Private Tales Equestrian Escapades

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer

Faurosk

Wandering Wizard
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Faurosk had been walking for hours.

Where he was going, well, he wasn’t quite sure. Chasing a rumor did have a tendency to take some time, and he was relatively prepared for the journey ahead. His familiar walked at his side, a sizable Allirian wild dog grown well into its adolescence. The beast gave a quiet grumble, and the mage couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“Just be glad I didn’t turn you into a mule this time, friend.” The man’s voice was friendly- gentle, even -and he gave the dog a gentle scratch behind the ear. “I know you hate walking almost as much as I do. Few more miles, then we’ll break for lunch, alright?” His smile was wide and bright as the pair continued down the road, and he threw a squinting glance towards the sun only a few moments later.

“You’re right, though… It is getting to be rather warm out.” The dog gave an excited bark, startling the mage from his muttering. His familiar hardly ever made a noise much louder than a whisper when they were alone, and Faurosk knew his companion’s veritable shout of a yap was a sign that they’d have company soon. His gaze fell from the noonday sun to the long road ahead, and he could faintly make out a silhouette in the distance. He assumed it must be someone riding on horseback, given the strange shadow that was thrown in his direction.

The mage took a moment to fix his robes, adjusting the way his numerous belts and pouches sat around his waist to give the most put-together impression he could muster. The dog made another excited sound, this one much more subdued, and Faurosk met it with a laugh. Giving his friend one last pat on the head, he walked on towards the oncoming stranger, knowing that his familiar was at least twice as excited as he was to meet someone new.
 
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Artemisia's hooves pressed into the dirt with every step forward. One after one, her legs pressed forward.

She had been walking for at least 3-4 hours now. One hand moved to press her long hair behind her ear as she sighed. She glanced back to her rear, sighing as she realized how bad of an idea it was to take her entire life on her journey away from her hometown. She had finally made the decision - finally made the move to leave, to explore, and to maybe realize her potential in some way else.

Either way, she paused for a moment as she readjusted her bags. Likewise, her bow and arrows laid across her human back. Perhaps she would have to go through some of her belongings and determine which to keep and which to discard. She definitely overdid the packing.

As she walked, she crossed her arms as she just listened - and enjoyed - the sound of the forest. Birds chirping. Ruffle of grass and leaves, likely some kind form of animal. But the sound of a bark made her long ears twitch, turning slightly towards the sound. There was a dog about? She loved dogs! So cute, most of the time, anyway. So long as they didn't try to bite at her legs, anyway.

It didn't take long for the dog - and the man to come into sight. Alone, robed. At least from what she could tell, who really knew. How was she supposed to greet a stranger? She had never met someone from outside of her village before. Did she say hello? Curtsy? Panic and run? Ugh, she wasn't even sure what to do. And he was coming up fast. Ahhh!
 
As the figure down the road grew closer, so too did its outline grow better defined. What had at first seemed to be a horse and rider resolved itself into a stranger figure, a centaur or demi-human of some sort, edges blurred by distance and the mage's own failing eye sight. His stride stuttered for a second as he realized who he was walking towards, not knowing exactly what he might be getting himself into. If he had his old staff, he could weave up a shield of some sort in case this stranger proved violent, but he'd given it away not long ago when the world had turned red with mists the color of blood.

He blinked, shaking the memories of Pandemonium from his head and removing the inhibitions from his steps. Whatever intentions this stranger had, he'd just need to face them with what he had; No sense in mourning over a lost stick. The stranger came within hailing distance, and the mage gave a broad wave, paired with a hearty bellow of a greeting. "Hello, there!"

The figure seemed more and more feminine as they grew closer, nearing through Faurosk's budding nearsightedness. He'd really need to find spectacles the next time he went through Alliria... "I mean no harm," he said, giving his greeting a few seconds to hang in the air. "Just passing through, is all." If the natives to these parts proved xenophobic, he'd rather make a good introduction than none at all. After all, it was true that he had solely peaceful intentions, and he hoped there would be no reason to fear him.
 
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Artemisia held her hands together, letting her fingers play with each other as she nervously continued her approach towards the man and his dog. What if he or his dog was dangerous? She blinked as she watched the two carefully, but did her best to try to keep the nervousness off her face. A weak, nervous smile as she approached the two.

She was met first, though, with a bellowing hello. That seemed friendly - along with a huge wave. She gave a much smaller, timid wave in return. "Hello there," she'd reply with a much softer, quieter voice. Hopefully he could hear her okay. She even gave a little wave to the dog, although she didn't want to risk bending down and scratching his ear. What if he tried to bite? For now, her attention was mostly focused on the man.

She stopped walking as she shot him a much more relaxed smile. No danger. And not nearly as awkward. "Likewise. I'm just..." Moving? Exploring? Doing... Something? "I pose no danger as well. I am glad to see that you do not either. I'm Artemisia," she commented a moment later as she curtsied - her front legs crossing briefly as she bowed her head before returning to normal. That was how you did these social encounters with strangers? Make friends and such. She hadn't met many humans, but he seemed nice.

At least, so far. He seemed much more comfortable in this land than her. But, who wouldn't? This was her first time even outside her village limits
 
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Faurosk could hardly keep himself from looking the stranger over with curious intent. After all, he'd never met a centaur before. Elves and dwarves? He'd met them by the dozen. Halflings, gnomes, undead...? Sure, easy enough to come across. Yet he'd somehow managed to not cross paths with someone quite like this lady.

"Artemisia?" He repeated her name, voice lilting higher at the end as if in question. The syllables of her name rolled easily off of his tongue, which was well practiced in saying the unpronounceable. Compared to the usual vernacular used in his profession, her name proved a nice reprieve from abundant apostrophes and clashing sounds of spellcasting.

Her curtsy was met with a brief look of confusion on the mage's part before he realized just what her front legs were bending for. He met her formal display with one of his own, planting a hand lightly over his chest and dipping into a half bow. "My name is Faurosk, and this-" A hand cast a gesture to the loyal dog at his side, who was sitting politely in spite of its excitement. Its tail thumped lightly against the road, kicking up small puffs of dust with every slap. "-is Nota."

The mage's smile turned uneven for a moment, looking almost like a smirk. "You can pet him, if you'd like. Most people do." Faurosk kept his eyes on Artemisia's, managing to keep himself from investigating her peculiar lower half. After all, he probably seemed even stranger to her than she did to him. At least he could identify what her lower quarters were, equine as they were. For all he knew, she might have never seen human legs before.

"Are you, ahm, new to the road?" The mage cocked an eyebrow, briefly looking to the room's-worth of equipment the woman carried upon her back. Compared to his rather sensible pack and the numerous pouches strung along his body, she must have been burdened by an uncomfortable amount of weight.
 
Lucky for him, she had expected him to be fairly curious about her physique. Her brother would tell all sorts of stories about the looks he would recieve when he would enter really any place. Centaurs didn't seem be quite common place in the world at large. Of course, in her personal world, the only time she saw humans were the travellers and merchants that visited by her village.

He didn't look like a merchant. What did he do? She blinked as she watched him carefully, her eyes dancing between him and his adorable dog. She gave a small nod as he repeated her name, although he did seem to phrase it as a question. Had she been unclear? He said her name correctly - so she could only assume he understood her.

She gave a smile as he bowed. Faurosk. That was a nice name. Although, her smile turned to a much bigger grin as he introduced his dog. "Hello there, Nota! Aren't you the cutest pup," she said while refraining from using the baby voice. Her own eyes jumped back from Nota to Faurosk. "I'd love to give him a rub," she replied as she began to bend down, reaching her arm out.

Except several things ended up falling out of the overfilled backpack on her back, along with a couple arrows from the quiver. "Ah, crap," she muttered as she stood back up. Her attention turned back to his question and she gave a rather sheepish smile. "Uh... Yes. Kinda new," she mentioned as she began to lower her legs onto the ground to grab the misplaced items.
 
Faurosk laughed quietly, trying to hide it with a cough as he stooped to gather her dropped goods. He'd been new to the road, too, as had every expert traveler who had ever lived. The beginning of one's journey was a turbulent time at best. "Well, I hate to be so bold as to say so, but it shows."

His gloved hands went about gathering the few arrows that fell from her quiver, fingers running along the shaft of one as if testing its flex. Finally, he rose to his feet and offered the small portion of her goods that he'd gathered from the ground. "I don't suppose you know where you're going, do you?" His eyebrow arched upwards once more, but there was no sense of derision in his words. In truth, he only had a vague idea of where he was going, and he'd been doing this whole 'traveling' thing for months.

"Because back that way," he said, throwing a thumb back over his shoulder in the direction she was walking. "It's about a day's walk to the nearest inn."
 
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Artemisia caught the laugh, although she appreciated that he tried to hide it. Indeed, she was quite bluntly put, a mess. She grabbed as much as she could as she pulled her backpack off her back, putting the items back in carefully. "Thank you," she said quietly as he offered her the portion he had gathered.

Her cheeks had flushed a deep red. "I... Just left this morning," she admitted after a moment's hesitation. It had been not the best moment leaving home - mostly due to her parents insistence that she stay. But, all told, they finally accepted the inevitable. It was met with a compromise - that she'd at least visit every couple of months.

She let out a nervous giggle. Where was she going? She had no idea, in truth. She just made it this road and started walking. With everything on her back, there was no way she could run. It'd either all come falling off or she'd die of the heat. "I don't," another admission. Perhaps her parents were right - she really wasn't ready for this. She just assumed she'd eventually run into a town or perhaps a city.

"Oh... Well, I guess I'll be camping then?" She said with an attempted smile at her dimming prospects.
 
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The mage gave a half glum smile at her first admission-- First day? Really? The first steps were always the hardest, and he knew that fact all too well. His eyes expressed the hope that nothing too terrible had driven her to leave home, but he didn't give the thought a voice. People didn't just up and leave their birthplace for no good reason, after all. Her second admission was admittedly less surprising than her first. How could she know where she was going if she was a stranger to traveling?

"Well, there's a village I'm headed towards- Eipara, should only be a while longer down this stretch." His hand waved absently back the way she'd come from, but his eyes stayed on hers as a look of concern played across his features. "Should get there a bit before nightfall. Camping in the wilds can be dangerous, though, and I'd hate for anyone to get hurt."

He didn't exactly voice an offer, but between the concern on his face and in his tone, it could be safely assumed what he was implying. The dog at his side gave another excited yip, spinning in a quick circle before sitting back on its haunches once more. "Besides," the mage said, giving a brief shrug of his shoulders. "Nota likes new people. He wouldn't like to see you go."
 
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Another nervous, half-smile-half she had no idea what she was doing look escaped onto her facial features. Her blue eyes focused back towards Nota - a much easier, less potentially judgey individual. Granted, there really wasn't any thought that he was judging her. It was just her own insecurities playing out as she realized the extent of what her new life would entail.

"Eipara?" She inquired as she looked back from the way she came. She had completely missed it. And worse yet, the map she did have clearly was outdated. Or just wrong. It wasn't like many of the individuals in her village ever left. Most seemed content, happy, there.

Artemisia's blue eyes focused back on Faurosk as she sighed a little. "Before nightfall? That is good, that is..." She gave a small nod. Camping could be dangerous, that was true. The wilds in general could be pretty dangerous by themselves. She bit her lip as she crossed her arms. He seemed... Genuine, kind.

She gave a small smile to the yip of the dog before returning her gaze to Faurosk. "Only if you're positive," she didn't want to be a burden, after all. "I would really appreciate it. If only to get some of this off," she motioned to her back and equine-portion of her body, "so I can play with Nota."
 
The mage gave a broad shrug, the very image of nonchalance, and began to walk in the direction he'd been going before stopping to speak with Artemisia. "Well, I would make a cart if we had the time to spare, but I'm sure we can find a storage solution before the day's end." His tone was impassive in spite of the cheeky smirk he threw her over his shoulder. Nota followed his owner attentively, throwing a strikingly similar glance over his hackles towards the centaur. "And, yes, I'm positive-- Relatively." His gaze turned back to the road ahead, and his head gave a brief loll to the side as if he were only shrugging from the shoulders up. "... Without reasonable doubt. Yes, I am positive without reasonable doubt."

"Unreasonable doubt, however," the mage thought, running back through his mental map of the Allir Reach. It should only be seven hours until he reached the village, so if they broke for lunch in the near future, there would still be an hour left until sunset to find an inn for the night.

"So, Artemisia, what brings you to the road?" Faurosk broke his brief silence, kicking his doubtful thoughts aside for the time being. "If you're alright with me asking, anyhow. No need to spill your guts, you know?"
 
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Artemisia interpreted mixed signals from the human man. Nonchalance as he began to walk, but seemingly worried prior. It didn't matter much, as she began to walk beside him down the dirt path. It felt somewhat like backtracking - after all, she had come from this way. But at least it would only be a couple hours. Gods, she hoped no one from her village would be at the entrance to the road - they would think she had already came running back!

"I believe I will be going through it and disposing of some items," she commented somewhat sadly. There really wasn't much else of a choice - although a cart was a good idea. It wouldn't dispose of the amount of weight she was carrying, though. And the weight was the biggest issue. There'd be no way she could keep this up - and if there was some type of fight that happened? She'd be at a complete impasse. "So long as you're sure," she commented quickly as she watched the mage's head loll. Relatively? What did he mean by that? She gave a smile to him as he clarified, if that was the right term.

The initial quiet was somewhat awkward, but he asked a question and she jumped on it. "I'm just looking to have some adventure. To see what is out there. Explore places no one in my town ever has. I just feel like my life is wasting away, and I needed to change that." She sighed almost dream-like, her desire to get out and see what was out there clearly showing. "You seem fairly experienced, at least immensely more than I - may I ask the same?"
 
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"Ah, the call of adventure, eh?" The mage gave Artemisia a toothy grin. He'd taken up the 'adventuring' life not too long ago himself, and while he didn't want to tell her that it wasn't quite so romantic as the stories made it out to be, there was definitely a hint of trepidation in his voice. "Well, I can't say there aren't beautiful things to see out there, but, well, there's some ugly and downright dangerous stuff, too." His hand gestured broadly, a sweeping motion that arced across the lightly sloping fields to their right. "For every beautiful mountain pass, there's usually a frost troll or two blocking the exit. I mean, I once saw a lake that looked like it could be an ocean."

He gave her a wide eyed look that bordered on wonder, a small smile playing across his face. "I mean, it was just blue water, all the way to the horizon. I never thought I'd see anything so beautiful, especially not so close to the Spine, but... Well, there was a big ol' beasty out there-- Dragon, actually, and it's a bit hard to enjoy the view when you're trying to figure out how to stop a terror like that."

His gaze turned back to the road, as if his brief story were little more interesting than what he'd had for breakfast that morning. "As for why I'm out here, or, ah, why I left home in the first place..." He thought for a moment, eventually placing his finger against his temple and picking up a briefly comical tone. "Knowledge! That's how this whole wandering thing started, anyhow, but now I'm not so sure. As for what brought me out to the Reach, well... Simply put, money's a bit tight."

There was another small shrug to his shoulders, and his head gave a short nod. "Heard there's some spooky things happening near Eipara, and the nobles responsible for that little slice of land have a reward out for whoever can put an end to it. That's kind of my forte, or so I like to think-- Undead, the supernatural, that sort of thing." He gave himself a sweeping gesture, flicking his hands down towards his robes. "I'm an arcanist, after all. Wizard, mage, whatever you prefer. I don't have half a mind to, ahm, mind."
 
Artemisia gave a nod with a wide, happy grin. "Exactly. Life is too short to not explore. And the wealth of history that lays about Arethil... It has to be amazing." Of course, her desire to explore was met with disdain by a large portion of her town. But they were happy there, and that was also okay. "Yeah, I imagine there are many dangers that lurk in the wilds." She motioned to her back, where her bow & arrows rested. "Luckily, I'm a pretty good shot." Granted, she wasn't very good at any close combat. Probably a skill she should've learned before taking off, but too late now.

Her eyes widened as she listened to him, her gaze locked onto his face as he explained his story. He fought a dragon?! "You... You had to fight a dragon?" She asked, her face in shock. "How did you fight it?" She asked, confused on how someone could actually figure a way to stop something so... Terrifying, in truth.

She tilted her head as she listened to him explain why he was out here, a traveler (albeit much more experienced) like herself. She couldn't help but chuckle at his wording. "You're not so sure, now?" She inquired. What changed his mind from "Money... Quite an annoying thing," she gave a nod. "Money is the reason it took me so long to leave." Although, considering she had little idea of how much coin had to be used to survive out in the world at large, she could only hope it was enough to last her until she could earn more.

Spooky things? Artemisia wasn't quite sure she liked the idea of going to the town if it meant undead and supernatural things. Ahhh. He was a wizard! That explained the robes, actually. "Oooh," she said with a nod as they continued to walk down the path. "What do you specialize in?" She inquired. In truth, she knew very little of magic. Besides the healers, it wasn't frequently used in her town and thus she hadn't been exposed to more than that. "Your forte is exterminating the undead?" She asked with a perked brow. In truth, she guessed she probably should find some type of way to earn money... But she did have her potions and such, at least.
 
Faurosk waved a hand uncertainly, giving Artemisia a cockeyed smile. "Well, I didn't exactly fight a dragon. I helped other much stronger or more dexterous people fight a dragon. If I were alone, I wouldn't have stood a chance, if I'm being honest." His gaze fell back to the road as she spoke further, only offering a hum of agreement at her assessment of money. Quite an annoying thing indeed.

The mage cracked a smile as his new friend asked about his specialty, only for it to falter slightly when she asked if it was exterminating undead. "Well, no, not exactly-- Technically I'm a transmuter, first and foremost. I change the nature of things, and all that-" He made a gesture of waggling his fingers, the layman's interpretation of spellcasting. "I just also know things a lot of folk don't. How to put spirits to rest, the different sorts of ghouls and ghosts people need to put down..." He trailed off, thinking another addition to the list for himself, "How to make a shambling corpse fall over dead... Again."

"You know, the usual sorts of things." There was yet another shrug that tugged at his shoulders, and he gave Artemisia a wry smile. "I try to help folk understand what they think is beyond their talents. And if they pay me in the process, then that's just another inspiration to keep working."
 
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Oh. He had others. Alright, that made sense. She gave a sheepish smile to the mage as she looked back to the long road ahead of them. "Still, being apart of a battle like that? That had to be amazing. And terrifying," she said with a small nod as she fiddled with her hands. Indeed, lunch was quickly approaching - although she had prepared a light snack of bread and cheese for whenever that time happened.

She assumed she'd give him some, too - especially since he decided to help her. In either case, she was going to have to ask him what exactly a transmuter was. Luckily for her, he followed up by a definition of changing the nature of things. Whatever that exactly meant, she wasn't sure. But for now, she simply nodded. She smiled at his gestures, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "Oh, I see. So, you just know how to make the dead stay... Dead?" She paused, "How exactly does a corpse become... Undead, I believe is the term you used?"

Artemisia returned his smile. Usual sort of things. Just putting down ghosts and ghouls... She nearly laughed, although she caught herself in time. "Payment is a great motivator, I'll admit," she said half-heartedly. Definitely sounded like such a career would pay well, too. Gods, if she saw some of her family suddenly rise out of the ground... Yikes, she'd pay whatever it took, too.
 
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The mage gave two quick barks of laughter- Making the dead stay dead, eh? Now that was a slogan he could get behind. "Nice wording-- I'll need to steal that, if you don't mind. As for how corpses get, ahm, 'brought back'..." He trailed off, letting a hand gently cup his chin. "Well, there's lots of ways someone can be brought back. Necromancers-- That's, ah, wizards that work with the dead --can raise a body as a mindless slave. Some people have so much unfinished business that they come back as a revenant. I mean, there's lots of stories-- Cannibals rising from the dead as wendigos and ghouls, improperly buried people coming back as draugr in the Eretejva..." The mage gave Artemisia an exasperated smile, rocking his head to the left. "There's, uh... A lot to know, I suppose."

Faurosk carefully went about fiddling with a few of the pouches hanging off of his belts as they walked, producing a vial of pale red powder and shaking it lightly. "And what about you, then?" His gaze stayed on the vial, and he seemed to be checking just how much of its contents he had left. Going off the look on his face, it wasn't as much as he'd hoped. "What's your plan? Walk until you find something worth doing? A place worth seeing?"
 
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Artemisia cracked a grin at Faurosk's laughs. Indeed, making the dead stay dead seemed like an important goal in life. No one wanted their grannies and gramps to come back and try to eat their brains or something. "Please, it is all yours," she said with another chuckle as her eyes moved from him back towards the roads - and towards the sun that beat down on the trio.

"A lot to know? That seems a bit like an understatement," she said with a lop-sided grin. "I gotta say I am glad people like you are out there, but a bit mortified that people are bringing back cannibals and the like." She shook her head as she thought about how she ended up meeting up with someone who could handle such situations. What a wild time.

Blue eyes watched as he shook some vial. "What's that?" She asked, her head tilted to the side slightly. She had never seen something like that. She took a breath at his question, though. What was her plan? She didn't really have one. "I'm a herbalist. So I imagine I'll be using that skill to get coins. I can do some minor healing, too. But..." She brushed her hair behind her ear as she thought. "Basically walk until I find a place, yeah."
 
Faurosk gave a short nod that was admittedly a touch more grim than he had intended. It was good to have people keeping bad things away from innocent folk, but there could always be more. "Well, some people think it's necessary for there to be both sorts of people out there. Without anyone doing bad, there'd be no real reason for most 'heroes' to rise up and do their thing." He shook his head, laughing rather bluntly. "Not saying I agree with that sentiment, but, hey, it's nice to think that the world makes sense like that."

The mage shook his half-full vial of powder at Artemisia's question, giving her an answer in turn. "Ground talo root. It's good for starting fires and such, provided you know how to use it." Without any further sense of ceremony, he popped open a pouch and placed the container back in its place. "Well, having a skill like that is hard to sneeze at." His tone was plain, matter-of-fact. "Lots of useful plants out there, or so I've been told-- Wouldn't know, I'm not an herbalist." His gaze turned to her, and he wore a broad smile. "See? Means you're already marketable."

"As for healing," he continued, giving a small nod and turning back to the dusty road ahead. "Not a half bad talent to have, either magical or mundane. I mean, 'mundane' is hardly the word for something like that-- I once had an old friend stitch up my side with nothing more than a metal needle and a thread of gut, and it's because of him that I'm still breathing. So, yeah, healing's rather useful when the time arises."
 
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Artemisia understood where he was coming from. There wouldn't be people stopping it if it didn't happen. Although, that seemed like more like a philosophical question than anything. "Still, it's horrifying," she conceded. The idea that people were disturbing the rest of people? There something just so wrong with that. "But, I imagine you're right. There is a balance."

Another nod as she watched Faurosk shake the vial. Ahhh. A fire starter. That just proved there is so many planets even she doesn't know about, yet. "Sounds like there is a caveat somewhere in there," she said with a grin as she laughed. "Yeah, maybe. We'll see how it is when I hit civilization. I was the only one left until recently." Heck, they probably wouldn't have let her go if there hadn't been a replacement in line.

She winced as the mention of being stitched up. "I hope he gave you plenty of liquor," she commented bluntly at his description. She had avoided getting hurt like that at all costs - mostly due to the pain that was involved. "Glad he saved you, though," she'd reply with a half-grin. "Are you hungry? I have some bread, cheese, and wine." She motioned with her hands towards the mid part of her equine portion, where a nice little container sat amidst the cramped conditions.
 
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"Like I said," the mage conceded as they walked, shrugging one shoulder nonchalantly. "Balance isn't my philosophy, but it's an alright one to have." He hiked his pack up higher on his back, rolling his neck out to one side. His body had already grown tense from the previous day spent walking, and his joints were aching for a break.

"Being able to survive off the land is a good skill to have, Artemisia-- Even in 'civilization', which is, if you ask me, entirely overrated." The latter half of his tone implied that he was trying to be funny, but there was a semblance of sincerity to his sentiment. After all, he'd spent the best parts of his life traveling the roads between points of civilization, and those times were only over recent months.

Faurosk gave a small laugh at her comment about quite literally drinking pain away. He let her assume what she wished, however, for the painful truth of the matter was that he'd only started drinking after his first few harrowing near-death experiences. That surgery, sadly, was one of the unintoxicated variety. The mage cast Artemisia's overburdened hind quarters a glance at her mention of food, cocking an eyebrow. "Well... Yes, famished, honestly. If you'd like, we could take a rest, as well?" The questioning tone at the tail end of his voice was only there out of courtesy. His knees groaned with the stress of his journey thus far, and if he didn't stop soon, he was sure it would be a painful and sleepless night. Nota barked in agreement, making the first sound he had uttered in a while. "Seems that's two votes for having a sit-down-- Provided that's alright with you, of course."
 
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Artemisia was naturally built for walking, running, and standing. But that didn't mean she wasn't a fan of sitting or laying down and enjoying a moment of peace. In some ways, it was her favorite thing to do - to do nothing. But, she knew that would change dramatically once she ventured out into the world at large.

She perked a brow but gave a nod. He wasn't wrong. Civilization was only as good as the people in it. And even in her own village, plenty were not good. "I like civilization, if only for the clothes and food stuff. But, it is definitely overrated," she said with a smile.

"Famished?" She squinted. Did he get enough to eat, out here on the road like this? If he was low on coin... She gave a nod, "A rest would be lovely," she commented. "I may toss some of this during said rest, in truth," she muttered as she glanced at her rear. Too much. "Make it three," she said with a smile as she glanced down to Nota. Plus, she'd finally be able to pet him.

She glanced towards a nearby spot where a few large rocks where. "How about there?" She inquired, her head tilted to the side as she pointed at the general spot.
 
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Faurosk's eyes carefully scanned the outcropping Artemisia had pointed out. It wasn't too far off the road, and better yet, the stones stood tall enough to grant the clearing more than enough shade to be chill in the late summer sun. "That... That could work," he said quietly, making his way towards the nearly too perfect rest stop like he was reuniting with the love of his life as she returned from war. Arriving to the shade, the mage plopped into an inelegant seating position, quick to kick his boots off and rest his feet from the road.

"I could see about making that cart if you'd like." His voice was half muttered by restfulness, and his arm laid draped over his eyes to mute the brightness of the sky. There were no trees nearby to go about making a cart in any traditional sense, and he certainly didn't have enough time to cobble something together if they hoped to make it to town before nightfall. But he did claim some level of magic, and maybe there was some credibility to his words after all.

Nota, meanwhile, ran full-tilt about the towering stones, darting in and out of their shadows and feeling the sun warming his fur. After a few seconds of zooming, the familiar all but crashed down at Faurosk's side, giving Artemisia a stare with his tongue lolling out to the side.
 
Artemisia tilted her head towards Faurosk as she waited for his inspection of a potential resting point. She gave a nod, "Looks nice, at least," she commented with a nod as Faurosk really started heading off towards the spot. She lagged behind, although not far. "Pretty spot," she commented, wondering why such rocks had formed in such an interesting place.

She gave a grin as he settled so quickly - especially getting his boots off. The centaur laid herself down, leaning her equine portion against one of the stones. Emisia leaned towards her side as she pulled out a loaf of bread, some wrapped cheese, and a bottle of wine. It wasn't much, but it was nice for a snack. And perhaps he had his own, too. Either way, she broke the bread in half. She didn't quite ask if he wanted, but it was heavily implied. Likewise for the cheese & wine.

She gave a smile, "That would be lovely. I have no idea... Plus, if you ever need to catch a break, you'd be able to hop on." Whether she'd like the extra weight was another question, but a cart would be much easier than how she had it packed now, anyway.

She reached her hand out to Nota as the pup finally calmed down. "I can finally pet you," she said in quite a baby voice.
 
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Faurosk shrugged off his meager pack, rummaging through pockets and pouches to scrounge together a small bit of salted meat and a chunk of cheese. It wasn't much, but as far as he was concerned, it would need to do. The mage tucked into his small collection of food in short order, gnawing on the meat for a short while to make it more palatable.

"Well, if I ever get that tired--... Sure, why not, I could take a load off and ride along for a while." The wizard produced a small piece of chalk from one of his many pouches, casually doodling complicated circles of runes on the stone at his back. Every few strokes of the chalk, his nose would wrinkle and he'd promptly erase whatever error he'd written. Before long, a highly complex sigil sat perched ankle height against the stone.

Nota, meanwhile, was more than happy to be getting the attention he was. The dog looked to its master with intelligent eyes, far too proud of itself. The mage merely rolled his eyes, placing his gloved hand against the rune and giving it a heavy charge of arcane energy. An abrupt gust blew through the circle of tall stones, flattening out a circle in the grass and billowing dust up in a spiral. It was no small feat of transmutation that the mage tried to pull off, and he already felt drained as the wheels of a soon-to-be wagon emerged upwards from the dirt. An axle slowly constructed between the upright wheels, and before long, a body grew atop the axle and completed the cart. It sat perfectly balanced on its two wheels, constructed entirely from a material not unlike sandstone.

"There," the mage said, eyes half lidded from the effort of it all. "A cart." One notable aspect left off of the newly made construct was any sort of handle with which one might hope to pull the contraption, and judging by its precarious balance, pushing was equally out of the question. The wizard gave a snap of his fingers and muttered three sharp syllables, "Animus", under his breath. The wheels stuttered for a moment, as if testing their strength, before the wagon rolled itself over to the trio gathered in the stones' shade.

Faurosk could only manage a quiet "Tada", draping one arm over his eyes and resting quietly for a few long moments.
 
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