|
|
Post by bellasuem on Oct 24, 2016 19:41:39 GMT -6
Marea Mare / Traveling Merchant / War-Forged
It had been a lucrative and inspiring trip to Eithne, as Marea had suspected it would be, but all good things must come to an end. Now that she was back in Onea, the gods had decided a cold, light rain would suffice as a fitting punishment for leaving her homeland in search of foreign treasure. The red mare snorted and gave herself a thorough shake, sending a fine mist out around her body like a halo. Not even the gods themselves would dampen her spirits now; she'd made off like a bandit trading and selling in the city and its surrounding little settlements, and that was something to be proud of. Her cart was looking sparse, but that was quite alright with her. A shoddy-looking merchant is less likely to be robbed than one with a laden cart, after all.
As if the rain wasn't enough, not much farther up the road hoof prints began to appear, and judging by their erratic pattern it wasn't just some lowly traveler. In fact, it wasn't even one horse, it had to be at least two to leave prints like these. Marea stopped and looked around, but a light mist had rolled in and begun to obscure anything that was farther than a few horse-lengths away. Despite her best efforts, intent listening revealed nothing more than bird song and crickets. The mare decided to try a different tactic, and put her snout to the earth, trying to pick up any recent scents. To her dismay, the earth was freshly disturbed and the smell of horses she didn't know were easily distinguishable.
She broke into a trot and kept her eyes and ears on a constant scan in front of and beside her. She wasn't looking to get picked off by a group of cultists today, especially not with all the coin she just made. That being said, Marea nearly tipped her cart when she sidestepped at a sudden noise in the trees. As reluctant as she was to lose her spoils from Eithne, she supposed her life was a bit more valuable. Once she detached her cart from her harness, Marea stepped lightly into the tree line, keeping her head low. Someone was definitely muttering to themselves somewhere up ahead. Nothing to be gained from stumbling around in the fog, so Marea mustered her most authoritative voice and called out, "I know you're there, who are you?" she demanded.
WC: 412 |
|
|
|
Post by PeculiarVixen on Oct 24, 2016 21:24:39 GMT -6
Uther|Raider
The day started off in a good way but boy did the gods have other ideas, Uther was patrolling his occasional route on 'War Lords Road' headed into the bordering territory of the cultists. He walked right into a trap that the devils had placed for Raiders like him, A line twinged as the draft walked into the brush "The hell is going on here?!" at that moment the raider began to hear the cackling of the cultists lying in wait like Chimera's. "you filthy vermin.."
Uther then began scanning the trees and brush for traces of the equines, He saw movement to his left and charged the trail. It didn't take long for the 19.3hh stallion to catch up and engage the trouble, "Better watch out.." He jolted forward knocking the cultist to the ground with a hard OOMPH. But what he didn't know was the cultist wasn't alone and he hadn't seen the others, Till now. Uther was cut simultaneously on each side to the pleasure of the cultists in laughter, Uther let an outcry of pain but fortunately loud enough to signal more cultists. He reared up on one of the two cultist that cut his sides, luckily his size was an advantage here. Uther's rage took control and he ran the cultist through with his horn and ripped it out killing the cultist "One less filth in Onea." A shriek from one of the other cultists made Uther turn around and confront the others "If you get away you live." He started galloping towards the duo with his horn lowered ready to catch flesh.* The smaller cultist couldn't run fast enough but in a suicide act stopped, laid down and stabbed Uther in the chest of the tall stallion with her dagger before he ended her life the other getting away but not for long as the equine was on the roads. He moved the body of the equine back into the brush to hide from travelers.
Uther stumbled his way towards Skeldr town hoping someone else might be traveling as his wounds were bleeding out at this point. Soon the fog rolled in and it started to rain "As if this couldn't get worse.." He groaned. He slowly made his way on the trail but soon after he heard a voice from behind calling out, "Demanding, Wonderful.. I'm a Raider, Uther is my name." Uther turned around to see the approaching equine, "Aye lass, Who are you?".
WC: 415
|
|
|
|
Post by bellasuem on Oct 25, 2016 8:56:49 GMT -6
Marea Mare / Traveling Merchant / War-Forged
A Raider... "I'm Marea, and fortunately for us we're herdmates. I'm a merchant,"she said, narrowing her eyes at the stallion's condition. Something, or someone, had gotten the better of this huge, trained stallion, and Marea wasn't keen on sticking around here to see if they came back. Shuffling her hooves, the mare glanced behind her, towards the road where she'd left her cart. "What happened?" she asked, turning back to Uther, "I might have something to help stop the bleeding back in my cart..." she proposed, but in the back of her mind she knew they'd have to improvise. She'd used up the last of her bandages on a fellow merchant she passed on the way to Eithne, so conventional supplies weren't on the list of things they had to work with.
"Can you make it back to the road?" she continued, unsure of the severity of his wounds. Health care was never her strong suit, all she could gather was that he had blood all over him, and that was rarely a positive sign. "I left my cart over there," she said, indicating the direction with a jerk of her head. "I'd offer to drag you back home in it, but I don't think much more than your head would fit."
WC: 218 |
|
|
|
Post by PeculiarVixen on Oct 25, 2016 16:59:34 GMT -6
Uther|RaiderFor once perhaps the gods were showing him pity, It's not too often other equines are seen on the road due to the rising number of bandits and cultists. "Marea, I don't think I've ever met you before." He tried to keep a steady tone as the wounds stung from the cold and the rain, "Cultists are what happened, Damned things have been multiplying. I thought I had cornered a loner but unfortunately for me it was a trap." He huffed. "Their daggers are sharp, Though now knowing another was traveling it could've been you if I hadn't found them first." He turned to face Marea and realized he had to look lower for the mare and shifted his weight feeling a bit massive,Flustered, Uther cleared his throat before replying to her and letting a quiet chuckle out. "I appreciate the offer, but I should be able to make it on my own if I get these wounds caked till I get to town." His natural reply to anyone offering help, the stallion muttered a few times before sighing lightly, "I uh.. could use some help doing that though. My size isn't helping here and my magic isn't very good for a unicorn.." He used his telekinesis to lift a stone and move it to reveal some mud from the rain, His giant hooves muddled it to make the mud thicker and more paste like. WC: 238 ** Updated Uther's ref, This is what he actually looks like XD
|
|
|
|
Post by bellasuem on Oct 26, 2016 12:17:12 GMT -6
Marea Mare / Traveling Merchant / War-Forged
"No, I can't say I've met you, either," she agreed, "I'm not in town much these days." Marea listened intently as the stallion described his attack, and she quickly bristled. She herself had been tricked not two moon cycles ago, and had it not been for her friend, Zaltana, Marea doubted she would've escaped as well-off as she had. She snorted in indignation, "Why those cretins decided our road was their new favorite hunting ground I'll never understand," she spat, "And while I am dearly sorry you happened upon their scheme I do thank you for it," she continued, dipping her head slightly, "I don't think I would've made it out at all." Of course most Raiders in their herd were crass brutes, Marea had to admit they knew how to fight quite well. And perhaps it was just his blood loss getting the better of him, but Uther seemed to be more of the reasonable sort.
Marea looked down at the mud with distaste; certainly not the most sterile thing for wounds, and she silently cursed the fact that she hadn't brought more bandages along for this trip, but he was right, it would work. Focusing her mind and sight upon the thick mud, Marea began lifting globs of it up to the massive stallion's flanks, resisting the urge to flinch at the thought of rubbing the slick stuff into an open cut. "The Medics will have their work cut out for them cleaning all of this up when we get back," she commented, "Have you done this before?" she asked, trying to hide the incredulous edge to her voice. "I suppose it is quite... Crafty," she added, not wanting to insult him if this was in fact a tried-and-true method of protecting cuts.
WC: 300
*** He's bootyful B)
|
|
|
|
Post by PeculiarVixen on Oct 26, 2016 19:10:28 GMT -6
Uther|Raider
He looked at the mare as she spoke, now with the rain easing up the weather became less of an annoyance to the stallion. "Well there is one thing those Vindicators do well and it's chasing those vermin out and taking care of them." Uther bowed his head "Well Ma'am that's what us brutes are here for.. when some of us aren't drunken messes." He snorted thinking of some of the other raiders whom he didn't get along with, "No you wouldn't have and unfortunately that's their cruel ways, Not even foals are spared."
Uther twitched as the first glob of mud when into his wound, 'This is so unpleasant dammit...' He snorted irritably before sighing "I know it's quite distasteful and rather gross, Trust me it's not pleasant but it's a survival tool. When we go off on missions or routes we don't get packed with supplies, That's at our own cost." He winced as the rest got packed in, "I've become rather used to the pain, it's almost a daily occurrence" He chuckled. "We've got quite a bit of time before we reach Skeldr town, I'm curious to know about you." He turned and felt uneasy that his blind eye was facing the opposite side of the road, Unable to watch for danger Uther cleared his throat. "Would it be alright if I go on the right side of you, My blind eye won't do us any good to detect danger.." He turned so Marea could see his other side.
WC: 254
|
|
|
|
Post by bellasuem on Oct 27, 2016 9:44:39 GMT -6
Marea Mare / Traveling Merchant / War-Forged"That is true," Marea agreed, "I honestly have no qualms with the Vagabonds unless they're Cultists or Thieves," she continued. The mare had never given it much thought before, but it must be a tasking thing to life life without a herd to back you up, if only for the fact that none of the herds she's visited in her time as a traveling merchant were accepting to Vagabonds; in fact most were outright hostile and gave no consideration to the lone horses' profession, instead lumping them all into one negative category.
Marea was pulled out of her short musing as Uther suggested they engage in a bit of small talk on their way back to Skeldr. Now that the unfortunate stallion was covered in a layer of mud, Marea let out a sigh followed by a short nod. "Well, you already know I'm a Traveling Merchant," she began, stepping back onto the road, "I'm on my way back from Eithne, currently," she continued, dipping her head down to re-fasten her small cart to her harness. She gave it a test-pull, and satisfied it wasn't going anywhere she turned back to the stallion, who seemed a bit tense as he swung his head around to reveal an old eye injury.
"Oh, yes, that's fine with me," she answered, taking up position on Uther's left side. After a few short moments of silence Marea continued on, "I have a house about a 15 minute walk from the edge of town, but I'm only there about maybe half the time. Mostly I'm on the road." She turned to glance at Uther, "So, what about you? I'm sure you live a more exciting life than I do," she said, though she supposed everyone had their own definition of 'exciting'. Marea found her own profession infinitely satisfying and exciting, but in the grand scheme of things valiant battles with Cultists might appeal more than long days spent walking to some.
WC: 331 |
|
|
|
Post by PeculiarVixen on Nov 1, 2016 16:07:19 GMT -6
Uther|Raider
The road started to show signs of life and civilization, Though granted it was sparse it meant we were getting closer. Uther listened to what the mare had to say and related to some himself, "The vagabonds aren't as bad as they say, I'd advise you to avoid a new clan that's gathering up. They call themselves the 'Bloody Flank Gang', They kill all vagabonds on sight." He burred loudly in annoyance of the group, "They make my job harder and not to mention their crude behavior, I don't put up with them around my scouting areas."
Uther let out a small laugh and a sigh "Actually, You've probably seen more interesting things than me lass." He glanced over at the mare in an absurdly obvious way, "I deal with petty things, Drunken brawls can be quite funny though I must say." 'When there's not a dead body.' He thought to himself, "You had to have seen some marvelous sights around Eithne, Someone like myself wouldn't fit in there with all the royals." Uther chuckled and smiled, "I live in a tent on the outskirts of the mountains, I tend to stay in the Inn when I'm close to town like this though."
"It's not a bad little place, I have my pelts to keep me warm and I'm luckily nestled in this area that doesn't get hit with the blizzards." About as homely as a tent and some personal belongings can get, Although he really doesn't mind it. "One time I found a wolf pup in my tent, Ended up using my magic to catch the sneaky but cute thing." Uther smiled as he remembered the little pup, perhaps one day he'll get his Ursa Major. "Have any intentions on getting a familiar? They have some interesting buggers."
WC: 301
|
|
|
|
Post by bellasuem on Nov 8, 2016 16:36:17 GMT -6
Marea Mare / Traveling Merchant / War-Forged "How forward-thinking of them," Marea said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "That's not at all acting just like the Cultists themselves, who attack every War Forged they can find on sight." It was the horses who left no room for compromise like the Cultists and the Flanks that made peace impossible. It was refreshing to hear a Raider who seemed to hold similar opinions.
The stallion alleged she led the more interesting life, but she was only doing her job when it came down to it, same as he was. "Oh I don't mix with lords and ladies by any means," she said with a chuckle, "The merchants district is where I stay. They do have lovely pieces, but I don't know how they can stand living there year-round." Surely she herself wouldn't be able to stand it, anyway. "It's far too... dramatic in that place. For every item I buy it seems to come with some scandalous story attached. I don't know it there's a soul in that city who can claim to have clean hooves - not that I claim to be any more of a decent sort than the next horse, or Onea to be shining example of purity - but it all seems easier here. More quiet."
"I do apologize," she continued quickly, "I didn't mean to spout exposition at you, even though you are somewhat of a captive audience," she added with a small smirk. "But to answer your question, I have thought about it. I was considering a bird of some type, something to easily scout out routes for me when I'm on the road. A wolf pup would be a valuable companion for a Raider though, once he grew up," she added, noticing more little abandoned camps alongside the road. It seems they would make it back to town without further incident, there wasn't too long of a way to go now.
WC: 322 |
|
