[Center][b]Adrian, Maellinn, and Victor[/b][/center]
[Center]---[/center]

“...hello?…”

The word hung in the air. Only after a ringing silent second was it suddenly answered by a vicious snort. Two large black eyes stared at the intruders, unblinking. The eyes belonged to a jet black oxen. It’s hair was short and revealed a thick muscular body, unbridled by rope or restraint and with mighty horns fitting for such a strong creature. 

Suddenly a pile of hay by the wagon and ox erupted. Maellinn stumbled out, her hair tangled with dried grasses, and hay poking out of her clothes. Her face was wild, as if just awaked, and her eyes were tired. 

“Sorry,” Maellinn yawned as she collected herself, “I must’ve overslept.”

Blinking away sleep her eyes adjusted on the bizarre child and her companion. “The adventurer from the pub?” Maellinn quickly pointed at Victor. 

Victor was taken aback by the woman suddenly springing out in front of him. He nodded, still cautious over the nature of the meeting he replied: “Yes, that’d be me. The bartender didn’t exactly tell me much.” he then motioned over at Adrian “This is my uh- my companion.” Adrian peeked out from behind Victor and waved, not smiling. She approached the oxen warily, trying to extend a hand out to pet its velvety nose.

The ox snorted and stamped a hoof as Adrian approached. Maellinn quickly scooted between the young girl and the beast, "this is John, you'll have to excuse him, he isn't fond of strangers.." Adrian blinked and backed up, scurrying behind Victor again.

Maellinn's words trailed as she looked back at Victor, "but that's not what I asked you to be sent here for."

"I heard you are heading north," Maellinn explained, pointing up, "so am I. I also have a wagon, do you have a wagon?"

Maellinn peaked behind Victor, "because I do, one that can be shared."

Victor takes a moment in silence to mull over the situation and offer. His face contorts into one of deep thought, “You know… my first thought would be that you’ve got people waiting to rob us on the road outside. Because if that’s the case, we really don’t have much but my gear.” he thought out loud, giving her a once-over to try and dispel any doubts. Meanwhile, Adrian continued to peer thoughtfully at the oxen, not paying much attention to the conversation.

“Victor, bison,” she pointed out to him, making sure to tentatively motion towards the ox so he can truly appreciate it. 

Victor shot a scowl at Adrian, unsure of what point she was trying to make. “Yea- yes. I see it.” he said dismissively before turning his attention back to Maellinn. 

"If I robbed you, you could easily come back and report me to the city. I'd be easy to find, there are not a lot of lone women hauling baking equipment across Teldura with a single ox." Maellinn paused, "I'm more likely to be robbed --or worse-- than you in fact."

Maellinn leaned back against John, who stood unamused. 

"That's why I need you two," Maellinn continued, "I can't keep traveling alone in a world like this. I've been lucky, and I can only assume your legs are tired. It's nearly a fair deal, just toss a few coins on top of it and we have a square business transaction. You get transport, I get to sleep at night knowing I won't be--"

Maellinn's eyes squinted and she stared at Victor, "unless you're the type I should be avoiding, who would..." Her voice turned almost accusatory.

“No, no. We have no ill intent. I just have to be cautious. Especially now that I have to drag her around too.” he tried defending himself. “Who even are you?” he tried to redirect the questions back onto Maellinn.

"Maellinn, my name is Maellinn," Maellinn answered, her eyes flickering towards Adrian. "You mention your friend like I should be worried.” Adrian perked up at this and went about staring at Maellinn instead of her Ox.

“She’s foreign. At least I think she is. Had her dropped in my lap, i’m just trying to get her back to where she says her family is.” he explained, as briefly as possible. “And how much room do you have back there?” he nodded his chin up at the wagon.

“Could easily fit you two, I never ride in back for obvious reasons. Leg room may be cramped though, lot's of pans.” Maellinn walked over to the wagon and pulled back the canvas cover. 

While it was by no means a wagon you'd expect a team of horses to pull, it wasn't too small. The interior was plain and wooden, with pots, pans and other cooking supplies hanging from the ceiling and walls. A small clay oven was placed in the top front most left corner, taking up a good amount of space. A bag of clothes and bedding was stuffed in the other front corner, to which Maellinn directed their eyesight away from and to the much more spacious first few half meters of the wagon, fitted with benches along the walls to sit on, easily seating Victor and Adrian, one on each side.

“See?” Maellinn questioned, “not exactly the caravan of a bandit ‘neither.”
 
Victor nodded along as she described each part of her ride, becoming more and more convinced. He looked down at Adrian who had placed herself behind him again. “What do you think?”

“Bison,” Adrian repeated emphatically.

With a sigh, victor turned back to Maellinn. “And you don’t expect any payment? Again, I have little to offer.” he asked to reassure himself one last time.

“I mean, I [i]would[/i] like a little, since I'll be forced to sleep outside, but if you got nothing, you got nothing. Can't bleed a rock and I need company.” Maellinn answered, looking at Adrian with a slight concern. John snorted. 

“I’d like to pickup work on our way north as well. I hope you don’t mind the odd stop here and there… i’m Victor, this is Adrian.” Victor added, remembering he had forgotten to introduce himself. Adrian waved at Maellinn from her spot behind Victor’s back, still engrossed in the wagon and its beast of burden.

“I'm not in a rush, take as many stops as you'd like,” Maellinn idly waved back at Adrian, sporting a warm smile, “maybe toss a coin or two at the driver though, hm?”

“If you can spare it, from those jobs I mean,” Maellinn quickly added. She paused, “what sort of work do you do, anyways?”

She looked Victor over, “carpenter?”

“No, that makes no sense.. A traveling carpenter.” She mused to herself. 

“I slay monsters. From giant rat to haunted crypts.” he stated, almost bragging under the circumstances.

“Oh!” Maellinn exclaimed, her voice genuinely shocked and eyes wide with a certain wonder, “really!?”

Victor, surprised at her interest, replied: “Yes. Really. Apparently there’s a bit of work north as well. Do you mind if we put our belongings in there?” he added, flicking a thumb at the rucksack strapped on his back. Adrian looked up at Victor and wandered off, up the street and towards the tavern again.

“Oh! Yes, yes of course!” Maellinn hurried out of their way, “do you need to use a lot of silver? I hear there are some beasties that only die by silver. I don't have any silver though,” her voice turned from excited to apologetic, “sorry, I mean we could get some if you need to.”

Victors brows furrowed at Maellinn, unsure if she was truly this excited by the subject or taking him for a fool. “Some of them yes. Sometimes it’s just a boring ritual from a decrepit book.” he took slipped the straps of his rucksack off and lumbered his way to the back of the wagon to slot his pack into.

Adrian came back, leading Victor's horse by the reigns. “You forgot Victor 2,” she chided, as she set to work taking the saddle bags and pieces of assorted monster hunting equipment to squeeze into the wagon.

“Oh- yes. I almost forgot about the runt. He’s no mighty steed, but i’d rather tie him along if that’s fine with you.” he spoke to Maeillinn.

“We can eat him if he's too slow,” Adrian added helpfully.

“Oh, no…” Maellinn shook her head slowly, her voice soft “I don’t want to eat-- no, why?” 

She stared at Adrian with a look of friendly worry, “don’t go eating Victor 2.”

“He can come,” She looked back at Victor, “could help take some of the fuss off of ol’ John’s shoulders too if he is fit to help tug.”

Victor scowled and shook his head at Adrians comment but refused to argue. “If he’ll be good for one thing, then that’d be it.” he grabbed the reins off of Adrian and passed it onto Maellinn. “Your wagon. You know where to best put him.”

John eyed the horse with suspicion as Maellin lead Victor 2 to the head of the wagon. John snorted and Maellinn shot him a look, “oh stop it!” 

Maellinn easily hooked the horse to one of the wagon arms, using its saddle as a harness. She then called over to John by clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. John hoofed the dirt and Maellinn growled until, reluctantly, the ox stomped over to her. With a huff Maellinn picked his yolk off the ground and lifted it over him. She looked over her shoulder at Victor as she situated John, “I assume you want to head out now?”

“Absolutely. You know the roads here?” Victor moved to plant a hand on Adrian shoulder and physically pry her off of staring at the ox. “There room up front or you want us at the back?” Adrian made a little agitated noise as she is prevented from gawping at the animals.

“The benches in the back is fine,” Maellinn shrugged, “but if you want to sit up front with me, that’s fine too. As for knowing the roads-- I have a map!”

“Good enough. I’ll be up front for a bit. I think Adrian here could go for a few more hours of sleep.” Victor began guiding Adrian to the back to help her up into the wagon. Adrian continued to make agitated grunts of protest as she was guided into the back, but quickly quieted down when Victor absentmindedly tossed his cloak on her before making his way to the front beside the driver’s seat where Maellinn was wrestling a large map, hay still tangled in her hair. 

“Where to first?” 

“Eomanvale. Word is there’s plenty of contracts up there.” He nodded as he hoisted himself besides her.