[Exalted] Protectors of the River Province

[LadyTevar]

"Then your family will have little problem with the changes? Good. Now.. how many wagons should we request..." Teamhair continued, walking out of the room with Liayna as they spoke, wanting to make sure there would be enough room for herself, the four men, and baggage, while at least -sounding- reasonably priced to Lookshy's coffers.

[The Nomad]

As the meeting came to a conclusion, the Exalts each made their way into the city, with their own idea of how to prepare for the incoming journey.

Orduin used his contacts in the Stores Directorate to pack a new, more mundane-looking armor.

Liayna and Teamhair tried without success to squeeze the Seventh Legion's purse. Funds were unlocked for equipping two additionals carts for the caravan and more escorts, but the Lookshyan accountant team remained stone-hard against the Exalts' attempts to negociate, cajole or seduce their way too deep into the city's coffers. "Who needs silken furnitures for an eight-month trade stint anyway?" Obviously, Lookshy made sure its accountants were somewhat inured to the persuasion attempts of the Chosen...

A handful of days later, the caravan departed Lookshy, leaving the shining city walls behind, and venturing deeper into the East... Towards the Vanyon Prefecture.

________________________________


After a few days of travel, the caravan fell into a placid, not unpleasant routine, the alternance of roads, outdoor camping and stops in cities...

One such night, the Exalts were reunited around a campfire in the middle of their circle of personal caravans...

[LadyTevar]

"As odd a it might sound," Teamhair said, looking up at the bright starry sky. "I do like being on the road. It's so much nicer outside the cities."

Coming from a Lunar, this might be expected.

[rhoenix]

"Yeah, I hear you," Kolth said, between puffs of a blunt. He was laying close by, beneath a large tree, though still close enough to the fire. He was smiling slightly, staring up into the few clouds, and many stars in the sky. "It's much more quiet - its the other reason I love taking 'trips' outside the city."

As he finished, he took a deep breath of his blunt, exhaling a huge lungful up into the voluminous branches of the huge tree above them - one of only many. He chuckled. "Ah, what a 'mission' this is," he said with a laugh.

[LadyTevar]

"Oh, I'm sure you'll have plenty of excitement later, Kolth," Teamhair grinned. "Perhaps sooner if you'd just say 'yes' to Liayna."

[rhoenix]

At this, Kolth chuckled. "Perhaps both, if I tell her yes. Didn't she have her eye on Yvela, though?"

[LadyTevar]

"And Ake, and Orduin, and you, and me...." Teamhair repled with a teasing grin. "And you thought I was insatiable."

[rhoenix]

This caused Kolth to laugh out loud. "You? Insatiable? Nah, I just thought you were greedy."

This caused a thoughtful expression to steal over his face as he stared upward into the canopy. "Which reminds me - whose turn is it for dinner?"

[SirNitram]

"If it's me, someone forgot to say." The Gunzosha trooper stretched out. It had taken alot of effort, but you could barely notice the leads and anchor-points that were normally blatant on his skin. The jacket was still leaving him feeling unprepared, but.

[LadyTevar]

"Well, the hares I caught are cleaned, so if someone wishes to put them on spits or bone them for a stew, they're welcome to do so," Teamhair said. The lunar had been out hunting nearly every night after the caravan stopped to camp. Many of the hares she brought back often had bite marks on their necks.

The disturbing one was the small doe wrapped in spider-webs she dragged back. She never did explain how she found it, or why it was in spider-silk, although there were places in Creation where spiders did grow that large.

[Marcao]

The meeting ended and he found himself considering what exactly they had signed on for. The idea of killing a man did not bother him for he had killed before and he would undoubtedly kill again. However, since his exaltation he had not simply killed a man because someone had told him to. He would make his own mind on their travels, he would seek to judge the individual they sought on his deeds as they came ever closer to his location and then when faced with their mark, he would decide if the path of death or the path of life was the one his mark should walk.

I am a Lawbringer.

It took him remarkably little time to prepare his belongings. He did not possess a great deal, and most of the wealth that had been provided to him to the service had been invested. He had asked Liayna for some tips, his own keen intellect had proven to be up to the task and he had shown himself to be a quick learner. He had spent days in the trade quarter, listening to various individuals talk about a multitude of things in various local inns and places of commerce. In the end, he felt confident that his investments would pay off. When it was time for him to move away from Lookshy, he would have the wealth to finance his ambitions.

The first few days of travel were placid ones. Still well within the sphere of influence of Lookshy, he did not expect trouble along the roads. It was one of those nights that they all found themselves around the campfire. His eyes flickered from one exalt to another. He knew them better than he had, most of them were making inroads into being more than simple allies or tools but friends. Kolth stood apart from the others, with Liayna a step or two behind him. Teamhair spoke then and he smiled.

“You are a Lunar after all.â€

[Academia Nut]

Ake did not tend to accumulate possessions, finding more value in the company of others, so he took almost no time to get prepared for the trip. He enjoyed the calm of the travel, which also let focus on the improvement of other abilities. He had been developing the focus of his essence of late, allowing him to bolster the hearts and minds of large groups of mortals. He pictured himself marching at the head of a column of crack trained troops, the light of the Unconquered Sun gleaming brilliant gold off well kept weapons and armour, leading them in formation against the horrors that threatened to consume the world. Ah, what a glorious image, but that would have to wait for another day.

At Teamhair's question, he said, "If no one else wishes to, I would take up the task of preparing the hares. I have lived for quite some time on my own and I was something of a hunter back home amongst the trees, so I know how to treat game."

[LadyTevar]

Teamhair rose with a soft jingle of the bells on her hipscarves, fetching the hare from where she had stored them and bringing them over to Ake. "All yours," she said with a teasing smile. "Try to keep the skins whole, one of Liayna's retainers can turn the skins into leather goods."

[SirNitram]

"I, for one, never want to have to learn to live off the land." Orduin grinned. "Marching rations is one thing, a necessary evil. But live like this? I'll pass." He leaned back, stretching. "Shouldn't you explain the spiderwebs to the others, so no one's too upset if they stumble on your hunting?" A wink from the Twilight.

[LadyTevar]

Teamhair's head jerked up and she looked over at Orduin in shock. "How did you.....?"

[Hotfoot]

Throughout the conversation, various members of Liayna's caravan wandered through, seemingly unfazed by the conversations the Exalted were having as they were getting things ready for the night's rest. Don Sei and Ato Bow, the two cooks of the caravan, were already throwing together ingredients for the night's meal. The two cooks chattered on as they prepared their simple, but flavorful meals. At the sight of the hares, Bow eyed Ake. "Ah, I would be honored to learn sir's recipe, and would be glad to assist you. Please, shall we?"

Jin Han walked by as Orduin made his comment to Teamhair and smiled, "Oh, if you do find more of that spider silk, please let me know. Finder Lao is most interested in more. It makes for a very nice paste when prepared right."

Liayna glided in at her busy little camp and slid next to her fellow exalted slightly behind Yvela, a small smile on her face. Her clothes were not as fine as the ones she wore in the city, but there was still a simple grace to them. In one arm, she was carrying a large stack of freshly chopped firewood, but no axe could be seen. She effortlessly put the firewood down in a pile close to the fire pit at the center of the caravan circle. The power of her frame was clear, even behind all its grace. Her task complete, she walked between Yvela and Kolth, her fingers brushing each man's hands. "None may own the wind, just enjoy it as it flows around you." She gave each a coy smile and sat down in simple chair taking a short rest as dinner was being prepared. "Here words may be free, my family knows what we are and will not tell of what odd things may happen around us."

[LadyTevar]

Teamhair's head jerked from Orduin to Jin Han, a very odd expression forming. "... Paste? Just what did you DO with my silk?!"

[rhoenix]

"It makes a great glue, if you work it right, "Kolth mused from his spot in reply to Teamhair, still laying down beneath the tree, though now with the addition of Liayna on his right, between he and Yvela.

A part of him wondered if that was symbolic of something.

Even so, he went along with it, feeling too relaxed to worry overmuch. He mostly knew the people with him now; he didn't have to keep up his guard quite as much. Of course, for Kolth, that meant "not suspiciously scrutinizing everything that twitched," but certainly not unaware.

He smiled toward Liayna, with a hint of smugness. "All things leave something changed in their wake, even the winds."

[SirNitram]

"It wasn't hard to figure out." Orduin grinned. "There's not a nest of those that size within three hundred miles. Plus, you just confirmed it." The Twillight leaned back. "I'm not objecting. Spidersilk is damn useful stuff. Doesn't look like it's Silksteel though. Pity."

[LadyTevar]

"I Hunted an Essence spider, of COURSE it's silk-steel!" Teamhair protested. "Why do you think I'm asking why they pasted it! Do you think I'd hunt the -easier- of the two? Trap-door spider you just find the door and survive the trap. Essence spider I had to hunt for a WEEK before I killed it!"

[SirNitram]

And Orduin just goes silent, staring slack-jawed.

[Hotfoot]

Liayna raised an eyebrow, admittedly rather impressed at Teamhair's feat. "Well, I'll have to let my finders know that, in the future, they should take any such silk and handle it with care. Though you'll have to forgive them, I doubt they expected an Essence Spider out here, and truth be told, we did have need for some adhesives." Jin Han looked suitably embarrassed, and slunk away as quickly as possible, not wanting to be caught any further in the arguments of beings of such great power.

[LadyTevar]

Teamhair looked over to her Solar mate. "Is there something wrong, Orduin?" she asked, far too sweetly. "Or did you think a Mynabird or an otter was all a fine lady could hunt?"

[SirNitram]

"I, uh.. Those are pretty dangerous beasts. I'd be hesitant to mess with a nest of even a few. I could understand the Burrowing.." Orduin was clearly abashed, not quite comprehending 'Lunar == Better Brawler Than You' yet.

[rhoenix]

Kolth chuckled - Orduin was unfortunately more familiar with this particular chuckle of Kolth's than the others gathered, as it usually preceded...an "event" of some sort. "I'm sure I can think of a couple fun uses for a good strong glue, that's for sure," he remarked offhandedly, though a corner of his mouth was curled up into a smirk between hits of his blunt.

"On the other hand," he said suddenly, and more seriously than before, "Silksteel's supposed to be great for traveling clothes, yeah?"