On The Road Again

Descending Water 14

Aden arrived at their meeting point outside the southern gate early so that he would arrive first. To the east, light had begun to show over the horizon, but the sun had yet to show itself. Although it was clearly spring when the sun was high in the sky, winter could still be felt early in the morning and late at night. A light frost covered the fields to the west and south of the capital. Even at this early hour, not long after the gates were first opened for the day, traffic was getting heavy going in and out of the city.

Aden had staked his horse, Lady, in a field to the southwest of the city gates. Lady was a reddish brown mare plenty strong enough to carry Aden and his supplies but no war horse. Aden stood beside her going through his saddle bags making sure that nothing he needed was left behind. A red jade daiklave was strapped to his back, and a pair of red jade bracers were on his wrists. Both were gifts given to him by his parents for his graduation and trip abroad. Aden's trusty straight sword, the one he carried throughout his time at the House of Bells, has on his hip. Aden wore light linen clothes despite the cold. Heavy clothing took a lot of room, and he would not need them once they reached the South. Over his clothing he wore his father's old breastplate. It was an old piece of armor that had been in his family a long time. His father wore it before he had jade armor and so did his father before him. Over the linen and armor he wore a heavy wool cloak to keep the cold off him while still here on the isle.

After deciding he had not forgotten anything, Aden paced near his horse to keep his blood moving and to kill the time before his companions would arrive. Aden didnt normally like to arrive early, but he felt that since this was all his idea, he should be here to take charge when the others arrived. Glancing eastward, Aden noticed that the sun would be rising soon and his friends wouldnt be far behind.

---

Unsurprising to Aden, Udo was the second of the companions to arrive that morning, the Cloister of Wisdom graduate looked wide awake and fairly energetic for this early in the morning. He was dressed in a simple hemp robe that was likely a bit thin for the mornings winter chill and looked as if it might be a bit warm in the deserts of the south. Across his back Udo was carrying what looked like a fairly heavy canvas pack, his jade powerbow was unstrung and attached to the pack along with several quivers of arrows and the semi-disassembled pieces of his breastplate. Unlike the rest of his companions Udo did not have a mount of any kind with him, instead he would rely on carrying his relatively modest belongings on his back and keeping up with the horses on foot. It sounded like a daunting task, but Udo had been trained for such endeavors at the Cloister and the perfected boots that Willow Rose had given him as a graduation present would undoubtedly come in handy.

Udo blended into the crowd of people more than most Dragon-Blooded would, his appearance relatively unspectacular compared to how some of his brethren chose to present themselves. As a result Aden didn't spot him approaching until he was rather close, despite Aden eagerly awaiting their arrival and keeping an eye on the crowd for their approach. Though it was worth noting, and perhaps brought a bit of a smirk to Aden's lips that Udo's approach was anything but stealthly, quite the opposite. Carrying a heavy pack with two quivers full of arrows, an unstrung bow, and the makings of a breastplate gave each of Udo's steps a rather distinct rattle one would expect of a loaded merchant more than a traveling monk.

Udo broke into a notable smile when he spotted Aden waiting for them to gather at the southern gate, greeting his companion with a cheerful greeting.

"Good morning old friend! Am I the first to arrive?"

--FyreFly 21:02, 25 August 2011 (EDT)

---

Aden grabbed the Udo's forarm in greeting. "Indeed you are. The others shouldn't be far behind though." Aden looked past Udo's to his pack and chuckled, "Those boots might let you travel as fast as us, but I dont envy you carrying that pack all over creation."

--Macabreengel 10:32, 1 September 2011 (EDT)

---

Peleps Caedmon rode towards the south gate atop his stallion, Homer. Upon seeing his companions in the distance, he picked up the pace, sprinting towards them until within earshot before slowing Homer to a trot. He looked more like a soldier of the Seventh Legion in his blue jade lamellar armor, to say nothing of the wavecleaver daiklave he wore at his side, an inappropriate weapon for the terrain but the only jade weapon Cad owned, given to him by his uncle and aunt for graduation, a reminder of the naval service expected of any able-bodied Peleps. Cad felt silly wearing his armor this early into the trip, but found the act of packing it too aggravating to be worth the trouble. As he rode towards the pair, his hearthstones glistened as they moved through the Sun's focus.

He called out to them, "You know, Aden, one can hunt Anathema at times other than the ass-crack of dawn. Also, morning Udo." Cad finished his greeting with a nod to his less familiar traveling partner.

He brought Homer to a halt and let loose an exaggerated, but legitimate yawn. Andromeda, Cad's falcon familiar, broke a hard, looping turn and began to circle overhead. After a moment's pause, Cad put his thumb and forefinger to his lips and blew a low whistle, calling the bird down to his shoulder. When the white bird of prey, decorated with a pattern of blue, steely bars, landed on Cad, he looked around, grinning slightly.

"You know, I like these sorcerers. They seem to sleep even later than I do."

Dan 11:39, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

---

Udo smirked in response to Aden's comments about his heavy looking pack, carrying it around Creation would be an unenviable task but the unassuming Udo would have it no other way. He watched as their next companion arrived by horseback, a well prepared legionnaire by appearance.

"Morning Caedmon." Udo spoke with a flat, yet pleasant tone that showed he was likely the early riser of the group.

"Perhaps our young lovebirds were delayed with something other than sleep..." The delivery from Udo was as deadpanned and awkward as anyone would expect; the comment left the possibility open that he hadn't just made a sex joke. But it sure seemed like he did...

--FyreFly 19:47, 10 September 2011 (EDT)

---

Aden grinned at Cad, "I feared that once you got into the habit of sleeping in, I would never break you of it. The other two should be along shortly. It is unlike Izumi to be late. She may be a sorcerer, but she has a bit of a soldier in her too."

In response to Udo's mysterious comment, Aden respond, "In that case, maybe she is a soldier with a bit of a sorcerer in her!" Aden slapt Udo in the shoulder and winked at Cad while he laughed.

The sun had finished rising and you could see a sliver of sky between it and the sea when Aden cocked his head like he was listening to a sound off in the distance. Aden shrugged and sighed, "It seems they ran into some trouble at the Sesus Manse and will be delayed. She says to get started and they will catch up. We are headed along the Great Coast Road, so they can't miss us." Aden pulled the stake from ground and untied the reings from it. He placed the stake in a bag, placed one foot in stirrup jumped up onto his horse, Lady.

After his companions readied themselves for the march/ride, Aden lead them onto the Great Coast Road proper and south towards whatever their fates would be. "So Cad, you never did tell me what you did to piss off that girl of yours..."

--Macabreengel 16:22, 14 September 2011 (EDT)

---

Cad smirked at Aden, replying to his first comment.

"Even at school, I never really woke up until after lunch anyway. You know as well as I that by the time we were upperclassmen, we could do those morning drills in our sleep."

It was rare that Cad wasn't sure how to handle a person, but his lopsided grin belied his total confusion at Udo's sense of humor... or whatever that was. Fortunately, the awkward moment didn't last; upon seeing Aden cock his head to he side, Cad had a feeling they'd be on their way. He patted Homer and hopped back upon his mount, waiting for Aden's confirmation of his suspicions.

When it came, Cad cynically replied, "Trouble at the Sesus Manse? I can't imagine how that would happen..."

Cad did, at least partially, share his father's views on House Sesus, particularly some of its older members - Like House Cathak, but without the discipline, or like House Peleps, but without the tact. Either way, there was little good to be said.

As they started towards their immediate destinies, Cad obliged Aden's prying.

"Well, it's a long story and things were rocky for awhile, but... Well, let's just say that it doesn't help when your partner unloads a bunch of self-deprecating but shockingly accurate criticisms of herself at the end of a long day, and you tacitly go along with those. And it really doesn't help if you try to point out that she said them, and not you."

Cad shrugged, half-grinning.

"She'll be back."

Dan 23:39, 14 September 2011 (EDT)

---

The three travelers followed the Great Coast Road most days, but occasionally followed short cuts when locals told them of quicker paths. The group was making good time even without pushing themselves to get up too early and continue too late. The road was lined with fishing villages and farming towns that provided fresh food and cheap beds, so the three rarely had to make camp or do their own cooking. Cad and Udo discovered that they both knew a little about birds and would pass the time pointing out rare species to eachother. Aden and Udo would often drink too much too late into the night when they were staying at an inn, and they would grumble in the morning.

Aden, Cad, and Udo were following a farmers road between two fields when things began to feel queer. They had been off the Great Coast Road for about a day and a half and it was about noon. Aden was in the lead and a few paces behind him Cad and Udo were spotting birds. The stalks from last autumn's corn harvest had not yet been plowed back into the earth in these fields and it was making it difficult for Udo to do much spotting from his lower vantage point. Aden came to a stop and the other two stopped right behind him. The narrow path could barely accomadate two side by side and was too narrow to turn a horse around in, so Aden half turned his head back to Cad and Udo. They both nodded without Aden even asking. A hundred yards ahead a man had stepped out from behind a tree with a crossbow, seen them, and jumped back into hiding. Then about 70 yards ahead in the field to their right a murder of crows quietly took flight.

Aden sighed, "I suppose it is better us than an unaware farmer. Thoughts?"

--Macabreengel 14:03, 19 September 2011 (EDT)

---

((Just a guess but I'm assuming you meant for Aden and Cad to drink too much late at night and grumble in the mornings, if Udo did that with frequency it would not be in keeping with the character.))

Udo had rather enjoyed spotting birds with Cad and was glad they had decided to take this walk through the familiar countryside as it provided a wonderful and comfortable means for Udo to get to know him as well as to reacquaint himself with his childhood friend in Aden. Udo's quirky personality did not fade, confirming that his odd remarks and dialogue tone were simply a part of his personality, however it did seem far less noticeable to both of his companions by this point of the trip.

Udo went still with both of his other companions as the figure up ahead disappeared behind the tree, his eyes raised to the birds taking flight as he slowly and deliberately reached to his back and pulled the unstrung bow from his pack; he remained silent while he pulled a thick cord from his side and set about the task of stringing it to his bow with quick, practiced movements. For the moment he seemed willing to allow his more militarily gifted companions do the strategizing.

"I was thinking about the birds....." His offhanded remarked was whispered quietly, as if to himself and was the only thought he shared while setting about his task of stringing his bow.

--FyreFly 19:46, 20 September 2011 (EDT)