PM to join Oh, Hello! [Alexandra]

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit smiled at the explanation, and then at the compliment. Alex's profession certainly made sense, since it was quite possible for hunters to be attacked in the wastes. They could be ganged up on by a back of wolves, or something even larger could come. These could leave a hunter injured, or even dead, so having trained protection always helped. She often went wandering through the wilderness, though had recently learnt her lesson about going alone... The Vantha wondered what life in Ravok was like, since the red head hadn't been looking at it very kindly. She'd heard they had slaves and the like, and so the idea made sense. Hearing about the outside world made her happy she lived in Avanthal, such a happy and well run place, but it also made her want to go to those places, and see if all those stories were true. "Hey... uh... did you want to come to the Red Diamond Tavern with me or something? Unless you were busy?" She asked awkwardly, unsure of how to voice the idea. She wanted to become better friends with this woman, but didn't want to seem strange in asking. Her social skills were okay, but not perfect, and she had a bit of trouble with new people, not knowing how they would react to things. Thinking about it, Spirit realized this was an excellent time to get in some riding practice, since she hadn't done much before. There was that time when Garran showed her the basics, but she hadn't practiced since then, and was still unsure in a saddle. Of course, riding itself was a blast, and she loved the feeling, but her control was small, and she still felt like she was going to fall off constantly. Well... she would only get better with practice... the Vantha sighed lightly, and moved over to Silver's side, trying to come up with the best way to get on. The horse was quite tall, and she wasn't so good at getting on. The first part was the hardest, getting her foot set in the stirrup, but after that she knew what to do. She didn't actually move for a bit, not wanting to get on the creature until their plan had been accepted. Otherwise it would look slightly strange...

[Alexandra]

Alex thought about Spirit's question for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders with a smile. She didn't have anywhere pressing she needed to be at the moment, besides it had been some time since she had last visited the Red Diamond. Recently she had been busy with practicing in the tundra and usually meditated after that, due to the exhaustion one felt from using magic in general. Today was not so bad as the time when she had overgiven, however she did feel physically weary. Perhaps a good conversation and meal were exactly what she needed.

"I have nowhere I am needed currently, so I would be glad to accompany you to the Red Diamond." Alex replied with another incline of her head.

The tall woman had not expected to spend today in another's company, however life had a way of presenting one with the unexpected. Unexpected was not unwelcome, indeed such events could grant more perspective than several sessions of meditation. Besides this Spirit woman seemed friendly enough, Alex saw no reason why she should not attempt to befriend her. Friends were something she had in few numbers in the city anyway, it never hurt to add another name to the small list.

Of late she had been consumed with her training, advancing in any path in life took dedication and strength of body and mind. Unfortunately that same dedication was the very reason that she had few friends, for her sessions were conducted in solitude most often. Perhaps this little outing would help her to make up for lost time.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit grinned, looking at Alex over her shoulder. Well, she would get some riding practice after all! "Excellent" She stated simply, and turned back to her horse. Silver stood patiently at a perpendicular angle to the Vantha, perfect for mounting up. She was well trained, and seemed to know exactly what her companion wanted. An uncertain expression touched her face, and the girl lifted her left leg. Stretching it as high as possible, she barely managed to reach the the stirrup comfortably. She inserted her foot into the slot, and pushed down on it, hoisting the rest of her body up. Spirit swung her right leg over Silver's back, just as she'd seen many people do, and sat down awkwardly. She was amazed that had gone off without a hitch, and grinned down at her friend. "Sorry, I'm just a beginning rider, and want to practice as much as possible... I hope you don't mind." She said, explaining her reason for mounting Silver. The Vantha had leaned slightly towards the woman, and in that movement, began to slip off the side. She gave a shout of surprise, and fixed her position quickly, before falling off. That wouldn't have ended well. Her smile changed to slightly apologetic, before returning to her normal grin. Spirit grabbed the reins in both hands and adjusted her seat in the saddle. It was comfortable, but she felt... strange, on top of the body of another creature. It was a strange feeling, and she also got the sense that Silver could carry her rider anywhere, no matter if the Vantha wanted to go there or not. Well... she had to start. She lightly kicked her heels into the horse's side, and they began to move slowly forward. Luckily, the creature was even tempered, and knew how to behave when a beginner rider was on her back. They moved a few meters at a slow pace, their direction slightly uncertain. Spirit knew that the Red Diamond was more to their right, but didn't want to pull too hard on the reins. All this was a guessing game really, her being so uncertain with her actions. She shrugged, and looked back to Alex, careful to twist at only her waist in order to not tumble off. She sent a grin in the woman's direction, then turned back and continued moving, altering their course with slight jerks of the reins. This delicate control was less from experience, and more from being so afraid to move them too much.

[Alexandra]

Alex was more than happy to fall in step beside the younger woman, careful to stay an arms length from the horse. The woman noted that Spirit's movements looked unsure and certainly not controlled, though Alexandra was no rider herself so she couldn't really judge. She was more than happy with keeping her feet on the ground than sticking them in the stirrups of an animal that was difficult to control.

Alex had never really been interested in learning to ride a horse, it seemed potentially dangerous and it required her to give up some control. Her current path taught that control over one's actions was of paramount importance, without control then one could not improve. Though skilled riders seemed to possess great amounts of control, unskilled ones risked injury. Though considering her magic discipline was not all together safe, perhaps it was unwise to judge riding a horse before she actually tried it.

The woman had been to the Red Diamond a few times, most had been pleasant, others not so much. It was full of spirited and generally friendly individuals, unfortunately those same spirited individuals could become less friendly depending on how much alcohol the consumed. Perhaps it would not be bad this time, at least she had company with her now.

Alex pulled her robes up around her more tightly to keep out the cold, flinching slightly as the pain began to return to her right hand.

Avanthal was certainly beautiful, there was no denying that. However it was also the coldest place she had ever lived in, far outstretching Sylira during winter. What was so mind boggling was that this place was like this all year round, even now during spring!

Alex shook her head slightly as she followed after Spirit, she could adjust to a lot of things however this was certainly trying the limits of her adaptation. Ah, well, if nothing else her time here was an adventure if ever there was one.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

It was a short trip, maybe a few bells, but over the small period Spirit began to feel more comfortable on Silver's back. The horse moved slowly, and didn't jerk around too much, so sitting there actually stopped seeming too hard. Though through their short time together the two had grown close, the Vantha got the sense a simple ride just enhanced the feeling. It was like... mutual trust. She trusted Silver to not buck her off, and Silver trusted Spirit to lead them in the right direction. And feed her, though that was more of a long term goal. Spirit mused about this feeling for a while, but her contemplation was short lived as they came up to the Red Diamond. She looked down at the ground, ready to jump off, but got a sinking feeling instead. It was a long drop... with a gulp, she swung both legs to one side, then slithered awkwardly down Silver's side. She grinned to no one in particular, glad that the fall hadn't been so bad, then led the horse over to the wall of the tavern. She tied up the creature there, still not exactly trusting the horse to not wander off. You could never be too careful in the early days... "Stay" She said simply to Wind, who obediently lay down near Silver. The horse, somehow more used to the dog's presence than before, only sheared away slightly this time. "What an improvement" the Vantha said to herself sarcastically, rolling her eyes, though quickly returning to her usual happy expression. She walked up to the door and waved Alex in. "Come on!" She said, before pushing her way through the door. Inside it wasn't as crowded as usual, since the sun hadn't gone down too far, but there was still a decent amount of noise and bustle. Spirit headed to the chairs near the fire without a word, and snagged two of them, sitting down in one. "So... do you travel much?" She asked Alex with a smile, genuinely curious. She herself didn't get around much, unless you counted wandering the wastes for less than a day once in a while 'travelling'. The woman had mentioned Ravok, so the girl was excited to see what it was like. Any new knowledge was welcome.

[Alexandra]

Alex sat down at the table with smile to the younger woman, she was certainly curious, though that was not a bad thing. Alex thought of the places she had been and found that it was indeed accurate to say that she travelled a lot.

"I have travelled through most of the upper Sylira region, specifically Syliras and Ravok. Unfortunately I did not visit Nyka though I would dearly like to as I hear it is quite beautiful. From Sylira I came here, so I suppose that it would be accurate to say I have travelled a lot." The red haired woman said with a slight chuckle.

Alex did like to travel, it was probably one of the highlights of her current path as she got to see new people and places. Of them all Avanthal was probably the most beautiful, unfortunately it was also the most harsh for outsiders. Ravok had been... an unpleasant place to say the least, and Syliras had been extremely cramped. In that sight it would be easy to say that every place possesses its own advantages and disadvantages.

The woman mused for a moment how to follow up the question, deciding on a description of Syliras.

"Syliras is said to be the greatest bastion of human civilization, what that really equates to unfortunately is knights watching your every move and cramped hallways. Two years of that sent me to Ravok which was... rather unpleasant. Only took about six months for me to grow sick of it and join a caravan north. Despite ups an downs I've had plenty of good times abroad." She said, leaning back in her chair slightly.

As beautiful as Avanthal was Alex doubted that she would be staying here for too long, maybe a season or two before the open road beckoned her. The Spires sounded appealing from the rumors she had heard.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit's grin widened as she heard the tales of the woman's adventures. Short as the explanation may have been, she found the description of Syrlias quite humorous. It put a different face on the city compared to the stories she'd heard.

"So, sounds like you really like travelling. I've never been anywhere except around Avanthal, but I'd love to go more places..." The last died into thought, as she mused on her plans. She wanted to go to the Spires. It wasn't that long of a trip, and now that she had Silver... The Vantha didn't even know if it would be temporary of permanent, except that she wanted to go and see what it was like. What it was like in a different city... what it was like without snow most of the time. It would be interesting, a new experience, and she knew she would learn loads.

As she thought on this, a young woman approached their seats. "Want any drinks?" She asked politely, a small smile on her face. Spirit looked up at her with surprise, then looked away apologetically for a moment. A drink... She could get water, for free, or maybe treat herself. The temptation was too great... she'd heard that they sold Hot Chocolate here, and she'd always wanted to try it. If anything, the Vantha was a sweet tooth. The drink was pretty expensive, but she decided it would be nice to indulge for once.

"I'll have a mug of hot chocolate please!" She said giving the server a grin, then turned to Alex, wondering what the red head would want.

[Alexandra]

Alex looked to waitress with friendly smile on her face, nodding slightly at the woman's inquiry. The tall warrior was rather thirsty, especially after her training not so long ago. Using magic in quantities that were considerable was straining on the body and mind to say the least, so much so that when finished with a particularly rigorous session one simply wished to plop down on a bed and fall asleep.

"I will have water, thank you." Alex responded, inclining her head slightly to the woman as she moved away to carry out their orders.

Her attention returned to Spirit, deciding that perhaps she may be interested in knowing where her next destination might be. Travel was a topic they both seemed somewhat interested in at least.

"From here I shall likely make my way to the Spires, as I have heard some interesting rumors regarding them. That will not likely happen until the end of this season however." Alexandra said, her mind already wandering to far off vistas.

Her father had often scolded her on her overly adventurous nature, however Alex found that travel ignited something inside of her that was usually dormant. It evoked a sense of wonder and danger, the knowledge that her abilities could be tested at any moment was quite a rush of excitement. It was perhaps a shallow reason but travel was often the best opportunity to test the worth of one's arm and strength, at least that was what she had found.

"What of you, Spirit? Do you have any particular places you would like to see?" Alex asked, curious.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit's eyes widened as she heard that Alexandra wished to go to the Spires. It was just... perfect! Something clicked in her head, putting two and two together, and a huge grin appeared on her face.

"Spires too actually!" She said happily, the glee on her face obvious. If they could work things out, they could go together and... the idea was just amazing. At the moment, the Vantha had that feeling in her stomach like she wanted to fly. She would love to go adventuring with some one else, more experience, instead of just on her own. She quickly realized she was probably looking quite foolish, so turned her head to hide her embarrassed expression.

Luckily, just as she was looking, the server re-appeared again, carrying a glass of water and a mug of steaming liquid. She handed the cup to Alex, and the mug to Spirit. "One silver miza please" She said with a small smile, and the younger girl handed her the money. The woman left, leaving the two alone again.

Spirit stared into her mug, taking in the delicious aroma while contemplating the ideas she had in mind. It had been ages since her last cup of hot chocolate, and she wanted to savor it now. Feeling impatient, she took a small sip, forgetting that the liquid was still hot.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed as it burned the tip of her tongue, and her body jerked involuntarily. She'd forgotten to let it cool down. Luckily, she'd barely managed to not spill her chocolate, though it sloshed around in her cup, almost reaching the edges. The Vantha took a deep sign and settled down into her seat, resigned to just the aroma of her drink for now.

[Alexandra]

Alex leaned forward, intrigued by the prospect that had been lain before her. It was rare when she had a travelling companion for any stretch of time, however it seemed as though fate was kind to her this day. While not normally one for having too much company on the road, surely it wouldn't hurt to have someone at her side for the journey, when it finally came.

The tall woman sipped at her drink, another thought crossing her mind. If she were to travel with this woman, she would likely need to be especially cautious with using her magic. It was always best to keep such things a secret, even around people who seemed friendly for most mages were regarded as potential madmen. Considering those she had met before, Alex was actually inclined to believe that assessment to a certain degree.

Spirit had cried out from drinking her steaming drink, which smelled quite good actually. However Alex was always one to follow her mother's advice on in regards to sweets or alcohol, in that it was often best to abstain from the vices of such things. Her mother was ever one who possessed an out look of abnegation, which was rather odd for a wizard.

"Ah, interesting. When do you intend to depart? Perhaps we may share the road if you would have me along." Alex said, tilting her head slightly to the side.