Closed Fixedfront Tundra (Garran)

[Nikomas]

The Ninety-First Day of the Spring Season, Five Hundred and Thirteen Years After the Valterrian

[Nikomas]

"I need, uh, one tent for two people, a pack to carry it in, and, uh, four or five days worth of rations...I think," Nikomas informed the rugged-looking vendor standing before him as he pushed a few mizas around the palm of his hand. "I mean, make that two tents, for one person each, a pack, and four or five days worth of rations...for two!" he was quick to correct himself. "No. Wait. Hold on. Give me a chime to figure this out." "Please, take all the time you need," the clerk replied, with a roll of his eyes, as he took a seat upon a stool he kept handy. "I'm open for another six or seven bells. By the way, I only have solo or quad tents, so that should help you make up your mind...at some point." I should've asked Garran if he wanted to share a tent or use his own, the young Vantha pondered, ignoring the man's last few words, as he stepped to the side so others could move in closer to view the wares on display. For all I know, he already has one. Besides, why would he want to share a tent with me? I should just get us both one...or maybe I should wait until he gets here. Nikomas looked around the growing crowd of shoppers now, hoping to see his newfound friend. They had agreed to meet here, at the market, around the fifth bell, but the young Vantha had arrived early - a little too early, if someone were to ask the poor vendor. He had hoped to get a jump on their camping trip by buying up as many of the supplies that were needed, so by the time Garran arrived they would be ready to go. However, he was having a really hard time trying to figure out the specifics. One tent? Two? Does it really even matter? We're roughing it. For all I know Garran likes to sleep out under the aurora. Hell, maybe he likes to sleep naked under the stars. How would I know? There friendship really was too new to make a sound decision. Hence the reason for this little adventure! Nikomas had mentioned the idea of a camping trip as more of a joke, to start, but when Garran readily agreed to the notion, the younger Vantha ran with it. They could get away, just the two of them, and get to know each other better. Between work and family and other friends, there just didn't seem to be the time to really talk, to bond. This trip would be the perfect way to achieve just that...he hoped. "Okay, I think I'm ready," Nikomas announced, which drew the slightest response of a raised brow from the merchant. "No. Wait." "Boy, listen up," the guy suddenly barked as he got to his feet. "Why don't you just tell me where you're going, who you're going with, and for how long. Then I can just set you up with what you'll need. Would that be okay with you?" "I...I don't know. I really wanted to do this on my own. It's, well, it's sort of important." "Yeah, so it seems," the guy remarked aloud, before muttering to himself as he returned to his stool, "You'd think it was for the Lady Morwen herself."

[Garran Frostfawn]

Garran entered the market area after having tethered Falla at a convenient rail designed and constructed for just such a purpose. The windrunner mare wasn’t often used as a pack horse, but she was well trained and would do as Garran asked of her. With a pat to her soft muzzle, Garran looked down at Dog – which wasn’t that far a look for Dog was no tiny thing – and grinned. “Hold on, boy, you’ll get to see Mr. Wonderful in just a few seconds.” Dog looked up, tongue lolling and he seemed to be grinning back. It was a running joke between Garran and Nikomas how much Dog seemed to worship his very scent – at least, when the big ivory colored pup saw the young Vantha who had purchased him from the Syliran, he went into paroxysms of joy. Garran said that there was some animal magnetism at play – Nikomas said it was just that old Frostfawn thing going on. In any case, Dog was already hopping about – no doubt he could in fact detect the presence somewhere in the market of his “other” master. But Garran had been working on training him up so that he knew better than to run off. Dog was intelligent, but stubborn in some regards, and training him had been a fun challenge for the man who usually fooled around more with horses. With a word, Garran had Dog calming down (a bit, in demeanor if not in spirit) and walking sedately by his side, as he looked about for Nikomas. He supposed he really could have let Dog go and the canine would have made a bee line right for his friend. However there were enough people about, even at this hour, to warrant some modicum of care and a restraint of exuberance until they were out beyond the walls. In any case, Garran had a good idea where Nikomas was, as he knew why they were here at the market and what their intended purchases would be. So he walked at his usual businesslike clip and soon enough spotted the young leather worker, standing by a stall of a Vantha who pedaled outdoor gear and supplies. Walking up to Niko with the same grin still on his face, Garran forced Dog to behave for just a few seconds more, while he greeted his friend. “All set?” he asked, clapping his hands together and then rubbing them palm to palm, like a man well satisfied. “I see you got here before me – so I assume you’ve got this all planned out, down to the last spoon?” He was joking of course – but he didn’t mind if Niko thought he was being serious. Garran looked down at Dog, who was quivering with excitement, and added, “What do you think, Dog? Has he forgotten anything? Like…his tinder box?” Dog only whined ever so softly, and Garran laughed, looking again at Nikomas. “OK,” was all he said to the almost fully grown pup, and there was a white and pink explosion of fur and tongue as Dog leapt up from his orderly and polite sit to give Niko a real dog-style greeting. Garran took a half-step back and smirked, “Aw, he has your manners.” Looking at the two, Garran briefly felt again that odd sensation he sometimes had when he was around Niko. He had jumped – almost literally – at this suggestion of a little camping trip. Time together, away from the city and all its workaday distractions – he found the idea appealing and had accepted with alacrity and a wry smile that was one of those ‘could mean anything’ types of expressions. He could quite easily put his finger exactly on why the idea had captured his approval so quickly, though he wasn’t yet ready to acknowledge that feeling he had flowing about in his system. Garran had become, over the years, a very much ‘live in the moment’ type of guy (if not living in the past) and didn’t try to predict or even plan too much for the future. So he was content to go with the flow and was prepared to simply enjoy some time with a friend and Falla and Dog and not think too much about anything weighty. He was quite looking forward to just relaxing (in a possibly strenuous way) and having the chance to hang with Niko. After a few moments of PDA, Garran laughed again and gave Dog the command to knock it the heck off. His eyes bright with gold and orange swirls, he asked, “So, what have we got so far? I brought my back pack. What else do we need?”

[Nikomas]

Okay. That's it. Two tents. One pack. Five days worth of rations for two, so ten total. Better to play it safe, Nikomas finally convinced himself and was just about to tell the vendor - who seemed ever-so-eager to help - when Garran arrived on the scene. "Oh! Good! You're here!" the younger Vantha chirped as he turned to face his friend and their 'child.' Man, he's always so happy to see me. Just look at that smile on his face. He could give the aurora a run for its mizas with that glowing grin. "I...I'm actually struggling with what to get," he confessed, hoping that the honest remark wouldn't diminish Garran's happiness. That was the last thing he'd want to do this early on in their trip. "What...what's wrong with him?" he then randomly added as he glanced at Dog who was behaving himself. Like, really behaving himself. However, with a single command from 'dad' the pup was all over him, as per usual. "Okay. Okay. It's nice to see you, too," he giggled as his face was given its second washing of the day. "I thought maybe you weren't feeling so well, boy, behaving all well mannered. I almost didn't recognize you," he added as he stood, slipped a hand into his coat pocket, and removed a single treat from the ones he kept there for moments like this. "Here ya go!" He then tossed the dried and salted blubber ball - which Dog seemed to love - causing him to lumber off at a steady pace. "You've done good. Got him acting like a right little gentleman," Nikomas warmly noted to his friend. "I'd reward you, too, but I'm afraid I don't have any treats you'd enjoy." "So, uh, you ready yet?" the vendor suddenly chimed in as a hopeful look took shape on his face. "Just another chime," Nikomas replied as he waved him off. "So," he began as he gave his full attention to Garran, "you have a pack. That's good. I was going to get us another one to carry the tents. Two tents should work, right? I'm guessing you'll want your own. Although, I must admit, I was just picturing you slumbering naked under the stars." Nikomas cut himself short now as his words registered in his mind. "I mean, I...uh...I was trying to figure out how rough you like it." He paused yet again, wondering if he should just chew on his boot at this point. It certainly sounded like a better option than continuing to say things that made very little sense. "Anywho," he boldly continued, thinking it best to just move on as quickly as possible, "I was also figuring on five days worth of rations for both of us. So ten total. Does that sound about right? We may get out there and decide to fool around for a day or two more. I mean, uh, explore the land, that is, not just fool around, and it's best to be prepared. Right?" Nikomas paused now and gave his friend a moment to reply. He was sure he had just messed everything up, but he wouldn't really know for certain until he allowed Garran the chance to speak. At times like this, being a storyteller certainly had its disadvantages. His tongue wasn't always able to keep up with his mind...or was it the other way around? Regardless, he really did need to learn a thing or two about taking the time to think a little bit more before he spoke.

[Garran Frostfawn]

Niko’s exuberant greeting – the type that just couldn’t be faked – made Garran light up from the inside out. His own broad grin was turned down and away a bit, some perverse sentiment that he wasn’t ready to let Nikomas see what lay beneath it making Garran feel almost shy. And that was really….really…odd. Perhaps he didn’t do such a good job of smothering it though - at least, Nikomas seemed quite happy with their mutual salutations. Arms crossing over his chest, Garran simply watched the spectacle of dog meets boy, laughing and replying to Niko’s remarks, “I told him if he didn’t behave he’d have to stay home. The prospect of missing out on getting to snuggle up to you at night must have put the fear of the gods in him. You know, I think at heart he’s really a lover much more than he is a fighter.” He watched Nikomas handing Dog the treat, and he couldn’t help but tease. “Oh I don’t know. Salty balls, mmm…I might do a few tricks for a couple of those.” He managed to keep a straight face as he said this – somehow – and further retorts were pre-empted by the vendor’s hopeful inquiry about their prospective purchases. Garran turned to the man and slipped a casual arm about Niko’s shoulders as they surveyed what the man had to offer. But Niko waved the guy away and turned to face Garran, and his next remark made the horse trainer’s eyebrows shoot up. It took a second or two for Nikomas’ brain to catch up with his mouth, and then he sealed the deal by cramming his whole boot in it. Garran slapped Niko’s shoulder and let out a hoot of laughter, then raised his hand to rub at the back of his neck, ruffling up the hair there, while he shook his head in amusement. They were stood close enough together that Garran could easily drop his voice and reply, “I’m a city boy, like you, my friend. I can ride the roughest, wildest beast you want to come up with – bareback – but I think I prefer to sleep cozy, warm and comfortable.” He still had one eyebrow cocked, as if fully expecting Nikomas to share in this preference. “I think one will do – unless you snore. Then it’ll be you out under the stars. What you wear is entirely at your own discretion.” His stare lingered on the younger Vantha, as he wondered what in the world was going on in that mind – and if that image he’d referenced was one Niko had truly ever contemplated. Garran had to give Niko a lot of credit – the guy managed to hold onto his aplomb and without any noticeable chagrin, despite that face-palm moment, he moved right on to the question of rations. With one last quirk of his eyebrow, Garran decided too that they had best just get their shyke together and decamp – before Niko ended up bootless, and with a belly ache from eating all that leather. He nodded. “I personally was planning on spending as much time as possible lazing around the camp fire. And I’m sure no hunter. So, yeah, taking a bit extra sounds like a wise move.” But he did put his hand back on Niko’s shoulder, as they faced one another, and said, “But you should relax. Don’t get too wrapped about the axle, now. It’s just a few days out on the tundra. What could happen, hm?” In little time, it seemed, they had their purchases made and together they had carried them to where Falla waited patiently. Garran rarely used the Windrunner as a pack horse, but she was very well trained and very versatile. As Nikomas didn’t have a horse – and hadn’t yet taken Garran up on his offers to teach him to ride – the two men would walk, along with Dog, and Garran knew Falla would not even have to be lead for her to follow along with them. Besides, it would be good to have her along in case of an emergency, or if something happened and one of them couldn’t walk back. Gods forbid that such should happen, but – yeah, being prepared was always a good thing. Finally they were all packed up and heading towards the city gates. “I hope you remembered to put out the fire in the grate,” Garran quipped, looking at Niko as they walked together out of the city.