Closed A Sea of Strangers (Waisana)

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei's eyes widened a bit when she heard about the way the Myrian had spun a knife in her hand casually. "I would have been scared, too." she confessed. Watching the caravan guards spar with each other as they honed their skills was intimidating enough at times. "Do you know of a place I could go to learn how to ride?" Seirei knew that Waisana had taught the Myrian how, but she was a healer, and probably far too busy to teach her. "You would think that everyone in a trade caravan would know how to ride, but that simply isn't the case. Most of the horses we have are needed to pull the wagons. Those that aren't are spares for those that are in case one of them gets injured, or tired. A lot of them aren't really meant for riding, anyway. And the caravan guards really don't like anyone else touching their horses. At least the ones in my caravan didn't. So I never really got the chance to learn. My father put me on his strider's back a few times when I was little, but that really isn't the same thing." Seirei listened very carefully as Waisana told her about her sprain. She would do anything the healer told her for fear of making things worse if she didn't. "I'll use the sling." she promised. "I don't know if Lian will be angry that I asked a healer to look at my injured shoulder, but if I tell him that I need to wear the sling in order to be healthy, he might not mind. He does want me healthy, after all." Seirei's eyes lit up with interest when she caught a glimpse of all the herbs the healer had. She thanked Waisana sincerely when she helped her with the sling, and gave her the tolm. "That's it for right now...but...you must know a lot about herbs, right? Would you mind...would you be able to teach me a bit? I've always wanted to learn. I have an herbalist's toolkit that I bought the last time we were in Syliras, but I never had the chance to try growing any of the seeds that came with it. My brother and the others left my personal belongings with me when they abandoned me in the Sea of Grass. I think they wanted to be able to tell themselves that they at least gave me a chance to survive." Seirei's tone was pained, and a little bitter as she spoke of being abandoned. "I could give you the seeds in my kit in exchange if you could teach me." she offered. "Some of them might be of some use to you. And, how does payment for services work here? Maybe I could make something for you once my arm heals? A bowl, or some beads, maybe?" she asked hopefully. Seirei did have some money, but she would prefer to trade services if possible so she could save the mizas she had for when she tried to escape.

[Waisana]

A smile crossed her lips. It was nice of the girl to show some measure of awe and fear concerning Waisana's encounter with Kaie but she knew that it was really nothing compared to what Seirei had seen in her travels. The healer's meeting was tame in comparison t any of the real threats and dangers that the other had encountered. However, the girl's confession made her smile more broadly. It was good to know that she hadn't overreacted in the situation, that her reaction wasn't a unique one.

The question of where to learn to ride gave her pause. There were very few among the Drykas who could not ride and most of those were just physically unable to ride rather than lacking the know how. Anyone could teach her how to ride really if they had the time. Her brows came together as she considered it further, exploring possible reactions on the side of the Drykas. There might be problems but there would be a way around them, the young woman thought, puzzling it out. When she'd come up with a well thought answer, the explanation left her slowly as she rechecked everything before she said it.

"Any Drykas with time should be able to teach you. They might question why your..." No word would come to mind except master so she corrected herself as she continued, "...why the man you live with wouldn't teach you. It might reach said man's ears and he may be unhappy about it. If he does hear and is unhappy then... lie. If you wear the sling then he will know you've been to a healer. Tell him that you were told that you needed fresh air and exercise if you are going to bear healthy children. That the... rhythm of a horse beneath you would aid matters. If his motives are as you say then he will be eager to ensure that you are fit for bearing good children. I do not see why you shouldn't try to manipulate him for your own benefits," she concluded, looking thoughtful as she said it. It seemed a good plan to her and the lie would sound convincing enough she hoped if it was needed.

Her piece said, she listened to her patient as doubt and uncertainty seemed to begin to creep into her thoughts again. She would use the sling but she was still anxious about having come to receive treatment. "If he's angry, lie again. Or give a half-truth if that's easier. Say that you ran into a healer who noticed your injury." The Drykas girl shrugged. It seemed like no big deal to her whether or not, Seirei was truthful with this Lian. He hadn't exactly been kind to her so she could see no reason why the girl shouldn't be allowed some measure of defiance. "And no attempts at riding until your shoulder is better. Just in case," Waisana added as an afterthought.

The girl's request to teach her about herbs surprised her. She knew a small amount about them, mainly about the ones that she used regularly in her work. The horse maiden wouldn't even consider herself as being competent in herbalism, certainly not good enough to teach anyone. Although, there were small things that could be passed on, the very basics. She didn't work all the time after all so it was possible. The offer of seeds in payment caught her attention. Different herbs would be available and the seeds of them would be hard to get out here. The only problem would be that she would need someone else to identify them and explain their usage if she did grow them. Still the offer was tempting.

"How about I think about it? I do have some free time but I don't know if I'm really good enough to teach you. My understanding is very basic but I suppose that I could pass it on. Wait until next season and come looking for me then and I'll see. No promises," she told Seirei, smiling at the thought of new company that wasn't related to work. The thought of payment made her smile falter a bit but she recovered and explained briefly how such things were worked out between clans. "This Lian will sort it for you and you can tell him that I said so. Although you can make me something if you really feel like it," she added, winking.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei nodded when Waisana told her that any Drykas could teach her how to ride. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to ask someone...but she needed to learn if she was ever going to have a chance to escape. Simply buying passage in a trade caravan was an option, of course...but Seirei never wanted to find herself in the situation she been in again. Completely at the mercy of others. If she did buy passage with a trade caravan, she wanted to know how to ride, and have a horse of her own...and know enough about survival in the Sea of Grass to make it to civilization on her own if she had to. Asking Lian himself wasn't an option...or was it? Seirei feared to risk his anger, but the man did give her the freedom to roam the city so long as she was back before he returned, and wanted her. She was allowed to work with wood, and use anything she made as she saw fit so long as she bought or traded for the supplies she needed herself. He wasn't willing to buy anything beyond the most basic of necessities to keep her alive and healthy, but he didn't seem to mind if she found a way to get more herself. He had even said early on that she would be allowed to make a life for herself here...so long as she obeyed him, and followed any rules he set for her. So where did that leave her, exactly? Seirei wasn't sure, but she wanted...no, needed to find out. At the very least, he might believe Waisana's suggestion that she needed the fresh air and exercise. And the bit about the rhythm of the horse. If she put it that way, Lian might well agree to teach her how to ride. He was very clear about his desire to keep her healthy enough to breed, after all. "Thank you. I will tell him what you said." Seirei said with a small smile. It was nice to find someone appeared to be willing to take her side. Or at the least, who didn't believe that Lian was right to treat her the way he did. The thought of telling Lian that he had to work out payment for coming to see Waisana about her injury was a frightning one. Telling him anything was a frightening prospect. But Seirei told Waisana that she would. "Okay. I will." Seirei said with a smile, in response to the lessons about herbs. Seirei decided that she would make something for the healer. Possibly some beads since she had seen a lot of Drykas women wearing jewelry, or hair wraps, and the like. She loved working with wood. It calmed her, and made her feel connected to her mother. Making something for someone who had been kind to her was even better that just working with wood for its own sake. Seirei thanked the healer again, then slowly made her way back to Lian's tent, her mind already filled with thoughts of different types of wooden beads.

[Khida]

Seirei

Skill	Points
Endurance	+1
Negotiation	+1
Observation	+1
Singing	+1
Socialization	+2
Storytelling	+2

• File: custom tool to texture and polish
• Seeking aid for an injury
• Waisana: an unexpected ally
• Waisana: compassionate healer
• Wearing a sling to ease a sprain

Waisana

Skill	Points
Herbalism	+1
Interrogation	+1
Intimidation	+1
Medicine	+2
Observation	+2
Socialization	+2
Storytelling	+1

• Herbalism: tolm to relieve pain
• Interrogation: a harmless question to put one at ease
• Medicine: diagnosing a shoulder injury
• Medicine: treating a sprain
• The places and peoples Seirei has seen
• Seirei: captive of Lian
• Seirei: woodcarver, like her mother

Notes

A fun read all around! Really nice descriptions on both sides, particularly Waisana's examination and Seirei's very in-character descriptions of places and peoples. I look forward to reading more from you!

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade. Also, Seirei, please edit your request to show this thread has been graded.