[Various] A Strange Newcomer (Caph)

[Ronin Stormcloud]

1 Winter, 513AV It has been several moons since Ronin has returned to his Pavilion within Endrykas. He has been on a hunting trip for several days with some fellow Stormcloud members when he returns to the tent city he now calls home for most of the year. The many familiar faces settle the nerves that have set in from him being out in the plains for so long. The trip had not been a cakewalk, after all, with death a very real threat in the Sea it had set almost everyone in their party on edge, which was only supplemented by the fact that they were set upon by a pack of glassbeaks on their return trip. Ronin was very lucky he made it out unscathed mostly, only a few cuts and bruises, his cousin though had lost an eye and several others had gashes that needed immediate healing. Ronin decided though when they arrived back in the city to go seek the guidance of the Stormcloud Ankel, a man that not only commanded respect under Drykas law but who had also influenced Ronin directly for many years. "I have returned from our hunting trip Ankel. Luckily spoils were excellent and we have much to sell to merchants to further our Pavilion's wealth" said Ronin kneeling before him. "Excellent work Ronin. You serve your Pavilion well. Now take the day off and rest and recover from your arduous trip. You must be exhausted," replied the Ankel. "Thank you, Ankel. However I believe I will go walk amongst the other Pavilions for a while. Surely there is much I have missed while I was away," said Ronin as he walked to his tent. Of course Ronin was exhausted though however he couldn't shake the feeling that he must go train more. I was almost useless on this last hunting trip. I must keep training if I am going to be of any use on the next excursion. He is relieved when he reaches his tent and he sees his beloved strider, Diluran, waiting for him. He always felt comforted and relaxed around him for reasons unknown to Ronin. Maybe it was the fact that he has been with Diluran for many years so he was the closest thing Ronin had to direct family. After resting for a few bells, as far as Ronin could tell, he was feeling up to a bit of riding practice with Diluran. Not too much though as he did not want to stress the steed too much after such a hard journey. As they walked towards the edge of the city to ride bit in solitude he notices a young drykas woman standing with a very beautiful strider who's name he hears to be Cassiopeia. I don't believe I've ever seen her before. She is very beautiful though and she seems happy. Maybe I'll go talk to her. Ronin starts walking over to the woman leading his strider beside him and begins to introduce himself. "Why you are a very beautiful young woman with a very beautiful strider to boot. My name is Ronin Stormcloud of the Diamond Clan. I was actually on my way to go for a short ride with my faithful companion Diluran and was also wondering if you would like to accompany us? Also might I inquire as to your name, miss?" As he finished speaking though he wondered if he was too forward and began to prepare himself for a cold retort. However at the same time he felt compelled to compliment her as something about her beauty seemed amazing and almost otherworldly, as if he had never seen such a sight. So as he awaited her reply he began thinking of every possible response she could utter from the cold and scolding, to the warm and friendly, thinking a small prayer to Zulrav, his most revered god, that she would accompany him.

[Caph]

Cass was one of the few things that Caph actually felt close to. After her fall she hadn't spent much time getting to know others. They were curious beings all of them, and she still didn't quite understand some of the things humans did, nor did she speak their particular language very well. It would take some getting used to, and Caph was determined to stay positive about the whole ordeal. As it was day, she walked in her human skin, which was still difficult for Caph to get used to. She didn't care much for the form, though she put up with it nonetheless. It didn't feel quite right, feeling always as this body was wrong. Something was always demanding her attention, whether it was hunger or fatigue. The attention required to maintain the form was doable however, and given enough time, Caph would become accustomed to preforming such menial tasks again. Though it was nearing mid-day, Caph had just awoken, and planned on taking her horse out for a ride. They seemed to be something more than just a means of travel, and with the more time she spent with Cass, the more this was true. The strider had some way of understanding how Caph felt, some from of strange communication, though she knew it wasn't anything like magic. The horse just knew, somehow. This horse was the only person so far that she had felt really open and comfortable with. When an unexpected man came to her with what sounded like a compliment, she smiled, but couldn't quite understand exactly what he said. She heard something about a ride, and his smile told her it was a friendly remark. "I'm sorry, I don't speak pavi well" Caph replied in common, hoping that the man would understand her. "I was planning on riding myself anyway, so perhaps we might ride alongside. Caph returned to her strider, giving the horse a few strokes before attempting to mount it. She pulled herself over the horse, swinging her right leg to get on top of it. They moved around a bit in place, while Caph tried to keep the horse steady. After just a few ticks, she looked back to her potential riding partner, and awaited a reply, hoping that he spoke common well enough to understand her. Most of the Drykas did, enough so that she could communicate with most of them, but it wouldn't be surprising to find one that didn't.

[Ronin Stormcloud]

The look of disbelief on the woman's face took Ronin a bit by surprise. He hadn't meet a drykas yet that couldn't speak Pavi well. "My name is Ronin Stormcloud and this is my strider Diluran," he said in common. "It is a pleasure to meet you and yes I believe a ride would be quite fun. Maybe we could talk during and we can learn more about each other." As Ronin watched the woman climb onto her horse he discovered that she was not very experienced with her strider however the two still seem to have developed a fairly strong bond considering they have been together for a short time. "That is a very beautiful strider you have. What is her name?" He did not give her much time to respond though and he said "Well I know a great place to ride on the outskirts of the town. We can go there and I can show you some things about riding if you'll let me." Ronin was very excited to meet a newcomer that he could barely contain his elation. The fact that there was a woman close to his age that he felt he could get along with excited him to no end. Perhaps this woman could be a strong friend. As he mounted Diluran he could almost feel the excitement in his strider as they started riding towards the area he talked about. On the way Ronin began asking questions like "What is your name? What pavilion are you a part of?" Quickly he became embarrassed though. He had never been this excited in the presence of a woman. Of course with Ronin's mindset he did not interact with many other drykas outside his pavilion so everyone else was simply family to him and he never felt any connection. Perhaps there was something different about this woman though. For whatever reason Ronin felt there was something different about her that excited him. He needed to know more but he did not want to pry too much this early on in their knowing each other. For now Ronin was just going to have to accept the fact that he didn't know much about this mysterious woman and learn as he goes.