77th Winter 514
Merevaika hung about in the Sea of Grass, Endrykas just visible, waiting for some lost soul to stumble across to her searching for a guide through the great expanse of snow and white. It was an almost pointless thing to do, but she had little else to do that day, Eryunt feeling unwell and refusing to let her mount him. Riding anywhere was out of the question, and without her horse, Merevaika had little motivation to hunt either. All she wanted was a quick, one day job to get her that little bit of extra money, and she would be happy.
And it turned out that she wasn't the only one who wanted the quick one day guiding either.
A small cart, filled with sacks, barrels and little children jumbled up beside where she was crouching in the snow, adjusting her possessions in the backpack in order to ease its weight and make it more comfortable. Riding on a magnificent grey stallion beside the Seme pulling the cart was an older man, although he still looked strong and healthy, full of spirit. Beside him was his wife, riding a grey Strider of her own, sporting necklaces and bangles of silver, her hair plaited in a complex knot adorned with strips of silver. She looked Merevaika up and down, examining her before placing the beautifully decorated sword in her hand back in its sheath.
"It's only a girl, Ravin, leave her, we must go," she sighed, getting the young boys and girls to remain in the cart.
"Acha, she may be lost. Or she may get us unlost. Whichever you prefer," he replied, shaking his head before returning to speak to Merevaika"Forgive my wife. She is not very hospitable. What is a girl like you doing in the Sea of Grass alone with nothing but a bow and a dog? And just a pack? Are you lost? Do you have all you need?"
"I was waiting." Merevaika ignored most his questions, answering just the first.
"What for?"
"For a job. For someone lost."
The man smiled, mouth stretching and eyes wrinkling at the corners. "Then you have to stop waiting!" he said, gesturing to the cart and making the sign for lost.
"We are not lost,"Acha demanded, leading the horse forwards as the children inside giggled at the bumps in the path they took. Ravin stopped her, asking her to wait.
"We got lost. We were travelling to where we usually set up camp, but many glassbeaks attacked us, and we stumbled off the path. Luckily, no one was injured, but we got lost. Acha here was determined not to admit that we were in fact lost, and got us even more so," he explained while trying to keep the situation with his children and wife under control, "Will you guide us? We have little other choice. I am willing to pay."
Merevaika made a sign of agreement, before continuing with the hand signs, Where?
Ravin frowned, unsure of how to explain it. "It has no name, just a piece of this great plain. But if you take us to the river, we could find our way there. That is all we require. Unfortunately, we do not know of the river's location, or we would travel there ourselves. Will you be able to guide us there?"
Merevaika hung about in the Sea of Grass, Endrykas just visible, waiting for some lost soul to stumble across to her searching for a guide through the great expanse of snow and white. It was an almost pointless thing to do, but she had little else to do that day, Eryunt feeling unwell and refusing to let her mount him. Riding anywhere was out of the question, and without her horse, Merevaika had little motivation to hunt either. All she wanted was a quick, one day job to get her that little bit of extra money, and she would be happy.
And it turned out that she wasn't the only one who wanted the quick one day guiding either.
A small cart, filled with sacks, barrels and little children jumbled up beside where she was crouching in the snow, adjusting her possessions in the backpack in order to ease its weight and make it more comfortable. Riding on a magnificent grey stallion beside the Seme pulling the cart was an older man, although he still looked strong and healthy, full of spirit. Beside him was his wife, riding a grey Strider of her own, sporting necklaces and bangles of silver, her hair plaited in a complex knot adorned with strips of silver. She looked Merevaika up and down, examining her before placing the beautifully decorated sword in her hand back in its sheath.
"It's only a girl, Ravin, leave her, we must go," she sighed, getting the young boys and girls to remain in the cart.
"Acha, she may be lost. Or she may get us unlost. Whichever you prefer," he replied, shaking his head before returning to speak to Merevaika"Forgive my wife. She is not very hospitable. What is a girl like you doing in the Sea of Grass alone with nothing but a bow and a dog? And just a pack? Are you lost? Do you have all you need?"
"I was waiting." Merevaika ignored most his questions, answering just the first.
"What for?"
"For a job. For someone lost."
The man smiled, mouth stretching and eyes wrinkling at the corners. "Then you have to stop waiting!" he said, gesturing to the cart and making the sign for lost.
"We are not lost,"Acha demanded, leading the horse forwards as the children inside giggled at the bumps in the path they took. Ravin stopped her, asking her to wait.
"We got lost. We were travelling to where we usually set up camp, but many glassbeaks attacked us, and we stumbled off the path. Luckily, no one was injured, but we got lost. Acha here was determined not to admit that we were in fact lost, and got us even more so," he explained while trying to keep the situation with his children and wife under control, "Will you guide us? We have little other choice. I am willing to pay."
Merevaika made a sign of agreement, before continuing with the hand signs, Where?
Ravin frowned, unsure of how to explain it. "It has no name, just a piece of this great plain. But if you take us to the river, we could find our way there. That is all we require. Unfortunately, we do not know of the river's location, or we would travel there ourselves. Will you be able to guide us there?"