An Engaging Topic Indeed

[Jasmine Stormblood]

40th of Spring 517 A.V.

Jasmine stretched out yawning with a sigh. She did not have any big plans with the heat not yet at its peak the blonde quickly dressed. Digging through her stuff the girl grabbed her hand ax along with her bow and arrows before stepping out. Putting a hand up in front of her face the woman looked towards the ground letting her eyes adjust. Taking a deep breath the girl raised her right arm, leaning to the left forcing the muscles in her midsection. Returning to a straight up and down, she mirrored the action with her left arm. Feeling the muscles in her midsection finally loosen up from the stiff sleep the night before, the blonde walked to the edge of the pavilion looking at all the animals. Their family had not only grown but so had their herds. Thankfully Asher had come by the Predator's Post and gotten his new companion Lil Bit. The man seemed to have a much easier time now taking care of the larger and most of the times faster creatures. Laughing the girl knelt down and loved on the pup some before he was summoned for the pair's morning rounds. Waving to the old man, she moved on to go check on Chaser.

The woman wanted to ride off for the day, yet there was chores to be done, and she wanted to rest between them. Or rather, the blonde wanted to meditate and try to feel her goddess again. Jasmine felt as though she had not been as kind to her as was expected after the blessing. Of course that could just be the Drykas being paranoid about expectations again. Shaking her head the girl pulled herself from her thoughts and patted Chaser on the side. Snorting the stallion picked his head up just long enough to look at her before continuing to graze. With a laugh the woman shook her head and walked back to her home. Popping her neck to loosen it up some, she entered the tent heading to get her bedding and the rugs first. Once certain everyone was up, the blonde would move on to their rooms as well. Grabbing the fur blanket to start with, the girl decided to fold it up so that it was easier to carry outside. Setting it on the ground, the blonde looked up at the rope before pulling on it to make sure it was secure. Happy with it's strength, she draped the fur over straightening it out so that it could air out equally. Nodding the girl fetched the rug and brought it out, throwing it up beside the fur. Grabbing the woven paddle, the woman checked for any loose stalks that would mess up the stitching on the rug. Content with the state of wear not being too bad, the girl began beating the rug in order to get all the dust off of it.

Dirt and dust flew up causing Jasmine to sneeze and cough some. Waving her hand before her face the woman stepped back and let the dust settle before continuing working up the furnishing. Her mind drifted from the repetitive task to things that bothered her more. An unsettled feeling had overcome the pavilion after the disappearance of Taurina, though she had turned up once again. That caused her thoughts to float to her ankal, Azmere. A soft smile settled on her face as she thought of how he had been kind of her from the beginning; even if the blonde had met him because of some stolen dried meat. When Jasmine came to him injured without a home; he had not let the past force her away. But instead the man took her under his name and had just about finished raising her. With a soft sigh the woman's arm stopped moving as she thought of the feelings that had grown for him. Yet there was not way that he could have the same feelings for her. From the start she had been attracted to him even past the scars, his kindness and loyalty had only strengthened those emotions.

[Azmere]

Azmere had been through yet another night of very little sleep. His recent seasons had been met with such resistance to rest that he was growing used to it. The man was out of sight from the city entirely and a dozen chimes’ hard ride from his home. There, nestled down in the grass, the ankal sat with his eyes sharply focused upon the big furry body of Grey. Skylla was nearby stomping out an ant hill as she munched on the thick, purple heads of a sweet clover. The gaze filled with stars was steadily combing over the large dog for gaps in the shield that the man had been creating. Weathered hands worked from the short distance to mimic a smoothing or petting motion. The watchman had been at this for over a bell and was nearing completion. He had never created a shield so large nor had he ever had a chance to test one so he was excited and nervous but also- the man was growing tired. From what he could tell, the faithful companion was covered from head to tail in the shimmering light of the manipulated djed.

Satisfied with his work, the novice wizard took a picture of the shield into his mind. He studied it and opened a path of communication with his djed. He could see the dog and the way the magic fell upon its fur and swirled around the creature with an anxious roll like clouds building for a storm. Azmere extended a hand, not to actually touch his pet or his djed, but to give purpose to his creation. The ankal wanted the shield to stop physical contact; physical damage. He repeated the mantra and coaxed the djed born of his body to do as he wished. His mind was focused and he felt the shield tighten as if to solidify in response.

In a moment, the Drykas believed he had accomplished his goal. Now, he had to test it. Azmere snapped his fingers twice with very crisp, loud pops then slapped his hand on his thigh. The big dog lifted his head. Grey had been resting but heard the call of his master and slowly got to his big feet. The large dog was not quick to pop up like some breeds especially when he was not on guard. The hunter lumbered over and came to rest near his human. When he arrived, he was met by a shower of water from the watchman’s waterskin. Azmere dumped the entire container over the canine from head to rump and then slung the empty sack off to one side. Azmere then focused his attention on the shield once more and began the slow process of recalling his djed. Once this was done, the novice mage spent a few moments to inspect his furry friend. Grey was dry!

Azmere set to laughing. He tackled the big mutt and they began to roll around in the grass for many chimes before they were both panting. The Drykas got up and beckoned Skylla over to him. The trio took their time and eventually mde their way back towards the moving city and the family camp. Azmere was on a cloud of achievement. H relished the light of Syna and allowed his mind to wander over many things as he gave Skylla all the slack she needed to guide them home.

The ankal’s arrival was preceded by his hound who ran up and heckled Asher for a moment. Azmere spotted Jasmine busy at work and quickly brought his left leg over to join his right. He rode side saddle for a few trots while he timed the canter of his strider. The Drykas took a deep breath then dismounted. He hit the ground with both feet and allowed his body to curl up to absorb the impact. The watchman rolled into a ball and flattened out behind one of the pavilions so that the blond would never see him; just Skylla and Grey.

The man popped up onto his boots and hands then began to move swiftly in a crouch. He took pains to keep his bootfalls gentle though some noise could be heard. Thankfully, it was early enough in the day that there was plenty of other noise to cover his tracks. As the watchman crept closer to where he could hear the sounds of his blue-eyed target, he grinned his lopsided smile and did his best not to smile. When he was sure he had a chance, Azmere burst into a sprint and came up quickly behind Jasmine. He wrapped his arms around her in a powerful hug and used his momentum to carry her up while spinning around a time and a half. When the ankal finally does set her down, he turns her around to face him then adjusts his arms back into a powerful squeeze that lifts and pulls her against his body. His face is beaming with a half-grin and he dips his chin down to steal a kiss before she can straighten her hair or get mad.

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Shaking her head the blonde began to hum gently while still working. As the fur hung in the light of the woman's goddess, she smiled gently conversing with Asher. The pair had been speaking with Naiya Dawnwhisper about buying several of her zibri later on in the season. They had toured the herd and picked out three females that looked to be in good shape, all had birthed their calves already. One mother would have her bull calf coming with her. That helped a lot towards not upsetting the herd dynamics. Grabbing some more rope, the blonde strung up another line to work with. Going into the pavilion tent again, the woman grabbed Azmere's pelts next. They did not smell nearly as bad as Lodai's furs did. Of course, she highly doubted that their ankal sweated as much as the big bear man did.

“At least it doesn't smell,” Jasmine stated.

It took her several chimes for her to get them outside. The woman tried to throw the first pelt over only before it to fall backwards and land over her head. Grunting some the girl laughed, before finally getting it up on the rope. After a chime or two of straightening it out, she went to find the paddle before returning. Making sure there was no kinks in the furs that could hold dirt, the blonde began gently beating the furs. She did not hit it as hard as she had the rug, because it would flatten the fur down. That would cause the softness to go away, and make it no better than sleeping on the flat ground. Of course the Drykas were not unaccustomed to sleeping on the dirt. A bark caught her ear, turning some the young woman smiled seeing Grey run past her and almost tackle Asher. The woman dusted off her hands and loved on Skylla for a few moments when the mare walked up, before she continued on her way.

The blonde turned back to the task at hand humming some wondering in the back of her mind where Azmere was. She had figured the man to have left with the two animals, yet he had not returned with them. Perhaps he had went to one of the businesses within the city and not told anyone. A thudding crunch sounded behind the woman causing her to start to turn. However the girl was not aware that the man was as close as he was; a gasp left her body when he grabbed her from behind and started spinning. Soon enough the girl starts laughing while keeping her legs up that way he would not trip over them. Panting, she was happy when he placed her back down on the ground. Soft blue eyes looked up past the bright colored hair that obscured her vision. The girl's mouth open to gently chastise him only to be cut off by his lips on her. Blushing, she kissed back remembering their night on the boat last season that she kept close to her heart. The woman did not know how he would feel in the evenings about her loving on him, so she kept it to when they were alone or just Asher was around.

The older Drykas was not bothered in the least by the two young lovers. Lodai however was a much different story; the man did not know when to leave something alone. Soon enough, the blonde pulled back panting gently putting her forehead against Azmere's with a smile.

“Well hello to you too. Whats got you so excited and happy?” Jasmine asked cocking her head to one side keeping their foreheads connected.

[Azmere]

Azmere was slightly dizzy from the swinging circles so he compensated by spreading his feet a wider than his shoulders. This brought his upper body down a few inches so Jasmine had no problems leaning against his forehead. The tickling strands of golden hair did not bother the ankal and he made sure to slowly pull her in closer by walking his fingers against her waist. He walked his hands against her body until the air between their torsos was erased. He smiled his half grin while his eyes drifted shut. She was warm, soft and delicate in his grasp. Her body was smaller than his but she was far from tiny and certainly had her own share of muscle. Riding, hunting, training animals and a keeping up with a pavilion’s daily needs created a lean figure that seemed to fit perfectly within the weathered frame of the watchman.

Grey had become distracted by Lil Bit and Skylla had gone off in search of Starfire. Asher had wandered off leaving the pair alone in front of the large tent painted with storm clouds. As the breeze kicked up around them, the scarred man held the young woman for as long as the world would allow. His heart beat faster than normal but he was completely relaxed. He tilted his chin forward while using their connection on their foreheads as a pivot point. He slid his nose against hers then Azmere pressed his lips out to take another kiss. Azmere held it as long as she would allow but didn’t use any kind of force. Jasmine was one of the few people that the Tavehk had ever willingly acquiesced to and this shared decision making was extended into their personal space.

Azmere gently splayed his fingers against the small of her back while one hand ran up her spine and pulled her even tighter into the embrace. “You make me happy.” His voice was almost a whisper but the words didn’t need to be heard so much as felt. Jasmine’s lips were only a breath away from his own and the man felt his skin grow hot from their close proximity. An ache, much like the one he felt in his core when they shared a boat, began to well up deep inside of the man and the warrior responded by maintaining his firm hold on the blonde.

The contrasting gaze was revealed and the man stared into the sky blue eyes of the Invalati. Jasmine’s mark encircled her eye and accented the bright expressions she most often wore. Azmere felt a chill creep up his spine which sent an electric ripple through his skin. The feeling made him tighten his hold on her briefly then he relinquished some of his strength once the sensation passed. The ankal lifted his head a bit so that a breeze could pass between them. The sudden vacuum left him feeling cold despite the heat of the day already rising to an uncomfortable level. His fingertips crawled against her body down to her hips where they restlessly tugged at her clothing as if he were nervous. “What makes you happy, Jasmine?” His voice was still very soft and he never took his eyes from hers. Out of his element, the warrior was vulnerable but he stood tall and proud amidst some kind of hidden conviction. Perhaps it was the power of the words they had shared on the water.

[Jasmine Stormblood]

The blonde giggled shaking a tiny bit of hair out of the way. She smiled brightly at him as the man pulled her close to his body. Jasmine loved the feel of his rugged well shaped form against her own much smaller frame. The young woman was glad for the moment of privacy as Asher had slipped off somewhere and Haven was bothering the other dogs off in the distance, but it was clear they were not getting too rambunctious. Watching the man's eyes slide close, hers did the same as their lips connected. Her hands slowly slide up his feeling the muscles from all the training before sliding around his neck gently. The woman pouted a little bit when he pulled away creating a space between their faces.

The girl brought her arms down so that he could move without her stopping him. She used one hand to finally flip the hair out of her face so that she could see clearly. Blue eyes looked up into the multicolored eyes of her ankal, they had not really had a chance to talk about their relationship lately. The girl was stunned when the man seemed to become nervous after saying she made him happy. The question that followed also stunned her a little, he wanted to know what made her happy as well. There was many things that made her feel the emotion, her family, her pets, and most importantly him.

“Many things make me happy Azmere. Our family, my pets and the animals of the pavilion, but the thing that makes me happiest is being right here in your arms,” Jasmine said honestly. The woman gently made him look at her asking a very simple question that carried a heavy meaning.

“What is our relationship? Are we together? Or are we still just pavilion mates?” Jasmine asked gently. No matter if the pair was in a relationship or not, they would still be pavilion mates any ways.

[Azmere]

GRADES

Jasmine
Acrobatics: +2
Cleaning: +2
Observation: +2
Planning: +1
Seduction: +2
Socialization: +1

Acrobatics: The importance of stretching
Acrobatics: Controlling one’s body while being held by another
Azmere: Kind and loyal
Azmere: Kissed Jasmine
Azmere & Jasmine: Make each other happy
Cleaning: Beating the rugs
Cleaning: Being systematic shortens a task
Jasmine: Reflective during mundane tasks
Jasmine: Her feelings for Azmere started when they first met
Observation: Giving the eyes time to adjust to a change in light
Planning: Preparing for large purchases through discussion and thought
Seduction: Returning a kiss
Seduction: Finding the small caresses
Socialization: Playful inquiries
Stormblood: A growing pavilion


Azmere
Acrobatics: +2
Animal Husbandry: +1
Riding-Horse: +1
Running: +1
Seduction: +2
Shielding: +1
Stealth: +1
Wrestling: +2

Acrobatics: Tuck and roll to absorb impact
Acrobatics: Spreading one’s feet for a more stable base
Animal Husbandry: Creating a familiar foundation for commands
Azmere: Stole a kiss from Jasmine
Azmere & Jasmine: Make each other happy
Jasmine: Worth the risk to steal a kiss
Jasmine: A well-built woman from life as a Drykas
Riding-Horse: Timing the rhythm of your animal
Running: Sprinting in bursts
Seduction: Lifting a girl into a kiss
Seduction: Keeping a firm hold while remaining gentle
Shielding: Communicating with one’s djed takes practice
Stealth: Awareness of one’s surroundings can provide cover
Wrestling: A tackle
Wrestling: Spinning a companion around