Behind a Blade of Grass (Sam)

[Ariel]

Ariel smiled as she took a few steps forward. When she reached Sam's hand, she stepped up, and pulled herself onto the palm by gripping lightly at his flesh. When she had finally reached the center of the man's palm, she made herself comfortable. She curled her legs under her body, and rested her palms in her lap. Now that she was sitting in the lotus position, she said, "now that the pycon is good to go, you should work on Rafael. Do be careful though." Ariel sat up a little straighter, so as to make herself seem taller and more of an authority figure. "And Rafael, you better be nice to him," she warned. "Otherwise a certain someone is going to be very, very unhappy with you." The kitten meowed quietly, as Ariel folded her arms over her chest. "You heard me mister. Behave." There was a slight pause, "the pycon is watching you," Ariel added under her breath before looking up at the drykas. "Feel free to pick him up whenever you're ready," she instructed. "You'll be fine."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"You might want to try my shoulder," he said, holding his hand up to his left shoulder so she could climb aboard there. Her meditative position might not work there, but she could hang her legs over and be fine. "That way I can hold Rafael with one arm and point out things to you with a free hand." Once she was situated, he held his hands out non-threateningly to her feline companion. He didn't babytalk, but he made noises of invitation. Cats were different from horses, but one did what one could. "Come along, Rafael." He certainly hoped the cat didn't prove recalcitrant, because that would be rather embarrassing.

[Ariel]

Ariel nodded, and quickly extended her hands towards the left shoulder of the Drykas. When she was close enough, she pressed her tiny clay fingers into his flesh, and grabbed hold of his sleeve. Slowly, she pulled herself up. When her knees had settled on the edge of his shoulder blade, Ariel turned herself over. She was sitting with her legs dangling of the front of his shoulders, facing in the same direction as the Dykas. Her legs were swaying slightly in the wind as she stared down at Rafael. Rafael's fur was standing on edge, and his eyes were blazing. His lips were parted slightly, and several elongated pearly white teeth could be seen peeking out of the edges. They seemed to glisten with saliva as a low, rumbling sound that reminded Ariel of growling escaped the kitten's lips. The pycon, displeased with Rafael's behavior, stared at him unblinkingly and placed her tiny clay hands on her hips. "Rafael, what did we just say about you being nice to Sama'el here?" The kitten continued to hiss. "RAFAEL! Don't you make me come down there! You behave yourself this instant!" The kitten seemed to stare up at his mistress with an odd question in his eye, now why would you let him carry you around when you have me? he seemed to say. "Rafael!" Ariel called again, her words slicing through the air like a knife, and swirling around Sam's ears. "Behave!" Reluctantly, the kitten closed its mouth, and its muscles seemed to loosen a little. The fire in Rafael's eyes was dying down, and he seemed almost normal again. Ariel turned to the Drykas just as the kitten began to take several small steps forward, closer to them. "Sorry about that," she began. "He should let you now," she finished, as the kitten extended its head and began to sniff Sam's foot. When he was satisfied, he retracted his head, and simply stared up at the Drykas. Ariel peered down at Rafael again. "See? He just needed to get used to the idea." There was a slight pause. "But if it's easier on you, he could always follow along. Or whatever he wants... sometimes he goes off to hunt on his own. Maybe that'd be better, he's probably getting hungry by now."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el kept his hands visible, but hopefully out of reach of the angry kitten while his pint-sized mistress scolded him. The young Drykas had never heard of a cat really responding to anything like that, but after her display, the little thing sniffed his boot and looked all right. He let Rafael smell his hand, too, then carefully petted him, murmuring reassuringly, head to tail in long, soothing strokes. While Ariel seemed dubious, Sama'el ventured to pick the thing up, and if it scratched, he would let it run off and hunt. There was no training cats so far as he knew, only appeasing them. He stood up, Rafael in his arms for the time being, Ariel on his shoulder. "Well," he began brightly, pleased at having smoothed things over, "where should we go first? Or should I just walk so you can get a tour with a new perspective?"

[Ariel]

Rafael settled into Sam's arm rather reluctantly, mewling from time to time as the Drykas attempted to perfect his hold. The kitten's tail was squishing, and it was apparent that he would more than likely want to be let back down soon. But Ariel said nothing about this, being pleased by the simple fact that he hadn't tried to claw Sam's arm off. Or bite it off... or something to that effect. "There is nothing in particular that we wish or need to see," Ariel replied. "So feel free to take us wherever you want. Whether that be to the Stalk Meet, or some place quiet, or perhaps even, a favorite market stall of yours." There was a slight pause. "It is always nice to see new things, and to go there with different people. To see it through their eyes as well as yours." Another slight pause, "so whenever you feel ready, feel free to proceed." OOCSorry for yet another blah post. *Facepalms*

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

The erstwhile young Watchman walked them over toward the Pride, where the Emerald Clansmen tended their flocks and herds. When Rafael's squirming threatened to become violent, he carefully crouched to let him down, and the little cat seemed content to follow along, which suited Sama'el just fine. He pointed things out along the way, but when they came to the Pride, the skill of his people with animals became obvious. The flocks and herds were allowed to roam without pens or fences, but were tended by children and dogs for the most part. Somehow they seemed to know that survival and comfort came with being obedient to the guidance of the Drykas. None would survive long in the predatory Sea of Grass. "This is where we keep our livestock, with respect as Caiyha bids us," he said simply.

OOCSorry if mine is blah, too. Ariel doesn't seem to have much direction so it's difficult for Sama'el to be obliging. :-\

[Ariel]

Ariel smiled. "Look Rafael, they're so big they could trample both of us! If not eat you, should they have long, pointy teeth such as yourself, which, I don't think they do. Do they Sama'el?" Ariel inquired, as she watched the creatures huddle closer together, perhaps in the hopes of warming themselves up, perhaps trying to get a little farther away from the pycon and the human as they passed. Rafael mrowed in response, just as a dog barked in the distance. Rafael's fur bristled and the kitten walked a little closer to Sama'el. Perhaps he was afraid. "You don't like dogs much, do you Rafael?" Ariel inquired from atop Sam's shoulder. Mrow. "Suppose that means no," Ariel said, as she began swinging her legs slowly back and forth, simply enjoying the view- the colors of the animal's pelts. Dark brown, light brown like the sand, dark grey like rain clouds, light grey like fog, a deep dark brown mixed with reds, snow whites, a mixture of several colors... The varying length of their furs. Thin short hairs, longer wavy hairs that knotted around the ends, some hairs that were somewhere in-between... There was a long silence before Ariel added, "they are beautiful animals Sam. Thank you for showing them to us." There was a slight pause, "do you own or raise any of them Sama'el?" Ariel inquired. OOCYeah, sorry about that, Ariel doesn't have much of an agenda other than, see it all, and see it all fast. Hopefully this post is a bit better.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"They do not have sharp teeth, no," he said, smiling as if talking to a child with that sort of naïveté. "Although the both of you are small enough you might want to be cautious around them all the same." He just walked in companionable silence, allowing the little clay woman and her disinterested cat to take it all in as they would. "I have two horses," he said. "A Strider and a Windrunner. Eventually I'll have more. Striders to breed, and Seme for carrying the pavilion. Dogs and all. I don't know about livestock, but perhaps some goats for milk and cheese. I suppose it depends on a lot of things."

[Ariel]

Ariel smiled. "Well, you should be proud of yourself. Horses are beautiful creatures, and to be able to own more than one is an honor," Ariel said. "Of course, your people are the horse masters, and thus, it may not seem like much to you, but you must understand to a creature the size of your average pycon, that is no small task." There was a slight pause as Ariel stopped swinging her legs, and found that even though they were no longer moving, the sensation that they were indeed pushing air aside as they swung back and forth still lingered. "Since we're too small for horses to take us as their riders." There was another small pause, "and Striders only choose the strong. The people they deem worthy of them." Ariel smiled as she rubbed her hands into her tiny clay knees, in the smallest of circles. "That must mean they find you strong in some way Sama'el. Either in body, or in mind, or perhaps even both. That would be best for them, wouldn't it? Finding a master who was both wise, and physically strong." Ariel smiled again as she pulled her hands off her lap, and placed them atop Sam's shoulders, bracing her body. She gave them a little squeeze, something he more than likely, could not feel, just to test his muscles. He seems strong enough, but then again, just about everyone seems strong to us, even the oldest and weakest of peoples. Ariel let up on the man's shoulders, and let her tiny clay fingers go slack. They tingled a bit still, from squeezing the man's flesh so hard, to test it. It was only then that she realized how inaccurate her read must have been. After all, she wasn't particularly strong, and her hands were tiny. Perhaps we should suffice it to say that he was strong enough for a Strider, and little more. OOCI know pure socialization threads can be a bit waring, so if you'd like to wrap up soon, feel free.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"We are a strong people," he admitted, "and I strive to be strong as well to do honor to my ancestors and the clans. But it is also a matter of scale. That you have tamed Rafael bespeaks strength in you, as well. Though, I wonder..." He got a faraway look for a moment, though most of what she could see from her vantage was his jawline. "What if you went to Wind Reach and learned to ride one of their birds of prey? You wouldn't need a Wind Eagle, but one of their regular eagles would be the same to you as the Wind Eagles are to the Inarta." He craned his neck funny to try to make eye contact with her, his dark eyes bright with the idea and its attendant enthusiasm.