Over the Mountains

[stelmarisa]

"Thank you!" Calling out, Erren stepped to the side of the road and watched the wagon disappear into the dawn mist. It was unseasonably cold, the grey clouds threatening rain later in the day. She shivered slightly, and looked around her.

She wasn't entirely sure where she was - the merchant who had so kindly given her passage through the last few miles had been keen to get on his way, and had dropped her off at the first sign of civilisation. She wasn't entirely sure where she was, but he had mumbled something about a border... Featherfall and - Whitesands? Maybe. Who knew what that meant?
Smoke rose through the air nearby, mingling with the mist, and she supposed they must belong to houses - or hopefully, even an inn where she could find food and shelter.

Pulling her thin cloak closer to her, she turned back to the road, and spoke aloud almost without noticing:

"Now what?"

[Rhindeer]

Traveling back slung over his shoulder, Kyran was moving at a brisk walk for town. The sky looked angry, the chill air raising goosebumps on his skin, and he wanted to get inside before the sky opened. He wasn't quite sure where he was but he had been heading toward Cerenis...

And, well, he figured he'd get there eventually! It didn't really matter when; wanderlust was in his blood--on multiple levels.

Ahead of him, he spotted a figure on the road and picked up his pace. Judging by the smoke in the distance, town was close by, but it couldn't hurt to go the rest of the way with company and Kyran was a painfully social creature.

"Hey there!" he called ahead, catching up with her. He fell in beside her and flashed her a smile (careful not to bare too much tooth; people had...varied reactions to his type), jerking his head in the direction of town. "You heading my way?"

[stelmarisa]

Erren jumped and span round when she heard the voice - relaxing slightly when its owner looked friendly. She considered the stranger quietly for a moment, angling her head upwards to do so. He was significantly taller than her, but he seemed normal enough - apart from what looked like odd tattoos under his eyes. Safety assured, she smiled back warmly.

"I guess so? I'm not really sure where I'm going, other than forwards. Do you know where we are?"

[Rhindeer]

"Umm." Kyran grinned sheepishly. "Well, when you say 'do I know where we are', how specific do you want? 'Cause like I know we're on a road in Serendipity and there's a town, and I thiiink Cerenis is that way..." He waved a hand in a vague direction up ahead. "Maybe. But, uh other than that? Not a clue!"

He laughed and gave a little shrug. "Why? You looking for anything in particular?"

[stelmarisa]

Erren laughed, warming to the stranger as he answered honestly.
"Not really! All I want right now is something warm to eat and a place to shelter from this weather before it gets any worse" She glanced at the sky as she said this, eyeing the ominous clouds.

"After that - I don't know. I was planning on heading to a city - the city. Is that Cerenis? I'm... kind of new to the area, if you couldn't guess!" She smiled, feeling suddenly shy at her ignorance of the world.

[Rhindeer]

"That one?" Kyran laughed. "No clue what city it is but it ain't Cerenis! Cerenis is waaay on the coast. You heading there? 'Cause I don't blame you, it's a fun place! Full of young, rowdy, frustrated sailors, if ya catch my drift, and no strings attached."

He gave her a little wink at that and a light nudge with his elbow. Yeah, Cerenis was indeed one of his favorite places--aside from the fish smell that lingered in some marketplaces. "I can see why you'd wanna head there."

With a grin, he started to walk again, motioning her to follow. It had started to sprinkle a little, light raindrops he could only barely feel, but that was just meant a downpour wasn't far off.

[stelmarisa]

Erren widened her eyes at the wink-and-nudge, temporarily taken aback by this openness from such a stranger. "Er.... yeah, that's the place I mean," She stuttered. "But I didn't know that that was its main appeal!" She relaxed slightly and smiled as he grinned. It had been a harmless joke, surely!

She started after him, hurrying slightly to catch up with her cloak flapping at her ankles. She noticed with some resignation that the rain had already started, and determined to reach the town as quickly as possible. "Let's hurry!"

She caught up and fell into step with him. "Oh... I'm Erren, by the way."

[Rhindeer]

"Well, sure it's the main appeal. Sure isn't the stink or the fish!" Kyran laughed, wrinkling his nose at the thought. He'd gotten used to the smell after living there a while, but it was always an assault on his nose whenever he responded. Heightened senses weren't always an advantage, especially not in cases like that where it could overload his delicate senses and knock him flat.

Or, at the very least, send him bolting for the nearest chamberpot or bush which was, of course, the height of attractive. But he just didn't talk about that.

"Anyway! Nice to meetcha! I'm Kyran," he said without slowing his pace, though he was careful not to leave the girl behind. The rain was coming down in bigger droplets now that he could feel through his hair and he grimaced as a fat one landed in his eye, shaking his head and wiping it away. "Aw, man. I'd offer you my coat if I had one, but..."

[stelmarisa]

Erren made a face. "I've been hitchhiking over these mountains in merchant's carts. I've been exposed to just about every stink there is - meat, fish, even dragon's blood once! I can get used to anything." She paused, self-conscious. "I hope the smells haven't rubbed off on me!"
Although she shrugged off the prospect of smells, Erren was curious - she had never been to a fishing town, or even tasted fish."

She shrugged off Kyran's offer, laughing. "This isn't too bad! I can cope with a bit of rain." She had been outside in all weathers - including rain much worse than this. Although it was getting worse, running down her cloak and starting to turn her long hair into a wet rope. She looked up as they turned a corner and exclaimed.
"Look! An inn!" Sure, it was hard to see through the curtain of rain, but there was no mistaking the tall building with its sign swinging gently. She skipped a little on the spot and tugged at Kyran's elbow.

"Come on, let's run!"

[Rhindeer]

Ewww, blood? Kyran tried not to make a face at that one, always a bit of a clean freak and dirty things always disturbed him a little. It was the Neqa'el in him, the impulse to always groom and keep clean and even now the rain was driving him crazy and he just wanted to get inside and take care of his hair.

"I'm sure we can find a bath," he told her as she worried about her smell--which, if there was any, it was disguised by the rain. "I'll need one myself. Let go!"

Relieved at the sight of the inn, he ran with her, eager to get inside, and only released her arm and ran ahead so he could get the door for it. By then, the rain was coming down in a steady downpour, more like a waterfall than the earlier drizzle.

Kyran shook out his hair, sending droplets flying, and shivered.

"Whew, made it!" he said, rubbing his arms before holding them out, clothing quite wet. "Eck. Dunno about you, but I needa change."

[stelmarisa]

Erren ducked through the door of the inn, laughing and breathless from the run. She smiled, glad to be out of the rain - until more water splattered her in the face.

"Hey! You hit me!" she protested as Kyran shook his head. Retaliating, she made sure to take off her cloak with an extra flourish, scattering water.

She squeezed out her cloak, making a face a stream of water fell from it, adding to the puddle that was forming around them both. "Yeah, that's one way of putting it!" she agreed, plucking at the sodden fabric of her skirt. "Maybe we should ask for rooms."

[Rhindeer]

"Gyah!" Kyran threw up his hands to ward off the water sprinkles but not before some of it got him in the face. He wiped at his face, grimacing. Now that he was inside, out of the rain, and no longer running, it was difficult not to focus on the fact that he was cold and miserable and that his wet breeches were chafing in the most unfortunate places.

"Yeeeah, definitely. Before I get a rash!" he said, looking for the innkeeper.

It wasn't too long before a portly, middle-aged woman bustled up to them, and a quick exchange told him the price she and her husband were charging for room and board--as well as that they really only had one large room with several beds. It wasn't like the finer inns that could be found in larger cities, but it would do. The price wasn't terrible, either.

Kyran exchanged a look with Erren, then dug into his coin purse and produced coin enough for himself. The woman arched an eyebrow and flicked her gaze to Erren. "Ya ain't together?"

"Wha? Oh! No! Uh, I mean, no." Kyran flashed Erren an apologetic look, having not meant to be quite so...emphatic. It was nothing against her! The question just took him completely off guard!

[stelmarisa]

Erren grinned at Kyran's 'rash' comment, fully grasping the implications. Her own leggings, worn under her skirt for practicality, didn't react well to wet either. "Tell me about it."

She shivered as they waited for the landlady, sighing in relief as she turned up. Focusing on getting a room, she didn't even notice Kyran's awkward comment, although she did raise an eyebrow as he stuttered and glanced at her.

"Huh? Oh no, we're not together." She smiled at the landlady and looked down into her small, battered purse. Frowning slightly, she bent away to hide the threadbare, suspiciously empty pouch, and scrabbled around to find the right coins. "Um, just a second." She flushed, digger deeper.

[Rhindeer]

The lady watched Erren dig around for coins, one hand on her hip and one eyebrow arched as she waited. Kyran also watched, feeling a little awkward from secondhand embarrassment. He'd been in that situation before and knew how it felt.

And if Erren didn't get room and board here, what were her options? Staying out in the rain?

He waited. He waited a little longer. Then, finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Er...here." Reaching into his coin purse, he got out the coins she was missing and pressed them into the innkeeper's hand, quickly before he could change his mind or think about how far that would set him back. "That should do it, right?"

He'd have to make up the money later, but what kind of person would he be if he let that go? Besides, he liked to believe that good deeds paid for themselves.

And when you were part demon, it didn't hurt to stock up on the good deeds.

[stelmarisa]

Erren blushed a deep red, her cheeks and neck spreading with the dull flush. "Thank you" she muttered to Kyran, her eyes fixed downwards. As the innkeeper bustled off, uninterested in them now that she had got their money, Erren looked upwards, grimacing. "I have got the money - really I have. I just... can't find it right now." She frowned in confusion, looking back in her purse. "I'll find it as soon as we get upstairs, and pay you back."

With that, she turned away from him to the narrow staircase, putting a hand out to the rough-carved bannister to steady herself as she made her way upstairs. She ran lightly up the steep steps, pausing as she found herself at the top. Still embarassed, she didn't look behind her to see if Kyran was following, but headed into the large dorm-room opposite.

It was only a moment until she'd chosen an empty bed at the far end of the room, and upended her pack onto the blanket, rooting through her belongings for some coin.

[Rhindeer]

The innkeeper accepted the coin, and Kyran could already feel himself growing panicky. It was the right thing to do, though, right? He couldn't just let some girl get shoved back out into the rain where she could catch her death of cold! And good deeds would only help him out in the end, right? Maybe not right now, as he didn't have much left now, just enough for a few meals which meant he would have to do something to earn more.

Or maybe not, if Erren really did have money to pay him back with!

He followed her upstairs and set his things down on the bed next to hers, then thought better of it and set his bag on the floor. There might (well, actually there was no might about it) be bedbugs and he always liked to check first, so he lifted the straw mattress to look beneath it. The last inn he'd stayed at had left him with more bites than he could count! They'd probably never changed the bedding...

Kyran shuddered at the thought and, seeing no sign of the critters, let the mattress drop back down and looked over to Erren--who was rooting through her belongings.

Erk. That didn't look too good.

"No one bumped you on the way over here, did they?" he asked with a frown. Either she was desperately trying to save face or she'd been pick-pocketed.

[stelmarisa]

Erren was ignoring Kyran, searching through the various pockets and hidey-holes she'd put into her pockets before setting off. Her blush was replaced by a frown of genuine confusion. She knew she had coin, but where was it? Surely... surely she couldn't have spent it all already? She had barely spent anything on her journey, hitching free rides where she could, sleeping on wagons and walking through the night to avoid paying for an inn.

"What?" she asked vaguely, turning to him. That was a possibility she hadn't even considered. "You mean, to steal from me?" her eyes widened. "Why would someone do that? No, they wouldn't, surely." She turned back again, thinking about this new idea. The concept of theft was so far removed from her upbringing that she had trouble seeing it as a legitimate concern.

"A-ha!" Just then, her hands closed on a bulging pocket, sewn into the lining of a spare tunic. "I knew I had some!" she exclaimed victoriously, extracting the coin. Counting carefully, she seperated what she owed Kyran, holding it out to him.

"Thank you so much for doing that. Here."

[Rhindeer]

There had been a time when Kyran had been that naive. Namely back home among his people, where they lived in small nomadic clans as opposed to towns, villages, or cities. Back there, the concept of stealing had been utterly foreign and he would have echoed Erren's thoughts: why would anyone steal from him?

Talk about a wake-up call. He'd been mugged shortly before entering his first big city.

Kyran opened his mouth to speak, but Erren cut him off before he could and he found himself staring in surprise at a hand full of coin.

"Oh! Oh. Hey, thanks!" he said with a grin, accepting it and carefully tucking it away. Well, that solved a lot of his issues right there! "It's not a problem, anyway. Like I said, I've been in your shoes. But, uh...seriously, just as an aside, you might wanna be careful. I mean, uh--you don't do much traveling, do you?"