[open] I'm on my way

[Danica]

Timestamp: Day 48, Winter of 509 A.V.

The snow swirled up from the ground in a cloud of white that swept across Danica’s vision. She pulled up the hood of her cloak, tightening it about her head so that her ears wouldn’t be paining her with the cold. It was one thing that she truly hated, cold ears. Huddling deeper into the warmth of her cloak helped fight off the frost that was alright nipping at her extremities. She sniffed and rubbed at her nose wishing she could just lie flat across Altari. He was radiating heat from below her keeping the cold off her legs but making her wish she could bury her face into his thick brown mane.

Altari tossed his head and a small smile fluttered across Danica’s features before she turned her attention back to the endless expanse of white before her. She had a while to go yet before she reached Endrykas and she was hardly enjoying the ride there. Another wind sprung up whipping snow into Danica’s face. Her hand rose to block the brunt of the cold but even still the little white fluffs got down her cloak and shirt onto her skin. A shiver rose up along her body and she buried her fingers into Altari’s mane.

“Hopefully we can find a good place to settle for the night,”

She was answered with a deep snort of agreement and she gave her big blood bay a loving pat on the neck. A glance up at the sky told her that she probably had another decent hour of light to travel by which would leave enough light to set up a camp for the night. The idea of a warm fire was too much temptation for her and Danica stretched herself out for a moment to lay on Altari’s back in such a way that she could get the most warmth out of him. She normally rode bareback, especially in the winter when she wanted to steal his heat as much as possible making it easy for her to perform the move.

With a sigh she wrapped her arms around his neck before he stretched over to nudge her leg affectionately. He knew where they were going so she supposed she could steal a minute or two just to lay like this.

[Akela]

It was so cold. Akela glanced over her shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time in the last Bell. The Sea of Grass was dangerous enough on horseback, let alone on foot, but the Konti girl could count herself lucky to still have feet. The snow, she could cope with, though she hated the numbness creeping through the rips in her old cloak. She even had an idea where she should be headed, thanks to a random encounter with a rider a few days earlier. He had mentioned seeing a Konti woman looking almost identical to Akela back in Riverfall. Granted, many men thought the Konti all looked alike, but the girl needed to believe in something to keep herself from dying. The rider had offered her a little food, which was why Akela still walked on, but his horse could not have carried two.

And so, Akela had etched the image of her sister Kavala in Riverfall, one step after another, one icy footprint after another. She looked over her shoulder again. Glassbeaks were smart enough to lay ambushes almost anywhere. Akela feared them greatly, for they could outrun a horse under the right conditions; a woman on foot was a yummy stationary target to those beasts. She had even killed one back then, and everyone in the clan had sung her praise for days even though the fight had lasted but one second, and would have either way - her victory had been in Lhex's whimsical smile. Fifty fifty. Akela had a superstitious fear of meeting a second glassbeak, for it would even out the odds.

She clutched the hilt of her sword to reassure herself. She knew her daylight time was limited, but her equipment left much to be desired. She had not been able to take a lot of supplies upon escaping the Zith colony. Every night was a struggle to survive. Had she been one of the more sensitive Konti, she would be long dead by now. Akela was much more Drykas than Konti, though, and even now a glance was all it took to recognize a fellow Drykas clanswoman with her horse.

Akela was not above robbing a Drykas if her survival depended on it, though she had to be realistic here. She was too weak for a fight, a lethal waste of energy if it proved fruitless. Nor would a bonded Strider of the grasslands ever accept another rider. She was hungry, however. Hungry and cold and desperate. The other woman was allowing herself to be distracted, too.

"Hey!" she chanced it with a yell to attract her attention. Her hair was long and disheveled, and her old cloak was seemingly tattered with claw marks. Her sword dangled at her side, the only neat thing about the girl. "Heeeeeey!" Akela could only pray the woman would not gallop away without a second thought.

[Danica]

Her fingers buried themselves in his thick winter coat, stealing his body heat. She breathed in his scent and would’ve snuggled right down into her horse if that had been an option. The barren landscape of white that stretched out before her was a sight she never really welcomed. It wasn’t the harsh living or the bland colors, it was the endless cold! No matter what she did it was always there ready to snatch at any part of her not protected against it.

She closed her eyes for a moment and let herself relax. Everything was so perfect out here right now. Danica let out a sigh of contentment when Altari started to nudge at her side. She was too warm to care and tried to shoo his head away. When he persisted in the action she gave him a little scratch before repeating the process. However a shout alerted her to what Altari was trying to warn her about.

Danica sat bolt upright, easily falling into her place on Altari’s back and glanced around her. A second shout focused her attention on a single woman almost as pale as the swirling snow around her. Every nerve in Danica was afire, ready to be sprung and her hand hovered over the whip at her hip. Altari danced under her but it wasn’t with fear or warning and that helped with Danica’s own feelings. It was more like something was happening and he wanted to be a part of it.

She took a moment to study the woman running towards her and although she had a sword Danica’s whip was longer and Altari was faster. She just couldn’t let the woman get too close to her and her horse and they’d both be fine. Danica was probably also nervous because she hadn’t been paying enough attention to what was going on around her and she could’ve found herself face to face with something a lot worse than a girl on foot. She silently chided herself as she pushed Altari into a trot towards the girl.

Altari stopped a good distance from her, dancing on the spot as Danica’s body moved with him. “Hello,” Danica tilted her head briefly in greeting. Closer up she could see the woman looked in bad shape but wasn’t going to fall if this was a trap. “What happened to you?”

[Akela]

Akela could not immediately recognize the woman as she trotted closer. Not someone from her clan, though that was perhaps good news. It was bad enough to have a reputation as a jinx, but she doubted there would be much sympathy for her if they saw her in this state and without her horse. They would likely pretend not to see her and leave her to fend for herself.

The rider was finally displaying a degree of caution. Akela noticed she had a whip and the horse was healthy and properly cared for. The prospect of food seemed slightly less distant now. The concept of generosity was foreign to the sea of grass, though; you did not give the poor man a fish, nor did you teach him how to fish, but you made sure he did not get close to your pond.

"I lost my horse," Akela said, expelling a cloud of white steam. It was true. She had lost Shimmer two years earlier. The Zith had eaten him in front of her. She did not want to admit to having been captured by the Zith right away; she could not afford such a display of weakness among the Drykas. In their culture the weak had a right to live, all right; just not tomorrow.

Her voice was a bit rough, as if she had not been talking in quite some time. "I'm in a bit of a tight spot. I need some food, maybe a blanket if you have one." She produced a small pouch. "I have Miza coin." She was unsure if showing money was actually a good move, as it implied a position of weakness. Akela did not know what else to say, though. Most animals around here were too big, too quick or too poisonous for her. And one could only skip so many meals before you skipped yourself, too.

"I mean no harm. My name is Akela, from the Denusk Pavilion of the Sapphire Clan," she introduced herself, and stood there in the snow, waiting for the rider to make her choice.

[Danica]

”I lost my horse,”

Danica raised her eyebrow at that. One didn’t just ‘lose’ their horse. She could feel Altari’s every movement beneath her. He was like her soulmate and she would travel to the ends of the earth for him. Maybe her horse had run off on her but then why would her horse do that unless it had a reason. Danica didn’t comment on it but it was clear from the way she now regarded the girl that she was a bit skeptical about her statement.

“You really don’t look good,” Danica admitted outright but she sighed and with a little nod returned the courtesy of introduction. “I am Danica from the Makar Pavilion of the Ruby clan,” She had actually left her family’s pavilion a year ago but this stranger didn’t really need to know that. Something inside her told her that this girl wasn’t too much trouble, Altari didn’t seem bothered by her and Danica trusted him like her own instincts.

She slid off his back but didn’t move any closer, believing the respect of going down to Akela’s level was enough. “Put away your coin I’m not interested.” Although Danica’s purse wasn’t full she didn’t want anything either. “I don’t have a blanket just this,” She rubbed her cloak but she also unloaded the rolled tent and rucksack from her back. She dug into the sack and finally pulled out an apple and a loaf of bread. She offered the apple to Altari first who took it like a gentleman before breaking the bread in half and tossing one side to Akela.

“So what really happened to your horse?” She leaned her weight against Altari and slowly bit into the bread. Even so she still remained wary of the girl, one eye on her and one hand near the whip.

[Akela]

The girl watched with a mix of hope and apprehension, knowing full well the next few seconds could spell the difference between life and death. She interpreted the Drykas girl dismounting as a good sign, but she could not be sure just yet. She was willing to pay any price for food right now, with Nikali's mark magnifying her every craving over and over again. Akela had heard about some swordsmen of old, subjecting themselves to every torment of the body to achieve a higher state of mind. She failed to see how starving could possibly do that to you.

In the end, though, bread was thrown at her. The Konti caught it firmly, regarding it as a mirage for a long moment. Then, after deciding it was real, and a bigger ration than she had eaten ever since escaping Din, she sank her teeth into it. She did not stop to taste it; getting it to her stomach was enough.

The question did not catch her totally unprepared, though. In fact, it was only natural to ask. Akela knew when she was indebted to someone, and while she would not have shared a word of it with a stranger, a stranger who saved her from starvation was less of a stranger than an actual stranger. "Eaten," she said in between two bites, "the Zith ate him. A gentle horse if there ever was one." It all seemed so far away, though. Akela thought she had cried hot tears back then, but could not remember exactly. What she had now was just echoes, memories that felt like they were someone else's.

"Looking at you being so careless with your horse reminded me of myself back then," Akela said, studying her hands for the tiniest crumbs of bread. "I guess that was eight or nine seasons ago. I'm going to Riverfall now. The gods willing, it won't be more than ten days or so." She was positive now that not a single crumb remained on her fingers. "I owe you a big one, Danica. I will not forget."

[Danica]

Danica’s eyebrow raised and she blinked at the girl for a moment, bread hovering halfway to her mouth. She finally lowered it and tilted her head slightly to the side, studying the girl in a different light once again. It was odd for her to just state it so but by the way she dug into the bread it was hard to tell if she really didn’t care or if it was too much to bare that she has pushed it away. In any case Danica softened a little bit more to her. The thought of losing Altari was almost unbearable and she wouldn’t wish a loss like that on anyone.

“I’m sorry,” There was genuine warmth in the words and for a moment a bit of comfort as well. She bristled a bit at being called careless though. Even though it was the truth she resented anyone pointing out the fact to her. She gave a little snort of indignation but left it at that. She raised the bread to her mouth and bit off a chunk, chewing slowly to keep herself from saying anything she might regret.

Eight or nine seasons, and she looked like this, no wonder she didn’t speak of her horse with a deep longing sadness. “I would go with you but I just came from Riverfall and am on my way to Endrykas” She looked back the way she had come. “It couldn’t have been more than ten days ago I left.” She gave a little shrug but seemed to make up her mind about something. “If you change your mind your welcome to travel with me but if not then… well it’s your choice.”

Danica gave her a real smile this time. “Neither will I, so if I’m ever in trouble you might just find me knocking on your door. Although with this beastie around,” She gave Altari a little shove, “I run into trouble a lot.” He gave a snort and Danica let out a tiny laugh. She considered the rest of her bread and frowned before she tossed that to Akela as well. “You looked half-starved so you could probably use this more than I could.”

[Akela]

Akela could not help but see her younger self in Danica. The girl was everything a Drykas should ever be; confident, self-reliant, careless - though not meant in a bad way - and one with her horse. Akela had been all those, but now wondered if a Konti could or should really pretend to be a Drykas. Perhaps she had brought the curse upon herself by imitating that which she was not.

"Ah, Endrykas," she nodded, though the mention did not seem to put her entirely at ease, or make her want to follow Danica to the pavilion city. "I left my clan to go south, towards the great desert," she spoke softly now, her face made gentler by the bread in her stomach, "but I'm not quite ready to return yet." Especially not to a bunch of horsemen who thought her the source of all the bad luck that had plagued the pavilion for years. "My half-brother Vanator is destined to be an Ankal, if he isn't one already, but I'm just better off on my own."

Akela accepted the rest of the bread thankfully. She knew she was going to need it to survive. She gave a short, bitter laugh when Danica talked about getting in trouble a lot. "So do I," she murmured, "so do I." It then occurred to her that Danica had mentioned having been in Riverfall very recently, and Akela thought her a true blessing from the Ukalas. Here was someone who could confirm or debunk the rumor she had been pursuing like a madwoman.

"Did you say Riverfall?" She bited into the bread, but restrained herself from eating more. Rationing was key. "A few days ago, I met another rider who said my sister, well, someone who looked a lot like me, had taken up residence there. Wouldn't you happen to know a Konti named Kavala? She is my younger sister. People couldn't tell us apart from a distance." Akela waited for Danica's answer with baited breath. There was no logical reason why Kavala should be in Riverfall - last she knew, her sister was in Mura getting trained as a healer - but a desperate person will believe almost anything.

[Danica]

Something about that name sort of niggled at her. Vanator. She felt like she should know it from somewhere but couldn’t quite place it. Maybe she had run into him once before, it was hard to tell since the name brought no face with that little niggle. Perhaps she had met him before. That was all.

“Families are wonderful but a pain to deal with sometimes.” Danica spoke from experience as well, most probably everyone felt that way about their family, she was out here on her own as well. She let it lapse at that, comforting people about their family problems was not something she was good at, and anything she could think of to say ended up either coming out worse or completely unbelievable.

Ah finally a subject that she could talk about without awkwardness. “Kavala? Yes I know her. She runs a horse sanctuary in Riverfall. It’s actually very beautiful.” Danica gave a little smile. “I’m not very good at telling the Konti apart anyway… but now that you mention it I can see some of the similarities between you and…” Danica’s voice drifted off and her hand fluttered to her cloak.

“You said you’re Kavala’s sister, and you brother is Vanator. . .” Everything hit her, why the name was so familiar. She wasn’t expecting to meet him until Endrykas and she was normally a bit absent minded about these things.

“I have something for you actually, from Kavala. I just sort of need it back when you’re done since it’s also for Vanator. I was expecting to find you both together…”

Danica opened her cloak and removed a note which she handed over to Akela.

Kavala's Letter :

Date: Late Winter, 509 AV The Sanctuary, The City of Riverfall - Cyphrus. Vanator & Akela- Greetings my Siblings. It's been a long time, has it not? I made it safely to Mura and studied at the Opal Temple like I wanted too. But Mura was not my home. I came back to return to the Pavilion, but got a little lost along the way. I ran into slavers, but was later rescued by the Akalak in Riverfall. I hope, my brother and sister, if you meet the Akalaks in trade you will think kindly of them for they did indeed save my life. And because of that, I owe them a debt that I will remain here until I can repay. I have a good life and have opened a medicinal clinic for animals and a stable for horses near the outskirts of the city. Akela, keep up on your swordwork. It is important that you always have a blade to fall back on. It might have made a difference in my life and its course had I known what you do and have your gifts. Vanator, you are an amazing leader. Keep up your studies and your magics. You will do the family pavilion proud. I miss you more than I can put to words and sometimes I swear your voice has become the voice of reason in my head. I will visit when I can. Kavala