Salvia is on Trader, and has just returned after a trip to Freetown.
She was glad to be home. Salvia had gone with her father and the slave woman south, riding the gelding and toting along a pack smaller than that the mare carried. Useless things, she had thought, but Salvia’s perception of what was and was not valuable did not sit with the “civilized world”. Oh, what a strange world it had been. Every face was strange and unique, and she had reveled in the attention praised upon her. Beautiful, she was called. Once a man had catcalled her, but her protective father had bristled at the sound. It was the second time Rowan had come to Freetown, and she had been hesitant at every step until that point.
Though the bulk of what was to come was in her father’s control, Salvia had not come back empty-handed. She had brought several things for her brother, and even gone so far as to find a gift for the slave, and make well and sure to procure some goods for her uncle and even her mother. They were all carefully packed in her saddle-bags, and once she dropped off the horse, she would go about her rounds. Checking on Pandemic and the slave woman was her first priority—she trusted her brother with the now meek woman well enough. While she was dangerous, Pandemic’s size alone made him formidable. Not to mention Salvia had practiced with him regularly.
The now-frozen ground sounded against the dun horse’s hooves as they trotted back towards the barn. It would be a while before Larkspur returned (hence his self-removal from his co-rank’s duties) and had asked her to pick up the slack during this period. Agreeable to this, she had already begun running through plans to sort out her days. Morning would involve the animals, and while the sheep were taken to graze, she would hunt. Her slave-woman was being trained by the others, but Salvia would likely begin bringing her along to help with these tasks. Her days would be busy, but she was not opposed to this.
Salvia had journeyed to Freetown. A thing that Odessa still thought of doing. Of course she'd wait for fairer weather and perhaps a male (slave or otherwise) to acompany her, for she didn't want to find herself unprotected after Eris bestowed her thoughts upon the would be medic. No, Freetown was too dangerous for her to travel to on her lonesome. The closest she had gotten to a trading town was a small temporary settlement that she had found just outside of Nova Scotia. It had been where she found Juan, and the instruments for building the hutch and run for the rabbits. The animal in question now trotted alongside her with a limp mouse in his jaws.
She smiled as her pumpkin eyes falling upon the form of her cousin. 'Sal' she purred, her voice still high pitched from her exiting childhood. She quickened her pace, careful to use caution when she approached the gelding she rode on, Trader. Odessa herself had been in the barn allowing herself to relax in the company of the many creature that made their homes within it's walls. 'How have you been?' she asked, smiling up at her.
The return trip had been an easy one, for Salvia knew the route home by scent alone. She did not stop except to rest the horse and sleep for short periods of time, but always wary, always with one-eye open. Instinctively she was wary, and Sirius’ teachings had taught her this was not foolishness. As long as she maintained an appearance that spoke of nothing but confidence, however, she would rise. This showed even as she approached the barn, doubly-so when Odessa appeared.
Salvia dismounted in one fluid movement and exchanged the muzzle-to-muzzle greeting with her cousin. Mischievous light burned in her eyes. “Oh, wonderful. I hope you can come next time, it’s so strange there. Father was brilliant, though,” she added, pleased to have seen why it was Sirius trusted the dark man with such a long absence from the pack. One hand took the reins. Salvia spoke as she walked, leading the horse into the barn. “You should be happy, too,” the girl went on. “That cart you mentioned to me will be arriving when they return.”
She flipped open the handle to the stall’s crude door and took the gelding in. With practiced ease, he removed his bridle and went to the straps of the saddle. A strong girl, Salvia hoisted this (along with the weighty saddle-bags) onto her shoulder before heading out of the stall. “Can you close that, Dessa?” She called back.
Her pumpkin eyes lit up as she smile, 'Oh I do hope I can go there one day. Not alone though, I don't think I could handle it'. No, While Eris had spoken to her about the dangers on straying too far away, she didn't doubt for a moment that Salvia was strong enough to fend of attacks. As Salvia spoke again, her ears lifted, 'Really? That is wonderful!' she enthused, It'll make construction so much easier' she added, though fully knowing that the construction would not be on her part. 'What did you get?' she asked, wondering about what other thing were purchasable in the far away town.
Watching in silent amazement as her cousin hoisted the saddle and it's bag's, Odessa picked up Juan and began to pet him absent mindedly. Nodding as Salvia asked her to close the stall door, she did so and gave Trader a gentle stroke before advancing behind the green eyed tiger. Perhaps when she had a slave she'd venture to Freetown, someone to protect her from strangers. Or maybe she'd just go with Salvia next time, either way she was determined to go at least once in her life.
If she had been intended to be soft and well-groomed, she might have found herself cleaning after Sirius as the coyote did. Salvia was a beast made for the elements, as savage and terrible as she was handsome. This was perhaps better than beautiful; she was not traditionally such, with her choppy hair and broad shoulders, and sharp lines rather than soft. Presence alone gave her beauty, but it was a demanding, gnawing thing. Surely the others had recognized it; she had seen it when she spoke to them, though her words had been groomed and taught by the dark man she called Uncle.
“Oh a few things,” she admitted, setting the saddle down on a wooden plank. Several stuck out from the wall like branches, all thick and heavy and made for such weight. Oh how she admired what her father had done. “But yes, it will be nice. I didn’t see it much before I left, but I’m sure it’ll be perfect. Most of what I brought is for others. I need to sort through it all, but right now the horse needs tending. I’ll be taking up my father’s duties while he’s away,” the blonde added, and turned back into the hallway. She knew that Trader could use rest, but if she did not rub him down now then all the sweat would surely ruin him.
While her cousin spoke she found herself admiring her uncle's work. It was truly a spectacle. Every inch was handsomely crafted and full of efficiency. And then her eyes fell back to Salvia. While they were related, they truly were opposites. The green eyed tiger possessed sharp, broad features rather than Odessa's soft, gentle ones. Though of course there were similarities, both were beautiful, in their own, polar ways. And both were sly, Salvia however was more forward in her ways, while Odessa was shadowy in hers. Of course, Odessa was still honing her as it did not come as naturally to her. She was gentle by default, yet her wish to stand up for herself gave her her will to learn.
'Of course' she nodded. While she was no horse-woman, she understood that horse were demanding, needing a large amount care. Especially after long, tiresome rides. 'I think as long as it performs correctly, it will be perfect'. she said, trying to mentally picture the cart. Odessa watched closely, for her own horse care skills were sloppy compared to her uncle and cousin's. As Salvia announced that she would be talking up her father's work, she nodded 'How long will he be away for?' she querier, brushing her fringe away.
They were very much different from each other; Salvia was fair and bold, and Odessa dark and shy. Yet in the days since they had begun turning into women, changes had swept over them. Now Salvia knew what it was to be clever and be subversive, and she could see a confidence in her cousin that had not been there before. This, ultimately, pleased her. Part of the reason (though not the main cause) she hated her sister was for such cowardice.
She used a metal currying comb that had likely been made in Freetown (and brought back from the first trip), and with this went through and brushed out the knots and dirty clumps within the gelding’s coat. It was a mindless task for her—she had been caring for horses as long as she had been able to shift, and around them long before that. “I don’t know,” she admitted, and shrugged. “He said he had business to finish, but I’d imagine they’d be back before winter gets too bad.”
After all, it made sense to her that bringing a horse and cart home might be hard with snow. Soon, she imagined, soon indeed. “What have you been up to? Still working on that book?”
Simply nodding at Salvia's reply to her question, she watched the tigress tend to the gelding with unworldly ease. Odessa, as a younger child, had had a loose interest in horses. Thinking of them as the pretty, gentle, magical creatures spoken about it. But Misty had been far from the loving creature she thought horses were. Keshi, bless him, came close enough, though he was still prone to misbehaving and rarely stayed clean enough for Odessa's liking. Still she found them wondrous creatures, however she had much to learn about them. She hadn't been interested in horses nearly as long as Salvia, it had only been as of recently that she'd taken more interest in the subject. Yet before that she had basic knowledge revolving around how to ride them, mostly from watching.
Juan wiggled around in her arms, frustrated that Salvia was taking the attention away form him. Odessa petted his head, urging him to relax while she spoke to her cousin. 'Not much, still trying for the co-rank, keeping myself busy'. There wasn't much to do when the frost was devouring the plants, but... 'I've been storing some seeds and planting some cuttings in my den, from some of the plants in the garden. Just as a back up for winter'. After all, as a medic it was party her responsibility to make sure that the garden was doing well. She would be the one needing to use the herbs. 'The book? Oh, it's finished, for now at least. If any other plants come in I'll need to had them' she explained, speaking about her work fluently.
There was nothing truly docile about an animal that outweighed one. Salvia had learned such lessons hunting—deer hooves were sharp and deadly, and a buck in rut would turn on a wolf if so driven. Horses, too, were dangerous. She had watched them fight amongst themselves, though such things did not last very long. Black was the only stallion and his dominance was assured. Oh, but he had roughed up Trader when he had come, a foreign male with a foreign scent on him. She had been startled by the ferocious nature of what instinctively she saw as prey, though no sane wolf would chase a healthy horse.
Plants again. Salvia did not understand her cousin’s fascination with them, but she was not a woman made for magic or healing. She snorted dust from her nose. “You should talk to Liliya, that Russian woman, sometime. She said she was going to make a boat to get to the island and I think my mother said something about plants over there.” Idle chatter that she had picked up was worthless to her, but Salvia supposed there was no harm in seeing her cousin rise to her potential.
Odessa eyed up the numerous horses as she passed their stalls. She knew very well that any of the could turn in dangerous creature if startled or simply if they were annoyed in some way. Of course, a potential loss of dominance was usually the reason for any fighting amongst a group of males. Keshi, as a gelding, had little reason to be irritated around stallions. He was docile, bowing his head to any stronger males. Odessa had considered many times that his constant calmness was down to some mental inhibition that stopped him from understanding why fleeing or fighting was a good idea.
'Ahh, yes' Odessa said, nodding. 'The Russo. I spoke with her some time ago about the boat' It was when she had injured herself with the hammer, the cut had been quite nasty. It had been the first time Odessa had ever treated another member, and on of the largest injuries she'd patched up. 'I wonder if she's finished it yet' the girl mused, again brushing her fringe away from her face. She understood that Salvia had little interest in the subject, but after all she had asked what Odessa had been up to, so it was no fault of her's that she had replied.
To Salvia, horses (as with all animals) were not thinking, equal things. They were lesser and they were tools. She cared for them as she cared for property—it was an unromantic, realistic sort of vision. She had once been tempted by the magic of her mother, but Salvia had become something terrible when faced with such visions. Skepticism had grown in her to the point that now she doubted all things; she was a simple child in such a way and one that favored reason and facts to myth and pseudo-science.
Child was the wrong term, though. Salvia was fast approaching true adulthood, having passed her birthday only a night ago. It had been spent alone, riding, and she had thought nothing of it. Age was something she felt in her body, which matured rapidly and showed the strength of a girl well-fed and hard working. Even her face had hardened from the chubby puppy she had been. There was no doubt she was a wolf, though she was small for her breed (especially considering her father). Well proportioned, her bulk was distributed well.
Salvia leaned on Trader’s rump and plucked the dirt from the metal comb. “We should go check sometime,” the blonde girl half suggested, half demanded. Her tone was always like this around lesser ranked members, blood or not. “Besides, I’d like to see how fast that horse of yours can run. He’s a skinny thing, but he’s got long legs.” It would likely not be a fair race, given Salvia’s knowledge of the horses, but she preferred things that way.
The adventive creature in her arms twitched sourly, letting out an angered hiss. Odessa shook her head, Juan was a fussy animal and with a casual sighed, she opened her arms slightly (for she had not been holding to tight) and allowed him to jump down. For what reason he wanted to walk around was beyond Odessa, it was certainly warmer in his mistresses arms than wandering around on a cold floor. What a peculiar creature.
'We should' Odessa agreed, nodding along with her words as she watched Juan moved around, cautiously staring at the horses. She suddenly stared up at her cousin, almost startled by the idea. She'd never tried to push Keshi into anything faster than a canter, but she supposed that she'd have to learn some time. Regaining her composure she nodded, 'Uh, Yes. I think that would be nice'. What she spoke was true, while he possessed a wonky appearance, his lengthy limbs pointed to a high potential speed. Still she supposed it would be unfair, as Salvia's knowledge of the species would give her an undoubted advantage. Odessa didn't mind though, it was all a bit of fun, wasn't it. No matter how competitive Salvia was.
A somewhat cruel smile danced over her face, but Salvia’s expression softened as she put the brush aside and reached for the hoof pick. It was a crude thing, but useful none the less. While they did not shoe their horses and their hooves grew strong, dirt still needed cleaned in order to prevent infection. They were not as hardy as their wild brethren, though her father’s plan had told Salvia much about the way of selective breeding. For as feral as she was, Salvia was a girl captivated by science; had her world been broader, she might have sought the stars.
Bent over the horse’s leg, Salvia lifted it and picked out the large clump of dirt in one motion. “You’re not afraid of running him, are you?” She asked suddenly, raising her head as she moved to Trader’s other leg. Used to such treatment, the dun remained calm and only shifted as to better keep himself steady. Salvia was glad for this; she had almost been bit by Misty once when she had done this. Once of course. A sharp snarl and snap was all it took to remind the mare of her place.
She had no idea how to reply. Say she did and risk looking foolish or admit that she was terrified and risk ridicule. Family they were, but Odessa wouldn't put it past the tigress. 'It's just... I've never tried...' She'd always been to frightened of running Keshi, anything faster than a slow canter sent shivers down her spin. As docile as he was, he may end up throwing her off and that was something that didn't bode well with Odessa. Though she supposed she'd have to learn, more so because she doubted it was fair on Keshi having to watch his speed all the time. And she also doubted that he enjoyed being held back when cantering, only being allowed to do so slowly.
'I'll do try it one of the days' she promises aloud, 'Might as well make use of the snow while it's here' Odessa added, smiling and letting out a small chuckle. Keshi may have had a wonky appearance, but his lengthy limbs gave him a good height. And falling from him at a speed could do damage no medic could heal. Yet Odessa knew that she just needed to use the trust she gave him at lower speeds.
(270) Do you want to maybe close this and have their race thread? :O
Even though they were family, and even though she had no reason to shame Odessa, Salvia was a cruel beast and would have held onto such knowledge for later use. She managed to gain some insight, though, and assumed that there had been no need for her to run. It wasn’t as if all those who had horses worked them in such manners, after all. It was taxing for both the horse and rider to control such events, especially when the rider needed to fear for a misstep and the horse could react to something at any moment and injure or even kill their rider in a fall. The blonde girl picked the dun’s hood and rose to look back at her cousin.
Orange eyes; Salvia often felt sad she had not gained them, but she had a remarkable shade of green all her own. It was a dominate color, and more likely to show in her genetics than the peculiar orange that belonged to Larkspur’s father. Had she known more of the family, she would have seen that Odessa, even with her dark fur, resembled the native D’Angelo line almost perfectly…except for those eyes. “Let’s do that,” she echoed, and crossed behind the gelding with one hand on his back. This allowed the horse to know where she was, for their blind spots were behind them. It was the only place those animals with such side-facing eyes feared. “We can go once it gets packed down. It will be easier on the horses, then.” And give her an advantage, since few here were as long-legged as Odessa’s cow-spotted mount.
She would have hoped Salvia would have discarded the information afterwards, as there was no reason to shame Odessa nor was fearing riding a horse at gallop bring her any real embarrassment. But this was Salvia and Odessa supposed the having dirt on someone, even if it was a insignificant speck of the thing, gave one a feeling of power. And Odessa could sense that Salvia wanted to have the upper hand. It was a natural thing for such a dominant tigress. Odessa feared, no hoped in some ways, that she would be fortunate enough to have a mate, and children, and of course her co-rank and become little more than a house wife. It seemed perfect to Odessa, who didn't crave power. But if she was offered with a powerful position she was far from stupid enough to pass it up.
Yes' she smiled, the friendly grin covering up anxiety and fear fairly well. She nodded along when Salvia mentioned the snow and how when it was packed down it would be easier for them to run on. More stable. 'Okay. I'll sort out Keshi then' she noted, wandering off to prepare Keshi. All the while debating whether to use tack or not. Keshi was a tall horse and tack would give her security, but it would weight him down. Deciding to face her fears, she came to the decision she'd use no tack for the race, take the bull by the horns as such.
