Very quiet lately.
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Adrian, Maellinn, Victor, and Vathalar
The Road to Eamonvale
---
A couple of hours passed, tilting the midday sun and setting the sky into a deep and rich blue through the boughs of the trees and across the rolling hills of Eamonvale. Conversation had practically died the moment Vathalar had gotten into the seat. Adrian’s eyes could just about be seen in the back of the wagon - not once has she stopped glaring daggers into his back, barely moving a muscle. They had not stopped once since dawn, save to pick up the hitchhiker.
Maellinn sat tense at the driver's seat by Vathalar. One could tell by the look of her face that she wanted to say something, but whatever that might be was unclear. Her eyes darted from John to Vathalar back to John, the words of Adrian still ringing in her head.
“I killed a man,” she finally blurted out loudly, “well-- I didn't-- it was because of me, but--” she shook her head and looked at Vathalar, “if-- if you're hiding something or are just plain bad…”
She sucked up a nervous breath, unused to confrontation, “you best just tell us all now.”
Victor raised a hand and began rubbing his temple at Maellinns comment, trotting his mount along the driver's seat as they made their way through the countryside. “It’s fine, Maellinn. I was just suspicious of the man because…” victor paused, redirecting the rest of his explanation to Vathalar who was sat on the far end of the driver's seat bench: “- because frankly you looked and sounded like an escaped convict. What with the tired horse and all…” he finished by motioning at the slightly recovered horse on Vathalars side.
“Not listening Victor,” Adrian snapped peevishly. “You are not listening. He is a bad man. I can-...I can feel it.” She hesitated, shifting her weight and briefly looking away. One hand went up to scratch at her hair frustratedly.
Victor snapped back at Adrian: “Adrian- you’re being rude.”
“Rude?” Adrian glared at where she presumed Victor would be. “Stupid, stinky Victor!” She fished out some sort of root from her rapidly dwindling bag of edible plants and lobbed it towards him. Of course, the caravan’s canvas roof blocked the impact, so it made a dull thump and rolled despondently onto the trail through one of the gaps between the wooden framework and the canvas sheet. “You should know. You should know. You aren’t watching hard enough.”
To say that Vathalar felt uncomfortable would have been one hell of an understatement. Often it could be observed that humans seemed to have an instinct about noticing when they were stared at, however in his case he just knew it. It really didn't require much mental effort to calculate what Adrian most likely was doing back there. A small, but noticeable part of him was very tempted to just start yelling and tell her to shut up or he'd reveal the truth about BOTH of them, but the reaction to this was rather unpredictable.
"So, why am I bad ? If you are so sure about it why don't you tell why you think I am ? You know... I can perfectly understand Victor's explanation, but I haven't heard anything like it from you for the past few hours." Yes, she could tell the truth, but right now he was already fully dependent on the others not taking her accusations for complete reality. They were in Kron-Nesis. They could report him to the next guard and he'd be in enough trouble. Nothing would change about that when she'd tell what she felt. Additionally him not reacting to those accusations at all would probably also make him much more suspicious.
There was a loud clatter of pots and assorted monster-hunting equipment as Adrian lurched forward, both hands gripping the back of the bench as she thrust her head out right next to Vathalar. “Do you want me to? Do you want to try that?!” she barked, sneering at him. “You know nothing about us.”
John snorted loudly, and Maellinn seemed to sink back into her tense purgatory, her mind buzzing with thoughts and things to say.
“Adrian,” Maellinn finally managed, her eyes staring at John and her voice low, “why is the stranger bad?”
Vathalar's body twitched as Adrian suddenly approached him from behind. Yes, she was a very aggressive woman, but anyway he tried to give his voice a bit more of a cold sound. At least the best he could. "All I ask is that you stop claiming that I'd be bad in some way. I can assure you I am not. Not more than YOU are!" The latter was meant as a hint that probably only she could understand truly. The others would probably, and hopefully, interpret it a bit differently. More... harmless...
“Please leave,” Maellinn said shakily, her voice nervous from the sudden outburst from the stranger sitting next to her, “these- these are my clients, and my wagon.”
Victors eyes narrowed on Adrian, the cogs in his head turning as certain characteristics of the young girls behaviour began clicking together. He lumbered in silence as their argument went on before his face turned serious. “I think you should leave.” he said in agreement to Maellinn. “This will not work.” he added in a more aware tone.
Vathalar sighed. “Alright then…” he muttered sadly. “It appears that it’s pretty pointless to continue the debate. Now would you do me a favor and stop the cart so I can get on my horse again ?”
“Of- of course,” Maellinn lifted her chin, feigning confidence.
“Woah, John,” she called out to the ox, who promptly stopped. The wagon creaked to a halt. Adrian glared daggers at Vathalar as he mounted his horse and slowly trotted away, at which point she seemed to relax almost instantaneously. She slumped against the backboard of the bench and exhaled. “I am sorry, Maellinn. Bad man.”
“No, its okay,” Maellinn sighed. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath. Her posture slouched from her previous panicked position and she shook her head, “I trust your judgement, Adrian.”
“Get ye up!” The wagon began to move again, but this time with a lot less tension. Adrian wiggled on to the front bench and twisted around to peer at the retreating figure with a lot less intensity than she had before then turned to face Maellinn. “Who did you kill?”
Maellinn froze once more and started shaking her head as she thawed, “oh!”
“No-- no one,” she pointed the driving branch at John, “he did though.”
Maellinn paused, “it was a bad, bad man. I didn’t want to-- well with that hitchhiker-- what I mean to say is… I couldn’t imagine going through anything like that again, and, say he was a bad man, like the one John gored… it would be my fault he was here.”
“You say he is bad, he’s bad,” Maellinn nodded, “no one is going to be forced to be around those they don’t want to be on my baker’s wagon.”
“John is-...naked bison. Very gentle. But very angry. I understand,” Adrian nodded sympathetically, even going so far as to flash a brief smile to the driver.
“He is just defensive of his herd, that’s all,” Maellinn smiled back at Adrian, except her’s was much longer.
Victor grunted, kicking his horse to catch up to the wagon. “I think we should get to the nearest village and-...get our bearings,” he grumbled, giving Adrian a quick glance. “Animals need the rest. Maybe we’ll find work.”
Adrian nodded in agreement. She looked down at John’s back curiously and mumbled something about his distinct lack of hair before drawing her knees up and sitting cross-legged, watching the countryside slip past.
“Yeah, I think that’s a good plan,” Maellinn smiled contentedly, leaning back and letting her eyes follow the slipping horizon.
Adrian, Maellinn, and Victor
---
“...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 would 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.
@DinoNuts
“...Northwest in Dun Eamon…”
“...Even Kron Neiss...”
Maellinn’s ears perked, eavesdropping on the gritty voice of the bartender and his adventurer patron. She sipped loudly from a wooden spoon, letting the warm tomato based bisk run down her throat as she listened more. Admittedly the thought forming in her mind would have been best executed if she had done it then and there, but she couldn’t help but not focus. After every slurp she would stare back down in the red puddle of soup before her and pictured a grand adventure forming in its ripples.
By time she was satisfied with the ending of her day dream, she found the stranger long gone, having retired upstairs. She let the wooden spoon fall back into an empty bowl stained red and slowly excused herself from an otherwise empty table, and gently pushed in the chair. She straightened her forest green tunic and wiped dust from the lap of her dark woolen trousers.
Tugging blonde hair from her otherwise plain, yet warm and friendly face, she tied it in a knot behind her head using a leather strap. And with finishing her primping with a gentle clearing of the throat, she spun on a booted heel towards the bartender. Casually walking up to the hairy tree trunk of a man she smiled. The man gave her a obligatory smile and tucked away the washcloth he was working with.
“Gettin’ late, ma’am,” He not so carefully reminded her.
“I know,” Maellinn nodded, “could you, in the morning I mean, let that adventurer type you were just talking to come my way?”
“Sure…” The bartender trailed his words, “come your way? Aren’t you renting a room?”
“Oh!” Maellinn shook her head, “send him to the stables at the end of the street, tell him it’s really important.”
The disgruntled bartender picked up his clothe and started rubbing down the bar once more, no longer interested, “sure, whatever, lady.”
Maellin placed a few coins on the bar, accidentally smudging the wax. The bartender just stared at the coins with a festering annoyance. Maellinn smiled and slowly backed away, “once again, thank you!” She spun and walked as quickly as she casually could out from the tavern.
Bradle’s Worth Tavern
Maellinn
“...Northwest in Dun Eamon…”
“...Even Kron Neiss...”
Maellinn’s ears perked, eavesdropping on the gritty voice of the bartender and his adventurer patron. She sipped loudly from a wooden spoon, letting the warm tomato based bisk run down her throat as she listened more. Admittedly the thought forming in her mind would have been best executed if she had done it then and there, but she couldn’t help but not focus. After every slurp she would stare back down in the red puddle of soup before her and pictured a grand adventure forming in its ripples.
By time she was satisfied with the ending of her day dream, she found the stranger long gone, having retired upstairs. She let the wooden spoon fall back into an empty bowl stained red and slowly excused herself from an otherwise empty table, and gently pushed in the chair. She straightened her forest green tunic and wiped dust from the lap of her dark woolen trousers.
Tugging blonde hair from her otherwise plain, yet warm and friendly face, she tied it in a knot behind her head using a leather strap. And with finishing her primping with a gentle clearing of the throat, she spun on a booted heel towards the bartender. Casually walking up to the hairy tree trunk of a man she smiled. The man gave her a obligatory smile and tucked away the washcloth he was working with.
“Gettin’ late, ma’am,” He not so carefully reminded her.
“I know,” Maellinn nodded, “could you, in the morning I mean, let that adventurer type you were just talking to come my way?”
“Sure…” The bartender trailed his words, “come your way? Aren’t you renting a room?”
“Oh!” Maellinn shook her head, “send him to the stables at the end of the street, tell him it’s really important.”
The disgruntled bartender picked up his clothe and started rubbing down the bar once more, no longer interested, “sure, whatever, lady.”
Maellin placed a few coins on the bar, accidentally smudging the wax. The bartender just stared at the coins with a festering annoyance. Maellinn smiled and slowly backed away, “once again, thank you!” She spun and walked as quickly as she casually could out from the tavern.
---
---
Is this still open?
Interestiiiiing.
I'd be interested in being the God/ess of Sleep and Dreams.
I'd be interested in being the God/ess of Sleep and Dreams.
@POOHEAD189 Yeehaw.
Is there room for more?
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