When Kiteara woke, Trevan was watching her, curiously. A strange joy
flooded her just at seeing the stallion. "What?" : What? : She spoke
mentally and vocally, unconsciously. The stallion nickered, the sound
suspiciously like laughter.
: You look so adorable asleep. One could forget you are a savage little Shina'a'in. : he teased, as she bristled.
"I am not a savage, horse!" she spat, her dark blue eyes blazing furiously. How dare he call her a savage! She was a Shin'a'in woman.wild maybe, but not a savage.
: Of course you are. But you're my little savage. : Trevan replied, lipping at her hair. Kiteara started to get up, but Trevan gripped the sleeve of her tunic between his teeth. : Calm down, little love. I apologize. Are you rested? We have a long journey ahead of us. : Kiteara nodded, pulling her tunic sleeve from his teeth, looking around.
"Yes, how long did I sleep? I must find the Tale'dras." she asked, climbing to her feet. Trevan stood and nudged her towards his saddle with his nose.
: Actually, no, you don't. You slept for about a candlemark, maybe two. We have to go home. To Valdemar. : the stallion explained as Kiteara allowed herself to be coaxed onto his back. She frowned down at his ears.
"Valdemar? Ravnas said I had to go to the Tale'dras. Only they can train me properly," she said, carefully. Trevan shook his head, snorting.
: There are Hawkbrothers in Valdemar, Kiteara. They can teach you. : Trevan asserted. Kiteara started to protest again and Trevan swung his head around to look to fix her with one sapphire eye. : Do you wish to be rid of me already? : Horror and shock rippled through her. ~ Rid of Trevan?! NO! ~ It was irrational, but she knew she could no more lose Trevan and live than lose her heart. He was part of her now.
"No Trevan. I don't think I could ever want to be free of you." she trails off, then feels a wave of unconditional love from her Companion. He nuzzled her leg with that snow white nose.
: I love you Chosen. We are meant to be together. I'm sure even your Goddess approves, but I must return to Valdemar. We need you there too.I need you there. Please? : Trevan asked, pleadingly. Sighing, and knowing in some way that this would change everything for her, Kiteara agreed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kiteara yawned, fighting sleep. She and Trevan had been travelling for a week, camping wherever they could. The two would stop to catch a few hours of sleep and eat whatever Kiteara could find or hunt. Although she was now riding with her bow across her lap, ready to be strung and arrow nocked, Kiteara doubted she'd have the energy to do so. ~ Even if a rabbit painted a target on it's side and jumped on my arrow. ~
"Trevan?" she asked, looking down at his ears, which flicked back at her voice. Trevan made a questioning noise in her mind. "We need to stop dester'edre. The only reason I haven't tumbled right out of your saddle is due to the fact that I've been riding since before I could walk." Trevan chuckled wearily in her head.
: Soon, my centaur. We'll stop just beyond this clump of trees just ahead. : he replied, continuing his steady walk. Kiteara sighed.
"You're pushing yourself, and me. Why?" she asked. Trevan's ears swiveled forward and he blew out his breath.
: I thought you might like to sleep in something close to a real bed tonight, love. : the Companion replied casually, despite how his Chosen tensed upon his back.
"Oh Goddess, no. No towns," she said, eyes wide. Her last encounter with a town had startled her. So many people in so small a space, and all curious about the passing Companion and his exotic Chosen. Valdemareans knew little about the Shin'a'in, except that they were skilled with horses. It seemed thought that rumors spanned anywhere from eating babies to being Avatars of the Star Eyed. ~ Well the second has a grain of truth. The Kal'enerdral are pretty close. ~
: No, Kiteara, not a town. You will have to get used to them though, soon. We're going to Haven, the largest city in Valdemar. What's ahead is a Waystation. : Trevan explained, trying to soothe his Chosen. Her unease would have to be dealt with, but not until they were both more rested.
"What's a Waystation?" Kiteara asked, one hand toying with her Companion's mane.
: A place for Heralds, or the occasional Bard or Healer, to rest. There should be a nice stall for me as well. Hopefully. : Trevan said, ears perking up a bit. He longed for a soft bed of hay and some oats with cool fresh water.
"Oh," she replies, not particularly enthused by the idea of someone else being there. When the Waystation came into view, she felt a bit of relief. It was just a little cottage with maybe one or two rooms and a small stable. There didn't seem to be anyone else there. Trevan stopped just outside of the cottage, waiting for Kiteara to dismount.
: Inside you'll find trail rations and a bed, love. I'll rummage in the stable. : Trevan suggested, as she smoothly slide from his saddle. Once she was on the ground, he started to move towards the stables, but quickly stopped. Kiteara had seized his hackamore jus under his jaw, and from the grip she had, he wouldn't be moving unless he ripped free of her. He sends an almost questioning thought.
"Oh no you don't. The needs of the herd comes first, even if there's only one horse," Kiteara stated, shifting her grip so as to hold him there and begin uncinching his saddle.
: Kiteara, you need to rest. I'll be fine. : Trevan protested, tugging for control of his head, carefully. Kiteara stopped and seized his hackamore with both hands, pulling his head around to look at her.
"You WILL be unsaddled, checked over, groomed, and fed before I even peek into that cottage, understood? Don't make me treat you like the willful, stubborn stallion you are," she growled, shaking his hackamore for emphasis. Rolling his eyes uncertainly, Trevan submitted himself to her care.
: She calls me stubborn.: he muttered. Kiteara removed his tack, placing it by the door and looked him over. Finding nothing to concern her, she went into the stable and found a brush and curry comb and began working on his coat. The Shin'a'in laughed when, despite his protests, he leaned into the brush strokes, sighing. Returning the grooming tools, she made sure the stall was suitable, then filled a bucket of water and another of oats for the stallion. Trevan nudged her towards the stable door. : There I'm all set up. Go eat! : Laughing, she complied, heading into the cottage. On her way in the door, she grabbed Trevan's tack and carries it in. Methodically, she cleaned the tack and searched the Waystation's storage for something to eat. Quickly, the young woman ate and cleaned up after herself. Too exhausted to do much more, she sought out a bed. She found a bedbox with a few extra blankets in it and threw her bedroll in it. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, the Shin'a'in got up, growling, irritably. Situating her bedroll on the floor, she curled up in the extra blankets and fell asleep.
: You look so adorable asleep. One could forget you are a savage little Shina'a'in. : he teased, as she bristled.
"I am not a savage, horse!" she spat, her dark blue eyes blazing furiously. How dare he call her a savage! She was a Shin'a'in woman.wild maybe, but not a savage.
: Of course you are. But you're my little savage. : Trevan replied, lipping at her hair. Kiteara started to get up, but Trevan gripped the sleeve of her tunic between his teeth. : Calm down, little love. I apologize. Are you rested? We have a long journey ahead of us. : Kiteara nodded, pulling her tunic sleeve from his teeth, looking around.
"Yes, how long did I sleep? I must find the Tale'dras." she asked, climbing to her feet. Trevan stood and nudged her towards his saddle with his nose.
: Actually, no, you don't. You slept for about a candlemark, maybe two. We have to go home. To Valdemar. : the stallion explained as Kiteara allowed herself to be coaxed onto his back. She frowned down at his ears.
"Valdemar? Ravnas said I had to go to the Tale'dras. Only they can train me properly," she said, carefully. Trevan shook his head, snorting.
: There are Hawkbrothers in Valdemar, Kiteara. They can teach you. : Trevan asserted. Kiteara started to protest again and Trevan swung his head around to look to fix her with one sapphire eye. : Do you wish to be rid of me already? : Horror and shock rippled through her. ~ Rid of Trevan?! NO! ~ It was irrational, but she knew she could no more lose Trevan and live than lose her heart. He was part of her now.
"No Trevan. I don't think I could ever want to be free of you." she trails off, then feels a wave of unconditional love from her Companion. He nuzzled her leg with that snow white nose.
: I love you Chosen. We are meant to be together. I'm sure even your Goddess approves, but I must return to Valdemar. We need you there too.I need you there. Please? : Trevan asked, pleadingly. Sighing, and knowing in some way that this would change everything for her, Kiteara agreed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kiteara yawned, fighting sleep. She and Trevan had been travelling for a week, camping wherever they could. The two would stop to catch a few hours of sleep and eat whatever Kiteara could find or hunt. Although she was now riding with her bow across her lap, ready to be strung and arrow nocked, Kiteara doubted she'd have the energy to do so. ~ Even if a rabbit painted a target on it's side and jumped on my arrow. ~
"Trevan?" she asked, looking down at his ears, which flicked back at her voice. Trevan made a questioning noise in her mind. "We need to stop dester'edre. The only reason I haven't tumbled right out of your saddle is due to the fact that I've been riding since before I could walk." Trevan chuckled wearily in her head.
: Soon, my centaur. We'll stop just beyond this clump of trees just ahead. : he replied, continuing his steady walk. Kiteara sighed.
"You're pushing yourself, and me. Why?" she asked. Trevan's ears swiveled forward and he blew out his breath.
: I thought you might like to sleep in something close to a real bed tonight, love. : the Companion replied casually, despite how his Chosen tensed upon his back.
"Oh Goddess, no. No towns," she said, eyes wide. Her last encounter with a town had startled her. So many people in so small a space, and all curious about the passing Companion and his exotic Chosen. Valdemareans knew little about the Shin'a'in, except that they were skilled with horses. It seemed thought that rumors spanned anywhere from eating babies to being Avatars of the Star Eyed. ~ Well the second has a grain of truth. The Kal'enerdral are pretty close. ~
: No, Kiteara, not a town. You will have to get used to them though, soon. We're going to Haven, the largest city in Valdemar. What's ahead is a Waystation. : Trevan explained, trying to soothe his Chosen. Her unease would have to be dealt with, but not until they were both more rested.
"What's a Waystation?" Kiteara asked, one hand toying with her Companion's mane.
: A place for Heralds, or the occasional Bard or Healer, to rest. There should be a nice stall for me as well. Hopefully. : Trevan said, ears perking up a bit. He longed for a soft bed of hay and some oats with cool fresh water.
"Oh," she replies, not particularly enthused by the idea of someone else being there. When the Waystation came into view, she felt a bit of relief. It was just a little cottage with maybe one or two rooms and a small stable. There didn't seem to be anyone else there. Trevan stopped just outside of the cottage, waiting for Kiteara to dismount.
: Inside you'll find trail rations and a bed, love. I'll rummage in the stable. : Trevan suggested, as she smoothly slide from his saddle. Once she was on the ground, he started to move towards the stables, but quickly stopped. Kiteara had seized his hackamore jus under his jaw, and from the grip she had, he wouldn't be moving unless he ripped free of her. He sends an almost questioning thought.
"Oh no you don't. The needs of the herd comes first, even if there's only one horse," Kiteara stated, shifting her grip so as to hold him there and begin uncinching his saddle.
: Kiteara, you need to rest. I'll be fine. : Trevan protested, tugging for control of his head, carefully. Kiteara stopped and seized his hackamore with both hands, pulling his head around to look at her.
"You WILL be unsaddled, checked over, groomed, and fed before I even peek into that cottage, understood? Don't make me treat you like the willful, stubborn stallion you are," she growled, shaking his hackamore for emphasis. Rolling his eyes uncertainly, Trevan submitted himself to her care.
: She calls me stubborn.: he muttered. Kiteara removed his tack, placing it by the door and looked him over. Finding nothing to concern her, she went into the stable and found a brush and curry comb and began working on his coat. The Shin'a'in laughed when, despite his protests, he leaned into the brush strokes, sighing. Returning the grooming tools, she made sure the stall was suitable, then filled a bucket of water and another of oats for the stallion. Trevan nudged her towards the stable door. : There I'm all set up. Go eat! : Laughing, she complied, heading into the cottage. On her way in the door, she grabbed Trevan's tack and carries it in. Methodically, she cleaned the tack and searched the Waystation's storage for something to eat. Quickly, the young woman ate and cleaned up after herself. Too exhausted to do much more, she sought out a bed. She found a bedbox with a few extra blankets in it and threw her bedroll in it. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, the Shin'a'in got up, growling, irritably. Situating her bedroll on the floor, she curled up in the extra blankets and fell asleep.
