Private Tales Strangers on the Road

[Alistair Wren]

​

Blood stained the soles of Alistair's hose as he walked. A plain of grass, it's hue the color of mange, spanned for the miles he had left behind. Robes muddied, he trudged along the grass and panted, his string bag over his shoulder. A gang of thieves had jumped him at the last village and he had barely escaped with his life, let alone his spellbooks and charms. The strap of his bag in hand, he clasped the front of his brown cloak and wrapped it around him, his eyes scanning the land ahead for any sign of water. A bruise surrounded one of his eyes and there was a gash in his upper arm, just beneath his elbow.

Squinting, Alistair raised a hand to his brow. The sun, still shrouded glinted in the reflection of a lake, where a small tree grew on the bank. It looked like a good place to rest and clean himself up.

"Bugger me," Alistair sighed, relieved to have got away from the thieves.

Slugging his bag off his shoulder, he pulled his feet through the grass, which had grown damp by the time he reached the lake. He walked around the side and stopped at the tree, then plonked his bag at its' roots. Sighing, he stretched and unhooked the clasp of his cloak. He took it off, revealing his brown robes underneath, the trimming having frayed from travel. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a person further down the side of the lake, but paid them no heed. He gathered sticks, piled them up and prepared tinder for a fire. He grabbed two stones, struck them and lit the tinder pit, bringing the flames to life. Delving into hos bag, he grabbed a basin and stumbled down the side of the bank to the lake, filled it with water and set it on the fire to boil.

Alistair took off his boots, hose and leg bands. Leaving them to dry by the water, he walked to the leg and dipped his feet in, welcoming the feeling of the water against his torn soles. The hems of his robes soaked, he sat on the bank and rested his feet, eyes closing as he relaxed. He opened one eye and saw the person around the other side of the lake approaching him.

A grey sky rolled overhead, darkening the muddy bank of the lake. Feet in the water, Alistair rubbed them to wash off the dried blood and pulled himself up, drying his feet on the grass. He pulled on his hose and boots, then sat down beside the basin full of water as it came to the boil.

The person emerged into view, a dwarf by the looks of it, and a woman. Curious, Alistair turned around to face them and raised a a bruised eyebrow. He scooped up some of the warm water, washed his face and ran it through his hair, then filled his flask with some to drink later. Tying his belt around his waist, he flipped open his spellbook to the page he had been reading before and muttered aloud to himself, determined to get some study done before he headed off. He was studying empathy and conjuring, particularly with a view to use them in a positive way. Book in hand, he sat at the base of the tree and lay it open on his lap, the fire crackling a few feet away.

Peering over the top of the page, Alistair saw the lady dwarf standing before him.

"Hello," he said plainly, navy eyes darkened by the shadow of his hood, "I didn't think there was anybody out here," eyes trailing down, he creased his brow and looked to the side, his attention on alert for any sign of the thieves.

"A few thugs attacked me in the last village, so I'm just resting," he frowned, angry at the thought, "luckily they didn't take my spellbook and charms," eyebrows raising, he managed a smiled and looked up to face the woman.

"I'm alright, they just beat me up a bit," Alistair shrugged, scratching the back of his head.

 

[Tholiel Ironarm]

Tholiel had started her journey off simply, with no intent of truly returning to her home in Belgrath. It had become stale, stagnant, and just plain boring in her opinion. She wanted excitement, adventure. Not to hear about what the Stonetoe's did the other day or what the Steelheart's had forged this time. The world was waiting, begging to have places found and creatures seen.

"Glorious gold,
Glimmers in our home of old,
Dark as the night,
When the day has lost its light."

At least that was Tholiel's reasoning. She bobbed along the path she had blazed around the lake, poking a few stray hairs from her braid back into place.

"When the hammer falls."

She hadn't found it hard to make a few coins here and there, or pay for her room and tack with some sweat and effort. Even just making overgrown boys lose in a challenge of strength could get her enough to pay for the night. A rare few times, the keeper of the inn was so annoyed with the loser's presence, the victory would earn her a free night and meal.

"When the hammer falls,
And it sounds through the halls,
When the hammer falls,
Freeing treasures from the walls."

It was hard at times though, being alone in the wide open world. Even hefting a large hammer didn't dissuade every being that crossed her path. She could certainly distinguish the intelligence of what she came across after they got a look at the large steel weapon she wielded.

"When the hammer strikes,
And the Kingdom comes to life,
When the hammer pounds,
Like the thunder underground."

A few times she had to smash a few toes or even ribs to make the point thoroughly understood to leave her alone. It never helped that she was typically humming, whistling, or singing as she went along. Just as she was doing now as she remained lost in thought. The hammer was lazily crossed over her shoulders on top of her canvas back, the head resting on her left while the handle jutted from her right.

"When the hammer falls."

Her hand draped over the handle, her wrist keeping it pinned in place across her road worn outer coat. It was once a nice beige with golden trim, but one would never guess that after seeing the grey tinge that had been cast upon both colors. Her light blue quilted jupon atop her navy shirt that ended with leather bracers. She had learned the hard way that wrists and metal bracers didn't get along well when the one needed to bend.

A wide belt kept the jupon up just a bit to allow more free movements for swinging while her gorget sat comfortably above that. The linen pants had been switched out at the last inn, the other pair needing a few stitches that she would work on whenever she set up her next camp. Her shin guards clacked a little, not helping her singing any as her voice picked up and carried for some way.

"When the hammer falls!"

She had closed her eyes in joyous noise, and once opened, she caught sight of someone beside the water ahead. Blinking a few times to make sure she had truly seen someone, and well assured of herself that she had. A course was cut as quickly as stumpy dwarf legs could move.

The darkening sky didn't bother her terribly. At least it didn't so long as she got her things under the canvas tarp she had. Clothes got wet, but the sun had a way of drying things. And so long as one was smart about it, they could avoid blisters or other ill foot fatigue.

But another person! Joyous day. She might be able to have company for a night rather than sleeping under the stars in a tree, left to her thoughts and mending tattered clothes in silence. It seemed the person was working on drying themselves out as she spied brown robes with hose and ties. A traveler akin to herself perhaps. They were still a ways away as they sat beneath a tree with what she guessed was a book.

Someone who might not be adverse to something other than a silent night by a fire.

But gods above she was about done walking for the day. The lake had been far larger than she had first guessed, and the hammer was beginning to make her shoulders ache. She pushed until she came upon the person's camp finally, seeing them look over the edge of their book at her. He greeted her, and she wore a weary but genuine smile.

"Allo to you too. And somehow I very much doubt anyone's usually about places such as this. 'Tis beautiful though innit? Least whenever ya get a moment ta actually enjoy it. Had a few nice spots along the way that I'm glad I did na' stop at for camp, otherwise I may ah missed ya." Tholiel brimmed with cheer as she let the hammer off her shoulder and set it against the tree along with her bag.

She noticed his looking about them, and cast her eyes also before giving him a curious look that he gave an answer to. Her head rose with the silent ah moment of reason falling into place. She nodded her head to let him know she had heard tell of the men. Most likely because of him no less.

She knew all to well about how thieves loved to waylay travelers, and this one looked the sort to not put up much of a fight in her honest opinion. At least not with his fists anyway if the book was any guess as to what he could do.

"Nothing to serious I hope. Never a good way ta start the day with runnin' fer your life an what not." Tholiel half asked, half told as she rubbed her shoulders a bit before taking a spot opposite the man at the fire. It felt wonderful, especially since she didn't make it. She rubbed her hands together, crouched on her heels and enjoying the heat a moment longer.

"Name's Tholiel, Tholiel Ironarm. I've a mind ta say ye've probably guessed I'm a dwarf eh?" She joked before poking another stick into the fire. "Can't say I've 'ad much trouble with thieves of late, but then again who's gonna stop a little woman with that hammer?" She chuckled, rising and untying the canvas bag. She pulled out another piece of canvas, heavier as it was laden with a coating that she wrapped around the hammer.

She stripped off her outer coat and the few pieces of armor she had until she was down to her shirt and pants. All of it went inside with the hammer, even the boots went inside the canvas tarp. She plopped down next to the fire once more, her features settling into an easy smile while she glanced at her camp companion.

 

[Alistair Wren]

Alistair had heard the dwarf woman singing before she approached him. Eyes plain and wide, he looked over the top of his book and managed a smile, having enjoyed her happy song. Stretching, he yawned, closed his book and shut its' clasps, then slid it carefully into his big, string bag. He stood at his full height, which was almost a good two feet taller than the Dwarf woman and grabbed his hose off the tree, then sat down and pulled them on. He attached them to his leg bands and checked his boots, which were still wet.

As the Dwarf woman slung her hammer off her shoulder and rested it against the tree, Alistair smiled. Padding along the grass in his hose, he sat at the base of the tree and stretched his legs out to warm his feet by the fire.

"Yes, it is," he agreed, his voice withdrawn and reserved. He managed a modest smile, but nothing more.

The woman nodded when Alistair said that he had been attacked, to which Alistair shrugged, laughing slightly as he batted the air with his hand in dismissal.

"I have a cut that I'll need to heal, but I'll be fine," he said, the cut on his shoulder stinging. He would need to see to his feet as well, before they got infected.

Grabbing his cloak, Alistair wrapped it around his shoulders and shuddered. The air had grown quite cold. When the woman offered him her name, the young mage smiled, "Alistair Wren," he held out a hand, offering her to shake it if she wished.

"Yes, I did!" He chortled when she assumed that he had guessed she was a Dwarf, "I'm a mage from the College of Elbion, but I had to run an errand for them that took me all the way to the Allir Reach," hands clasped together, he laughed, and walked over to the base of the tree, where he sat down beside the Dwarf woman, who had introduced herself as Tholiel, "it wasn't until I reached the border that they jumped me, so I've been running for a good few hours!" Laughing, Alistair stretched out his legs and warmed his hands against the fire.

"I didn't have enough time to recite a spell, so all I could do was run, I'm just lucky they didn't take any of my charms or books!" Alistair exclaimed, folding his hands on his stomach.

When Tholiel asked Alistair who would think about robbing a little woman with a huge hammer, he shook his head and laughed, "I certainly wouldn't!"

A pause followed, filled by a breeze as it blew through the trees. Ravens cawed and the mange-coloured grass stood still, as though unaffected by the wind. Thunder rolled across the horizon, threatening the onset of a downpour. The plain spanned for miles, soaking up the first drops of rain into its muddy underbelly.

"So what about you, where did you come from?" Alistair asked.

Tholiel Ironarm

 

[Tholiel Ironarm]

She nodded at his reply to the beauty of the place, but did not add anything to her statement. On the other hand, the mention of a cut had her grinning as she thought of the little remedy she had come across through one of the smaller villages.

"Oi've something that might help yer' cut heal a bit better if you've a mind for it." Tholiel offered, in between stripping out of armor and covering the important things with the tarp, grabbed a small capped jar and ran her pinky through the goop inside as if to stir it up. She switched hands that held the jar and gave the clean hand for a proper shake.

"Tis' a pleasure to meet ya'." Tholi nodded with a smile as he gave his name and explained what he was up to. A mage for the College in Elbion. She had been spot on with her magic guess, but hadn't expected the presence of a College Mage to be sure. "Surprised the College wouldna' just hire someone like myself to go rather than sending one of their own."

Tholiel shrugged with the comment, trying to show her surprise in the move by the college. She for one didn't believe it so wise to let mages run around without at least another mage with them. Easy enough to drop one person when all their efforts are focused in one style. Didn't matter if they were physically skilled or educated in magic. Which brought her to the next topic she was curious about.

"Those charms and spells yer bread an' butter then?" Tholiel chuckled, leaning back against the tree. "You've brought them up a few times now. Must be pretty good if you were that scared of losing 'em."

Or more scared of not having something to sell off for the cost of material to make them. Common folk paid well for shyster charms. A mage peddling them could likely be a lot more credible, and receive more pay as such. At least if the mage could prove themselves to be studied in the craft.

"Lucky for them you didna' get a spell off, otherwise they might be trying to find their feet while crawlin' about. Although you, like 'most', seem to have a great amount of sense about ye' to not mess with a hammer wielding dwarf." She put a lot of sarcastic stress into the word most, still surprised that anyone wouldn't think twice about facing off with that human sized nail driver.

The wind shifted while birds made themselves known, and the fire seemed a lot more comforting. The threat of rain made her look towards the thunder and clouds before turning back with a smile.

"Belgrath is where I was born. Been wandering for about five years now. Give or take since I don' remember exactly when I started. Just left home one day since I was bored with it all. Wanted adventure and new faces. Got that an a lot more. But I've not regretted doin' it yet." Tholiel explained with a pleased sense of pride.

Alistair Wren

 

[Alistair Wren]

Shifting around, Alistair leaned to the side and dabbed the cut in his upper arm. He peeled away the fabric of his robes to inspect it, top lip turned up as he regretted that he would have to wait to heal himself, as he had expended his energy fighting the thieves. Luckily, it was not deep. Tholiel mentioned that she had a remedy of her own, to which he shifted his eyes.

"You do?" He asked, fingers dabbing the wound, "I'd be happy for you try it out on me, I can't heal myself for a while as I used up my energy fighting off those thieves," sighing, he turned around and looked at the sky.

Detaching the clasp from his neck, Alistair took off his capelet and the outer layer of his robes, revealing a light, long undergarment which covered his smock. He undid his leg bands, pulled off his hose and showed Tholiel his feet. The soles were busted and torn, blood seeping from them. Standing, he undid his belt sash and stripped himself of his outer robe. He was desperate for a bath and regretted there was not an inn nearby. He watched as Tholiel shook the jar, apprehensive about being healed by magic that had not been taught at the college.

When Tholiel asked if spells and charms were Alistair's bread and butter, he smiled, "yes, couldn't you tell?" He laughed.

"They're difficult to make and you can't get them outside the college, so if I lose them while I'm on the road, I'm in trouble," wincing as he touched his wound, he nodded.

"I had to use telekinesis to push them away so I could run, and it's not my strongest skill, so it expended a of my energy," Alistair sighed, brow creased as he looked at the sky. He reached out and touched the sores on his feet, inviting Tholiel to try out her remedy on them.

"Damn telekinesis and aero, they'll be the death of me, I can't wait to graduate my healing unit so I don't have to take them anymore," he groaned, regretting that he had to take telekinesis and aerokinesis. He didn't like combative or elemental magic and struggled to focus on things he had no interest in, so he hated studying them. Once he graduated from his healing unit, he could double-major in empathy and summoning like he always wanted, and we wouldn't have to study any combative or elemental subjects any more.

The thunder growled. Rain started to fall and Alistair pulled himself up. Bare feet padding along the grass, he helped Tholiel with the tarp. Hammering in a peg, he pulled it over the fire, shielding it from the rain. Once the tarp was up, he sat down and let Tholiel continue with her remedy while listening to her talk about where she came from.

"Five years," Alistair gasped in disbelief, "I only left the college about a month ago," sapphire eyes on the lake, he wrapped his arms around his knees and looked down. He felt a sense of respect for Tholiel and her experience, she was clearly more traveled than he was.

"I'm not happy with the units I'm studying, so I set out to learn new magic," he shrugged.

Tholiel Ironarm

 

[Tholiel Ironarm]

Her smile was large as she scraped a heaping helping of the remedy onto her fingers. A witch had given it to her in exchange for helping pick a variety of herbs and scare off a few superstitious villagers that were nothing but idiots trying to spy on them both. And while she had found it had worked quite well, it was one thing to get a witches remedy while getting a college mages.

"Worked well so far fer' me." Tholiel shrugged and used her pinky finger to cover the scraping cut on his shoulder before moving to his feet. It was a mixture of honey and onion, spelled with light healing magic. She worked it into his skin well enough to leave a sticky top crust on his feet before setting up the tarp.

"You canno' get them outside the college? Meanin' ya' can't make em outside the college or just not get 'em?" She asked bluntly, confused a bit by the phrasing. It seemed so dull an idea of restricting the trade of goods in her opinion, but then again charms and spells had a vast array of purposes. So maybe she best leave those kinds of choices to the people that did it.

She listened to his grumblings of what she guessed were two types of magic and had a chuckle. If he hadn't been trained for it, he wouldn't have gotten away so readily from the thieves. If he had focused on healing and such, he might have been made their prisoner and kept to heal the thieves after bad raids or some such.

"Lucky for you that you were made to learn em then huh? If ya' hadn't you'd be stuck worse off then ye' are now." Tholiel smiled before casting her own look towards the lake.

"Aye, five years now. Been a lot of road under these feet." Tholiel huffed, by now the remedy was taking effect, numbing the pain with magic while the honey and onion did their own work. "Leave that on until bed, but wash it off before you sleep. Otherwise it'll ne'er come off."

"Always respectable to learn new things. After all, if we always knew what we wanted wanderlust would no' be a thing, and problems wouldn't exist. Sometimes it takes a new view to find out more about yer'self." Tholiel offered, rubbing the remedy on her own feet for a while as she listened to the rain.

 

[Alistair Wren]

Smiling, Alistair withdrew his hands from his wound and allowed Tholiel to apply the remedy. He was slightly nervous at the thought of being healed by somebody who hadn't been trained by the college, but didn't have much of a choice, as his wounds might fester by the time he was able to cast again. Sitting up against the tree, he sat still, wincing slightly as Tholiel dabbed the remedy on the wounds on his arm and feet. When she said that it had worked well for her, Alistair smiled modestly.

"Usually I wouldn't let anybody heal me unless they had been trained by the college, but I trust you," he nodded.

At the comment about his charms, Alistair drew back the ends of his mouth and laughed. Retracting his hands from his knee, he wrapped them around his upper body and shuddered beneath the cold, keeping his upper arm and feet still to let the remedy work.

"I can't get them," he smiled, "the college can make them and send them out to me, but that takes time," resting his hands on his knee, he nodded. The charms he used were imbued with spells only studied at the college, so they couldn't be made anywhere else. If he had it his way, he could have got them anywhere, if only out of convenience, but the spells they were imbued with were unique to those taught at the college, so no ordinary mage could enchant them. Leaning back against the tree, Alistair rested his head back and looked at the sky, the rain beating against the tarp.

Tholiel then remarked about the schools of magic Alistair had used to escape the thieves. He laughed, amused by how they had come in handy, even when he didn't like learning them. Reaching around, he poked the remedy on the wound in his arm, then withdrew his hand and waited for it to dry.

"I suppose it is lucky," he chortled, "although when I learn how to summon I won't need to rely on them anymore," hands wrapped around his knee, he gazed out at the lake. The brown water rippled with droplets of rain, thunder rolling beyond the hills.

"Five years," Alistair gasped beneath his breath. He had only been away from the college for a month and he was already homesick. Tholiel had clearly seen a lot, and for that, she had his respect. When she pointed to the remedy on Alistair's arm and feet, he nodded and pulled himself to his feet, then started to lay out his sleeping roll. Yawning, he rolled it out beneath the tree and lay on his side, his head propped up with a hand.

"You must have seen a lot in that time," brow creased, he turned to face Tholiel, "been in any fights?" He asked.

"I've only been away from the college for a month and I'm already homesick, I miss the other mages," looking sad, Alistair lowered his head and fiddled with a blade of grass.

At Tholiel's remark about learning new things, Alistair smiled, the blade of grass between his fingers. She was right, if he had never left the college in the first place, he would never have learned about summoning and empathy. A modest smiled crossed his features, his cheeks dented with distinctive dimples. The rain was heavy now, battering against the tarp like a drum.

"You're right, perhaps it's a good thing that I left the college," eyes trailing towards Tholiel, Alistair smiled, the remedy on his skin growing tacky, "it'll pay off in the end," shifting, he lay on his back and looked up at the branches of the tree.

"I've already learned I'm much better at summoning and empathy, then I am at telekinesis and aero," he laughed.

Tholiel Ironarm

 

[Tholiel Ironarm]

His comment about usually refusing healing from anyone not trained at the college was fair. When one knew something worked, it was hard to take help from unusual sources. Even ones tested like this with the fair word of another traveler. His laugh at her charm comment had her looking to him once again in curious wonder. Perhaps she had asked a silly question, or perhaps he just hadn't shared yet what was funny.

His explanation was simple and plain enough. The college did very much like to regulate magic that came and went out of its doors it seemed as she had guessed. Then he continued on with his remark about summoning and that piqued another line of questions.

"Summoning, like whot? Animals from nothin' or less reputable things?" Tholiel asked carefully, unsure of the rabbit hole she had come across suddenly when she had to put the question to words. He remarked about her time out and about in the world once more and she let a smile form, both wide and knowing in what was likely to follow behind the thoughtful reflection.

"Oh aye, seen lots. Been in a few fights, but I'm usually not the one startin' 'em. Just ending 'em" Tholiel told him, rubbing her hands on the wet grass to get the remainders of the honey off of her fingers. "That feeling homesick never truly goes away, and it reminds you of where you began and who helped make you. Travel does that fer' folk of all kinds."

Tholiel had felt homesick more than once, but had never felt the true need to return home. Even with the events that happened at Belgrath, her support remained simply to letters and hopeful thoughts. She stretched out a bit, letting tired muscles sing their song of weary and woe as she put her hands behind her head and kept her attention on the mage.

"Aye, and sometimes, once all the dust of the road settles. You decide it's time ta' return to where you began and show others the same. That no' everything can be learned in one place, that the roads teach you something ya' canno' learn from books and safety." Tholiel remarked from her own experience.

"There is a time fer' fighting. There is a time for peace and emotion. But you'll never learn without experiencing it." The dwarf shrugged, waiting for the remedy to kick in.

 

[Alistair Wren]

Poking the remedy on his arm, Alistair looked up and smiled when Tholiel asked him about summoning. Always happy to talk about his magic, he practically beamed, the ends of his mouth pulled up in a wide smile.

"I summon energy from the sun, the stars and the earth and what I cast is a manifestation of them," Alistair said, his voice bright and enthusiastic. Splaying out his hand, he drew some energy from the waning sun and cast a small light, as bright as a firefly. He then waved his hand and sent it flying away, "I use that power to ward against evil magic and destroy the source of curses," he beamed, turning around to face Tholiel.

Pulling himself up, Alistair walked over to the basin and hauled it up. The water was boiled by now and ready to use. He sat against the tree, grabbed a rag and shoved it in, giving his face and hair a much needed once over.

When Tholiel remarked that she had, indeed, been in fights, Alistair's eyes widened. Straight eyebrows raised, he chortled slightly, his hands in the basin. Peeling off his inner robe, he washed his upper body and underneath his arms, then pulled his smock and his inner robe back on. Laying on his side, he rested his cheek on his hand and smiled, yawning. At Tholiel's remark about ending fights, he laughed, both amused and in awe of her strong resolute. Alistair tried not to get into fights, but a skinny mage who had grown up in a college was an easy target for thugs.

"I try not to get into fights, but they still seem to find me," he sighed, shifting his eyes.

Alistair looked down, feeling sad when Tholiel mentioned the feeling of being homesick. He thought about his colleagues, the other mages and how the younger ones in his dormitory would be faring without him. Brow creased, he fiddled with a tuft of grass and exhaled, his chest deflating.

Alistair simply nodded.

"So where are you going?" He asked, curious as to where Tholiel was headed.

When Tholiel mentioned returning to where he began, Alistair looked down and smiled. He turned over, shoving the rag into the basin of hot water. The remedy was dry now and it was time to wash it off. Wringing out the rag, he gently washed off the honey and onion serum, leaving, soft healed flesh behind. His wounds had closed up and no longer stung, but he would have to rest for them to heal properly. Grabbing his hose, he pulled them on and fastened them with his leg bands, then lay on his sleeping roll and looked up and Tholiel.

"You're right about that, I've learned things they would never have taught me in the college," he said, looking plainly out at the lake, "and I feel more in touch with nature, my connection to it has strengthened thanks to the time I've spent on the road," he mused aloud, raising a hand to his mouth as he yawned.

The sun was beginning to set. Waning, it disappeared behind the mangy hills like a candle being blown out.

Tholiel Ironarm

 

[Tholiel Ironarm]

Pulling energy from the sun, stars, and moon. An here she thought she had heard of near everything in her travels, and all that energy used to ward against evil magic and destroy curses. Couldn't be a more noble thing to bring peace and calm to places she supposed.

She watched him for a moment as he went to wash off, remarking that he tried to avoid them but was usually the victim regardless. To which she nodded without feeling to surprised.

"People target the ones they think canno' fend fer' themselves." Tholiel shrugged from her spot on the grass, she scooted down a little, putting her feet outside of the tarp and letting the cool rain slowly wash her feet.

"No where particular. Wherever the wind takes me. Or toward the sound of somethin' fun anyway." Tholiel smirked, laughing a little like a child rather than a grown woman. "My wanderin' is about experiencing the world, not a destination. And the folk I meet along the way. Bit childish really, no idea when the journey ends, but ya' get ta' meet all sorts o' people that way."

Tholiel nodded when he made sense of what she had said. She didn't consider herself anything more than a vagrant, but the road had a way of simplifying things. Acting like a great equalizer in some senses when it came to encounters on the by ways of the country.

"Some things in life are as simple as needin' time to look at yourself and those around you without them being near you. Nothin' more confusing than everyone talking at once." Tholiel spoke quietly.

Alistair Wren

 

[Alistair Wren]

As Alistair washed off the remedy, he listened to Tholiel speak. The sun sunk beneath the hills, its' last rays seeping out from between the mountains. Drying himself with a rag, Alistair nodded in agreement with Tholiel, having often found himself at the wrong end of a thug's blade because they had picked him out as a weak target, and why wouldn't they? He was thin, cute, wore robes and carried a book everywhere.

"Until they blast them with magic!" He laughed

Throwing the rag aside, Alistair smiled as he listened to Tholiel talk about her reasons for wandering the world. It was humbling, to hear that somebody had set out to travel simply to learn and gain more experience.

"I don't think it's childish, I mean, I need to have a reason for travelling to new places otherwise it just feels aimless, but I respect that you're so adventurous," he shrugged.

"I agree with that!" He chortled in response to her comment about life being more simple when one was out in the wild, unburdened by the troubles of others. Many people talking at once often overwhelmed him, so it was nice to be out on his own where nobody could bother him.

The sun had sunk behind the hills by now, only a feint trace of its rays still visible. Stretching, Alistair yawned. It had been a long day and he needed to sleep. Laying down on his sleeping roll, he pulled the blanket up to his chin and waved to Tholiel.

"Well Tholilel, it's been nice meeting you, but I think the pair of us need to get some rest," he yawned.

Laying down, Alistair closed his eyes and went to sleep.

 

[Tholiel Ironarm]

"Until they catch a bit of magic, aye." That was usually how it went for the poor souls. He cleaned off the remedy and said he needed a reason to travel otherwise it felt aimless. She respected that. Some could do certain things, and others couldn't. Some people had a mind for the hammer, and some people had a mind for the needle.

It was all a matter of figuring out what you were naturally good at.

"Same to you. Best to check the back of our eyelids fer now." Tholiel agreed, making sure her hands and feet were clean before lying her head back and listening to the rain before slipping into sleep as well.