G A R E T H
The winged mare showed concern for Noor as he walked away, and at this, Gareth barely hid his smile. He knew that the woman had meant no real harm, and as far as he was concerned, her words confirmed that. The elk would come around to that in time, he was sure. He might not like it much, but eventually he wouldn’t be able to argue with the truth, and the way the mare spoke just now made it clear to the brute that she really wasn’t as dangerous as she might appear to be.
A twinge of guilt and a little shame pulled in his chest, realizing now that barreling into her at top speed had probably made matters worse for her by a large measure. He told himself that this act of civility would help balance the scales. Some would have called it heroism, but Noor just found it stupid, as evidenced by his form, waiting a distance away for the two to finish their introductions.
The elk kept the pair in his sight, not daring to crest the next hill on his own. Though he was fairly sure there were no other predators in the area, he nonetheless could not shake the concern. Nearly getting turned into a To-Go meal would do that to a person. He waited, bright chartreuse eyes watching the two, audits swiveled to keep tabs on their surroundings. They’d have to get moving shortly if they were going to make any kind of headway off the plains before nightfall. He didn’t like the idea of sheltering in the open even on the best of days. The elk frowned slightly and then listened in to the ongoing conversation.
Gareth shook his head at her query. “Not dead,” he commented. “Reprioritized,” he rolled the word on his tongue, tasting it’s meaning, and deciding it sufficient, “might be the word for it. There is enough in Novus that scarcity is rarely an issue if you interact with the denizens of the respective courts. Even travelers can find food and safe bedding in most places. Winter is probably the harshest of any season, but I haven’t personally seen anyone die from lack of basic necessities in a long time.” He paused, then chuckled a little, if not a tad darkly, “Except for maybe lack of medical care.”
Clearly the woman came from a land where such things were either rare or nonexistent, and he was banking on the latter, given her lack of knowledge regarding what a clinic was. If he had to wager, the mare had some hellish story of true kill or be killed proportions to have these kinds of instincts. It was obvious that receiving assistance was not common, and accepting the help was uncomfortable for her at best.
The stallion listened quietly as she spoke about her body structure. This, too, seemed an uncomfortable topic for her. He took note of it, curious, but not wanting to pry. He would take her at her word for the time being, and she had conceded to walking once they reached the mountains, which was his main concern anyways. He nodded his acceptance of this arrangement, and then smiling warmly when she gave her name in return.
“Pangaea.” Her name tasted like rich soil on his tongue, of ancient lands and wild foliage and bloodlines that ran deep. It held strength, nobility. It suited her very well. “Well met,” the words rumbled deep in the brute’s chest.
He watched as she launched herself skyward, though not without some effort and masked pain. He followed her figure to the open air, wanting to be sure that she seemed relatively stable before turning his gaze aside. His audits flicked in surprise as she spoke. While it sounded as if she were a distance away (and why shouldn’t it, she was airborne afterall) her words were still plenty crisp. He was unsure under what magic she had that allowed for such a thing, but he was grateful that he didn’t need to respond verbally at least.
Gareth nodded and then looked to Noor, catching up with the elk easily and letting him set the pace for their journey. It was going to be a long trek and they would want to reserve as much strength as possible for crossing the Arma.
A twinge of guilt and a little shame pulled in his chest, realizing now that barreling into her at top speed had probably made matters worse for her by a large measure. He told himself that this act of civility would help balance the scales. Some would have called it heroism, but Noor just found it stupid, as evidenced by his form, waiting a distance away for the two to finish their introductions.
The elk kept the pair in his sight, not daring to crest the next hill on his own. Though he was fairly sure there were no other predators in the area, he nonetheless could not shake the concern. Nearly getting turned into a To-Go meal would do that to a person. He waited, bright chartreuse eyes watching the two, audits swiveled to keep tabs on their surroundings. They’d have to get moving shortly if they were going to make any kind of headway off the plains before nightfall. He didn’t like the idea of sheltering in the open even on the best of days. The elk frowned slightly and then listened in to the ongoing conversation.
Gareth shook his head at her query. “Not dead,” he commented. “Reprioritized,” he rolled the word on his tongue, tasting it’s meaning, and deciding it sufficient, “might be the word for it. There is enough in Novus that scarcity is rarely an issue if you interact with the denizens of the respective courts. Even travelers can find food and safe bedding in most places. Winter is probably the harshest of any season, but I haven’t personally seen anyone die from lack of basic necessities in a long time.” He paused, then chuckled a little, if not a tad darkly, “Except for maybe lack of medical care.”
Clearly the woman came from a land where such things were either rare or nonexistent, and he was banking on the latter, given her lack of knowledge regarding what a clinic was. If he had to wager, the mare had some hellish story of true kill or be killed proportions to have these kinds of instincts. It was obvious that receiving assistance was not common, and accepting the help was uncomfortable for her at best.
The stallion listened quietly as she spoke about her body structure. This, too, seemed an uncomfortable topic for her. He took note of it, curious, but not wanting to pry. He would take her at her word for the time being, and she had conceded to walking once they reached the mountains, which was his main concern anyways. He nodded his acceptance of this arrangement, and then smiling warmly when she gave her name in return.
“Pangaea.” Her name tasted like rich soil on his tongue, of ancient lands and wild foliage and bloodlines that ran deep. It held strength, nobility. It suited her very well. “Well met,” the words rumbled deep in the brute’s chest.
He watched as she launched herself skyward, though not without some effort and masked pain. He followed her figure to the open air, wanting to be sure that she seemed relatively stable before turning his gaze aside. His audits flicked in surprise as she spoke. While it sounded as if she were a distance away (and why shouldn’t it, she was airborne afterall) her words were still plenty crisp. He was unsure under what magic she had that allowed for such a thing, but he was grateful that he didn’t need to respond verbally at least.
Gareth nodded and then looked to Noor, catching up with the elk easily and letting him set the pace for their journey. It was going to be a long trek and they would want to reserve as much strength as possible for crossing the Arma.
