Completed [Kelp Bar] Day after the Ball

[Weylin Quickshot]

For a moment she watched the two eye each other up, watching Averti by the moment make himself look bigger, whilst Valo growing quieter under the intimidation given. She laughed and gently took Valo's hand, guiding it to Averti's muzzle. For a moment there was a brief flicker of confusion in the Stallion's eyes, not expecting his Drykas rider to step in, but then halting when she placed Valo's hand down. Averti stared, his dark eyes unflinching almost unblinking as if to see whose will would break first.
"Hey Averti."
"See? Not so bad now," she took the Yvas bag from Valo.
She let the two of them interact with each other, the stallion mainly sniffing at Valo, his dark eyes still eyeing the man up for size, but the level of hostility and need to dominate having shrunk in considerable size. Averti suddenly pushed his head past Valo's hand and making a low soft noise, before letting out a snort and nudging a man in the chest a few times, picking up scents and a way to remember him. Weylin raised an eyebrow and smiled, watching Averti walk around him his dark eyes analysing every aspect of Valo. Just like Weylin would when faced with a stranger.

He pulled away, the stallion's attention now on her and her alone, but he was not as wild as before. Instead he slowly walked behind her before resting his head on her left shoulder. She whispered to the strider in Pavi "Really now? You do?"
Averti gave her a disapproving look to Weylin, before looking back towards Valo.
"Good news, he approves," she rubbed his neck before stepping to his side and throwing the Yvas over his back, connecting up the pieces, and adjusting it correctly. She brushed the matted tan coat, feeling the well developed muscle beneath craving to be tested and stretched. She cleared her throat and focused her attention solely on Valo "Which leads to the next question, you want to ride with me?"
There was no trick behind her question, she was serious, and to prove it she pulled herself up onto Averti's back and extended her hand down to Valo "Well?"

[Valo]

Weylin took his hand and without hesitation placed it on the horse's nuzzle. Warm soft fur made contact with Valo's cold skin, the sensation so pleasant. He slid his fingers down towards the nostrils very slowly and gently, caressing the hard anatomy that lay beneath each individual little hair. The muscles within a horse's face were quite interesting to him. There was so much expression within the features and so much wisdom within those two black pools which were the creature's eyes. And above all the stallion was full of personality which led Valo to grow quite fond of the beast and hoped this fondness may be returned.

Averti began prodding Valo's chest with his face. Large soft nostrils against his ribcage. A laugh escaped Valo as he stroked the beast, rubbed his cheeks gently. His face lit with joy. Peculiar beast, this strider was. So curious and intuitive and it circled him to look at the man before him from every angle. Then again it's not like Valo was an easy man to miss for the colour of his hair was that of fire it self.

She spoke to her strider in Pavi before explaining "Good news, he approves."

A weight had fallen from Valo's chest and for a moment he had grown in self content. Perhaps Averti was not as scary as he first seemed, or perhaps he had just taken pity on the fool in love and decided to give the man a chance. And that chance was indeed greatly appreciated.

For a moment Valo watched as Weylin strapped the yvas to the horse, adjusting it as that it clung to the beast perfectly. Then with a little jump, she pulled her self on top of the strider until she sat tall and graceful upon her mount. A perfect posture. It seemed that the riders had the most beautiful posture out of all the people in Mizahar and perhaps most thigh strength, as that was needed to keep one self on top of such a horse in full gallop. "Which leads to the next question, you want to ride with me?" she asked.

At first he thought she was kidding. Valo had about as much talent and skill for riding horses, as he had for flying on his own accord; which was a complete lack of talent for Valo's arms were not wings of an eagle. He would stand more chance in a brawl against his friend Ricky than he would atop Averti. "I think you would find," he spoke with a smile on his face and a cleverly disguised tremble in his voice. A little chuckle was also present in his tone for he was truly light hearted. "that if I was to join you I would fall off in the first few moments and then Averti would cease to approve of me." Was she testing him? Coss if so he had already failed. If she wished to be with a rider than perhaps a Drykas boy would suit her better and not this Inarta artist, who perhaps knows the theory of how to ride, but would not be able to put it into practice.

[Weylin Quickshot]

"I think you would find, that if I was to join you I would fall off in the first few moments and then Averti would cease to approve of me."
Weylin looked down at him, her previously outstretched hand recoiling and resting on the Yvas. Her previous intentions were for simple fun, to entertain just as Valo did previously at the Kelp Bar. Her eyes drifted away from his, and then her entire face as she gently rubbed against Averti's neck. Her heart sunk, she should of known better than to ask Valo, and it was obvious the mind of the artist was set.

"Oh."

She did not know what else to say, if there was anything that could be said it had escaped the Drykas and maybe saying nothing was for the better. She gave a smile to the stallion, but it was heavy with disappointment behind it. Perhaps it was indeed foolish to pursue Valo with aims of romance, and perhaps it would be better to chase after a Drykas boy. Yet Weylin did not, no man back in Endrykas interested her nor in return. The men there respected her as a hunter and a fighter, but not once could either side look to the other in a different light. She exhaled and spoke to the strider in Pavi "Come on then, just you and me Averti."
Averti's head turned to look at her, his large eyes questioning her before shooting a glare at the artist, nostrils flared before giving a loud grunt. He trotted away, firstly around Valo again, silent staring, before leaving. Weylin held herself up high, maintaining her posture and her eyes solely fixed on direction, and when she did turn to face him, her expression was dulled an neutral, a loss of interest in her current task.

After a time the Drykas dismounted, leading Averti back over, stripping him of the saddle and letting him run free. Her eyes chased after his form, watching him yet at the same time not. Her mind was elsewhere and unfocused on both of them. She yawned, and held onto the yvas tightly, still with nothing else to say.

[Valo]

"Oh..."was the last thing to leave her lips before her interest in him completely died. It seemed as if the flower which was their romance had suddenly been pulled out of water and wilted and withered before his very eyes. Silly Valo! He knew very well that in the long run this relationship had no conceivable hope of flourishing. They were too different. Whilst she was a wild and free soul, he was an artist who long ago had sold that very precious commodity and forgot what it's like to jump head first into something, without worrying about the consequences. He was getting old so alarmingly fast. Beyond sexual pleasure, he could not offer Weylin anything that may be of interest to her.

But the most disheartening thing was, that even though he was expecting it not to work out, he didn't quite think she'd reject him so soon. A little part of his heart had chipped off, lost in darkness forever.

He had found him self a spot where his sat until his behind became so cold and numb, he thought it was about to fall off. But still he waited until she was done. Keen green eyes observed every movement of Averti. The way each muscle interacted with the outline of the silhouette, shifting it and reforming with the movement. The elaborate grace with which he galloped. The way that only one foot touched the ground at a time in that dance called gallop.

The foot of a horse was an impressive structure. So weak and frail, it withheld impressive strength under compression in the narrowest part, which twisted into a perfect right angle in a gallop and then all this force diffused into the ground though the wide base of the hoof. The elaborate weave of tenants in the foot was arranged in such a way, that if anything was to touch it during that crucial right angle moment in the gallop, a loud bang like the sound of a small cannon could be heard and the fibrous material would snap in half. A massive tear in the very thing that makes a horse, rendering the beast a cripple for the rest of it's life. That was indeed the reason that only one foot touched the ground during gallop; so that the horse had no chance of destroying it self. Anatomy was so interesting.

Eventually she dismounted and removed the Yvas off the back of Averti. Valo walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, His body trying to mask the shivering. "Perhaps I should go now." he whispered, placing a tender kiss on her forehead before she had any chance to react. A warm crescent of a smile flashed across his face as if to reassure her and the he began retracing his footsteps to the front of the tent. The truth was Valo didn't really want to leave, but he felt his presence made her uncomfortable, so the best thing was to remove him self from the picture.

[Weylin Quickshot]

Weylin did not speak, or more over could not. Her mind had simply shut itself off in an attempt to protect, yet it was occasions like this that reactions were crucial, be it in actions or in words. Yet the Drykas could not. She faltered when he kissed her, his lips curling to smile, a fake smile. Then he pulled away, out of her reach, just like he always was. It was all too brief, and before either could begin the dream had ended forcing both to awake. But Weylin did not want to wake up, not yet, not when there was so many more adventures to be had.

Alas, to the cruelness of life and the fragile nature of romance. All such things would crumble without the other; for without the ability to push and pull, to balance out what needed to be balanced out a situation would quickly turn impossible. She looked upon his back, watching him move further away, knowing that if she did not react, if she did not say anything, then he would be out of reach for an eternity. But what could she offer him? Encouragement, how? To join in, yet he shied away at the notion? To reach a hand out to him, she did but he did not take. Her shoulders sunk, the walls she had raised in her mind crumbling to reveal the unfortunate truth that perhaps indeed she was better off alone. To simply exist before fading into the background. Yes, the background that was where Weylin truly existed, a state of being both visible and invisible, to gain the title of wallflower when at occasions, to be swept up into the sea of grass before finally disappearing. She looked at his back once more, a flicker of of regret, of letting go too soon, before it finally snuffed out into nothing.

Even as Averti approached Weylin did not react, from the gentle nudge of his muzzle in his back to the pawing of the ground next to her. The strider had once seen his rider like this before, at the beginning of fall before her world broke down and simply crumbled, leaving -to her at least- only one option. Leave. He gave a snort, and looked on towards to the painter, his ears pricked forwards before letting out a heavy sigh. He barged past her, making a beeline for Valo. Averti was far from stupid; he was highly intelligent, observant, but his more playful and stubborn nature often masked that. The stallion came up right behind him and gave him a firm push with a low grunt followed shortly. He then proceeded to be difficult, blocking the way of the painter and shooting challenging looks.

Weylin did not react, she could not. Just like before she was simply left staring at what slipped through her fingers. A dream that could not be grasped. She knew she had to say something, anything. She swallowed, looking upon the difficult Averti, the horse that had time and again stopped the inevitable and dragged her back barely. Just like before.
"Averti, enough," she summoned the courage to move, to take a stride towards both of them. The stallion gave her a look before trotting away, seemingly satisfied with what he had achieved.
For a moment Weylin paused, looking up to Valo, extending a hand as if to grab him before slowly it recoiled. She wanted to touch, but his expression left her uncertain. She frowned, trying to find the words to say, to speak her mind and what she wanted. She wanted him to stay, if only for a while longer, to recover what had been lost.
"Please, not yet. Stay. Just for a little while longer."

[Valo]

There was a great push on his back and he stumbled over, turning sharply on hi heal with a smile on his face. A mischievous smile, a true smile. There was something about Averti that put him in a good mood even when the world around him spiralled down. A sense of comfort in radiating from the best as if it was a familiar face in the sea of unfamiliarity. And perhaps the strider was trying to say something of great importance to him, blocking his way and nudging him like this. But to Valo it was fundamentally endearing as he reached his hands out to Averti, to touch him one last time, for perhaps he would not have another chance.

"Averti, enough," came the command and as if the creature obeyed without challenge. So clever he was.

Valo turned to her, now his attention solely upon her. Weylin Quickshot. He was a statue in the win which now blew his hair to the side in a whimsical manner. His green eyes seemed to glow just a little. The smile was gone now but the remainders of it hovered within his expression, though it was replaced by the look of calm and wondering. A moment of silence between them.

As she reached out her hand, Valo started towards her and by the tie she forced the words "Please, not yet. Stay. Just for a little while longer." from her self, he had wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against his chest.

"Anything you wish for lady Weylin." he said, half jokingly in regards of the title, but completely serious in regard of the intent. He held her like that for a moment, his face buried in her hair, before pulling back ever so little, her face in between his palms, his eyes looking straight into Weylin's. And then his lips sunk into her's in a kiss.

[Weylin Quickshot]

She was surprised when he came closer, her heart becoming lighter as he came into touching distance, before he grabbed hold of her and pulled her in. Weylin clung to him as his arms wrapped round her. She did not move from his hold, she had no desire to for fear that he would slip away again. She pressed herself against him, unable to look up at his face, unless the neutral expression she held broke down. She shook in his arms, the air had turned cold sharply, but that was not a current concern.

He cupped her face and kissed her, something that Weylin would not deny the pleasure to either of them. She gave rested her forehead against his, her deep green eyes staring into his for a moment, and a moment a flicker of a smile broke out on her lips, and she reached her hands up to him. She touched his face, feeling his cold skin and the slight tremble, and withdrew them. She looked for a moment worried for him, a look of concern flickering in her eyes.
“You’re cold,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to keep him warm “Maybe we should get you inside.”
It was not a suggestion to push him away, it was merely a suggestion, and for even she was starting to shiver. And it was not something she tried to hide. Besides, the darkness of the night was coming and at an alarming rate at that.

[Valo]

The truth about any relationship is that if it's truly worth while, it is hard. And it seemed that the most wonderful relationships are the hardest ones. Without the times of sadness, true joy cannot be experienced. Without darkness there is no light. Indeed this relationship would take hard work and dedication from both of them and many things were yet to be discovered, yet to be worked out by the couple. But for now the storm had died down and the rays of hope once again shone though the cracks in the sky. And those rays became a fountain of light that bathed their silhouettes as they kissed.

“You’re cold,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him. And suddenly the distant woman had subsided and the warm tender love she was, had returned into her frame. “Maybe we should get you inside.”

"Good idea." he agreed, not wanting to leave her yet. But he was growing increasingly aware of the impending night upon them. A shroud rolling over the sky faster than either would like to admit.

[Weylin Quickshot]

Weylin took his hand in hers, and slowly lead them back to the front of her tent, her fingers laced with his. She smiled, pulling him along with one hand, the yvas over her other shoulder. When she got to the front she released him, and placed the yvas back in the tent. Straightening herself she looked upon the darkening sky, and then upon the glowing embers of the fire pit that existed nestled before her tent. She studied it, if only for a moment, and quickly tended to it. She did not fancy having it snuff out and her having to walk blindly about in the dark. She added tinder and twigs to it at first, letting it burst once more into flame.

Love and relationships were much like fire. Without tending to it, the flame would die down and be reduced to nothing, throw to much upon it then it would become suffocated due to the lack of air to feed it. Give it the right amount, then it would burn strong and well. As it grew she rubbed her hands together, feeling its warmth and letting it sap away the cold, before she turned her attention back to Valo.

"So what do you want to do?" she asked. It was not that she was unsure on what to do, it more she was open to do what ever the artist desired. He was now the most precious thing in her thoughts, and a top priority.
"You can come in for a bit, but..." she paused as if thinking for the right words "It might not be to your comfort. If you want I can walk you back to yours, if that is what you would prefer?"

[Valo]

With adoring eyes Valo observed her as she tended to the flames. Their vibrant hue was so striking against the darkening greys of the darkening air around them. And moreover, there seemed to be something so tranquil about she as she did so, extending her arms elegantly to add twigs and tinder. The flames roaring up in strength. Their radiation rendered the air around incredibly pleasant to exist in. "So what do you want to do?" she asked, offering him two choices. But instead of answering directly he wrapped his arm around her fondly and whispered. "Comfort bears no meaning. I shall be wherever you are."