Closed [The Sanctuary] Downpour (Kavala, Vanator)

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Summer, Day 68, 513 AV

Jorin gratefully accepted Vanator's offer of water. Putting the wooden cup to his parched lips, he took small sips of the precious liquid, feeling its coolness run down his throat. He hadn't even realized that he had been thirsty, but a severe jolt of electricity followed by a rib-cracking fall to the ground does that to a man.

Jorin's ears pricked up when he heard 'Kelvic'. His bondmate Rinya was a Kelvic, and she had a fairly dangerous job to boot. Jorin wondered if he could maybe make some sort of arrangement to get her treated here if she were injured at work. After all, one can never be too careful, and while Jorin was sure that the Gilia Medical Center was capable, it was always better to go to a specialist.

"So how ... does that work ... exactly?" he gasped out. "In regards to ... Kelvics ... being healed here? I'm bonded ... to one ... she has ... dangerous job ... might want to ... bring here ... if injured?"

He knew that it was a bit forward to ask that sort of question, but it was worth asking. At the very least, if they accepted new patients he could be comforted in the knowledge that Rinya would be in good hands if she were ever in a position similar to his.

"So, besides poetry, do you do anything else that ... might not aggravate an Akalak?" Vanator asked.

Jorin laughed, which turned into another one of his choked coughing fits. He really needed to learn not to do that.

"Well I ... act some ... of course," he replied with an apologetic look. "Also ... know writing ... bit of mathematics ... been studying the ... quarterstaff ... still terrible ... at it though."

Jorin shrugged and indicated the manure with his head.

"I toss manure ... pretty good though ... don't I?" he joked with a lopsided grin.

[Vanator]

A flash of light glared through the window, another tremendous clap of thunder crack following. The rain, as if the rattling sound was a cue, started to crescendo, pounding louder on the roof. A horse whinnied somewhere down the line of stalls, answered by a second nearby. Vanator stood and looked out at the raging storm, before looking down at the stranger.

Jorin showed no signs of descending health, no blood oozing from nose or mouth. It was obvious that he felt pain with each breath, though that seemed more likely to caused by injured ribs than organ damage, though Vanator was no medic.

So, Jorin was bonded. He needed to keep an eye on his Kelvic. "We treat any who come. I don't know how familiar you are with Riverfall, but there, Kelvic are treated as property, like pets. The females are especially valued for breeding. Their status does not afford them adequate care sometimes. Kavala takes them in and takes care of them when they need it."

Kovac picked up a pitch fork and resume cleaning the stalls. "I am sure your friend would be welcome here if she needed anything. But I would watch over her, she might not get a fair shake in the city." This was one of the reasons Vanator had started insisting on someone accompanying Dust and Cadra when they went to Riverfall. Should something happen to them, their would be Hai to pay at the Drykas' hands.

Van looked back at Jorin as he forced out another answer to the Denusk's inquiry. The man seemed to be fairly well rounded. At least he had made some effort to learn a weapon. "Well, jury is still out on the pitching manure bit, but at least you didn't fling it everywhere." Van offered a small smile.

The din of rain lightened some upon the barn roof, indicating the downpour was beginning to wane, the storm at its tail end.

[Jorin Ertihan]

The roar of thunder almost drowned out Vanator's words, but Jorin struggled to hear them anyhow. He winced, and not from the pain, when Vanator explained how Kelvics were typically treated in Riverfall.None of what Vanator was saying was news to Jorin, nor was any of it the Drykas man's fault, but nonetheless it just made Jorin angry anyway.

Maybe it was the sheer unfairness of it all, possibly it was the irritating pain in his chest with every breath he took, or perhaps it might be his ruined book of poems. Or he could just have been in a shyke mood. Who knew. "Yeah. Noticed that ... about Riverfall," he grimaced. Yet another reason he wasn't a huge fan of these Akalak. They didn't like his poetry. And they didn't treat his bondmate with the respect he felt she deserved. There were negative reasons for him to want to care about the city.

When Vanator mentioned Rinya not getting a fare shake and that he should watch her, Jorin just nodded. Well of course he'd watch her. But he knew Vanator meant well and did not intend any insult when he gave that advice. The only problem Jorin really had was, he was so unskilled in his weapon of choice, and he was not nearly the obvious armsman that Vanator was, that he'd really be unable to do much even if she wasn't given a fair shake. What could he do really? Recite poetry at them? Swing a staff mostly ineffectually at them?

"Yeah... part of why... I'm trying to learn... quarterstaff," he confessed. "Sohryn at... kendoka, he's kinda... slave driver. Good teacher though." And he was. Harsh as all petch, but very fair. And Jorin learned more in one week at the Kendoka about fighting than he had his entire life.

The rain pounded on the barn roof, harsh and quick until one almost couldn't hear individual raindrops any longer and it sounded like one continuous roar. Over the din, Jorin could hear Vanator quipping about how he didn't toss the manure everywhere. Jorin sniffed a little. He wasn't that clueless. "I should... hope not," he replied, with his best attempt at a smile. "Might lose... day job."

The rain, which had been pounding so incredibly hard only a few chimes ago, had begun to lessen considerably. Jorin just leaned back with a pained expression on his face. The burning sensation across his flesh had already subsided, leaving just a very dull ache everywhere from when his muscles had contracted. At that moment, he only felt tired. Exhausted. He just wanted to go to sleep, but he knew that would be a dangerous thing to do. If he went to sleep, there was no guarantee he'd ever wake up again.

He opened his eyes to watch what Vanator might be doing. Anything to keep his mind off of his exhaustion. Anything to stay awake. He took to looking out the window, and the almost nighttime darkness outside had become a much brighter gray. He had no idea how long the storm had lasted, but it wasn't yet nighttime, in any case. As Jorin closed his eyes briefly to concentrate on breathing, he took note that the rain pattering on the roof of the barn had steadily decreased and now, he wasn't even certain there was any rain.

As Jorin opened his eyes and chanced another look outside, he could still see the gray light of sunlight being filtered through cloud cover, but at least he couldn't see the rain pouring down from the heavens. If it was raining now, it was likely just a drizzle. In addition, the howling winds seemed to have for the most part stopped, leaving just the whispering of a gentler breeze wafting in through the open window. Jorin couldn't help a grin, which sadly turned into a grimace a tick later.

"Looks like... storm's finally over," he observed, relief obvious in his voice and on his face. "Hopefully... out of your... hair in a few."

[Kavala]

No sooner had the young man spoken then the barn door slide open with some force and a snorting irritated mare came charging in, loose, with not a single stitch of tack on her. The big bay was a fine-boned mixed breed that was used in Kavala's Denusk project for her superior confirmation and motion. And though her endless mane and tail were braided, the hair was plastered against her side because sheets of water were running off the mare as she pranced dangerously into the stone aisle of the barn. Bare hooves echoed in a violent fashion as the mare squealed again, more in defiance of the storm than in any real rage against her situation. A lone figure of an odd disproportionate shape came in behind her, unconcerned by the dancing mare's snorting and occasional strike with a front hoof at a shadow as if an enemy stood there.

The mare charged up and down the aisle until she seemed to pick one stall at random and paused in front of it. She pounded on its closed and locked door with a certain rage and then danced backwards as the figure that’d turned to slide the barn door closed, staggered closer. The small form was burdened with a foal in her arms, newly born it seemed, and was covered in head to foot with a giant Akalak sized oil slicker that she had the foal tucked under against her body.

A soft voice called out calmly. "Well, if you hadn't run off in the storm and had decided to be here instead, then we wouldn't be having these issues in the first place." A woman's out-of-breath voice called out, which seemed to sooth the horse long enough to let the woman get closer, rearrange the bundle of foal in her arms, and slide the stall open. The mare charged in with the woman right behind her. Straw could be heard rustling as the mare circled once and the woman put the rain soaked foal down. "I'm sorry we had to ride you home, so soon after foaling, but I didn't want us all out in the storm. Drier is better." The woman said, still haven't not have noticed anyone else in the barn.

She slipped out of the stall door without even closing it, and was down the aisle at a run to a tall cupboard at the end. She pulled out towels and a foaling kit, which was a sort of better late than never scenario. Riding boots echoed down the aisle again before disappearing into the rustle of straw. Vigorous rubbing could be heard as Kavala toweled off the newborn and then used the iodine in the kit to coat its umbilical stump. A mass that was mixed with milk was put into a bottle and fed the foal, a mixture of herbs to keep it from getting six. Then Kavala was back out into the aisle and fetching a blanket to cover the drenched mare. Once that was fastened on, Kavala signed, took a step back, and pulled off the oil slicker and shook it out. She hung it up next to the stall and coughed then as she rubbed her arms to try and get warm.

“Omni, you had me scared. He’s a fine boy though.. Denusk too if I see that shimmer right in his coat. Good job Momma. Now you two just need to warm up and get dry." Her voice said, accompanied by the sound of a horse being stroked across its forehead. “I’d better get back into the clinic and check it out. With all the lightening and rain, we’re bound to get clients tonight.” She added, coughing again, and wondering if she shouldn’t head down and get something warm and dry to wear for her as well.

Kavala still had no idea she wasn't alone.

[Vanator]

The din of the rain upon the roof had indeed waned, and Vanator looked over at Jorin from the stall he was mucking. Now maybe he should fetch Kavala to look him over. Just then, the rumble of the stable door was heard, followed by the clip clop of antsy hooves on the flagstones and the protest of an unsettled horse. More racket followed, then Van heard the patient voice of his sister. Apparently it was Omni, one of the brood mares. Had she foaled already? Van smiled to himself, glanced over to Jorin and nodded. "Kavala. When she is finished we will grab her." The Drykas set the mucking fork against the stall wall and stepped out into the stable hall, seeing his Konti sister was oblivious to the two men.

He made his way down, Kavala rushing around to gather supplies to tend to the new foal. When he finally peeked in and saw Omni, Kavala, and the newborn he cleared his throat, trying not to startle any of them. "Did she just foal, out there? Not bad looking, except for being drenched. And you look like a tent swallowed you!" Van quipped, looking down at his sister clad in the giant rain coat. He began helping with the towels and supplies, moving things out of the way or closer, depending on Kavala's needs.

"Kav, we have some company, he came knocking during the storm. You man need to look at him, he was pretty close to a lightning strike."

[Jorin Ertihan]

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OOCThis is... very, very, very late. I'm sorry X_X. Real life got in the way, but hopefully we can finish out this thread from ages ago.

Jorin just wanted to sleep. Truth be told, now that the storm was over and the rain no longer roared in his ear, he began to feel the full impact of the shock his system had received. All things considered, he'd been lucky, though Jorin felt anything but. Every movement brought jolts of pain from his chest, but Jorin knew enough that if he closed his eyes now, there was every possibility he'd never open them again.

Jorin heard, rather than saw, the entrance of the mare. His vision had blurred slightly, both from the pain and from the fact that he was exhausted. He managed a nod when Vanator announced that his sister had arrived. That was good; even though Jorin had no idea how serious - or not serious - his injuries might be, he still would have preferred not being in pain for much longer.

Kavala, however, seemed to have not noticed either her brother or Jorin himself. Jorin supposed he could not blame her; it was dark in the stables and there was probably no reason for her to expect either of them there. Unlike Rinya, who probably would have been instantly informed by their bond of her bondmate's condition, Kavala would have had to notice him sprawled out on the floor, which if she was taking care of a horse would not be the first place she'd look.

Nonetheless, despite knowing all of this, Jorin couldn't help but feel ignored. Especially when Vanator went off to speak to his sister, leaving the young actor alone with his own thoughts. Quite frankly, he was somewhat miffed to be abandoned, even though somewhere inside he was rather aware of why it had to be done. Trying his best not to jostle himself too much, Jorin attempted once again to sit up into a more comfortable position. The hay on the ground was beginning to poke into his back and it was becoming somewhat uncomfortable.

Jorin was able to pick up some of what was being said, but Kavala's soft and gentle voice, while soothing and probably quite helpful to her as a healer, made it subsequently difficult for Jorin to pick out specifically what she was saying. He was able to get the gist of it - there was something about running off, which he presumed was the horse that Kavala had led in, and he heard the word "foal" so he assumed that the horse was a mare who'd given birth out in the storm. If he was in better condition, Jorin might have quipped something about how that mare chose a great time to give birth, but all he managed to get out was a somewhat strained cough.

He heard Vanator inform his sister of Jorin's presence, and in response he raised his left hand and waved, giving them both a weak smile. "I'm sure ... I'm fine," he tried, even though the words caused his ribs to ache painfully. "At least... I'm still conscious. That's... a good sign... right?" Despite his words, Jorin honestly had no idea how long he'd stay conscious. Nonetheless, he tried his best not to be too much of a burden. Vanator had already trusted him enough to take him in - the last thing he wanted was to be even more of a problem for them.

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