"Chalk another win up, boys!" [Klezmer]

[DaGlobster]

"And the ides...something something..."

Herrick leaned back in his saddle, Thunder shifting to accomodate the change in Herrick's positioning. He was idly muttering a tune to himself, bored with the passage so far. Sure, the jungle was nice enough, but passage to and from Zantaric via the jungle roads was never really known for its scenery.

Thunder, a large black shire stallion, huffed through his nose at an almost constant pace. He wasn't too fond of the jungle's heat, but the tough bastard had been through much worse. It was the humidity, really, that was the problem.

"Ever changing..ever...flowing? Flowing..."

[Klezmer Gryphon]

((OoC: @DaGlobster ))

There was something about the jungle that always made Lena feel good every time she walked through. Although the jackal wasn't particularly known in Zantaric for her love of nature walks, she  always made a point to take the jungle trail whenever she was coming back from a long spree of banditry. Today, however, Lena just felt an urge to be amid the life and vibrancy of the rain forest. It's always nice this time of year she thought, taking in a deep breath of the humid air.

It was only mid afternoon by the time she found her little grove. Draped by vines and leaves with only an ancient, barely visible dirt road, it was a perfect spot to get away and relax for a few hours. Taking her rapier off and leaning it on a boulder to her immediate left, she reclined against a large tree, intent on taking a short nap. Instead, however, her acute hearing, a blessing and a curse at the same time, picked up the faint clopping of hooves on that old dirt road.... Who the fuck followed me out here?

[DaGlobster]

Herrick blew some air out of his mouth, up into his face. He'd been on the road for too damn long, by this point. The last time he'd truly stopped was when he departed Essyrn, heading down to Zantaric. He had to get something to a very specific fence. A fence that could mean two weeks of relaxation for Herrick!

Thinking about his short, upcoming vacation, Herrick spurred Thunder, who snorted derisively as he picked up into a trot.

"Come on, Thunder. We'll just do this one thing, and it'll be sandy Thanati beaches for two weeks. Bear with it, big guy..."

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Lena almost groaned at the thought that someone actually managed to follow her, although, as the hoof falls came closer and closer, she gave the sound another listen.

"They're not coming from Zantaric..." the jackal noted, raising herself onto her feet, "which means someone either has business, or is hopelessly lost out here..." The latter part of her sentence brought a sly grin to her face; if there was one thing she loved more than nature walks, it was her day job. Poking her head out from behind her tree to get a better look down the trail in the direction of the hoof falls, she swore she heard someone speaking. Maybe today might actually prove to be fun... she thought, her tail swishing from side to side as she took her sword in hand.

[DaGlobster]

Herrick was oblivious to the anthropomorphic jackal woman alerted to his presence, and Thunder was too busy snorting and huffing about the heat and flies to sniff her out with his nose.

The pair of them continued on their way, rounding a bend that led to a particularly long stretch of straight road. Herrick started drumming out a beat on the hilt of his rapier, glancing out to the sides in a bored manner.

What I wouldn't give for something to do right about now...

[Klezmer Gryphon]

From her hiding spot behind the tree, Lena could make out the rider rounding the bend in the road. A cloak, leather armor, and presumably a sword of some type. His gear wasn't anything new to the jackal and certainly wasn't worrying for her. The blade now in her hand had killed knights in full armor, so leather would be like cutting through butter. With a smile spread wide across her lips, she step out from her hiding spot....

And sheathed her rapier, setting it gently against the boulder once more. I've got plenty of dead enemies, why not  make a new friend. she thought, genuinely smiling as she approached the rider, walking slowly up the trail towards the rider and his horse.

[DaGlobster]

Herrick, although he was bored and slightly distracted, straightened up immediately once Lena came into view. Thunder halted in place for a few seconds, before Herrick urged him into a slow walk. At first, Herrick considered drawing his sword and getting all defensive, but this woman was unarmed.

Still, this didn't rule out that she could be a mage, but if she was a mage, his sword wouldn't do him much good anyways.

Cracking his usual smile, he crossed his arms, steering Thunder with his knees.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" Herrick called out.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

The warm smile beamed across the jackal's face as she stopped within a few feet of the horse and it's owner, hiding beneath it a bit of regret for wanting to rob this guy just a few seconds earlier. But, regardless of how she felt, she still had a conversation to keep.

"I couldn't agree more. Lovely day indeed," Lena replied, scratching the back of her head, "You wouldn't happen to be heading to Zantaric, would you?" With that, she slowly turned around to retrieve her rapier. If anything, if she wasn't going to rob him, she may as well get a ride back to town.

[DaGlobster]

Herrick nodded.

"I am, as a matter of fact," Herrick said, and adjusted himself a bit on the saddle. Despite his friendly exterior, Herrick was watching Lena very closely. Although this didn't particularly smell like an ambush, there was always the possibility.

She seemed amiable enough, though!

[Klezmer Gryphon]

As her sword once more rested at he hip, a familiar sense of security returned to the bandit's mind. Despite the man's friendly demeanour, there was still the possibility that he could be hiding something. Regardless, she needed a ride back into town and it was always safer to travel in pairs in the jungle. Looking back at her new traveling companion, the jackal smiled again and walked back towards the horse.

"Well, hopefully you won't mind a little company..." Lena replied, setting a foot in the stirrup in the saddle. With a firm heave, she lifted herself up and into the seat behind the rider, not particularly caring whether he actually did mind her tagging along.

[DaGlobster]

"Oh, hardly!" Herrick chuckled, waiting for Lena to get properly situated before he stirred Thunder back into a walk.

"It wouldn't really be proper to just leave a lady out in the jungle. Besides, I could use a little company."

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Lena couldn't help but chuckle at the man's statement as she sat down in the saddle. If she ever got the chance, the jackal would show him that she was anything but a well mannered lady. Although, sitting snugly in the saddle, leaning against this gentleman, the bandit couldn't help but like one of those pompous noble brats she so often held up on the highway... This feels so odd... And yet so nice at the same time.

"So, what can I call this dashing gentleman who just so happened to come along?" she asked with a laugh, leaning a bit closer to her newfound companion as the horse started its trot once more.

[DaGlobster]

"Herrick. Herrick Tavish."

Herrick knew this random wanderer of the jungle was probably not a proper lady, but it's not like it was a bad time to be a bit humorous. Herrick shifted as Lena moved in closer, trying his best to accommodate them both on the single man saddle.

"May I ask yours?"

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Herrick's name didn't ring any bells in Lena's mind, which was probably a good thing. Had he been some well known highway robber, like she was, it would have been all too easy to snap his neck where she was sitting. Even so, he seemed nice enough and didn't quite come off as the robbing type... But that's what everyone said about her before she held them at sword point for their money.

"You can call me Lena," she replied, her voice getting a little sultry as the horse walked along. She wasn't sure why, but she found this stranger whom she had only known five minutes to be quite attractive... And they weren't even the same race! Oh well... It doesn't matter.... the jackal thought as she slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. It'd be a nice ride home...

[DaGlobster]

Although Herrick was facing forwards, towards the road, he still found himself raising an eyebrow a Lena's voice took on a different tone. It was rather odd and jarring for him, although the idea of an anthropomorphic animal woman coming onto him was not completely foreign to him.

What happens in Kunata, stays in Kunata.

His eyes darted to the sides of the road, and he found himself on guard, an instinctual reaction, given how sudden this was. Lena wrapped her arms around his waist, and Herrick calmed himself down.

"So, were you taking a walk out here, Lena?"