[Flashback] Midnight Ride [Solo Training]

[Alevadra Druva]

Spring 30th, 498AV It had been ten days since Ale's mother had died. It had been a quiet ten days as well. The first two days after Jasme`s scattering Ale spent with her father in their house. The two were quiet to each other, only speaking when it was needed. The young woman kept to herself, spending time in the kitchen and her parents bedroom. Ale was to go through Jasme`s possessions with her father and sort them out as needed. Things they did not need to keep, and things they would keep. Two days of near silence and nearly constant tears was more than Ale could bear. On the third day, the Druva returned back to the squire housing, and began to move on. It was hard, and Alevadra knew it would be for a long time. There was no way to quickly move on from this. In the midst of the night, the woman could not sleep, her mind was filled with memories. Her heart was full of rage. Why was all she could ask herself. How could Tyveth be so cruel to her! What had she done to earn such scorn?! What had her mother done? An honorable, honest and pure woman, and a slow, young death was her reward. Ale sat up, there was no point in trying to sleep further, she was a lost cause at this point, it was best to make something out of her time. The young squire dressed, and left the housing, making her way to the stables. It was surely the true middle of the night, not quite the wee hours of the morning, but not near the evening time. The sound of the rearing stallion could be heard from the stables, business was good there this night. The squire roused Lyris, her horse, she wanted to run, she wanted to feel the air in her hair, the ground flying past her and her mount. “We're going for a late ride, Lyris, I'll give you two apples in the morning, promise.” The horse didn't protest to Ale saddling her up, it was as if the beast understood the woman's words. After the horse was saddled, Ale lead it out of the stable quietly, most of the horses were snoozing. The two walked across the cobblestone, Lyris's hooves clopped against the stones. The two walked to the gate that lead out to the crops. Once the two were off the cobblestones, Ale pulled herself up onto the horse, holding onto the horn on the saddle, her right leg swinging over the beast. Once Alevadra had adjusted herself, the two were off at a slow trot. The Druva wasn't sure exactly where she was headed, but away, she was sure of that much. Ale pressed her heels against Lyris, clicking her tongue against the top of her mouth. Lyris responded to the nudging and sounds by picking up her pace from the slow trot to a steady gallop. The Squire held onto the reins, leaning forward in the saddle, her feet supporting half her weight. Her eyes squinted against the crisp spring wind, her hair fluttering and waving behind her. Lyris's heartbeat pounded against Ale's legs, her lungs filling and emptying in rhythm with her gallop. Alevadra's hands turned white as she clenched the reins. Silence. Such a strange sound, the lack of sound. Ale closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the wind whistling past her, her breath, Lyris's breath, hooves hitting the ground. Riding was relaxing, and with time, it had gotten to be more natural for the Druva. The silence was a mixture of unsettling and relaxing. Unsettling because Ale had gotten use to a constant rumble from the city, relaxing because the few sounds she could hear, where so rhythmic, is was much like music to the squire.

[Alevadra Druva]

Lyris stayed on the path, turning and curving out towards the acres of farm land the lay outside of Sylira. The path was well guarded by knights, it was important to keep the crops safe, Ale had been taught this and understood that while it might not be the most glamorous position to be put as a knight, it was one of the most important ones. Without the crops, the people of Sylrias would lack the nourishment it needed. Ale pulled lightly on the reins, a different clicking sound left her lips and Lyris responded in time, slowing back to a trot. “It doesn't make sense,” Ale spoke to the wind, or perhaps she was confiding in Lyris again. “Why, I cannot figure out why.” Ale sat up straight in the saddle, her hands holding the reins loosely, rest on top of the horn. Brown eyes looked up at the stars, the thousands of stars. “I don't understand, Tyveth.” Ale spoke to the sky, Lyris continuing on the path. “My faith has been shaken, and I do not know what to do. How could you let this happen?” The squire was looking for someone to blame, and she had picked her own God. Ale rubbed her face with a single hand, she was exhausted all of a sudden, her body felt like a dead weight against Lyris's back. Through her fingers, the squire could see the crops waving to her slowly. The young woman let her hand drop back to the horn of the saddle. “I do not doubt that you have your reasons for letting it happen. I know I must find the strength to move on, but I haven't not found it yet.” Ale muttered softly to the silent night. The Druva's legs tensed again, supporting her weight against the stirrups, another click and nudge and the horse's muscles tensed and flexed, flinging the two forward at an increasing speed. Ale didn't hold back on Lyris, the two galloped, hooves kicking up dust as the two bolted towards the crops. Ale paid attention to her horse, Lyris's breath, heart, muscles, she wouldn't push the mare too hard, she wasn't as young as she use to be.

[Alevadra Druva]

The squire and mare zipped down the path, heading for the fields of corn, wheat, and whatever else was there. As the two approached the growing stalks, Alevadra slowed Lyris to a walk, she corrected her positioning, sitting up tall, her hands resting on her thighs. A knight was patrolling and noticed the squire. “Oy! What are you doing?” The man was soon next to the squire, who was dressed as such, even on a horse provided to her by the knights. The Druva looked over at her new companion, who lead his horse next to Lyris. Brown eyes looked over at the man, a frown pasted across her face. “Riding.” The man blinked. “I can see that... But why are you way out here? And why at this hour? You should be resting, you have duties to attend to in the morning, don't you?” The squire sighed, he was right, she did, and she would get hell if the stable master found out she'd take Lyris out at such an hour, and so far from the city. “I needed to breathe. I couldn't sleep.” The wear of minimal rest showed on the young womans face, it was clear she hadn't slept for awhile now, perhaps a day or two, perhaps more. “I do have my duties, but I'll manage. I just needed to get out. To think.” The knight next to Ale frowned at the young woman. He seemed sympathetic to the squire, it was clear her mind was bothered, and the man seemed to understand that. “It is nice out here, free. I have to continue on with my patrol, but I would recommend turning back soon, the next knight to pass by here isn't as forgiving as I am.” The knight smiled a wise, and sympathetic grin at Ale before reaching out and patting her back. With the small conversation and gesture the man was off, back on his path. Ale stopped Lyris, the man was right, she shouldn't have gone so far from the safety of the city, it was foolish, what if she was caught off guard? She didn't even have a weapon aside from a small dagger! What a foolish action. The squire tugged on the reins, turning the mare towards the city. “Lets go home, Lyris, I shouldn't have dragged us out here.”

[Alevadra Druva]

Ale and Lyris rode hard, full gallop back to the city, last thing Victor needed was to lose a daughter right after his wife. It wasn't that Ale couldn't defend herself, but she wasn't nearly as skilled as she needed to be. She wasn't ready for knighthood, she wasn't ready for much of anything. Foolish. Stop being a child, things will not always been what you want them to be, but you must remain strong. Be steadfast in your beliefs. Tyveth has his reasons, it is more foolish to question a god than anything else you have done. The woman thought to herself as she leaned forward in the saddle, her eyes squinting against the crisp wind. The ride took half a bell to get out to the fields, it would take nearly half a bell to get back. What would her mother think of her actions? Reckless, foolish, childish to name a few. Sure, Jasme` enjoyed riding, but she never would have gone far outside of Syliras without being prepared. Ale was reckless. Careless. Perhaps masochistic. What would her mother want of her? Would she want her to be this broken up? Of course not, but Jasme` would expect it, Ale was emotional, she always had been. Victor was the serious one of the family, Jasme` the soft and loving, and Ale, the currently, emotional wreck. Lyris's hooves pounded against the ground, against Alevadra's ears. The shocks rumbled up Ale's legs, shaking the young woman. Her legs would be jelly in the morning, the squire knew it. The whistling wind tangled her hair and rumpled her tunic. The wind was chilling Alevadra to the bone, she should have worn something warmer. It was too late to look back in hindsight. Lyris was panting, her heart pounding, Ale would owe her more than just two apples. The city drew closer, not too much further and she would be back. It would be like she never left, no one needed to know aside from the knight from Green Company, Lyris and herself. No one else. If Patrick were to find out, he would give her hell. Of course, Patrick had been spending more time than normal at the Stallion, it was likely he'd be asleep and dead to the world by now. A few more chimes and Ale reached the gate, she ducked inside, still mounted atop Lyris. Their speed decreased before the entered the city. A slow walk was all that was needed, Lyris wanted to catch her breath, the horse was clearly thankful for reaching the city. The woman lead the horse through the nearly deserted streets, back to the stables. She managed to avoid encountering another soul, she was glad no one else was in the streets. The squire dismounted just out side of the stables, and lead her faithful mare into the building and to her paddock. “There, I'll bring you treats in the morning." Ale said quietly to the horse, patting her neck before she began to remove the saddle, blanket and reins. As she began to heft the saddle off of Lyris's back, a strange noise caught Ale's attention. The sound of someone being sick, not far from her. Had another city drunk wandered in here? Ale left Lyris to investigate. The sound came from Patrick's horse's paddock. The young squire peeked into the horses stall. On the ground was a drunk, sick, Patrick, his messy hair looking more disheveled, his green eyes looked up at Ale. “Ale? What are you doing here?” He groaned, spitting some more sick out of his mouth.

[Alevadra Druva]

Alevadra rushed to the man's side. “Me? What about you?! You could be lashed for this, you fool!” The Druva struck out with her words, how could he! Drunk as a skunk and being sick all over his horses stall. The small woman knelt down next to the man, wiping his face off with her sleeve. A small groan left her lips, she had to get him to his bed, he needed to sleep, pretend this never happened. “Come on, Patrick. Lets get you cleaned up and in bed.” The squire said calmly as she helped Patrick up. The two went silently back onto the street, Ale rushed him back to the Druva home, it would be better for him to be drunk and passed out there then with other knights, Tyveth knew what would happen to him if others found out about Patrick's mistake. The two reached the house, it was dark inside, Victor had gone out with the company for a short trip, Ale knew little to nothing about the task. Patrick stumbled into the familiar home, Alevadra nearly carried his carcass up the stairs. The man groaned as her half crawled, stumbling awkwardly to the room that had been Alevadra's room. “Get in bed.” She said roughly, leaving the knight to his own devices. The squire went to fetch clean water and a towel, returned to Patrick. The man was half in the bed, he was bent at the waist, his torso was on the bed, while his legs held him up, knelt next to the bed. The Druva set down the bowl and towel, lifting one leg at a time, pulling the man fully onto the bed. “Thank you, Alevadra.” Bubbled the drunk, his eyes remained closed, his hand wavering, trying to touch Ale's arm. A small hand reached out and set Patrick's arm back at his side. “Thank me when you're still a knight in the morning.” The woman went to work, pulling off Patrick's shirts, covered in his evenings over-indulgence. Fool. You're worse than me. She sighed, caring for a full grown man, what a life. Alevadra dipped the edge of the towel into the clean cold water and began to wash off the man's face. “What were you thinking, Patrick?” The man grumbled. “That's Ser Patrick to you, squire.” The woman rolled her eyes. “Not when you're like this you're not. Answer my question, what where you thinking?” She rinsed off the towel, then returned it to clean his neck and chest. The man was silent for a moment, his hands moving up to rub his face. “Jasme`... You know, your mother was an amazing woman, right? I mean, she was perfect.” Ale said nothing, just a simple nod, how had he managed to get vomit down his tunic was beyond Ale's comprehension. “I would have done anything for her. I mean, she cared for me! She was so loving...” Patrick tried to sit up, but a single light push from Ale forced him back against the bed. “You know... I told her to tell you.” Ale froze and looked at Patrick, matching his green gaze. “That she was sick. She told me no, to keep it from you, you didn't need that, she said. She said, Watch over Ale, protect her even if your life depends on it. She said that, you know. She told me to be your mentor.” The man started to cry, his hands rubbed his face. “I loved your mother. I loved Jasme`, I would never had agreed to all those things if I didn't love her. If I didn't love you.” The man peered through his fingers at a stunned and silent Ale. Her hands had stopped cleaning, she simple stared at the man for a moment before sitting back on her feet. “You and Victor are all I have anymore, you know.” Alevadra nodded slightly. The same went for her. All she had was her father and Patrick, they were her true family, that was it. While Patrick was not blood related, he had always been there for her. “You need to rest.” Ale stood up, he was clean enough, his tunic was ruined, there was no way to get that deep red stain out of the white fabric. The squire bent over the man and kissed his forehead. “Things can only go up. Now, don't get that drunk again, alright? Mother would have skinned you alive.” Patrick laughed, a guttural, bubbly laugh. “And if you vomit again, you're cleaning it up.” Ale left the man to sleep off his mistake and headed back to the stable. It was two bells past midnight, she'd have her duties to tend to in three bells. The squire sighed, returned to Lyris. “I suppose there was a point tonight, hmm?” She said to the mare quietly, removing the saddle blanket and reins. “I'll see you in a few bells.” The woman patted the mare's neck, then walked back toward her quarters.

[Archon]

Illumination of Development Alevadra Durva +4 Riding (Horse) +3 Animal Husbandry +2 Philosophy +2 Body Building +2 Rhetoric Lores: Riding (Moderate), Syliras Geography (Basic), Religion (Tyveth), What would Mother do?, The power of love Care to see more? : Riding and Animal Husbandry experience for the ride and care of your horse, Philosophy experience for pondering over why, Body Building experience for hauling Patrick around, and Rhetoric experience for the conversations with the Knight and Patrick. Notes: A very nice little thread, combining skill training with personal development. I really liked how it focused on the fact that not just Alevadra is struggling to deal with Jasme's death.