Spirits of the Earth

Ah, the land of Serendipity.

He didn't know what he liked about it best. It wasn't the fact that his biological father lived here and was in charge of a merchant town. It wasn't because it was the most economically prosperous place to be a merchant. It wasn't because the land was so free and open either. There was just something magical about Serendipity. Maybe he got into character too well. Damari was a very open and simple fellow most of the time. However, he was the only one around for what he assumed was leagues around. It was just him and his little caravan with two horses. Other than that, it was just the three of them. His usually tied up tunic was unlaced, allowing the wind to cool him off under the sun. It wasn't unbearably hot but it was still a nice breeze. He lounged on the driver's bench of the wagon, one hand on the reigns, the other was holding onto a beautiful mahogany pipe with a gold band around the rim. He puffed at pipe in a rather bored manner; his subtle green eyes were half lidded as he simply looked out over the rolling land.

Oh yes, he was bored.

He took a small inhale from the pipe before dumping the contents into a small metal bowl attached to the bench. Better safe than sorry he always said. Exhaling the smoke he pulled on the reigns to the side, making the horses pull over toward the side onto the grass, away from the simple dirt road. It was time for lunch! His wagon was mostly empty, he had already sold a lot of his wares, but he had kept what he had wanted to travel with. Mainly his wagon was full of food supplies, pieces of wood, his bed roll, a few pillows, and a few different clothes that he could give away to people along the way. Usually silk garments he could bribe a few guards with, no one really said no to the prized garments.

The horses were uncoupled and he set up a small trough for them, filling it with water before he cleared a spot for his fireplace. Most merchants couldn't understand how he did it, how he could possibly travel on the road alone, doing everything for himself. Truth was, he enjoyed it, and he even got a little annoyed when there was another person trying to help him. He was perfectly capable however of doing this stuff himself, and after having been a bit of an orphan...well, he was used to being on his lonesome, and he didn't mind it. He did like a bit of conversation however, and the horses weren't very good conversationalists.

He set up his fire and got it roaring, though he used a bit of pure alcohol to help get the fire going. It worked very well actually.

With the fire going he fetched his cooking pans and his food, which had been properly preserved to make it last. He threw on a thick piece of pork and sighed as the smell wafted to his nostrils. Oh Gods it was absolutely delicious smelling already, and it had just started. With the pork steak cooking he fetched himself an earthenware jug of ale, as well as a small cup. He didn't want to get drunk, but something to wet his whistle. "How're you doing over there boys?" His tone was rather cheery as he looked to his horses, which were currently lazily grazing. He could trust them, they had been through a lot together, and they knew not to wander very far. They'd stay away from the fire perhaps, but they wouldn't run away or wander too far from his wagon. It was nice to have such loyal creatures.

The man had a long thin fork he was using to poke the steak with as he reclined in the grass by the fire. Ah yeah, this was calming really, and there was nothing finer than relaxing after a pretty nice week of selling his wares.  "I should have spent more time talking that nice lass at the tavern..." He sighed regretfully as he thought about it now. She had been a rather comely woman, and he would not have minded getting to know her better. Alas, he had moved on too quickly, wanting to go to the next village and rid himself of the rest of his wares. He'd have to go back there one day soon and see if she was still without a man.

He chuckled impishly to himself before sitting up and flipping his pork steak over, and taking a small sip of his ale. He honestly had no care about the smell wafting anywhere. In his mind he didn't see there being any trouble, he didn't think that there might be anything around to smell it. At least, not anything that would be bold enough to venture near the fire. Sure it was broad daylight and all, a time when most animals weren't very active, but he had known of a few very brave creatures before.  He smiled to himself as he watched the cooking steak, inhaling the fragrant aroma. It made his mouth water, and he couldn't wait till he was able to dig into it. You just had to be very careful when cooking it, or else you could get sick...or when one of those worms. Yech. A danger, and delicacy pork was.

The ale wasn't a bad way to wash everything down with though. This was a fine batch. Now was just a time to relax and enjoy the ale and wait for the pork to finish.

(Up early as I had to send the mate off to work, so let me take a stab at this.)

The cliffs just above Featherfall were a place called home, where one could easily overlook the plains and small forests that rested below.  It was a much preferred place for a small giphen to rest, away from the noise, clutter and overall excitement that the humans seemed to possess.  She'd seen them before, traveling in large packs just below her aerie as they made their way north toward Connlaoth, but had never approached them.  Too much trouble, she'd told herself many times before, knowing all too well of their fight or flight nature.

That's not to say that she had no interest in them.  In all truths, there were many questions she'd wanted to ask them, but had been too afraid to approach such a large group before.  What do they eat, what is their place within the ranks of the pack?  AND why do they have to be so loud!? she hissed, woken too early and yet too late to return to her sweet slumbers.

With a growl and click of her beak Luna rolled onto her paws as she lazily got out of bed.  Mmmm, need to get more . . . she thought to herself, referring to the many furs and blankets she had used to make her nest.  It was amazing how many careless travelers there had been in the past, leaving good furs and small cloths out in the open for anyone else to take.  Of course, seeing as she was really the only other being out here, she dismissed the foolishness and happily made claim over the soft bed stuffs.

That was one thing she seemed to have in common with the pink skinned humans, the love of sleep and a good nest.  Even when traveling, she'd noticed that they took their beds with them!  It was something she'd likely do herself if she could find away to move all of her belongings at a single time, but she was happy with where she was and refused to budge so it really did not matter all that much.

The sun was already reaching a point that could easily filter into her aerie, making it about midday if she had to guess.  Tormenting growls came from under her feathers and fluff as she padded to the entrance of her abode.  Soon, she reassured herself, gently rubbing her stomach.  

It'd been too long actually, the last few weeks being mostly off of fish and game too small to offer much in way of nutrition.  Have I lost weight? it was hard to tell and not really something that concerned her.  She was hopeful that today would be a little better, perhaps allowing her to gather up a meal that she could savor instead of the usual scarfing.

Opening her wings, she allowed the warm breeze to catch them, gently playing with her primaries; it'd have to be quick.  Looking down at the valley below, she tried to decide where was the best place to start her overall scan.  She kept a mental map of most of Featherfall at the back of her mind, knowing where she had gotten a good meal and returning to those areas first before digging into small burrows and warrens.    

Leaping off the sun-warmed ledge, Luna took one of the updrafts and glided softly as she looked down below.  Her eyesight was exquisite, allowing her to see small details even from a high such as this.  What's this? it seems there was not a pack of humans, but just one traveling on their own out here?  Surely they must be mad or lost . . . probably lost. she decided as she tried to make out what details she could.

There was a man, two beasts alongside him and what looked to be a moving box.  He was traveling, far as she could tell, but she kept a fair distance while tailing him from the sky.  Most never looked upward and if he had, she likely would have been too far to be more than a spec to his eyes.  Luna watched eagerly as he pulled off the trail the humans walked, taking care of his beasts before gathering a few items from the large box.

Dipping under a warm current, she glided downward ever so gently.  He may not notice me, but those beasts surely will if I do not do this right. she'd hunted many times before and with much success, so why did this one make her so nervous?  Why is he traveling alone?  Perhaps his comrades are inside the box? her instincts said no, but she was still very cautious of even a single human.

The man rolled back on his heals as he tended to something now placed over the fire.  The delicate smells easily wafted toward her and she took them in greedily.  That smells wonderful! she was getting careless, her hunger having taken over her normal senses.  Unable to think straight and just as unable to pull away now that she was this close, Luna glided downwind from the beasts and tried best as she could to hide from the humans sight.  Ahh, this moving box will do nicely.

(Wow, so sorry for the long post.  Hope it is okay, still rusty.)

((Tis a perfectly fine post! I'm sorry my intro post was so short T_T))

There was, as far as he knew, no one around him, no people to bother him, no one to ask him a question, or to hear him as he began to sing to himself. It wasn't that he was drunk though, no, being drunk meant you'd take a leave of most of your senses, but instead, this was more just because he could. After all, the horses were the only ones that could hear him. They didn't really seem to mind his singing either. Though, if he hit a few off-key notes the horses would look at him a little strangely and he'd lower his voice a tad in shame.

Alright, maybe the drink was affecting him just a smidge, but still.

He was looking forward to his pork steak.

The man got up and went to his wagon, getting out a few small ceramic jugs with cork stoppers in them. Spices to make the pork steak all the more delicious. He also grabbed a plate, a fork, and a small knife for when it was done and returned to his fire to cook once more.

He began to add some of the spices, taking the stoppers out of the earthenware jug and sprinkling it lightly onto the thick cut of pork. It only added to the smell that wafted into the air. The light breeze no doubt carried it on the winds. Once more he was grateful to be on the grasslands, away from forests and all the creatures that might lurk there. He'd have a cold cut meal if he had been near there, fearing a bear or wolf might appear. Out here though, he couldn't imagine what there would possibly be to fear.

He'd be able to see things come for leagues away! At least, that's what he thought. He had pointedly forgot about flying things, because he never really encountered them, and mostly his thoughts of flying things were about crows or eagles. Normal birds that never really interacted with a person.

Time dragged on, his pork steak was cooking nicely and the fat sizzled in the pan. Soon he was able to remove the pan from the fire and place the pork steak onto his plate. He set the pan aside in the cool grass, letting it cool off. He'd have to get a small soap cake later and some water to clean it, but he'd do dishes after he finished.

For a man with wealth, he noticed how lean things were for him. He didn't even have a chair, nor did he have any fancy silverware. He never saw the need for it...because really, plain metal silverware and ornate gold and silver utensils did the exact same job. A chair cost money, but sitting on the grass was free. He chuckled to himself at that thought before he began to cut into his meal. He carefully checked the temperature of the inside with his finger. Oh yes. It was cooked. He brought his finger up to his mouth and sucked on it, trying to cool it off and to get the delicious juices off of it.

He cut himself a small piece and popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes as he savoured his meal. "Mmm...MMMM! By the Gods I can cook." Maybe it's because he skipped breakfast, or the spices, or the fact he had been cooking all his life, but one of those factors made this pork steak the most delicious thing he'd had for a while. Though, it was a little warm, nothing a quick swig from his cup of ale wouldn't fix. "How about it boys? Your grass okay?" He asked his horses as he looked over to them, both of them had taken to lying down. One let out a soft neigh at him and he nodded. "Good, glad you liked it." He had no idea what it had said, or if had said anything at all. He expected horses to have some form of intelligence, and who knows, maybe they could understand basic common in some way. Not to the degree of knowing the exact words, but they understood tones.

He shook his head, clearing those particular thoughts away. This was not a time to be discussing the idea of animal sentience with himself. It was time to enjoy his pork steak.

Luna crouched low as the man walked back toward the box that she was cowering behind, watching silently as he pulled what seemed to be some form of tools from out of the one side.  Inquisitively she watched him, trying her best not to churr softly to his own singing.  Better be careful, else you'll get caught! she warned, but the urge to join in was rising.  She'd not converse, nor had she sung with another in many moons.  One could only take so much of their own voice, even singing before they tired of it.

Curling her talons, she dug them into the soft earth and bit her tongue, trying the best she could to not draw attention to herself.  Though, she wondered, how long before her stomach growled again?  Surly he would be able to hear something like that!  It was embarrassing how hungry she was and how terribly she wanted to snatch his food.  Lunedera did not really care for the well being of others, especially of his own kind, but something kept her at bay.  It would have been easy enough to slip in and take his meal from under him, leaving the man in a stunned stupor while she made off with a well deserved and much needed meal.

Well girl, go and get it . . . she ordered, wings tucked tightly at both sides.  She could not move . . . something had overcome her hunger.  {i]No, it cannot be . . .[/i] she bit back I cannot be that desperate for company, can I?  That must have been the reason, and how foolish it was.  A giphen taking on the company of a human type?  It was an absurd thought, one she would have immediately dismissed in most circumstances.  This was different . . . yes, she'd not had a good conversation in a very long time.  She longed to hear another's voice, she wanted to listen to him.

Sheepishly bashful and embarrassed, Luna admired him for his singing, for the companions that he kept with him, the smells coming from his dish and also hated him at the same time.  How dare he eat something like that in front of a starving creature! she tried to bite back, to hold her breath . ..  something, anything to keep still and silent.

No such luck I'm afraid.  A growl emitted from way in her chest as she cowered once again.  Please let me him not see me . . . please, please do not let him hear me.  It was too late to take it back and she could have just as easily flown off in search of another meal, no matter how small as that is all she'd seem to catch these days.  So why did she stay?

He honestly didn't think himself the best singer out there, he hit a lot of notes that he wasn't supposed to, and mostly he was doing it out of the sheer fact that if he didn't at least try, he'd never get better. There was the fact that he had no reason to be embarrassed out here, because no one was around. At least no one that would be able to really to insult his singing. Though the horses could give him a dirty look or just move away from him. That'd be terribly insulting, but they seemed to stick right to where he had let them go. Why move away when you've got a nice small trough of water and some good green grass?

Speaking of troughs.

He took another sip from his ale cup. Ah. He was glad not to be a horse. He couldn't live without hands, without being able to use his opposable thumbs. He couldn't imagine not being able to use tools to enhance his daily life.

Maybe the drink was starting to get to him. No...that couldn't be, he had a rather strong constitution, and this wasn't the strongest ale in the world. Maybe he was just feeling silly because he wasn't in a city anymore, and he didn't have to disguise himself as someone else. That must have been it. The man smiled to himself at that particular notion. Yes. He was free to be himself, that was absolutely wonderful.

He didn't have a clue that he was being spied upon, until he heard a familiar, yet unknown sound to him. Growling? It wasn't like the normal growl...of an animal who was being threatened or wanted to scare something off. He knew it wasn't him, or the horses...that was a sound that didn't really come from either of them. Slowly he sat his plate down as he stood up. He didn't even take his cutting knife with him, he wondered honestly if it was just his imagination. It couldn't have been though, why would he imagine such a noise.

That was when his keen eyes spotting something trying to hide by his wagon. At first, he wondered if his drink was stronger than he could have imagined. It looked like...he didn't know what the hell it was. It looked like some sort of strange bird creature, with a straight beak, feathers and what he could...barely make out as strange floppy ears. He remembered at that time, where he was...Serendipity. He had heard of there being strange creatures there, but this was definitely was the oddest. He couldn't see very much of it, but the way it was standing, and the slight talons he could observe...this creature was not a bird. This must have been some type of Gryphon, but he'd never heard of one that didn't look like an eagle. Still, judging by the skulls wrapped around its neck, he wondered idly if it was carnivorous, or if that was meant to scare things off. After all...a straight beak like a finch wasn't altogether scary.

He slowly crouched down to his plate, cutting off a rather generous portion of his steak as he watched the creature still. If it didn't like meat, he could always get it some bread. Though, a gryphon that wasn't a fan of meat seemed silly almost. "Here you go little critter." He crooned gently at it as he tossed the piece of meat toward the little beast. It did look absolutely adorable, and he'd have a tale to tell if he managed to coax it out. Shy little creature that it looked. He swore it almost looked sort of...nervous and shy. He guessed it came from the nearby mountains, probably saw him down here from above. No one ever watched the skies because there was no point to, unless you were a farmer.

He was certainly not that.

Luna could not believe her eyes, not only had he heard her, he was also feeding her!  Such an odd and peculiar sort, she purred, beak smiling and bowing her head with gratitude.  Is he squeamish I wonder?  Some could not handle seeing an animal feed, perhaps it goes back to their primal ways, she was not sure.  The last thing she wished to do was to drive him away.  It could be a future companion or even . . . a friend.  She'd never had a friend before!

Wanting to behave and to start things right, she ignored her unending hunger for the moment and slowly stalked out from behind the moving box.  He was much taller than she was, even more so since she was slinking with her stomach to the ground.  It did not seem as if he was afraid of her however . . . was that a smile she saw?  She could not tell . . . some for of distortion in his face, but she was not good at identifying the good against the bad.

With her wings a little more relaxed and her crest up in attention, she hoped to show him that he had nothing to fear and that she was more curious than anything else.  Should I greet him?  Mmmm, perhaps not . . . maybe something he is more familiar with.  Slowly weighing each step she took, Luna got closer to the kind man that stood in front of her.  Her biggest worry however was spooking his companions That would not go off as a good introduction I do not think.  Concerned, she offered the pair of beasts the slightest glance, stopping in her tracks.

Sitting back on her haunches, Luna began to sort through the possible scenarios one could take in such situations.  She could greet him verbally and he may run away, but he could also converse with her.  OR, she could try and walk up to him and offer a small nuzzle, but still she was concerned about scaring his other company off.  Thinking it through, she decided that maybe a quite hello would do just fine.

"Th . . ." the words rolled around in her mouth and then she paused.  Can we even speak the same language? she mused, clicking her beak softly.  Perhaps I should wait . . . do not want to sound feral around something so . . . so gentle.

The creature was, as he could not have expected, was adorable. Gryphons were majestic creatures really, they truly were, but this minuture version had a quality of adorable and majesty that was seldom seen. You wanted to just cuddle and pet it, as well as respect in some way. Like a cat. Yes, he was fond of those small little furry creatures, he'd admit that as well. This gryphon however wasn't something he'd seen before. It was a very...cautious looking creature, it was probably sizing him up. He tried to stay lower to the ground, he'd stand well over three feet above it, and he didn't want to frighten it off.

It was funny really, despite the skulls around its neck, and the fact that it had those impressively sharp looking talons, he was the one who was worried about scaring it off! That was probably quite a novel concept really.

The creature had eyes that reminded him of a horse actually, very intelligent eyes. When she spared a quick glance at the horses, he did as well. They seemed very disinterested in the small creature. No doubt she was about as intimidating as a weasel or a wild dog. While they did nicker uncomfortably, they didn't stand up or make any sudden movements.

Smart horses.

He looked back to the miniature gryphon as it sat back on its haunches, looking at him. He wondered what the small beast was thinking about, it seemed to be regarding him strangely, as if weighing some unknown options. He heard...something from the creature, it wasn't a word but it sounded more like an odd noise. He tilted his head as he shifted back. "Don't worry, take the meat. I'm not gonna try anything." Maybe it was afraid he was going to pounce, that was probably for the best. Slowly he sat back as well, to show that he wasn't planning to chase after it or lunge at it.

Very slowly he reached for his plate and his utensils, bringing them onto his lap. While he was almost completely sure the creature was more afraid of him, he didn't want to take any chances when he got into a more...submissive state. However he began to cut his steak up and popped a chunk in his mouth. "Mmmm. It's good...see, nothing wrong with it at all." He felt kind of silly, but it had seen him take the meat that he threw toward it from his plate, he wanted the creature to see him eating some, maybe it would realize it was okay to eat.

This was a very odd encounter, but it was also very exciting. This creature was absolutely adorable, and the thought did cross him about trying to capture it as a pet, he wouldn't be able to live with himself however if he caged up such an animal.

It'd be a terrible fate.

Luna watched silently as the man sat back, coming down to more of her own level.  She must have looked completely foolish or frightened with how she was, belly against the ground and all.  She decided to fix that by standing as she normally would, giving a proud, somewhat regal look even.  Why she did such a thing was not known, but she could sense some form of understanding coming from this lone stranger.

Wincing, she could hear the beasts talking amongst themselves, but in truth they were pretty much ignoring her.  Have they seen my kind before? she wondered, or perhaps she just did not look that threatening.  No matter, that was not what really concerned her now anyway.

The man had sat back down, holding a set of tools and using them to cut his portion of the meal.  Humans use talons to cut food?  How interesting! she could not help it when a chirp and a squeal of utter delight as well as amazement escaped through her now parted beak.  She was smiling, or at least her way of offering a smile.  Not too strong, just enough to look friendly, she instructed herself, keeping in mind that he'd likely not seen one of her kind before.  In reality, neither had she, but that is a whole other story entirely.

Canting her head to the side, the small giphen was surprised to hear him speak with her once more.  He was showing her that it was safe to eat, just as the male in a mated pair would do for his female and their young.  Perhaps he had read about her kind before, how to behave around them, or perhaps it was something he had learned?  All things aside and the overall stress of the encounter now fading, she quickly ran to get her part of the meal . . . slowly prancing over beside him before sitting only a handful of feet away.

Still not certain of what he expected or had asked of her, she dropped the meat between her talons and looked onward.  The brief moment she had had the delicate morsel in her mouth made her want it even more.  The remaining flavor from the spices he had used now danced around in her beak as well as the back of her throat.  It was wonderful, like nothing she'd ever had before.  Of course, she'd never eaten a cooked meal either, so that may be part of the reason as well.

Silently she offered a warm purr-rumble type of greeting before looking back down at the cooked pork.  It is obvious that she was still nervous about frightening him and she was not certain how he would react to her own, odd way of eating.

The strange little gryphon had let out the strangest little noise he had ever heard. It wasn't bad, it was, like most of the creature, adorable really. It was an adorably cute little beast, he felt rather fortunate to have stopped here and started to cook up his meal. Had he kept going, or had decided to have some cold cuts of meat and cheese, the gryphon thing would have never joined him no doubt.

He couldn't tell exactly, but it almost seemed to be smiling.

At least it wasn't grovelling on its stomach anymore toward him. It didn't look proper for just a regal creature as a...Mini-Gryphon. He'd call it that for now until he found a mage somewhere who knew what it was.

"See there you go, nothing to be afraid of." He smiled warmly at the mini-gryphon as it practically danced over to him. He found it cute, the creature was friendly then, if not just a little nervous. He peered at the necklace of skulls that it had around its neck, wondering if he could find a small plate or something that had a name on it. However, there was nothing that identified a name of any sort. Well, that was too bad, but still, at least it wasn't violent. He didn't see a human skull around the neck so it must have not been too bad!

He wondered why the creature wasn't...though he wondered if it...no. He picked up his ale and took another sip of it. The creature had skulls, it ate meat. The skulls looked like they had a bit of damage from what he could only guess were talons and that beak. It must have relied heavily on using the talons to rip up meat so it could swallow the meat in chunks that would fit.

He smiled again as it purred at him. Oh yes, it was a friendly creature indeed. He was glad he was having pork to satisfy it, instead of having to offer himself up as a snack. "If you don't at least try it, I'll be very insulted." The man told her as he cut himself another small piece and popped it in his mouth. His tone was obviously humorous and jovial, but he did really hope that it helped the poor starving beast out. Beggars shouldn't be choosers, you took what life offered you. He knew that much, he had lived as a beggar before.

Not a glamorous lifestyle but it had kept him alive at least.

She could sense the man as he glanced over at her, a somewhat questionable look on his face if she'd ever seen one.  Was he looking as her decorations?  She could not tell, not the best of expects on following the vision of a human.  Though she was hungry and did not wish to insult as she felt she had indeed, by not accepting his generous gift.

Relaxed, something she never truly thought she'd be around any two-legger, she decided to lay down.  It was a wonderful day for sunning oneself, but that would have to wait until after she ate her portion of his warm meal.  Gently she popped the pork into her mouth, allowing the flavors to dance before swallowing it whole.  Feeling it hit her crop she purred contentedly and offered yp a beak smile.  Surly she had not looked threatening to him, he was too relaxed, she could tell that much at least.  His muscle structure was not tense, not even the slightest and so she tried to offer him the same form of respect . . . or was it trust?  Yes, that was the right word, she trusted him, for one reason or another and it was not just for the food or his company.

There was a light kindness about him, perhaps his moving box was his home and maybe he stayed away from the city just as she had done.  Who was she to judge someone this far out into the wilds on their lonesome?  She wanted to talk to hm, but feared her mindless babble that usually took place when she was nervous or excited.  I wonder if he uses mindspeech . . . she mused, but quickly dismissed such a thought You are only trying to find a way to not speak to him, just do it already!

Glancing upward into the skies, she held her wings out, possibly looking as if she wanted to run.  Part of her did, she'd hate to make herself a fool in front of one that was so gentle and kind.  He spoke in a smooth tongue, one that she could readily understand, so they did hold the same language at least.  She dug her talons into the earth and clamped her eyes shut before bursting out and allowing her excited nature to take hold.

"A human . . . two-leggerhumanthatsokindtome . . ." she shook her head, embarrassed, had she even spoken a full sentence?  Her words seemed to have all smudged together in a single string of confusion.  She decided to try again with the shortest greeting possible, "Hi."

She wanted to feint, or at least she felt like she needed to, but still held her ground.  Instead, she gently laid on her side before rolling onto her back, looking at the sky.  "Mmmm . . ." she purred, glancing over to the man "do you sunbathe?" it was actually something she meant to keep to herself, but could not help asking.  She purr-rumbled and closed her eyes, relaxed.

(psycho babble is hard to rp.  I do not think I did it right, but I wanted it to be somewhat understandable.  She just seems to talk really, really fast when excited and her words kind of mesh together.)

((Hee hee, don't worry about it! It's fine!))

She finally decided to eat, and he gave himself a congratulatory smile. It didn't hate his cooking, that was terrific really! After all, he wouldn't have wanted the creature to snub it. It had been a possibility of course, if it was the pet of a mage or something the meals it could have had prepared for it were much more exquisite. However, it seemed to like them well enough. It looked at him in such an odd way, he really couldn't tell if it was happy. It seemed to be happy, something about the beak just appeared that way.

His gaze followed hers upwards to the sky, curious if the creature was going to run...well...fly off to say the least. He leaned slightly away as the talons were dug into the ground, expecting it to suddenly take to the skies again...but instead...something else entirely happened.

It spoke.

This was not an ale induced hallucination, he had only one glass, and it hadn't been strong. Unless someone spiked it, but this all seemed much too real and focused. He wasn't going crazy after all, the horses weren't talking at him. No...he got the distinct impression that this creature was actually going to converse with him. "Ah...hello there." Well! No reason not to be polite to it then. He knew gryphons could be intelligent, but he never dreamt of meeting a small talking miniature one.

He began to dig into his food again, slightly amused by the whole situation, and still questioning his sanity. However...it seemed to be...all real. Not a dream, nothing. This was turning out to be a strange day, and it would probably only get stranger. Not that he minded of course, sometimes you needed a little out of the ordinary in your life to give it some good meaning. "Sunbathe? Well...I uh...suppose once in a while I don't mind lounging in the grass when the sun is out." His meal was finished off rather quickly, he was more interested in this strange creature and wanted to...well speak to the thing more!

He took to leaning back with his ale glass in hand, supporting himself with his elbow as he was on his side watching the mini-gryphon.

"I'm...called Narak, do you have a name as well little Gryphon?" The thing sounded like a female, the voice was different than what he had expected. While he couldn't honestly be sure, it really did sound more feminine. At least that was out of the way. He still couldn't tell what the darn thing was, but he at least could get the small stuff out of the way. It was almost like...Ah. Part lion. Sunbathing. Now things were coming to him, he couldn't believe he forgot! Lions were just like cats, and both animals readily enjoyed sleeping in the sun.

This one wasn't a big cat either, so its antics were a lot more adorable than that of a lion. Still, it was rather long and he could surmise it didn't reach more than three and a quarter feet tall. He'd never met a house cat that tall before, but he'd never seen a lion that short, except for the babies but they grew fast into their looks.

Maybe this was a child?

Luna smiled softly to herself as the man regarded her with sheer delight.  She only knew this as she was somehow able to sense his joy and in all honesty, it made her want so squeal for him.  She loved to share joys with others, especially if they were not her own.  if someone near to her was happy, than so was she.  However, this man was not a near and dear to her type, but it certainly felt as if it could become that way.  I want to take him home with me . . . but he could not possibly climb those walls.  I wonder if he has a home.

"Oh blood feathers!" she hissed at herself for being so closed in "I am so sorry, I should have introduce myself properly," and with that, she got to her paws and padded over beside him.

This time she did nuzzle him, ever so gently against his one side, purring to him as she did.

"Greetings Narak, my name is Lunedera, but you can call me Luna if you like," she was amazed by her gentle flowing sentence, no stammering or slurring in the least.  She allowed to herself to have a brief moment of pride before continuing "I've not seen you here before.  Is that moving box your nest?" she was not sure what else to call it and so gave it the only name she thought he'd understand.

A small part of her wanted to take him under her wing, but he'd never be able to fit.  She wanted to preen him, to churr at him and protect him.  What in the world has gotten into me? she shook her head in disbelief, not even sure how or what he thought of her.  Feeling it was in their best interest, she padded toward the two beasts he kept with him.  Perhaps she could speak to them as well, to greet them and to show she meant no harm.  How would they react?  Should she even try approaching them?

Looking back at him for guidance, she shared her concern with the only companion she could have for many leagues "Will they run?" she asked, adding shortly thereafter "May I greet them as well?"

There was a lot of the same thoughts from Narak that Luna had. He wanted to take her with him as well, if only just to show off the mini-gryphon that could talk to people. Not to mention that she just looked like she could be someone's pet, with the string of dead skulls around her neck to look more fearsome or...what ever the reason it might be. He didn't know why, but he didn't feel...frightened that she had it.

"No no, it's quite alright," He told her with a smile as he reached to his side where she nuzzled him, scratching her behind her ears gently. Oh yes, she was very adorable. It was probably the purring too, that made her seem a whole lot more gentle and a lot less dangerous. That was always a good thing. "It's a pleasure to meet you Luna." Narak spoke softly and a smile crossed onto his lips. She was intelligent, and adorable.

"The...oh! You mean my wagon. Well, yes...you could actually say that it is my home." He wouldn't call it a nest, but it did serve him as a portable home when he needed it. Like if he was out on the road, which he often was. He didn't stay in places all that much, he moved around quite a bit actually, so having a wagon that was comfortable and could hold a few more of his luxuries was always a welcome change. Just because he travelled didn't mean he didn't care, though he really did wish that that he could carry a wash basin around...he just kept near a lot of streams and rivers so he could get clean.

He watched the mini-gryphon as she went off toward the horses and he bit his lip nervously. One of them was already standing up. "Yeah I don't think it's probably best to greet them. Horses are particular creatures and...with those skulls around your neck...and a slight smell of meat...I think it's best to leave them be." Narak told Luna as he slowly stood up and went to the back of his wagon to put his utensils, plate and pan away safely. He did get out another cask, but this one was filled with water, pure fresh water. He got himself a larger mug and a big bowl for the gryphon. He returned back to his spot near the fire and poured some of the water out into the bowl and into the glass for himself. "Here, have a bit of water. I hope that you're able to...drink it. I'm not sure how...birds really drink things...or...mini-gryphons..." But he assumed they had a way to do it other than standing under a tree while it rained to funnel water into their mouths.

Luna slowed in her tracks and then turned back around, canting her head to the side as Narak pulled a few odds and ends from the wagon.  She wondered how much only could fit in there, if it was comfortable and well . . . if it could fit her.  She decided it was best not to ask as she already felt she'd intruded and did not wish to hinder him further.  It was likely that he enjoyed the company, but would be heading back into a busier area soon.  Such places were not for her.

She nodded softly at him and smiled "Heh, we do drink, it may just look a bit silly to you," and with that, she took a nice long drink from the bowl, filling her beak with water and then lifting her head and looking upward so that it would go where it was needed.  She did the routine about ten times and then happy sat down.  "Are you from around here?  It is not often I come across another as in good taste as you have been."

Was she flirting?  It was hard to tell, perhaps over-friendly?  She was in fact happy for the company and did want to make it last as long as possible, so perhaps that was her reason for being so direct with him.  With a set of talons, she drew the line of cliffs that she called her home as well as the nearby towns and cities, at least from how she had seen them.

"This is where I live, high up where no two-legger can reach," she pointed to the line of cliffs gently and then looked at her companion, "How far do you live from there?  Is it further than what I have drawn?"

(Sorry it's so short this morning, getting ready to head off to work.)

"I'd say cats and dogs drink pretty silly." Using their tongues and what not, it just looked hilarious. Humans did not have the capacity to do such things, but then again, they could lift glasses and drink rather normally. He sat back to watch the mini-gryphon drink, his own glass in his hand as he observed her as she dipped down to fill her beak, and then lifting her head to let it flow. Ah, just like a bird then! Adorable. He, for whatever reason thought she might drink like a Lion. That would have looked weird. Head of a bird, drinking style of a lion.

"Oh no, I'm from far away from here...sort of. I mostly live in the wagon, but I do have a home of sorts." It was in Adela, and he was sure if he ever went to Cerenis his father would not at all object to him staying there...however, he was a man who had to be on the road. You made a profit on the open road, going to places and purchasing merchandise for cheap, and then selling it for a slight profit.

She started to do something in the ground and he leaned over to get a good look. it was almost like she was drawing a map of some kind. He smiled pleasantly as he observed the map carefully, and assumed it was the surrounding region to some degree. She also drew what he could surmise as being some form of human settlements. "Oh yes...it is much further than that. I actually live in the south, very far south." They were quite in the north western part, and he was actually from way down in the south east.

He actually had a rough map in the wagon! He could show her that then! He smiled to himself as he patted on her gently on the head. "I'll go get my map and show you where I live." He stood up and darted to the back of the wagon, rummaging through his personal effects. He pulled a large scroll from the wagon and returned to where she was, kneeling down and spreading it out. "Right now we're...probably around here somewhere." He told her as he pointed to their location in upper Serendipity. That seemed about right, near the mountains and in the provinces up north. He trailed his finger down the map until he came to Ketra. "This is where I live however, in this city...well they call it a sort of town but it's really a city in my opinion." He moved his finger away as he looked for another place...Cerenis. Ah! He pointed to the port town. "This is where I was born though...at least, that's where I spent some of my childhood as I can remember it."

She glanced at him as he went to the wagon, canting her head to the side curiously.  It amazed her still how much room he must have had inside of the wagon to be carrying all these things.  Luna had however realized that the beasts at his side were in fact used to pull the wagon.  Odd how they do not seem to mind.  Have they always lived the same life?  She felt they probably did, just as she always had and quite honestly, she was ready for a good change.

Narak soon emerged from within the folds of his wagon, carrying a thin piece of paper, that much she did know.  Then upon throwing it on the ground, he began to show her the surrounding areas, ones she'd not been to before.

"That is very far indeed.  I've been to the southern borders of this region, but even a flight to get there eats up a good part of the day.  By foot, getting to where you mentioned, it would take days?  Maybe weeks?" she was curious, that much was obvious, but she also wondered how long he'd been away from home.  "Don't you get lonely?" it was actually something she'd been wondering about and had not meant to ask.  "I'm sorry, that was terribly rude of me."

Bowing her head she shyed away for a moment before pulling one of the smaller animal skulls from under her feathers and placing it in front of her.  It was small enough to fit in one talon, but she gently cradled it in both of her 'hands' rolling it gently from side to side.

"I get lonely . . . most times actually," it was something she never really admitted, even to herself until now.  "I guess that is why I lose myself in small treasures like this one.  It's an interest I have . . . not a trophy as some may expect."

She was calm, but sounded troubled as she allowed her small crest to lay flat.  It was something that had been hard to admit and even more difficult to swallow.  It was something that got stuck in her throat and just sat there; a lump of truth that caused her to kreen.  It was a gihpen's way of crying.  A kind of screech-squeal accompanied by small chirps if a description was ever needed.  How badly she wanted to have a friend.

"Well, with the horses involved, it takes..." Narak scratched the underside of his slightly stubble covered chin as he thought about it. Weeks sounded about right. "Maybe a month or so? But I mean, I stop in at a lot of the towns and villages along the way so the weeks tend to run together." Some villages looked very close to each other after all, and some towns were just like other towns. You tended to let the days get ahead of you.

"No no, it's quite alright. I do get lonely, after all, the horses don't talk, they don't hold any sort of conversation." Narak told her with a small smile, reaching over to gently pet her head and neck before she shied away from him. Aw...poor thing. He didn't think it was rude at all, but then again...different cultures and what not. It could have been rude for a gryphon to ask another, but he didn't think it at all.

"Really? I can't see how a cute little critter like yourself could get lonely. I'm surprised people wouldn't just welcome you into their house or their company." He was being sincere really. He scooted closer to the little gryphon as he began to stroke her softly, just like you'd do with a cat. "I know exactly what you mean about the ah...small treasure thing. When you're lonely, you have to keep yourself busy. I make clothes for myself, and others. It's one of the things that I trade and sell." He told her as he plucked at his own clothing, smiling at it. "I was rather terrible at it, but after all the years of travelling and sewing that I've done, my work is rather proper I'd say." He'd never sell anything that he was not willing to wear himself. Granted now a lot of the clothing he sold was produced by small groups of people, but he inspected each article to ensure the value and quality of it. Nothing left his hands that was inferior.

He felt a little sorry for the creature, she was lonesome, and he could understand that feeling really. He could definitely understand that. "You know...I'm headed to a few of the more northern towns, you could always come with me if you want. I've got to pick up some merchandise and take it to the south, but I mean...it's gonna take me a few days to get there, and I wouldn't say no to the company." It'd be nice to have someone to talk to other than just the horses.

Now that he thought of it, maybe that's why he talked to them.

Because he was lonely.

Luna happily leaned into the soft strokes her was delivering to her head and neck.  Having the touch of another was welcomed and a pleasure she'd not had since . . . well, it's been a very long time for sure.  The thought of traveling with another had crossed her mind, it's not like she had much to call her own.  Even so, she would miss her nest of furs and soft cloths that she slept in each evening.  And the sun, yes, she loved greeting the sun each morning.

"I've never seen morning in the grasslands before.  I usually wake before the sun and let it greet me as I lay out on my ledge.  I do have a wonderful nest but . . . perhaps I could leave it for at least a little while."

She wondered if it was wise to travel into more populated areas.  What would the rest of the two-leggers think?  Would they fear her, think she's cute or attack her?  She did not know their nature too well after all.

"I can fend off any predators," she admitted, looking down at her talons with a click of her beak, "But I do not know how it will be in a town.  I've not been in one before.  Are most . ..  two-leggers like you?  Will they like me?  I'd be happy of your company.  Can you teach me things?"

She'd always had a hunger for learning new things and as far as her time alone was concerned, she'd not learned much at all in quite some time.  It was not the thrill of knowing more than she'd known the day before, but also knowing how things work, how to piece them together and even how to mimic them.  For a moment, she glanced over at the wagon and then back at Narak as she gave him a soft nuzzling.

"Is there enough room in there for me?  I will not take much and I do not eat much.  I can fish!" excited, she started to bound off toward the wagon, looking back at Narak as she did.  This would make for a very interesting story for them both.

"It'll still be there when you get back." He couldn't see any mammal climbing up there to get to it, and he couldn't think of a bird that would dare go into where a gryphon, even a small one, made a nest. No, that would seem like a bad idea, and he was sure that most animals had a lot more sense to know better. He was sure that her nest would go unharmed, though...he could always acquire replacement things if it turned out differently. He'd feel terrible if he invited this gryphon along only to have her home get trashed and ripped apart.

"With talons like those I'd hope so." He told her with a gentle smile, chuckling at her next few questions. "Slow down Luna, one at a time. Let's see...a lot of two-leggers aren't like me, everyone is different, but they're mostly simple folk. I think they'd like you too, you're what we'd call adorable and exotic, which is a big plus because people like things that they've never seen, but are adorable." Narak spoke honestly, having known this from experience. Some villages had never even seen deer before, or even some of the animals from the more southernly area. He was almost sure that no one had seen a gryphon like this before.

"Well...I'm not sure what you could really learn from me though, I can teach you about markets and human trade economics...or how to sew, basic survival things like...uh...how to figure out direction and such." He had information sure, but he wasn't sure what he'd be able to actually teach her that would be valuable. "A lot of my knowledge probably won't help you out though...not practical I guess you could call it." He did like the nuzzling, it was like having a cat. He scratched behind her ears again, enjoying the soft downy of her feathers.

He laughed as he began to roll up the map again and stand up. Following behind her. "Oh yes, there's quite a bit of room in there for you. It's mostly empty, I've got basically my personal effects, cooking supplies, and some food in the wagon right now. Other than that, it's pretty empty." Narak hated travelling with an empty wagon. It meant less profit. Wagons should always be full, there should never be any sort of empty wagon.

There was a bit of profit obsession with Narak.

"I've got more than enough food and water as well, so I'm not too worried about that." The horses might be a little scared but that was natural for horses. The water trough was empty, which Narak retrieved and put into the back of the wagon, then he hitched the horses up into their reigns and made sure to tell them that everything was quite alright.

It was back onto the driver's bench for him, but he scooted over to one side and looked for his little friend. "Sit up here Luna, there should be enough room for you to perch."

Luna watched with interest as Narak hitched up the horses, amazed at how very little was used to attach them to the rest of the wagon.  Oh, they pull it! it seemed so obvious and yet, she'd not really thought about how they would work with the wagon itself.  While he was setting up the wagon, she gently flitted inside of the folds, taking a small look around.

It was dim inside, which she liked very much, the perfect place for a short nap.  She also spotted various pots, pans, a few blankets as well as what must have been his supply of food.  It was enough to keep him well fed for at least a few more days at least.  Not sure how much he really ate, it was hard to tell.

A muffled voice was all she heard as Narak finished hitching the wagon, slowly poking her head out to take a look.  Unable to see hm or the horses, a slight feeling of dread welled up inside of her as she listened for movement.  No, he was still outside, just out of her line of sight.  Leaping back out of the wagon, Luna made her way around the one side to the front where the horses were waiting.  Narak was resting peacefully on a small perch of sorts, holding onto the leads that directed the horses on where to travel.

"There you are!" she purred playfully, leaping up beside him on the bench.  The bench of the wagon bounced as she landed, startling her "Oh!"

She offered a gentle nuzzle as she sat down beside him, headbutting Narak in the process.  It was a loving and playful gesture that was usually offered in greeting.  He had such a way with scritching behind her ears and over the back of her neck, she wondered if she had any similar soft spots.  Chirping softly, Luna decided to test her theory by preening his headfur, taking a few strands in her been and pulling back ever so slightly before the strands fell back into place.

"So . . ." she began, preening a few more of his hairs "where are we going?"

He didn't know where the little gryphon went, he thought he saw her heading to the rear of the wagon. Perhaps she wanted to go and investigate the entire thing. It was a good wagon, nice to travel in. He liked it well enough. He could hear her inside the wagon doing something but he wasn't exactly sure what at this time. Perhaps just...snooping through his things. He almost expected to see her pop out with her head trapped in a bucket or one of his shirts.

He waited for the creature, she finally found him as she came around to the front. "Careful now!" He told her as she jumped onto the bench, causing it to bounce and make him steady himself by grabbing onto the side of the bench. He'd have look at it in a town and secure it better apaprently. The wagon was a few years old, he would expect there to have some repairs needed eventually.

He was very surprised however as she hopped up onto him and trying to preen his hair. He gave a very odd look at her as she continued trying to do that. He didn't have any clue what she was doing, instead he found it just...cute really. She seemed like she was being playful to some degree.

"Well uh...we're going north now. There's a town about fifteen leagues away from here that I'd like to stop at for the night. Then the next day toward the north east to pick up my shipment." He told her as he gave the reigns a small motions, causing the horses to begin pulling the wagon forward. It was a small jerking motion at first, but nothing serious as the horses got themselves up to a decent walking speed.

"So Luna, can I ask you something? You look...like a Gryphon but...I have a feeling you aren't. They usually have uh...curved beaks but you have a very definite straight beak." He told her as he reached to try and fix his hair and let it all fall back into the proper place.

Luna watched and purred softly as Narak directed the horse to begin their travel.  It was likely that they had done this same path so many times before that they could do so without direction.  To relieve some of the weight of the wagon, she thought it best to glide off to the side a bit and ahead of the horses as to not spook them from behind.  Creating swirls and somersaults in midair, she showed her acrobatic skills as she excitedly rose above the wagon, looking ahead to where he'd said they were heading.

She could not see a town just yet, but was sure she'd be able to make out something on the horizon before nightfall.  Night meant sleep for her, but she was so excited that she could easily see staying up through it and into the next day before she tired of her artistic flight.  She did not normally fly like this of course, as it made it difficult to see where she was heading.  However, seeing as there was very little near the dirt road and how open it was, she decided to have a little fun.  She also may have been showing off just a bit.  If ever she had the ability to, she was sure she'd love to share the gift of flight with him.

"A shipment?  Like a package?" she was weaving from side to side now, gently gliding against the soft currents of warm thermals.

She smiled softly and gently landed back onto the bench, being a little more gentle than last time.  The horses seemed a little agitated far as she could tell, but ignored her for the most part.  She would have to get used to them, just as they would have to adjust to her, but Luna was sure with time, they would learn to work along side one another.

"A gryphon?" it surprised her to hear that he knew of her distant cousins "I've not seen one in a very long time.  They are our ancestors of sorts, but more like ummm . . . cousins I suppose is your word for it.  I'm what is called a giphen.  I can weave magic, unlike most gryphons and I am much smaller.  It is said in our history that the giphens came when the world turned cold and there was not much food.  Less food meant that we needed to become smaller, in turn needing to eat less.  I am not sure what you know or how you learned, but we do not sleep in the colder months," she paused for a moment, figuring she was talking too fast again.  The last thing she wanted to do was to cause any more confusion.  "The colder months are mating season for us.  If the air is not cold enough, then our egg cannot be fertile, "she blushed on that last fact, wondering if it had been necessary "Sorry . ..  I just have not spoken to anyone in so long.  Did not mean to get so personal.  I'm a giphen, a small gryphonic species."

He wondered if she knew that the horses were used to carrying heavy loads, and she really wasn't a heavy, or large creature. However, he also wondered if it was just because she liked to fly. He'd admit, if he had the power of flight, he'd do it too. Sometimes he wished he was able to harness up a couple of pegasus to the front and back to do aerial transporation. Shipments would go a whole lot faster really. However, this was going to do until they got such abilities.

"Like a package, but several packages actually. As a merchant, I buy and pick up shipments of wares to sell in other places. The travel might be straining on some, but the profit is rather excellent." Narak explained to the little gryphon, smiling as he watched her flying beside him. He was glad that she seemed to be having such a good time with him. She landed beside him on the bench, though it was a lot smoother of a landing than when she had hopped onto it.

He actually listened intently as she explained her to race to him. He was really interested in hearing about their relation to the Gryphon, and apparently she wasn't actually one. She was something else apparently. He didn't even seem to become disgusted or embarrassed when she talked about their mating season. Narak just thought she was being chatty and talkative really. It didn't really seem like a whole lot of trouble, he just listened to her as she spoke.

"Don't worry about it Luna! No harm done. A giphen though...that does clear up a lot of things." He reached over and gently scratched her behind her ears again. "So, what is it you do with your time? Do you just...hunt, fly around, that sort of thing?"

Luna purr-rumbled as Narak caressed behind her ears again, she could get used to this! It was interesting to hear about his lifestyle and how he worked, not having worked in such a way her entire life.  A thought suddenly crossed her mind and as she was about to dismiss it, she decided to share it instead.

"These packages . . . are they already made for some, or must you see if they like them?  I bet it would be quick and easy work if I were to help you deliver the ones that already have an interested two-legger.  Are the packages larger than me?  I can carry small things," there she went again, too many questions in such a short span of time.  She would have to learn to slow down and pause now and again as to not chat off an ear.  Still, the thought of carrying a small bundle in her talons or even her beak and retrieving payment for Narak sounded like it would be very helpful for him.

Her time had always been her own, but it was a lonesome lifestyle and something she'd wanted to change for a long time.  Problem was that she'd not seen another giphen or gryphon around since she was just a fledgling.  She recalled the air being very cold that year and wondered if they all had flown Southward and had just forgotten about her.

"I spend most of my time hunting, but not just for food.  I am a collector, I enjoy finding whatever scavengers cannot eat or do not want and take it back to my den.  I have a few tools that I made over the years . . ." that was a lie, for in fact the brushes she had were stolen from a camp when she was more adventurous, "like my brush.  I use it to scrape away the dirt that I cannot remove without harming the bone.  It keeps my mind alert and off of other lonely thoughts."

She readjusted her wings as they were becoming stiff.  She gotten tense for some reason and now wondered if Narak had seen.  Luna hoped that he'd not noticed, as it was just a brief moment of stress washing over her and nothing more.

He gave a chuckle as she spoke about the packages. He should have remembered she probably wouldn't know about them. "Oh no, they're quite large actually, big wooden crates filled with merchandise." He'd also have to think about how to explain the selling process. He rubbed his chin in thought about that particular thing. "No, sadly there aren't any actual buyers...but there is a rising interest from the general populace down south way. If I take the shipment down there, I have a good chance of selling the entire stock." Narak explained to her, hoping he was making it easy for her to understand. Sometimes market economics could be a little difficult.

He had wondered about those little skulls of hers, and now her explanation made a bit of sense.

"Ahh, that explains a bit then doesn't it?" He mused as he reached over to scratch her behind the ears again. He hadn't caught the fact that she was tense, his attention was split down the middle between her and between the horses. They knew where they needed to go, but there were times that he did need to direct them. Sometimes they saw a nice big area of long grass and just had to go to it. If he stopped every time the horses wanted to graze he'd never get anywhere. His petting stopped as he reached behind him into the wagon to grab something. When his hand reappeared he was holding onto a dark blue silk shirt, with long sleeves that flared at the end with a trim of lace on the cuffs. "This is what I spend my time doing when I get bored or lonely on the road. This would be a garment piece for a woman however, though I do make clothes for both genders."

Luna nuzzled the blue garment as gently as she possibly could, taking in the feeling of it, the smell of it and the overall look.  How she would have loved to have something like this back in her nest!

"It's so soft!" she cried out, placing the fabric between two talons and rubbing ever so lightly.  "I have cloth in my nest back home.  I umm . . . am borrowing it from travelers.  I have nothing like this though.  What is it?  All that I have ever found in abandoned camps are harsh and scratchy so I put them under the furs I've collected."

She was slightly disappointed that she could not help with the deliveries, but perhaps she could still help in some way.  Luna watched quietly as Narak held the reins in his calloused hands, gently directing the horses on the right path.

"Is it hard?" she mused, her sight following the lead from his hands to where the horses trotted side by side "To direct them I mean?"

It is likely that they worked in unison with him, having spent so much time with him.  To her Narak seemed to have a gentle wave of motion that you just could not help but follow and flow with.  It was easy sitting beside him, taking in his movements.  Luna had even begun to mimic some of his motions, though she had not realized she was doing it until much much later.  Much of what she did and had learned was through observation, so it was no surprise that she was mimicking Narak even now.

"Well Luna, this is the very best of fabric. It's called Silk, very delicate, expensive, but worth the money." He told her as he let her feel it, carefully of course. If it got ripped up, he'd never be able to sell it, and those talons of hers were no doubt very sharp. He could see someone wrapping the rougher wools and cotton in fur to make it softer, they could get pretty rough, and no doubt they'd be uncomfortable to sleep on. Then again, his bedroll was made of wool, it kept him very warm when it got cold out.

He followed her line of vision as best he could, a small smile creeping onto his face. "The horses? Not really, you just pull the reigns left and right a bit to get them back on course, or you pull it back to stop them...give them a little jump with the reigns when you want to move them forward. Some men use whips but...horses are smart enough creatures that it seems wrong." Narak had never been whipped before while working, and as such, he had no desire to whip others when they worked. It seemed grossly inhuman, despite the fact you could get more done, but then there was the cost of the tired worker if they passed out from exhaustion. It was best to let people and animals have their rest when they needed it, and not push them to exhaustion.

Narak was very relaxed in that particular area. He knew times and dates, when to arrive and when to leave, he had ideas of approximations, and kept track of his expenditures so that in the end, they money and time spent would not be lost but instead would make profit. He hooked the reigns onto the post beside him as he got out his pipe and pipe weed, plus his little finger rings.

These, in his opinion were genius. Rings for your fingers with flint embedded into one and steel on the other. It allowed him to light his pipe easily. He poured a bit of pipe weed from the cloth bag into his pipe and used the finger rings to create a spark. When it caught, he began to puff on the pipe until he had a good smoke going. "Ahhh...so much better." He wasn't an addict, not by a long shot, but he did enjoy a good pipe.

Luna watched curiously as Narak gave into a personal habit, causing clouds of smoke to hover above their heads before being carried off by the wind.  Filled with interest, the small giphen chirped playfully at the smoke funnels, sniffing at the sweet smell it caused.

"Mmmm, what's that?  Smells good?  Can you eat it?" it smelled wonderful and if it tasted as good as the pork he had cooked, she was hopeful that he'd share a little more with her.

She enjoyed how peaceful it was out here, quiet and yet neither one of them were alone.  They were already quite a few wingstrokes from her den, still able to see the tops of the cliffs off in the distance.  For land creatures, the horses sure did more quickly, much more than she had expected at least.  It would be nightfall soon and she began to wonder what they would be doing before the night fell upon them.

"The sun is going down soon," she noted, looking up into the sky as the blues turned to purples, pinks and a soft orange.  Least it would be a clear night, making it easier for her to stargaze - another past time she enjoyed when she was not too tired.  It was not that she had been worried, she of course could see in the night plain as day, but what about Narak?  "Can you see in the dark?" she asked, deciding now was a good a time as any to find out.

Could the horses see?  Did he even rest in the evening?  Perhaps he had a lamp he could use to light the way.  That's it!  She could carry a light ahead of them so that they could keep traveling!

"I can light the way, if you have one that I can carry."

"This? This is a pipe...and there's pipe weed inside, it's a dirty little habit of mine but I enjoy it so." Granted the effects of smoking were minimal, no one really understood the relation of any of the more dangerous things, but sometimes the smell was very unpleasant to some people, depending on the particular pipe weed used. He just rather enjoyed how it could mellow a person out, and how it could help to pass the time. Plus he always did love using his little finger sparkers. He was going to try and market those, they were cheap, they were durable, and the best part was you could replace the flint.

"I'd say no against eating it however Luna, it probably doesn't taste that good." He never had actually tried to eat it, but it was just a plant. Though he could surmise that she'd find it terrible tasting, as it was something meant to be lit on fire.

Narak wasn't worried about darkness falling, however, the little creature spoke up and voiced some concerns. "Sadly I don't have the power to see in the dark. Though, what a power that would be to have." He had ways however to help out with that sort of thing. "That won't be necessary Luna. One thing you have to learn about humans, is that we are resourceful folk." He pulled the reigns back to stop the horses and got out, fetching from the wagon special harnesses that attached to either side of the horse. They seemed to be strong metal poles with special hook attachment and counter balances near the horse to hold the poles up and steady. The poled met in the centre and formed one pole, giving the horses each one pole to hover in front. Then he fetched two specially designed lanterns and lit them up. It took a bit of doing, but eventually the two lanterns were on separate poles balanced out in front of the horses. The lanterns seemed to be using mirrors and narrow exits to light the road in front of them.

"Humans have to get by with things like not being able to see in the dark, or fly, or burrow underground naturally, so we invent tools and devices to help us with these tasks." The lanterns made the horses look a little strange, but the fact that the wagon could still travel at night was a boon for sure. Narak took up his pipe and began to puff on it again.

"However, I would like to thank you for the offer." He told her as he sat back down beside and used his free hand to scratch behind her ears and pet the length of her body. Biting onto the pipe he used his second hand, now free, to grab the reigns and give it a light movement, letting the horses start walking again. They were used to the special harness, and to the light, and even seemed to appreciate it at least. The town wasn't too far away, and they knew once they made it there, they could sleep for the rest of the night and a good part of the morning. His plan of course, was to stay outside the walls of the city until day came, and he planned for a late breakfast as well.

All would be well.

"When we reach the town, we'll set up a camp just outside of it and enter during the day. Some folks see it as a sign of trust and respect. A man who just wanders in at night with a wagon isn't one that is highly looked upon. However, a man that waits for the light to return so people can see him coming get's a whole lot more respect usually." At the same time, the man who had his merchandise would probably not be awake anymore, and going into town would be a waste.

Besides, the night was somewhat warm, and the stars were out. Who wouldn't want to sleep outside at a time like this?

When we reach town? he'd not asked her to hide, to wait outside or to remain in the wagon.  How powerful of a word . . . we, meaning the two of them and not just him alone.  She was not sure why it had surprised her so, perhaps it was just admiration, that he was not ashamed or embarrassed to take her with him.  Then again, perhaps there were other giphens in the area that he'd not spoken of.  Perhaps that is why he was not concerned.

Luna nodded softly as he explained the respect and the law of the small villages.  It honestly made a lot of sense to her.  Night brought on many dangers as the night can hide many forms, so she could clearly see why approaching a town at night would be seen in a negative kind of way.  While it did disappoint her that she could not share his pipe weed, she still enjoyed the sweet smell that came from the smoke rings.

Watching with interest, Luna observed Narak as he hitched up a new harness to the horses, hanging lights at the front to help them see in the darkening twilight.  Out of all the creates she had see adapt from life changes, it was obvious that the humans were best at this.  They had no wings to fly, but what if they still could fly some other way?  They cannot see in the night, so instead they make floating flames to light the way.  She suddenly had an immense interest in their science as well as developmental stages.  Were they always so tall?  How long did the young stay young?  Were these changes and gifts earned or learned?

Such questions would have to wait until a later time.  It was getting dark and she did not wish to keep her companions up any longer than necessary with her rambling list of questions.

"It is a lovely night," she sighed softly, content as she looked up to the twinkling stars "There are so many of them.  When I was young, I used to try to count as many as I could . . . I never got far though," it was a game she had played with herself.  Most times she lost count, having to start over, or she would fall asleep well before counting the very last one.  "Have you counted stars?"

The trip toward the town wasn't going to take very long, and he would admit that he was getting a little tired. Not hungry though, he hadn't done enough stuff during the day to actually  warrant such a thing, but he was feeling a bit of fatigue getting to him. Soon there would be time to rest, once they got to the actual outskirts of the town. For now he'd stay awake and answer the questions of his little friend.

"Oh yes, I've looked up and counted them many...many times before." Howeer, the monotonous thought of counting them, shuffling slowly from star to star made him sleepy. He wouldn't need anything like that tonight however, as he was pretty sure that he'd be able to get to sleep without incidence tonight.

"It's a very calming thing to do." He told her as he took one last puff of his pipe before emptying the soft embers into the small metal bowl at his side. He put his pipe away and directed the horses to pull over as they reached the outer limits of the town. Once there, he disconnected the lantern harness from the horses before he undid the harnesses that attached them to the wagon. He did have to attach them to another harness that made sure they wouldn't wander too far from the wagon but it was less restricting for them. He set up their small trough again before he got his bedroll out, along with his large pillow and pair of blankets. One to lay on, and one to cover himself with. He stripped off his shirt and his shoes, as well as his stockings and pants, leaving only his thin leggings on. However, he did pull out another pillow and a blanket from the back of the wagon which he put on the ground near where he would be sleeping.

"Here Luna, you can sleep on this for the night, if you want. Should help to keep you warm, but I highly doubt it's gonna get real cold." Narak told her as he slowly climbed under his own covers, hands behind his head as he looked up at the sky. Ahh, it was a really nice night...a great time to sleep outside. Not a cloud in sight, and not even a strong breeze. A very good night to fall asleep outside under the sky.

Luna smiled gently as Narak undid the horses and left them to graze at their will.  The three of them seemed to have such a wonderful understanding of one another, through body language alone; something she was sure she'd learn in time.  Odd that she'd not eaten much during the day and yet she was not hungry.  Perhaps in the morning she would go hunting early before the others were awake.

The kind invitation from Narak caused Luna to come out of her daydream about a good bite of deer or quail to look at what was to be her nest for the night.  He was terribly generous, offering up a blanket as well as a cushion for her to lay on.  Purring softly, she flitted downward on the nest, nudging it in places with her beak until she got it the way she wanted.  Then with a heavy sigh, she curled up beside him.

Her eyes were closed, but she was not asleep just yet.  She allowed silence to fall between them, listening to her friend breathe gently as he slowly began to drift.  It was comforting to have another lying beside her, not for the warmth, but just to know that someone was there.

"Narak, what do you eat for breakfast?" she mumbled softly, sleep pulling at her wings.

She would have to wait until morning to hunt and hopefully, make a catch for them both.  Deer would be lovely . . . but a nice sized . . . she never finished her thought, having drifted off into another land.

For Narak and the horses, this life had become very routine for them. They had done this over and over again that he was pretty sure one day he could just sleep in the wagon and the horses would do everything from unhooking themselves and filling their portable water trough to setting up the light system at night. However he never really wanted to try, for fear that the horses would just keep going until they died. He had grown close to these horses, and the thought of losing them actually pained him. They knew him, they trusted him, they had been with him through all sorts of weather and even through floods.

His eyes were slowly drifting closed, but he heard a voice, from Luna he suspected. Who else would it be? "Bacon...eggs..." There was a muffled yawn as he covered his mouth. "Pan friend potato...still got some...bread for toast...little bit of jam...mmm." His stomach gave a small growl at the thought of it but he was too tired and much too relaxed now to do anything about it. Slowly though he drifted off into sleep beside his strange companion, the horses settling in to do the same near the wagon.

His sleep was peaceful and calm, his dream...well, his dream wasn't too important. He remembered a dashing lass he had met back in another town a few days back. Ah, that had been some girl indeed. If only he could have stayed longer. The morning light was already out when Narak awoke, throwing off his covers to get at his clothes. He promptly dressed and headed for the wagon to get all the supplies he'd need for a fire, and his food. The horses were still asleep, and he made sure to give them a bit more water before he started his fire. It wasn't a big fire, he more or less needed the hot embers instead of the flame. The flame would burn and scorch his cookware, while embers would give off the same amount of heat without scorching.

He started to cook up some of the bacon, filling the air with the delectable smell. His special stand that sat over the fire was big enough for him to set up a second pan, so he put a bit of oil into the pan and started cutting slices of potato and chucking them in. Already the breakfast was looking delicious, and he couldn't wait for it to finish. Patience however would be needed.