Closed [Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

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This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

[Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

Postby Jeremy Casing on June 2nd, 2015, 3:20 pm

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When had Jeremy last exhaled? It did not seem that long ago, but the burning sensation in his lungs told him otherwise. He refused to let himself give in, for fear of making some noise and startling the mare. But his eyes began to water, his extended arm shook weakly, the apple with it. When his vision began to blur, Jeremy realised that he needed to start breathing again or risk fainting.

Slowly, he allowed his lips to pucker and the Kelvic finally breathed out. Like a half-drowned man, his body lurged and he spluttered minutely, and subsequently froze. The horse made a low sound, stepping to the side and away from him.

Jeremy did not start moving again until he had finally got himself together. Cursing himself under his breath, he started his slow process once more. Step, pause, step, pause. He measured his breathing in ticks, slow and steady and ensuring he didn't make the same idiotic mistake again.

And yet Jeremy soon lost himself once more in the job. The desire to help this horse was second only to his need to do Caiyha proud. Soon the only two things that existed in the entire world were he and the mare, separated by a mere four or so feet. Everything else melted away. The seas could have swallowed up Syliras for all Jeremy knew. For all he cared, either. Only the mare mattered to him; his very existence depended on her wellness.

She moved sharply, half-rearing on her hind legs to avoid Jeremy's outreaching hand. But as she moved to the side, his fingertips brushed her flank.

The effect on horse and man was immediate and obvious. Jeremy inhaled sharply, his entire body tensing as his mind wasflooded with the mare's memories. Whips. Punches. Taunts. Kicks. Food being held towards her and then snatched away. Dogs trained to nip at her legs and hooves. Pieces of metal held over a fire before being streaked along her back. And, in the background of all these images, laughter. Male human voices laughing and saying things like piece of shit and dumb animal and even whore. In less than a tick, Jeremy understood exactly why this animal was so scared. Her whole life, her existence, had been limited to the cruelty she'd suffered. He saw their faces as well, but did not recognise them. Thankfully.

For the mare, the experience was quite different. The messages and emotions Jeremy conveyed did not compute with her previous experiences. Ideas such as healing and love were unfamiliar to her. Hands only bought pain, and yet here were two that were in some way comforting. His narrow fingers traced a circle in her coat, and the mare felt her own fear beginning to melt away.

The two of them broke the physical contact at the same time, each overwhelmed by what had just happened. Jeremy staggered back to Tanna, to the gate, like a drunk man. He'd felt and seen more torture and pain than he had ever expected.

He reached out with both hands, clasping Tanna by the arms in a desperate way. She was suddenly an island to him, and Jeremy was drowning in the pain and hurt of another creature. He willed the messages to be passed onto the woman; he couldn't take the burden alone and yet nor could he vocalise them. Putting what he had just learnt into words would not do the mare justice.

ImageBut alas, he found his own memory shut tight, like a padlocked door. Nura was the language of plants and animals, not man and woman. He blinked and slowly retracted his hands from Tanna's arm. Numbly, he said, "she has been hurt." His voice was ragged. "But come with me, to this side."
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[Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

Postby Tanna on June 3rd, 2015, 12:55 am

The blonde froze as she watched the mare rear. The display was not done as a threat – at least the Drykas woman did not believe so, the mare only rising up slightly onto her rear legs before twisting, doing her best to evade the oncoming human. Her heart sank in that instant as her hands gripped the top of the fence, knuckles growing white. He had been so close yet again and she felt for him, truly. She would not lose hope. They could not lose hope, she corrected herself. It would take time. The mare would need time.

But then something happened.

She wasn't sure if his fingers had actually managed to come into contact with the horse or not, the scene unfolding so quickly before her eyes, but she thought he might have gotten his hands on her, if but for the briefest of moments. Her spirits lifted as her hearts felt like it was being jostled about by raging waters, rising and falling within her chest.

She straightened as she watched him approach, welcoming him with a warm, hopeful smile as she drew her hands together, resting them atop the fence. Her voice rose before he reached her, her excitement evident, “
So close again. You will be-” but she paused, swallowing the word success back down as she saw the look in his eye and noticed the tension in his body. His pale slim frame was taut, every svelte muscle tensed and strained. His face was no better, his odd coloured eyes amplifying the horrified expression that skewed his sharp features. She felt her jaw grow slack as her brows drew together in concern.

Oh no.

Something was terribly wrong.

Her eyes widened as he gripped her shoulders, this being the last thing she expected, and her jaw clenched as she tilted her head up, keeping her eyes on his face. There was so much pain in his look; she instinctively moved her hands to his elbows, touch gentle and comforting as they slid around to his upper forearm, holding him. Her thumbs swept over his corded forearms, worry plain on her face.

She could not sense the troubling things he was desperately trying to pass to her – the horse's memories; all she could see was his own pain and she squeezed his arms as he spoke. Nodding, she swept one hand away and laid it on his cheek as she nodded, “
I know.. but it is ok. You can help her. We can help her. There is hope still.” Her lips pulled into a small, soft smile as her head tilted, eyes seeking his own. Surely he still believed.

She did as he asked without hesitation, her eyes remaining on him as she moved. She knew not why he made the request, or the reason for the urgency in his voice, but she trusted him and only looked away to unlatch the gate. Stepping in, she glanced back towards the horse and couldn't help the puff of a chuckle that left her as she saw the mare munching away at the apple that had been forgotten, left to rest on the ground. Moving towards his side, she motioned discreetly towards the horse,
look there, her smile growing.

Reaching a hand to his arm once more in a warm gesture of support, she asked gently, leaning into him as she looked up to his face “
Are you okay?” She let her gaze linger, let that answer hang in the air before she finally blinked and looked off towards the horse. Still remaining close, her words remained low and hushed, “What can I do..” her eyes swept back to his again, lips drawn wide and tight as she spoke with earnest, “How can I help?

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[Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

Postby Jeremy Casing on June 3rd, 2015, 8:43 am

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He barely felt her fingers brush his face and arms, though sometime later, the Kelvic would touch those places gently, trying to rekindle the warmth and affection of someone else's touch.

Jeremy's attention and consciousness snapped back as he realised Tanna now stood beside him, the other side of the gate to where she had been previously. His vision was bleary, still dominated by the memories he'd received from the mare. They were burnt into his own mind now, into the back of his eyes like sunspots.

He turned stiffly around, following another of the woman's flourishing gestures. His amber eyes settled to the mare, who had all but swallowed down the remainder of her apple. A smile slowly formed on his thin lips. It reached his eyes, creased them softly. His entire demeanour and face relaxed and the Kelvic finally exhaled slowly, deflating himself at last.

Slowly, he responded to her questions, tongue thick and movements slow as if he were moving through syrup. "I think she trusts me. Or... at least knows that I won't hurt her like the others did." He swallowed, blinked, and then continued. "But we need her to trust you, as well. And it's better to achieve that sooner rather than later."

He took a step forward, but indicated with a stretch of him arm that Tanna should remain behind him. They did not want to overwhelm the horse with the sudden presence of two people. She was still very much aware of their movements, watching them with dark eyes. Though now her movements were less jittery, less terrified.

Jeremy moved forward, shifting as quietly as he had done so before. The horse snorted, stomped her hooves, but did not move away. He approached her left side flank, where he'd previously touched her. Again, Jeremy murmured quiet words of trust and affection to the horse, until once again he was touching her, and those memories all came flooding back.

He was instantly overwhelmed again, but this time Jeremy measured his breathing. He forced himself to try and stay grounded, instead of floating away with the pain and abuse as he'd done the time before. With his spare hand, he reached backwards, searching out for Tanna's hand and clasping it. The Kelvic said nothing, but his gold eyes moved from mare to Drykas, and he indicated to Tanna that she too should touch the horse, to introduce herself to the animal in a physical way.

Trust. Promise.

ImageHe sent these emotions and vows to the mare as he raised his other hand, landing Tanna's palm onto the horse's flank. A tense moment ticked by, but the mare did nothing but nicker gently and turned her head around to look upon the man and woman touching her now. Jeremy passed Tanna a silent, thankful smile that was as much as a prayer as it was a friendly gesture.
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[Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

Postby Tanna on June 10th, 2015, 6:38 am

Her countenance shifted yet again once she heard him speak of the horse trusting him, hope ever present as a small, warm smile touched her lips. Perhaps she had read everything wrong all along. Perhaps whatever exchange the two had had during Jeremy's last attempt had been more positive and fruitful than she had noticed.

She merely nodded in agreement at what he said next, waiting for his cues and following his direction as he motioned for her to stay behind him. She worked hard to mirror his movements, her steps agonisingly slow and careful as she eased her way towards the horse, taking care to make as little noise as possible while appearing as non-threatening as she could.

The Drykas froze in place as the mare snorted and pawed at the ground and she locked her eyes on the horse, watching it, studying it, waiting. She observed the mare's posturing, the way its ears were turned forward - alert - rather than flattened or pinned as if distressed. The mare also seemed fine with keeping its head low - tolerance - rather than raised and these two things made the blonde relax before she resumed her movements. From what she could tell, the mare seemed far more subdued and even seemed to accept their presence, a stark change from just a chime earlier. Questions flooded the woman's mind but they were interrupted the moment he took hold of her hand.

She had been so focused on the mare that she had lost sight of him and hadn't even realised he had reestablished his connection with the horse until now. Her eyes flickered over him as he drew her forward and her steps were stiff despite her compliance. It was only as he pressed her hand against the mare's left flank that she peeled her eyes from the side of his face to view the horse once more. Her breath hitched at the sight and a silly cough of a laugh left her as her lips spread wide in a mix of astonishment, relief and joy.

If asked earlier in the day if this would have been possible, she would have reluctantly said 'no'. She had never encountered a horse with so much fear and pain in her lifetime and it had scared her to think that this animal might not have been able to be helped. Not that she was the sort to give up, but given how even seasoned handlers had failed in trying to establish some form of contact, it was safe to say that Tanna had expected it to be a long and arduous task to get to where they were now. And yet he had managed in two attempts. Had she been hopeful in wanting it to have happened so soon? Of course. She'd be the first to admit she was child-like in her hopes and dreams. However, she was a Drykas and a realist at her core; although she had blind faith in the two being successful at some point with the horse, she knew in her mind and heart that it would be no easy feat.

And yet...

"
How?" She hadn't intended on that word slipping forth from her lips but it did, tumbling carelessly from her tongue. It startled her to hear it, her thoughts materialising and she blinked before looking up at him, a tint to her cheeks. She hadn't meant to speak - for she did not doubt that something had been established between the pair - it simply eluded her as to how the mare had so suddenly accepted this man when, by all accounts, she did not seem to want a bar of anyone human. Perhaps it was the Gods.

"
I mean -- it is good." She paused and sent a sidelong glance towards the mare, "But she.. " her gaze shifted back to his face as her mind worked over it all, "But you." She shut her eyes tight and dismissed these questions with a small shake of her head, feeling rather foolish and rude, "I do not know. She just - it just seem so sudden."

Fearing she had made a gaff, her eyes ventured upward to seek his own, the colouring - and her imagination - only making his stare feel more scrutinising than it actually was. "
Not that I have issue. I am overjoyed with this..with her.." she paused only to gaze upon the mare, smiling openly as she now spoke to the horse, "with your acceptance of me." Awe was a better term, for she truly was in awe of it all, marvelling at the fact that this damaged mare had actually allowed her to lay a hand upon her flank. Praise the Gods.

With that, she attempted to recover herself, flashing a smile at him. She then slowly, tenderly ran her hand along the horse's flank as her dark eyes moved to meet the mare's. Keeping her energy as calm and warm as possibly, she tuned everything out as she focused fully on the mare, internally elated as she took a gentle sidestep, bringing her closer towards the mare's front. Gliding her hand gingerly over the mare's body, she watched the horse carefully, sensitive to any sign her touch might be unwelcomed or that the horse was feeling any discomfort with her presence.

Her smile only grew as her hand passed over the mare's shoulder but she drew it back cautiously as the mare gave that shoulder a shiver, hoof once more beating the ground. Her words were as gentle as her caress, "
Easy, girl.. It is okay. I am not going to hurt you.."

After a long tick, Tanna slowly reestablished contact, brushing her fingertips against the mare's neck to test the horse's tolerance. Sucking in a breath as the mare lowered its head and kept its ears forward, that child-like grin spread like a wildfire across her lips once more as she flattened her palm against the horse's skin, stroking its neck gently. A small giggle bubbled up as she turned, looking back at Jeremy, eyes bright.

So overcome with gratitude and joy, she twisted back to the mare, "
I will need to get you more of those apples." In her excitement, her words came out a rush.

OOCSo sorry for the delay. Trying to get back into the groove and get things moving -- hope this is ok!

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[Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

Postby Jeremy Casing on June 13th, 2015, 10:00 pm

The witch shot a crooked smirk in Tanna's direction, though his golden eyes remained transfixed on the mare. For him, the how of what had just happened was the easy part. The answer a simple, but divine name: Caiyha. The Goddess had allowed Jeremy to communicate with her creatures, and in cases such as this one, that in turn granted Jeremy with the gift of healing. Or at least, the ability of starting the healing process. For this mare, that would be a long, long process.

His creamy complexion flushed ever so minutely at the wonder and surprise in the Drykas' voice. Her admiration was of Caiyha's work, of course, but Jeremy could not help but feel a swell of pride in chest. Trying and failing to conceal his smile, the Kelvic briefly explained in a soft, tender voice. "This." He said simply, raising his left arm to show the complex gnosis mark that extended from his wrist to his elbow. "It works wonders, really." The blue river that flowed down his forearm shimmered in an invisible sunlight. Under the surface of this tattooed water, the murky shapes of fish swam silkily to and fro, each wavering like a mirage and bobbing in and out of view. It was a thing of beauty, and Jeremy's pride was really quite obvious.

He ran a flat palm down the mare's flank, along her rump and back up her other side as he walked quietly around her rear end. The horse stood between him and Tanna now, and Jeremy glanced from Drykas to mare and back again. That previous smile had left his thin lips, and his brow now creased gently. "This is the easy part. The real challenge will be introducing her to new people, as well as to being ridden and wearing bridles and the like." He had not yet decided how to tackle these next challenges -- or even fully anticipated quite how impossible they might be. For lack of horsemanship and experience with such beasts, Jeremy hoped that the other stable hands would lend their hands. Tanna would, he hoped. Her companionship and help had reassured him all throughout his work with this mare. In fact, the Kelvic was quite sure he'd have given up without her enthusiasm and hopefulness.

But there was no point in worrying about the many challenges that lay ahead of them right now. For Jeremy, the most important task had been accomplished: the mare now trusted him and Tanna. For the next few days, he suspected that she would only allow the two of them to approach her, but with patient rehabilitation, he could see no reason why the rest of the stablehands couldn't be introduced to her over time. No doubt it would take a long time, but these things always did. Wounds could be cleaned, bandaged, but could not be forced to heal without divine intervention of some sort.

His thoughts were distracted by the softness of his companion's voice. She spoke to the mare quietly, touched her gently. For a brief minute, all Jeremy could do was watch the woman, entranced by her nurturing. She not only obviously cared for the mare, but also seemed quite proficient at handling horses. Such resilience and care was admirable, and Jeremy felt a twinge of envy. Despite his blessing from Caiyha, the Kelvic still usually felt intimidated by horses. They were so powerful, noble and intelligent. All traits that Jeremy felt he pitifully lacked.

"More apples, more affection and more touch." Jeremy agreed, another smile beginning to shirk it's way onto his bird-like face. His hands retracted from the mare and he re-joined Tanna on the other side of the horse. "Perhaps for now, she needs a rest. It's been a long day for her and a life changing one at that."

oocNo need to apologise! I hope this post is okay... I've been staring at it for two days and can't seem to get it quite right. Inspiration is running dry!

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[Windmount Stables] Invisible Wounds

Postby Dove Brown on November 4th, 2017, 4:32 pm

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