Out of the Woods

[DragonSong]

She smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you."

She didn't want to be rude, so she attempted to nibble at the offered biscuits instead of scarfing them down as her now growling stomach demanded she do.

[Lion]

Ki'adan went about resaddling Starhunter and proceeded to strap him in.  "If you're ready to travel, we can get started."

[DragonSong]

"Oh. Um, yes sir." Dusk smiled and nodded quickly. "Sh-should I ride in front of you or behind?" She was a rather petite little thing, she didn't think she'd cause much trouble for him to work around her.

[Lion]

"Whichever works best for you," Ki'adan said.  He climbed onto the horse, who wasn't too pleased to be on the move again, but didn't protest.

He held his hand out for her to climb on.  "Don't be scared now.  Starhunter is gentle when he must."

[DragonSong]

She smiled, but hesitated a moment to take his hand. "I'm n-not scared." Well. Not not the horse at any rate.

With a quick breath, she took his hand and swung up in front of him, doing her best to take up as little room on the saddle as possible.

[Lion]

Ki'adan would have preferred her in the back, however, he kept his cool, and scooted back enough to allow her some room.  It was easier he supposed to have her in front.  Ki'adan gripped the reins and moved the horse around the tree he'd changed behind, crossing the stream with little else to say.

"So, where are you from?" he asked casually.

[DragonSong]

Dusk tangled her fingers gently in the horses mane, scratching at the arch of his neck lightly, absently. "L-La'marri, sir," she murmured, "but I've been t-t-traveling for a few years now."

She twisted her head slightly to glance at him over her shoulder. "A-and you? If I may ask?"

[Lion]

He considered the question for a time.

"Adela," he answered finally.  "I come and go.  But truly, nowhere really is my home.  Or you might say the road."  He chuckled.  "Normally I let Starhunter decide where we go.  I guess today he felt like Adela."

The horse grunted with what seemed like laughter and tossed his head back to match.

[DragonSong]

Dusk giggled quietly and patted Starhunter's neck. "If I c-can ask, how do you get b-by then? I've been on the road since I was s-sixteen, but I still feel like I d-don't really know what I'm doing."

[Lion]

He nodded.  "Having enough food is always a good idea.  Or learning to acquire some while traveling is also key," he chuckled.  "And having an idea where good trade posts are.  You could barter for goods found or acquired from other trade for supplies.  So...yeah it involves some communication."

[DragonSong]

She nodded and murmured, "I've l-learned to trade services for food. I'm n-not much of a hunter, and I d-d-don't eat meat anyway."

[Lion]

"Grains go a long way too," he murmured.  "I suppose you're good at foraging for plants right?"

[DragonSong]

She chuckled and nodded. "Y-you could say that. That's most of my work. I'm a healer," she explained, her stutter beginning to fall away as she talked about topics she was more comfortable with and confident in.

[Lion]

"Oh?  That's useful.  Few places have healers.  Are you very good?" he asked casually.

[DragonSong]

Yet another blush and she nodded. "I c-can be. I've never lost a patient yet, at any rate."

She almost wishes she could knock on wood after saying that, but satisfied herself with twining her fingers tighter in Stahunter's mane.

[Lion]

The horse ghaveaa snort and flaunted his head back a little, haughty and eager to impress.  Ki'adan looked at him over Dusk's shoulder as they rode.  This was unusual behavior even for him.

"He certainly seems to like you.  He thinks you're nice.  And this has turned to obnoxious behavior."

[DragonSong]

Dusk chuckled and stroked the horse's neck. "I like him too," she said with a quick grin, looking over her shoulder at Ki'adan. "And I d-don't mind, really. L-lots of stallions are like that, they...show off a bit."

[Lion]

"He's practically haughty," Ki'adan laughed, watching his horse prance as if it were in a march.

"All right Starhunter, that is enough."

The horse snorted, but eventually sobered, looking back at Dusk with a twinkle to his eye as if to say, "He ruins all the fun."

That was until the horse' thick neck hit a tree, bumping them off to the side.  Starhunter knickered in embarrassment, righting himself and trying to pay more attention to the path in front.

[DragonSong]

She laughed outright, leaning forward over the horse's neck and patting his shoulder. "You fit well together," she noted, leaning back and glancing over her shoulder at Ki'adan. "I d-don't meet many people who treat their animal c-companions like this."

[Lion]

Ki'adan nodded.  He supposed there were worse people for her to meet.  Certainly he wasn't all bad now was he?

Her hair was rather unusual and he found himself glaring at it for a time, quiet.  Only when Starhunter farted did he make a face and snap out of it.  "That...is disgusting.  Even for you boy," he growled, quite embarrassed.  Starhunter on the other hand was more than happy to do it again.