[Game Thread] The First Steps are the Easiest

[corporealself]

If he had been so inclined, and had his face the capacity for it, Gian would have smirked at the sound of Adril's weapon clattering against the shields of his initiates. as he and his fellows approached. It had not been too long ago that Gian had felt those same blows reverberate through his own arm. His arm muscles even unconsciously flexed as he heard each blow.

"May we have a moment of your time Master Hestram," Gian said loudly enough to be heard, but with an implicit air of respect, "We need to ask you some questions about the Cairnlands."

[MCP]

Adril Hestram, smiling widely with his gaptoothed mouth surrounded by his great bushy blonde beard, waves the lot of you off with a gruff "One second, pups!" before returning to beating on the poor battered shield of an Elven intiate. He continues for several long seconds before pulling back and nodding, clapping him on the shoulder. "You'll make a warrior yet, methinks. Awright." Turning back and dusting his hands on the sides of his breeches, the massively tall and broad-shouldered Adril Hestram looks you over. "So, what are ya still doin' at the Lodge? Heard Shaine had something for you."

[DineDel]

"Yeah, some stuff about book finding in the Cairnlands" says Kamir in a visibly better mood now that he is inside "He also told us that you used to go there quite often, so we wanted to know a bit better what could we face in that graveyard"

The Keleshite still remembers the long training hours he spent in that very room. Those hours that thought him that's better not to get hit than blocking Master Hestram's blows. "At least he invites you a drink if he breaks your arm" Kamir thinks with a smile.

[Chiima]

"Just preparing, Master," Inaya says, agreeing with Kamir's explanation after Gian's respectful introduction. "We'll be off shortly, and what better way not to keep Master Shaine waiting than to ask the person around here with the most experience in our destination for advice."

"We won't take much time away from the lessons." Though she can hold a shield, Inaya is a bit nervous that they'll be asked to participate in the drills if the group loiters too long.

[MCP]

"Used to? Haha!" A boisterous laugh resounds through the chamber, the bravado of the massive Ulfen man easily capable of rubbing off on eager cadets searching for a uniqueness to themselves to stand out from the others. "You pups looking to go to the Spire? I take these greenhorns here out maybe once every month. Not so much during the winter, you have t'contend with Centaur looking for scrap or brigands stumbling into boobytraps. They figure the barrowmen or spirits don't like the cold or somethin'. You going to the Spire itself, or...?"

[Chiima]

"The Red Wolf of Taldor, sir," Inaya fills in politely. Even if the timing weren't off, there's no way she'd suggest tagging along with the teacher and his pups for their monthly trip out to the Cairnlands. The embarrassment alone might be enough to kill he father, never mind herself and the rest of the team.

Centaur and brigands are pretty standard hazards. The oracle is just superstitious enough to get a pleased look on her face when their Ulfen weapons master mentions the spirits and barrow-walkers not being out so much in the cold perhaps. "Centaurs looking for scrap... You'd best leave your horse in the city Khamir, the Centaur don't take kindly to the sight of a horse at all. We'll pick up a camel for you from the stables."

[Elucidus]

"Are we all riding mounts?" Desi asks Ianaya quietly. I don't know how to ride anything. Her normal smile fades a little.

[DineDel]

"Hisan is coming." Kamir answers to Inaya "I don't think that the Centaur take kindly the sight of my scimitar either, but that's no reason to leave it behind. If we are going to achieve a peaceful coexistence, we are going to need to learn to accept our differences"

"I had a dream." He says addressing the entire group now, even Hestram's students "A dream in which we lived in peace without Centaur offended by cavaliers. Hisan is my friend, I'm not going to leave him behind. After all, nobody is even considering leaving this little bomb of random behind" He turns to Neji to excuse himself "No pun intended"

Addressing the audience again, he continues with his speech "But even if he wasn't, the Centaur had to understand and tolerate our ways, because if they don't, we will have to achieve pace through blade and blood, instead of acceptance and cooperation"

ar-Ryah, who had tagged along the group when they entered the building, let's out a cry and beaks gently Kamir's ear.

"Oh! yes," Kamir says suddenly "ar-Ryah is Hisan's friend too" The hawk beaks him again, stronger this time "He is my friend too... my friend too" Kami says to stop the feathery demon from eating his ear.

[Elucidus]

"Seriously?" Desi asks Kamir. "There is a difference between carrying a sword and pointing it at someone threatening. There is also a difference between carrying a sword and riding a mount. I think if you perhaps show your priority in treatment of Hisan you may perhaps show them you can be trusted. Though perhaps they are more upset at being a part horse?" The last part is more of a question.

[Chiima]

"Kamir, will you feel comfortable taking Hisan inside the decrepit ruins of a war machine? Will he even fit?" Inaya questions gently. She sees and understands the rider's expression of closeness and loyalty, even if it's to his beasts, but this is a lesson the new Pathfinder remembers from her childhood here in Absalom. Horses are rare even in the city, and you just don't take them outside the walls... "I see how important this is to you, but is it worth the compromise now, to not return successful from the bowels of this old Wolf to find Hisan missing - or worse? Perhaps the seige engine is not large enough for us to be inside and out of sight, but I don't know that yet." Inaya glances at Master Hestram to see if he has any information about whether or not there is an 'inside' to worry about.

Quietly, as an aside to Desi, the oracle suggests: "There are some very calm dogs in the city stables. They don't mind much what you know so long as you don't do anything frightening. And it's not very far to fall. Or we could just rent a cart, in case there is more to carry than a small book in the end."

[DineDel]

Kamir's voice is full of fear and, although the phrase is made to sound as a threat, it barely sounds as a plead "Never say "or worse" referring him again".

Then lowering his eyes to a fixed point in the floor, at the same time his hawk and his pride leaves he answers "You are right. No adventure for Hisan. I would be too occupied taking care of him that I could endanger the group"

[MCP]

"I wouldn't bring no horse out north anyway, pup. Centaur ain't kind to them when they find 'em, and a siege engine in the Cairnlands ain't a place for anything on four legs bigger'n a Gnome." Master Hestram sets his hands on his hips, growing a stoic mannerism for a moment. "The Red Wolf, best as I remember, is a skeleton anyway beset by spectres at night. Something keeps them outta the inside of it, maybe some kinda ward against evil. Dunno. I heartell the Wolf itself was some kinda mobile temple. Forget to who."

[corporealself]

"Good," Gian said, finally speaking, "Nothing good ever comes from provoking the centaur."

With Hestram's information, Gian mulled over their options for a minute before announcing a plan.

"If it's warded, that might be a blessing in disguise if it keeps the spirits and not us out. As for it being a temple... We'll just cross that hurdle when we come to it. I also agree that we should rent a cart. Kavanna may not like it, but she can pull it."

Gian was of course referring to his ill-tempered axe beak. Despite her training, the predatory glint had never really left her eyes. The crimson tips to her brown feathers didn't help much considering that it only made it look like she was a messy eater.

[Elucidus]

OOC THis Axe BEak is here now? How did I miss that?

[Chiima]

OOC I think Gian is just referring to an Axe beak he owns, much like Hisan the horse isn't present.

Inaya ducks her head in apology, even as Master Hestram provides further information to support the decision not to bring any horses. She touches Kamir lightly on the arm, a throwback to when the Keleshite couldn't look someone in the eye. "We won't always be running errands just outside these walls."

Gian's solid 'Good' seems to provide a sort of finality to the decision making. The oracle chuckles softly, and tilts her head up to the big Chelaxian. "Do I detect enjoyment in the idea of humbling that beast of yours?" Or maybe it's just a reflection of Inaya's thoughts - she'd never been fond of Axe-Beaks and their aggressive ways. Too many ways to run afoul of the birds as child when you can't see any better.

"Well, it sounds like we're settled then. We will pick up some camels and a cart to back up Kavanna, and pray to Sarenrae that the Taldor didn't place a temple to Asmodeus in their war machine.Thank you, Master Hestram, for the insight and advice."