Closed Are We There Yet? (Aren, Isolde, Orin)

[Sayana]

Spring 30, 515 AV Sayana awoke early that morning excited for the day ahead. Today four of them would be headed to the famed Sunset Falls. She had never seen a waterfall and had extra reason to be eager for the journey. As the Eypharian got up from the warm bed, she brushed fond hand over the Akalak sleeping next to her. “Time to get up honey,” she spoke softly but there was a brightness to her voice that couldn’t be so easily contained. She took a long sip of the tea she had prepared the night before and let out a soft sigh of relief. So far the Midwife Miracle herb had been helping tremendously with her morning sickness and she was certainly going to include some in her herb box for the trip. She was about to reach for her usual skirt and beaded top to get dressed but then stopped herself. With a slight sigh she instead went for a pair of beige pants, a casual red linen top, her set of red sleeves and a beige vest to top it off. She hoped it wouldn’t be so cold to need a coat since she very much did not want to bring it, but overall the weather had been looking better. She almost reached for her newly acquired armbands and necklace but then decided that they would be best left at home. After getting dressed Sayana quickly got the fire in the hearth going and put on a pot to boil. Despite deciding that Orin would take care of the food, she wanted to have a bit of food on the road that was within easy reach just in case. She tossed a dozen eggs into the pot to boil and started cutting up some cheese and bread. “Sorry it’s not very original Aren, but it should do well enough for breakfast,” she half apologized. She shifted through her cupboards and found some raisins and dried apples. Perfect. As the eggs were boiling she made a little bundle of food including the last of the cheese and bread and the dried fruits. She dumped the cooked eggs into cold water to help make the shells easier to take off and then put two on each plate and the rest into her food bundle. Each plate now had two eggs, some cheese and some bread. As the Eypharian munched on a piece of bread, she packed up the rest of the supplies. Her herb set along with some bandages in a nice orderly box was placed into the rucksack. She added her second set of clothes (pants and a blouse) to the sack along with rope and the canvas tarp. She folded up the blankets nice and tight and packed those in too. She also managed to slip in the lantern in and amongst the blankets. That should keep it from breaking by mistake. She filled the smaller back pack with the two torches, her splitting axe, the flint and steel, some tinder, her filled water skin, and lastly a crude map in a case. These items she’d want easy access to for when they were traveling. She grabbed some more breakfast and added her little food bundle to the top of the back pack. Finally she put the rucksack and back pack near the door along with the rolled up tent, four bedrolls and a folding stool. These would have to fit in the saddle bags. She went back to the table to finish up the quick breakfast and smiled at the Akalak. “All set and ready to go,” she said with a smile. “Oh.” Sayana realized she hadn’t transferred her dagger collection to her new outfit and quickly strode over to fill her belt with her cobra hilted dagger, two throwing daggers and her latest pair of tamo daggers. Once it looked like Aren was ready to leave too, she gestured to the items by the door. “Could you take the large bag and the tent, and also the folding stool? I’ll grab the smaller backpack and the four bedrolls.” She hefted the backpack onto her shoulders and then put a bedroll under each of her mid and low arms. Fortunately they were rather light and merely awkward to carry. Before she closed the door, she took one last glance at her apartment. “Did I miss anything?” She asked the Akalak tentatively. It was still fairly early and the air was crisp when they left the winding halls of the Maiden District. Sayana led the way to the Windmount stables having been there several times lately. Through the streets and towards the taverns they walked but instead of turning right once they reached the open area near the main gates, the Eypharian led them left through the Nettle District and towards the stables. They had planned to meet at the 8th bell and Sayana was running just a little late since she had wanted to pack snacks. The stables greeted them with the smell of manure and Sayana scrunched up her nose as she set down the bedrolls and backpack next to the stable wall. “I’ll go in and get settled with a horse. You sure you don’t want one?” Sayana asked before disappearing into the stables.

[Aren]

"But... I dun wanna," The Akalak moaned, sounding somewhat like a petulant child in his expressed desire to remain asleep. Sayana's obvious cheeriness was hard to refuse, however, and soon Aren's eyes creaked open in the relative darkness of her home. As he observed her morning routine, a smile snuck up on his lips when he noticed that she lunged for her typical apparel before realizing that skirts would not at all do for a trip such as the one they were about to undertake. Knowing that it was time he got up and similarly prepare himself for the journey ahead, Aren's naked form arose from Sayana's bed in search of his own attire. Quickly locating his leather vest and trousers neatly stacked off to a side of the room, the warrior donned his outfit with practiced alacrity. He always felt so much more comfortable in the protection his armor (if it could be called that) provided, rather then the soft linens of more conventional every-day wear. Finishing the breakfast Sayana had prepared for him in what seemed like just a few bites, Aren did not even bother cautiously eyeing the plate she had handed him. At this point, he knew she could make eggs, if nothing else. Gathering some of the things he was going to take on the trip, namely his weapons, the Akalak absentmindedly rubbed the hilt of the dagger that now adorned his waist; it was a Lakan -his Lakan- and as he felt the grooves of the pommel, his gaze was unwittingly drawn towards the Eypharian to whom he owed his life. As it so happened, this meant that he owed her more than that. He owed her the very blade currently in his grip, and whilst the warrior didn't generally have any particular use for the weapon himself, unfortunately it wasn't as simple as merely giving it to her. It was an Akalak custom, to gift a Lakan of one's own forging to someone who had saved their lives, but the somewhat unusual details of that forging meant that the gifting was a little more complicated than that. The dagger wasn't any ordinary blade, and it allowed it's original owner to sense its location at all times, in addition to sensing whether the person in possession of it was in danger. Giving this blade to Sayana meant that there would be a very real, if somewhat intangible, link between them, and he didn't know if that was something he had a right to impose upon her without her consent. This notion meant he felt the need to explain exactly what such an endowment entailed, and he simply hadn't found the right moment, yet. Seemed like that was starting to turn into a bit of a theme with him, Aren mused. Although he did as he was bid without protestation, the Akalak couldn't help himself once the Eypharian asked if she had forgotten anything, "The bed, maybe?" He replied to her question with a mischievous grin and an obviously saucy shade coloring his voice. It was a three or four day trip they were going on, and whilst Sayana's lover may have felt that not all of this stuff she was bringing was, strictly speaking, necessary, he wouldn't dare be so blunt as to point that out directly. Not that he was being too subtle about it, either way, but Aren had felt the need to say something since he realized that he was going probably going to be carrying most of her extraneous baggage all the way down to the stables. "Most horses tend not to appreciate having me on their back," Aren said, in answer to Sayana concerning herself over a mount for him after they had arrived at their aromatic destination. "And I appreciate not being afforded the opportunity to be thrown from one..." He added, waving her off as she headed to acquire said mounts. It's not like the Akalak was afraid of the animals, or even of riding them, but he understood that there usually wasn't a good enough reason to risk a potentially volatile and, as far as he was concerned, perfectly justified reaction.

[Isolde Seibold]

Isolde had been at the stables for nearly a bell. Orin had told her that they would meet after the eighth toll, but she had decided to come early. It would be best, she thought, to meet up with Gretta, the Paintedmount she'd had for just five days, and help prepare her for the journey ahead.

While one of the stable boys did most of the work, hefting the saddle and securing the tack in place, Isolde gently stood by the young horse's front. Gretta was still somewhat wary of the Nuit, likely because she could scent that Isolde was not a living creature, not like the rest of the humans she had been trained with and by. Because of this, a large part of learning to ride and care for the horse had become simply allowing her to get to know Isolde, to show Gretta that no harm would come to her and that the Nuit would be a good owner and friend. So for the past five days, Isolde had done her best to allow the horse to do just that: she would come to the stables and stay for bells, simply standing nearby, perhaps scratching her mount's shoulder or neck if the horse drew near, brushing and petting her. Slowly, it seemed Gretta was coming to know her.

Today and the next few afterwards would be the first test that they'd have together. Isolde had little --if any-- experience at riding, but she'd been given instructions by both Lady Freed and the woman running the stables, and had also gotten pointers throughout the last few days by speaking to the various stable hands. She thought she'd be okay riding Gretta. She'd climbed into the saddle once before, and it hadn't been too bad. The horse had been a bit skittish, but Isolde thought perhaps now that might be different, considering the time they'd spent together.

Once all of the equipment was loaded onto the horse, Isolde carefully, slowly made her way to Gretta's side to access the new saddlebags that she'd bought. Into these she packed her other new belongings: the pounds of horse feed she'd bought in case there wasn't enough grazing or Gretta got hungry, the blanket and tarp in case it rained or she needed protection from the elements (as she hadn't planned on bringing a tent or bedroll, considering she didn't sleep), the horse grooming kit, the length of rope for tying Gretta to a tree, hobbling her, or stringing up the tarp if necessary. The rest of her things were already in her standard backpack, where she always kept them, though she had left the nonessentials --her alchemy book, the Balicani scales and tooth, most of her money, other things like that-- back in the dormitories where they would be safe and wouldn't weigh her down.

The horse didn't shy away from her touch, which she thought was a good sign. So, since Gretta allowed, Isolde took her by the reigns as if it was a lead, and walked her out of her stall and to the front of the stables. There they waited.

Perhaps half a bell later, which the Nuit spent stroking through the horse's mane to keep her settled, a pair of newcomers arrived at the stables, and the Nuit shifted on her feet restlessly, looking over at them. At first she was uncertain, but as she glanced over the supplies that they carried, she thought... yes, that woman must be the Sayana that Orin had mentioned, right? Nobody else was lingering at the stables, and nobody else looked like they were packed for a few days in the wilds. It was just that the whole thing was so unexpected... for instance, Sayana had six arms, making her... an Eypharian, right, that was what they were called? And the other, the huge man walking with her. He was blue. Akalak. Isolde had only ever seen one Akalak before, and he had been very intimidating, a ferocious fighter, highly intelligent, though not unkind. Still. Somehow, Isolde had only been expecting one of them, the woman Sayana, not her and her... bodyguard? Husband? Friend?

There was nothing for it, though, than to just approach and see if these were the people that would be coming on the trip to the falls. Isolde left Gretta with her reigns looped carefully over a fence post, and marched her way towards the pair, holding up a small, white hand when she got close enough to them. Confidence, she reminded herself, as her Sera so often did, present yourself with confidence.

"Ah, hello there," the Nuit called, stopping a few feet away, but letting her presence be known. Her eyes flashed to the six-armed woman's face, then to the huge blue Akalak's, wondering if they might take offense to her approach. Many people didn't like Nuit, especially in the city. She forged on. "I'm Isolde. I don't know if you know who I am, but I'm a friend of a cook named Orin, and he said to meet here at this time. We're going on a trip, you see, to Sunset Falls, and he mentioned that another friend of his --a young woman named Sayana, I think-- was also coming along. Is that you?"

As the Nuit spoke she didn't offer her hand to shake, as most might while introducing herself, but she also kept her face open and friendly to make up for it. Now she looked at the couple, waiting for some sort of answer or acknowledgement, fingers crossed that she hadn't just made a fool of herself by coming up to the wrong strangers.

ReceiptBunch of supplies, plus horse:
Kavinka Paintedmount -80.0.0
saddle pad -1.0.0
riding saddle -10.0.0
large saddlebags -8.0.0
bit and bridle -2.0.0
40 lbs of feed -0.2.0
horse grooming kit -2.0.0
100 ft hemp rope -2.0.0
winter blanket -0.5.0
10 sq ft tarp -12.0.0

= total -117.8.0 gm

[Orin Fenix]

Orin was staring at the pony. The pony was unabashedly staring back at him. The pony’s name was Marigold. And Orin was going to be spending the next couple of days getting very well acquainted with Marigold. She was a plain, unassuming brown and small, but sturdy looking. Orin didn’t know anything about horses but Marigold looked as if she could shrug off a blow and keep going or walk through a storm and emerge on the other side none worse the wear. Also, there was a glitter in her eyes that Orin was afraid indicated intelligence. The owners of the Windmount Stables had assured Orin that Marigold was one of the most docile and placid mounts that were available for rent. There was no reason not to believe what they were saying. But Orin had a sneaking suspicion that the only reason Marigold was so patient was because she knew exactly what she had to do to avoid extra work. Orin was totally fine with that as long as Marigold didn’t take it into her head that throwing Orin off her back and fleeing into the wilderness was the best course of action. Not that there was anything Orin could do to prevent that beyond trying to become as good a rider as he could in as short amount as time as possible. Or Orin could try and bribe Marigold somehow. He’d heard that horses loved treats. Unfortunately, Orin didn’t know what horses liked and disliked and all of the food in Orin’s pack was for the travelers on this trip.

Orin had gotten here very early this morning, in the hopes that somehow that would make him into a better rider. Actually last night he hadn’t slept all that well, anxiety about the trip periodically invading his dreams and pulling him out of his bed, disturbing Ginger to no end. Finally, Orin had given up and came down to the Stables about two bells ago. He’d wanted to discuss of few key points with the owners of the stables. And now here he was, having a staring contest with a pony. Orin tried to review the little that he knew about horses. Some of it was information Orin had picked up growing up in the farming community of Mithryn Outpost. Most of it had come from the lecture he’d gotten earlier this morning from Serena and Ulliver. Mostly, Ulliver, since Serena had been busy and had delegated the task to her second in command. Ulliver had heard that Orin had absolutely no experience with horses, sighed, then proceeded to give Orin the most basic of lessons on caring for and riding a horse. ”Now, see, when you walk up to him, well her because I’ll be giving you Marigold, you announce yourself with a quiet voice. Horses don’t like surprises or loud noises, see? Next, you stick out your palm and let the horse sniff it.” Orin had done so and Marigold had thrust her nose into Orin’s palm and sniffed, then licked it a little. It had made Orin unexpectedly giggle. Under Ulliver’s direction Orin had scratched and petted Marigold on her face and neck and she had obligingly lowered her head to allow Orin to reach her favorite spots. As he tried to finally step away so Ulliver could show Orin a bit about putting the saddle on and off, Marigold had butted Orin in the chest slightly.

”First things first, make sure your horse is groomed before and after every ride. You take this brush and get out any bits of dirt that might have gotten in there. Next, the saddle itself. You put it on the horse’s back without the girth attached and with the stirrups tied out of the way. Slide it backwards, and that’s always backwards mind you, if you put it on wrong take it off and start all over again. Attach the girth, like so, and then swing it under and to the other side. Attach it there, and tighten it, snug but not too tight. If it’s right behind the horse’s front legs you’re doin’ all right. Drop the stirrups and you’re all set to go.” Ulliver had made Orin practice simply putting the saddle on and taking it off several times before he was satisfied. "Alright I've got other clients to see. You're a tall lad, shouldn't have trouble mounting. My only advice is to try and move with the horse and not bounce too much." Ullver gave Orin a jaunty wave and Orin responded with a sickly smile. Orin already had trepidations about this trip but it has been his idea in the first place. Besides, this probably fell under the try everything new at least once clause of his New Year's Resolution.

Orin grabbed one of the ropes hanging off of Marigold's saddle. It probably had a name, but Orin certainly didn't know it. He unlocked the stall and was about to lead Marigold out when a familiar figure a few stalls down caught his eye. He was about to call out to Isolde when Sayana and Aren walked into the stables. Not wanting to call too much attention to their group, Orin tugged at Marigold trying to get her to walk. Marigold gave him a pointed look and refused to budge. Orin sighed. It appeared that his bad luck with animals hadn't dissipated over the years. Orin had somehow been imagining that his time with Ginger would magically make Orin a better friend to all living things. Apparently, that was not how it worked. "Please, just walk to the front of the stables. You want to go outside right?" Something in his voice must've convinced Marigold since the next time Orin pulled she picked her way carefully out into the stable proper. Keeping his full attention on Marigold, Orin finally reached his friends and Aren.

Orin broke into a relieved smile. "I'm glad we all made it. Although, this is probably the easiest part of our journey so if we hadn't gotten to this point in a timely manner I would've been severely worried about the rest of the trip. Orin chuckled even though it wasn't funny because he needed to release some nervous energy. "Have you introduced yourselves? Sayana, Aren this is Isolde. Isolde this is Sayana and Aren." Orin nodded his head at each person in turn so they'd know who he was referring to, even though it was pretty apparent who each person was. But Orin was learning not to take chances when it came to first impressions. "So, are we all set? I mean, apart from horses for you two, of course. Just, we all brought the supplies we needed? And who's excited? I certainly am and the sky didn't have a cloud in it when I came in earlier. And...I'm babbling again aren't I? I think I'm just going to wait outside." Orin pulled on Marigold's rope, which he still didn't know the name of. This time, probably intrigued by the scent of fresh air she complied and Orin emerged into a bright sunshine that left a dazzling after image on his eyelids until his sight adjusted.

Receipt :

Three day horse rental = 30 gm

[Sayana]

Sayana caught sight of an older woman standing with a horse tied to the fence. When she approached, the dancer thought that she might be looking for some help but it soon became obvious that she was Orin’s friend. She certainly was a lot older than Sayana had expected. “Yes, yes. I’m Sayana.” The Eypharian replied with a smile to Isolde and offered out her mid hand to shake. “Orin mentioned that he invited a friend to come along. There should be room enough in the tent for you and I bought you an extra blanket and bedroll too.” When Isolde didn’t shake her hand right away, Sayana instead gave the woman a friendly pat on the shoulder. Perhaps she subconsciously noticed there was something a bit off with the woman and she took a second glance into her pale face, but perhaps she was just from even further north where the people might be even paler than they were here. It was around then that Orin arrived and made sure that everyone was introduced. “Yes, this is Aren my… my lover.” She put a friendly hand on the Akalak’s shoulder but inside she was troubled with the way she had almost referred to him. Just because she was having his baby didn’t mean he was… That required vows and everything. Was she even ready for that? Or certain of him? She forced her troubled expression from her face as Orin babbled about being ready and excited for the trip. “I’ll quickly saddle up a horse,” Sayana piped up and retreated swiftly to the barn where the horses were stabled. This was not her first time to the Windmount stables and one of the stable hands she even recognized. “Could you help me saddle up one of the horses? I’m looking to rent one for a three day trip.” Sayana asked the stable hand and provided the appropriate coin. He led her to a young stallion named Cinnamon and she remembered to brush it down before putting first the blanket and then the saddle over it. Sayana pulled the girth under the horse’s belly and cinched it up till it was buckled in snugly but not too tight. At the same time the stable hand helped her with the bridle and found a good sized set of saddle bags at her request. Sayana dropped down the two stirrups and led the horse out of the barn. The Eypharian then dug out some rope and cut it to an appropriate length to tie two of the bedrolls to the horse, just behind the saddle. Two seemed to fit comfortably without making it difficult for the horse. “Orin, could I put these other two behind your saddle? You can fill my saddle bags with any cooking related things you brought. The rest of my things are either in my backpack, which I’ll carry, or the rucksack with Aren, or well there’s the tent too.” She was too busy trying to make things fit to have remembered the tent that Aren was currently carrying. Regardless, she tied the other two bedrolls onto Orin’s horse, just behind the saddle and grabbed her backpack. “Aren, do you want me to tie up the tent to Isolde’s horse?” She wasn’t sure if the Akalak wanted to walk and carry all the things she had asked him to, but he sometimes surprised her and she thought it would be better to at least ask. If he agreed, she’d happily help tie it up, otherwise she’d mount up. Cinnamon was definitely bigger than Katelyn’s pony Sebastian, and it was quite a reach to get her foot into the stirrup. With a strong kick off from the ground she straightened her leg in the stirrup and swung her other leg over the horse. She let out a soft sigh of relief that she had gotten up just fine and then reached for the horse’s reins with her high hands and the horn of the saddle with her mids. “All set?” Sayana asked and waited for the others to get ready if they weren’t. “We should probably simply walk through the streets. No use trampling someone by mistake. Once we’re on the road then we can get going. We’ll follow it until the road forks. Then we take the middle path and carry on straight.” She had most of her crude little map memorized and had also gotten as far as the fork in the road, and even farther. But as proud as she was with her little diagram showing the main features of the area, she also could tell her drawing skills weren’t up to par and the others probably wouldn’t appreciate it as much nor have much confidence in it. Once she was sure everyone was ready, Sayana nudged the stallion into a walk through the streets towards the main gate. A few times she had to steer him away from clumps of grass or people he seemed to want to bother but for the most part he was decently behaved. It also helped that the other horses were going in the same direction. As she moved with the rhythm of his walk, she was actually rather glad she had taken the time to buy pants instead of wearing her skirt.

[Aren]

Aren nodded in reply to the elderly woman's greetings. She didn't seem one for handshaking, but he recognized when someone was making an effort to be friendly, as it was a technique the Akalak had often exploited in his travels. Experienced adventurers generally picked up such habits by virtue of needing to stay on favorable terms with the locals of a particular area, as they were often reliant on their knowledge and good will. This woman didn't look like an adventurer now, but perhaps she had once been. Maybe she was simply the friendly sort, but either way Aren always appreciated the effort a person put into maintaining a genial attitude when meeting someone new. Some people didn't even bother to hide their displeasure at seeing a stranger in their midst, which was really quite rude. There was something out of place about her, though. Was it the slight sluggishness of her body? Common amongst humans of the age Aren suspected this woman to be, he told himself. Was it the fact that when she spoke, her lips barely seemed to move? He couldn't really place it, but then again, people might have said the same thing about him if they caught him on an off day. Shrugging off the maddening sensation, Aren returned the woman's greeting in kind, not wanting to be accused of the very rudeness he tended to encounter, "Pleased to meet you, Lady Isolde. I'm A-" When the Akalak absentmindedly shifted to his infravision, however, the words caught in his mouth. It was a tactic he often used to help him gauge people's responses, and he applied it enough that sometimes he did it absent much thought, but he had never encountered a response quite like this. Mouth agape, the giant's golden eyes opened wide and stared at their new acquaintance in slack-jawed disbelief for a moment too long. What was he seeing? This woman, if that was even the correct term for her, was all wrong. The heat emanating from her body was... well, there was none. "It's like looking at a fish, "Aren couldn't help but think. "More like a corpse," And Seros couldn't help but chime in. They both knew that even fish generally retained the same temperature as the water they swam in, but this person in front of them reminded the veteran warrior more of a causality on the battlefield than anything with scales. Aren had heard of people like this in travels, men who were dead yet still walked. Magic, he concluded, snorting. There were perfectly valid reasons why people were afraid of it, and this was probably one of them. It was hard to overcome someone's fears and preconceptions of the subject when, within that subject, a power like this was contained. It was fascinating to think that a person might live beyond the time they were given, but even being a mage himself, the idea also terrified him. Fortunately, Sayana jumped in to cover for the Akalak's sudden and unceremonious halt in speech before too long. Aren didn't know how to react to this new found knowledge about this person they had just met, or what he suspected she might be, but his mind immediately turned to caution. He strived not to be a man who judged others on stories or gossip or body temperature, but he couldn't help but be concerned about taking a trip with such a creature when Sayana and his unborn child were in tow. "Well, at least she seems nice." Aren tried to rationalize and explain his trepidation away, but his brother refused to help in this respect, " "So do butchers, right before they bleed a pig." When the Eypharian asked him if she should tie their tent to the back of Isolde's horse, the Akalak immediately jumped, "No!" He half shouted, not wanting her anywhere near that silver haired facsimile of a person again. Not until he knew more, at least. Similarly, however, he didn't want the creature to know that he was onto it, "I'll carry it. It's no trouble." Aren said, his voice immediately lowering in an attempt to avoid raising suspicion. It would be cruel to mistreat someone on nothing but barroom tales and an admittedly uncommon physiology, but at the same time surprise might be his only advantage if its extermination became necessary. Deciding that simply acting normally was the best course of action in both circumstances, the Akalak attempted to behave as he'd be expected to and calmly walked next to the mounted Eypharian. His gaze couldn't help but dart in Orin's direction, though, as he wondered if the cook had any idea that his friend was more than she seemed. Hopefully, his suspicions were completely unfounded, and Isolde was a perfectly pleasant person, but right now she was little more than a potential source of danger in Aren's mind. This forced him to contemplate trying get the trip canceled somehow, but even if he could get Sayana to agree, only the truth would provide reason enough for Orin to do the same. As he had no idea how the thing in front of him might react to that news, however, the warrior decided to err on the side of caution. He'd just have to be vigilant, but he knew he couldn't do it alone. He'd have to confide in his lover when he got a chance, and perhaps she might even come up with a better solution than simply waiting for the thing to try to slaughter them all once they had succumbed to sleep. About NuitsIn my post I assume that Nuits are a noticeably lower temperature than most people since they have no blood and their organs don't function, but I couldn't find confirmation in the lore. They're classified as undead and they inhabit corpses, so I went with it, but if I'm wrong please tell me. I'll edit this whole damn thing lickety split... and weep silent tears of sadness to go along with it.

[Isolde Seibold]

The Nuit was greeted with two completely different responses. Sayana, Orin's friend, seemed nice, though Isolde had to stop herself from taking a step back when the Eypharian reached forward to pat one of her shoulders. Keeping away from most people was a learned habit, for her sake and everyone else's.

But the other, the one that choked off his greeting with a sudden surprised, sharp look... something about that look on his face made her want to take a step back even more.

Thankfully Orin showed up then, nattering as if nothing was amiss, and yet Isolde could feel that already something had gone wrong. The only explanation she could come up with was that somehow the one known as Aren knew what she was. And she was almost certain he didn't like it. When Sayana suggested that Isolde carry the tent on her saddle, he nearly jumped at the chance to avoid anyone getting close to her. Dismayed, the Nuit knit her brow, biting the inside of one cheek, and shot a glance at Orin. Maybe she shouldn't come. Maybe this was a bad idea. She didn't want to upset anyone... especially not the largest one there, who looked like he might be able to twist her head off her shoulders with his bare hands.

Undecided and now as reluctant to get close to Aren as he seemed to be towards her, she crossed back to her horse and on her second try --hup, hup-- managed to swing over onto the saddle. Gretta shivered, pricking her ears backwards at Isolde as the Nuit's slight weight settled upon her. She skipped sideways in a bit of a startle, but Isolde leaned forward to stroke her neck with one hand, muttering, "There, girl. Hold."

Perhaps the words had as calming an effect on her own nerves as they did on Gretta's. The horse chewed the bit, eyes still a little wide, but held still, and Isolde patted her again. Now that she was on the horse she felt slightly better --maybe because it made her taller than the Akalak?-- but she couldn't help her gaze from straying back to Aren again and again. Her hold on the reigns tightened as they began their short walk to the front entrance of the city. Purposefully, she tried to keep Gretta from wandering too close to the rest of the group, though she wasn't completely successful. The horse seemed to find comfort in being near the others, so all Isolde could do was try to steer her closer to Orin than to Sayana and Aren. Indecision rode with her the whole way.

It was as they were just pulling out through the front gates that the Nuit started tugging on Gretta's reigns, trying to get her to slow and stop. She didn't know if that was the right command or not but it must have been close, for the young horse snorted and swished her tail and came to an abrupt halt. Isolde looked over at Orin, the worry clear on her face, and her palms would have been slick with a nervous sweat if she'd been capable of it. Instead of letting her fear get the better of her, however, she simply cleared her throat and then called out, loudly enough that all of them should be able to hear, "Um... could you guys stop for a moment? Before I go any further, I... I have something to say."

Should they stop, she would wait for a bit for them to turn in their saddles --or on the ground, for Aren's case-- to give her their attention, though her nerve broke after a few ticks and she continued on. "I couldn't help but notice that--" she almost said Aren's name, but cut off at the last second, not wanting to single him out, "that there may be some d-discomfort with my presence here. I don't want that to be the case. Orin, I'm sorry, but if either of your friends aren't comfortable with me coming along, I think... I think maybe I shouldn't." She glanced at Aren, then Sayana, trying to gauge their reactions. Her heart would have been thundering should it still have a beat. "I a-am a Nuit," she said quickly, but at least she said it for once she would have tried to hide the fact. Actually not too long ago she would have tried to hide it. "But that doesn't mean that I mean anyone any harm or take pleasure in others' fear or uncertainty. So I can just turn back here, if you want. I can g-go back." The volume of her voice decreased as she spoke, the last sentence coming out quietly.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go on the trip, despite the dangers inherent in leaving the city walls. But more than that she didn't want to cause any trouble. So she said what she said and waited for what might be.

OOCYou're completely right in assuming Isolde has no body heat. ^_^ I always imagine her, even, to be slightly cold, though that probably just depends on the weather and how hot it is out.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin didn't miss Sayana's hesitation when she referred to Aren as her lover. Still she went inside before Orin got a chance to ask her about it and Orin was too busy trying to hold on to Marigold who suddenly tossed her head without warning. It took Orin a few ticks to get her back under control and by the time he did Sayana had gone to get her own horse. Marigold had just proved she was significantly stronger than Orin. That filled Orin with a great degree of trepidation for the upcoming trip. After all, if Marigold really tried to take off without Orin there wasn't much Orin could do about it. Orin would just have to trust in Marigold's common sense and good nature. However Orin couldn't think about it for too long when Aren stopped mid-sentence when he was introducing himself to Isolde. The Akalak looked quite uncomfortable all of a sudden although Orin hadn't spent enough time with the man to even consider what it might be. For her part Isolde seemed to shrink in on herself even further. What is with everyone this morning? Since when has a simple hello been so difficult? Orin knew something was wrong when he had turned out to be the most eloquent and sociable member of their party.

Orin was about to demand an explanation when he was distracted by Sayana's return. He looked at the saddlebags she was holding out blankly before comprehension dawned. "That's what those are for? That makes a lot of sense actually, I mean the horse, or well, pony in my case sure can carry a lot more than a human, ah, person sorry. Except for maybe Aren." Orin didn't actually know how strong the Akalak was. Certainly much stronger than Orin himself. Even Aren probably couldn't handle as much weight as a horse could. "Sure throw them up there. I've got a few items that can go in them too, if there's room of course." Taking the blanket from the picnic set he'd bought, Orin wrapped it around his jars. They'd probably be safer in the saddlebags then they would in Orin's pack. Orin watched Sayana to see how exactly someone attached saddlebags to a saddle. There was likely a simple technique, Orin just didn't know it.

Orin was about to get back to the topic of why everyone had acted so strangely earlier but Isolde mounted and was off before Orin could get a word out. If he wanted to have this conversation he'd have to get up on his pony. Orin stared at Marigold. Somehow the idea of riding a horse, or a pony in Orin's case, seemed a lot simpler in abstract than it did in practice. While the pony wasn't that far off the ground all things told, Orin was used to having at least some control over his own movements. On top of Marigold, however, Orin would only nominally be in charge and if for whatever reason the pony got it into her mind to go galloping off Orin wouldn't be able to do much to stop her. Still she stood there docilely enough. Orin glanced at the stirrup with just a hint of trepidation. However, Isolde was getting far away at this point and Orin refused to be held back by fear. Besides, riding a horse was covered by his be more adventurous and try everything new once New Year's resolution. And this trip was definitely going to stretch his social skills to the limits. So Orin placed his left leg in the stirrup and heaved himself up, throwing his right leg over Marigold's back. She flicked her ears back towards Orin and then forwards again but luckily didn't react anymore than that. Orin took a tick to find the right stirrup and slip his foot into it. Finally he settled down.

Without prompting Marigold set off. She seemed to be following the path of the other horses, which Orin was just fine with. He didn't know the first thing about horseback riding. If he wasn't still puzzling over everyone's strange actions earlier he would've done so already. Marigold's walk was fairly level, but Orin still bounced up and down quite a bit. Even the padding provided by the saddle couldn't prevent a bit of pain every time Orin came down. And this was just a walk. Orin had no idea how horseback riders dealt with a faster pace. It was going to be a long three days and Orin was going to be in a lot pain at the end of it. Still that was nothing new and hopefully it would all be worth it.

Orin was just figuring out the best way to sit to minimize the impacts when Isolde came to a halt. Orin listened to her remarks with a growing exasperation. "Oh for Sylir's sake...is that what this is about? Really?" Orin couldn't believe Aren and Sayana of all people were being so close-minded. Orin was conveniently ignoring his own initial response to Isolde's revelation about being a Nuit especially because he had gotten over the fear of the unknown relatively quickly. Orin bit back his first angry response and took a deep calming breath.

Twisting in his saddle so he could look at both Sayana and Aren, Orin finally spoke and there was still a bit of heat in his voice. "Don't be ridiculous Isolde you're coming with us. I would point out that this trip was my idea originally and therefore the person I invited should be very welcome and among friends. However Sayana put a lot of care and effort into planning all this and I wouldn't want to ruin that for her by being rude now would I? But if you don't go then I'm going to have to object to Aren coming on principle. After all Aren you're downright terrifying. You're a blue giant who is incredibly strong, has a great degree of martial prowess and on top of that flings about magic as if it were nothing. Sayana you're a six-armed sensual dancer from a place I never even knew existed before I met you. As for me, I'm a scrawny human with terrible social skills, a bit of an anger management problem when roused and a complete lack of tact and my own troubled past. Judging someone on what they are and factors beyond their control instead of their strength of character and their personality is just, well it's preposterous. So, give each other a chance? Or am I going to have to knock some heads together to make you see sense." Facing forward, Orin was about to ride off, still a bit angry but mostly afraid of their replies. He hadn't meant to reveal anyone's secrets. It had just slipped out. It was done now but Orin had been hoping to rob them of any thunder. However he was stuck here. "And this is great. I have absolutely no idea how to make this pony move. Add pathetic to my description." Actually, this last part was pretty funny. Orin had to chuckle. It seemed as if Marigold was telling Orin he should talk it out with his companions. His chuckle evolved into a full-bellied laugh before subsiding.

[Sayana]

Sayana was surprised by Aren’s sudden outburst about the tent but perhaps he had some other reason for wanting to carry it. Still, he seemed more tense than usual as they set out but she was glad that he kept close to her. As they passed through the main gates, Sayana gave a friendly wave to the knights on duty and was about to get ready to go into a trot. However, Isolde slowed to a stop and with a frown Sayana did the same and tugged gently at the reins. The stallion didn’t stop right away, as it too was anxious to get moving, so the Eypharian had to double back with a nudge of her knees to situate herself nearby the Akalak. As Isolde spoke, it was clear that she was nervous. Despite her attempt to skirt around Aren’s name, it only took a tick or two to realize it was Aren she was mostly referring to. The moment Isolde said she was a nuit, Sayana put a firm mid hand on his shoulder. “Hear her out,” she muttered and tightened her hold so her hand was more in front of his shoulder as if holding him back. Of course she would have no strength to actually do so, but the gesture was clear. All this time her mind was racing. She was assessing Isolde’s likelihood of posing a threat and at the same time trying to determine if her lover was about to attack her. Meanwhile she was racking her brain for what exactly a nuit was. Of course there were always rumors and stories but there were those sorts of things for all kinds of creatures. She nearly missed the rest of what Isolde said. The woman didn’t seem to mean harm and would have been incredibly deceptive if she was merely lulling them into a false sense of security. And then Orin launched into his speech. As she listened, Sayana watched the nuit with caution but mostly trying to figure out what made her different. She was pale and older, but clearly Aren saw something more. She attempted to shuffle her horse closer to the Akalak but without much success. When the cook briefly mentioned Aren’s magic, Sayana sharply interjected, “Orin!” With a glare she nodded towards the knights by the main gate who may or may not have been out of earshot. Several eyerolls later, Orin finally finished. “Orin, you are right about people getting along, but all that was completely unnecessary,” Sayana replied pointedly. “Aren, I would like to hear Isolde out. If you lay a hand on her… I don’t want to reconsider who will help me raise this baby.” Her voice was firm and the threat obvious even as she unconsciously brushed a low hand over her stomach. “And Isolde? Would you care to enlighten us… enlighten me about the nature of nuits and why so many consider that your kind would instill fear and cause harm?” She realized partway through that Orin and Aren likely knew of her race, but her voice didn’t waver in her firm questioning. “And if you don’t explain everything, and truthfully, Aren will be able to be able to tell me what you left out.” Whether or not Aren knew the nuit race fully, Sayana hoped that Isolde would be honest about it under the threat of being found out. While she would have preferred to be friendly and welcoming to the woman, she wanted to be sure that Aren’s strong sense of caution was unwarranted. And she hoped that the Akalak would have the sense not to reveal how much he did or did not know about her race until Isolde was done her explanation.

[Aren]

Well played, the Akalak couldn't help but think. He hadn't covered his surprised well or quickly enough, it seemed, and Isolde soon took the initiative to stop the party and "reveal" her nature to the group. If it wasn't for the fact that she had only done so AFTER Aren had found her out, it might have carried more weight. Instead, the creature's sudden forthcoming nature only served to make the azure warrior more cautious. The notion that Orin knew the truth of it surprised him, but the idea that he was too young and too stupid to be wary of such an individual did not. He clearly hadn't heard the stories of these beings, these nuits, snatching bodies for their own uses, and worse. He didn't have even the slightest inkling of how dark such a magic could be, and how outside the natural circle of life and death those who wield it must believe themselves. Of course, Aren himself didn't know much about it, except what his instincts were telling him. It could be this woman found herself in this situation through no fault of her own, and that she really meant them absolutely no harm. Yet, was that a risk he could afford to take? "Sylir wont save you when that loud mouth of yours gets you in trouble..." Seros hissed, Orin's revelation provoking an outburst Aren did not manage to control in time. It was at this point, judging by Sayana's recrimination, yet lack of surprise, that the darker Other came to the conclusion that it had probably been the cook who had told her about Aren's ability to wield magic. Yet, though he seethed to know that the boy had revealed his secret not once, but twice, Seros' anger directed itself more towards Sayana. They Eypharian had lied right to his face. Worst still, she lied right to his brother's face, a man who had bent over backwards in an effort to never do the same. He might have been vague or circuitous, he may have avoided the question or refused to answer it altogether, but he had never lied to her. And, while Aren was much too preoccupied with the developing situation to think about it overlong, Seros could feel his brother's disappointment. The most infuriating part was that he wasn't disappointed with his lover for lying over such a trivial matter, but rather in himself, believing he was at fault for not yet having earned her trust. "Next time you make him feel like this, I'll rip the heart from your chest and feed-" Seros snarled in a low, barely audibly voice, shrugging off the Eypharian's hand on his shoulder. Unfortunately, he had found enough strength for a second eruption as his furious gaze fell upon Sayana, before his brother cut him off. The Akalak's eyes softened considerably a moment later, and a sort of apologetic grimace replaced the obvious look of anger on his blue face. Swiftly returning his attention to Isolde, Aren couldn't help but secretly feel glad that that his brother could get so angry on his behalf, though he did not approve of who that anger had been directed at. Seros himself did not really seem to notice that he was leaping to the defense of a man he had spent an incredibly long time hating, but perhaps that was the nature of growth; it was a subtle thing, that often one did not notice as it was happening. Then again, maybe the pair just thought they hated each other, which was an equally encouraging notion. "I apologize, Lady Isolde, if I have given offense or in any way made you feel unwelcome." The Akalak offered a polite nod towards the person in question, but his hand had reached around his back and had been grasping the grip of his scythe from the moment she had stopped her horse. "Yet, I think you can understand why the fact that your body shares the same temperature as a corpse might be considered... unsettling. I assume that's why you didn't take Sayana's hand when she offered it to you." Aren attempted to be as diplomatic as he could be whilst not giving too much of the game away, but he also wanted to make sure his position came across without equivocation. "My concern, beyond the fact that you hid it, is that you so freely tell us now. In truth, I would hate to think of myself as the kind of man who would judge another by something they have no control over, but..." Pausing to give the impression that he knew (instead of merely suspected) that Isolde's condition was most likely born of magic and that, as such, she probably did have control over it, the Akalak continued after a brief intermission from the mother of his child, "You understand that the kind of man I'd like to be must now cede to the kind of man I need to be." Shooting a sideways glance at Sayana's belly, Aren wanted to aid Isolde in comprehending his meaning, and the reason for his caution.