Flashback In the Way of the Drykas (Waisana)

[Kaie]

It felt like the watchtowers could've changed their colored stones twice in the time Kaie stood there awkwardly beside her horse, anxiously shifting her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for Waisana's approval. The chestnut stallion inclined its head to snuffle at her hands, but upon realizing the jungle-born had nothing edible to offer, he lifted his head with a dissatisfied snort. Quickly enough, the Drykas girl had approached to inspect the four-legged creature and deemed it adequate. Kaie grinned at the verdict and even worked up the courage to gently pat the animal.

"Yes, is fine animal," She parroted in good nature, carefully watching Waisana's mannerisms as she interacted the saddle-lacking mount. The horse was a strange thing to her still, and though it lacked the teeth and claws of more desirable travelling companions back home, she wasn't so foolish as to believe it unworthy of respect. She offered Waisana a nod to confirm she understood her directions and glanced nervously at the animal. Her copper hands clutched the lead more firmly, and with a gentle tug and a few steps forward, she found the mount was content with following her once again. The Myrian led slowly at first, glancing every now and then backward to be sure the chestnut stallion was still behind her. Yet despite her showy displays of self confidence, continuing fearlessly onward through the migrating city was still a personal challenge.

Kaie wrapped the lead around her hand apprehensively. Their eyes were on her like never before. Each passing deyhan had focused on the foreign savage handling the large stallion with queer looks, causing the hairs on the Myrian's neck to rise and adrenaline to trickle into her veins. She wanted to lift her chin and proudly rest her hand on the handle of the knife, to glare back at those deemed outsiders to her lands like she could possibly command their respect. Such wishes were infantile and uneducated ones. She thought them all the same, as impossible as they were, but in the end she could do naught but keep her expression neutral and plaster her gaze to Waisana's back. Walk as if you don't even notice them staring, She ordered herself silently.

"These horses? All belong your clan?" She asked suddenly, pausing with her own animal while Waisana retrieved a pretty mare from the herd. A few members of her own clan had Myrian Tigers but the bond between each tiger and rider was exclusive."This one. Is fine horse too, yes?" It was a poor attempt at a compliment, but leveling with the new culture and its people was an obstacle she needed to overcome. Besides, if Waisana was kind enough to teach her a valuable skill, the least Kaie could do was try to be civil.


OOC:Sorry for the wait! Thanks for your patience. I promise the next will be far more timely.

[Waisana]

OOCEqually sorry for keeping you waiting. Not too good at timely myself!

It wasn't easy for Kaie to keep up with her. It was clear that she was still uncertain about leading her chosen mount, perhaps even nervous of the beast itself. Waisana felt no anxiety around the animals, having grown up with them and ridden them from a young age. Admittedly she didn't spend as much time horse riding as she should have but she was still confident in the activity. The Myrian girl on the other hand was probably feeling a bit out of her depth. The teen was glad that their positions were not reversed. She'd have to be very considerate when she taught her. She'd have to remember how little Kaie was likely to know about horses from how to move them around to what sort of tack the Drykas used with them. It would all be strange and confusing. The language barrier would also be a problem so she'd have to consider each step carefully.

She considered the yvas in her own hands and realised that she'd have to put it on slowly and make sure that Kaie was watching closely. She didn't relish the idea of having to repeat the action if the foreigner didn't get how to perform the action the first time. The Drykas waited patiently for Kaie's attention, smiling at her attempt at complimenting her choice of animal. The surprised question about whether all these horses belonged to her clan made her smile broaden.

"Yes, these ones belong to my clan, Opal Clan. Others have more. These are good horses though. Fast, strong, good for getting somewhere to help people. My clan heals, you understand? the young healer explained, unsure if she'd gotten her message across clearly enough. It wasn't that important anyway. She beckoned Kaie closer and gestured between the yvas and the mare to indicate what she was going to do, hoping that the Myrian would see it as a signal to watch.

Giving the mare a gentle pat, she proceeded to put on the tack. First, she placed a white pad, which signified her clan, on the horse's back to act as protection for the beast before she began to put on the yvas itself. Putting the piece of equipment on a horse was not she something that she was well practiced at doing. She had put it on before of course but often for the sake of convenience one member of the pavilion, her father or one of her half-brothers, would get the horses ready when the city was moving. It freed everyone else up to do other tasks but it meant that she was lacking something that should almost come naturally. Just because she wasn't as proficient as others at it didn't stop her from attaching the girth section and the breast collar of the yvas to the mare. It was secured in such a way that the beast could pull free of the tack if needed although Waisana hoped that it wouldn't come to that. The healer readjusted the pad on the horse's back before turning back to the girl.

Her hands rested on each piece of equipment as she named it, switching between Pavi and Common as necessary. "Yvas. "You can hang things from it. Hold onto it here. Pad. Protects horse. Stops rubbing. Nice for rider too. You put it on now." The words were concise, to the point. Perhaps she sounded brisk, cross even but she didn't want to say anything unnecessary. After her last words came out, almost like a command, she realised that she may already be going about this wrong. The Myrian was nervous. Horses were perceptive. This girl was also strange to the horse that she'd brought. She needed to gain the horse's trust, ease her fear before she tried to put tack on it or ride it.

"Wait for a tick," she told the girl, frowning. She moved to where food for the horses was kept, grains and treats. She took a small handful of grains and a treat and offered them to Kaie. "Feed the horse and rub it then put on the yvas. Make sure it thinks your friendly. If you make it like you then it won't cause you trouble." The teen pushed the food eagerly towards her, shoving this chance to bond upon her.

[Kaie]

Just the word "clan" brought a smile to the bronzed girl's face. Her time in Riverfall had left her culture shocked in a way that went beyond her expectations. Many times her father had shared details regarding the people across the Suvan Sea and their ways of life, but no story had quite prepared her for the reality she faced from the moment she stepped off the Svefra ship. Vibrantly colored men wielding odd blades and unheard of deities were only the beginning of it. The only challenging obstacle she faced that rivaled that of the language barrier was assimilating into their lifestyles. The Akalaks had no tribal structure and no women to rule them. They massed no great resistance against their neighbors occupying the same region, and most perplexing, they seemed to welcome other races rather than ward them off. In fact, she hadn't run into a single woman Akalak. Not even once. The mounting evidence of the rift between their worlds had led the ignorant Myrian to believe they were indeed a lesser race after all. Why else would the gods and goddesses leave them without the superior gender?

The Drykas were at least somewhat easier to level with. The nomadic riders had clans at least, though they were far larger than any Kaie had seen in Taloba. Likewise, it seemed each had their own area of focus as well. "Heal, yes. Fix wounds. Make-uh-warrior strong again. For fight another day," She affirmed with a nod of understanding. A singular gesture from Waisana brought the Myrian closer, where she watched the Drykas girl get to work with the unfamiliar saddle. Her brow knit with deep concentration as she followed the girl's hands, a nervousness creeping into her middle. It seemed like a simple contraption, really. Yet she found herself in fear of forgetting what connects to what and how. It only grew when she realized it was her turn. Rigidly, she turned toward her own horse and dropped the Yvas and pad at her feet. Just before she bent back down to lift the pad, Waisana stopped her. "Treat. This is good idea." Kaie took the horse food into a cupped hand and trudged back toward her stallion.

The chestnut beast stirred at the sight of her offering, snorting amicably and lowering its heads toward her. The Myrian flattened her hand as the horse's lips found the foot to avoid getting bitten, and soon enough the stallion had consumed all she had to offer willingly. A few pats were given to his thick shoulders and then the simple brown pad was lifted from the dirt. The gentle toss over its back and tack placement was slow and unceremonious to be sure, yet the end result was the same and the horse remained surprisingly unbothered by novice attempts. Instead the stallion was contend to snuffle at her vest in search of more foot while the girl hesitated with the next piece of equipment in her sights. "Yvas," She mimicked in Pavi before lifting the thing into her arms and slowly hauled it over her mount's withers over the pad. "This is right? Look good?" She asked the other girl curiously while she took a few steps back to study her work. Naturally, her observations yielded little as she had no little knowledge to compare what she saw to."Yvas. Pad. Not like saddle other people use. Why?"

[Waisana]

The Myrian seemed pleased by something, evidently something that the young healer had said or else at a thought that had been sparked by what she'd said. Waisana didn't know what it was but it wasn't that important. As long as the girl understood who the horses belonged to, what she found amusement in was irrelevant. She needed her to understand what her clan represented. If she understood that much then it would be enough. Still what Kaie took from it said much of Myrian culture. Fighting. Fixing of warriors. Perhaps that was the only purpose of healers in the girl's native country. Presumably there would be a need for someone to look after those who grew ill, not just those who sustained injuries. The teen didn't really have an understanding of Myrian society and that was becoming clear now. Perhaps she should ask about it.

Shaking her head as if to put that line of thought aside as she focused on the situation at hand. She watched as the other girl took the food and presented it to the horse. Waisana's body was still as she watched to see how the stallion would react. It shouldn't bite or attack the Myrian, especially with the peace offering of food. It accepted it happily enough, eagerly wolfing it down before receiving a number of rubs and pats from Kaie. It seemed more amicable now, more willing to accept tack from this uncertain stranger. The little bonding ritual had probably put the prospective rider more at ease as well. At least now, Kaie might be more confident when she set about equipping the horse, placing each piece with a calm (or calmer) demeanour.

The uncertainty was still there, the hesitation before placing the yvas upon the beast. The teen watched as it was placed and the straps pulled tighter to secure it in the right position. Once everything was in place, the Drykas stepped forward to assess it upon the other's request. The teen ran her hands over the yvas straps, slipping a finger beneath it to test the tightness. Too tight and it would cause discomfort and prevent the horse from freeing itself if it needed to. Too loose and it would also cause discomfort, rubbing against its hide uncomfortably. It was a little tight so she loosened it accordingly, pointing out the mistake.

"Too tight. Would hurt horse. Would rub," the girl explained, demonstrating the action by rubbing her fist against her hand. The question concerning saddles threw her for a moment. She knew of them. Visitors had come on horseback before, saddles and bridles and other such foreign tack upon their mounts. The Drykas way was better though. Explaining that was tricky though. "Saddle is... wrong. If anything happens to rider, horse cannot move properly. Gets tangled, has hard time moving. Yvas lets horse get out, run free. It is more free. Better movement. Understand? That explain?"

The teen regarded the stallion, giving it her hand to examine before stroking the side of its nose. As both horses seemed ready to take a rider, that meant that mounting the beasts was in order. That would be interesting indeed. She considered the Myrian's frame. She was thin, yes but not weak. There was strength in those limbs. Was there enough power and control to allow her to propel herself onto a horse's back though? Waisana wasn't sure but a helping hand might be in order.

"You mount now? I can help you. You can step on my hands," the teen offered, locking her fingers together, palm upwards and looking questioningly at the Myrian. Consent would result in her lowering her hands to a more acceptable height for a foot. Refusal would result in her hands dropping to her sides in uncertainty.

[Kaie]

The Myrian's brow furrowed as Waisana critiqued her shoddy work with the contraption. New to the skill or not, her failure and ignorance bothered her anyway. With a nod, Kaie carefully watched how Waisana tested and adjusted the position of the yvas. Thinking back to the numerous times she'd seen her superiors preparing their Myrian Tigers for riding, she supposed the logic must've been roughly the same. Expect rather than being reared we'd be threatened with fangs, she supposed internally. The girl hesitated for a moment, but soon enough she had moved beside the horse again and mimicked the Drykas girl. Slipping her fingers about the horse's hide and the yvas, she felt the way it settled upon the animal to avoid making the mistake again. Meanwhile, she carefully pondered over the other girl's answer to her question.

"Ah, pro-tect a horse. Get free of...of?" There was a moment of deep discontent upon the Myrian's features. Her eyes squeezed shut and the heel of her hand tapped the front of her skull gently. Then they snapped open and she nodded her head. "Re-straint! Yes. That is word. Yes, all make sense. Free horse," She confirmed with a satisfied grin, patting the horse along with the other girl and feeling the way the short hairs ran across her flesh. That is until the obvious next step came. Kaie looked up at the horse's back and then down at the girl's offered hands. She bit her lip. Pride will not get you atop the horse, Yitmah would say. With a sheepish grin of gratitude, the Myrian gripped the Drykas version of a saddle and used Waisana's hands for leverage.

There was a moment of uncertainty even in the mind of the Myrian when she made her move upward. Her right leg had made it over the horse, but the left which stepped upon the other girl's hands had her body leaned the wrong direction. Her hands gripped the yvas, and with a grit of her teeth and a resounding mental kick in the ass, the Myrian's biceps flexed and she tugged herself upright onto the beast. The stallion tossed its head as if mocking her and stamped its feet, leaving Kaie clutching to the hand grips awkwardly. Her nervous gaze followed Waisana as she made her own mount.

"This part when ride?"

[Waisana]

The Myrian girl took the time to examine the Yvas and how Waisana had positioned it. Fingers were inserted between the equipment and the horse's hide, the other presumably testing the amount of space to see how much the Opal had tightened it. She seemed thoughtful, whether pondering over what the teen had answered or the workings of the Yvas, the teen didn't know. Her words showed that it was the former and the teen found herself nodding and smiling in relief, glad that the woman's vocabulary actually had the words that Waisana had wanted to use. If she used them then she obviously understood what the Drykas meant, which was what she'd wanted after all.

"Yes, get free of restraint. I wanted to say that but... didn't know if you knew those words," the medic admitted awkwardly. At least they were on the same wavelength. If they could keep this up then perhaps teaching her to ride wouldn't be too bad although Waisana was no expert at it herself so there were sure to be other problems that would arise. Getting the Myrian was the first obstacle and one that she thought that she could handle easily enough. Her hands would act as a step for the older girl and the Drykas hoped that she'd be able to provide a bit of leverage for Kaie by trying to propel her upwards.

The moment came, Kaie accepting the offered step and placing a foot on her hands. Her fingers locked tightly together to try to bear the weight, her hands sagging under the effort as she struggled to push upwards as all of the other's weight suddenly seemed to be upon her. It made the teen gasp, palms stinging and arms burning, bones feeling on the verge of snapping as she tried to defy the gravity that wanted to push her down. Thankfully it only lasted a few ticks as the older girl managed to vault up onto the beast if a little awkwardly.

The Myrian watched her as she turned to her own chosen mount, a sign given to the beast to stay before the girl retreated from it and came at it with a bit of a running jump. The mounting was far from graceful, the medic striking the horse's side as she tried to throw a leg over. Her hands had seized on the hand hold on the Yvas and she'd managed to vault clumsily onto it, the leg that she meant to throw over catching under her instead. She wiggled it out without falling off her mount in the process and onto its proper side.Once she had both legs where she wanted them, the girl managing to straighten herself and get into a proper sitting position. She shot a sheepish grin in her student's direction. Far from graceful but she'd managed it all the same.

"Yes, we ride." She considered how to explain to the other what needed to be done. The language barrier was somewhat of an issue but maybe she was underestimating the other's abilities. She'd keep her instructions simple but not too simple then. "You make sure that you hold on and don't make the horse go any faster. You hit it gently with your feet, just below the belly here," she demonstrated the position without making actual contact. "That makes it go. Don't tap more than once or it'll go faster. If it doesn't go then give it time and try again. It'll only walk, won't go faster. Your horse will follow mine too so unless I go fast you won't."

She allowed the Myrian some time to absorb what she'd said before giving her some extra instructions concerning steering and, one that she shouldn't need yet, stopping. "You want to turn right, you put pressure on the horse's left. Shift how you sit that way or use your foot gently if you have to. If you want it to turn left, you do the same thing but on the right." Her instructions were accompanied by hand gestures in case the other was in any way uncertain about what left and right were. "If you need to stop, you bring both legs forward and tense your back. Don't lean back, just try to push the bottom of your back in." She couldn't describe it she knew. The horse reacted to the way you sat but how to explain that to the Myrian was hard. Did she know what tension was? Waisana wouldn't even have known the word except it had come up in conversation before with an outsider. Hopefully the girl would have some idea what she was saying.

"So we ride." The medic's feet tapped on either side of the horse's belly sending it into a walk and began to lead the way out of the city, turning when necessary and hoping that the girl could manage to follow. She threw glances back just in case, ready to come to her aid if she should run into any trouble.

[Kaie]

She had to admit, Waisana's far more adept method of climbing atop her horse was far superior to that which the Myrian might've tried on her own. It wasn't perfect by far. Nonetheless, it worked and she did it all on her own. Kaie's fingers clenched and unclenched around the handles of the Drykas version of a saddle, testing the grip and feeling their alien curves. Amber eyes wandered toward the Drykas girl again when she was situated upon the saddle. There was a moment of careful observation before the Myrian found herself mimicking the sitting position of the girl, adjusting herself upright. Then she patiently waited for further instruction.

"Tap once. Walk. Tap again. Fast. Press-ure. Turn. Good," She confirmed with a nod to verbalize her understanding. The stallion's ears rotated and flickered in the presence of a fly. Though her Common had improved since she left the bowels of the jungle, without Waisana's gestures, it's safe to say the Myrian would've been lost to her guidance. It certainly helped provide context clues when new words were presented anyway. "Bring legs forward. Tense back. Make horse stop." She shifted upon her mount, lips mumbling in Myrian as she translated the words to memory. Yet when her teacher finally gave the confirmation they would indeed ride, it was for the first time it occurred to the young woman she'd actually have to employ such knowledge.

Calming her nerves to avoid losing her air of confidence around her stallion, the savage gave a grunt and tapped the underbelly of the animal with her bare heels. Hands gripped the handles before her, and just as Drykas healer claimed, the horse broke into a steady walk. It was challenge without reigns to guide the animal. When Waisana led her horse this way and that around obstacles and people, Kaie's horse followed in rather imperfect, zig-zaggy rotations. Such a sight had apparently proven quite hilarious in the eyes of the Drykas in their midst, whose laughter and snickers erupted whenever she proved exceptionally awkward during her first ride. Kaie grit her teeth and forced herself to feign ignorance to their presence for the sake of her wounded pride.[/color]

"Your clan, your people. They say travel far. Across Sylira. Not have one home to stay. Why?" She asked suddenly when she had finally created a much smoother, more direct ride for herself. Her turns were slowly getting better. Less jagged at least. Yet while she humbled herself to at least learn their ways of riding, why not explore their barbarian customs, too? "Do homeland mean nothing? How do other Drykas know where to find Endrykas again when move?"

[Waisana]

The Myrian girl seemed to have absorbed everything that she'd said accurately and clearly Waisana had used the right words. Good. She hoped that her instructions would work though. Theory and action were very different things and maybe the young medic hadn't been clear about some things. What if she'd left out a particular feeling that you had to be attuned to? Well the teen managed all right and she wasn't an expert horse rider after all so it'd be fine.

Stop worrying over nothing, she'll get there, she reassured herself.

A final anxious look was directed the other girl's way before the Drykas got her own horse walking. Each glance turned rearwards expected to reveal her companion to be floundering, pushed into this earlier than she should have been. There was no other way to learn riding though than by actually doing it. If Kaie made mistakes then it was only a necessary part of the learning process. Waisana had fallen off a horse the first time she had been allowed to ride unaided and so had had a better idea how not to fall off the next time.

Kaie wasn't falling off though but remained proudly erect in the saddle. She seemed to be picking up on the way to control her own mount although Waisana directed her own beast more smoothly. It wasn't that surprising, the other girl was only a beginner and if she thought that the Opal youth looked good in the saddle then she'd change her tune if the native was compared with others. Beside the Myrian she probably seemed like a very good rider but she knew that it was partly will and partly luck that kept her in the saddle at all.

The young woman behind her elicited derisive laughter, something that Waisana tried to put to an end with a variety of hand signals when she could spare her hands to carry out the new task. Leave. No mock. Stop. Her gestures seemed to do little, the men and women and even children continuing their laughter although some had the decency to continue it behind their hands. She was a mere chit of a girl - not that far off womanhood! - so why would they listen to her if she stuck up for the clumsy foreigner? Somehow Kaie kept a superior bearing through it all, not condescending to acknowledge their presence at all. The Drykas girl was more annoyed and embarrassed on her behalf.

The older girl's question had her glancing back to her as much as possible, looking back and forth continually to make sure that the horse didn't cause any trouble ahead of her. "Across Cyphrus," the teen corrected, tilting her head to the side as she considered the answer. She knew why but what were the right words. She searched for the Common words, stringing them together with care before she answered. "One place we use everything. Animals eat all the grass then no food. No grass makes soil bad. Nothing grows. Move around, eat other grass and grass behind has chance to grow. Move to new places and we are nearer to cities. Kenash, Riverfall, good for trading." She nodded, satisfied by how she'd answered.

The question concerning how the Drykas found Endrykas was a different matter of course. She didn't fully understand the Web, had never been initiated into the magic required to manipulate it but she had enough of an idea how it worked. It wasn't something that was to be shared with non-Drykas though in case they wanted to be able to use it too and used it for ill purposes. The teen bit her lip and offered a cryptic and unhelpful answer. "Drykas know and only Drykas. Others guess but Drykas know. We are drawn to it, we know the Sea." There was a finality in her tone that implied that the subject was a closed one. She would say no more on the matter.

"How are you managing with horse? Not too hard, I hope? You have the feel for movement, understand what I said before?" she asked as they reached the outskirts of the city. The girl almost hesitated but was confident that the Watch could reach them if they came across trouble out in the Sea of Grass that they couldn't outrun. The Myrian had a knife too so presumably she knew how to use it. Maybe a good idea to warn her all the same. "Sea is dangerous. You sure you want to go out here? Don't mind being eaten?"

[Kaie]

"Cyphrus," She mimicked to herself, tasting the word as it came off her tongue and curious about the way it worked with her lips. So there is more to the barbarian world than Riverfall and Syliras, and not all this land is Sylira, the ignorant Myrian woman thought to herself in a bit of surprise. The world outside her jungle home was vast and full of peculiar people, cultures, and objects she was beginning to realize. Though in her society all non-Myrians were Deyhan, not all barbarians were alike at all. Each had its own way of doing things and different kinds of landscape they called home. If Syliras was in Sylira, and Riverfall and Endrykas in Cyphrus, might there be other areas out there too? Her mind continued to wander until Waisana kindly explained the reasoning behind the moving Drykas city.

It was a very different way of thinking. Tskanna were herbivores that quickly ravaged the greenery around them, but in a jungle so rich with life, it was never a burden to gather more to satisfy them. Her home was rich and their primary animal mounts feasted on other animals, not the land. Given the Drykas situation, Kaie couldn't help but recognize just how clever their methods were. They respected and preserved the land all while allowing their economy to prosper. It was a strange thought, to imagine living among a people that openly sought to trade with their neighbors rather than killing them off. Why wouldn't the Drykas want to own the Sea of Grass all for themselves? Constantly rising questions in her head led her to ponder very little over Waisana's most cryptic answer. She was not privy to the secrets of a people that were not her own. That much she could understand and respect.

"Ah. Horse is...good. Learning balance. Is not too hard," She replied as steadily as she could, readjusting herself on the animal. There was some fiddling with how she rested her legs before she was comfortable. Amber eyes swept out across the expanse of rolling grassing before them, the whispering of wind bending the backs of leafy stalks upon one another teasing her ears. It was off putting to see a wilderness so open without much cover from above. Still, excitement filled the Myrian girl all the same. She flashed her Drykas teacher a mischievous grin. "Can not be more dang-er-ous than jungle. Never been to your Sea. Show what make your land..what is word? Special!" And with a tap of her heels, her stallion jovially trotted up closer to Waisana's toward the new terrain before her.

[Waisana]

The Myrian took her correction onboard but took in the remainder of what she said in silence. She made no comment on the methods that the Drykas had for preserving their land and she'd been wise enough to heed the finality in the teen's tone and not pry into matters that would require her to admit the existence of the Web. That was against their ways and so she was thankful that it hadn't been necessary to lie. Being cryptic wasn't the same thing.

The Opal gave a soft snort at Kaie's comment concerning the horse. She didn't sound too certain about the beast being "good" as she called it. She didn't seem to be lying though. She did indeed appear to be learning how to balance on the animal and she was managing well. The fact that she hadn't fallen off it was testament to that. The foreigner was acquiring the straight backed posture needed for riding rather than slouching as she might have expected her to do. Watching Kaie was making her more aware of her own bearing and so she took a few moments to ensure that her own back was nice and straight and her shoulders back. Her head was held high as she surveyed the Sea of Grass, trying to determine which direction they should head in, assuming that the other girl had no problem continuing on considering the possible danger. Best not to go too far from the city if they could help it anyway, just to be on the safe side.

The Myrian's grin was met by a worried smile in response from the Drykas girl. Either the jungle was very dangerous and therefore she understood what they might be walking into or else she wasn't aware just how much danger she could be in out in the Sea of Grass. Something told her that the other understood the situation perfectly. Judging by her expression she probably had a very good idea of what they might be getting themselves into and that wasn't much of a deterrent apparently. Maybe the older girl was even hoping that they would bump into something dangerous so that she'd have a chance to use that knife of hers. Waisana didn't think that she could have come across a more student if she'd tried.

"What makes Cyphrus special or the Sea of Grass?" she asked uncertainly. What did make her land special? It was home to the Drykas among others, which made it special but what made the land itself unique? She didn't know a lot about other places so she couldn't really make a comparison. It was special to her because it was her home but what about it would interest Kaie? She'd probably compare it to her own jungle home and where that was concerned, Waisana wasn't even sure what she was going up against.

"I like it but special? How? I don't know. It's my home. Special to me," the teen explained. Her heels tapped at her horse's sides forcing it into a faster pace. The Myrian had sped up already so presumably she could keep pace with the young doctor's trotting beast. The animal was driven in amongst the tall grasses, the tips of some of the strands brushing against her legs. Something moved in the grass below her, some small creature that scurried away to avoid being stepped on but she didn't see what it was. Maybe if she had she could have pointed it out to Kaie. Maybe it would have been some creature that was new to the other. Would creatures she'd never seen before make the area "special"?

"You should stop horse, make sure you can. Then you can go faster and be able to stop, slow down, not break neck," the Drykas explained with a smile. "I stop then you try." With a look of concentration on her face, the teen brought her legs forward and tensed her back. It didn't stop immediately and so with a frown on her face the girl relaxed into an ordinary sitting position and tried again. This time the horse stopped and she looked to Kaie to see how she fared.