Closed Stranger in a Strange Land (Kavala)

[Lian Windrunner]

42nd Day of Fall, 515 AV

The man thanked the leader of the caravan that saved his life, and brought him into the city once more. Then they said their goodbyes, and Lian left the traders to their work. Riverfall was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Or...at least, it felt that way. He couldn't be certain since he could remember so little about his past. He knew that he was a Drykas. The bond he felt with his strider, and his windmarks were proof enough of that. As was the fact that he spoke pavi easily, while he had to struggle to understand Common when it was spoken around him. He could speak it well enough to make himself understood, but the language felt harsh, and unpleasant to him. Foreign. The man didn't know why, but that made him feel uneasy, somehow. He also knew the name of his strider; Talise. Beyond that, his life was an impenetrable fog. He knew how to do things, like ride, and care for his strider, but he had no memory of learning how to do those things, or of who had taught him. He couldn't even remember his own name.

He wandered around aimlessly, uncertain of where he should go. He needed a place to stay, and work to earn his keep. But he didn't know where to go, or who to speak to to see about getting those things for himself. More importantly, he needed a place for Talise to stay. Out in the Sea of Grass, she could come and go freely for the most part. But this place was different. The man didn't think that people would like it if he allowed Talise to go where she liked here. For that matter, his strider was tense, anxious. She didn't like the bustling crowds any more than he did. Unfortunately, he didn't know where to go to find shelter for his strider, either. The man took a few chimes to stroke Talise's neck, speaking to her in a low, soothing voice to calm her. After a while his efforts paid off, and they went on their way.

As he walked, he tried to take note of what he was seeing in the hopes of learning his way around. But everything was strange. Even the buildings made him deeply uneasy. Knowing he was a Drykas, that at least made some sense to him. Drykas lived in tents. From the way he was feeling, it was possible he had never seen places such as these before. Many of the men that passed him were incredibly tall. They looked strong enough to wrestle a glass beak...and win. And they were blue, as the men at the gate had been. The man tried hard not to stare at them as they passed by. He didn't want to anger anyone. Especially someone who could probably break him in half without thinking twice about it.

After several bells of aimless wandering, someone took pity on him. Seeing Talise, and his bewildered look, they must have guessed that he was new to the city, and utterly lost. He gave him directions to a place called the Sanctuary, telling him that he could house his "horse" there for a fee. The man nodded, and thanked the blue skinned man, repressing the urge to scowl, and inform the stranger that Talise was no mere "horse."

With a destination in mind, the man set off back towards the main gate. According to what he had been told, the Sanctuary was north of Riverfall, and west of the main road. It was supposed to be next to the Suvan Sea, and "impossible to miss." It took him a while to get there, but the directions were good ones, and it really was impossible to miss. The man walked through the gates, then looked around uncertainly. He didn't want to anger anyone by being where he had no right to be, but he hoped to find a place for Talise to stay, and if he were lucky, a place for himself to stay as well, and perhaps even work..
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[Kavala]

During the daytime and especially during times of peace, The Sanctuary's gates were always open. It had two entrances, both courtyards protected by wrought iron gates that looked more functional than pretty. The twenty foot walls flanked the gates. At one end, the courtyard was a trifecta of stables opening into an arena. That was where Lian ended up. At the other end was a healers courtyard, catering to customers who streamed to and from the clinic with appointments for their animals.

Kavala was usually at one end of the facility or the other. If she had duties and appointments at the clinic, she was mostly there. But today the schedule was light and she was at the barn, tending to a lamb that didn't need the clinic facilities. It was a late fall lamb that had been born with weak legs. She was in the courtyard, sitting with legs folded under her, and a lap full of the newborn. She had its forelegs out in front of her and she was carefully binding them tightly with bandaging to support them in its first few weeks.

When Liam wandered in, Kavala smiled at him and offered him a wave. "Hello there. What can we do for you?" She asked, her hands didn't halt the tight professional wrapping she was doing. "I'll just be a minute. He was born with bowed tendons from developing in his momma in the wrong way. A few weeks of wrapping will have him walking better. " The Konti said, explaining quietly why she was wrapping the lambs forelegs so tightly.

"Are you needing a stall or...." She trailed off, taking a moment to examine his horse with her eyes. A soft smile flitted across her lips. "Nice Strider." She added, nodding to his mount.

[Lian Windrunner]

The man smiled tentatively when a woman greeted him with a wave, and a polite greeting. Was she the person in charge of this place? Or perhaps she knew the person who was? He hoped that she would be able help him. Talise needed a place to stay, and that had to be his first priority. Once he had secured that, he could try to find a place for himself in this strange place. If he could do that, then maybe...just maybe he could figure out who he was.

The woman had a baby goat in her lap, and she seemed to be wrapping its forelegs with bandages. Was something wrong with it? The woman didn't stop what she was doing, but she did ask if he needed help. She also assured him that it wouldn't take long for her to finish her work. The man was content to wait until she was finished. It would only be polite to do so. But he was also interested in watching what she was doing. As the woman worked, she explained that the baby goat had been born with something called bowed tendons, and it had been caused by developing in his mother the wrong way. He looked at the animal's legs curiously. They did indeed looked bent. He wondered if it would affect its ability to walk. It looked to him as though it might. And that could well be why the woman was wrapping its legs. Her next words seemed to confirm this, telling him that having its legs wrapped for a few weeks would allow it to walk better.

The woman asked if he needed a stall, and Lian nodded. He was about to reply when she complimented his strider. Lian smiled.

"Thank you. Her name is Talise." he said in pavi.

His tone showed his pleasure in the compliment for his strider, and the signs that accompanied his words reflected this as well. It didn't even occur to him to wonder if the woman could understand him. Her accent was pavi, so she must have lived among the Drykas long enough to learn the language. Talise seemed pleased by the compliment as well. She danced in place a bit, and made a soft chuffing sound, as if thanking the woman. The man stroked her neck gently for a tick, then answered the woman's question.

"Yes. I am new to this place, and I need a place for Talise to stay. Someone told me that I could find a place for her here. And possibly work as well?"

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