The Song of Wind

[Paladienne]

Ann glanced toward Riala out of the corner of his eye, studying her as carefully as he was studying their surroundings, watching for anything out of the ordinary. With the girl beside him, though, it was more looking for signs of fatigue or intense pain. He didn't see it in her face, but her eyes would give away whatever she was feeling. She might be able to hide the emotions her thoughts might bring to her eyes, but never what her body was feeling. Still, he didn't spend too much time staring at her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He didn't really know what she thought about him, or what she felt about him. They were strangers still even after spending all this time together. Yet Ann wasn't sure if he ought to get to know her better than he already did, for she didn't seem like she wanted to get closer to him.

He closed his eyes for the briefest moment and sighed. What was he thinking? Why was he trying to make friends with Riala? As soon as their mission was over, they would go their separate ways and they would never see each other again. Their lives would take separate paths, like two strains of music traveling differently on the breeze, living in harmony but never meeting, never connecting.

Ann sighed and shifted his seat on Ma'akéné's back, causing her to toss her head and turn her head back to nibble at his knee. He leaned forward and gently pushed her nose away from his knee, then ran his hands over her neck, silently telling her he was just fine and not to worry about him. He got a snort, and Ann's lips twitched into a smile.

Finally, he looked toward Riala. "Does your tribe hunt all the way out here?"

[DragonSong]

For her part, Riala had not truly been paying much attention to her traveling companions, focused instead almost entirely on their surroundings. Ann's question jolted her slightly and she glanced toward him, the sudden movement on his back making Ortec huff and toss his head irritably.

"They-- yes, sometimes. It's about the time of year we'll start moving to our spring camp, it wouldn't be entirely improbable..."

She glanced around again, her hands tightening on the reins for a moment before Ortec snorted at her and jerked his head. She relaxed her grip quickly and gave his neck a pat in apology.

"And your people? Do you think we'll run into any of them?"

[Paladienne]

Ann lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Maybe, it's possible. My tribe follows the herds, so if the herds come this way, then my tribe will follow. But you'll know if they're in the area. You'll hear them, if you're quiet. The horses know to be silent when hunting, but you can hear them softly talking to one another."

As if to explain further, Ma'akéné expanded her sides with a deep breath and snorted in a series of evenly measured, but soft, breaths. Then she stamped her hooves in time with her walking steps, a well-practiced code. She looked toward Ortec then and flicked her tail in a whiplike motion, her ears folding back before pricking forward. Then she snorted again, an almost disappointed sound.

Ann chuckled and reached forward to pat her neck. "I guess you'll have to teach him."

Ma'akéné sighed again.

Ann smiled and settled into a more comfortable position on her back. He closed his eyes and breathed deep of the air around them, then opened his eyes and focused his attention on Riala. "But if we do run across my people, we shouldn't have anything to fear. They may watch, but we're a cautious sort. Unless there's dire danger to us, we don't take on a fight if there's another way."

[DragonSong]

A sharp pang of guilt shot through her chest and Riala glanced down, distracting herself by tying loose braids in Ortec's mane and then unweaving them again. "They won't...want you back?"

She couldn't help feeling as though she was doing something very wrong; she was the one who had been cast out from her tribe, not Ann. But here he was, about to embark on a journey that would take weeks, months, neither of them with any real idea of if their goal was even possible.

For all she knew, Lani might be long dead.

She glanced up at him again, frowning as she stared for a moment. She just didn't understand it-- honor was one thing, but this? Why put himself at such risk? Why did he care?

[Paladienne]

Ann looked at Riala with a measure of surprise in his eyes. "Will my tribe take me back? It's a possibility. The decision, in any case, doesn't lie with me. It's the chieftain's decision. And I must accept it."

Truthfully, Ann wasn't sure if he'd be accepted back, considering he left without telling anyone why and had Ma'akéné steal from the tribe all so he could save Riala's life. That wasn't the harshest crime he could have committed. No, what might make his chieftain refuse to accept him back into the tribe would be if Ann were to fail in his task. If he failed in returning Riala's cousin to her rightful place, or if he failed in finding a sufficient answer that would please his chieftain as to why Riala's cousin couldn't return, then he would be exiled, if not executed outright. His chieftain was a righteous and honorable man, but his first duty was to the tribe, not his own personal feelings.

It would be up to Ann to plead his case, one way or another.

He shrugged and Ma'kéné huffed. "We're adults in the eyes of our tribe. We can make our own decisions. I choose to do this. You saved my life, and Ma'akéné's, and so we owe you a debt that cannot be repaid by forgetting the sacrifice you made for us. Besides, once Ma'akéné makes up her mind, there's no changing it."

Ma'akéné snorted again and pranced forward, her tail held high. She side-stepped in a circle around Ortec, then returned to her original place, shaking herself.

Ann laughed. "See? Where she goes, I go. And she wants to go with you."

[DragonSong]

Ortec huffed a breath and swished his tail, somewhere between irritated and intrigued by the mare's play. Riala simply shook her head. It seemed abundantly clear by now that not matter what she said or did, Ann and his sister were determined to see this through.

A part of her still rebelled at the idea, feeling as though she was leading them into something dangerous and unnecessary.

Another part, if she was being honest, was just so incredibly grateful.

"Well, you're both mad then," she grumbled, but there was the barest hint of a smile curving at the corners of her mouth. She gave Ortec's side a gentle tap to move him into an easy trot, wincing a bit as her sore body protested the movement, but still thrilled to be one step closer to actually riding.

[Paladienne]

Ann chuckled and Ma'akéné snorted, her step becoming almost prance-like as she mimicked Riala's words. He leaned over her neck and patted her soft fur, feeling the muscles in her neck move under his hand. He knew she wasn't upset at Riala's commentary about their mental status, but more acting as if Riala's words were true. And perhaps they were, in a way. Perhaps they were mad. After all, who willingly abandoned all they had ever known, all they ever were, and all they ever could be for a fool's errand such as the one they were on? Certainly no one in their tribe had ever done this before. At least, not for an enemy.

And perhaps it was because this mission was a fool's errand that Ann didn't feel the need to move quickly at all. Most of his reasoning came from the fact that Riala still wasn't fit to ride at speeds that would shorten their time on the road, but it also came from the fact that their destination would still be there no matter when they arrived, and that their quarry may or may not be there when they did. They were going on a hope and a prayer to any god that would listen, and more luck than was likely their fair share.

Ann kept silent for the most part as they rode now, making soft commentary when he thought that Riala needed to be apprised of what he was doing when he stopped to collect some plant or hunt down some animal. He wasn't long, and he didn't spend much time taking them off course, either. His attention was split between his traveling companions and the land around them, watching the subtle changes in the grassland as they rode. Even as the sun began to sink toward the horizon, Ann was alert, watching behind them for a moment before turning his gaze ahead. They would need to find somewhere to camp for the night, somewhere safe and sheltered. The only problem was that there were too few locations like that on the open plain, and if they couldn't find somewhere they could defend easily, then they would have to take their chances by making camp in the open.

[DragonSong]

Having lapsed into silence for much of the rest day's trek, Riala's voice was a little rough when she suddenly pulled Ortec into a turned halt and raised a hand to point at a ridge in the grassland before them.

"There." Ortec tossed his head and she gave his neck a quick pat. "We camped on the other side of that ridge a few weeks ago, it should be safe-- none of my tribe should be heading back this way; they wouldn't think I'd head south again, if any of them even think I'm still alive."

[Paladienne]

Ann shifted, rising a little on Ma'akéné's back using only his thighs to lift himself up and give him a better look at what Riala was pointing at. He used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun's dying light and studied the ridge that Riala had indicated. It looked decent enough, from the distance they were at. A good place to rest for the night. Their backs would be well-protected, and if they chose a good spot, they could shield the light of their campfire from unfriendly eyes. That would be good, to have a fire. That would mean a warm meal before they slept for the night.

He nodded rather than say anything. To him, it didn't matter where they rested for the evening, so long as it was safe. And since the reason she gave for the site was sound in its logic, Ann saw no sense in arguing with her. He relaxed his position back onto his four-footed sister's back, then urged her into a light canter.

"If we do run into anyone unfriendly," Ann said as he rode past Riala to take the lead, "then we either fight or we flee. If we run into no one, then I guess we'll have a few hours of light left to hunt something good for dinner; otherwise, we'll make do with what we already have."

[DragonSong]

Riala nodded brusquely and gave Ortec a gentle tap to urge him forward, setting them into an easy lope to cut around the lower side of the ridge and emerge downwind. She glanced around, watching the gentle sway of the tall grasses for any sign of suspicious movement.

Finding none, she nodded once more to herself and moved into her well-practiced, smooth dismount-- or at least she tried to. Her body remembered the movements and tried to follow through automatically, without taking account of her still-healing injuries.

She managed to touch down onto the ground without too much embarrassment, but the motion sent zings of pain through almost every muscle in her body. She barely held it together long enough to take a step back from her brother before her knees buckled.

"Fuck--!"

Before she could collapse completely, she suddenly found herself supported by Ortec's head, the stallion having dipped his neck toward her and pressed his cheek against her side to keep her upright. The huntress smiled a little shakily and let her arm drape over his neck just behind his poll, breathing a soft, "Thanks, little brother."

[Paladienne]

At the sound of her curse, Ann was off Ma'akéné's back and hurrying to Riala's side. He slowed, though, as he saw Ortec catch her, and then checked his pace entirely and slowed to a sauntering walk as he approached the pair. He knew that Riala wouldn't appreciate his help now that she'd already been helped. She didn't like being treated as an invalid, and she didn't like being treated as though she was weak and helpless. But the fact was that she was still injured, and the long ride they had endured today had tested her strength far beyond its current endurance. Her injuries needed time to recover, and Ann thought of how he could suggest she rest without insulting her.

"Why don't you rest a minute?" he suggested at last, moving to stand beside her. "I can get the fire started, and then work on making our evening meal. When you're feeling better, you can help."

[DragonSong]

She could see him slow his approach out of the corner of her eye and knew he was doing so to save her pride-- but even despite knowing it, it still made her feel just a little bit better that he didn't try to help her stand.

"I don't need a minute," she replied briskly, taking a breath to steady herself before pushing away from Ortec and taking a few steps into the shadow of the small bluff, her eyes scanning the horizon. With a little nod to herself, she pointed just southeast of where they rested.

"Should be a small herd that way; their typical migration pattern keeps them near here this time of the season."

[Paladienne]

Ann looked toward the direction she had pointed. He raised his hand and shielded his eyes from the dying light of the sun, gauging distance. He could easily cover that with Ma'akéné's help and return before full dark. And if Riala got the fire going, then he would be able to see the light and ensure their safe return. Of course, his four-footed sister would be able to get them back safely, too, but in the dark, her footing would be unsure since she wasn't familiar with this land and he didn't want her to strain herself.

"We'll go." Ann gestured to himself and the mare. "You can stay here and start the fire. It'll be easier to eat if there's already a fire going. We won't have to wait for the coals to heat."

He waited for her answer. He didn't want to insult her, and so had chosen his words with care so that he wouldn't sting her pride. He had a feeling she would still think that he thought she was incapable of helping, but the truth of the matter was that she was tired, she still hurt, and she needed to rest. The problem was Ann couldn't think of a way to tell her to do that without hurting her sense of pride, though he tried, as evidenced by what he'd said. He didn't want to come right out and tell her to sit and wait, because then she'd probably be more upset and do something she'd end up regretting.
Though, he doubted she'd regret it as much as he would, considering he was the one who'd have to say the words and endure what they caused.

Eventually, Ann moved to mount Ma'akéné, readying his bow. He looked at Riala, awaiting her answer.

[DragonSong]

Riala felt her hackles rising on instinct, the barest hint of an irritated snarl curving at her lips. But then she closed her eyes and forced herself to take a breath, her shoulder still set and her back still turned toward Ann as she did.

"Fine." The answer was curt, but not hostile. Still not looking at him, she set off into the tall grasses that surrounded the small bluff, clicking softly for Ortec to follow her as she set about searching for suitably dry wood for a fire.

[Paladienne]

Ann shifted his weight on Ma'akéné's back as he heard her answer, and felt uncomfortable for a moment. She was upset by his words, as he'd expected her to be. But he wasn't about to argue with her, nor was he about to explain himself. There was no need to, and Riala wouldn't have appreciated his reasoning anyway. Better for her to think what she wanted; she wasn't that far off the mark anyway.

Twitching his knees, Ann urged his four-footed sister to turn and trot away from their camp. Ma'akéné snorted and lifted her tail as she practically flounced away from the camp, and Ann only made a clucking noise in his mouth to chide her. She shook her head, snorted again, and picked up her pace so that they could make use of as much of the dying light as they could. When they were a good enough decent away from the camp, Ann turned his head to look toward Riala, watching her form in the growing dark. Then he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

It didn't take him long to find the herd Riala had described. Between him and Ma'akéné, he was able to kill one young doe before the herd escaped them. He dismounted to toss the carcass onto Ma'akéné's shoulders, then mounted again, and she began to head back to the camp. By the time they reached it, it was almost full dark, and he was glad to see a fire going. He slid from the mare's back and pulled the doe off, setting the carcass gently on the ground.

"I was thinking we could cook all that we can. What we don't eat tonight we can see if we can smoke or dry as much as we can," Ann said, his tone careful, "so that we'll have extra supply when we are unable to find food on our journey."

He watched her for a minute, then pulled his hunting knife from its sheath and began to clean the doe, skinning it and removing the animal's innards. It was difficult by the light of the fire, but somehow he managed to do it. Then he gave the cleaned carcass to Riala to begin to carve while he took the offal and scraps away from their camp, burying them so that their smell wouldn't attract predators during the night.

[DragonSong]

Finding wood and starting the fire was a simple enough task, even as sore and slow-moving as she was. Which meant she had some time to simply...sit there, waiting for Ann to return from hunting.

Gods, she felt so useless, and she hated it! She knew she was being surly, which really wasn't fair to Ann-- he was only trying to help, and no matter what he said about honor and debts she knew he didn't have to be there with her. Still, she couldn't seem to help being curt with him, anger at her own helplessness and shame for how she'd reached this state overflowing and tainting every word, every look.

Riala sighed and lay back in the grass, closing her eyes. She felt Ortec settle beside her with a low, fluttering sigh, and reached back absently to pat his flank.

"...Do you think we'll even be able to find her?" She wasn't quite sure who she was asking: the horse, the wind, the rising stars-- maybe all of them. Or none.

Luckily, Ann returned with the doe, which effectively snapped her from her reverie. Riala managed to give him a nod when he passed the meat along to her and she set into it with her hunting knife, carving out strips to impale on thinner, sharpened sticks that she then stuck into the earth at an angle so the meat hung into the fire.

[Paladienne]

Ann returned quickly after burying the offal, and settled beside the fire, watching the crackling flames as they licked the undersides of the meat on the sticks Riala had prepared. He glanced toward her, watching her face in the flickering light. She still looked like she had eaten something rotten or sour, her eyes reflecting her mood in a way her face never could. He knew better than to press, than to ask questions that ought not be asked, and he knew that anything he said to try to make her feel better might backfire and only make her feel worse. Or, perhaps even more disconcerting, the questions might cause an argument between them and cause things to be said that couldn't be taken back or forgiven.

Sighing quietly, Ann shifted so he could lean back on his hands and raise his gaze to the sky, where he could see the beginnings of thousands of stars shimmering in the increasingly dark backdrop. As the night grew longer, more stars would appear, he knew, each shining with its own individual brilliance that neither outshined nor overrode another star's luminescence.

"Do you have legends about the stars?" Ann asked abruptly, but softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet peace that had enveloped them but also wanting to fill the silence. "We do. The elders tell stories about how we first became brothers and sisters of our horses. A wild star fell from the sky and crashed into the earth, startling our ancestors that had set up camp nearby. When they went to investigate, they found in that crater the remains of the star, shattered into strangely shaped pieces. And the pieces moved. One stood up on four legs, and approached the chieftain, a powerful stallion made of stardust. With him came many mares, and from there, my people were born. We've been born alongside our horses for generations."

Ann craned his head to look toward Ma'akéné, who grazed nearby. The mare lifted her head from the grass, met her human brother's eyes, and whickered softly before resuming her evening meal. He looked toward Riala then, offering her a small smile. "It's just a story, but it reminds us of just how small we are, and that we wouldn't be who we are without where we came from."

[DragonSong]

The rather sudden influx of conversation--after a fashion--from her travelling companion jerked her attention away from the flickering, dancing flames. Riala lifted her eyes from the fire to study Ann's face, just listening as he spoke.

When he'd finished, she was quiet for several long moments.

Then, abruptly: "We have stories." Her eyes flickered back toward the campfire, watching the meat cook slowly. "None quite like that, not about the stars. Well. None that I've heard." She grabbed a stick and leaned in to prod at the embers, making the fire flare up for a moment before burning a little more brightly. "...My tribe calls them the Horse Lords. Our ancestors. Sometimes the Four Winds. They were brothers, born to the plains, but each one was called by a different wind: north, south, east, and west."

The young huntress settled back and carefully drew her knees up to her chest. "They wanted to run with the wind, but they weren't fast enough. Until the eldest, the one called by the West Wind, stumbled upon a wandering herd on his journey. The horses fled from him, and he envied their speed. But one was injured, and she couldn't run. She he nursed her back to health, and in return she allowed him to ride on her back. And with her, he could chase the wind."

She glanced to the side and shrugged. "Supposedly he returned to his brothers and taught the three of them how to befriend the horses of the plains. Like you said, a story-- but I suppose it's a nice one."

[Paladienne]

Ann smiled, nodding as she spoke. "Many of our beliefs are built upon stories, whatever they might be. Sometimes the trick is finding what's story and what's the truth."

He leaned forward, reaching for the sticks to turn them, ensuring the meat was cooked evenly on all sides. He stared into the flames then, watching the colors flicker and change as the embers shifted and broke apart, revealing molten insides. Then he sat back and rested his weight on his hands behind him, looking back up to the stars.

"It's strange how similar we are, and yet we're so different that we're almost alien to one another. If we hadn't made the choices we did, if we hadn't listened to our hearts and started walking the paths we did, we never would be where we are now. Our lives would have taken completely different turns." The one thing he didn't mention was that he wouldn't be alive if Riala had chosen differently. And if Ann had been the one to choose differently, Riala might not be alive, either.

He turned his head to look toward her, watching her in the flickering firelight. He wasn't sure about her, really. He wasn't sure what she was feeling, or what she was thinking. Sometimes he could tell that something was wrong, in the way her eyes shifted and the way the corners of her mouth twitched. He didn't know how to approach the hard subjects. His tribe didn't have the rituals that Riala's did, and his tribe didn't approach tragedy and loss in the same way. Things like death were just a way of life. Everything died, everything returned to the earth to be born again, and the living kept moving forward. That was how it was. But Ann had made the choice to defy tradition and now was living with that choice.

It was about honor. Ann could understand that.

He shifted to sit up properly and reached for a skewer, pulling it away from the fire. He studied it for a moment, then blew on a section to cool it before biting into it. He still had to breath out to cool the bite in his mouth because it was still hot, but it was definitely done.

[DragonSong]

Riala watched him as he watched her, though she managed to keep her eyes seemingly focused on the fire as she did. When he reached for a skewer she plucked one up as well, picking at the meat carefully and wincing with a soft hiss when it burned her anyway.

"...We should rest," she murmured eventually, once her food had cooled enough for her to wolf it down without searing her throat. "We've got a lot of ground to cover if we want to make it to the desert before the windy season sets in."

While on the plains the storms were welcome, bringing rain and life as much as they brought the massive gales and occasional lightning strike, in the desert she had been warned that the storms brought no rain: only winds strong enough to whip the sands into massive clouds that blotted out the sun.