A Runaway Horse

[Merevaika]

The girl became a little embarrassed about not knowing she was in the Sea of Grass, but her embarrassment disappeared as she listened to Merevaika talk. She became confused, or so it seemed. "Two wives? How does one love two wives?" she asked raising an eyebrow. Merevaika shrugged. "Sometimes more. There are many women, more than men. Men die more, so have to take more wives. I do no know about love to them. My father did."

Merevaika felt a little intimidated by the question about her wanting to marry. She didn't know. Before, she had hated the idea of being tied down to a man, to a paviliom, but lately... Lately mad ideas had been running through her head, of family, past and possibly future. "I," she started, "Recently, yes . I miss it. I really do. I think of finding someone, marriage." She smiled, not really understanding her own answer. "I hated the idea. Now, though... I just need to find the right man."

Merevaika smiled once again, before asking Ayetah the same question, "What about you? Do you want marriage?"

The Benshira told of a life similar to the Drykas. Family, in tents, learning from each other. "Similar," she noted, spotting the differences, "But what is Yahebah? Is it in Eyktol? A place?" The Benshira had put much emphasise on it, it must have been important. "What do they learn? Fathers and daughters? Hunting? Farming? What is a valued, useful skill?"

[Ayetah]

”Your father loved both wives equally?” She didn’t understand how the multiple wives thing worked. In Yahebah, love was between two people. One more wife or one more husband was never really encouraged in the community and Ayetah believed the benshiras were afraid that one wife would be favored. And that wouldn’t be right at all.

The right man. The word lingered in her head. She never thought it as finding the right man. She’s never thought about finding a man at all. Where she came from, men came to find you. Suitors your parents would examine to see which one is right for you and a girl was so close to her mother, only she would know the kind of man you needed. Mother knows best, she knew the kind of man that would be able to support you and take care of you. No girl in Yahebah has ever been unhappy with her mother’s decision either and find themselves falling for the man the minute she laid eyes on him.

Merevaika returned the question and Ayetah could not help but giggle nervously. ”No! Yes! No! Yes…” she settled down a bit. ”It’s only a girl’s dream! To marry, have a beautiful wedding.” Ayetah closed her eyes and visualized her wedding day, the man she would love for eternity returning from the desert to exchange vows and carry her away to their tent. ”I remember my sister’s wedding… I had so much fun! It was the most fun I had and my oldest sister… she looked so happy. Very happy to be a married woman.” Now she thought of her sister’s wedding and how all of their family was there, celebrating and having a good time.

”Yes, it is in Eyktol. A city where I was born and raised. Unlike cities like Ahnatep, it is free of sin.” She tried not to dwell on cities. One would cause her to feel homesick and the other would make her feel sorrowful.”Fathers and daughter, mothers and son. They can learn anything from each other. No, useful skill really.”

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

The Benshira didn't reallu understand how someone could love both wives. Merevaika didn't bother explaining - she didn't really understand it as well. She supposed it just was different, wherever you went. Perhaps it was possible, to find two or three that you love equally. Perhaps not. She knew that doing it wasn't just choice, but also duty, as it seemed that you had to take more wives. Perhaps it was. It was the only thing she knew; the Drykas did it, animals did it. Merevaika couldn't imagine a place where you only had one wife.

"It's only a girl's dream! To marry, to have a beautiful wedding," she giggled nervously. ”I remember my sister’s
wedding… I had so much fun! It was the most fun I had and my oldest sister… she looked so happy. Very happy to be a married woman.” Merevaika noted that she hadn't actually said that she wanted a wedding. Every girl, yes, her sister, yes, but never specifically her. Maybe it was just understood wrong, but Merevaika couldn't help feeling that she wasn't certain.

Merevaika nodded in response to the reply to her question. So all skills were useful, in a way. That's what it seemed like. "For drykas, horsemanship, hunting, are useful. Need to survive. We need healers from Opal clan, webbers from Sapphire, crafters from Ruby and navigators from Amethyst. 7 clans each specialise. Some skills are more useful, others less. We don't need sailors, there is no sea. Swimming not useful, riding very."

Merevaika smiled, gesturing to the horses around her as evidence, "There must be one useful skill, something every Benshira must know. Something they need, to survive. "

[Ayetah]

Ayetah did not realized how cold it was until the wind began to blow. Anything below her ankle was not covered, so immediately she felt cold and little flecks of being picked up by the wind, touching her feet and melting. Showing no emotion, she noted that she would probably need some closed-toe shoes.

"No prophet or prophetess?" She found it odd that the drykas didn't have a prophet. Who would tell them of their future and what is to come? Who would guide them in their time of need and tell them what was wrong and what was right? How could the two races be so miuch alike yet so different. The value of family was high here like Yahebah, but the men cared for more then one wife. The drykas lived in tents like the benshiras but moved around more often then the benshiras.

She tapped her chin to think of a skill all benshiras needed to know. It took awhile before finally thought of one,"Praying!" She clapped her hands together as if to demonstrate."Benshiras can do everything through prayer. You think of it, we can do it with just a little help from Yahal."

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

A sudden gust of wind alerted Merevaika of the cold, or, more so, how cold the Benshira must be. She wore nothing but a tunic and sandals, compared to the Drykas' warm leather boots and thick cloak.
"Please, come into my tent," she smiled, entering the somewhat warmer space under the canvas. There was little more than her bedroll and blanket and Eryunt's yvas, but her few possessions served her well. They stood in the dim light blocked from the outside by the tent for a few moments, warming up.

"No prophet or prophetess?" Ayetah ask, probably wondering how they would survive with that guidance.
"No, not really. Do they really know, know what to come? I don't know of Drykas prophet. No, but they may exist," Merevaika smiled, noting on her Common. Her language was improving, slowly, and it was certainly better than the disjointed speech from before, "Do they have many prophets in... Yahahe... I don't remember the name, sorry."

Ayetah clapped her hands together at Merevaika's previous question, after a while of thought. "Praying!" Merevaika doubted what she said was true. She didn't doubt the God's power, no, but the power of prayer. How did he hear everyone? How did he manage to fulfill every prayer, every wish? Why would he do it, giving the people help all the time. She didn't comment on it, knowing it would be offense to one marked by the Yahal.

" If you want a horse," Merevaika started, "Not a Strider, not a bonded one, but one to ride. I can help. I know horses. Just want to be nice to someone who... company after long time." The phrasing wasn't right, missing out a word, but she didn't care. Merevaika had often planned to be a horse consultant, something like that. Perhaps Ayetah could be a starting point. She knew the girl quite well, despite just meeting her, and knew the horses even better. Ayetah would suit a great stallion, or so she seemed. Merevaika wanted to help, in the way she could do best.

[Ayetah]

She followed Merevaika into her tent, crouching a bit as she entered. The tent was did not make a huge difference but Ayetah was glad to be in one. Being in the tent reminded Ayetah of the trip she was suppose to take into the city to buy her own tent. I'll look for a tent later. Ayetah just made a new friend and was not in a rush to leave her here."The prophets only knows what Yahal tells them, that's all you really need to know in Yahebah. The word of the god."

Merevaika completely changed the subject. She no longer wondered about where Ayetah came from but if she still wanted a horse. And she did. The suggestion made her think of the woman's own horse or strider as she called it before. Maybe the bond with a horse would not be the same as the strider, but the benshira was lonely and the bond would feel even greater.

"You would really teach me how to ride?" She asked a bit shocked.

Common|Shiber

[Merevaika]

"The prophets only know what Yahal tells the, that's all you really need to know in Yahebah. The word of the god," Ayetah said, and Merevaika nodded in understanding. In Yahebah, Yahal was worshipped and honoured, and the respect for him was high. She felt nothing of that strength in Endrykas, but the two were different, and that was perfectly all right.

She found no new questions rising to her mind, without being to personal. From what it seemed, Ayetah didn't know too much about it, and although she did want to ask, Merevaika knew to respect her privacy. Instead, she would turn the converation to horses, something she loved and knew about.

"You would really teach me to ride?" the Benshira asked in what seemed like disbelief. Merevaika nodded, certain with her decision.

"I suppose so. I ride.. alright, so can help. Never taught before, but can try!" she laughed, "But need your own horse. Every horse rides differently, so easier to learn on one horse. And Eryunt never let you ride him! Too stubborn!" She laughed again, pleased with her decision. And, for the first time in forever, she was doing something to be nice, not for payment. SHe hadn't even considered it.

Realising the time, Merevaika led the girl out again. "Better go home, getting late! Come when you have horse, meet here. I should be here. If not, hunting. See you." Merevaika watched her new friend go, letting the night fall over her. When she came back, they would be on horseback. Then, it would be even better.

[Khida]

Merevaika

Skill	Points
Horsemanship	+1
Intelligence	+1
Observation	+1
Storytelling	+1
Socialization	+2

• Ayetah: closemouthed Benshira, lately from Ahnatep
• Ayetah: marked by Yahal
• Benshira: tent-dwellers and nomads
• Horsemanship: fruit to coax a horse
• Intelligence: questioning the populace at large
• Yahal: god of purity and faith, god of the Benshira

Please deduct the cost of the apple from your ledger.

Ayetah

Skill	Points
Observation	+1
Socialization	+3

• Drykas: bonded to their Striders
• Drykas: organized in polygamous Pavilions
• Drykas: wraps for remembrance, windmarks for the Strider bond
• Drykas myth: the origin of Striders
• Merevaika: the last Windchaser, rider of Eryunt

One small note: "belle" with the 'e' is a pretty girl. Which makes "searching for" and "spending" belles just a little... odd!

Notes

The back-and-forth in this thread was an interesting contrast to most meet-and-greets I've read. Especially when Merevaika went from resolving to get rid of Ayetah to inviting her to stay over. It'll be interesting to see how their relationship continues to develop!

I have two further notes regarding this thread.

First: Please remember that Webbing is a major, major secret of the Drykas. Speaking of it to an outsider is a breach of one of the Seven Laws and is punishable by death. Mention it at your peril!

Second: Please be careful not to act ICly on OOC information. That seems to have happened when Merevaika concluded Ayetah had intended to steal her horse. I re-read Ayetah's interaction with Eryunt and didn't see any such 'body language', only an internal quip to herself. All I read in Ayetah's mannerisms was curiosity, appreciation, and ultimately apprehension. There's no way for Merevaika to read Ayetah's thoughts, joking or otherwise, so that was purely OOC knowledge. Conversely, if you want another character to act on some impression or information, be sure to express it clearly in an IC manner so they can legitimately be aware of it.

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