Closed Starry Eyes, Open Heart

[Fallan Windchaser]

25 Winter, 513AV

Winter was starting to take hold even here in the South as it reached towards the half way point and the tented city of Endrykas was shifting along the path of the Run a little further with each day that passed moving from the East coast towards the West. From the start of the season it had been in Fallans mind to take a trip out into the Sea of Grass and with each day that passed they moved a little further past where he wanted to go and as the light of the winter sun had illuminated the sky that morning he had realised it should be this day that they needed to move. It also time to be parted from his family as they were about to take their leave of the city and head back towards the East and their normal trading run back up towards Syrila.

The weather was right, the air cold but dry and there was nothing that a Drykas needed more than that to start a trip, for they were the horse clans and the Grass was their home not the tented city or even the tents. This was the land that Semele had honed them for and together with the Striders was the land for whom she had prepared all those long years in the caverns.

He checked his kit, not that it needed doing for he had the habit of checking it daily to some degree and in detail more randomly, and then left it to return back outside to greet Syna and to offer his thanks to her for her blessings of this day and for the warmth that she granted with her light. Too it was right to take some time to thank her for she had grieved so long and still she did not stint them of her brightness.

He sat outside the tent and waited for Tay, his thoughts very much on the nature of the gods and their relationships with men.

[Taylani]

Taylani finished her preparations, looking around the area to make sure that she had put everything away before she tied her cloak around her shoulders tightly. The air was not as cold as it would have been had she still been in Syliras but it was still nippy enough, and the cloak also helped hide the fact that her clothing was getting snug on her. Last season Rue had to take in the green breeches and the lavender blouse because of her extremely thin frame thanks to her dancing. Now the breeches stretched over the very gentle swell of her belly, no one who did not know her body intimately would probably be able to tell that the reason the breeches stretched unbecomingly was because of a pregnancy. Even her blouse was starting to become a little more tight around the breast area, causing just a hint more cleavage then Taylani liked hence the cloak. It would seem that soon it would be time to visit the seamstress again to see if she could let out the seams again.

Her red hair today was brushed and held back from her face with the two simple clips she had made in the season before. Nothing special, just two pins to keep the red locks from constantly falling over her face. She knew that Fallan wanted to take her somewhere, and she smiled as she slipped out of the tent to meet him. She stopped for a chime to just watch him, her blue eyes sliding over him with a familiarity that comes from a lover her lips upturning at the corners.

She slowly moved up beside him, her hand reaching out to slip into his, feeling the familiar warmth and strength even as she tipped her head upwards just a little. "Where are we going Fallan?" She asked, one brow raised over her blue eye, her fingers squeezing a little against his.

[Fallan Windchaser]

He felt her before he saw her or heard her, a sense of her at a soul level tuned in as he was to the worship of the gods. When her hand slipped into his he merely smiled as though the the light of Syna had illuminated his heart.

He turned his head towards her and smiled though he shook his head slightly. "Not be surprise if tell," he answered her. She had been with them for a season now and though most of that she probably had no one to ask still it might be that she had overheard discussion of what was one of the most important places to any Drykas. Fallan himself had not been there too many times but he would always remember the first time that he did so.

"We ride many days," he continued, knowing that now she must be starting to become accustomed to constant moving from one place to another. This time though would be somewhat different for they would be away from the city and on there own. It raised the danger for there were not the hunters and general activity to scare off the more timid of the predators though of course the more desperate ones were also the most dangerous.

"Need pack all things, use own tent and carry food. Come back to city after trip. Take everything need, " he added with a smile. He had promised her that they would have time alone and this would be the start of it, a break from the city and all that it meant with just the two of them, together and with only themselves to rely upon.

"Be good to live on Grass, free from people." Neither of them were capable of living out there entirely on their own, but it would be a start, a step in the right direction.

[Taylani]

Last season Taylani would have balked at his keeping a secret from her, particularly when it would have something to do with her. Last season she had been nothing more then a captive, and had fought long and hard to be more then that, to earn her freedom. Instead what she found was a different kind of captivity, not one that was at all unpleasant. Confusing yes, daunting yes, but it was a captivity of her own choosing sort of. So in this day, when he speaks of secrets she smiled a wider smile at him, and squeezed his hand gently. "Oh I am excited now." She said what can almost be described as a girlish tone. It felt nice to be able to let herself enjoy things without guilt.

His further explanation caused her eyes to widen, and instinctively she stepped close to him looking out in the tents that surrounded their own. "Days?" She questioned with surprise. She had never spent more then a few bells away from the City since her captivity, she knew of the dangers out there. She couldn't argue with him that it would be nice to be together, with no one to interrupt, no one to judge her or make her feel as if she were still a captive.

However the fear of what was in the grasses could not surmount the excitement that bubbled within her. She really loved surprises, as odd as that might sound for someone who had had her life mapped out so well. "Tell me what to do, I can start packing the food we have."

[Fallan Windchaser]

He was oblivious to the feelings that his words caused, at least as far as her fears of the grasslands and being away from the city were concerned, but even he could not miss the edge of surprise in her voice when she questioned the amount of time that would be involved.

He turned into her as she continued and smiled softly, nodding his head at the question and slipped his other hand around her waist.

"Days yes. Lots riding," he acknowledged, realising that this might prove something of a challenge for her even though she had more experience now than she had and of course her lack of a real horse to ride increased the amount of danger but there was little that could be done to avoid that risk aside from hiding in the city. It caused him to think once more about his plans for the future, but there was not time to contemplate that just now so he pushed the thought aside.

"Take everything, pack all kit and tent. Need food ten days, us and horses." Ten days would be more than they needed he hoped but in this season foraging or hunting would be hard and likely enough would take too much time to expect to do more than to eke out their supplies a little.

They would doubtless be faced with some surprises out there so he would be sure to check his own kit once more with a mind to be able to care for two people and horses and that might well necessitate that they bought some more supplies.

"Ask Fallan if want something. Fallan think we buy supplies."" There would be things that they would only realise that they needed once out there and it would be a chance to see how much she had learned and what she could teach him too for he knew that she had been busy with craft work even if he had not seen it all.

[Taylani]

Taylani smiled up at him as his arm came around her waist and she easily settled against him. Ten days, ten days of being out there alone with him which was both a good thing and a frightening thing. However she had come to trust Fallan more then she had thought she ever would so she simply nodded at his words and leaned in to kiss him gently. "Okay then, I guess we better get started." Taylani said looking over his shoulder back at the tent. She was used to packing everything up by now, used to the gentle movements so she just treated this like it was another day for moving.

Taylani slipped from him after one more squeeze of her arms to begin to collect her gear and to organize her things in the way she had been shown would work best while carrying it on a horse. She had been surprised that placement in her bags made a difference on how awkward things were to carry. Al this she did quickly, her heart still thudding loudly in her chest with anticipation. She didn't have much, so it didn't take her long to gather her items together so that she could go to him once more to see if he needed help with anything.

Once they had things packed up and ready go, Stormchaser and Freedom ready and loaded with their equipment, Taylani grinned because the tubers in the pack she carried reminded her of the day they went and dug them. She was getting better at mounting without a fuss, though she was still far from fluid as he was. However once she was up, she settled easily enough shifting to gain her balance and settle the load she and Freedom carried. She did note that Stormchaser carried a larger load of their belongings, but then again he was a strider and far larger then Freedom was. She gave him another smile, one that did not at all show her fear at staying away from Endrykas that long but instead displayed her excitement over the possibilities that awaited. "Ready when you are, are you sure you won't tell me just a hint of where we are going?"

[Fallan Windchaser]

Her reaction was all that he could wish for, the reaction of a woman who could be Drykas if only she could accept that of herself. He smiled in return to hers and his heart swelled with pride that she would rise so easily to the challenge of something that so easily could have horrified her and if it did then she had the strength to put aside her fears. Of course a woman who decided to walk back to Syliras or die in the attempt wasn't likely to be off put by a mere ten days in the Wilderness.

As he took his own part in the packing he dwelt for a short time on the issue of her status within his people and wondered when it might change. It required three things for that to happen, putting aside the question of Striders, but most of it needed to happen in her heart for she was learning the skills necessary very quickly and it doubted if any of the people would object to the change, most likely enough would be happy for it. Her heart though he could only work on slowly and perhaps in time, and perhaps with their children she might come to accept that she too was of the Grass.

Such contemplation was not something that he spent too much time on for their were things to be done and something forgotten now would be a thorn in their side for the whole trip. He didn't expect to forgetting anything vital or necessary for their survival for part of being Drykas was in having the ability to survive, at least for a short time, on the Grass with nothing more than a knife and a true Drykas would not even need that - though he was yet to attain that level of skill.

Mounting with a load attached made mounting slightly more awkward yet Fallan did it without any more thought than he did to putting his boots on for both tasks were almost as equally familiar and he smiled once more at Tay as she managed it with barely more effort than he did. Even packed the two carried less than he'd seen a single traveller in Syrila carrying for there was nothing in their gear but the essentials and those were pared to the minimum.

"Fallan ready," he grinned back at her, his knees shifting Stormdancer into motion and heading out in a Northerly direction, not needing more than the position of the shadows cast by Syna to select such a simple direction, and with no map to guide him other than the one inside his head he had little use for the compasses that were only of use when visibility was so reduced that neither Syan nor Leth could be seen. The positions of both as they travelled the heavens was so familiar to him that he gave it no thought for even in a tent their light permeated to a degree.

"Fallan ride North," was his only hint in answer to her question his smile and a slight shake of his head the only indication that he was amused by her repeated request. He led them slowly out of the tents and then as they came into the open grass he kicked up the pace a little to get them clear of the camp and into the open land where they would be alone.

Opening out his arms he raised himself up on the saddle pad and whooped in delight, his heart soaring at the freedom which lay ahead away from the complex web of responsibilities which allowed his people to survive out here.

[Taylani]

Taylani was much easier sitting on her horse then she had been a season ago, her body no longer sitting so stiff and still it guaranteed saddle-soreness after only a bell or two riding. Instead, though she still was not confident enough in her ability to stay on the horse without a good hold on the Yvas, she relaxed into the gait. She let Fallan set the speed, not trying to hurry or slow, when Stormdancer sped up, Freedom did as well. Taylani knew that Stormdancer could go much faster and perhaps even longer then Freedom could but she also knew that Fallan would not leave her behind.

As for Fallan, Taylani's blue eyes watched him, took in the proud stance he took astride his horse. She admitted to herself that there was a simple softening of his features it seemed whenever they were riding, and when he declared his enjoyment to the winds with a whoop she could not help a soft laugh of enjoyment herself.

She had been raised in a place where the walls had represented safety, where the idea of seeing the endless sky unbroken by stone walls was terrifying. She was not sure she would ever be able to be as free as he was, but she had learned that she could enjoy his enjoyment. Taylani shook her head, letting the red waves cascade across her back and shoulders for a long tick, but still she remained vigilant in searching the grasses for movement. She was not adept at this, but she had learned that there were certain signs of predators. Such as a sudden flock of birds rising from the grasses, a shift of the taller rushes, or simply a shadow where Syna's light should be.

"North?" She questioned after they had left the city behind them, the tents still visible if she were to turn and look but slowly ever growing smaller. "Why do your peo- the Drykas not stay together within the city? I know why the city moves.. but with the motion of the city then the land would not be picked clean by having everyone within it's borders."

To Taylani, this much freedom meant danger, perhaps she will eventually learn the joy of true freedom, but she was a product of her environment. As much as she fussed about being a captive to Fallan, she had always been much more a captive to the walls and 'safety' of such a narrow set of rules. What was right was right, what was wrong was wrong, with no gray areas. It is the gray areas that terrified her to this day.

[Fallan Windchaser]

With the initial surge of speed to clear the tents Fallan was content to let the pace drop back to an easy walk which would be easy on both of the horses and it also meant that the two of them could talk if they wished without having to shout.

"North," he agreed with her, "North, take few days ride." They would shift away from the North but first he needed to find the landmarks that he knew and which would guide them; a task which was not so easy in some parts of the Grass. Of course he was not as restricted as that for they would cross lines of the web and he could use that to help and it was sometimes the only thing that made the Grass possible to navigate with any surety. Where they were heading the web was tightly laid, but Tay didn't have the ability to read it and it was good practice to keep his hand in with simpler methods.

He frowned though at her question, his grasp of Common failing to unpick the web of words that she wove. "Fallan not understand. Path of Run change with Season, Grass recover before next visit by city. What Tay mean by stay in city? How get food and graze herd from in city?" He was perplexed by her question and his brows knotted in response.

[Taylani]

Taylani smiled, letting a little of his enjoyment a being out in the open and moving infect her. It was not the first time nor would it be the last that one of them had to ask the other to clarify. At least he had some grasp of common, and she was learning a few words of Pavi here and there, hopefully soon enough they will be able to communicate easier. Perhaps on this trip, away from distractions they can work on her Pavi.

"Like your family, heading back up.. away from Endrykas. And other people, coming into the city once in a while but then heading back out." During her time with the horse clans she had taken to what her mother always referred to as 'talking with her hands'. It wasn't the grassland signs, but she had fallen into the habit of gesturing when she spoke. One of the many things that she had absorbed from their habits, even when they speak common many of them still flutter their hands.

" It is safer for large groups to stay together yet the Drykas often live in the grasses outside of the city. I was just wondering why, when they could still go out to graze their herd or hunt but return." Taylani scanned the horizon, seeing where the blue sky met the green grasses all around her. Being raised in a place where walking outside of the walls was dangerous and discouraged by anyone without quite a bit of skills it was still strange for her the idea of just living by oneself out here. She couldn't imagine how they were going to be able to sleep with the thread of predators finding their tents. Her tongue flicks out to wet her lips even as she shifts a bit more easily on her horse to stroke the blonde mane. "With all that there is out here to kill us, how do you keep safe when out alone on the grasses."