a very traditional adventure

[abeance]

Jann is on his way to the Caves of Fire and Night to retrieve a standard quest item therefrom. There is some forest (not of the capitalized or enchanted variety) between him and the entrance. He weaves his horse through trees. Ho hum. Whenever he gets under a relatively clear area of sky he consults the sun to confirm his direction.

Comments

[girls_just_wanna]

A woman steps out of the treeline.

"Wouldn't happen to be lost, would you?"

[abeance]

"Ah, no. Thank you. I have a map."

[girls_just_wanna]

"Dammit. Well, where are you going? Unless you're planning to set up shop in the forest, or something."

A muffled meow emanates from under her cloak. "Shut up, Leo."

[abeance]

"Mountains of Morning," says Jann. "The entrance to the Caves of Fire and Night specifically. Er, why would it be good news if I was lost?"

[girls_just_wanna]

"I like lost travelers. Either I help them and they owe me a favor, or they're rude and I get to curse them entertainingly. Do the Caves of Fire and Night have much fire in them? Because I could probably be pretty helpful if so." She shows off a lock of red hair.

[abeance]

"I've never been there personally but I believe the fire's mostly metaphorical. Not that I'd turn down friendly company. Given that I try to be careful about being polite."

[girls_just_wanna]

The strange woman visibly suppresses the urge to clap her hands gleefully. "Oh, it's been ages since I did something. Would you let me fetch some personals from my tree?" At another meow, she adds, "Oh, I'm Sezan. And this is Leo." She pulls a sleek white cat out of one of her sleeves and waves his paw hello, which he tolerates with dignity.

[abeance]

"Sir Jann of Raxwell," says Jann, bowing politely from his horse. "Pleased to meet you both. I'm in no rush."

[girls_just_wanna]

"Oh, Raxwell. Lovely place, I grew up near there."

She vanishes off into the trees, and returns a few minutes later not bearing much more on her person. Leo, however, has perched himself on her head rather than in her sleeves, and she carries a small satchel over her shoulder.

[abeance]

"Do you want to ride or walk?"

[girls_just_wanna]

"Oh, I'd just as soon ride. Horses are wicked creatures, but I respect them and they respect me."

[abeance]

"Sure. You want to squeeze on her with me or should I get out of your way?"

[girls_just_wanna]

"I don't see anything wrong with sharing a horse. There's certainly room."

[abeance]

"Up you get, then, Morganite here's good for it."

[girls_just_wanna]

"Excellent." She clambers deftly up the horse, emitting soft clinking noises from her cloak as she does so.

Leo hops over Jann's shoulder and clings to his shirtfront, as a test of character.

[abeance]

"Hey," Jann says amiably to the cat. "Mind your sharps, hm? Are you here for petting or the view?" He kicks Morganite into gear; on she plods.

[girls_just_wanna]

Leo minds his sharps very well!

"Petting, definitely. Really it's more to see what you'd do; not immediately petting him is a demerit, but asking is almost an acceptable substitute."

[abeance]

Pet, pet. "I do what I can."

[girls_just_wanna]

He appreciates this!

Sezan continues clinking, and after a few moments begins rearranging things in her cloak. "Sorry, I may have overpacked."

[abeance]

"D'you need to turn around and drop some stuff back off?"

[girls_just_wanna]

"No, no. I'll just... hm."

She pulls out several small vials and drinks their contents, then places them all into a different pocket, which does not clink. "There we go. Didn't have to get rid of any essentials."

Leo meows long-sufferingly.

[abeance]

"Should I not ask?"

[girls_just_wanna]

"Well, they all had to be empty before they went into the same expanded space. Don't want any of those accidentally mixing up your sleeve."

[abeance]

"No, I mean should I not ask what they were."

[girls_just_wanna]

"Oh! In case I needed a bomb. Don't worry, I've got more."

[abeance]

"...And they're drinkable?"

[girls_just_wanna]

"I mean. That definitely depends on your definition of 'drinkable'. I'm just peachy, or close to. You would be less peachy. And dead."

[abeance]

"Okay then. Fire-witch thing?"

[girls_just_wanna]

"Oh, probably."

[abeance]

"...'kay."

[girls_just_wanna]

Sezan resumes humming to herself! Leo relocates to her head again.

[abeance]

This obliges Jann to stop petting him. He steers Morganite, head tilting back and forth to the rhythm of the humming.

[girls_just_wanna]

Oh, that's cute. She likes this one.

[abeance]

Jann, sitting in front, has few affordances to read her facial expression!

[girls_just_wanna]

Likely for the best, considering the tenor of her appreciative face!

"D'you like music?" she asks after reaching a natural stop in the humming. "Generally, I mean."

[abeance]

"Don't play an instrument or sing really, but I like listening!"

[girls_just_wanna]

"Ah. I've got a fiddle up my sleeve, if you'd like, and a couple of ballads I can play?"

[abeance]

"That'd be lovely, assuming being on horseback doesn't get in the way."

[girls_just_wanna]

"I do like a challenge."

She hauls herself around to sit sidesaddle and compensates well enough for the movement of the horse to play a decent ballad or two, singing with herself. (That much has always been a talent.)

Leo retreats into the sleevespace vacated by the instrument, hissing.

[abeance]

Jann continues his appreciative head-tilting.

[girls_just_wanna]

Sezan continues to appreciate this!

[abeance]

Then they can pass several appreciative hours until Morganite is very tired and Jann picks a place to camp for the night.

[girls_just_wanna]

Well, Sezan will probably put the fiddle away after a while to give Leo a break. But he doesn't mind her singing, so that she can do.

She encamps happily. "I'd forgotten how tiring horses are. How can it be so much work to sit down?"

[abeance]

"Correcting your balance all the time," explains Jann cheerfully. "Still less work than walking, though most days I do that half the time to give her a break. She's got my armor and food and whatnot on there." He peers at the sky, judges it sufficiently cloudless to not warrant the tent, and starts assembling kindling. "Do you want to do the honors?" he says of the resulting proto-campfire-like heap.

[girls_just_wanna]

"Yes, I most certainly do."

She looks at the firewood and hums a tone, which leads to a small burst of flame that catches on to the tinder. Then she grabs a bit of the fire and fiddles artfully with it, shivering happily.

[abeance]

Jann doesn't remark on her choice of toy. He sets up his bedroll and then collects some water from a nearby stream (an important feature in a camp) and starts heating up some food for supper.

[girls_just_wanna]

Once she's contented herself with her fire for the moment, she lets it dissipate and helps with setup.

"I wanted to do a bit of that to pass the time on the ride, but people get so touchy about a bit of fire. Plus, it might've scared your horse. So instead I fiddled while nothing burned."

[abeance]

"Yeah, Morganite appreciates your restraint. I figure you have it under control but she's not so understanding."