Sharing Opportunities(Hayden Youngblood)

[Ramona Silvertongue]

19th Winter, 517av.

Four days ago. They were hunting boars, it didn't work out great, but it worked out. They brought enough home for the Pavilion and Ramona was able to make a small profit from it. However, it was time to go out on another Hunt. However, Eachann wanted to stay, and that meant that Ramona and a few of the others would be one party member short with this next hunting trip. Although, Ramona had learned a lot, and she did manage to improve over time. Especially when she's been training the days she had to herself.

It was either a lot of training, or it was either a lot of hunting and chores. Ramona has been doing what she can with the Mourningstar Pavilion, and Ramona hoped that she has been making a good name for herself with them. Bhug seemed to be doing quite good, working with chores, and helping the other children around, and the other pavilions that are branched off of the Mourningstar Pavilion; he helps make supply runs, and helps clean up.

Ramona couldn't be any prouder. Most of the time she wished that her parents were here to observe Bhug's improvements, and her own as well. However, she knew that nothing she could do could bring her parents back from the dead.

She needed to move on. That was one of the reasons as to why she wanted to move into a new Pavilion in the first place, right? However, they did need a more stable living condition.

*

Ramona was already gathering the supplies that she'll need for the hunting expedition. Her shortbow, quiver, arrows of course, and her snares. She was told that she'll be needing them sooner or later, since they'll be going back in a few more days to take on another hunting trip.

Siobhan was the first to greet Ramona. It wasn't early in the morning, it was a few bells into it. However, it didn't really matter to Ramona when she'd go hunting. Although, there are guidelines of proper hunting that one should follow, but Ramona was still learning. Now that she has a Pavilion that could teach her how to hunt properly, she would be able to learn the ways to really hunt. *Meaning I'm going to have to read a lot

Siobhan signed, greetings, to Ramona as Ramona signed greetings back. "I'm looking forward to this hunting trip Ramona. To bad that Eachann didn't want to go. He's good at it." Siobhan said with a slight smile. "However, this could just be a girl's hunt. Show Eachann and Corban that we could work as a team." Siobhan added.

"Yes that'll be perfect!" Girl's hunt, Ramona replied. She was excited to go on this hunting trip too. Everyone was, and that only made things seem better for Ramona. However, she did want to know why Eachann didn't want to go today, but didn't want to focus too much about it. "You did gather your rope right, Siobhan?" Ramona asked.

Siobhan nodded. "Yep. Got all my stuff packed the night before." She said with a smile.

Sorcha was second to greet Ramona as she was ambling towards the two women. "Greetings, Ramona, and Siobhan. Looks like you two are ready for a hunt today?" Sorcha mostly said it so that she could have a mental note of their eagerness. "You're brother Bhug is doing quite well for a boy like himself." Sorcha commented, her words were soft like bread. It seemed that Sorcha was complimenting Ramona. "You raised him well throughout the time of your..." Sorcha stopped herself before ruining the moment. Ramona's chest felt heavy, but she nodded to Sorcha as if signaling that it was okay for her to talk about it. If Ramona needed to move on, she needed to talk about it. No more holding back the stories of her parents.

"Thank you Sorcha. I do appreciate the compliment." Ramona said with a smile. "Now, I think that we're ready for our hunting trip today, right?" The other two nodded yes as an answer, and the three Drykas women gathered their stuff and mounted upon their bonded Striders and headed out towards the Wind Knotted Gates.

[Hayden Youngblood]

Hayden Youngblood It had been two days since Hayden had left the Proudpear Pavilion on his strider, Ash. Now, Ash trotted on, wearily carrying the boy on him. Hayden's hair blew gently in the warm breeze and Ash's mane was strewn to one side. As they galloped through the tall grass, Hayden noticed the sun was finally rising. It had been a long night, as it always was when riding by night. Hayden had not known why he felt the urgency to go. There had been no reason, as he was not unhappy with his pavilion, nor was he on a mission. It was pointless, but... Deep down Hayden knew why he wanted to go. He wanted to find other people. Other ways of living. In the Prouspear pavilion, people were focused on their own wellbeing, rather than finding friends, or talking amongst one another. As the sun brought with it a myriad of rays, the grasslands were lit up. Hayden could once more see Ash's claybank color. And, up ahead, the reason Hayden had come this far. For there stood the Wind Knotted gates, in all their glory. They were the point of meeting and guidance for all drykas was. Now Hayden could see them, the many pavilions of the race. Tents lined the landscape and many horses with tall riders could be seen in the distance. ⚓ Eventually, Hayden reached the gates. The poles stretched out above him. He stood there, his basic green shirt fluttering in the winds. He noticed that he was a bit hungry, and figured that he should bring some food and hides back to his pavilion. Luckily, he had his longbow around his shoulder, as well as a quiver, and his longspear was already in his hand. But hunting alone was... boring. Not to mention it was also extremely hard. Hayden decided he would circle the perimeters of the gates for some time, keeping on the lookout for a potential hunting partner. OOCFeel free to have Ramona and her partners see and introduce themselves to Hayden, if you wish.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

Siobhan was busy talking to the Watchman. Who were on guard duty at the Wind Knotted Gates. It's been about half a bell since they had arrived at the Wind Knotted Gates, and all Siobhan was doing seemed to be conversing with men. She could really do that on her own time, and not when they needed to gather some meat for the Mourningstar Pavilion. There were a few people who came in and out of the Wind Knotted Gates, some unsuccessful hunters entered Endrykas with small game.

Winter this year was going to be a drag. Still, hunters had to hunt. Even with a chance of food possibly being scarce this year. Ramona would do what she can as a hunter. If worse comes to worse, she wouldn't know what to do... the huntress was sure that Morwen will still show up sooner or later. She had a lot of faith in the God's, and prayed practically every day for Morwen to return.

She really did hope she will.

It wasn't long after when Siobhan concluded her conversation with a watchman after Sorchan finally pulled her away and they remounted their Striders. Ramona was almost practically laying on Anthen as she waited for the two to trot over on the other side of the Wind Knotted Gates.

Ramona's body tingled as they crossed through the gates. Her Djed was notifying her that she was still connected to the Web of Endrykas. If something were to happen to; her, Siobhan, or Sorchan, the Webs would be able to signal the Watchman through Djed, so they could rescue them. Usually, Ramona gets lucky and doesn't face anything dangerously. At least not in a long while.

"Sorry, you two! Just he's so handsome!" Gorgeous, Siobhan signed.

"Yes he was, but we need to focus. Make sure that we leave at the right time otherwise we won't be able to find deer this morning." Sorchan advised.

"Those other hunters didn't bring back deer this morning... what makes you think we'll be finding them at this time of day?" Siobhan replied.

"Well... we can discuss this later," Ramona suggested. Time to hunt," she signed as she adjusted her position on the Yvas. Ramona liked the Yvas, it made her feel comfortable. However, she does know a few people who don't ride with the Yvas (mostly Masters at horseback riding). Ramona wanted to get to a point where she could master horseback riding. Although, she knew that she had a lot to learn about the skill, and she still had a lot to learn about Anthem. Who she felt deeply connected with. He was always keeping a good eye out for her.

Eventually, the three Drykas women were a few miles outside the gates and silence followed as quick as the three had left.

It wasn't long till one of the Mourningstars had spotted a long Drykas outside the gates, pacing around with his Strider. Sorchan pointed it out and the three trotted over. "Hey! It's dangerous to be here alone. What's your name hunter?" Sorchan said to Hayden with a friendly attitude. She seemed to be worried for him, and she mostly was.

It was still a bad idea to be out alone.

"My name is Sorchan, this-" Sorchan said as she turned her Strider to the side and held a hand out and pointed to Siobhan "-is Siobhan, and this-" Sorchan tilted to her side and held out her other hand to point towards Ramona, "-is Ramona. If you're looking for a hunting party, you can join us. No hunter should be alone. Especially when Winter hasn't arrived yet." Sorchan pointed out.

[Hayden Youngblood]

Hayden Youngblood Hayden had been pacing around for some time, simply watching the watchmen of the great gates. "Do all watchmen have to have such a dour expression, or is that just coincidence?" he thought to himself. Hayden's mind wandered and he was about to leave, hunting alone if he had to. But then a strange group approached him. A woman introduced the group to him and he felt somewhat uncomfortable at their openness. Was that weird, or was that normal for all drykas? Hayden drew a deep breath and said, "Hey! My name is Hayden. Though, you could hardly call me a hunter." Hayden's skills at hunting were basic, relying heavily on his skill in his weaponry to get food. Hayden listened patiently as the woman introduced the rest of the group. Hayden particularly noticed the woman called Ramona. Her green eyes were a close shade to Hayden's, his being only slightly darker. She was taller than him, but also older. His age suddenly made him feel uncomfortable, as he felt that these people might treat him like a child. Which he was but... still. At their offer Hayden felt somewhat relieved. He normally supported his clan by working with leather, or providing his strength in random odd jobs. Hopefully these people would be able to teach him a thing or two and help him return something to his clan. "I appreciate the offer, so if you don't mind me, I'd enjoy coming along," Hayden said, getting ready to ride where they wanted to go. He was unfamiliar with these lands, never really having ventured very far from where his pavilion. Granted, he had been here before, but never alone, and not for very long either. With any luck, these strangers would be just the friends he was looking for. Hayden leaned over and whispered into Ash's ear, "Get ready to hunt, Ash. We can do this." Ash whinnied in response, kicking his front legs in the air and getting ready to run.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

"Sounds good, we could use an extra hand." Sorcha replied. Happy for join. Sorcha signed. She looked at the other two, including Ramona. She smiled. It's always nice to meet new people. After all, meeting new people was always a good thing. She wasn't afraid of getting out of her tent anymore.

Especially a couple of years ago when her parents died from the recent Zith attack. Ramona coped as best she could, and now she became a part of the Mourningstar Pavilion. She wanted to make sure why this young Drykas was wondering around. So... she decided to ask.

Curious.Signed Ramona. "Why are you... alone?" Ramona asked Hayden with a wary smile. He shouldn't be out here all by himself, and Ramona could only imagine what his parents were thinking. Parents? Ramona asked through sign.

Siobhan decided to speak up. "You can join us, but we need to know if you have family. I'm guessing you do... " Siobhan's words were gentle and cordial. She moved her mount closer to Hayden, and nodded as a friendly gesture.

"Anyhow, today we are hopefully going to hunt some deer." Sorcha exclaimed, as she adjusted her position on her Yvas to feel more comfortable.

Ramona spoke up, and looked at Hayden. "Come, we'd also like to know how proficient you are with that bow you have... Hayden?" After the response. The party would soon start to travel North West away from Endrykas. As the three of the Mourningstar Pavilion hoped to find some deer.

Otherwise, any other sort of game would work too...

OOCSorry for the late reply. I wanted to get the three to know a little more about Hayden before they just waltz on out of Endrykas...

[Hayden Youngblood]

Hayden Youngblood Hayden felt comfortable amongst the group, as they told him more about themselves. He mused about the strange ways of the people, though. In his pavilion, people were not known for talking much and he wasn't used to having a discussion before hunting. But it felt... good. Ash was at ease, and he could tell that they were in no danger. Of course the question would come sooner or later. Hayden was alone and he knew that that would raise questions. The Grasslands were known for their harsh survival conditions and unforgiving prey. How could he explain that he had wondered off from his pavilion to... socialize? It felt ridiculous and he only blushed in response to Ramona asking. Eventually, he decided to answer. "I wanted to meet some people. And besides, my pavilion was fine with it." That was not entirely true, as by now Renn, his mother, would probably be worried about him. "They're only a short ride away from here." Well, that wasn't a total lie. It depended on your perspective of how long a short ride was. Half a day didn't seem too long, thought Hayden. Hopefully there would be plenty of deer about, so Hayden would get a chance to show off his descent skills with his longbow. In response to Ramona acknowledging the longbow, he gave her a grin to cover up his insecurities about using his longbow. He knew he was relatively good at using it, but also felt the pressure of the others around him. For some reason he wanted to prove himself to these strangers, who had been kind enough to take him hunting. OOCNo worries! I can't wait to get hunting, and maybe also start talking about Morwen.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

Day, Season, Year.

"We're glad to have you aboard sweetheart." Said Ramona with a cordial smile. She was talking to the young male Drykas as if she were talking to her younger brother. Gentle and kind as always. The only times when Ramona had to exploit the opposite direction was when Bhug was being really devious, and sneaky. Those times Bhug was needed to be dealt with. Ramona wondered how much he was behaving right now. She hoped he was listening, but gave him the benefit of the doubt either way. So that meant that Ramona needed to trust the Mourningstars to keep an eye out for him.

The nod that Hayden had gestured with the smile, had assured Ramona that he was more or less decent with the bow. Possibly just as much good as she was, since he looked a lot younger than twenty. However, there were Drykas that looked younger than they actually we're, but Sorcha was able to identify how young the boy actually was by looking at his physique.

"Let's get a move on then." Ramona chimed up. She tapped her heels against Anthems' sides and Anthem started moving forward. It increased to a nice canter, and the other two girls followed (Siobhan and Sorcha). Siobhan trotted up beside Ramona.

"Do you think he has told his pavilion?" Siobhan asked before Hayden had a chance to reach Ramona.

"If he did then what's the harm? He wanted to meet new people... so here we are." Ramona said and hoped it was persuasive enough for Siobhan. She signed worry and fear, since she was worried about letting Hayden join them for the hunting session. If it was up to Eachann he probably would have had said no to Hayden once he got a good look at the boy. However, Hayden did seem like he wanted to show his worth so it seemed like a good plan.

"If worse comes to worse we'll need to protect him either way. Then return to Endrykas." Continued Ramona. Siobhan nodded and smiled. While Sorcha was in the back talking to Hayden:

"So, how old are you Hayden?" Sorcha asked with a friendly smile. Her dark hair with red flowers in it flowed in her face. She then had pushed her hair back to not block her eyesight. Sorcha knew that Siobhan was talking to Ramona about Hayden. So with her good social skills she wouldn't mind being a distraction to Hayden. "Do you normally hunt out alone? It's been quite scarce outside of our Tent City. Especially when something had happened to Morwen." Sorcha said with a weak smile.

*

Ramona and Siobhan we're conversing about Hayden to make sure that they'll plan accordingly for their hunting session as the four of them rode together on their Striders. Each hunter hoping to catch some deer.

"It's only deer Siobhan. Stop being so pessimistic, please. I gave the boy a chance. We can see his worth." Loyalty. Friendship.Ramona signed to Siobhan with a smile. "We're not far from the deer sightings. We can hopefully catch some game." Ramona took a breath before she continued. "Besides we can make a new friend. If he's a part of a big pavilion that'll mean more contacts for us, and the more contacts means more support." Ramona advised. She knew that this would be a good plan, and she hoped that whatever pavilion he was a part of, it would be good for business. "We can join them now." Ramona said with a smile and she and Siobhan had shortened their pace to match Sorchas and Hayden's so that they could catch up to them.

It seemed that they were already talking about Morwen. Sorcha wouldn't stop talking about the goddess. However, Ramona did love Morwen and her ability to make Winter happen throughout Mizahar. Ramona really wondered what could have happened to her.

"I hope she's okay. After all. It would be worse for us if Winter didn't happen a second time..."

OOCHope that this was good? Was hoping to get the next post filled with some action, and I'm wondering if you don't mind me making our next set of posts with deer. Unless you'd like to have Hayden spot the deer in your next post and have him take a couple shots at them?

[Hayden Youngblood]

Hayden Youngblood Hayden could not help but grin when Ramona welcomed him to the the group. Hayden felt strangely... home. Unlike in his pavilion where he always felt distant. He instantly felt that thought couldn't be could and pushed it away. Even though he was normally slow to open up to people, he felt that Ramona new the truth about him, and was fine with it. Maybe she understood that sometimes your pavilion wasn't enough. Sometimes you needed more. Hayden figured that the group was probably curious about his age, since he looked a bit old for his age, so it came as no surprise when Sorcha asked him. "13," he said. He had briefly considered lying about his age, as not to make the group even more worried about him, but eventually had resolved to tell the truth. Suddenly, Hayden noticed that Ramona and Siobhan were talking about him. He didn't hear most of the conversation, but heard a few snippets. However, he wasn't worried. After all, it wasn't normal that someone as young as him was normally out and about in the grasslands. And, he had a sense that Ramona would possibly defend him. She seemed sympathetic to what he was doing and he hoped that she had a like experience of wanting to meet others. As Sorcha asked about his normal hunting routine, Hayden found himself blushing. "So many questions," he thought. "Well... Not normally. Normally some of the others go with me." But this time wasn't normal. This time, he had finally done what he wanted. Hayden was well aware of the dangers in the Grasslands. In fact, he knew much more than he wanted. Some of the others in his pavilion had spent hours lecturing him about the dangers of the Grasslands, especially now that it was essentially an eternal summer. In fact, if he hadn't stumbled across this group, he might have had trouble finding food out in the long grass. However, Hayden couldn't share Sorcha's belief in Morwen. He figured that nothing had happened to her and that she had abandoned the drykas and he was angered by her. "Why should we be concerned for Morwen? She abandoned us, didn't she? Thanks to her, the Drykas will have more troubles than ever before. But, Endrykas is our home. What gives Morwen the right to dock up our future?" Hayden realized that he had begun ranting and blushed once more. He shouldn't let his anger carry him away like that. It was the number one lesson his pavilion had tried to teach him. When Ramona shared her concern for Morwen, Hayden wanted to respond, but though better of it. In one way, he could understand their concern for Morwen. They needed to have hope. They needed to be able to believe that their goddess would still come back. But, he had given up hope. Morwen wouldn't come back. Ever. OOCThe post was great! I hope mine is ok as well. Go right ahead and let the action begin, as I decided I would wait since I had a lot else to post about. I'm having a lot of fun and I hope you are as well.