Something about the way in which Viper responded to her tease - the tightness of jaw, the way his eyes closed - caught Litani's attention. "T'is alright," she said soothingly, genuinely, softly. "I am here because I wish to be." She watched him from the edges of her eyes but kept a ready glance on the path ahead, as well, nudging Aeyan easily around a large pothole in the road. The movement to guide him hurt, yes, but she murmured softly to Viper, "I do not like being told what I can and cannot do..." With a pause and a glance down at the steed, she added, "I wanted to see if I could. And I can." A subtle smile played with the edges of her lips and she turned a warm set of blue eyes down to Viper. "Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to prove it to myself."
Maybe not a warrior, maybe not a fierce Drykas woman, but there was no doubt that the Konti was strong enough in her own fashion. Her voice was steady now that the thrum of the agitated wounds had died down some. No doubt they would tear afresh when she dismounted, but she did not think about that just now. Instead, she had eyes only for the towering shade of the forest ahead, the underbrush in which she knew she'd find the treasured raspberry bushes that were no doubt in season.
As he asked after her profession, she chuckled gently, nodding in understanding. Few knew what she meant by it, until she touched them. "The body," she explained quietly, "is a complex series of muscles and bone all connected together by tendons, like the strings of a puppet. If one of those bones should slide out of place, it can hurt the strings... even snap them. Have you ever woken from sleeping to find that you could not turn your head over one shoulder, yet the other way was fine? That is what I do. I set those slips to right." As she spoke, her voice reflected a subtle sort of pride - she'd worked hard to become what she was, she did the absolute best that she could, and she felt that she was competent at it. There was no boast intended, simply the conveyance of the truth. "I have served the knights and squires, carpenters, blacksmiths, farmers... we all use our bodies to one degree or another. Sometimes, we use them improperly, on accident. I do what I can to help mend those accidents." That her touch was guided by her Gift was something she did not immediately elaborate upon; again, no need to startle him.
After a short while, the pair felt the darkness of the trees slip over them and Litani sighed softly, glad to be rid of the sun overhead. She shifted somewhat restlessly as she saw her prey come into view; she held the basket with her and seemed briefly at a loss for how to best proceed. If she dismounted too swift or too awkwardly, the wounds that had caused Viper to cringe would become evidenced again, and she did not welcome that prospect. So, instead, she extended one arm towards a tiny deer trail that her eyes spotted and drew his attention there, asking him, "Was that where you found your catch today?" As he looked to where she gestured, the Konti swiftly saw to the painful and necessary affair of sliding to the ground - although her body screamed at her for disrupting its newfound sense of balance, again, she'd angled Aeyan so as to have the Strider between herself and Viper when she swung down from the saddle. Clever, stubborn woman that she was, she hid herself in Aeyan's shadow until the heat subsided from behind her eyes. Then, with a few blinks to center herself, she emerged from beyond the horse's profile, looking interestedly toward the deer path in question. Although her gait was still stunted, she held to Aeyan's barding to steady herself and seemed quite content to go on doing so.
