Starting Date and Time: 30th Day of Mauven, 300 DM, midday

Starting Location: Green Fall, village center

CS URLs: Verissa Beatrix Greenlakes aka Trix & Rilana Aurorime'

Trix walked pleasantly along the guarded caravan that, still wincing occasionally at the general, bodily soreness she'd felt. She still hadn't fully come to terms with what had happened five days ago at the Knights' Tournament, and really didn't wish to think about all those that died, those she couldn't save. It was heart breaking. For now, she basked in the sunlight, listening to a rather comical tune that a handful of dwarves were singing.



Trix blushed furiously at the song, but couldn't help but laugh. The caravan left the sunshine and passed through the shaded coverage of the Chartric Forest. She'd only been to Green Fall once, as a young girl, and all she could remember were giant trees. And that had not changed now that she was taller. Her blonde hair and green skirt swished in the wind as the logging village came into view.

Her father had told her once that the best guard dogs were raised and bred here, and after being robbed recently, she decided it was time to get one. She wasn't really sure which breeds were best, nor how to tell a good pup from a bad one. Once in the village proper, it didn't take long to find the many outdoor kennels, where the dogs ran across vast treed lawns kept in by finely crafted wooden fences. She looked many of them over, not even sure of most of the breeds. That black one looked like the Ebon Pinscher... the one with the bright blue eyes might be a Frostfell Fanger...

Her brow furrowed as her frustration grew. A man came over to assist her, scooping up a chocolate colored pup, "Wutchya lookin' for, miss?"

She could feel his eyes passing over her, and she shifted uncomfortably, "Um, I need a, uh, guard dog." The man's eyes lit up, realizing he had an easy sale, a sucker. He walked past her, making sure to glance up the back as he'd had the front, "O'er here we have the Ebon Brute. Finest guard dog, and I breed 'em exclusively. Smar' as a whip, quick ta train, will keep any robbers away." She flinched a bit at the thought of the robbery, and he knew he'd succeeded. The breed name was the only thing he hadn't lied about. The Brute was dumb, hard to train, and terribly common in these part.

"I'll part with a pup for say... seventy-five golds."

Trix's eyes widened at the exorbitant number. She'd been expecting to spend twenty-five at most. Guard dogs were supposed to be cheaper of the breeds, she'd thought, since they didn't earn profit like hunters, trackers, and war dogs. If this was the price, she could pay it, but it would make things tight and uncomfortable for a long while. Most of her money went back to the loan for her shop. Her palms were sweaty, she was never good at this part of business. She didn't deal with merchants typically, often gathering her own materials, and just being paid what people could afford to give. She didn't get into being an herbalist for the money, but to be around the plants she loved and to help people. Her face was knit with worry, but she needed a dog, she couldn't afford to be robbed again.

"I... I uh, guess I can pay that..."

It would be time to travel home soon. The sunny warmth of fall in these southlands was beautiful, so colourful and nearly overwhelming to all the senses. Rilana felt she could spend years wandering those verdant, fragrant woods, learning the secrets of many new animals, but the events of the tournament had left her shaken as well as injured. The moon fey was always pale, but as she stood in the shadow of a huge oak tree speaking to a man leading a mule and cart, her silvery hair lacked its usual opalescent luster, and there was a faint shadow under her striking azure gaze.

"So you're from Frigmount, eh?" the man asked, and Rilana offered a hesitant nod. That she was a fey was impossible to hide, and she didn't want to lie, but being so far from home was starting to wear on her nerves. But the man with the cart full of birds, his long limbs and hunched back reminding her of a scarecrow, was so animated and kind that her pink lips curved up into a smile.

"That's right. I work with birds a bit too, though there aren't many raptors in the Frostfell. My favourite is the snow owl."

"Ah, the white owl. What I wouldn't give to see one of those pale beauties." He turned to reach through the window of the cart and after a moment of jiggling, pulled an enormous tuft-eared owl out of the dark interior. The motion set a collection of carved amulets around the man's neck clanking together with a musical woody clatter, and Rilana realized that she was seeing a huge collection of effigies, each beak and feather carved in excrutiating detail. The aged man obviously had an affinity for avians.

"This is Fleck. Not my smartest bird, but he holds a special place in my heart. He's a horned owl." It's head swiveled to look at Rilana, each orange eye blinking one at a time, and it puffed its striped neck feathers up almost arrogantly.

"He's beautiful!" Rilana gasped earnestly, resisting the urge to lift her arm. Unlike the bird man, she wasn't wearing a leather glove to protect herself from the inevitable lacerations of talons.

"Beautiful! Bah-ah-ah!" A raspy, mocking tone came from inside the cart and Rilana turned curiously to look for the source of the laughing voice. There were many birds inside the cart, some tethered to perches by their jesses, some in cages, some appearing to simple roost inside of their own accord. It was impossible to tell at a glance which of the dark shapes were the bird-man's Familiars and which were simply trained.

"Oh, don't mind her. She likes to cause trouble," the man said, replacing the owl back onto his perch. "I've tried every trick I know to get her sold but she just keeps coming back."

"Trouble. Double trouble! Beautiful trouble. Ba-ha-bawk!"

Rilana found herself looking into a round beady blue eye above a long white beak. Not a raptor of any kind, she realized. And a moment later she forgave herself for not recognizing the species because instead of the typical glossy blue-black, the raven was stark white with only a bit of silver under her wings and breast.

"Oh my! I've never seen a white raven before. She's lovely. Is she one of your...one of yours?" Rilana barely stopped herself from speaking too loudly to the man about their shared gift of Familiary, having come to understand that in these southern lands magics of all kinds were treated with much more suspicion and fear than they were in Frigmount, and she wondered if it had something to do with the strange cut-offness the ice capital seemed to have been suffering.

The moon fey didn't hesitate this time, and when she reached out towards the bird it hopped from the small counter onto her wrist, cocking her head to look up at the woman.

"Never seen -bawk- lovely."

"Not one of mine," the bird-man replied, watching as the raven hopped up to Rilana's shoulder and pecked experimentally at the intricate silver circlet on her brow. Rilana raised a hand to stop the bird and she quickly fluttered up from her shoulder only to land on it again as soon as Rilana lowered her hand.

"Now you stop that," the moon fey instructed, squinting at the bird out of the corner of her eye.

"Stop. No you stop." They glared at each other for a moment, but the raven looked away first, tucking her head back to preen herself casually. Rilana gave a firm nod.

"I think I'll be heading back to Silent Rise with an empty perch," the bird-man grinned, reaching over to close the wooden flap across the window of the cart.

Rilana's silvery brows furrowed as the man's meaning escaped her, but when she understood that he meant her to take the raven she shook her head, alarmed. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly buy her from you..." she reached up to try to scoop the bird from her shoulder, but it deftly avoided her fingers, hopping from one shoulder to the other or hovering just out of reach.

The bird-man laughed, lifting a skinny leg to slap a knobbly knee. "Don't worry about it, my beauty, I've done sold her twice and she came back. Most like she'll come back again, but if she doesn't it'd set my mind well to know she's with you."

Rilana smiled, her pale cheeks flushing slightly at the vote of confidence from the stranger, biting her bottom lip as she glanced at the bird on her shoulder. "In that case, if she decides to stick with me I'll treat her as well as I can."

She chatted with the bird-man for a few moments more as he readied his cart, speaking in quiet tones and insinuations about the magic of Familiary. They even walked together for a time until their paths parted. Doctoring herself after the fight with the thing had depleted Rilana's medicine bag some, and she wanted to stop at the market for some fresh supplies. She had also decided to splurge a little and get herself some honey, a rare delicacy in the Frostfell.

She passed by the livestock and came upon the dog kennels, her steps slowing with curiosity. Some breeds she recognized, others, primarily the ones with short coats that wouldn't do well in the north, she did not. But the name of the breed meant little against how much the druid could know just by looking.

With the muttering of the raven in her ear, she looked at the soulful eyes of large, heavy-coated livestock guardians, and she noted the piercing watchfulness of guard breeds, the frenzied energy of vermin-hunters, and the rangy loping gait of hounds. She was eyeing a couple of the grown Ebon Brutes, one of her brows quirked dubiously, and happened to overhear Trix and the dog breeder. His tone, in addition to the obvious untruth of his words, rang falsely in her ears. The Druid could see with her own eyes that these large, dark dogs were behaving like feral mongrels. They had a frantic energy that promised destruction and countless time spent in fruitless training. Even the adults squabbled and snapped, and they had a slow stupid bark that Rilana instantly hated.

The slender moon fey eyed Trix as she fished into her money-purse, trying to decide if she had any place to intervene. Had she been in her own city she wouldn't have hesitated, but who knew how these warmlanders would react?

It was the outrageous asking price that made up her mind, and deciding to take the risk of being dismissed for delving into someone else's business, she reached out to put a cool, gentle hand on Trix's arm.

"Please," she began, her foreign accent obvious from the start, her tone calm but with a note of urgency as she looked down at the shorter woman. "Can I speak with you for a moment? I think you're making a mistake."

Trix jumped abruptly, dropping some coins back into her purse, as a hand alighted on her, thinking it was a pickpocket that had been clumsy. She quickly turned to see a very pale, very beautiful woman, and instantly lost the silly pickpocket thought. She listened as the clearly foreign woman spoke, as she tried to determine what race she was. She looked a bit like a mix of a high elf and a drow, but there were a few things from both that were missing. And it would be rude to ask. And it seemed she had advice. Looking over at the dog breeder, "Excuse me for just a bit, sir."

Trix stepped away from the man, who was glaring daggers at the Moon Fey woman, so that the pair could have some privacy. Turning to her, staring into those foreign eyes, not sure how to start this hidden conversation. She kept glancing over at the dog breeder who kept trying to put on his 'professional face' every time she looked at him. "So..." she started, in a lower conversational voice, "Why do you think that I'm making a mistake? They look like they'd scare off any more thieves, even if they're a bit.. pricey."

She shifted nervously now, holding her arms against herself. She really hoped that this man wasn't trying to take advantage of her, that was just bad business. If people knew that, they'd stop buying, if they stopped buying, you'd go broke, and if you went broke, you lost everything. The goal of every business should be to be the best, right? That's how you got the invitation to set up shop in the capital. If he were trying to rip her off, she'd make sure as many people knew about it as possible.

"Would you recommend something different? I'll pay if you can help me out."

Rilana withdrew her hand, feeling foolish for putting her hand on a stranger. Smiling sheepishly, she moved with Trix to put distance between themselves and the dog breeder. The moon fey ignored his unspoken ire, not caring if he thought ill of her for interrupting a sale. Likely, troubling herself to steer Trix to a more reliable breed would come to naught, but it felt right to try.

At Trix's jump, the white and silver raven sprang from Rilana's shoulder and fluttered over to a fence separating the Ebon Brutes from the foot traffic. The dogs sprang at the fence, barking in a raucous clamour, frothy saliva on their lips. They were easy to taunt, and the raven amused itself hopping back and forth just out of reach, screaming "Bark bawk bark," in a mocking voice and then laughing rudely.

"I heard you say that you were looking for a guard dog," Rilana replied, getting right to the point without bothering to introduce herself. That would come later, if the pretty human was interested in hearing her out. "I fear that the only thing you could rely on these dogs to guard is their own dinner. I haven't heard of their breed before. I...I'm not from these parts obviously, but I do know that this man isn't the only one selling these...brutes." It was a fitting name, she had to admit. "I've seen at least one other today. I also know a little about dogs." She grinned a little, I know a little about dogs ringing as an understatement. "I mostly train wolves, bearhounds, and Moon-sledders, but I don't like the look of these."

A frown creased Rilana's brow and her lips pursed in an icy sort of way as she glanced back at the dogs, who only barked louder at the raven when their noise went un-acknowledged by their master. How could the moon few convey what she knew, which was more instinct than education, in just a few moments to a complete stranger. "Being scary isn't enough," she started, a bit slowly at first as she collected her thoughts. "Dogs that act like this are just as likely to terrorize you as some thief because they are too unruly to train."

The druid didn't want to say anything directly damning about the dog breeder, but it was clear that she thought the man was trying to upsell his mongrels unfairly. Rilana gestured politely down the street. She had seen a breed she recognized and would rather recommend.

"I would, but my advice is free. I'm not interested in your money. I noticed a huntsman with some duck dogs and hounds, but he also had some Mountain Ridgebacks. Some people call them Stone Dogs or Stone Crest Hounds because that's where they were first bred. The miners used them for protection against the dangers of the mountains and the entrances to the Underdark." Provided that Trix came with her, she brought her under the shade of a redbud tree so that they could observe the dogs behind the fence. (As they moved away, the raven followed, leaving a pasty white smear on the Brute Hound breeders fence.)

Most of the new dogs were obvously hunting hounds, their long ears and distinct baying bark giving them away. But resting in the shade was a pair of large steel-gray muscular dogs with black markings at their feet, chest, and muzzle. They had a short, glossy coat, triangular ears that folded neatly at the sides of their face without being too droopy, and thin tails that curled up gently at the tip. But their most noteable feature, apart from their watchful, stoic gaze, was a ridge of fur down their backs that appeared darker than the rest as it lay against the grain.

Unlike the other dogs, these lay calmly in the dusty grass, peering up at their observers without giving anything away. There were three ridgeback pups playing nearby, but like their parents they seemed less rambunctious and more reserved, pausing after an ear tug or a pounce to look around. They seemed dignified, but something in their eyes was, rather than half-crazed, was standoffish enough to imply their worth as guard-beasts.

"Just watch."

Rilana walked up to the fence and put her hand on it. She had the attention of both the adult ridgebacks, but they didn't get up. Some of the other dogs came up to the fence, tails wagging and smiling mouths open with tongues lolling, but the druid ignored them. Rilana moved towards the gate. No reaction. She reached out and touched the gate-latch, and the male ridgeback stood. The moon fey jiggled the latch until it clanked and the 70lb dog gave a single booming bark, his muzzle in the direction of the huntsman, who was currently selling a pair of tan hound pups to a half-elf, but his green-grey eyes were on Rilana.

"Fayo, easy," the huntsman said in a deep voice, moving down the fence to help them. Fayo seemed to relax, the stiffness in his tail easing, though the watchfullness didn't lessen. "Can I help you, ladies? I still have several hound pups left from the summer breeding. They'll be ready for hunting by the end of Saffra." He did a slight double-take when he looked into Rilana's porcelain-doll face but his honest smile didn't falter.

"Actually I was just trying to explain the merits of the Mountain Ridgebacks as a guard breed to this young lady. Yours are quite handsome." She put on what she hoped was a winning smile. The huntsman seemed surprised, but at what, Rilana failed to deduce.

"Oh? Well it's actually lucky that I have pups this year. I keep Fayo to guard the other dogs. He is quite smart. But a friend of mine came down from Stone Crest with Briga last year and took ill so I ended up with her and soon after that, a litter." He turned to Trix. "Your friend is right. Ridges are smart and loyal as they come. Training 'em early is important, but unlike some of them more popular breeds they'll protect you without messin' up your house and runnin' off honest visitors. I have a bitch and two dog pups, and if you're interested I'll let any of them go for thirty-five gold pieces. That's fifteen less than I charge fer hounds, but it wouldn't sit well with me since I didn't plan for the litter."

Both Rilana and the huntsman glanced at Trix expectantly.

A slight grin formed on the blonde's face as the very odd colored raven taunted the dogs she'd considered buying. Her own chuckle came forth to pair with the hilarious bird's. Trix nodded as the woman went promptly into her advice, taking this time to study her exotic, beautiful features. While it was fairly obvious that she was foreign by her interesting accent, it was nice to hear her confirm it. However, when she'd said that she'd seen these dogs before, Trix instantly frowned. Exclusive her ass. This already gave some credibility to this woman. This was further improved as she claimed to have trained a few other types of dogs, that she claimed to exist. Trix made a mental note to remember their names. Wolves were easy, everywhere had those. Bearhounds... she wasn't quite sure what those were. Moon-sledders were a complete mystery, but she liked the name.

She nodded as the woman explained that the Ebon Brutes were quite difficult to train. That was disappointing, further ruining her view of the breeder. When the woman gestured away, Trix was more than willing and grateful to join her. Trix was grateful that the woman had refused payment, every gold counted when it came to paying back the Knights. Continuing to listen, she got felt a small spur of excitement. She'd at least heard of Stone Dogs! She'd never known they were from Stone Crest, nor that they'd been used to protect the miners.

Trix followed her into the shade, noting the many dogs on the opposite side of the fence. Many of the dogs were energetic and cute, but there were a few more stoic ones, larger ones. Their distance and different seeming nature immediately drew her eyes. They weren't the standard cute that many dogs seemed to be, excluding the puppies of course. But they were strong looking, not cute, but not inherently scary either. Strong definitely seemed to be their defining physical aspect. When she caught the eyes of one though, she was surprised by the intelligence she felt she saw within. It was as if the dog already knew what and who she was, and was planning accordingly. Trix barely heard the command from the other woman, as she was already heeding it.

The display that Rilana had just showed amazed the blonde herbalist. It wasn't just the intelligent and measured reactions from the male, but the fact that Rilana knew exactly what was needed to draw out that behavior. She was instantly glad that she'd met this mysterious foreigner. It was obvious that she clearly knew what she was talking about. Trix looked up at the approaching huntsman, a smile already upon her face. It barely mattered what he was about to say, she was already sold. She was glad that Rilana had already taken the lead in the conversation, but she made sure to pay very close attention.

When his offer came up, Trix was mightily relieved. It was still more than she'd originally wanted to pay, but it certainly seemed worth it now. She wasn't even going to bother trying her hand at poorly haggling, she was already thankful. "Yes, I'd like one of the pups. I assume they are old enough to leave their mother?" It may have seemed a silly question, as he wouldn't have sold them were it not true. But Trix still felt the need to ask, to have the comfort of knowing that both the pup, and in turn, her, were ready. She quickly dug into her coin purse and pulled out the agreed upon sum, handing it over to the man.

The man laughed heartily, "But of course they are miss." He took her money, and opened the gate a bit to allow her in. As expected, the male kept a watchful eye on her, but didn't react further, as she was allowed to be there. "Take your pick" She squatted down, and at first, the hunting hounds moved toward her. But the Feyo seemed to already know what was going on, stopped that with the lightest of growls. Trix reached out her hands toward the three pup ridgebacks, getting their undivided attention. They sniffed at her suspiciously, each of them taking a moment to look back at their parents. Some unseen gesture of approval was given, and they happily licked and rubbed against her hands, her cooing at them. She played with them all equally, her chest swelling with the happiness and relaxation this brought to her.

But how could she just pick one? There was no feature or characteristic that made any of them better or lesser than the others. If she could afford it, she'd buy all three, but at best she could only take two. She picked up the female, holding her in one hand, then closed her eyes. This was the only fair way, and it still broke her heart. She reached out and scooped up one of the boys at random. She stood up, her eyes now open, as she gently moved the two pups to a single arm, fishing out thirty five more golds, and offering them. "If I had more, I'd take all three. But this is what I can afford."

She looked down at the remaining boy, and her heart broke further. He was far too stoic to cry, to whine, to beg to be played with or for his siblings back. But there was something in those eyes that knew that he'd never see those he'd grown up with again. Trix had to look away before the tears would come, as the man nodded at her payment. She looked at the woman with watery eyes, "Thank you for helping me, it means the world to me." She moved toward the gate to leave, trying her best to keep the tears in, to not look back at the pup she was leaving behind. She cooed at the two in her arms, unnecessarily comforting them, though it was more for herself. The best she could do was raise them right and take the best care of them that she could, and hope the third found an equally good, or better, home.

She knew the basics of dog care, but she figured that there was a lot more to doing it properly. Once she'd composed herself a bit, she fully intended to ask the woman for some tips and the like, as well as offering a non-monetary recompense. But that would take a bit of time, but she didn't care. She'd never be ashamed of how she felt, regardless of the presence of foreigners.

Waiting outside the gate suited Rilana just fine. She didn't trust herself to go into the yard and play with pups or she might be there all day. She lingered in the shade, watching Trix wade through the romping hound pups to meet the ridgebacks. There were dozens breeds in the world, many of which seemed rather dumb and useless to the practical fey woman, but she had an appreciation for a breed that seemed to add something to the world. She was also thankful that the blonde human had been willing to listen to her rather than shrugging her off as an outsider. It was apparent that Trix was a kind heart. After the terrifying events at the tournament it was nice to find something familiar to soothe her soul. Rilana winced a little and shifted her weight. There was an injury on her back that she hadn't been able to reach well enough to treat herself and her pack seemed to be designed to rub it uncomfortably.

When Trix turned back with not one, but two pups in her arms Rilana couldn't help but smile, an expression that filled her azure eyes as well as turning up her soft lips. "Two for a bit less than one of those black mongrels," she noted quietly, secretly glad to have thwarted the unscrupulous breeder down the road.

A sympathetic look filled her eyes as she moved to meet Trix at the gate and noticed that the shorter woman's eyes sparkled wetly. She reached up to say hello to the pups, scratching one behind their jaws and feeling their velvet-soft puppy ears between her thumb and fore-finger. She glanced back at the remaining pup. Even she felt a pang at seeing him watching his siblings depart. "If I didn't have another month-long journey ahead of me I would be sorely tempted to take him with me. But I don't think it would be a fair trek for him, and it seems I have already picked up one creature today." She glanced at the raven, who had flown across the road to a fruit cart and was eyeing a basket of blueberries with unmistakeable avarice and inching stealthily closer, yet giving herself away with jabbery muttering. The young woman minding the cart was eyeing the bird with a shrewd gaze, reaching for a thin stick in case the raven made a move on her produce.

"It was my pleasure, truly," the moon fey replied to Trix's thanks, her tone earnest. "A dog should be a worthy companion you cherish, not a burden. Thank you for bothering to listen to me. There are many who are leery about entertaining advic from foreigners."

The huntsman pocketed Trix's gold. He too seemed to feel a twinge of regret at seeing the herbalist walk away with only two, but he knew better than anyone that it would be quite a large responsibility for most people to train one pup, let alone three, and treble the meals for such a large carnivore was nothing to take lightly. "Be sure to let me know if you need any help with them, Miss. I can tell they're going to be well-cared-for. And don't worry about the third 'un. I've a mind to train him up myself." Selling his hounds was usually much more business-like: the dogs being bought as hunting tools rather than family members. The transaction with the young woman and the mysterious foreigner brightened his day.

Now that the purchase had been made and Trix seemed happy with the two steel-coated pups, Rilana stepped back softly, wondering if she should take her leave before her presence started to impose. "Well, I have some shopping to do..."

The man's words about training the third pup, keeping it in the family, lifted Trix's spirits a bit. She squatted down and set the pups gently on the grass, looking first at the boy "You're Remus," followed by the girl, "And you're Remilia." Then to both of them, "I promise to take good care of both of you, if you take good care of me. Ready for a bit of a walk?" Both pups cast a single glance at their parents, then seemed to know that she was their new parent. Trix stood up and both pups took up places around her, with Remilia taking lead.

When the woman seemed ready to leave, Trix decided now was the time to ask. "Wait, please. I know some of the basics of raising pups, but perhaps you could teach me something that only proper breeders might know. I really want to do this right." She didn't mention pay, but it was something she was willing to do. "If it's not too big of a bother, I know you're probably busy. And I don't even know your name. I'm Trix. Trix Greenlakes. I live in Ruby Banks, have a small shop there if you're ever in town. I..." She cast a downward gaze as she remembered what drew her here. There had been first the robbery, which wasn't that bad, but rather the tournament. The carnage, the death and destruction, made her realize just how alone in the world she was. That if she died now, and there was a god to judge her life, she would be pitied. She didn't want that. She wanted more than running her shop and living in fear of death. And these pups were the first step.

"And...," at this she blushed lightly, "I'm curious about you. I've not met one of your kind before, nor do we get many foreigners here. You've been so kind, so... interesting, can I at least treat you, and your feathery friend, to a meal? It really is the least I can do."

Trix knew there were plenty of food stands and stalls around, for while Ruby Banks was known for its farmlands, and Silent Rise for its hunters, Azure Strand for its fish, and Scream Watch for its herdsmen, Green Fall had domesticated many forest creatures. There were all sort of fenced in ranches of boars, hares, deer, and many others. They weren't just food, but also working animals, that were carefully controlled and bred. And nearly every ranch also had a small stand or stall out front where they cooked their wares and sold them.

Rilana had half-turned towards the road, one azure eye on the raven who was now lifting her wings and chattering at the sparrows who pecked at invisible crumbs on the road, pretending she wasn't still interested in the fruit vendor's goods.

But Trix's words halted the few small steps Rilana had taken to the road, and as she listened, her surprise and pleasure at the human's kindness brightened the moon fey's face. She had come to these southlands full of misgivings and mistrust, and the events of the tournament had seemed only to prove her doubts well-founded. And still, she was eager for the mountains and the serene taiga and tundra she loved, but meeting someone like Trix helped put her soul at peace for the time being.

"You're very kind Trix Greenlakes. My name is Rilana Aurorime', but you can call me Lana. I'm from Frigmount. It's very far away in the north. I'm not sure where Ruby Banks is. It's...west? Or south?" She paused, a flicker of uncertainty and regret in her eyes. "I...I really should be getting back to Frigmount before the winter. Traveling in the Frostfell is dangerous even to we who are used to it. I don't know that I could go with you to your home, but I could spare some time to teach you something before I go."

She turned and gestured to the street, and by extention the city itself. "A meal would be lovely! I'm glad you offered because now I can leave it up to you to pick something. I'm completely spoiled for choice here because I want to try everything. Perhaps on the way we can stop by the market? I've used up all of my willowbark and clove oil on my scrapes here. Maybe you can point out a good herbalist for me? There are so many more types of plants here I can't keep the names of all the herbs straight. And I decided I want to indulge myself and go home with some honey."

She was smiling brightly, not at all opposed to Trix's curiosity. Rilana rarely found herself as a topic of interest and was a little guiltily enjoying it. She took Trix's arm and threaded it through her own so that they might walk side by side. Friends.

Noticing that the moon elf was on the move, the raven reappeared, settling onto her shoulder opposite Trix.

Trix listened intently as the woman spoke, taking a moment to try and say the full name the woman gave, "Rill on uh Or or uh may." It was definitely exotic sounding to her. She wanted to remember it, this woman had done so much, she should get her name right. And much like Trix, she preferred a shorter name, of Lana. When asked about her home village, she replied, "It's a bit south west of here, along the southern road from the Crossing." She'd never heard of Frigmount though. Everyone knew of Frostfell, the icy region beyond the Chartric Mountains, but people didn't come from there. Monsters and storms, sure, but people? Never.

She was elated that the woman accepted her request for help and offer of food. However, when the woman mentioned the need of an herbalist, Trix perked right up. That was her specialty! Trix was so thrilled, that she didn't mind, and actually enjoyed that she wove her arm with her own. Trix had half expected her to be cold to the touch, and was mildly disappointed to find that wasn't the case. She walked alongside the woman, toward the central market, "As it so happens, you're talking to a bona fide herbalist. I run my own shop, Trix's Tonics and Tinctures. But you don't want to buy the materials here, especially not willow bark or clove oil. Those would have to be brought from another village, so the price would be higher. Plenty of useful plants growing right around here, if you know what to look for. Might I ask what your injuries are? And.."

She stopped a moment, composing herself, trying to shake off the dread and fear, keeping an eye on the pups, though it was unneeded. They'd stuck close the entire time. "Were... were you at the tournament too?" She found herself clutching at the woman's arm a bit, not even realizing she was doing so. The amount of blood and corpses, and the mechanical way she'd sifted through them, deciding who was worth saving and who was worth dying made her sick.

Coming up to the market now, "So.. You'll..." and she gave up in frustration. Her words were sticking in her throat as he relived that horrible time. She began sweating and hyperventilating, not even realizing she was doing so. The dying eyes, the metallic taste in the air, the smell of entrails, the warmth of being covered in blood, and it was becoming a bit much for her. She was getting dizzy, and found herself holding onto the woman to keep from hitting the ground. Both pups had already stopped and were looking at her with concern.

Eventually she managed to focus her breathing, in through her nose, out through her mouth, mostly unaware of what was going on around her. The very moment she felt composed, nausea welled up within her, and she found herself rushing over to a bush, and mostly dry heaved into it. It was violent, loud, mortifying, and painful, forcing tears from her eyes. And her pups were there, by her side no matter where she went. When she got up, cleaning at her mouth with a rag from her bag. She was red in the face from the upheaval, as well as embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I just... It was a bit much."

"So, uh, we could easily find leopard's bane, elderberry, and orangeroot around here. Good for most wounds." She bent down and pet her two pups, happy that they were already stuck to her sides. "We'll have better luck out at the ranches, and that's where the best food is. And it's just on the other side of the market, if you have shopping to do here first." She was clearly trying to pretend like nothing had happened, but simultaneously, she still looked rattled and stressed.

An enthusiastic nod and a ripple of Rilana's shimmery hair confirmed Trix's pronunciation. "It's an old family name. It refers to the winter lights that shine in the sky at night."

They began walking together, an Rilana found that having a native at her side made her no longer feel so alone and almost otherwordly in this place. It was nice to be able to turn and talk instead of hovering alone and uncertain. It was easier to smile politely when someone stared at her face or did a double-take at her accent when she could give Trix's arm a squeeze. Rilana was pretty, even by moon fey standards, but had not lived a life that lent itself to becoming used to the attention. She laughed, a sparkly sound that pealed softly. "How lucky I am to have found you! I will say I have no idea what to look for..."

And then Trix hesitated and the moon fey lost a step or two. It was quite sudden and the raven on her good shoulder fluttered to keep her balance. Injuries were a fact of life so Rilana was surprised that Trix's mind went straight to the tournament. How did she know? The moon fey stiffened, fretting about her actions on the arena floor. She hadn't exactly been invited to the fight. She wasn't sure what would happen if people here knew she could turn into a bear. The special ability of her people didn't seem to be well-known and she was paranoid that the stern Ebon Knights might find reason to treat her like a criminal.

"I...I was." Did she dare divulge just how much? Perhaps it was best not to. Not here, at least. Maybe in private, later. "My shoulder, I..." But Trix's face seemed to pale and her breath was quick, her body sagging somewhat against her. Rilana held her up, her face a mask of concern. "Are you alright?"

Her small palm came up to rub the human's back, her eyes glancing up and down the street in case she needed to call out for help. But then Trix was darting for the verge, leaving Rilana to cross her arms over her bust, her brows furrowed worriedly.

But it didn't seem that the pretty human, a bit blotched-faced now of course, was upset about Rilana herself. "It was terrifying," she agreed whole-heartedly, remembering her own clash with the horrible vile creature in flashes of blood-flecked savagery.

Glad at the return to a safer subject: "I'm ready to take advantage of your expertise. But shopping first."

The threaded their way through the market with Rilana often pausing to marvel at just about anything that couldn't be had in her distant home. There were so many kinds of food, so many animals, so many crafts that she was unfamiliar with. But eventually she found an apiarist and bought not only a thick ceramic jar of honey, but a small wax-sealed bottle of honey-mead too. "Who knows how long it will be before I'm in a land with bees again," she shrugged at the cost, forking over a couple of gold coins. The motion earned a wince.

And a little bit later, they found an herb supplier and Rilana opened her medicine bag to reorganize all the little oiled leather sachets and pouches and tiny glass phials that held the samples of herbs and things. After so much time outdoors Rilana had a passing knowledge of plants that could be used for first aid, but it was clear she was no herbalist. Several of her supplies had gone stale from disuse. There were slightly different concerns for people roaming the Frostfell. For instance, the moon fey carried absolutely nothing in the way of anti-itch cream for insect stings because few bugs were a threat in those cold lands. Instead, she had about eight different things to help with frostbite and fever, including something fluffy and icy blue in a glass phial labeled in the Moon Fey language. She listened raptly to anything Trix might have to say on the matter, filing it away for future use, just as happy to learn from her as the human was to hear about dog training.

The un-named raven took to flitting off through the crowd, and each time Rilana expected it to be the last time she saw the bird. But it kept coming back, sometimes with a beak stained with the colour of some tidbit, sometimes with a random small object. A rusty metal fish-hook, a muddy copper coin, a piece of stained glass, a single earring. Each time, Rilana took the object and slipped it in her pocket. "You better not have stolen this from someone," she warned, to which the white bird only cocked a beady eye and said "Baaaahk. Finders keepers!"

Trix was fairly absentminded as she aided Rilana in her shopping. Trix browsed with her, but didn't buy anything, for she needed to keep a tighter grasp on her money, after purchasing her two little fuzzballs. Trix saw the wincing movement when Rilana purchased her honey, and knew it was likely worse than the woman had let on. She would definitely be following up on that, regardless if the woman wanted to keep it to herself. She was first and foremost, a healer, and wounded people tended to be stubborn. You couldn't just ask, you healed them no matter what, and sorted the rest out later.

Trix was quite pleased to see a decent, proper selection at the herbalist's stand. She was less so, however, when Rilana opened her medicine bag. Though, at least she had one, most people traveled without them, stupidly. Peering in it, "Oh, oh dear. That's no good," without asking permission she began plucking out a few things, sniffing them, feeling them, dumping them out if they were stale. She noted that a few of the things she had in bags should be kept in airtight containers. There was even a bag of useless oak twigs, which caused Trix to stare incredulously at the woman.

Once she'd sorted out all of the junk, she began picking through the vials, finding one that was cold. Curious, she picked it up, looking at it close, muttering, "Why's it cold? What is this?" She looked at Rilana a bit expectantly, giving her time to explain, as she put it back.

"Hmm... You're going to need things for fever and infection, we can elderberries and feverfew for that. Although... This time of year, elderberries are probably all picked clean by people and creature. Oh hey, he's got some here." She picked up a bag of them, dried, and set them to the side to be purchased. "We can definitely find feverfew. And if you're from up north, you're going to need something for frost bite and warmth. Hmm.." She pondered, as those were less needed herbs in Ruby Banks. "We can get petals from the velvet plant for frost bite, I can make a salve out of that. As for warmth, most of those are pretty rare, typically only found by fisherman on islands down by Azure Strand. But we do have one that grows around here. But its not in sea.. ah ha!" She plucked a small strand of garlic cloves out of a basket, setting it with the bag of elderberries. "We'll also look for some orangeroot while we're out and about... works great with the elderberries."

She then launched into discussing a few things with the other herbalist, exchanging notes. She pointed at that his purple coneflower needed to be either sold fresh or in a sealed salve, not dried. She learned a very interesting thing as well. Supposedly, fairy candle, which she'd used for old people's bone and muscle pains, could also be used for female pains during their moon cycles. That would be a big seller. She'd used monk's pepper for that, but it was only mildly relieving. Perhaps she could use both. They continued chitchatting for a while, after Lana made her purchases, until she saw what the white bird was doing.

She pulled Lana out of earshot of anyone, in a scared whisper, "You need to get rid of that stuff, now. Foreigners accused of stealing aren't protected by our laws. It doesn't even need to be true. This is very, very dangerous. We need to go before someone realizes."

Trix tugged gently on Lana's arm, trying to convey the weight of her words, trying to lead her out towards the ranches. "Please, they'll kill you."

Rilana was properly embarassed when the experienced herbalists started picking over her bag. The white marble of her cheekbones flushed a faint pink, but she took it all in stride, knowing logically that she would be better off once Trix had set her straight. She wasn't a wealthy person by any means, but she was willing to spend a little bit extra to keep her medicine kit current and effective. It could mean the difference between life or death out in the wilds.

Listening attentively, she began to feel better when Trix mentioned frostbite. She began to chuckle a little and put the garlic cloves back almost as soon as Trix set them down. "No..hehe oh my...my people are immune to the cold!" Her giggle was like a soft peal and her slender shoulders shook, her long pearly tresses waving down her back as she laughed. "I will definitely remember that, but we can leave that out and make room for something else."

Reaching for the stoppered vial of fluffy blue moss-like plant, she held it up. "This is Snowflake Lichen. When it's been dried it works very well to bring down fever and soothe burns. I keep it mostly for when my animals try to snuggle too close to the campfire and scorch themselves. But when it grows wild it can be extremely dangerous. A simple touch can cost a human a finger or a hand to frostbite." She looked at the bottle thoughtfully. "I seem to have a lot. If you've got an empty jar I'll split it with you. I bet not many herbalists here have it."

A little later, Rilana was surprised by Trix once more when the human tugged her to the side and whispered in her ear. The moon fey's demeanor had relaxed from nervously timid to relaxed and happy the more time she spent shopping and talking with Trix, but her cautious reserve came crashing down in an instant, ther warmth in her blue eyes hardening like ice. Her heart began to race and she pulled herself free of Trix, her small nostrils flaring as she tried to keep breathing through the sickening clench in her stomach. Her eyes began to flit around the busy market, automatically looking for the grim black gleam of knights' armour. Of course, they were there, as they were everywhere here, but in that moment there seemed to be so many.

Dipping her hand into her pocket, she clenched her fist around the collection of trash, so hard the jagged piece of glass cut her palm, and quickly tossed them into a pile of charred trash next to a cart selling smoked meats.

The only thing that kept Rilana at Trix's side as the human guided them both away from the city proper was that the moon fey was in agreement. She needed to get out of here. Why had she lingered so long?! How best to flee? The fleet paws of the wolf? The swift wings of the falcon? The high-flying soar of the tern?

Panic. "I...I don't want them to burn me, Trix!" Her words were through gritted teeth.

The true criminal, the raven, glided after them like a kite tied to Rilana on an invisible string. The moon fey knew she would have to teach the bird, but it would take time to do.

Trix instantly regretted the way she went about warning Lana, realizing she'd set the woman into a full blown panic. The moment she ripped herself free of Trix, though, Trix realized she needed to calm her down, before she drew attention to herself. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed the thefts. Trix watched as she dumped the trinkets, seeing the blood drip from her hand, as she stayed close with the woman. They made there way to the outskirts of the market, and Trix gently took the woman's bloodied hand in her own, cooing as she would her pups, who, of course, were keeping pace with her. "Calm down, breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth. No one is getting burned today. Just keep your eyes forward."

She gently guided the woman out of the market, down the road toward the ranches, a pair of unranked knights walking toward them. Trix leaned into the woman, using her other arm to hold onto the one she already held, at the elbow, smiling and leaned her head on Rilana's shoulder. One of the men nodded toward them, elbowed his partner, grinning like a foolish man. They didn't say anything, just grinned and stared at the pretend couple. Once they were passed, Trix loosened her grip on the woman, but kept a loose hold on her bloodied hand, for the comfort. She looked back over her shoulder, no one was following them, no one was looking at them, and she sighed in relief, even as she saw the accursed bird flying to join them.

"We're good now." She stopped, so that she could look the woman in her beautiful eyes properly, "We're okay. We're safe. You're safe." She had the woman's injured hand between them, holding it between both of hers, "I promise. Let's get you cleaned up, and get some food and find somewhere... quiet." She was smiling lightly, hoping to bring the woman some level of comfort. She nodded down the road to a few finally crafted benches carved into the fence of ranch's property. They were finally crafted, and appeared to be comfortable, a testament to the woodworkers of Green Fall.

Though her gait was stiff, the presence of Trix at her side kept her path out of the busy marketplace down to a brisk walk that didn't garner much in the way of unwanted attention. If it hadn't been for the gory events of the tourny, which were still very fresh on her mind by way of sickeningly sharp flashes of gore and anger and fear underscored with an everpresent dread of the authority in this land, she might not have been so quick to tremble. But the success of her unwise attack on the two-headed creature was no source of pride when it had resulted in attention by the Ebonfort knighthood.

Focusing on the sharp throb in her palm and Trix's voice, she fought the feeling that the world was closing in on her like a fur-hunter's trap. At a soft weight on her shoulder she turned, briefly surprised, and found her nose full of the warm summery scent of Trix's blonde hair. It was sweet, comforting, and after the first normal breath of it she took another, deeper, and squeezed her eyes shut until the two knights had passed. It was only once they were alone again that the moon few recognized the deception for what it was and...wasn't sure how to feel about how easily it worked.

Gorgeous eyes swimming with a mix of confusion, fear, and humiliation, Rilana looked down into Trix's face and bit her soft bottom lip. "I...thank you. I'm so sorry. You've been too kind to me. I hope you don't think I would ever steal." Glancing down at her hand and seeming surprised at the stark flash of blood againt her moon-white skin. "It seems that this land doesn't agree with me much. I keep finding myself bloodied and as terrified as a snow-shoe rabbit."

Once they found some of the benches she sat down, rather heavily in the face of how gracefully she normally moved. The raven landed on the fence across the road, watching with shoulders hunched rather morosely. Trying to get into her bag without smearing blood on it, she nodded to the bird. "I will have my work cut out for me, teaching her to be more cautious. I suppose I'm stuck with her." Thoughts of driving the beast away or killing it didn't even cross her mind.

Trix smiled up at the woman, trying to give her some level of comfort. She brushed a few blonde hairs behind her ear, "Of course not. We all know some birds just don't know the rules. Just gotta keep the bird safe until they know better, and hope they stay safe. That's what is most important, right?" She grasped the back of the woman's upturned, injured hand, "And yet you're doing just fine. Much better than I would do in the Frostfell."

She let go of the woman's hand and led her to the benches, sitting down. She listened to the woman speak about the bird as she took her injured hand, to fix it up. She reached into her pack and pulled out her wine skin. "This is going to sting hun. But I need you to keep your hand open." She held her hand over the ground, and poured the red wine over the room, washing the blood away. She examined the wound close, and nodded to herself. "It's not so bad, maybe two stitches tops."

She grabs a clean rag, and begins scrubbing out the red, fleshy interior of the cut. Satisfied that it was clean and nothing was inside. She pulled out one of her seal jars of salve, mostly honey, lavender, and elderberry, and rubbed it into the wound. Hands working quickly, Trix threaded a needle, dipped it in the salve, then pinched the skin next to the wound. She pushed the needle through, across the bloody chasm, and up through the other side, closing it with a medic's knot. She repeated this once more, and slathered the stitches with the salve, and wrapped a bandage around the woman's hand, making sure that it was loose enough to just barely slip to fingers between it and her skin.

She cleaned up, putting away her stuff, "All done. Just go easy on that for a couple tendays and you'll be fine. It won't even scar that bad. Nice thin line." She reached down and rubbed her new pups heads, "How about some bear? I've heard there's a bear rancher out on the back end. I've never had it before." Trix was just hungry by this point and was more than willing to treat Rilana to anywhere, so long as it was soon. And she wanted to try feeding her pups for the first time, like a proper mother.

It was good to sit, sheltered by the wide green leaves of deciduous trees with a warm breeze blowing. "Yes, that's what's important," Rilana agreed absently, not entirely commited to the conversation, rather, letting the flow of small-talk soothe her as it was meant to. "The Frostfell...I miss it. It's so beautiful, everyone should see it at least once. This place is beautiful too, just in a different way."

She glanced down at her hand as Trix worked, marvelling at how swiftly and efficiently she dealt with the wound. How many times would she have to be put back together again? Her silver brows furrowed and her eyes fluttered closed, wincing at the sting of the antiseptic alcohol and again when the needle pierced her skin, her fingers closing slightly. "Strange how much a tiny needle hurts after getting bitten by...by things." Her other hand came up to rub at the wound over her shoulder.

"You're very good at this." It was easy to compliment someone else when she was feeling so patherically miserable about herself. When it was all done, she flexed her hand a bit, feeling the sort of itchy pull as the sutures held her flesh together. "Thank you again."

She glanced down at the pups, impressed at how well-behaved they already wore, but not terribly surprised. But her gaze shot up at the mention of bear, her gaze suspicious until Trix continued.

"Oh. Yes, that would be lovely. I heard that you have black bears here? The ones I am used to are white or brown."

Trix smiled at the woman's compliments, a touch of color rising in her cheeks, "You're too kind, there's really nothing to it." Trix stood up, offering a hand to help Rilana up, "Lets go Remilia, Remus, time to eat." She walked at a sauntering gait, glad the stressful moments of the day had seemed to pass, enjoying the sunlight on her arms and face. "I think we have black and some brown ones, I'm not really too sure. We don't really get bears near my village, it's mostly farmland and the Ruby River. I bet white bears are really pretty to look at. Are most things white in the Frostfell?"

Part of Trix longed to travel, to see other places she'd only heard rumors about. But, she couldn't. She had a business that wasn't paid off, she had a home, she had family here. She would be here for the entirety of her life she imagined. It was a bit disheartening, especially being alone. She'd probably eventually give in and just marry Edoward. He was young, nice, not ugly, and was a knight, the most respectable position. They'd have a comfortable life, have children, grow old, retire out here. She had no desire to live in the cutthroat business empire of the capital.

But all of that was so... safe. Guaranteed. Another part of her wanted something more than just what was to be. Something not so... boring. But what else was there? She didn't have lines of suitors like other women, nor was there anyone that had caught her eye. She was a bit thin, sure, but she had good birthing hips, but more so than that, she was smart, nice, successful in her own right. Why had only Edoward noticed her then?

She envied Rilana. She was beautiful in every definition of the word, was successful and could travel as she saw fit. She wasn't anchored down anywhere or to anything. And she could have anyone she wanted. But Trix tried to steer her mind away from such lamentations, "So what sort of things should I do to help these two become better guard dogs? I have a good sized piece of land, fenced in, for my gardens, so space won't be a problem. And... oh!" They'd arrived at the bear ranch, and the bears therein weren't really brown or black, but rather a rusty red hue, like many species of critter native to the area. They were quite large, roughly the same size as the browns to the north, though not the whites. Most of them seemed to be in various states of napping in their pen, that had many trees and the like within its high fences, viewing slats letting onlookers see the critters.

The smell of cooking meat quickly drew Trix and her grumbling stomach over to the small stand, where a portly woman with a broad smile was cooking. "Wha can ah ge ya loves? Ah got some fine steaks with eh mushroom gravy." Trix ordered two of these, and was handed them on wooden plates, with some cutlery, "Ah'll be wantin them back if ya please." The herbalist nodded with a smile, handing Rilana a plate, moving to a finely carved table with bench seats nearby. "Do you have many animals back home that you train? Maybe staying with someone special?"

The moon fey's slender un-hurt hand slid into Trix's as she stood up from the bench. Did didn't need the help, truly, but accepting the gesture was nice. They moved out into the sunshine and Rilana's long white hair verily glimmered with a faint pearlesence, and her eyes seemed to spark with light and shadow to give an impression of unfathomable depths, like the sea, or like blue ice.

'Lana flexed her stitched hand experimentally, testing the limits of the fresh sutures, her eyes following the white raven. The silver-tinged corvid had discovered the food stall and was pecking around for scraps on the ground. Rilana supposed that discarded bits of gristle wouldn't be missed by the few shoppers around.

Unlike Trix, the druid's thoughts were bent on home, the ache to once again see familier ice-bound mountains on the horizon a genuine discomfort in her chest. It was so strong that the lingering burn of the bites on her shoulder faded to the background. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, the hundreds of miles of travel seeming even more daunting and tedious than when she had first set out.

Luckily for her, Trix had a knack for distracting her from her troubles. "Giving them very clear expectations and consistency in your commands is key." It struck her as odd that she was delivering the knowledge of dog training to a second person in less than a week. "Most dogs are suspicious of strangers and will instinctively growl and put themselves in front of you. Most people train that out of their dogs, but you will need to enforce it. You just have to train them to back down when you say so." She elaborated more as they walked, describing certain techniques for training the dogs to guard Trix's property, a person or area she designated, or herself.

After over long, she found herself looking into a pen of shaggy, rust-red bears, and remembered Echo. "Their colour is similar to a direwolf I met on my way to the tournament." They looked lazy and placid, not at all like the temperamental wandering hulks she had come across in her wanderings.

With her plate of food in-hand, she ate swiftly. A hot meal was a lovely thing after a month of trail rations, and she tried to ignore how...familiar she was with the smell of cooked bear. Sitting almost daintily on one of the benches, she heaved a sigh.

"I was hired by a...I guess you would call her a Princess, though her position is mostly ceremonial. I train Fjord-horses for many different purposes. One of your Lord Knight's wanted one for a war-mount so I came down to Ebonfort to deliver him. I miss him dearly, it's difficult to not get attached sometimes. I also train dogs, mostly for hunting or sledding, and falcons. Sometimes other animals. But I also spend a lot of time just...wandering. My mother called it the druid's curse." Her laugh was musical but short-lived as she glanced at Trix sidelong. "I'm sorry, it seems that a talent for magic is not welcome here. In Frigmount, most magic is celebrated."

When Trix mentioned someone special, Rilana shrugged her slender shoulders. "Only Khona, my...friend. He's a gryphon and mostly comes and goes as he pleases."

In her mind, the cat-bird huffed. Staying in the city is so boring. Of course I fly out whenever I can.

"But other than him, no one special." And there wouldn't be. Rilana was pretty, even by moon fey standards, but she had let herself become scarred and didn't make time for anyone who might be interested.

You liked the one with the lion eyes.

All the more reason to get home as quickly as possible.

Trix cut her food into three equal parts, savoring the smell of it, noting how surprisingly tender it was. She speared one of them, and brought it down to the ground, "Come here Remilia," she said looking at her female pup. The pup sauntered over, Remus watching hungrily, but keeping his place. Once Remilia took her meat, Trix did the same for Remus. Once they seemed content with their food, she turned back toward her own. The meat was delicious and hot, and the gravy rich and earthy. Trix wished she could cook this well, but perhaps later with practice.

Her eyes were on the woman's listening intently as she spoke. Trix had heard of princesses and such before, but from tales of cities long since past. Her father explained to her once how royalty tended to work. Some guy says he rules and owns the land, and that his heirs do as well. There were other details given as well, but she didn't understand how one person could own an entire kingdom. It took so many people to manage land, to run it, to make the kingdom better. The knights had thousands and thousands of people working for them, and there were still issues.

Royalty just seemed silly.

Then Rilana mentioned magic, and so casually. Trix stiffened a bit, growing nervous. Did she know that she could use magic? She hadn't used it at all, but she didn't know if that mattered. Her ignorance of all things magical was quite prevalent. The rumors of magic users being sought after by the knights, not being heard from again were heavy. She was looking at the woman now, both nervously and with disbelief. Celebrated? Magic had been missing for so many years now, how would it be celebrated? Her words made no sense.

But it might be better not to press it. Perhaps she was just paranoid and Rilana had no idea about her magic. It might be best to steer the conversation away, "Wow, I didn't know gryphons could be befriended. I saw one once a long time ago, flying over the trees." Again, Trix felt the jealousy of this woman seeing the world, and gryphons and magic and everything. She wished she could be so brave.


"You're so interesting Lana, I really do hope you come to Ruby Banks and visit my shop one day, I'm sure the pups would love to see you again. Most people aren't so... well traveled, or even helpful, as you are. It's quite refreshing to have met you. Perhaps I can hear tales of other creatures you've met, and these magicks you speak of." She worried that she put too obvious of an inflection on that last bit but it couldn't be so bad right? She's a foreigner, not a knight. Even if she knew, no one would believe her over a citizen.

Trix began cleaning up, smiling at Lana every time she caught her eye, truly thankful to have met this mysterious, exciting woman. Yes, it spurred jealousy in her, but at least she could live vicariously through someone better than herself. It was a shame the woman was a foreigner and needed to leave, Trix really wanted to get to know her better. But that was life, the best moments simply pass you by, leaving nothing but a memory.

Watching Trix feed the two slate-gray-and-black pups earned an approving nod from the Druid. A wise person always tended their animals before themselves, especially when the state of those animals might mean life or death for their owner. Sledders and horsemen probably knew this better than anyone.

Setting her cutlery aside, Rilana noticed how uncomfortably Trix became on the subject of magic and regretted bringing it up. It was just so hard not to. She wasn't used to keeping it a secret from friends. While she glanced up Trix from under long eyelashes, something in a satchel hanging down by her hip stirred and Rilana cleared her throat, shifting it behind her. The scent of so much roasted and smoked meat was making the baby balauradon stir.

"Gryphons tend to avoid other people when they can. They are very suspicious, but can also be fiercely loyal." She felt Khona grow haughty and swell with pride. "Perhaps one day you will meet Khona."

Lana sighed and rached for Trix's hand, folding it in both of hers, though her grip on the left was fairly ginger. Her brow lifted a bit as Trix mentioned magic again. The human seemed...hopeful? "I promise, if I wasn't in such a hurry to get home I would love to see Ruby Banks and your shop. I think you give me too much credit, but it does feel good to be so well thought of in this place. I was only expecting animosity or fear." There was a fond look in her pale visage as her gaze skirted the golden tendrils of Trix's hair and along her jawline back to her adorable nose and finally her pretty eyes, as though the moon fey was deliberately memorizing her face. She scooted closer.

"I have some things at home to take care of, but perhaps when the winter storms clear I will find myself wondering what spring looks like in Ruby Banks. Your pups will be quite big by then, it would only be right for me to look in on them. And then we can talk about creatures or magic or...whatever you want." She smiled and, impulsively, leaned in to press her soft pink lips against Trix's cheek. With the fiery burns on her shoulder, a hug would have been too painful. Even as she breathed in the summery smell of the human's hair, the two-headed monster in the bag hanging at her hip shifted again and she knew it was time to go.

"I'm glad to have met you, Trix. Look for me if you ever end up in the Frostfell." She stood with an unhumanly smooth swiftness and patted both of the ridgeback pups on the head. With a lingering look over her narrow shoulder, she made her way back to the road and lands beyond, a silver-and-white raven fluttering down from the sky to settle on her shoulder.