Closed [Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

[Jeremy Casing]

46th Spring, 515AV

Dear Mr. Casing,

I apologise for the informality of this letter, but I urgently request your services. We have recently attained a new horse to our stables, and though we don't know her history, it is quite plain that she has suffered great mistreatment and abuse.

None of our stable hands have been able to approach the mare since her arrival two days ago, and we are all seriously concerned for her health.

I desperately ask for you to visit us as soon as you can.

Sincerely,

Serena Windmount
of Windmount stables, Syliras.

-----


Although the letter was folded away into Jeremy's bag, its message was very much at the forefront of his mind. The Kelvic could only imagine what state the mare in question was in, or what horrors she had been victimised to. It made his blood boil, made him bare his teeth like a rabid dog. But such overwhelming emotions would not do for now. He needed to stay calm and to keep his head clear, for the sake of this mare.

"Your employee's letter sounded desperate," he said to the young lad who had delivered the message to him. The adolescent had claimed to be one of the stable hands of the Windmount stables, and had also come with a spare horse for Jeremy. The pair now rode beside each other.

"She is," the younger male confirmed with a brief nod of his head. "I've never seen a mare like it before, and I've spent my life around horses."

Their conversation ended at that. Jeremy was not the most natural of riders, and so he decided to dedicate his attention to not falling off his mount. But in the back of his mind, he feared for what state his new patient would be in. If none of the other horsemen and women at the stables could deal with her, the mare must surely be in a dire state. They had decided to request his services due to his gnosis, Jeremy guessed. Caiyha had blessed him with the ability to communicate with her flora and fauna, and as an animal healer this gave Jeremy an edge to his competition.

"We should speed up, yeh?" The lad suggested, before kicking his mount into a canter.

Jeremy nodded and did the same. His posture was stiff and uncomfortable, and the Kelvic bounced awkwardly as the horse sped up. Laying his palm on the gelding's neck, he silently apologised in Nura for his poor riding. The horse nickered a reply, conveying to Jeremy a sense of understanding and sympathy.

Twenty or so chimes later, the Kelvic and boy arrived at the stables. Jeremy dismounted his horse with an impressive lack of elegance and style - he was sure he heard the young stable hand snigger as he hopelessly slid down and off his saddle. But his lack of horsemanship no longer mattered. Passing the reins to the stable hand, Jeremy enquired where he would find the mare.

"She's in her own pen, at the back. Tanna will show you the way."

Jeremy looked to where the lad was pointing to - a blonde-haired female who appeared to be waking away from them both. After thanking his young companion, the Kelvic moved on, walking briskly after his new guide. "Excuse me!" He called out, breaking into a slow jog until he stood at her side, "I was told you could show me the way, please. I received a letter about a troublesome mare?" His face was sharp with professionalism, and those unnerving golden eyes watched her face with intense seriousness.

[Tanna]

The skies were dark and had been that way since the day prior but, just as it had yet to dampen the ground, Tanna had yet to let it dampen her spirits.

“Good, good, good... easy now. Good.” Her voice cooed across the paddock as the two year-old Tiadan Warhorse she was working with continued in a canter around her. Pursing her lips with a furrow of her brow, as she noticed the gelding slow, she blew two sharp whistles from the centre of the paddock where she stood and side-stepped to try and position herself in a place that might encourage the gelding to pick up its place.

Erring on the way she had stepped, the horse tossed its shiny black head and turned abruptly, causing a sudden and worried, oh to leave the Drykas. Despite the mess up, the horse did resume its canter - albeit in the opposite direction - and Tanna cooed once more as the horse picked up its pace. It won't be long now until there's a saddle on you, she mused as she turned in circles, following the gelding's eyes with her own. The Drykas was happy to see the young gelding taking to the fitness regime and ground work she had been putting it through as well as it was and she hoped her efforts would not be in vain.

Waiting until the horse slowed again, she once more issued those encouraging coos in Pavi – a terrible habit she had yet to break, these growing to solid words as the horse dropped its head and then, eventually, advanced towards her. She was rewarding the gelding with a good pat on the neck and a solid rub of its head and forlock, uttering cutesy nonesensicals all the while, when she heard the commotion and both horse and human snapped their attention towards the stable's entrance.

“Woah, easy... Everything is okay, yeah?” She turned her attention back to the horse, smiling as she uttered more soothing words while rubbing its thick, glossy black neck. However, she could sense that things were not alright. Despite this, she did her best to keep these thoughts away while with the horse, her eyes scanning the area around her until she spotted a groom trying his best to be busy as he pushed the earth around with a rake. She called to him and waved him over once she got his attention.

The young man trotted over, eager to have something to do, and Tanna was quick to fill his hands with the gelding's rope. “Here, get him back to the stables. He needs watering and a brush down.” The boy nodded and was about to start back when he hesitated and then looked back at the Drykas.

“Do you know what's going on?”

Tanna shook her head as she looked back to where the noises were coming from, distracted momentarily, before asking the same in kind, “Do you?” Her brown eyes trained on the young groom and she fought a frown when he shook his head and shrugged.

“No matter. Get this boy back.” She gave the gelding a final pat on its neck before the groom did as asked, leading the horse away and leaving Tanna free to investigate.

Jogging towards the source of the commotion, she quickly saw that things were amiss. Two stablehands were darting within a pen, either desperate to contain or avoid the frantic horse within, as a malnourished horse nickered in distress. It hurt Tanna to hear.

Spotting Serena, she approached the woman, bobbing her head in greeting as she came to the woman's side, “What is the matter?” Her hands moved for emphasis, adding to the concern in her voice.

“The mare was brought in last bell.. wild as anything. I'm pretty sure whoever had her last treated her with a heavy hand.”

This caused Tanna to furrow her brow quizically. She had never understood how someone could mistreat an animal, let alone a horse, “How did you get her?”

Serena was distracted and called out sharply to the stablehands, urging them out and they scattered over the fence immediately. She put a hand on the Drykas' shoulder and utter a low, “Stay here” before stepping away.

Tanna watched as the woman approached her cousin. She hadn't noticed him until now and she quietly observed how the two interacted before her attention returned to the mare. The horse had moved to the far end of the pen, as if trying her hardest to put as much distrance between herself and the humans that lingered nearby, and a frown once more turned Tanna's usually smiling lips into a frown.

Finally, Serena returned, briefing Tanna in a quick and clinical manner, her eyes also trained on the horse, “Ulliver brought her here. I sent for some added help...” The woman then turned to face the Drykas as she addressed her further, “See to it he has all the help he needs when he arrives.”

Tanna nodded, “Of course,” and then watched as Serena returned to speak with her cousin. Tanna, in turn, started slowly towards the pen, making sure to stay to the side of the horse no matter the distance between them. Signing deeply, she uttered softly, “Easy, girl... we just want to help you.” The mare only looked on.

–----

By the time Jeremy arrived, the mare and been transported to the far barn and Tanna was busy tending to other horse's needs. She had just finished a follow-up on a mare that had recently given birth and was on her way to where the Order kept their horses when she heard someone call out. Whirling around, she spotted the man trotting towards her and waited for him to catch up.

Hearing what he said, Tanna glanced off in the direction of the barn as she ran the back of her forearm across her dirty brow. It wasn't until she addressed a few wayward tendrils that had gotten free of the mess of braids she wore her hair in that she finally glanced back in his direction. “The mare is this way.” She motioned in unison with a tilt of her head, wave of her hand and shift of her body towards where she had looked not a chime before, her hard brown eyes never leaving him. Remaining still, her look became more serious, “And she is not 'troublesome', just..” she searched for an adequate word before simply saying, “hurt.”

With that, she took a step and motioned for him to follow, “Come, I show you..” Angling towards the barn, she remained unusually quiet for some time, her eyes set on what was ahead. However, she eventually broke the silence that had fallen between them, suddenly aware of her poor manners and standoffishness, “Sorry... I'm Tanna. I help Serena with the horses here.” She did her best to smile despite the seriousness of the situation they were about to face, “Serena did not tell me your name.”

Once a name was given, Tanna parroted it back to make sure she had the pronunciation right and then briefed him as she approached the barn door. “She is thin, too thin. So prepare yourself. And scared. No one has been able to handle her.” With that, she waved him past and followed him in.

Pavi • Grass-sign • Common • Tukant • Others

[Jeremy Casing]

"Ah. Yes. You're right. Troublesome is the wrong word." The Kelvic said with a pained wince. How was it that he always managed to say something inappropriate?

Because you're more familiar with conversing with plants and animals than people. A scathing voice whispered in the back of Jeremy's mind. For the time being, he ignored it.

He hurried after the blonde woman, glancing sideways to casually inspect the rest of the stables' residents. The other horses seemed incredibly well cared for and happy, some of them even nickering and snorting in an apparent greeting to the two passers-by. "Oh yes. I'm Jeremy." He offered in response, throwing Tanna a brief smile that failed to reach his intense bird-like gaze.

But even his fleeting smile dissolved instantly at the woman's description of the mare. He would indeed prepare himself, as she had suggested, but nevertheless Jeremy's heartstrings were tugged at. The very idea that someone had purposefully starved an animal disgusted him more than he would ever be able to describe. Jeremy responded with a solemn nod, taking in a sharp breath before following Tanna into the barn.

The mare was indeed thin - far too thin - but that wasn't the first thing that struck Jeremy; it was her skittishness. Immediately as the pair approached her pen, she backed away in a twitching, nervous manner. Only when she had skittered away and presented them with her flank, did Jeremy notice her other wounds.

Several skinny pink lines marked her rump. Some were well faded, but others looked fresh and extremely painful. Jeremy guessed they were from a particularly harsh and frequently cracked whip. Her front two knees were also both inflamed and stained with dried blood. "She's been mistreated, alright." He murmured quietly, as if the poor status of the mare needed such a confirmation. Clicking his tongue, he shook his head and asked the mare in a quiet voice, "what did they do to you?"

He would hopefully answer his own questions at a later point, but for now he needed to move on, to start giving the mare her much needed rehabilitation. Glancing to Tanna, Jeremy spoke in the same low voice: "It would be ideal if you could stay here with us, please. I can try to work with her and-" he paused, quite aware of how strange his next sentence would sound, "-then I can introduce you to her so she will hopefully trust you as well." His gaze moved slowly from the mare to the woman, and he gave an apologetic nod in the former's direction, "is that alright with you?"

Without further notice, Jeremy began to unbutton his shirt. The cotton shift slid off his shoulders to reveal his skinny form underneath, very pale and very angular. The gnosis mark on his left forearm was the only tattoo on his otherwise pure-looking body. As he picked up his shirt and draped it neatly over his bag, the Kelvic threw Tanna an apologetic look, "Sorry. It just... " once again he stumbled over how best to word himself. If his body hadn't been quite so milky-looking or skinny, he probably wouldn't have worried about explaining his toplessness quite so much. Nevertheless, he gestured to his bare chest before saying, "... it might help to get physical contact between myself and her."

[Tanna]

The Drykas-born had only grimaced gently to his initial reply and equal wince, wide lips held in a tight line as her eyes had softened. They had both erred in one way or another and Tanna found herself looking to him for forgiveness; she hadn't realised how harsh she might have sounded, having been far too preoccupied with the welfare of the mare they spoke of. She had immediately sensed he had meant no ill-will with his wording. If anyone knew anything about poor wording it was her and she quietly sympathised with him as they had walked.

Now, within the barn, she found herself studying him with fresh eyes. Perhaps it was due to being raised alongside horses by a people that revered them but Tanna always felt a twinge of apprehension when dealing with human - or as human as she could see - horse handlers. It wasn't so much that she felt she knew more about the four-legged animal - because she knew she was still much the novice, but that she had such a deep respect for the animal and generally felt so in tune with them that she took personal grievance when others did not handle them with the same respect and admiration. These creatures were not just things to the Drykas and she felt this man felt the same. Her suspicions were confirmed soon after.

Touched when he spoke directly to the mare, as if it were only the two of them present, she gingerly stepped towards him until she stood at his side, watching him quietly as he continued his assessment. It felt wrong to speak, to interrupt the bond he was set on creating with this poor horse, and so she remained silent and at his side, ready to lend a hand if asked.

And he did ask.

Her spirits lifted at his wording and it was evident in her eyes as she nodded, hopeful and eager, not finding anything he spoke of as strange. Instead, it seemed quite the opposite to her and she watched the exchange between horse and man. It made her soul sing and, at last, she spoke once more, "Of course!" Noticing she sounded a touch too eager, she did her best to rein herself in before her attention returned to the mare, "If you are willing.." Letting her gaze linger for a moment, she then glanced back to the man, "I'm happy to stay here with you both and do what I can."

With that, her attention shifted back to the skittish horse, her expression changing, growing drawn with concern. Yet her renewed sense of hope lingered and filled her gentle words as she spoke once more in Pavi out of habit, hands moving in unison, "There, there, beauty. It will be okay. We'll get you some sweet carrots and tart apples.. Hm?" She bent at the knee to lower herself gingerly, attempting to seem as non-threatening as possibly all the while trying to maintain the poor horse's gaze, "How does that sound? Good? Yummy treats and nice soft feed. We'll get you good and fat." Her lips spread into a broad smile that touched every inch of her face, yet it was bittersweet, "No more harm will come to you."

She had noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye as she had spoken to the mare but hadn't paid him much mind so she was mildly surprise once she glanced back over her shoulder to see he had shed his shirt. Hardly prude and never shy of skin, her brows still rose at the sight since she simply hadn't expected it - nor had she seen so much pale and unblemished skin. It was something new, different, and perhaps her eyes looked more curious than they should have as she took in the sight of him. She was not surprised by his build since it seemed to match his face - instead, she took keen interest in the mark on his forearm and her brows drew together as she eyed it.

His words drew her attention back to him and she offered him a gentle smile; although a different strategy than one she had ever applied to dealing with horses, Tanna was never one to discard the need for touch. Shaking her head, her words were soft and genuine, "No need for sorry. Touch is good. I hope it works." With that, she glanced back towards the horse and slowly straightened back to her full height. She was interested in seeing what he did next, always eager to learn something new. "Is there thing I can do while you do.." She then motioned with her hand at the air between him and the horse, looking to help however she could, "I can get blanket or feed.. or something else?

OOCI am so so sorry for the wait!! Thanks for your patience and hopefully this works <3

Pavi • Grass-sign • Common • Tukant • Others

[Jeremy Casing]

The Kelvic glanced with mild surprise when Tanna spoke in an unfamiliar language. Jeremy was by no means a linguist - by Kelvic standards, the fact he could read and write was impressive - so he could not attach a name to the language that airily seeped out of her lips. It had a pleasant sound, though, and he wondered whether it might be worth for a Phylonurist to speak in more than one tongue.

More than two tongues, he reminded himself with a glimmer of pride: and who needs any spoken language when you have Nura?

But Jeremy foresaw a challenge that was laid out in front of him. This damaged mare avoided all eye contact, showing her side and rear rather than her face. To communicate with her via Nura would be no easy task. But once Jeremy had broken down that first barrier, he hoped progress could be made more easily.

"I think you just being here will help." He replied softly, his eyes not moving from the skittish mare. He did not want to overwhelm the horse, but creating a bond between himself and her would only lead to troubles further down the line when it came to him leaving the stables. She needed to have someone more permanent to trust, "maybe we can get a blanket later on, but for now..."

He allowed the unfinished sentence to linger as he clambered over the fence to step into the horse's pen. She snorted quietly flattened her ears, making her slow and cautious way away from Jeremy. The Kelvic froze, considering how best to proceed. He could drop low, half-crawl over towards the horse and see how she reacted. But then she might perceive him as a dog, or some other vertically challenged threat. Plus, when it came to him standing to his full six-foot-plus height, she might find him even more intimidating.

So Jeremy moved slowly, shuffling his feet across the hay-covered floor as quietly and slowly as he could. He twisted his body around, baring his chest towards Tanna so he walked sideways towards the mare so he would appear even narrower. Having been the completely opposite of threatening for his lifetime, it was a foreign concept for Jeremy to consider himself as intimidating. Whereas anybody else would see a gangly pale man, this mare saw a source of potential torture and pain. It completely broke Jeremy's heart.

"I won't hurt you. I will not hurt you." He whispered, slowly reaching his hand out towards the mare. He was approximately ten feet from her, with each tiny step closing the distance.

At five feet, Jeremy held his breath and nibbled on his lower lip. She was watching him with a flickering gaze that did not focus on his eyes long enough for Jeremy to speak in Nura.

At three feet, the Kelvic spoke again. He uncurled his fingertips to reach further, straining towards the mare. "I promise you will not be harmed. You're safe." She replied with a snort and Jeremy allowed himself to finally exhale.
At one foot, she suddenly panicked and shied away, twisting herself around to trot to the opposite side of her pen. The whole proceedings had taken over ten chimes, and Jeremy dropped his arm to his side, head wilted dejectedly. He had been so close.

Wanting to give the mare at least some space, Jeremy returned to the gate, but remained on the opposite of it to Tanna. "Went better than I expected," he admitted, "but it's going to take a while I think."

[Tanna]

The Drykas perked at the man's encouraging words and nodded as he spoke, her voice low and hushed, “Right. Later.” With that, she watched as he climbed into the mare's pen and inched towards the fence. Resting her arms upon it, her eyes flickered to and fro between the pair, observing the man's mannerisms with keen interest. Serena would not have sent for just anyone, that much Tanna knew from what time she had spent with the woman. This meant that this man, Jeremy, had considerable skill and Tanna was set on trying to learn from him in any way possible – even if it meant simply observing his movements and the ways in which he engaged and dealt with the horse.

Folding her arms onto the top of the fence, she leaned slightly into them. She honestly couldn't think of a time where she had ever been in a situation like this nor could she fathom why someone would do such a thing. No morals, the Drykas thought. Certainly someone with any inkling of compassion would not have it in them to physically harm an animal like a horse. Granted, Tanna had a hard time justifying any form of violence or abuse, but that was another matter entirely. For now, the blonde tried to wrap her head around it all. The Drykas did have an annual race in Winter; although whips were used, she couldn't recall anyone ever causing bodily harm to a horse. It would have been counter-productive – not to mention an action that would draw the ire of the Gods. As a gift from Semele and Zulrav, Tanna couldn't imagine a Drykas ever hurting a Strider – or any horse – on purpose. All this thinking caused a deep furrow to form between his freckled brows.

Tanna's breath hitched as she watched him inch closer and closer, her own heartbeat starting to build as he closed the gap between himself and the horse. Oh, how she hoped he would be successful! As naïve as it was to think it could be that easy, the Drykas couldn't help but hold out hope and whispered words to Syna under her breath as she shut her eyes, shutting out the world for but the briefest of moments in a bid to gain the Goddesses aid.

“Syna, golden one, joy and light,
please be here now. Cast your
love and light down on us. Help
us see. Bring peace to this horse,
help her feel joy once again...
Show us how to help, be with us
as we try..”

With that, she slowly opened her eyes and took note of the scene before her: Jeremy was so close and the horse had yet to shy away -- there was still hope! Glancing up to the nearest window she could find, she smiled at the broken bits of light that pierced through the thin gray clouds, hitting the dust motes and making them look like glitter. This only furthered her hope.. until she heard a sound. Faint at first and barely audible, she found her eyes turning upward as the sound grew steadier. Rain.

It was as if, on cue, the mare jerked and twisted, effectively sending herself towards the opposite end of the pen. Tanna's heart sank.

She saw how Jeremy reacted and her heart went out to him. How shattered he had to be after being so close. Signing heavily, Tanna's gaze swept back to the poor mare. She could not give up - they could not give up. Surely that had to be decent progress considering what she had witnessed earlier with the other stablehands. She offered the warmest smile she could muster as he regarded her, sympathising, before offering a few encouraging words, “You were so close. I'm sure she must sense you mean no harm.. will let you closer to her without bolting next time.” As if for emphasis, she gave a deep bob of her head.

Curious, she leaned forward, head tilting as she kept her eyes on his face, “Have you seen horses in this way before? Worked with others like this?” Then, before even allowing him a chance to answer, her eyes returned to the horse, her words softer despite her incredulous tone, “I do not know how someone could do harm to such a beautiful creature. And not feed it..” Then, with all the childlike innocence she possessed, she turned her eyes on him and asked, “How can you not feed a- a-..” She was struggling now due to her emotions but she knew it would not do to let them get the better of her, “A companion animal. A living thing. And to hurt it.” With a deep breath, she managed to reel her emotions back in while tucking a few wayward tendrils that had fallen free from her braid earlier behind an ear and then shook her head as if to shake such ideas from her mind. “Sorry.. I just.. I do not understand. I have never dealt with this before.”

Her gaze shifted, turning towards the barn door where she could see the light rain falling down. Drawing her lips into a tight line, she gently pushed away from the fence, careful not to make any sudden movements or sounds for the mare's sake. Taking a few steps away, she ran her hands over her face before finally turning around to face him, offering a small smile, “You did good, then. Got so close. I will be here until you are success.. and celebrate with you. Give her apples and carrots.” The warmth returned to her smile and lit her eyes as they flickered back to the mare, “And lots of pats and love once you let us.”

Pavi • Grass-sign • Common • Tukant • Others

[Jeremy Casing]

The Kelvic's creamy body was slick with a film of sweat. He was nervous, stressed. He would need to rid these emotions from his mind before he approached the mare again. Animals in general, and particularly those who'd been abused, were intensely sensitive to the emotions of others. They were quick to learn what anger looked like, and the rest of the emotional spectrum subsequently fell into place.

He managed a brief smile though, when Tanna spoke. Her presence had almost slipped his mind when he'd been in the pen. All of Jeremy's concentration, in fact every inch of being, had been focused wholly on the mare. His desire to help her had come second only to the disappointment of his failure. "I think she just assumes that everyone means her harm." He murmured, voice low and calm.

It was all so tragic; a beautiful horse beaten and neglected into a state of paranoia and constant fear. She trusted nobody. Perhaps in the fainest realms of her memory was a man or woman who had hugged her neck and fed her carrots. But now, the whips and pinches and taunts dominated her mentality.

"I don't understand it either." He said eventually, shrugging. Jeremy glanced behind himself, to the mare, before turning back to face Tanna. And for the first time, he truly considered what she had just said. It was a rare thing for Jeremy to be touched by the words of a fellow two-legs. He, not unlike the mare, had been victim to the more... brutal side of humanity. Though he was far from a victim of abuse, Jeremy was also slow to trust, but quick to question. But the blonde Drykas seemed to have the purest, most compassionate intentions he'd seen in a long time. For once, the Phylonurist would be comfortable in knowing that his four-legged patient would be left in hands as caring as his own. It was touching, attractive and promising all at once.

Leaning on the fence, Jeremy inhaled deeply. His sharp eyes came to a close and he tried yet again to steady his nerves. Eventually, he opened them, but did not move from his resting place. "Thank you." His voice was a whisper. "I appreciate the support. And the promise of celebration. I'll hold you to that." A flickering of a smirk played on his lips, temporarily softening the angularity of his entire face. But then the smile melted away and Jeremy frowned. A pensive thought had taken over his mind, dissolving his previous hopefulness and positivity. "I just hope to the Gods I actually help her. What if I do her even more harm?" His teeth grazed his lower lip. It was a rare thing for the Phylonurist to share doubts such as these, but in this instance all pretences were dropped.

[Tanna]

Nodding once more in agreement to the man's words, the Drykas sent one final look in the skittish mare's direction. That poor creature.

She found herself not knowing what to say – a rare occurrence, to be sure – and she blinked while staring, unfocused, at the junction of a post and the ground. Her face twisted with her thoughts and she racked over ways she could help, ways they could help, and she found herself at an utter loss. Slowly, she returned to the fence, drawing close to him out of habit, and settled herself against it so her elbow was not even an inch from his. “So it is odd then.. rare?” Hopeful, she turned to fully regard him, unfettered by the intensity of his eyes or the sharpness of his face, “This kind of.. treatment. Have you seen it often?”

She paused for a moment, gaze trailing over his right forearm, taking in the markings upon it and musing over the ink; hardly a windmark, it still got her thinking of her people and she slowly glanced out towards the mare, “Where I come from.. it is a -” she hesitated, unable to think of a Common equivalent to the word she wanted to use and sighed, fearing the word she chose might not express the severity of what she spoke of, “- a bad thing,” her hands moved despite dangling precariously from the way her arms crossed, as if attempting a further expressive gesture, “to harm a horse. They send people away to the Sea, alone..” She paused for another chime before adding for emphasis, as if to clarify what it meant to be exiled in the grasslands, brows perking as her head nodded gently with her words,“To their death.”

With that, her eyes swept back to his pointed face, “I guess.. if no punishment..” She was trying to get at something, grasping at what she was slowly learning about the differences in the society she came from and the one she lived in now but she couldn't make out an effective way to surmise what she felt. Instead, she went quiet again, head tilting as she listened to him.

Lowering her chin to the back of her hands, she swept her gaze up to him once more and just managed to catch that fleeting smirk which issued forth a small but warm smile from her own lips. “No need for thanks.. it is good what you are doing. What you do.” Her words were heartfelt, as they always tended to be, as she was the sort to always act without pretense. With that being said, she slowly straightened back up, arms straightening and bracing her against the top rail of the fence as her smile broadened, causing a dimple in her cheek as he touched on her mention of a celebration. She flashed him a grin then, big teeth showing, “Of course.”

However, as the mood changed, her own face did the same, especially as he doubted himself. For the first time, she saw the professional air in which he had held himself to since they met slip. With a brows creased in concern, she moved a hand gingerly towards his upper arm out of habit, her words soft, encouraging, “You will not cause her harm. I know it.” Pausing to allow the sincerity of her words to sink in, she eventually added, “She will learn soon that you are good and will be good to her. Maybe just need to sit with her in pen, let her get used to you. Your scent, your look, your sound. Let her see you are no threat.”

Her brown eyes widened suddenly as she pushed away from the fence, ready to rush right out of the stable before she paused abruptly. “Stay. I have something.” Her hands moved with her words, graceful motions: I will be back.

With that, she slipped out of the stable and headed directly to where she had left her possessions, long strides carrying her over the damp grounds as the rain continued to fall. Reaching the stable where she kept her stash, she crouched down near one of the benches and fished her pack out from under it and immediately hurried back to where she had left the mare and the man. With a skip to her step, she couldn't resist splashing through some of the puddles that had formed, a smile stretching across her lips as she jumped from one to another.

Now partly drenched, boots water logged and the lower half of her pants soaked, she returned to him, grinning like a child as bits of her now soggy blonde hair stuck to her face. Hastily shoving them back and away, she procured an apple from her pack and rubbed it against her rain-spotted shirt before offering it to him, “Here. Maybe she will respond to food better. Offer treat to show you will not harm her? You are just good thing with good treat.” With that she beamed, brimming with new found hope.

Pavi • Grass-sign • Common • Tukant • Others

[Jeremy Casing]

Jeremy had no clue as to whether such animal neglect was rare or not. He hoped it would be. He hoped the mare before him now was the only victim of such maltreatment. But common sense told him this was not the case. Some people were sick, evil almost. They enjoyed making others suffer. Jeremy had met some such people as a child: he remembered the face of Matthew Blecker, the boy who'd relentlessly bullied him. No doubt he'd grown into an ugly man, beating his wife and prostitutes from no good reason. "I've never seen it before, no. I hope I never do again."

There was a flipside to this statement. Jeremy had indeed never seen such a neglected animal before, but that rendered him inexperienced. Likewise, he hoped that if another beast was treated so poorly, it was to him the animal came. Witnessing the skittishness of the mare solidified his desire to work with Caiyha's creatures, to heal them and comfort them.

"Where you come from sounds like a place with the right thinking." He muttered, clicking his tongue with frustration. Why was Syliras different to wherever Tanna originated from? Those who harmed a horse needed to be punished. A life for a life. It seemed fair.

Her gentle reassurance bought a faint smile to Jeremy's mouth. He truly appreciated it. The touch to his arm was unexpected - few people reached out to him physically. But it too, earned a genuine smile. His skin prickled under her hand.

And then she departed; briefly waving her hands in some gesture that Jeremy could only assume meant something in her native tongue. His brows furrowed ever so slightly as the Kelvic decided that he'd ask his companion about what exact language that was. Perhaps, if she would be so generous, Tanna would be willing to teach him a few words. Learning a new language would be handy, to say the least.

Jeremy turned towards the horse, his back resting on the gate he'd previously been leaning on. She skittered nervously back and forth, ears back, tail flicking. As before, she watched him without meeting the Kelvic's eye. In turn, is stomach knotted and hearted lurched up his throat. He was desperate to help her. Every inch of the Phylonurist's being desired to ease her pain, to move the burden off her shoulders and onto his own.

Jeremy caught himself deep in thought by the time Tanna appeared. She was sodden, her clothes and hair sticking to her skin. And yet the woman smiled. Resilient, Jeremy thought with a flickering smile.

"An apple." He looked down to the fruit a little dumbly, only realising what he was to do with the apple after she'd spoken. And when he smiled again, his eyes rolling minutely as he chastised his own stupidity. "Of course. Good idea!" He took the fruit and raised it to his nose, inhaling the citrusy aroma. His mouth watered, but Jeremy restrained himself.

Then he turned back again, towards the mare and began to inch his way towards her. He moved in a wide arch, not wanting to bombard her with his direct presence too quickly. As previously, his arm was extended outwards, the apple clasped tightly in his hand. Jeremy moved slowly, quietly, but his feet scuffed the floor every so often. When this happened, the Kelvic winced and froze. The horse nickered and snorted quietly.

Slowly, he parted his lips and allowed quiet words to leak out his mouth. "Easy. Please. I want to help. Please." His voice dripped with desperation and hurt. Animals trusted him, liked him. But this mare had been surrounded by such pain and neglect that even Jeremy's gnosis concerned her, scared her. Silently, he prayed to Caiyha, Rak'keli, and all other deities just for good measure.

And then he began to move closer to the mare once again, inch my inch.

[Tanna]

It was impossible for her smile to get any wider as he praised her for her ingenuity and she practically glowed as she watched him smell it. She was close to teasing him that it was meant for the horse but he turned before she could.

She settled in quietly against the fence as he once more began his slow approach, watching with great reverence. Studying his motions, the way he approached with his arms wide-spread, how he moved his feet along with the many other small, subtle nuances pertaining to his posturing and body language and did her best to store it all away, hoping to remember it in case she might ever need to apply such actions in the future. As much as she truly hoped this was a rare thing – finding an animal in as bad a shape as this mare – she knew that it never hurt to have the knowledge to handle it if she ever did come across another case like this one.

It was as she was watching him that she noticed the colours that made up the tattoo that covered his forearm. She had noticed it before yet now, after having been staring intently at his form, noting every little twitch and shift of his body, she finally let her thoughts settle on it to dwell and ponder. She had not been able to make out any details of it and that remained the way of it now. It rested on his far arm and, to her, it only appeared to be various blacks of colours, almost like patchwork. She'd be sure to ask him about it once they both had the time.

Her breath hitch and her body tensed with each tiny, unintended scuff and scrape of his feet, the sound seeming that much greater now that all three of the barns occupants had fallen deathly silent. The nicker the horse gave made the Drykas think that maybe, just maybe, the mare might be more receptive this time.

Taking a slow, deep breath, she once more reached out to the Gods through her thoughts.

'Semele, earth mother, soften yourself beneath this mare's hooves;
Leth, proof of change, help us, tell us, reveal to us what must be done;
Syna, glow and glee, touch this mare as you have touched me, show
her joy and help her see;
Caiyha, witch of the wilds, look after your child, help us heal her
and keep her from Dira's grasp;
Zulrav, storm father, do what you must so that your touch might rustle
her mane once more.'

Having been staring, unfocused, she hadn't noticed how close he had gotten. Seeing this now, she hunkered down against the top of the fence, arms bent and chin settled upon a forearm. Part of her wanted to hide her eyes, fearing the horse might bolt again, but she could not look away. Oh, how she wanted this to go well – for the horse, for Jeremy, for herself.

OOCSorry for the lack of length D; leaving it up to you if the horse spooks or accepts

Pavi • Grass-sign • Common • Tukant • Others