Putting out Fires

[Naiya]

Spring-12-516 AV
Ninth bell of Morning

It was miserable, the heat was too much to bear, and the entire city was suffering. Naiya was surely among them, dressed in little more than a breast band and a loin cloth to abate the heat. She wasn't the only one, many of the Drykas had abandoned the layers of their cool weather clothing for little to no clothing at all. So the people adapted, but the animals could not, and so Naiya had been running all morning to fetch water and fill vessels so she could dampen and cool the animals. It was too much work alone, after she had purchased the new livestock, a handful of goats and with new calves and pregnant cows, the shade and the water didn't seem to be enough.

So she went to find help, seeking the pavilion of the opal clan that specialized in tending to animals. She had hopes that someone there would be able to lend a hand. Seirei had more than her share of trouble with the twins, the heat of the day already causing them no end of grief. She had left Taerin scrambling between animals and children, helping as best she could.

The healing hoof came into view, and Naiya trotted the rest of the way in, her bare feet kicking up dirt. The pavilion seemed deserted, only a few people remained, likely called away to tend other animals.

"Hello?" greetings, inquiry, seeking help. She peered around in the shade of the tent, eyes slowly adjusting to the comparative darkness. A woman with hair the color of Syna's rays was in, she appeared only just younger than Naiya, and perfectly able to lend a hand.

She approached politely, waiting for the woman to finish what she was doing before relaying her need.

"I have too many animals and not enough hands to tend them all, one of my Zibri was born just four days ago, and three others are still pregnant. I worry for their health in this heat." Need help, she signed, hoping that this woman would be able to help or to direct her to someone who could.

[Asarni Zelluni]

Asarni looks up from where she'd been poring over supply lists, and listened to the woman's request before nodding. "I can help," she says, getting to her feet; her job at the Healing Hoof was not healing, but rather assisting the healers by helping to keep the animals calm and quiet while the healers worked on whatever the problem was. "Let me tell Kehal where I am going, and I will follow you."

Kehal Tenderbloom, son of Denhal Tenderbloom, the lead healer of the Healing Hoof, gave her permission to leave the tent for the day; they had a few others helping the healers, and could spare her. Asarni returned to where the woman was waiting, gathering her things. Asarni was dressed in no more than the woman was, and her hair was done up in its usual braided crown, keeping it off of her neck and out of her face. "My name is Asarni - I am of the Zelluni Pavilion, of the Amethyst Clan. May I ask your name?" The woman across from her looked familiar, with skin already flushed from the sun in a way that suggested she would burn later if she spent much more time in direct sunlight; paired with hair the color of copper, she cut a very attractive figure.

Asarni shouldered her bag, waiting for the woman's answer. Pregnant and newborn animals required much more care than any other animal, and on a day like today, heat sickness was a very real threat, one that could very well prove fatal if the animals were not properly cared for. Most Pavilions had enough hands to go around, but some had more animals than humans for whatever reason. This wasn't exactly part of Asarni's job, but she was more than willing to lend a hand or two if they were needed.

~*~

[Naiya]

Sewat beaded her brow.

Even the shade of the pavilion was hardly enough to provide relief, which only made her more concerned for her animals at home. It came as a great relief to hear that the woman would be able to help, Naiya quickly signed her gratitude.

Well met, great pleasure, She signed in response, "I am Naiya Dawnwhisper, I hail from the Amethyst clan, but still seek the origin of my husband's pavilion." Her greeting was one of formality, she owed allegiance to Shahar's clan, but they had not yet found the people who could help. They spent too much time outside of the city, on the outskirts, it was something Naiya hoped to change this season, and help Shahar adapt to on his return.

When the woman lifted her bag to her back, Naiya assumed that she was ready to go, so with a nod and a sign of follow she began to walk. Her pace was quick, but keeping the heat in mind she didn't press too hard. Naiya had set camp up just inside the shelter of the Amethyst district, her herd put her on the edge, but not separate from the others of the clan. The Nightsongs were on the far end, not accidentally, Naiya wasn't avoiding them as much as avoiding the pitying glances and condescending looks.

All the same the path between the Healing Hoof and the Dawnwhsiper pavilion was one that led them through the center of the city, and shortly thereafter they approached the camp, the barking of the dogs a sure sign that they had noticed their return.

How the dogs had such energy in the heat was a wonder to Naiya, but they managed and she was glad for it. They ran up, stoping their headlong barreling towards her when they saw the stranger. Lips curled, but Naiya attempted to sooth them. Peace, friend, she signed to them, holding them back with a sign until they had a moment to adjust.

The baby calf was tucked beneath the pavilion, the extra canvas stretched from the pavilion to the ground, providing a true shade for the animals that was twice the size of that offered by the pavilion. Fourteen zibri and six goats milled beneath the shade, the horses too gathered near the pavilion, fighting the battle of shade versus proximity to the other animals. The new Shepard kept them all close, not letting any wander too far from their home.

"We are doing our best, but I didn't account for this kind of heat so early in the season, nor for the effect the pirate raid would have on my family, it has made things difficult," nearly impossible. She moved forward into the camp, finally allowing the dogs to sniff at Asarni, should she care to deal with them she would find that they were quite friendly and still in the goofy stages of puppyhood.

"I've been filling waters all morning, and wetting down the veins inside the animals legs to help keep them cool, but I'm at a loss for what else to do, and I'm afraid the calf and the pregnant cows might be suffering."

Note :

Most of the animals can be found here

[Asarni Zelluni]

Asarni walks beside Naiya through the mobile city of Endrykas; when they reach what Asarni assumes is Naiya's pavilion, they're greeted by two dogs who don't seem so sure about the stranger; Asarni hung back until Naiya released them, crouching down to lessen her size and offer them her hand to sniff. After the two dogs got a good whiff of her scent, they seemed to decide that she was okay, their tails wagging as they let her give them brief pettings. But Asarni wasn't here to help with the dogs; she was here to help with some larger animals. The Drykas woman followed Naiya around to where there was canvas stretched out for shade; she nodded at the setup, satisfied. There was room for all the animals and the sides were open, allowing any passing breezes to help cool down the animals.

The zibri would suffer quite a bit in this heat, thanks to their fur. Asarni followed Naiya towards the calf the other woman seemed most concerned about. "This heat was unexpected; none accounted for it," Asarni said reassuringly, signing as she talked. "I am sorry that the pirate raid affected you so badly." The blonde slid her pack off of her shoulder, kneeling down beside the overheated calf. "Unfortunately, there is not much else to do when heat like this strikes; make water plentiful and easily available, and cool them with shade and water as best you can." Asarni carefully approached the calf, once again offering her hand to sniff first before moving too close; she'd found that offering her hand often helped put the animal she was interacting with at ease just as much as a confident manner did. When the calf accepted her - though she feared that the calf was simply too heat-exhausted to put up a fuss even if it wanted to - Asarni moved closer, running a hand down the calves legs to get an idea of its temperature. There was heat, but not fever-heat, which was a good sign.

"More water," Asarni requests. "Let some flow over the withers - not a lot, but it will help any breezes cool the animals further."

~*~

[Naiya]

More water, she could do that.

Naiya accepted the woman's shared remorse with grace, Naiya knew that hers was not the only family who had suffered, nor had they faced the worst of it. "I have been wetting them down the inside of their legs," Naiya explained as the woman felt for the calf's temperature, "I wasn't sure if there was more to do, or if wetting them down completely would be better or worse for them."

Agreement shaped her form as she moved off, she'd rigged a support pole from one of the smaller tents into a water carrying system, so she could fill four gallons at a time and carry them back across her shoulders. Still, when she went to find the water, the buckets were empty.

"I'll have to fetch more," She called to the woman, "They drank what I had while I was gone." She looked at the calf, obviously still too warm. It took her a tick to recall her own waterskin, the heat seemed to really have her frazzled. "Wait," apology, "Here." She handed the waterskin from her hip, watching to see how the woman put the water to use differently than Naiya had been.

Once the woman was finished Naiya fetched the two spare waterskins, already emptied in their work today, and attached them to her belt. She added her own and loaded the two cookpots onto the pole which she then lifted across her shoulders.

"Are you able to leave her to come fetch water? If not I can make more trips while you work." Offering, unsure, willing to concede to greater knowledge. "Kahl can help us move them to the water if you think it would be better? I don't know of the baby can walk that far, and I worry too for the pregnant mothers."

[Asarni Zelluni]

Asarni accepted the waterskin that Naiya handed to her, splashing some first against the calf's legs, using her hand to spread the moisture around a bit before she lifted the waterskin up higher, allowing some of the precious liquid to dribble across the calf's withers and back, running over its side. "You cannot let the water sit," she explains, wiping the water she's just poured over the calf with a hand, removing the excess moisture. "It will only make them hotter as the water holds the heat." Asarni repeated the movements a few more times, also dribbling a bit of water across the calf's neck to bring some much-needed coolness there.

Asarni checked on the pregnant cows while Naiya fetched the water vessels; they, too, were overheated, but being older they were slightly better able to handle the heat. The shade was most certainly helping, but when Naiya returned with the waterskins, a thought occurred to Asarni. "Is there a stream or a creek nearby?" she asks, a bit urgently. "Running water is better for them; if we lay the calf in the running water, we will not have to constantly pour and fetch water. The same goes for the other animals; we may pour water, but at least we will not have to carry it. And they will be right with a source of water to drink." While it was certainly important to have shade, if there was running water, Asarni thought that that would be more helpful; as she had pointed out, they could simply lay the calf in the creek, allowing the cooler running water to help wash away the heat collecting on the calf's skin. And with the other, older animals, they could simply wade into the creek, and the Drykas could use buckets or pots to lift water to pour along their backs, to help combat the oppressive heat even more.

"If you've a herding dog or another helping hand, we can take them to the creek," Asarni said. "We may have to help and support the calf, but the rest should be able to walk if it is not too far."

~*~

OOCThis is from my personal experience; we have horses, and my mom is a horse trainer, and there's been many times in really hot summers where we have had to follow the advice Asarni gives here. I figured there have been other really hot days before I created Asarni, so it's not unreasonable for her to know this, I think.

[Naiya]

It seemed it was best that Naiya had stuck to wetting the inside of their legs and nothing else, she wouldn't have known to wipe away the water and the calf would have only gotten hotter.

"Mm, yes, the water is close, no more than ten chimes out." She explained, glancing out towards the sea. "Do you think they can make it that far?" She asked. It sounded like it didn't matter, that they needed to get out there to survive. So Naiya called to Khal, summoning him to her feet where he sat and waited for her command.

Carefully she lowered the pots to the ground, if they were leaving camp, they would need shade. She pulled the extended tarp down, fingers working quickly to untie the bindings and loosen the material. Once free she folded the material haphazardly, stuffing it into her pack. Then she pulled one of the small four person tents from the travois, along with Wildfire's yvas.

She called to her strider, and he made his way to her, albeit slowly. She slipped the yvas into place and secured the bundle of tent to his back. She wouldn't be riding him, but the yvas made the tent much easier to keep on his back. She attached the empty wetskins as well, adding only slightly to his burden.

"Khal, follow, bring." She commanded, letting him begin to round up the herd while she crouched low so that she could lift the calf up onto her shoulders. "Can you bring the two buckets?" Naiya asked the woman.

[Asarni Zelluni]

Asarni had already picked up the two buckets. "Of course; lead the way," she requested, falling in behind Naiya as the older woman and her dog began herding the zibri towards the creek. Asarni followed, helping to nudge along the pregnant zibri when they faltered or slowed. It took a bit longer than ten chimes to make it to the creek where Asarni assumed Naiya had been getting her water from. The adults all made a beeline for the water as soon as they realized what waited for them, and the humans were hard-pressed to keep up. Asarni caught with up Naiya, gesturing upstream from where the adult animals had all congregated. "Let's put the calf up there," she said. "Cleaner water." Normally Asarni would be hesitant to allow the calf to lay fully in the water, given that Winter was not even two weeks behind them, but with the heat from Syna's light bearing down upon all living things, today it was better to allow the cool water to do the work that they would otherwise have to do themselves. It would conserve their energy, allowing them to be able to devote more attention to the animals.

Asarni followed Naiya, helping her to get the calf settled. "The creek is not deep, but she is exhausted," Asarni explained. "Someone must stay with her." Probably obvious, but it rarely hurt to make sure that everyone was on the same page. "If you would like to stay with her, I will help look after the others," the younger Drykas offered. Now that the others were standing in the water, the cool flowing stream would do most of the work of carrying away the excess heat for the humans; they would need the buckets still, to pour water over the animals' backs and withers, but not as frequently.

~*~

[Naiya]

They moved as quickly as they could, watching both their pace and how the dog pushed the animals. Naiya had to split her attention between leading the woman and their herd, and the harrying of the pregnant cows who were slower than the rest.

"Slow," She called loudly to Khal across the herd, wrangling him into a slower pace so that he would not stress the stragglers. As long as they stayed together, Naiya was happy.

The calf was fairly heavy, but more troublesome was the heat from her body, it added to Naiya's own discomfort. Not only was the calf's temperature worrisome, but she was heavy with water and Naiya was learning that it did indeed hold heat as Asarni had said, for the water that fell in rivers across her skin was just as hot as the calf.

She trudeg on despite the effort it took, eyes trained on the ground as she melted slowly in the heat. She simply followed the numerous marks of feet in the dirt, the path to the water well worn with passage in only bells.

It didn't take long for the herd to spot the water, and when they did, they needed no more urging from Khal nor Naiya to head for the water. "Good, Khal, enough." She freed him from his task, allowing him to join the animals gleefully in the water.

Asarni gestured towards the bank upstream from the others, telling her that the cleaner water was best. Naiya nodded, agreement, following her before asking the woman to help her lower the calf back down. She did so, helping to support the babe as she was settled into the water.

"I'll stay." Naiya accepted the work with ease, she could sit with the calf for a short while, then allow the other woman to rest with the calf while Naiya found a way to put the tarp back up and provide some shade for them all. "Do you think you can pull the yvas off Wildfire, he won't come into the water until his gear is removed." gentle request, shaped her hand as she asked, a clear willingness to do it herself should the woman decline.