“I’d be lying if I said I’ll miss yer charming company.â€
Bellows chewed on a piece of dried jerky as he leaned against the wooden post of the Dragonhead stables, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Despite the the fact that he was overseeing the preparation of the chocobos, once Roen had made her hurried exit from the inn, Bellows seemed content in letting the paladin do the rest of the prepping. When she did not deign to answer him, he snorted. “Or your persistent chattering.â€
Roen fastened the buckle of her saddle for the third time, pausing only when Goldwind let out an impatient quark as to protest to her forceful tugging. But the paladin continued in her double and triple checking of all of the equipment, while waiting for the rest of the company to exit from their abode. The small bowl of mushroom chanterelle that she had sampled in the kitchens still warmed her belly and her thoughts still swam with the lingering emotions of the talk she had with Gideon.
She was grateful for the cold morning winds that cooled her cheeks and calmed the slight puffiness to her eyes. She felt her mask of composure securely back in place by the time Edda and Gideon exited the inn, making their way towards their respective mounts with their bags in tow.
“The trip should not be too taxing and the weather should hold,†Roen greeted them without a smile, her tone businesslike. She spared Edda a single nod before squinting to the grey skies above. “Heavy snowfall has yet to start, with any luck, we may only see a light flurry.â€
The paladin paused in her task as she counted only two out of the three. She looked beyond Edda and Gideon towards the inn again. “Is everyone ready?â€
"Gideon is ready, yes, as to be expected." Edda looked back to Roen with a quizzical face. "As for Khadai, he should be, but I've not seen him. He knows we are to leave..." She turned to Gideon. "Did you see the Au Ra fellow at all? The tall, horned fellow, unusually brusque."
"I have oft heard of this individual, Miss, but have not yet encountered anyone by the description." The valet’s answer was calm and unruffled as usual. "If Miss so desires, I can seek him out?"
A sharp whistle caught all of their attention. "He's outside the walls," Bellows called out, jerking his head westward. "Communing with the snow or some nonsense. Best get on out there before there are more bodies laying around, eh?"
Roen gave the Hyur a pointed glare before she took the reins and led her bird out to the road leading west. She could not deny that she was relieved to part from the Midlander’s grating company. Edda and Gideon followed suit behind her, mounting their birds after fastening their bags onto the saddle.
Khadai had been easy enough to spot, he was sitting crosslegged in the snow with his eyes closed. The blued length of steel was secure in its harness, and on his back was the simple furred pack slung over his left shoulder. Gone were the borrowed clothing, and returned were the winter furs and leathers, and the metal spaulder covering an exposed arm. Roen was silently glad to see that his armor no longer bore the bloodstains from before. His pose seemed almost meditative, but he was quick to bolt to his feet upon their approach.
"The trek to Ishgard should not take more than a few bells." Roen nodded her greeting to the Xaela to which she was rewarded with a nod. An awkward moment’s pause fell between all of them as Roen glanced to the three gathered. She was not certain if they already knew each other and if she was the last one that was surprised by Gideon’s sudden appearance this morning.
The paladin finally cleared her throat. "So we will all be traveling to Ishgard together." She made an absent gesture at the two behind her. "I trust you all know each other?"
"No," Edda answered, shaking her head. She gestured to the man next to her. "Khadai, this is Gideon. He is my valet-" The noblewoman stopped abruptly, frowning. "He is... a companion of mine. Skilled, and knowledgable."
The valet inclined his head from atop the chocobo. "My duty is to attend to the mistress's needs as pertaining to more commonplace and routine matters. When the situation calls for it, I should be glad to receive sir's guidance on the navigational matters at hand--" He stopped shortly as the Xaela he was addressing crossed his arms and turned to face westward, seemingly eager to start their journey. Gideon gave a sidelong glance to Edda as if to wait for her response.
When Edda just gave Gideon an apologetic shrug of the shoulder and spurred her bird into a slow walk, Roen narrowed her eyes. Ever blunt and impatient, this Xaela. She too mounted Goldwind, clucking her tongue to start an easy relaxed stride. When she spoke her again, her tone was crisp. "Mister North is very knowledgeable and learned in all manners of etiquette and culture. Perhaps he can give you a few advice on what to expect in Ishgard?"
She ventured a glance at the valet. "That is, if you have anything that may be of assistance to someone completely new to the area. And the society."
"I shall engage in queries as they become relevant," the Xaela rumbled as he fell into long strides next to the three riders. "It is needless to ask without specific purpose."
Gideon nodded genially, apparently expecting such a response. "I shall endeavor to keep such knowledge at the forefront of my mind, should sir require it under duress."
The paladin let out a quick exhale through her nostrils. Her lips opened as if to protest again, before she closed them shut thinking the better of it. She always knew Gideon to hold his composure under almost any circumstance, and likely some abrupt mannered foreigner would be no different. She spurred Goldwind onward to take point.
As Dragonhead faded to a distant vision of white stones behind them, the sky began to greet them with a light flurry of snow. The whistling winds called from the mountains to the north and filled the silence as the three riders kept an easy pace. Khadai maintained long strides without any obvious difficulty, keeping up with the longer-legged chocobos despite being afoot. Occasionally he would break out into a short jog when his pace slowed in comparison, but otherwise he managed to keep in step with the rest.
It was when Roen could no longer see Dragonhead behind them that she turned to Edda. She tilted her head slightly to motion her forward. "Edda, may we speak...?"
Edda snapped to attention, seemingly lost in thought before. She gave the paladin a bewildered expression before nodding quickly. "Y-yes, of course," she said, her cheeks slightly flushing. She straightened in her saddle and quickened her bird’s stride to catch up to the paladin.
Roen pulled slightly ahead of the group, as if to distance their conversation from the men behind them. "I just... wanted to apologize. For before." The paladin kept her voice low. She only glanced to Edda for a short period of time, before turning her eyes back onto the road. "I should not have presumed things for you."
"No," Edda said succinctly, but it was not with malice. "You should not have. But it happens enough that I am quite used to it - it is safer that way, some would argue." The noblewoman too looked to the view ahead, but Roen could feel a sidelong glance returning to her.
"I understand," Edda continued, a smile in her voice. "It is only natural to be concerned for the safety of a dear friend."
The paladin released a white puff of breath through her nose, her gaze bowing just a little with a nod. "...Aye." Her own response was soft, pensive. She chewed her lower lip for a moment longer, pondering her next words.
When she spoke again, it was even quieter. "And I owe you more gratitude for..." The paladin glanced behind them with but a slightest turn of her head, but it was obvious who she was not quite looking at. She just pursed her lips and shrugged, leaving the rest unsaid.
"Naturally." Edda nodded. "I am happy to do favors for those who ask it of me. Though I would have done so without your prompting, truth be told." She paused and looked to face the woman fully, her expression muted, but sincere. "You need not worry. I will see to his safety."
Roen turned to meet the noblewoman’s gaze, and even though she did not say anything more, there was a sense of relief that bloomed within. She nodded again, sparing only the briefest of glances to those behind them before turning her attention back to the road.
That was when Khadai broke his silence. “Are the animals wont to leave meals unfinished?â€
The paladin turned to the strange question, glancing first at the Xaela then following his gaze to an odd sight off the side of the road. She spotted the flock of carrion birds circling the sky in the distance. That spectacle in and of itself was nothing out of the ordinary, but as her gaze drifted downward, the paladin found herself squinting.
Beneath the birds, there was an odd silhouette that stood out against the white snowy canvas. Something was protruding from the ground at a skewed angle, weighed by an object that was hanging from the top of the long shaft. She brought her bird to a stop, leaning slightly to try and get a better look. “No, they are not,†she muttered.
"Just a carcass from a hunt, perhaps." The noblewoman too was craning her neck to get a better look, but her tone was nervous, hesitant.
“Let me just check this out first--†Roen began, only to watch Khadai as he turned and darted off into a long loping run towards the scene in question. The paladin could only let out an impatient sigh as she watched his fur pack bouncing against his left shoulder, the Au Ra making a surprisingly quick pace through the snowdrift. She clucked her tongue for Goldwind to follow. She could hear Edda and Gideon following suit, although at a slower pace than her own.
When Roen caught up to the Xaela, it became obvious that it was no remnant of a hunt that they had discovered. A thick wooden stake had been driven into the ground, its sharpened end pointed to the sky. And from its apex hung a limp, lifeless body, impaled through the chest.
A pale horned female Au Ra hung from the end of the stake, her eyes lifeless, staring in frozen horror, and her mouth agape in a silent scream.
Bellows chewed on a piece of dried jerky as he leaned against the wooden post of the Dragonhead stables, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Despite the the fact that he was overseeing the preparation of the chocobos, once Roen had made her hurried exit from the inn, Bellows seemed content in letting the paladin do the rest of the prepping. When she did not deign to answer him, he snorted. “Or your persistent chattering.â€
Roen fastened the buckle of her saddle for the third time, pausing only when Goldwind let out an impatient quark as to protest to her forceful tugging. But the paladin continued in her double and triple checking of all of the equipment, while waiting for the rest of the company to exit from their abode. The small bowl of mushroom chanterelle that she had sampled in the kitchens still warmed her belly and her thoughts still swam with the lingering emotions of the talk she had with Gideon.
She was grateful for the cold morning winds that cooled her cheeks and calmed the slight puffiness to her eyes. She felt her mask of composure securely back in place by the time Edda and Gideon exited the inn, making their way towards their respective mounts with their bags in tow.
“The trip should not be too taxing and the weather should hold,†Roen greeted them without a smile, her tone businesslike. She spared Edda a single nod before squinting to the grey skies above. “Heavy snowfall has yet to start, with any luck, we may only see a light flurry.â€
The paladin paused in her task as she counted only two out of the three. She looked beyond Edda and Gideon towards the inn again. “Is everyone ready?â€
"Gideon is ready, yes, as to be expected." Edda looked back to Roen with a quizzical face. "As for Khadai, he should be, but I've not seen him. He knows we are to leave..." She turned to Gideon. "Did you see the Au Ra fellow at all? The tall, horned fellow, unusually brusque."
"I have oft heard of this individual, Miss, but have not yet encountered anyone by the description." The valet’s answer was calm and unruffled as usual. "If Miss so desires, I can seek him out?"
A sharp whistle caught all of their attention. "He's outside the walls," Bellows called out, jerking his head westward. "Communing with the snow or some nonsense. Best get on out there before there are more bodies laying around, eh?"
Roen gave the Hyur a pointed glare before she took the reins and led her bird out to the road leading west. She could not deny that she was relieved to part from the Midlander’s grating company. Edda and Gideon followed suit behind her, mounting their birds after fastening their bags onto the saddle.
Khadai had been easy enough to spot, he was sitting crosslegged in the snow with his eyes closed. The blued length of steel was secure in its harness, and on his back was the simple furred pack slung over his left shoulder. Gone were the borrowed clothing, and returned were the winter furs and leathers, and the metal spaulder covering an exposed arm. Roen was silently glad to see that his armor no longer bore the bloodstains from before. His pose seemed almost meditative, but he was quick to bolt to his feet upon their approach.
"The trek to Ishgard should not take more than a few bells." Roen nodded her greeting to the Xaela to which she was rewarded with a nod. An awkward moment’s pause fell between all of them as Roen glanced to the three gathered. She was not certain if they already knew each other and if she was the last one that was surprised by Gideon’s sudden appearance this morning.
The paladin finally cleared her throat. "So we will all be traveling to Ishgard together." She made an absent gesture at the two behind her. "I trust you all know each other?"
"No," Edda answered, shaking her head. She gestured to the man next to her. "Khadai, this is Gideon. He is my valet-" The noblewoman stopped abruptly, frowning. "He is... a companion of mine. Skilled, and knowledgable."
The valet inclined his head from atop the chocobo. "My duty is to attend to the mistress's needs as pertaining to more commonplace and routine matters. When the situation calls for it, I should be glad to receive sir's guidance on the navigational matters at hand--" He stopped shortly as the Xaela he was addressing crossed his arms and turned to face westward, seemingly eager to start their journey. Gideon gave a sidelong glance to Edda as if to wait for her response.
When Edda just gave Gideon an apologetic shrug of the shoulder and spurred her bird into a slow walk, Roen narrowed her eyes. Ever blunt and impatient, this Xaela. She too mounted Goldwind, clucking her tongue to start an easy relaxed stride. When she spoke her again, her tone was crisp. "Mister North is very knowledgeable and learned in all manners of etiquette and culture. Perhaps he can give you a few advice on what to expect in Ishgard?"
She ventured a glance at the valet. "That is, if you have anything that may be of assistance to someone completely new to the area. And the society."
"I shall engage in queries as they become relevant," the Xaela rumbled as he fell into long strides next to the three riders. "It is needless to ask without specific purpose."
Gideon nodded genially, apparently expecting such a response. "I shall endeavor to keep such knowledge at the forefront of my mind, should sir require it under duress."
The paladin let out a quick exhale through her nostrils. Her lips opened as if to protest again, before she closed them shut thinking the better of it. She always knew Gideon to hold his composure under almost any circumstance, and likely some abrupt mannered foreigner would be no different. She spurred Goldwind onward to take point.
As Dragonhead faded to a distant vision of white stones behind them, the sky began to greet them with a light flurry of snow. The whistling winds called from the mountains to the north and filled the silence as the three riders kept an easy pace. Khadai maintained long strides without any obvious difficulty, keeping up with the longer-legged chocobos despite being afoot. Occasionally he would break out into a short jog when his pace slowed in comparison, but otherwise he managed to keep in step with the rest.
It was when Roen could no longer see Dragonhead behind them that she turned to Edda. She tilted her head slightly to motion her forward. "Edda, may we speak...?"
Edda snapped to attention, seemingly lost in thought before. She gave the paladin a bewildered expression before nodding quickly. "Y-yes, of course," she said, her cheeks slightly flushing. She straightened in her saddle and quickened her bird’s stride to catch up to the paladin.
Roen pulled slightly ahead of the group, as if to distance their conversation from the men behind them. "I just... wanted to apologize. For before." The paladin kept her voice low. She only glanced to Edda for a short period of time, before turning her eyes back onto the road. "I should not have presumed things for you."
"No," Edda said succinctly, but it was not with malice. "You should not have. But it happens enough that I am quite used to it - it is safer that way, some would argue." The noblewoman too looked to the view ahead, but Roen could feel a sidelong glance returning to her.
"I understand," Edda continued, a smile in her voice. "It is only natural to be concerned for the safety of a dear friend."
The paladin released a white puff of breath through her nose, her gaze bowing just a little with a nod. "...Aye." Her own response was soft, pensive. She chewed her lower lip for a moment longer, pondering her next words.
When she spoke again, it was even quieter. "And I owe you more gratitude for..." The paladin glanced behind them with but a slightest turn of her head, but it was obvious who she was not quite looking at. She just pursed her lips and shrugged, leaving the rest unsaid.
"Naturally." Edda nodded. "I am happy to do favors for those who ask it of me. Though I would have done so without your prompting, truth be told." She paused and looked to face the woman fully, her expression muted, but sincere. "You need not worry. I will see to his safety."
Roen turned to meet the noblewoman’s gaze, and even though she did not say anything more, there was a sense of relief that bloomed within. She nodded again, sparing only the briefest of glances to those behind them before turning her attention back to the road.
That was when Khadai broke his silence. “Are the animals wont to leave meals unfinished?â€
The paladin turned to the strange question, glancing first at the Xaela then following his gaze to an odd sight off the side of the road. She spotted the flock of carrion birds circling the sky in the distance. That spectacle in and of itself was nothing out of the ordinary, but as her gaze drifted downward, the paladin found herself squinting.
Beneath the birds, there was an odd silhouette that stood out against the white snowy canvas. Something was protruding from the ground at a skewed angle, weighed by an object that was hanging from the top of the long shaft. She brought her bird to a stop, leaning slightly to try and get a better look. “No, they are not,†she muttered.
"Just a carcass from a hunt, perhaps." The noblewoman too was craning her neck to get a better look, but her tone was nervous, hesitant.
“Let me just check this out first--†Roen began, only to watch Khadai as he turned and darted off into a long loping run towards the scene in question. The paladin could only let out an impatient sigh as she watched his fur pack bouncing against his left shoulder, the Au Ra making a surprisingly quick pace through the snowdrift. She clucked her tongue for Goldwind to follow. She could hear Edda and Gideon following suit, although at a slower pace than her own.
When Roen caught up to the Xaela, it became obvious that it was no remnant of a hunt that they had discovered. A thick wooden stake had been driven into the ground, its sharpened end pointed to the sky. And from its apex hung a limp, lifeless body, impaled through the chest.
A pale horned female Au Ra hung from the end of the stake, her eyes lifeless, staring in frozen horror, and her mouth agape in a silent scream.
