Completed Winter Wonders ( Tourmal)

[Ryia Brock]

Winter 16th 513 AV

It was to be a cold season this winter, and the land around the city was slowly being covered in snow. The track and field in the Windmount area was a good example. The lawn was covered in a sheet of white as far as the eye could see. A few of the obstacle items that were placed on the ground were covered completely. They appeared more as a lump of white snow than anything man made.

Ryia slowly trotted upon the back of the Bloodbane that she normally rode during practice. She was getting to know this horse better all the time, and since it was used to her, it made the riding easier and more pleasant. She was alone today, except for her loyal companion. The dog had been given to her as a puppy a year ago and had grown very large during that time. Imperial Watchers grew to be large sizes and this one was no different. It was a smart dog, loyal to Ryia and her sisters and protective as well.

"Aveline, here. Come." she called to the dog to follow her. When she was younger she could actually ride the dog around, but as they both grew Ryia became to heavy for her to carry. She kicked her heels, making a clicking sound with her tongue to spur the Bloodbane into a brisk trot. Helena had taught her that horses needed to be warmed up before properly used, and so she always took a few laps around the field first before she started for the day.

"Aveline, here girl." she called again to regain the Imperial Watcher's attention. Normally Ryia didn't bring her dog to the tracks and only rode the horses while she was there. But with the winter being colder than she could remember, she thought it best to exercise her pet and ride the horse at the same time so she could get back inside sooner.

The young squire continued on at the set pace for a time, the large dog following closely beside the horse and glancing up at her every few ticks. Ryia was dressed in a white blouse with a blue vest covering her torso, and a black scarf around her neck. Adding to that she also wore black tights, and tall black boots, though most of her attire was covered by the blue cloak that draped from her slender shoulders.

"Aveline follow me." she called out as she kicked the horse's side and leaned forward on it's back just a bit to urge it to run faster. The horse moved into a slow run at this point and as long as she stayed in place and didn't jerk the ride should go just fine.

[Tourmal Firemane]

Tourmal, Winter 16, 513 AV The sky was overcast, but the sun shone through some gaps in between the clouds, which to some was a good omen. Tourmal didn't have need for that type of stuff. God's and superstition and whatnot. He had learned to rely on himself early. In fact he had worked out getting a half day so he could spend the remainder with his strider Aurus. The stables were bustling. Few of the horses nervous due to the oversized dog that was running around. However since most of them belonged to knights they were trained to to be afraid of such beasts. Aurus included. The strider had been in contact with many hunting dogs and cats since he was a colt. So he never grew scared of the creatures. One of his better friends was Tourmal's deceased brothers hunting cat the two ran around a lot together playing in the green fields that surrounded the moving city. At that time Aurus had yet to bond with Tourmal he was just one of the herd that his clan took care of. Along with that a few others of his clan had cats, and dogs. Most did not though for his clan focused on crafting jewelry, not hunting. Tourmal walked up to his steed and let him out of his stable, then equipped the riding gear he was so familiar with. First the pad on the back and he cinched it on with a leather strap and then the yvas that went over the horses head and sat on its shoulders. It was much different than the knights tack. 'Cumbersome' he thought as he looked at all the work they did to restrain their mounts. Tourmal didn't realize how easy he had it with a mount that seemed to be able to read his mind. They trusted each other and despite the Drykas' lack of experience they looked natural together. Tourmal mounted his steed and had him trot outside the stables to the track. He stopped and had a look around. The dog was still running around and a young woman was calling him. “Aveline here. Come.” 'That's a strange name for a boy' he thought. “Aveline, here girl” she continued. “Ah.” the man said aloud. The owner of the dog was atop what looked like a Bloodbane. He had onlly seen them in Ravok, considering that the Ravokians only gave their purebreds to their own knights, and that the knights of Syliras and Ravok were sworn enemies, He figured it was a mix of some sort. Probably 70 to 80% Bloodbane and the rest he knew not what. Tourmal waited for the woman to round the track and then. “Thats quite a steed you got there” He said to the lass as he and Aurus trotted up and gave the horse a once over as he had Aurus walk around her counter clockwise.“What led you to pick it? Yeh, happen to be from Ravok do yeh?” He lined his strider up to the right side, and he gave a closer look to the rider. She young somewhere between 14 and 15 years, she was thin and short, well comparatively to Tourmal most people were short. The rider had soft blonde hair, full lips and a look of distrust in her beautiful green eyes much like his own. 'Oh Tourmal what'ave ye gotten yerself in this time?' He swore that it seemed that when he was her age the girls weren't nearly as pretty. Some time ago he met a young lass named Jasper, a right looker as far as he was concerned. If it weren't for the distance the two might'ave married. She however was set on being part of the Watch. And his life was in Syliras save for the summers. 'No! No!' he thought to himself. 'She is much too young fer you. Walk away now Tourmal' alas the tongue is a wild beast unable to be tamed. “What brings a youngin' such as yerself out here?” He squinted and smiled “Wait don't tell me,” he paused “no yeh are far to young to be a knight, and far to pretty to be a squire.” And just like that the smithy had crossed the line from idle chit chat to flirting. Oh Tourmal, what are going to do with you?

[Ryia Brock]

Aveline was hyper this morning, possibly because of the horse, or the chance to run such a big field, or she just missed Ryia. The young squire had been so busy with her duties since winter started that she barely had time to spend with her pet. Ryia rode around the track at a brisk pace with her loyal dog racing along side her. The teen squire noticed the blonde haired man as he moved onto the field. Squires were trained to always pay attention to their surroundings because one never knew what might happen.

Ryia finished the turn, her hands pulled gently on the reins as she did and her legs clung to the horse's sides, as if she were afraid she topple off during the turn. It took more strength than she would have thought to stop the horse when the blonde man approached, and she had to lean back slightly and tug the reins left then right quickly so that she didn't send the horse mixed signals and have it turn her completely around...again.

With the bloodband behaving, Ryia lifted her head to get a closer look at the one who addressed her. He was big, appearing even larger on horseback with blonde hair and appeared a few years her senior. "The horse isn't mine, it belongs to the stables." she replied honestly. The man was proud, almost showboating as he circled her on his horse.

The teenager didn't move, but she did turn her head to follow his movements. "My sis-patron wanted me to get familiar with one horse so it would be easier to learn to ride one." To his question about where she was from, Ryia frowned weakly. "My name is Ryia Brock, I'm a Syliran." A bark sounded from Aveline at that moment showing her thoughts as well.

It probably wasn't meant as anything, but she took his question as an insult. Ravok was a place of horrors and somewhere she never wanted to go. In the past she had lost family in battle to the villains of that city. To her Ravok was an evil place and a disgrace of a city. The blonde man turned his horse around and lined it up with hers, but with his questions, she was feeling less like talking.

He called her a youngin next, and that only helped to distance them. Ryia hated being called young and she truly hated when she was called 'baby Brock' by the older members in the order. But the sly Drykas was able to stall her frustrations with a single question. At first she was confused, and didn't realize some people thought female squires unattractive.

The teenager didn't think herself a beauty but she knew that her older sister Dimia didn't have a problem getting looks from guys, and she figured Helena wouldn't either if she softened her gaze a little. "But I am a squire, most of my family has joined the knighthood, it's almost expected. I didn't catch your name friend?"

[Tourmal Firemane]

Tourmal, Winter 16, 513 AV Tourmal listened as she explained where she and the horse came from. “Ah!” He said, “Smart Sis, I mean patron yeh have.” He smiled. “Honestly, I was just wondering why anyone from Syliras would choose a bloodbane.” The smith paused “I spent a short time in Ravok and while I was there, I learned that the Ebonstryfe chose only them as their mounts. Thas all.” He paused before continuing. “Now don't get me wrong you look lovely on it's back.” “Ryia Brock is it? You have a wonderful name there. Perfectly fitting of a knight.” The man said. “Ryia.” He listened to the sound of the name. “It sounds bright like a ray of sunlight.” He looked at the young woman. “Brock,” He paused “Now Brock sounds strong and stable, and just.” He looked at her seriously, then changed his expression back to a smile. “Ryia Brock is perfec for a knight of Sylir. Yeh seem to have bin destined for such an honorable position.” “My name?” He looked at her quizzically. “Tis Tourmal Firemane.” The man subconsciously puffed out his chest a bit when he said it. “Tell me what do yeh think of my name?” He had grown much more proud of his heritage after he left Endrykas some nine years ago. He had also grown overconfident with the ladies too. When he got there he was as timid as a lamb. Now he struts around like a peacock with his tail feathers fanned out. “Miss Brock. Do yeh mind if I call yeh that? Or can I call yeh Ryia?” He looked at her earnestly waiting for a reply. After he received one. He said “Ok. Would you mind keeping me company as I stretch out me strider's legs?” Then “Maybe get to know each other a bit. I really would be honored to talk with the prettiest squire I've ever seen.”

[Ryia Brock]

Emerald eyes flashed towards Tourmal as she took in his features. He was very friendly, and seemed to have no trouble starting conversations with people he didn't know. Ryia wasn't as out spoken, but she didn't consider herself shy. The teenager was more talkative around people she knew, for those that she didn't, it was hard to figure out what to say since she didn't know them or their likes. For that reason, it was rare that she ever started a conversation, but she would join one easily enough.

Ryia lowered her head, eyes falling on the horse beneath her, and when she felt loose strains falling against her face, the girl didn't bother to remove them. Instead she focused on the horse as she ran her fingers along it's neck. "It's not a purebred, it was born here in Syliras." She offered easily. "I'm sure they would kill this horse if it were in that city." The squire was curious, in a foreboding sense, when he said he was from Ravok. However before she could say more he was back to commenting on her beauty.

"You're too kind with your words, and you don't even know me." The young squire watched him and listened to his words carefully. He was from Ravok, or had been there for a time at least, and while he seemed to speak as if he knew something of the Knighthood, she wondered how he wasn't familiar with her family name. That was one thing that she could be sure of whenever she was in the city, even if the people didn't know her, they knew of her family. "Well as I said, most of my family is in the Knighthood, so I guess you could say I was destined to join...or just expected to."

She stared at him, her eyes widen slightly as he boldly pronounced his name. He was very proud of it, which wasn't a bad thing but it seemed as if he expected her to know it. Ryia felt that a lot in the city when she met with Knights and a few popular squires. They were all known in some way, and she would feel silly for being the one who had no clue to who they were. His question that followed really caught her off guard and with the dog sniffing at his boots, it was distracting. "What do I think? Well, Tis a fine name indeed. Um..and very strong." Being called 'Miss Brock was new, and for all the things he thought to call her, she was just glad the name baby wasn't involved. "Ryia is fine, call me Ryia."

The guy was very friendly and polite to boot, which earned him a smile. The young squire had a busy day ahead, and she wasn't sure how much time she had to get to know him, but there was nothing wrong with chatting while they rode. "Alright Mr. Firemane." she nodded, gripping the reins in her hands as she kicked the horse's side to start it into a trot. " Aveline, this way." Finally the dog would leave Tourmal and his horse alone and turned to follow Ryia.

[Tourmal Firemane]

Tourmal, Winter 16, 513 AV “Yeh are probably not too far from the truth there. But if they were smart they would at least sell the beasts and make a bit of money out of it.” The smithy said in reply to her comment on the Ebonstryfe killing non purebred bloodbanes. Next he said. “Yeh don't have to be an expert in plants to appreciate the beauty of a rose, honestly yeh don't even have to know its name. Only see.” He smiled. “And I can see you just fine. Now I'll wait before I make any judgements on yer character, but so far I haven't seen any thorns.” He hoped he wasn't getting too ahead of himself. But either way if things went poorly with the lass he could always avoid her if he happened to run across her in the future. For now he would remain optimistic. “A family trade huh? Sounds like home.” He thought about Endrykas. “We Drykas have our own customs like that. Me clan is known for craftin jewelry.” he looked into her eyes “I guess you can say that's how I got me appreciation for beauty.” He winked at her. “Now, Miss, I was getting at the fact that yeh don't always have to follow the path set out in front of yeh.” He thought about himself. “Even though me family are jewelers, I am a weaponsmith. I started as a jeweler like the rest of me family, but then I left and came here to make me own destiny.” Her dog had been sniffing his boots as the two rode together. Tourmal understood this was common with them. He had grown up around dogs and it seemed anytime he met a new one they had to sniff him for a few chimes or so before they were comfortable. When it came to the names. Despite her uncertainty which he didn't catch. When she complemented him the man got about an inch taller. “Ryia, it is!” He said smiling looking at the track ahead of them. The two were coming up on a turn. “Well look at that! You got a smile that could charm a raging stallion. Ya oughtn't hide it so much.” He smiled at her again. “Please call me Tourmal” Then she started her trot and called Aveline to follow. The Drykas followed suit and sped up, giving Aurus a light kick. As he matched her speed and caught up, he said “You know. We can fix that” The man paused. “Yeh said I don't even know you. There is a simple remedy for that.” he looked at her until she looked back. “If we both take turns telling each other about ourselves, it shouldn't take too long before we do.”

[Ryia Brock]

Ryia didn't respond to his comment about the Ebonstryfe. She had never met one, but from what she'd heard they weren't good people, and she would put nothing passed them. No horse, no matter where it came from deserved to be abused by anyone. Horses weren't like people after all, and they held no devotion to a city, just the person who rides them. The young squire gently petted the horse's back and looked to the blonde with a friendly expression. His words had been all that needed to be said.

The sweet talker said more about her looks and while his words were more than flattering, his mention of her character did give her pause to think. Ryia hoped that her character would speak through, that people would see her for the girl inside the armor, not just the baby of the Brock family. She had come far from those days of running around with her father's helmet on and a wooden sword in her hand. Ryia was a squire now and one day she would be a knight serving along with the rest of them.

When he said that he was Drykas, Ryia's eyes widen and she felt her jaw tighten just a little. The Knights were watching the Drykas in the city because of the trouble with the raiding of the past seasons. She didn't know what to think, if she should treat him differently or not. She could imagine her eldest sister, the brave and noble Helena Brock, standing tall waving the banner of the order. Helena wouldn't have problem with it, and she would put her foot down on him if she even thought he was out of line. But Ryia wasn't her sister, and she couldn't condemn a man until she knew that he had done something.

"I'm sure a fellow like you gather such compliments all the time, aye?" The teenager shifted a bit in her seat, eyes glancing down towards her companion. "But me, that is to say I..." Looking up she sighed softly but she met his gaze and spoke truthfully. "I'm not used to speaking with boys..men. The flirting is nice, but I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

They road on and Tourmal wanted to exchange stories and it was a very good idea. If she knew his story it would make it easier/ or perhaps harder to defend/judge him as she felt that she was expected to. "Alright..Tourmal. I was born and raised here in the city. I grew up with my sisters, and we all trained under my father, he is also a Knight. My mother doesn't work any longer, but she sells things for fun here and there. We have a happy family, Aveline here was given to us as a gift, but she seems to have taken to me more than anyone else. "

Ryia paused a moment in though, thinking over her rather dull life and what he might find interesting. "I'm fifteen, and I just joined the order on the first of the season. It's not so different from living at home really. I room with my sister Dimia and Helena comes by to see us often. She's my eldest sister and she was kind enough to take Dimia and I as her squires." Glancing down, she smiled as she noticed Aveline run off in front of them to freedom. "Your turn Tourmal."

[Tourmal Firemane]

Tourmal, Winter 16, 513 AV “Nah” the man said “I do most of the complimenting.” He smiled. “Don't worry most girls yer age don't quite know boys, or men well enough to keep clear of us.” the man said sending her a wink. The man listened to Ryia and her upbringing. It was interesting, through common. Most inhabitants of the city were born and raised there. The one thing that separated her was her lineage. Her father being a knight and all of her siblings either knights or squires. She spoke of her dog companion. “Fifteen” He said in surprise. She was definitely too young for him but give her a few years and it would become a non issue. Despite the fact that young women were often married off to older men all of the time. He did not see the allure. Sure they looked nice for longer and would often grow even more beautiful as they filled out and matured. Given they didn't go straight into pregnancy. Which often times left the women out of shape and many never recovered from the stresses it brought on. The girls dog ran off ahead as she passed the baton to the smithy. “My turn already huh?” The man looked off to the horizon wondering where he would start. “Well I guess I will start with the beginning.” The man thought back. “I was born and raised in Endrykas. Like I already told you me family are jewelers. I grew up learning the basics of the craft watching my parents meld metals together and twist and shape them into beautiful creations. As of more recent, when I was 19 I left Endrykas to try me hand in Syliras.” The man recounted his life in the big city. “Shortly after I got a job as a jeweler at a small shop in the bazaar. The couple who owned it were nice enough. But later I grew bored and decided, instead of working on things so trivial as jewelry I would work making things that saved lives.” As he kept his eyes on the horizon he continued with his story. “I grew an interest in it as a child and had a brief apprenticeship under a weaponsmith. First I learned the basics of blacksmithing, then later worked my way into crafting weapons. So when I got me job at the Iron Works I started as a basic blacksmith making simple things. And on me off time I worked on me true love.” The man finished what he thought was his fair portion. “Tell me Ryia,” he looked at her “what is it you enjoy most about being a squire?” The man listened as the two of them trotted around the track.

[Ryia Brock]

Tourmal was right, Ryia didn't knows boys and men, at least not when it came to flirting and other affections. She spoke with men and boys all the time on a more official level, but the teenager didn't have any personal relationships with any males outside her family. Ryia jerked her head around quickly when he repeated her age, as if she had just infiltrated an all adult party. "I'm not a baby." she said quickly. The young squire didn't mean for the words to come out as they did, but she was so used to be treating her like s child that it sometimes came out.

Ryia listened to the smith's story as they rode, fingers fixed into the reins to better lead the horse. The bloodmane trotted on in a slow pace keeping side by side with the other horse. They were moving very slow, and for that reason if she didn't shift on the horse's back or lightly kick at it's sides, the bloodman would simply stop and stand in place. For that reason, she continued to shirt in place, every once in a while giving a soft kick to the horse to make sure that it continued on. The reins were held tightly in her hands, but she only moved it when the horse stopped, or started to wander away from the other.

Aveline raced ahead of them, turning here and there into a full circle as she ran back towards the two on horse back. No matter what day or what time it was, the dog was full of energy, Ryia wished that she could make the same claim. Some days she got up easily and bright in the morning and other days it was the hardest thing for the girl to do. The smith had a busy past and he had traveled far, while she had never left the city. "Sounds like a fun adventure. Do you miss any of it? Your old jobs..life?"

Ryia turned to gaze at him when he asked what she enjoyed most about being a squire. There was a lot to enjoy and dislike about it, but she hadn't been a squire half a season yet and was still learning her to say more. "I guess I would say being with my sisters. They mean so much to me and I'm glad to fight beside them." She smiled with her answer, it was short but honest. "What is Endrykas like? Do you have sibling that you communicate with?"

[Tourmal Firemane]

Tourmal, Winter 16, 513 AV After he mentioned her age. “I'm not a baby.” She blurted out. The man was caught off guard. “No you are not. En I will not be treatin you like one. But yeh are still much younger 'an I, and I doubt you'd like it if I treated you the same way I do most women. En I wouldn't feel too comfortable neither.” The two rode as she listened to him tell her a brief history of his life. She then followed up with another question. Did he miss his old life. That was a question that had an easy answer, of course he did. There were tons of things he missed. “Yes.” He said reluctantly. The man sighed before he went on. “To tell you the truth I miss being friends with me older brother.” The man thought back to the times he, his twin Perido, and Zirconus played in the fields surrounding his pavilion. They had so much fun. But as he grew up Zirconus started preparing to become Ankal and the three slowly grew apart. Their issues were worsened even more when Tourmal went into mourning after losing Perido. As the young woman told him her favorite things all he could do was nod in agreement. If only he could do that. Live in harmony with his brother instead of always having stupid quarrels. But both were too stubborn to admit that they were wrong and apologize. “Endrykas. It's nice. The city moves around Cyphrus with the seasons. We all live in big tents, we also run our businesses and stable our horses in tents.” He looked at the squire smiling as he recounted what it was like. “The Sea of Grass is beautiful. Long green grass as far as the eye can see. First thing in the morning about ten chimes after the sun rises it reflects off the morning dew and shimmers as a breeze blows the blades of grass.” The man would have continued but he remembered that Ryia asked another question. “Siblings. Heh. Nah, I don't keep in touch with em too much. Let's just say we don't see eye to eye.” The man looked to the rider next to him and attempted to change the subject. “Tell me more about you. Things yeh like, don't like, yer dreams or desires, anything.”