When he'd decided on a lonely and lengthy trek across a perilous mountain pass, he certainly had not expected it to become a party. And yet, he somehow found himself in the company of not one, but two mortals, and thoroughly questioning how his lonesome quest had become a travelling circus.
At first, there had only been the storm-grey mare who had stomped confidently across the treacherous mountain path and eyed him with thinly-veiled suspicion, demanding what brought a Dawn Court member so far out into Denocte - wherever that was. After all, he had not put much care into understanding the flimsy construct of the local politics, so he was not surprised when he found the scaffolding of his pity-grabbing lie suddenly lain bare before him.
He had to thank Father for leaving him with naught else but a quick-thinking mind and eight-hundred years in a stone tomb to ponder the art of charisma, because he was able to formulate a convincing reply in quick succession. "I am a Dawn Caretaker," He explained. That much, at least, was true. "I was on my way to Denocte to gather herbs," he shook his mane, dispelling droplets off his lashes, "When I lost my way in these mountains. But I would continue with you, if you are so willing."
Perhaps, if their search proved fruitless, he would truly follow the tempestuous road to this Denocte in hopes of gathering information about the surrounding lands. But now, he realized, amberglass eyes slitted against the wind's frigid fingers, it seemed that they would have quite the challenge ahead - the wind only howled louder about them with every passing moment.
It was this same wind that would usher in the next oddity that Kaladin was rapidly becoming weary of. In a rather gracelessly grandiose flurry, a shape appeared in the sky, careening towards them in a concerning melee of tangled limbs and torn feathers. Before he had the chance to even inspect the approaching object, it somehow managed to angle itself into a barely-survivable position and slide to a struggling stop directly in front of them, dislodging a small creature from its head as it went and sending quaking pebbles tumbling at Kaladin's feet.
"What in the – " his curse was lost in the wind as he took in the fallen creature. He was an aliferous equine, dressed in a deep chocolate hue, boasting a roached mane and an astonishingly extensive tail that drooped off the edge of the path into the chasm below, so that Kaladin could not even gauge it’s true length. He stood there, shocked into stillness, before remembering that he, in fact, was a Caretaker – this was the time he could establish his previous half-truths to his companion. He approached cautiously, blatantly ignoring the cluelessly friendly greeting. "What in the hells were you doing?" he asked coldly, eyes systematically skimming along the stallion’s body to assess damage. Nothing seemed broken, at least. Pity, he thought. The idiot could have learned a valuable lesson about flying in storms. Finally, he narrowed his eyes at the newcomer and said, loud enough to be heard over the wind’s howl, “You seem to have taken quite the fall. Can you get up?”
At first, there had only been the storm-grey mare who had stomped confidently across the treacherous mountain path and eyed him with thinly-veiled suspicion, demanding what brought a Dawn Court member so far out into Denocte - wherever that was. After all, he had not put much care into understanding the flimsy construct of the local politics, so he was not surprised when he found the scaffolding of his pity-grabbing lie suddenly lain bare before him.
He had to thank Father for leaving him with naught else but a quick-thinking mind and eight-hundred years in a stone tomb to ponder the art of charisma, because he was able to formulate a convincing reply in quick succession. "I am a Dawn Caretaker," He explained. That much, at least, was true. "I was on my way to Denocte to gather herbs," he shook his mane, dispelling droplets off his lashes, "When I lost my way in these mountains. But I would continue with you, if you are so willing."
Perhaps, if their search proved fruitless, he would truly follow the tempestuous road to this Denocte in hopes of gathering information about the surrounding lands. But now, he realized, amberglass eyes slitted against the wind's frigid fingers, it seemed that they would have quite the challenge ahead - the wind only howled louder about them with every passing moment.
It was this same wind that would usher in the next oddity that Kaladin was rapidly becoming weary of. In a rather gracelessly grandiose flurry, a shape appeared in the sky, careening towards them in a concerning melee of tangled limbs and torn feathers. Before he had the chance to even inspect the approaching object, it somehow managed to angle itself into a barely-survivable position and slide to a struggling stop directly in front of them, dislodging a small creature from its head as it went and sending quaking pebbles tumbling at Kaladin's feet.
"What in the – " his curse was lost in the wind as he took in the fallen creature. He was an aliferous equine, dressed in a deep chocolate hue, boasting a roached mane and an astonishingly extensive tail that drooped off the edge of the path into the chasm below, so that Kaladin could not even gauge it’s true length. He stood there, shocked into stillness, before remembering that he, in fact, was a Caretaker – this was the time he could establish his previous half-truths to his companion. He approached cautiously, blatantly ignoring the cluelessly friendly greeting. "What in the hells were you doing?" he asked coldly, eyes systematically skimming along the stallion’s body to assess damage. Nothing seemed broken, at least. Pity, he thought. The idiot could have learned a valuable lesson about flying in storms. Finally, he narrowed his eyes at the newcomer and said, loud enough to be heard over the wind’s howl, “You seem to have taken quite the fall. Can you get up?”
