==== 4 Feb 2014
==== Jazene, Kultir
==== Jazene and Kultir meet in the fields of Southern.

Who Jazene, Kultir
What Jazene and Kultir meet in the fields of Southern
When It is Summer and 91 degrees.
Where SW

jazene.JPG kultir2.jpg


fields.jpg

Fields
Terraced over the rolling mountains of Southern's wilds, crops fight against the encroaching jungle that must be held at bay by diligent farmers. Guards are stationed at intervals across the hills, where the trees growth is thick enough to allow the lurking predator to hide. It's not Thread that threatens the luscious crops that cling to the side of the mountain, it's the felines and wherries larger than life that would partake of the feast that awaits the courageous. Each terrace lays claim to a large swathe of arable land; the fields themselves cover a vast portion of the hilly slopes. To cross the fields, from one end to the other, without runner or wagon, would take several candlemarks.


The humidity today is all but unbearable. Making the heat feel oppressive and heavy on the skin. Most of the workers have abandoned the fields to return in the cooler late afternoon. But a few are determined to see their tasks through. Jazene is one of these. Sweat beading on her brown skin and plastering her clothes to her body. She kneels on a thick muddy scrap of padded leather. Lost in her work at the edge of a terrace of vegetables. Hand spade flashing in the sunlight as she attacks a patch of weeds threatening to choke out the maturing plants.

There is a rather loud rustling sound, along with some quite human though low-growled curses, coming from the edge of the jungle as Kultir struggles to extricate himself from some vines that seem intent on holding him back from the bright, sunny clearing of the Fields. "Sharditall! The one day I don't bring my bloody machete …" Yanking loose from the clinging vines, the tall jungle tracker/hunter finally stumbles out of the close confines of the trees and underbrush. The long sleeves of his pale tan shirt are greened and grimed with jungle vegetation, the tough wherhide vest and satchel hung over his shoulder also smeared with sticky sap though the satchel bulges with whatever bounty he's managed to gather in the dark jungle. Straightening, he looks around and waves to the few people disturbed by his exit from the menacing trees.

Jazene looks up at the sound of cursing and rustling in the trees above her. Her hand spade paused in mid-air she flicks a glance toward the Guards. Seeing them glance this direction but make no move toward the sound. Fat lot of good they’d do in an emergency! “You okay?” The jungle grimed man is given a once over as Jazzy sits up on her knees and tosses a handful of weeds into a long shallow basket near full of them. “Seems like the jungle’d like to keep you!” Her smile is cheerful as she teases the guy.

A soft laugh is given at the teasing from the young woman closest to him. "Yeah, I'm okay. Hadn't really planned on coming out here but figured since my bag's full, I should head back to the Weyr and go talk to the Healers." Kultir glances to her work area, noting the kneeling pad and the shallow basket of weeds she's been yanking up. A damp rag is fished out of the top of his satchel and run over his sweaty face and the back of his neck before being tucked away again. "Ye needin' some help, are ye?" He gestures at the weeding chore she's diligently working on, tilting his head in offer.

Jazene’s gaze drifts to the bag full of mystery before returning to Kultir’s face. “I was told when I got here that I couldn’t go in there by myself,” she waves her spade toward the jungle behind him. “I’ve been sore over it but Tavil’s insistent.” She shrugs her shoulders and glances down at the basket and weeds. “If you have time to spare you’re more than welcome to help!” She shoves some weeds aside and digs out another spade. Holding it up toward Kultir in offering. “Some of the weyrfolk file out here nicely and take a turn in the fields. Others it’s like you’re asking ‘em to take a flying leap without a dragon.” She shakes her head sorrowfully at the lack of good help available. “I’m Jazzy by the way.”

Kultir slips the carrystrap of the satchel over his head and sets it carefully out of the way before stepping forward to accept the spade. Grinning, he nods understanding as he kneels a short distance away and deftly begins digging out the encroaching weeds and tossing them into the basket between him and the young woman. "Yeah, not someplace to go alone if you don't know what you're doing. I've been roaming the jungles for a few Turns now. I'd be happy to take you on an excursion if you'd like … I do that with some o' the weyrfolk as get curious." His hands automatically work as he talks, obviously one used to doing manual labor like this without getting too distracted. Chuckling softly at the comment on some folk's attitude about work, he nods ruefully in understanding. "I'm Kultir. Pleased to meet you, Jazzy." He glances her way and gives her a charming smile and a nod as his amber eyes sparkle contentedly.

Jazene waits until accepts the spade before she bends to attack the weeds once more. Her dark hands digging into the loosened dirt to find the roots and hauling the plants out of the ground. Getting as much of the offenders as she can manage to in the hopes they won’t regrow there. “You’ll have to let me know next time you plan to take a group out,” Jaz tells Kultir with a delighted note threading through her voice. “I’d love to tag along and see what’s what in there.” She’s never seen a jungle before her posting to Southern. “We’ve not got anything near it up in Nerat.” She looks up from her work when he introduces himself. “Nice to meet you too, Kultir.” Her smile is warm for a moment before she concentrates on the task at hand. “So do you just roam the jungles for the fun of it?”

Kultir nods once more at her before returning his gaze to the ground in front of him, the weeds swiftly falling to his intent digging out of their roots. "Just catch me in the caverns around supper time before your restday, I don't usually take more than two, sometimes three folks out at once. Just too much that can happen if they don't know what they are doing." He shakes his head at her question and grins sideways at her for a moment. "Oh no. I've got traps and snares set out for avians and fur-bearing mustelids. I bring the avians back to the kitchens and I process the pelts. I've got a long hunting trip set up for two days from now, me and a few others are going after some wild porcine and caprines in the hillcountry. I also go find stuff for the Healers and the Headcook to play with … like today." He gestures with the spade toward his satchel before returning to his work.

Jazene is briefly confused as she scoots to another spot laden with weeds. She’d been told folks only went out in groups to keep the felines from making snacks of them. But, what does she know? Rather than argue the point she nods her head and smiles. “I’ll make an attempt to do that.” She sighs softly and shrugs her shoulders, “Most days I’m out here until dusk working the fields.” Which means that catching him /before/ her restday will be tricky at best. She falls silent and works away while listening to him tell her of his ventures in the jungles. “Wow! You sure can hunt a lot of critters around here.” She’s amazed to hear what a variety abounds in the area. “Folks either keep critters penned up back home or travel sometimes for days to find ‘em.” The more populated area vastly hunted of course.

Catching a glimpse of that confused look, Kultir smiles slightly. "Well, if you can't catch me before your rest day, you're always welcome to come down to the caverns at dawn. I always stop at the kitchen to find out if they need anything for the day and get some breakfast before I head out." Chuckling softly, he nods at her amazement. "They keep them penned up here too, just there's a lot of space out there and those wild herds have been there a long time. And the avians and mustelids breed pretty fast and end up being nuisances."

“That I can do! I’m always up well before dawn breaks,” Jazene tells Kultir with a happy grin. “I’m sure I can make time on a restday to go.” Providing she can either slip under Tavil’s radar or convince him to come with her. The later would be in everyone’s best interest. She pauses to dig out a particularly stubborn plant. “Gotcha!” She exclaims when it finally pops free of the dirt. Getting herself back on track as she throws the offender into the basket she grins at Kultir. “I’m beyond glad /someone/ is hunting the pests around here! If you can keep them outta the fields we might have a decent chance to bring in a harvest later this Turn.”

Kultir grins and laughs softly, nodding his agreement. "I do my best to keep the vermin down. I've managed to take a few wherries down here and so far the only ones that keep coming back are the ones that can fly. The ground-bound have learned this is not a place for them … or I've hunted them all out." Shifting his position to a new patch, he tugs and yanks and digs at a few more stubborn, more deeply entrenched weeds before finally being able to toss them into the basket as well.

Jazene finishes up the rest of her row and sits up to watch Kultir attack the rest of his patch of weeds. “Tavil and I have been debating on ways to keep the critters out of the fields.” She shrugs her shoulders as there are no answers to that readily available. “I’m glad to know you’re doing your part for us! It’s appreciated let me tell you. Most folks prefer to work in the fields on down,” she sweeps her hand toward the lower terraces. “Too dangerous this close to the jungle I suppose.” Which lends the question why is she up here on her lonesome. “Thanks kindly for your help. But I should probably give it up for a while. I need to get on back to the Weyr.” That said she rises and tosses her knee pad into one end of the basket with her spade.

Kultir sits up as she rises and puts her tools away, handing her the spade he'd borrowed. "My pleasure to have been able to help. I do what I can, it keeps me busy and lets me be outside longer than it will when Thread falls." Getting easily to his feet, he retrieves his satchel and slips it back on to settle it comfortably. "That's what the Guards are for. Keeping folks up here safe." He gestures toward the few guards standing idly by a short distance away. "I should be getting back too. And be sure to catch me when you want to take some time to wander the jungles. There's a couple places that are really pretty I could show you."

Jazene hefts her basket to dump in the refuse pile on her way to the Weyr. “I’ve not seen them do much but socialize since I got here,” she says of the guards with a sigh. “But what do I know, eh?” She shrugs her shoulders and smiles. “I can’t wait to see those places! I’ll see you around Kultir.” That said she meanders off the terrace and onto the path leading to Weyr.

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