Will you teach me to ride? (Merevaika)

[Ayetah]

13th of Winter, 514 AV
Just a couple days ago, Ayetah had made her first friend. Well, second but Ayetah considered the girl her first because she was the first person Ayetah was not forced to converse with. For the first time, she was able to speak with someone without choking up. At first, when she talked to Merevaika, she was nervous. But then she found she had a lot in common with the girl.

The drykas told Ayetah a lot about herself. Ayetah remembered Merevaika telling her that she did not really have family nor did she have many friends herself. The benshira vividly remembered the stories of the girl’s braids – no, not braids, wraps? Yes, wraps. She remembered the story of each wrap. Ayetah related to some of the stories too but did not tell Merevaika. It would be too painful. Besides, Ayetah wanted to see if she could trust the girl too.

And after belles of talking, she found that she could.

The entire morning, Ayetah debated if she should go see the girl again, talk to her. Madam left a lot and Ayetah was beginning to feel lonely. She had no company at all.

In the afternoon, she decided to go see Merevaika again. She remembered Merevaika offering to teach her how to ride a horse and Ayetah thought it would be the best move for her. Maybe the drykas would not see her as just ‘another foreigner’.

It was a good thing she remembered where Merevaika’s tent was located. It was not too far from where she was located and only took her a couple chimes to get there. Once she was located outside the tent of Merevaika, she called her. ”Merevaika? Are you here?”

OOCSorry it took so long and I’m sorry it’s so short.

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

Denviel was a warm, soft body, the body heat radiating from his thick fur body towards her own sleeping figure. Her blanket wrapped tightly around her, the only gap the small breathing hole. The tent was large, with even space for Eryunt to squeeze in during dangerous storms, but seemed oddly empty. Her horse preferred to sleep outside, a dark figure through the tent.

She had no plans to hunt that day, preferring to sit in the darkness. She ventured out occasionally, checking Eryunt, who too was half asleep. Merevaika retreated to the warm, sleeping through the day.

Denviel's ears pricked up, head raising. Merevaika, half awake noticed the sudden change, almost instinctively reaching for her bow. When she camped alone, Denviel would always warn her of approachong glassbeaks and other dangers. Although she was in Endrykas, she knew she still could be in danger, but the chance was low.

He approached the entrance, sniffing, growl ready. Then, all of a sudden, he calmed, ears dropping and tail settling into the usual wag. Not danger then. Most likely a passerby straying too close to the tent. She dropped the bow, before hearing a familiar voice call out.
"Merevaika? Are you here?"

Ayetah! So she had decided to return. Merevaika smiled. So she did have a friend, after all. "Coming," she answered, realising her hunger. She slipped on her cloak and boots, grabbing the rabbit's leg she had prepared earlier. Biting into it, she tore off the meat.

Merevaika emerged from her tent still chewing. Dropping the bone for Denviel, she pulled round her hair into a low side ponytail. "Ayetah! Why here?" she asked, before remembering what she had offered. Perhaps she wanted to learn to ride. Merevaika smiled, glad it had been taken up, "Ride? Do you have a horse?"

[Ayetah]

She was very happy when she saw Merevaika pop out her tent. It was good to see that she was actually there, in her tent. Ayetah wanted to smile but decided not to, it did not seem like the right time."Yeah... that's what I'm here for." She answered the first question with a calm tone.

"Well... no. I don't have horse. I do not know much about the best horse or where to get one." She bit her lip a bit. I still need a tent. She thought to herself. "I was hoping you could come with me... help find me a horse that would be suitable for me to ride."

"I know I won't be able to find myself a mount like yours but still... I would like to try."

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

"Well... no. I don't have horse. I do not know much about
the best horse or where to get one. I was hoping you
could come with me... help find me a horse that would be
suitable for me to ride," Ayetah said, biting her lip. Merevaika nodded.
"I know of good horse seller. Not too far. Sells good horses, good for beginner. But some more expensive." Merevaika nodded, placing her hand upon Eryunt as a symbol for him to follow her, "Then we go out, to plains and ride."

They made their way throught the tents to a small area at the very edge. Various horses of various colours and breeds stood around, grazing or snorting. An older man, scratchy blonde hair showing signs of grey, stood beside a young Seme, grooming her. He looked at them with surprise.
"Buy horse?" he signed, Merevaika gesturing a response. Then turning to common, added, "For Ayetah."

"Ayetah, look around. Try find a horse yourself. Trust instinct. Then I tell you if good? Yes. Some horses very expensive, or not for riding. Want a larger, older horse. Young may not be trained at all."

Merevaika stepped to the side, allowing the Benshira to examine the horses, launching into a conversation with the horse dealer. She kept Ayetah in the corner of her eye, watching her for any danger.

[Ayetah]

Ayetah followed Merevaika through the tents. This was not the first but the second time she has strolled through this place. Some people recognized her from the first time and smiled at her. That was all they could do since most of them didn't speak a lot of common and she could not speak Pavi like they did.

When they finally came to a stop, it was in front of a man with a beautiful horse. Ayetah was standing behind Merevaika. She found herself paying more attention to the horse, smiling at it as it was being groomed by the older gentleman. When Merevaika looked back at Ayetah, she quickly got rid of the smile.

"I can buy a horse?" She asked before stepping in front of her friend and walking pass the man. Behind him there was a beautiful field covered in snow. Horses stood about nuzzling the ground until a patch of green was visible and when it was, the horses would nibble on it."I don't know which one to choose. They're all so beautiful..." She tried her best to scan the field for a horse that would be suitable for her.

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

Merevaika nodded. All these horses would be hard to choose from. All so beautiful, with their own little quirks. She was lucky to have never needed to have choose one: Eryunt chose her, and before that she had never rode properly, only on her mother's horse or a pony led beside it. Ayetah was going through something Merevaika didn't have to do, so helping her was hard.

"Any suggestions? She is young, has never ridden before," she asked the man in Pavi, gesturing towards his horses. He nodded, striding over to a large Zavian, a chestnut, rump all white. The horse raised her head from the grass from which she was eating, wondering what the commotion was.

"Good horse," the man nodded, Merevaika agreeing, "14 years, pretty mare. Cheap too. Trained, gentle, experienced. Ideal for beginners."

Merevaika examined her closely. For a horse in the teens, the Zavian seemed extremely... old. Experienced perhaps. It was a good choice. "Ayetah? What do you think? If you don't feel a link, don't like her, just say. The mare is a good one, but she may not be for you."

[Ayetah]

For a moment, she did not understand what was going on. She looked to her new friend for guidance and although she did not understand pavi, she knew that Merevaika was asking the man for suggestions. One again lingering behind her friend, she followed both the man and Merevaika to a particular horse. A lovely chestnut colored horse with a short mane and bangs. The man said something about the horse but Ayetah could not understand. After he said what needed to be said, Merevaika spoke to Ayetah and she nodded. ”Let me… let me see.”

She bravely walked over to the horse with an almost serious look. She bravely put a hand out to touch the horse’s nose but the mare declined it, whinnying and blowing air before walking away. Ayetah was not hurt by this. Instead, she took it as a sign that the horse was not for her. ”She is a beautiful horse but obviously she is not for me.” She lowered her head shyly.

”Ask him if there are any other horses.”

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

The horse denied Ayetah, snorting some air a little, before walking away. The man nodded, already, although unknowingly, answering what Merevaika was going to ask him.
"Perhaps..." he muttered softly, walking around the field, approaching several horses. Merevaika told Ayetah not to follow, but to watch the horses, seeing if any drew her especially.

"Come," the man barked in Common, realising Ayetah's lack of knowledge of pavi. "This horse is a Kavinka Paintedmount. Maybe not the best suited, but could serve you well. I was given him by a man who had ridden all the way to Endrykas from Riverfall, just to die. Well trained, this one is. Although in pavi, but your friend can teach you."

He stroked the horse gently before side stepping to reveal the magnificent stallion. A black and white pinto, half faded into the snow, the other stood out. He stood head held high, trying to assume authority, his mane tumbling in glossy locks to one side.

Merevaika reached out to scratch him, but he snickered and pulled away. She looked a little confused at the man. "He's a bit stubborn. Don't know if it'll suit her. Doesn't like the smell of other horses on us people, makes him cautious. Best luck with him is beginners who don't smell horse!"

She nodded, turning back to Ayetah. "This horse?"

[Ayetah]

Ayetah did not trust this guy's judgement too much. The first horse he allowed them to see was not even interested in her and she bet the second one he would show them would be the same. Ayetah wondered if her friend told the man that she was a beginner. She was nothing like her friend who could probably ride each and every horse in that field and she hoped that the man knew that. Ayetah was inexperienced. She has never ride a horse before and had little experience with riding. Ayetah's first horse had to be perfect. This particular horse did not have to be the perfect mount but the perfect companion for Ayetah.

Merevaika told her nothing about the second horse they came across. She was not sure what it was at all. He or she was a very pretty color and almost looked like the perfect size for her. But when Merevaika reached out to pet him, Ayetah saw how he pulled away. She did not try to approach him. "No." She said coldly shaking her head and walking away from the man and Mervaika.

The benshira felt as if she could not trust their judgement anymore. If this was going be her horse, she needed to find the horse on her own. That's exactly what she did too, scanning the field once again to find her perfect match. She came across a few that she thought would be great for her and by herself, she approached them.

One horse was a lovely chestnut color with a black mane. Ayetah put her hand out to touch the horse and when she did, it rejected her by walking away on it's own. Another horse was the same color as the snow on the ground with grey spots and as soon as she approached the horse, it walked away. Not giving her much of a chance.

"They sense that I am not drykas..." The benshira came to a conclusion. She was beginning to feel a little hurt. "Merevaika, let's just go... I do not wish to embarrass myself anymore."

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

Ayetah seemed so negative about it. Merevaika understood: choosing a horse was hard, and for someone who had never even ridden, the right horse was essential. And Ayetah didn't seem to think that that horse was here.

She denied the horse without a second glance. Merevaika only wished that she had approached him, at least tried to see how he would suit her. She had watched how Merevaika had been denied, and assumed the same for her. "Ayetah... not every horse is right. Not for everyone. Don't give up hope. You'll find it," Merevaika said encouragingly, but the Benshira had already left.

She walked among the horses, Merevaika watching her almost strange behaviour. She approached the horses with not much thought. Most were wary, not wishing to startle it and get hurt. Ayetah had spirit, that was true. She just lacked fate.

"They sense that I am not drykas... Merevaika, let's just go... I do not wish to embarrass myself anymore," She sighed, hurt in her voice, but Merevaika strided up to her, denying her exit. She gestured to the horses, the many she hadn't looked at.

"Please... It might feel like that, but these horses want riders. Maybe want you. Please, stay. You'll find your horse, trust me. Just stay, " she smiled gently, "Shall I get the man?"