To Forge the Bonds of Friendship (Vallora)

by **Mihiya Darkmane** on June 7th, 2013, 3:33 pm

Timestamp: 15th Day of Summer, AV 513
Pavi
Common
Thoughts

It seemed that she was never far from her horse these days, as if she had been permanently glued to her horse for weeks. Komali was her constant companion and her life. She kept her from going mad on the days when the loneliness was crushing and helped her hunt, though her hunting was poor as it was. She scanned the area around Endrkyas. She had been looking for game before, now she merely hoped for companionship.

Briseni had sent her sons to talk to her, to try and reason with her, but Mihiya wouldn't listen. It was time for her to set off on her own. It was time for her to become her own ruler. And she had heard enough about the suitable men in Endrykas to drive her crazy.

She shifted on Komali's back. The mare turned her head to the side to eye her. It was a rare occurence that Mihiya was uncomfortable on horseback and it was an even rarer occurence when they merely stood and watched the city go about it's day. Mihiya wouldn't admit it, but the lack of human companionship was slowly driving her mad. Finally, she nudged the mare with her knees and they set off. She was contemplating perhaps going to Riverfall sometime later in the summer, and maybe on to Eyktol in the fall, but she loathed to leave her people in such poor condition. The pox in the winter had reduced Endrykas populations and she knew that she was partially responsible for replenishing them.

"What's more important?" wants, responsibilities she asked the mare in Pavi. As per usual, Komali offered no more help than she usually did, merely whickering as they walked along.

by **Vallora Salvari** on June 10th, 2013, 3:31 pm

"You really should be more careful next time, brother. You can't work with an injury like that," Vallora pointed out as her brother exited the River Flower, a tent filled with healers ready to deal with all sorts of health problems. His left hand was bandaged tightly, his fingers frozen in a stiff position.

The heat of summer was beating down on their heads, harsh bleaching the color over everything. Tents flapped gently against the dancing wind, following an inaudible tune. The people of the horses filled the gaps between the tents that had been laid out. All wore colorful clothing to signify the clan they came from.

Earlier in the morning, Xaven had decided to pack up some of our parents' things and out them inside a wooden chest. He said it was so that they would not waste so much space, but really, Vallora was sure that he was just wanted to prepare for Ilaria's plan to move in. Ilaria and her brother had been seeing it other for a while and even he had not yet say it, she knew he planned on marrying the Vantha-Inartan girl. For her, it was a bit too rushing but it's not like they had any choice. All Drykas men must be married by the end of this summer. Vallora didn't even want to think what it might mean for her. Girls who were at least sixteen had been marrying ever since the start of summer - girls her age. She was getting off the point. As Xaven moved around Mother's glassworks, one accidentally shatter. The small one tinged with a purplish hue. That's how Xaven had acquire his wound. Fortunately, it was nothing fatal.

"I'll go hunting in your place today," she decided. Xaven started to protest but she silenced him with a look. He was in no condition to hunt, not with his hand like that. His gray eyes stared back at her, not backing down that easily. "You know I need to do this. Some extra money wouldn't hurt. I could get some water and find some game if I'm lucky. You know I can hunt."

Xaven tightened his uninjured hand into a fist. Clearly, he was quite upset. "Alright, just because we have no other choice." Right now, they needed even more mizas. If Xaven was going to marry Ilaria soon, he would need some preparations and those preparations cost something. "Are you quite sure?"

Vallora smiled and went to call for their Striders - Talvael and Alltave. The two horses regarded each other with contempt. She had never understood why they didn't like each other. Then again, Alltave was not the best-mannered horse without Xaven around. "I'll just find a hunter who's willing to go out into the grasslands. It shouldn't be too hard." Alltave, the black-haired horse went to his rider's side and nudged Xaven on the arm. "Can you even ride?"

To prove it, he pulled himself awkwardly and slowly, having to do all that with only hand. When he saw her sister smiling with content, he said, "Not a word, sister. Not a word."

The girl simply laughed and waved a goodbye at her brother. She headed deeper into the city, Talvael following her closely behind, searching for someone who seemed to be available for a short trip into the wilderness.

by **Mihiya Darkmane** on June 14th, 2013, 6:07 pm

She sighed as she scanned the restless city. Though the Drykas numbers had been reduced by the pox that past winter, it seemed to her that there were plenty of Drkyas wandering around. The idea of leaving weighed heavily on her mind when she thought of how many had died that past winter. Her pavillion had been left untouched, but she could still hear the weeping ringing in her ears.

She needed to get out of Endrykas, and soon. The Sea of Grass was a dangerous place alone, but perhaps she could find a companion, someone near her own age with a bit more skill in hunting...her dark eyes searched. They landed on a few different people, an older man covered in scars from past battles, a middle aged woman, clearly the wife of an Ankal from the way she commanded the younger woman who swarmed around her, and then...an unmounted younger girl with a Strider trailing behind her. There! Perfect!

"Hey," she called out, nudging Komali toward the girl and her Strider. She trotted toward the girl, hoping that she didn't startle the Strider with her sudden movements. In general, Striders were well trained and didn't shy, but it wasn't unusual for one to be less comfortable around strangers. Komali was always up for meeting new people, the mare as friendly and social as her mistress.

"I'm Mihiya," she introduced herself, barely giving the other girl time to react to her first shout of hey.

((OCC: I'm SO sorry for the wait, my computer access was fairly limited))

by **Vallora Salvari** on June 16th, 2013, 1:58 am

Her head whipped to look for the source of the call. Immediately, her eyes landed on the girl who was coming towards her. Upon a quick look, Vallora guessed that they were the same age, though their similarities stopped there. The girl's hair was raven black whereas hers was dark brown. Vallora's skin was pale when the stranger was dark-skinned - darker than the typical Drykas, even.

For a moment, Vallora wondered if the girl was referring to her. She was rarely called by anyone but her brother and the few friends of hers - except for a job or such. But it seemed like she was. Odd, she could not help thinking. Vallora straightened and looked at the girl carefully. The girl was obviously someone quite sociable and confident.

"I'm Mihiya." The girl was followed by a Strider, showing her as a member of the Drykas. Though there was something about her that looked foreign. Her features - especially her eyes - carried certain traits that did not belong to the people of the horse.

Vallora gave the girl a polite smile as her mind raced for a reason why this girl would approach her. "I'm Vallora. Can I help you with something because I'm sure we haven't known each other before?"

by **Mihiya Darkmane** on June 16th, 2013, 11:15 am

Mihiya didn't worry about the girl's seeming confusion. This happened a lot when she encountered new people so she focused on the girl's question. Did she need something? Well, since she was asking...

"Are you a hunter? Because if you are, and you were willing to go with me, I really need to go hunting sometime soon...so are you willing to go hunting?" She managed to keep most of the excitement out of her voice, but occasionally it slipped through. She hadn't been around many companions of her own age for a very long time, and the companions she had were not female. Briseni had been adamant on the finding Mihiya a husband thing and had frequently invited over eligible bachelors (and older Ankals with two or three wives) to meet her. Typically, they were attracted to her, but more so curious because of her Chaktawe blood.

"I'm sorry, I seem abrupt. It's just..." she trailed off, trying to think of an excuse. There really wasn't one that she could offer. Her impatience and desire to go out hunting could have played a role. Additionally, she was devoid of companionship and that was quite depressing, and finally the girl seemed like she too could use a companion, perhaps someone to hunt with.

"This is Komali," she said, indicating her mare, "Could I ask the name of your Strider?" Komali flicked her ears toward the girl and the other horse, the mare was nearly as curious as her mistress.

by **Vallora Salvari** on June 17th, 2013, 6:39 am

Mihiya did not even hesitate to ask her, "Are you a hunter? Because if you are, and you were willing to go with me, I really need to go hunting sometime soon...so are you willing to go hunting?"

Even though she was quite surprised of the straightforwardness of the girl, Vallora was quite used to it. After her time in Endrykas, most of the Drykas were like that - forward and speak strongly for themselves. "I'm usually a Reimancer, but I can hunt a bit. My brother is a hunter, but he's injured so all that's left is me." She gave the girl a smile. The girl had came to her at the perfect time. With this, she did not need to look for a nother hunter to accompany her into the Sea of Grass. "Actually, I am planning to go hunting, so yes, I don't mind at all."

The girl seemed struggling to explain why she had come up to Vallora so suddenly. "No, it's alright, really. You just saved from a lot of trouble," she said with a shrug. It was definitely better for her to travel with this friendly girl rather the hunters who did not even really like her. "Though, I'm not exactly the best at hunting, so I might not be as good as you'd like," Vallora said timidly. She rarely hunts because she had her own job - which was gathering for water. Still, Vallora was up for it. Besides, she probably needed to work on her skills with her bow.

Both Strider and rider seemed to be quite connected, looking at her with similar looks. "Could I ask the name of your Strider?"

"His name is Talvael, he can be pretty annoying sometimes." As she said it, Talvael nudged her shoulder. Vallora smiled and patted the dark mane of her Strider. "So, you have anywhere you want to go in order to hunt?"

"If it's alright for me to ask, what clan are you from?" Usually it would be easy for her to spot the colors of a clan, but this time she did not spot too much decoration on the girl. She certainly looked foreign, but Vallora was quite certain that the girl was a Drykas.

by **Mihiya Darkmane** on June 18th, 2013, 3:42 pm

Mihiya's eyes widened at the knowledge that the girl knew magic. She almost asked if the girl could demonstrate, or perhaps teach her, but she bit her tongue. That might have been rude of her. Magic though, and in someone so young...and a person who was Drykas. She knew very little about magic and encountering someone who could wield it...well that shocked her.

"I am not very good either," the girl shrugged with a laugh, "Perhaps we can get better together?" She wasn't the world's worst hunter, that would be her adoptive mother Briseni, but she also wasn't a very good hunter. It would be interesting to see if this girl was any worse than her or not.

"An annoying Strider, imagine that," Mihiya said, her mouth twisting in amusement. Komali nudged her shoulder at her words and Mihiya patted the mare's muzzle. "Komali and I have been bonded for 14 years now, and you would think she would have outgrown her foolishness, but no. She's still the wild mare she was when I first bonded with her."

Where did she want to hunt? She bit her lip remembering the last time she had ventured into the Sea of Grass alone...perhaps it would be better to stay closer to the city, maybe just going out into the grasslands a little bit aways. There would be less prey there, but there would also be help nearby if a predator dared get that close to the city...which she couldn't foresee.

"Just outside the city perhaps? Not too far, but far enough that the prey won't be all frightened away?"

"Ameythest," the girl replied. She rarely wore her clan colors now that she had left Briseni's Pavilion and she knew that it probably confused people. "What clan is yours?"

by **Vallora Salvari** on June 23rd, 2013, 1:50 pm

OOCSo sorry for the wait, Mihiya

"Glad to know I won't be embarrassing myself too much," Vallora said lightly."We certainly can." It had been some time since last went out hunting and it did not exactly go well. Neither did the last time she had traveled into the Sea of Grass. Bad, bad stuff.

"Fourteen years?" she repeated, impressed. The girl and her Strider had been together for a very long time. "Tal and I here had only been together for six years and we're getting sick of each other already." Talvael huffed and shook his mane almost in agreement. Vallora flashed the Strider a grin and turned back to the girl named Mihiya.

"Just outside the city perhaps? Not too far, but far enough that the prey won't be all frightened away?"

She nodded in assent. Sticking close to safety was a good idea. Vallora doubted she could defend herself well out there - she might only be a liability to this girl. Besides, she had enough experience of getting attacked by the animals of the grassland to know that the chances danger would find you out there was 4 out of 5. Not exactly reassuring. Hated to admit it, but she had enough of Cyphrus dangers for at least another year. Too bad she could not shy away from it - her job did involve going out into the wilderness every single morning. "Sure, we can work with that."

When the girl said she was an Amethyst, Vallora felt a tad reassured. The Amethysts were well-known for their ability in navigation. Though, she did wonder why the girl was not wearing the clan colors. It was unusual. The Drykas tend to use their clan's color all the time, proudly signifying where they belonged. "Sapphire."

For a moment, Vallora considered something. Mihiya seemed friendly and quite open. Maybe she wouldn't be offended her straight-forwardness. "If it's alright for me to ask, you're not fully . . . Drykas, are you? I mean . . . well, I am quite sure you know what I meant." Vallora flushed and immediately regretted that she had asked. It was probably rude to ask something like that, wasn't it?

Now that she shifted her attention away from her newly-made acquaintance, she realized that they had been standing in the middle of the crowd for quite some time. People had started noticing and giving them questioning looks. It was probably a sign they they should start moving. "Should we go now?" Vallora asked as she tried changing the subject.

by **Mihiya Darkmane** on June 23rd, 2013, 2:03 pm

"Worry not, I'll keep our secret if we completely fail," the girl laughed lightly, her tone elated to have found someone that she could hunt with that wouldn't make fun of her hunting abilities. She'd been in that position before, and it was not a pleasant feeling.

"Yes, fourteen years. She was apparently insane when she met me. I was just a toddler, wandering from my Pavilion and she found me and we bonded. I don't even remember getting my windmarks." She smiled as the woman teased her Strider, it was a familiar scene. Drykas people and their horses had some of the closest bonds, perhaps closer than those between wife and husband (especially after the marriage decree). They often teased each other and the horses would respond in kind.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry," Mihiya said, unknowingly giving voice to Vallora's thoughts, "I've been in danger deep in the Sea of Grass, and I'd prefer to stay near the city." It was true. In her youth, she'd often had to be tracked down and found and then rescued from herself and the dangers she got herself in.

When Vallora voiced her question, and then appeared quite embarrassed, Mihiya was confused by her embarrassment. After all, she was fairly outspoken, fond of asking strangers what they were, and this question was hardly rude. It was a curiosity, and she would rather have it voiced than asked about behind her back and discussed at length.

"No," she said and then she placed her hand on the shoulder of the other girl, "Look." She dropped her second eyelids and looked at Vallora through them. No doubt she looked a bit strange that way. She raised them and smiled kindly, "Do not be shy to ask that question. I am part Chaktawe, a race that makes its home in the deserts of Eyktol. My mother went there on a voyage one day and came home with me. As far as I can tell, they aren't quite human...but apparently close enough that they can interbreed with us." She shrugged and smiled as the girl changed the subject rapidly, "I am not upset, Vallora. It is a valid question. However, it seems that we are upholding the flow of traffic, so I agree. Time to go." She turned to Komali and tangled her fingers in the mane, mounting easily.

"Off we go then!"

by **Vallora Salvari** on June 27th, 2013, 12:50 pm

Vallora laughed lightly at the girls' statement. For both of their sakes, she hoped they were good enough to actually get some game. "That is a deal."

"You must've liked to wander around a lot," Vallora commented at the girl's story.Her own bonding story was also nothing flashy. It was around the end of Spring when she had encountered the lone Strider. She was 11 years old then.The dark-maned horse had attracted the young girl's attention and vice versa. With Xaven in tow, Vallora had approached the steed gingerly. It seemed to like her and without really realizing it, they've bonded together.The next time they went to Endrykas, she brought to get her Windmark. It was painful, but she had been really proud wearing the thick black lines.

Mihiya regarded her question lightly, like it was no problem at all. Guess she was the one was overreacting with it. The other girl even did something with her eyes that showed her that she was not entirely human. When Mihiya mentioned the Chaktawe, Vallora's mind searched the word, trying to conjure up an image in her mind and found nothing. She had only heard little about the people of Eyktol. "So you never knew your father?"

Truthfully, a part of her was jealous of how Mihiya seemed completely comfortable with herself, despite the fact that she was different from most of the Drykas. Vallora was certainly more normal in the eyes of the Drykas, yet she had never felt quite so accepted. She shrugged the thought off.

She grabbed the quiver and bow that had been strapped on Talvael's yvas. She slung both across her back, ready to go. She smiled at the half-Chaktawe girl. "Lead the way then!"