Retracing One's Steps (Dra-Seven)

[Dimitri]

Spring 49, 511 AV

Dimitri was grooming down a horse quickly with another squire. As Dimitri brushed it down briskly, he was talking to a squire doing the same thing in the next stall over. He started, "I honestly don't believe you, a lake with leaping fish? No way. And rainbow colored? You're totally full of it Dimitri." Dimitri smiled and shook his head. He continued making the circular motions to uplift the dirt in it's coat. "Its real, I've been to it, caught a fish and everything. I just need to find it again. Maybe learn how to make a map or something." At this the other squire laughed. Dinitri finished brushing out the horse's coat.

The other squire asked, "If you do the water, I'll saddle you up, then you can go make your map to the fake lake." Dimitri nodded, and left the barn with two buckets in hand. He went to the small watering hole, and filled the buckets up. Then just for a little more challenge, he raised the buckets to shoulder level at his sides. They burned his shoulders and arms but he liked the effort. He dumped the buckets into the trough, then went back. After filling up the buckets, he carried them at shoulder level but out in front of him. He walked back carefully trying not to slosh the water. He went back for one last trip. This time he had his arms straight out, at a downward angle, behind his back, the burning in his arms and chest. He was surprised at the number of non military people hanging around today. He sloshed the last buckets in the trough and made his way to his now saddled horse.

[Seven Xu]

It was still quite early in the day when Seven reached the stables, mid-morning by the look of the lazy sun hanging not far over the treeline. He had taken what information he'd learned from his first day in Slyiras and visited the public baths early in the day before it had gotten too crowded. He wasn't a fan of being in public without clothing, but boy was it worth it, the first proper bath in far too long after the time at sea. Seven's light overcoat was tied neatly at the waist and he carried his notepad and pencil. Ever since his collision with a new friend yesterday, he was being far more wary of where exactly he was stepping. His bouncy white tresses glistened triumphantly in the morning sunlight and he was humming a tune as he passed the squires brushing down their horses.

It was as if by chance he appeared. Some strange twist of fate, a cartographer appeared soon after Dimitri mentioned needing a map. As he watched the squire exit the stable and mount his horse, he took the opportunity of possible job experience, and a chance to further explore the city, to approach him warily.

"Hello, sir." Seven was often easily mistaken for a woman due to his soft features and the way he dressed, and the falsetto voice he possessed was ambiguous enough that he had to explain to unwanted visitors that he, in fact, was male. "I overheard you speaking of making a map. If I may be so bold as to offer my services, I believe it would be of mutual benefit."

Seven's pale lips curled into a soft smile. His heart was thumping in his chest. It was not in his character to simply approach people and begin talking to them, but an opportunity is an opportunity.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri leapt up atop his horse, situating himself in the saddle. It was a large saddle built for two. He smiled, thinking it to be a prank by the squire, or even a simple over sight, but didn't matter. He calmed the horse by touching it's neck as he whispered into it's ear, trying to get it used to him. He grabbed the reins and led it out of the stall. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the morning air. He felt like today would be a great day for a ride. He had brought his bow and quiver both strapped on his back, and his fishing pole and fishing kit, which he attached to the saddle. If he could find that lake again he promised to get himself a whole string of fish.

As he was enjoying the sunlight bathing him, a man approached him with an offer that seemed like a gift from the gods. I want a map, and lo and behold, here's a mapmaker. It is going to be a good day. The man may have looked a little odd, almost like a woman, but he shrugged it off, he'd seen weirder in this town. He stuck his hand down to the man to pull him up, "The name's Dimitri, and I'd love to have your company. Do you have the materials you need or do we need to pick them up?"

[Seven Xu]

"I--" Seven's mouth opened to speak but the blood rushed to his face and he was unable to respond before the squire extended his hand and Seven obliged, grabbing hold of his wrist.

Seven's eyes widened as he was pulled fairly easily onto the horse. Then again, he was rather light and this man looked as if he could toss Seven several yards without much trouble. He instinctively swung a leg over the far side of the horse and took a moment to right himself. What a strange sensation it was to straddle something alive. He could feel the warmth of the animal on his thighs and its movements when it shifted its weight. "Oh, I have what I need. I take this thing everywhere." Seven smiled, referring to his notebook full of etchings and maps.

Stranger was the close proximity he suddenly found himself to the squire. Seven made a conscious effort not to invade the man's personal space but that became impossible when the horse began to move. Startled, Seven held his notebook to his chest with one hand and grabbed the squire around the stomach with the other. He felt the other's muscles tense and he quickly removed his hand and opened his notepad to act as if that had not just happened. Act like you've at least seen a horse before, Seven scolded himself.

"My name is Seven, by the way." Pencil met paper and he began to sketch their path.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri pulled the man up onto the horse with ease. The man was surprisingly light, even for his small stature. The man sat down in the saddle behind him. He felt the man shift uncomfortably behind him, but Dimitri shrugged it off. He probably wasn't used to being so close to a man, or at the least a stranger. But Dimitri lived in the most crowded, populated city in existence and shared a dorm with five other male squires. It didn't bother him, nor make him uncomfortable. A necessity for the journey. The man first took ahold of his abdominals, he assumed because he was unfamiliar with riding a horse. As Dimitri breathed in however the man quickly removed his hand. Odd...

Dimitri took the horse slowly, exiting the stable yards and into the streets. A quick jaunt around a corner of a district and he was passing through the main gates. He nodded at the gate guards who stared hard at the passenger, but then nodded at him as well. A guest of a squire was a guest of the Knights after all. Dimitri hugged the eastern wall and began to trot lightly, leading his horse along the flat even ground, in a pleasant, almost relaxing melody of dull thuds of hooves on grass. He nodded at every archer and nodded at them in turn. He didn't want any of them getting a twitchy finger. Every single one of them examined his passenger, as if looking for a reason to end his life right here and now. "I'm guessing you aren't a citizen of Syliras, what brings you here?"

[Seven Xu]

"You would be right," Seven admitted, averting his crimson gaze from the unnerving line of archers and outwards towards the expanse of green ahead of them. Men of the law sometimes intimidated the teen, although he was unsure of why. It wasn't as if Seven had ever broken any. "I came from Lhavit. You have no idea how well I slept last night." The afterthought brought a smile back to his lips but his smile quickly faded when the realization of what he had said, if you could call it a joke, was pretty lackluster. Seven cleared his throat. Don't go telling this one your life's story, too.

"That is to say, the journey across the sea was something that I am glad is over. As for why I came, I am looking for someone."

As the horse picked up its pace Seven's jolt reaction forced his arm back around the squire's waist. How he jostled around so much while the blond moved so well with the horse he seemed to sit perfectly still was a mystery, but at least if he had something to hold on to he would remain steady. "Do you mind? Uhm," Seven's voice cracked and he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. Oh, was it ever. "I really have no clue what to hold on to." It was true. Horses came with a distinct lack of natural handles on their hindquarters.

[Dimitri]

"Well I hope the walls and order of Syliras are a much desired change to wood in water." Dimitri continued trotting the horse along the wall, trying to recall the exact directions he originally took to the lake. He knew he went to the Sacred Arch Hotsprings, a site this visitor will surely enjoy. He saw the wall ending at a corner ahead, and steered the horse to it. He reached it quickly waving at the final archer before making north, away from the protection of the walls.

"I'm not really familiar with Lhavit, want to give me a couple of highlights of it?" he chuckled, "And maybe a couple things not so good about it as well." He continueD northward knowing the hotsprings were just inside the tree line ahead. This was an ideal moment to show off a landmark. He pointed northwest to a large structure breaking up from the trees, way off in the distance. "There's the Bronze Watchtower, and ours still works for time. I've heard many don't function any more. How was your trip over the sea? I've never traveled by boat, merely fished off of the docks."

The man asked about holding around his stomach for support. Dimitri chuckled, "Go ahead, it's alright." He led the horse into the tree line, the hooves changing from thuds into crunches as it stepped upon leaves and twigs. Dimitri slowed it a bit, as they neared the hotsprings. As the springs came into view Dimitri smiled. A beautiful day like this, they were quite active. There were children swimming and playing, parents watching them carefully, and a couple of Knights watching the area closely, protecting them from any dangers. Dimitri waved when they noticed him. A little girl shrilled playfully, "Look Mommy! That man is the color of the moon! He's pretty!" Dimitri chuckled, knowing she referred to his passenger. He crossed the horse over the sacred arch bridge itself, a simply rocky overpass. He looked over the edge, a spot unseen from the common trail and from the springs below. It was the rocky stream that fed into the springs. He saw a young teenage couple frozen in a nubile, intertwined coupling of each others bodies. This was not unusual for the area so he looked away without so much as acknowledging he had seen anything.

[Seven Xu]

Seven relaxed, feeling more comfortable in part due to Dimitri's calm, laid back demeanor. He discreetly packed his notepad away and steadied himself further, fingers intertwined on the squire's stomach. "Well, Lhavit..." He began, taking a deep breath. It was literally a breath of fresh air to be in close quarters with a man that appeared to be aware of personal hygiene, unlike the crude sailors he'd spent much of his time with as of late. One would even go as far as to say the squire smelled good. Seven exhaled in a content sigh, a smile tugging at his pale lips. "Lhavit is beautiful. It is a city of stars, and it is most active at night. There are beautiful structures there. Unlike anything anywhere."
There was a hint of pride in his voice as he spoke of beautiful, starry Lhavit. A pause in thought, and a blush at being called a moon man by a child they passed. "Lhavit is predominantly human. I had a hard time growing up there." This was a bold admission. Seven wasn't even sure if Dimitri had caught his slightly inhuman appearance. The pale skin, oddly colored eyes, and the smallest hint of predatory fangs when he smiled and spoke. If he had noticed, perhaps he just didn't care. He didn't seem to care that Seven required his support to keep from toppling off the horse entirely.

Through this, Seven was taking in his surroundings. Memorizing them. When it came to landmarks, his head was a sponge. Something he had become good at, and now had to excel at to become a better cartographer. "I overheard that other squire teasing you about this lake you are looking to find." Seven tilted his head with a wider smile. "Does he doubt your fishing skill, or your memory?"

[Dimitri]

Dimitri silently marveled at the thought of such a city. He loved Syliras, the city that gave him life, purpose, and a sword. But unlike most of it's inhabitants, he wanted to go out and see the world, and still benefit Syliras in the process. But alas, he would go where the Order sent him. Dimitri heard the bit about not being human. To many Knights that might matter, but the man seemed civilized and that was the truely best quality of humans right?

"Ah, anything said of my fishing wouldn't be far off mark, so yes, my memory appears to be in question."

He lead the horse away from the hotsprings, continuing north. The trees were growing larger and further apart, towering over them. If he remembered right he continued northwards until he reached a bend in the North Kabrin Road. As he carefully walked the horse over fallen branches and small ditches carefully so as to not injure the creature. "Are you just traveling or looking to settle here?" As the horse pushed onward he could see the road ahead. He continued toward it steering more careful than was probably needed but he wanted the practice. As he broke through the tree line, he could see a cart turned over into a ditch, various goods and gear all over the side of the road. He didn't see any patrolling Knights.

"Looks like we are needed."

[Seven Xu]

"I have yet to decide whether or not I'll stay.." Seven half-smiled, taking in his surroundings of the forest with a sense of awe in his voice. The trees seemed to be reaching for the blue sky above. "I have only been here a day but have already been treated with such hospitality, I--" This sense of awe was short-lived when he caught sight of the cart soon after Dimitri did. Seven leaned into Dimitri's shoulder blade and lowered his voice to a fearful whisper. "That looks bad."

Needed? Seven's heart rate rose and his fingers tightened around the fabric of Dimitri's shirt as he peered around him. Seven certainly wasn't prepared for any sort of conflict. His mind started to get ahead of himself and he lost his grip on reality, as he so often does in situations where mystery is a factor. It could very well have been a case of spooked horses knocking over a cart, but in Seven's little mind a veritable menagerie of monsters were running through his head. Monsters, and thieves.

"Dimitri, I am not sure what help I would be..." Seven was still whispering, fixated on the cart. There didn't appear to be any movement within, and it was hard for Seven to tell how long the cart had even been there. A rat scurried out from under a shattered wheel, and the wind picked up. Seven looked skyward. There were dark clouds moving in from the far distance, darkening the cerulean sky and making it ugly. He didn't mention them to Dimitri, as the sun still beamed down on them from their location. Instead, his hands relaxed and he let go of the squire, awaiting further instruction.