Ssarak Dyreackthanose

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Being awoken early in the morning before a long day of traveling, for a moment, brought Ssarak back to his days of service as a warrior. It was a rarity for Ssarak to flashback to that part of his past without feeling some kind of emotional pain, but this time, it was a bit more nostalgic. Long marches were, of course, not particularly pleasant experiences, but he recalled fondly how his brothers and sisters in arms would try to make it bearable. He remembered the jokes, the arguments, the competitions, the pranks, and the general camaraderie they all shared. If there was anything he actually wanted to reclaim from his sordid past, that would be it. He chuckled to himself as they set out from the inn, wondering if Meirin was the type to enjoy a harmless prank. Or if she perhaps would want to go in together to play one on Alaira? [i]That[/i] would be a risky venture. 

Along the road, there were times where the scenery was interesting enough to capture their attention, but for most of the way, Ssarak passed the time with conversation with the others, being sure to keep his eyes and mind open to danger. As well, he held a mental conversation with Lyn on whatever topics could entertain her, since her spot in the caravan hardly had the best view. He was well-aware of how much small children hated to be idle, so for the convenience of the others, especially the caravan master, he was sure to keep her occupied. 

Toll bridges were a custom which Ssarak was completely unfamiliar with. Obviously, it was not something he had ever been forced to deal with. It seemed like it would be expensive to pay a toll every time one wanted to cross a river, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Bridges were necessary for trade, and they carried with them a cost to build and maintain. He trusted that the caravan master knew what he was doing, so Ssarak simply focused on his own task of watching out for danger, and looking intimidating. The first few bridges gave them no issue, but as they came to one in particular, Ssarak was suddenly much more on edge. The guards were noticeably more poorly equipped than the previous ones, and they themselves did not look too healthy. That, combined with the foul odor in the air, lended a strange feeling to the entire encounter.

As before, Ssarak trusted the caravan master to carry out the negotiating, but he was much more active in seeking out the potential danger. He did not want to start a fight if it turned out that his fears were mistaken, but he wanted to be ready. Telepathically, he instructed Lyn to stay hidden as he looked out with a sharp eye for anything out of the ordinary, and opened his mind to search for any thoughts that might clue him in to danger. He recognized that he was in a foreign land and might be ignorant of some kind of social norm, but as Meirin was a native of Djarkel, he reasoned that she might be able to confirm or eliminate his fears. [i]"Meirin, these guards...do you find they are acting strangely? This situation does not sit well with me."[/i] He asked telepathically, listening to her mind for a response.