Completed The air is somewhat colder...

[Kai]

12th of Fall
Mid afternoon
Outskirts on the moving city

The air was somewhat colder than usual, but perhaps it was a sign that the weather might take a turn for the worse, later on in the week. Kai had covered her self with an oversized re knitted jumper which her father had made for her,come the change of seasons. Of course Kai had very little interest in clothing and other such feminine thing, but she loved the jumper as it reminded her of the pride and the love her father had for her. He was the jewel in his crown. The whole pavilion in fact cherished her very existence.

One would think that when a child is this spoiled, they would turn into a real nightmare. But not Kai, oh no. She was courteous and conscientious and well mannered. However despite being 14 years old now, she was still in the mind set of a little child. She much preferred to roll in the dirt with her cats than get ready for real adult life. As long as she was protected by the arms of her pavilion, he was at liberty to never grow up.

Kai finished her weaving before the sun fully settled in it's peak place in the sky. Now it was time to take care of per animals. The cats both fed and brushed curled up for a nap in her yvas which lay abandoned at the foot of her tent. Papus, the magnificent strider was peacefully nibbling at tiny strands of grass, as Kai began brushing her. The bristles of the brush removed all dirt, leaving her short fur soft and glistening. It was a quiet afternoon indeed...

[Akarn]

Akarn gave his dapple-grey Strider a gentle pat on the neck. The animal in turn gave a quick snort and went back to feeding upon the grass before he was interrupted. The young Drykas man looked down the row of tents that hung on the outskirts of Endrykas. He caught the glimpse of a girl that he had seen before. She was brushing down her own Strider, a buckskin mare.

Usually he had seen the girl weaving in the morning before he would head out for his morning ride. Today the young man was staying close to Endrykas, waiting to hear if he had been accepted for the group to investigate the webbing. Still ones who dedicated their life to a profession like that intrigued him a little. So he decided to head over and talk to the girl.

He was there within a few seconds and cleared his throat so as not to surprise the girl. "Good afternoon." He said with a slight smile. "I am somewhat your neighbor," He said indicating to his tent a few places down. "My name is Akarn." He added to wait to see if the girl responded to him in turn.

[Kai]

Kai spun around at the sound of his voice with so much haste, that the brush slipped out of her hands and plummeted to the ground. Behind her an athletic, black haired man stood in all his majesty. She would see him ride out into the Sea of Grass, on his beautiful strider, every morning. Or perhaps most mornings when she bothered to pay attention to what's going on around her.

"Good afternoon." He said with a slight smile. "I am somewhat your neighbour. My name is Akarn."

Wasting no time, Kai held out a slender hand in a friendly greeting. She was not the suspicious kind and above all she had always trusted Drykas."I'm Kai." she replied with an equal smile. "Lovely to meet you mr Arkan. I am very glad we are neighbours indeed. Tell me, that your strider?" she asked almost too eagerly, pointing at the dappled grey horse.

There was a slight reason for her eagerness. For she had not met anyone new for a very long time. Too long in fact. And this new acquaintance made her happy.

[Akarn]

The young Drykas male nodded to her and shook her hand when she offered it. "Nice to meet you Kai." Akarn had not meant to startle the girl, but she seemed to not be phased by it now. She seemed to be a whirlwind of activity. The girl before him actually reminded him of Destaria, his younger sister. They were actually probably about the same age.

His deep emerald eyes were not fooled by her glass beads or ribbons, after all he had four younger sisters that he had grown up with. All except one of them had always wanted to be outside riding or shooting bow, much to his mothers dismay. They were always a handful for his parents.

Akarn bent down and reached over to pick up the horses brush that Kai had dropped. He stood to look over at his Strider and to answer her question. "Yes, as much as a Strider can belong to anyone." He said knowing if the girl was bonded she would know what he meant. Strider and Drykas were more a part of each other, more so then just beast of burden and owner. They both had an equal share of looking after each other. The Drykas with sword and bow and the Strider with their swiftness and senses. It was the only way both had been able to thrive so well upon the Sea of Grass. "His name is Maverous." He said adding to his answer to her question.

He held out the horse brush. "You Strider looks content. You can tell she belongs with you." He said in the form of a compliment.

[Kai]

Taking the brush from him and blushing ever so slightly at her own clumsiness she spoke. "This beauty here is Papus." She stroked the mare's neck with long, soft strokes. "And she is not so much mine as I am her's. Or rather we're both one." replied Kai, pulling down the collar of her shirt slightly, revealing a clean curve of her wind marks on her neck. She was very proud of them indeed, being the youngest one in her family to bear such tattoos. "Since we are neighbours, perhaps Maverous and Papus should get to know one another and become good friends." she added jokingly, though her words had a hidden meaning behind them. She in fact wished for Arkan to become her new friend. The wild child she was, she didn't know many young people on Endrykas.

The glow of the man's emerald eyes captivated her. She replied to his staring with that of her own. For some such plain staring at one another may become awkward, but for Kai it was almost natural. She would look him straight in those emerald eyes and smile sweetly.

[Akarn]

Akarn noticed the windmarks on the girl and nodded, she had already been proven with in her Pavilion and to all Drykas for that matter. He turned back to look over at his dapple-grey strider who seemed content at still eating away at the long stalks of grass around the camp. Almost as if on cue, Maverous could feel Akarns eyes upon him and turned his dark brown eyes in his direction. He took in the girl that the Drykas male was talking to and the mare that stood beside them and he bobbed his head with a snort. Then the stallion turned back to the business of clearing the edge of the camp of the long grass stalks.

The young man could not help but to chuckle. "I think Maverous would like that," He said returning his attention to Kai. "I noticed you weaving this morning. What were you working on?" It was unusually bolder then the young Drykas was normally but he seemed a little more eased around Kai. Perhaps it was her friendliness or his curiosity that made him that way. Whatever the reason was it did not matter now because he had already asked the question.

[Kai]

"Just some colourful blankets." she replied, unphased by the question at all. Being the youngest of seven siblings who shared her inherited curiosity, she was used to this question. However she was a little saddened that she didn't get the chance to show off her weaving talents. "We sell them in the market every fortnights or so."

This was her chance to ask him the question which had been on her mind for a while now.

"I see you and Maverous riding out of Endrykas every morning. Hunting perhaps? Or is there a more elaborate reason." she asked with a sparkle of excitement in her every, the moment the word 'hunting' escaped her lips. It has been too long since she got to use her bow. Though she wasn't an excellent shot, nor was the bow it self excellent, she loved to hunt very much.

[Akarn]

The young man's dark brows raised at the mention of the colorful blankets. He would have to remember to visit the market place come the fortnight if he was still in the tent city. The weather was beginning to become a little colder and one could definitely tell that the seasons had changed. Then he turned back around to face the girl. She was an inquisitive sort but then again he had opened the door of opportunity with his questions.

"A little bit of both really," He said not meaning to be cryptic. Then he kind of shrugged his broad shoulders. "Mostly hunting but I do like to be out on the Sea of Grass away from Endrykas." He liked the security of the tent city but he liked his solitude too. His thoughts drifted to the mission he had volunteered for and knew he would probably get his chance to be away from the multitude of pavilions for a while.

"When I return to Endrykas you should come sometime, as long as your father does not mind." He said making sure he followed proper etiquette.

[Kai]

A wide grin of mischief appeared on Kai's face. "Sneaking out behind my father's back is one of my favourite activities. And hunting sounds like a splendid idea." But then her entire expression became clouded. No longer smiling she asked simply, her eyes big and beautiful, glistening in the sunlight. She always looked so innocent when worried. "Return to Endrykas?" she echoed. "Are you leaving? And when will you be back? I feel like I haven't even had the chance to get to know you."

A sudden breeze bled her hair to the side. A cacophony of ribbons and beads tangled together.

[Akarn]

"That is why I did not go out to hunt today," He said looking to her intently. "I am heading out to see what is the matter with the strands of webbing." Akarn looked back over at his tent, he still had a lot to do and meet up with the others. The Drykas looked back at the girl, it was for all of Endrykas he rode but it was also to make sure that the Sea of Grass was maintained for future generations of horse clans.

"Do not worry, Kai." He said with a little smile. "We will still get to go hunting soon enough." He nodded to reassure her of that fact. "I will see you when I get back, so make sure your bow is strung." With those words the young Drykas man turned to head back to his camp to finish packing Maverous.