He examined their surroundings as the female rustled through her belongings. The gentle bite of the cold breeze caressing his face brought a sense of familiarity so intimate that it was almost dangerous his mind. This was followed by a brief shake of the head, and a swift, practiced refocusing on the task at hand.
The onset of night brought about more inclement conditions, and a mild snowfall had begun, though it was barely noticeable as they had not yet reached a suitable elevation for drifts to build. The Xaela's viridian eyes shimmered as the remaining daylight evaporated to give way to an inky veil. He inhaled deeply, partaking of the air's frigid draught. The outcropping would provide an adequate aegis from the frost and the wind; several boulders seemed to have been strategically placed by a rockslide that had taken place within the last moon, if the displaced dirt near their new campsite was any indication. It was tucked away with a small bluff serving as an overhang, and it seemed that the crag as a whole was relatively isolated enough to be considered mostly safe. They were not terribly far from the road, but if the cloud cover maintained itself, then it would be difficult for one to spot them here.
Kasrjin turned his head to note the female having set up a ramshackle structure devised of refined leather, presumably a sort of personal dwelling. He gave a slight nod in approval; the female's slender and unmarred appearance belied one in accepting that she could survive in wilderness, but it seemed that she had obtained adequate preparation.
This was to be expected, to an extent. She was familiar with this continent. It would stand to reason that, knowing the geography, she would know what to prepare depending on where she was travelling. The Au Ra himself was rather comfortable despite the wintry conditions, even with the exposure that his tunic failed to cover. The temperatures were not overly harsh, though that was likely to change the farther up they went.
Having surveyed the area enough to his liking, Kasrjin retreated into the outcropping, undoing the straps to the harness that held his sword in place. The austere Xaela silently sat, his back against a straight surface that marked one of the boulders facing the road, his position somewhat left to that of the female's personal structure. He placed his sword such that the handle rested against his collarbone, the crossguard of the weapon residing beneath his chin, and the tip sunken into the dirt.
It was when Kasrjin settled himself into his position that he noticed the female handling two glass vessels and eyeing him curiously. That was a natural reaction, now that the Au Ra thought about it. He was a stranger to this land, having encountered one another barely a sun ago, and now bartering services such that the he might reach his destination.
He merely stared back, unaware of how hard his gaze was upon her. There were many questions he wished to ask the female regarding this land. A part of him desired the presence of Tsanai in this circumstance; she had already traveled to this land once, and she would have surely been capable of sorting through the other female's responses to discern the useful information, in addition to asking the questions that would obtain that information in the first place.
There was little subtlety or grace in the Xaela's speech as he spoke suddenly, his deep voice still containing that paradox of smooth gravel. "In what manner will I be fighting for you, and against what or whom?" It had been Kasrjin's mind since they'd enacted the bartering of services. The female had already begun acting in her capacity as his guide, but he had yet to provide an equitable return for such a transaction.
The onset of night brought about more inclement conditions, and a mild snowfall had begun, though it was barely noticeable as they had not yet reached a suitable elevation for drifts to build. The Xaela's viridian eyes shimmered as the remaining daylight evaporated to give way to an inky veil. He inhaled deeply, partaking of the air's frigid draught. The outcropping would provide an adequate aegis from the frost and the wind; several boulders seemed to have been strategically placed by a rockslide that had taken place within the last moon, if the displaced dirt near their new campsite was any indication. It was tucked away with a small bluff serving as an overhang, and it seemed that the crag as a whole was relatively isolated enough to be considered mostly safe. They were not terribly far from the road, but if the cloud cover maintained itself, then it would be difficult for one to spot them here.
Kasrjin turned his head to note the female having set up a ramshackle structure devised of refined leather, presumably a sort of personal dwelling. He gave a slight nod in approval; the female's slender and unmarred appearance belied one in accepting that she could survive in wilderness, but it seemed that she had obtained adequate preparation.
This was to be expected, to an extent. She was familiar with this continent. It would stand to reason that, knowing the geography, she would know what to prepare depending on where she was travelling. The Au Ra himself was rather comfortable despite the wintry conditions, even with the exposure that his tunic failed to cover. The temperatures were not overly harsh, though that was likely to change the farther up they went.
Having surveyed the area enough to his liking, Kasrjin retreated into the outcropping, undoing the straps to the harness that held his sword in place. The austere Xaela silently sat, his back against a straight surface that marked one of the boulders facing the road, his position somewhat left to that of the female's personal structure. He placed his sword such that the handle rested against his collarbone, the crossguard of the weapon residing beneath his chin, and the tip sunken into the dirt.
It was when Kasrjin settled himself into his position that he noticed the female handling two glass vessels and eyeing him curiously. That was a natural reaction, now that the Au Ra thought about it. He was a stranger to this land, having encountered one another barely a sun ago, and now bartering services such that the he might reach his destination.
He merely stared back, unaware of how hard his gaze was upon her. There were many questions he wished to ask the female regarding this land. A part of him desired the presence of Tsanai in this circumstance; she had already traveled to this land once, and she would have surely been capable of sorting through the other female's responses to discern the useful information, in addition to asking the questions that would obtain that information in the first place.
There was little subtlety or grace in the Xaela's speech as he spoke suddenly, his deep voice still containing that paradox of smooth gravel. "In what manner will I be fighting for you, and against what or whom?" It had been Kasrjin's mind since they'd enacted the bartering of services. The female had already begun acting in her capacity as his guide, but he had yet to provide an equitable return for such a transaction.
