bitterly disappointed if that were the case. The people he had seen were moving away from the area, not towards her. So the question was more why she had been abandoned, rather than if she had been. No one is going to abandon someone to die for no reason. So she must have done something to deserve such a fate. Then again, she might simply be related to someone who did. Or have said the wrong thing to the wrong person. Or maybe she disagreed with the leader of her caravan. Who knows what crazy reasons outsiders might have for abandoning someone out here? I don't want to bring someone back to Endrykas that might be a threat to us, and yet... The girl was a tiny slip of a thing. Small, slight of build...she didn't look as though she could be much of a threat to anyone. Her dark skin, much like that of a Drykas made her look familar to Lian. Normal. That, in turn, made him dismiss the fact that she was a potential threat even more. And there were no obvious signs of illness either. Lian was no healer, but even he would have recognized the flushed skin that indicated a fever, or if she was coughing. So it didn't seem likely that she had been abandoned because she was sick, and the others were afraid of catching whatever she had. The risk to his people seemed to be little at best, and their need for more children was great. Decision made, Lian patted Talise's neck, and dismounted. "What is your name?" Lian asked gruffly, his hands fluttering in inquery despite knowing that the girl wouldn't understand what the hand signs meant. Lian listened for a response as he moved to his yvas bags, and pulled out a 100' long rope that had been tightly coiled within the largest bag. He had brought it in case he managed to find and bring down a deer while he was hunting, but it would work just as well to secure the girl as he brought her back home. "My name is Lian Windrunner. You are lucky that I found you. The Sea of Grass is death to people who are unprepared for its dangers." The thought that she was one of those who would find only death if left alone out here was left unsaid, but obvious all the same. "I saved your life by finding you. For this, you owe me your life. You will come with me to Endrykas." Lian continued. Lian hated speaking in Common. Though he could get by with it, he knew that he sounded horribly stilited when he spoke it. And he couldn't always find the right words to convey his meaning. The worst part, though, was the lack of depth and emphasis that Pavi hand signs brought to everything that was said in his native language. Without warning, Lian rushed towards the girl quickly. If she wasn't fast enough to avoid him, she'd find her hands bound by the rope he was holding. Lian wasn't a skilled enough rider to feel comfortable riding double, especially with someone who might not know how to ride at all. For that matter, he didn't think Talise would be able to bear the weight of two people for very long. And if she were to offer any resistance while riding with him, the whole situation would be impossible for him to manage. So having her walk along behind him as he rode was the easiest way for him to get the girl back home. Of course, he couldn't count on the girl having the common sense to go along with him willingly. If she truly believed that her caravan was going to come back for her, she might well flee deeper into the Sea of Grass rather than come to Endrykas with him. Lian really didn't want to have to chase after her, and her death would be a waste of a perfectly good captive. Hence the need to restrain her with the rope.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei couldn't help but feel a sense of surreality when the man asked what her name was. She felt very much as though she had woken into a nightmare, or that she was somehow living someone else's life. Nothing felt quite real to her. All the same, she had been asked a question, and the man clearly expected her to answer it. "My name is Seirei." she said softly. The man continued rumaging through a yvas bag. A small part of Seirei's mind mused on the fact that the only reason she recognized the equipment attached to the man's strider was that her father had taught her a bit about it when she was a child. She had never seen anyone other than the Drykas use a yvas. Seirei watched as the man pulled a rope out of his yvas bag. She wondered what he planned to do with it, but was distracted by her thoughts when he introduced himself. Seirei resented the fact that he immediately assumed that she couldn't survive out in the Sea of Grass on her own, but she couldn't deny it. He was right, after all. Traveling with a caravan was one thing. Being completely on her own was another thing entirely. That didn't stop her from feeling a flash of outrage when he told her that she owed him her life because he had saved hers. It felt like he was claiming her, as if she was his property, or something. She was prepared to thank the man for saving him...even if it hadn't been necessary since Jared and the others would have come back for her. But Seirei had no intention of simply giving herself over to him because of it. When Lian rushed her, Seirei was caught completely off guard. She didn't have a chance to fight back, and within moments, her hands were tightly bound. Seirei struggled to free herself, but her efforts were futile. She wasn't even strong enough to pull the rope out of his hands, and make a run for it with her hands still bound. All she could do was watch in helpless shock and horror to see what would happen next.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian took a moment to double check that the girl's wrists were securely tied. Then he mounted Talise, and signaled her into a walk. He kept her to a slow walk because he wanted the girl to be able to keep up without being dragged. Talise didn't like the idea of something trailing behind her. She kept stopping to turn and stare at the person walking behind her. Because of this, it took far longer for Lian to ride back to Endrykas than it had for him to leave. When they finally reached the traveling tent city, Lian stroked Talise's neck for several minutes. Then he dismounted, and removed the yvas. He slapped her flank lightly. Talise snorted, and tossed her head, then raced away. Lian watched her go. When she was completely out of view, he gathered the rope he was holding, coiling it up so there was a lot less slack. "We will go to my home now. We will talk there." Lian said in a no nonsense tone. Lian began walking. He didn't give the girl any choice but to follow. Her failure to escape him out in the Sea of Grass had already showed him that she didn't have the strength to escape him now either. Lian walked briskly. He wanted to get home as soon as possible. It was already late afternoon, and Lian wanted to get everything settled before nightfall. When they arrived at his tent, Lian tugged on the rope sharply. If the girl didn't have the strength to resist, or was caught off guard, she'd find herself pulled into the tent with him. "You said that you used to be part of a trade caravan, right? One that comes to Endrykas?" Lian gave the girl a chance to respond before continuing. "Do you know of the sickness in Endrykas last year? Many died. More died in Zith attacks. We must increase our population because of this. Women and children were captured in raids and brought back here. They were sold at auction last fall. The women have been bred. Their children will grow up Drykas. The children from the auction were adopted into Drykas pavilions. They will grow up Drykas." Lian paused to see if the girl was listening to him. "I saved your life. That means your life belongs to me. You will repay this debt. For the rest of your life, you will be my captive. Through you, I will fulfill my duty to my people by siring children to replace those who were lost to us." Lian's hands gestured as he spoke, flickering through a myriad of hand signs that emphasized his words. Once again, he paused. But this time, it was to give the girl time for his words to sink in. And this time, he wanted her to respond so he would be certain that she understood what he was saying.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei followed along behind the strider as best she could. Lian was clearly trying to make things easier for her by keeping to a slow walk. But she still found herself unable to keep up, and being dragged by the rope. Seirei stumbled a few times over the uneven ground, but she managed to keep herself from falling. It was a close thing, though. She had been walking aimlessly all day, so she was exhausted. Her feet ached horribly, and all she wanted to do was collapse. The rope chafed at her wrists, pulled taught as it was. Seirei was too tired to even think about trying to free herself and escape. After what felt like an eternity, Endrykas finally came into view. Seirei couldn't help but feel relief that the end of the journey was finally in sight. When they reached the edge of the city, Lian dismounted, and saw to the needs of his strider. He showed the beautiful creature a kindness that amazed her even though she knew how much Drykas loved their striders. Once the strider was gone, Lian told her that he was taking her to his home. Then he did just that, dragging her all the way to his tent. She was too exhausted to protest. That's when the questions started. Seirei nodded silently when Lian asked her if she was a part of a trade caravan. When he told her about a devastating illness and Zith attacks, Seirei didn't know what to think. While horrible, she didn't see how such things had anything to do with her. She wasn't a Drykas. Her only connection to the city and the people living in it was the yearly stops her caravan made to trade with them. And they hadn't even done that last year. She couldn't help but feel bad for the women who had been captured and enslaved, but again, it didn't really have anything to do with her. She couldn't do anything to help them. Still, she muttered something non-commital to show that she was listening when Lian stopped to look at her. Everything changed when Lian told her that she belonged to him, and that he was going to force her to bear his children. Her first reaction was shocked disbelief. He couldn't possibly have said what she thought he had...could he? She must have misheard him. But the truth was in his eyes, and it couldn't be ignored. Panic began to set in. Seirei's sight and hearing sharpened as she instinctively began to take notice of everything around her. The only way out was the tent flap they had entered the tent through, and Lian was standing between her and the way out. And even if she did manage to get out of the tent...what then? She'd be hoplessly lost within moments. If she somehow found her way out of the city...Lian was right. As much as she hated to admit it, she had no hope of surviving out in the Sea of Grass on her own. But panic was in control now, not common sense. So none of that stopped her from trying. In desperation, she rushed the man. With luck, she'd catch him off guard, and be able to yank the rope from his hands. If that happened, she would run, and see what happened after that.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian's eyes widened as the girl rushed him. Then they narrowed in concentration as he braced himself for the attack. The attack was one of desperation, rather than one that had been well thought out. Lian dodged it. Then he yanked hard on the rope he was holding, hoping to drag the girl back within his reach. If it worked, he would backhand her as hard as he could. If he succeeded in hitting and, and the blow knocked her down, he would kick her once to punish her for her attempt to escape. "If you try to escape, you will be punished. That is, if I find you. If not, you will die. The sooner you learn that, the better." Lian said sternly. Lian studied the girl for a long moment, giving her a chance for his words to sink in. "From now on, the way you are treated is up to you. That is your choice. You will bear my children for the rest of your life. You have no say in that. Our children will be raised Drykas. You have no say in that. If you cooperate, you will be treated well. You will have the freedom of the city. You can start a new life. Learn new skills, and earn money to buy what you want. Perhaps you can be happy here. But if you disobey, you will be punished. If you fight me, you will be punished. You will suffer, and it will be your fault. Your life will be miserable. It is better for you to cooperate. Do you understand?" Lian continued to study the girl. She was a pretty enough girl. Doing his duty to his people and siring children on her would also be a pleasure. She didn't look especially strong, so Lian was confident that he could subdue her if he had to. With luck, it wouldn't happen often. Lian hoped that she would learn her lesson from this, and cooperate in the future.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei's attack, if you could call it that, had been one of pure desperation. Had she been thinking correctly, it wouldn't have surprised her that Lian managed to dodge her easily. But she was reacting in panic, not thinking logically, so it did catch her off guard, and she was left off balance and struggling to think of what to do next. She wasn't given any time to recover. When the man yanked on the rope, Seirei, who was already off balance, had no chance of resisting. She quickly found herself pulled off her feet, and dragged towards Lian. Seirei just managed to stand up when Lian backhanded her across the face with enough force to send her sprawling again. Seirei cried out in pain as her cheek smashed into her teeth. Her cheek felt as though it was on fire, and she could taste the salty iron tang of blood. Then he kicked her in the ribs. Pain flared through her body, but she did not hear a crack that might warn of a broken rib. The man told her that she would spend the rest of her life being forced to bear Drykas children. And that how she was treated while that was happening was up to her. Seirei didn't know what to think. The thought of allowing the man to enslave her was horrifying. Seirei didn't think she could bear it. Spending the rest of her life as nothing more than a broodmare wasn't something Seirei thought she could endure. And yet...what choice did she have? Lian had proved his strength. Seirei knew that he was powerful enough to take what he wanted from her whether she resisted or not. Still, Seirei didn't think she could simply give in to his demands, and allow him to do whatever he wanted to her either. Seirei painfully pulled herself into a sitting position, and glared up at the man with fear and defiance. Then she nodded once. She understood what the man was saying. But understanding and acceptance were two very different things. Seirei understood what the man expected of her...and knew that he would be able to take it whether she cooperated or not. But that didn't mean that she had to like it. Or make it easy for him. Escape was also a possibility in the future. Seirei knew that she wouldn't be able to survive alone out in the Sea of Grass for long, but she could learn. Lian did say she'd be able to learn new skills, after all. Maybe she could learn what she needed to know in order to escape. Escaping with a trade caravan was another possibility. Come summer, there would be a lot of them in Endrykas. If she was given the opportunity to earn money while she was Lian's captive, maybe she could save it up and buy passage on one of the caravans when they left. Her own caravan had taken on passengers who were able to pay their way from time to time. Others likely would as well. She might even be able to join a caravan if she could show them that she'd be an asset to them. "I understand." Seirei said softly as she stood slowly. Seirei would cooperate...sometimes. Other times she would resist as much as she could. She knew that the outcome would be the same either way, but she hoped that she'd be able to keep Lian off guard. If she succeeded, he would hopefully not notice any signs of her making plans to escape until she was long gone. Her plans would take time. Trying to escape before she had the money and skills needed to get her out of Endrykas and to another city safely would only get her killed. But the goal would also give her hope. She would have something to keep her going when she wanted to give up. Something to live for when life didn't seem to be worth living anymore.

[Khida]

Seirei

Skill	Points
Investigation	+1
Planning	+1
Observation	+3
Socialization	+1
Unarmed Combat	+1

• Chisel: basic carving tool
• Contributing for the good of all
• Endrykas: struck by illness and Zith
• Endrykas: taking captives to increase numbers
• Mallet: another carving tool
• Planning: anticipating future opportunity
• Yvas: unique to the Drykas

Lian Windrunner

Skill	Points
Hunting	+1
Intimidation	+2
Observation	+2
Riding	+1
Tracking	+1
Webbing	+1

• Hunting: prey comes to he who waits
• Hunting: shifts in the wind carry scent
• Intimidation: the advantage of greater strength
• Riding: leading another on foot
• The sounds of birds are a sign of safety
• Tracking: horse prints are larger than deer
• Tracking: rabbit footprints
• Webbing: sensing one unconnected

Notes

Seirei got dealt all bad cards this day, clearly! Poor girl. Looking forward to seeing how she copes with all this upheaval. Lian, one small thing: horse and deer prints also have different shapes, but I couldn't award that lore because he didn't explicitly notice. Other than that, good description of his study of tracks.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM. Also, Seirei, please edit your request to show this thread has been graded.