abraxaslogs | ( closed; quest ) the long and winding road

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( closed; quest ) the long and winding road

WHO: Stephen, Thancred, & Yennefer
WHAT: Three individuals go on a quest to help perpetuate better magical monitoring of the Singularity!
WHERE: ALL OVER THORNE
WHEN: End of March into mid-April.
WARNINGS: Some eventual monster-related violence and injury! But nothing else for now; will add as needed.

(( quest info here ))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ in learning of the geography of thorne and the surrounding country, yennefer had found herself especially drawn to the descriptions and stories she'd heard of hayle. between the simple fact that it was the largest city, the center of arts, the home to the duchess (who was rumored to be of particular power and status, equal to that of the monarchs themselves), and happened to house the university. the university. if she'd been allowed the option, she would have chosen to stay within the city for a day or so, possibly more - sample the wine, look into the classes, perhaps do a bit of checking in on the political thought. but the truth of their arrangement was that they were given a task, a task that they had only just begun.

there were two spots with which they were to place the devices near hayle, but one of them was much further from the city. it was partially why they set out as quickly as they did - splitting errands and funds so as to track down the necessary equipment for the trip itself, as well as securing transportation. they would set off only a few hours after landing in the city, with hopes to make it to the location before nightfall, and go from there.

was it the most comfortable trip she's taken? unfortunately for her, she'd grown almost used to the elegance and comfort that her magic had afforded her in her travels. but she also knows how to travel without magic, knows her way around a camp site and a horse, and knows what journeys such as these generally ask from those on them.

thancred, as she soon came to realize on the other two location sets, also could handle himself on the journey. it was stephen, though, who seemed to be having the most difficulty. a difficulty both she and thancred noticed back when they first started all of this, and one she supposed would continue to be an issue as they continued on this quest. but, for all she enjoyed watching a man's hubris come back to bite him in the ass, they weren't even halfway through the quest, and many of these trips would be much more arduous.

which leads them to where they are now - thancred and her up on the front bench of a cart, with stephen in the back, settled amongst the bags and supplies. she's also fairly certain he took something of a pit stop to one of the university bookstores, but for now she keeps her mouth shut, instead checking back over her shoulder into the cart with a small grin. ]

Is this more to your liking, your highness?

[ it's not the first joke they'd made on the topic, but after traveling with stephen and thancred for just under a week now, she finds it just as entertaining. ]

[Stephen had not considered himself a spoiled traveler, having left those days of all the excess comfort money could buy long behind him. But that was before he committed himself to a weeks-long journey trekking across the terrain of Thorne. Before he had to endure the reality of riding horseback from point A to point B, distances that were rarely short, with the roads always uneven. It isn't so much that he wasn't made for it, rather that his body simply wasn't acclimated to it, each bump and jostle making his bones feel like cracked porcelain. He already had begun to ache, and though he knew there was still a long way to go, his pride is no longer bloated enough to not request a wagon ride when the opportunity presents.

So, yes, he sits nestled among the supplies at the back of the wagon, legs outstretched and ankles crossed. He holds open a book as they ride, one that he indeed picked up at Hayle; though it had been a shame they couldn't stay longer, there was little to no chance Stephen would not indulge himself in the university bookshop, expanding his knowledge of their theories and practice of magic, if even by an incremental amount.

Yennefer's little barb, though, still pierces through his focus. Stephen rolls his eyes, unseen, both unashamed and resigned to the jokes that were fated to follow.]

Ha ha. Laugh it up.

[Sarcasm. He turns a page of his book.]

I lived in New York City. I know that doesn't mean anything to the two of you, but we didn't travel by horse anywhere. Our modes of transportation were much more terrifying, but at least I could walk the day after.

[He will never complain about public transit ever again.]

[ As nice as it might have been to spend some more time in Hayle and actually soak in another part of Thorne (one of its largest cities, in fact), Thancred's been quite strict about keeping to a schedule and the other two, to their credit, have not made any protest to that. Even making good time, they are committing to being away from the castle for weeks. That doesn't particularly bother him and any urgent news will no doubt find its way to them even this far out, but he also would rather they not end up too delayed.

Besides, they will need to return to Hayle to bring back the cart and also grab the next portal to yet another unknown location. That may grant them a chance to explore a little bit more. Thancred is relieved that the method of teleporting oneself in this land isn't nearly as hard on his body. Memories of the aetherial sickness he'd sustained when traveling to Thavnair are not easily forgotten.

Thankfully, any queasiness he experienced as a result of those terrible memories has passed now that they're out on the road with plenty of fresh air. He holds tightly on the reins as they navigate through lands even less familiar to them than those around Castle Thorne, though they've got a map which is unfurled between him and Yennefer.

Thancred had thought to let Stephen rest both his body and his pride for a short while now that he's settled in on the cart, but Yennefer turns out to be far more ruthless than him. He might wince a little, but she will be able to see he's smiling all the same. Stephen manages to accept all the teasing in a good-natured manner, which is something Thancred quite likes about him.

New York City, eh? It means nothing to him, no, but what Stephen says next serves to quickly capture his interest. ]

Terrifying? [ He turns his head only halfway to show that he's interested, well aware that he can't take his eyes off the path ahead of them for long. ] In what way?

[ You can't say something like that and then not elaborate! ]

[ she doesn't need to see the roll of stephen's eyes to know it is happening, even from behind the book he's buried in. she still lets herself look back just in case, her smirk an accurate response to the sarcasm.

( there is a part of her that realizes this lighthearted joking, that the ease she's found herself sliding back to, is in no small part because of their distance from the castle. that, in addition to her general understanding of the types of people thancred and stephen were from their previous interactions, it wasn't too difficult to allow herself to relax in small segments. to let down the lady yennefer the venerable that the castle thorne knew her to be. )

with thancred's hands around the reins, it was yennefer's task to keep them on route - the more local map something they'd picked up in the city, which was hardly the most helpful map she's ever used, but it has them moving in the right direction. and, if everything went smoothly, they were barely a couple hours away. ]

Let me remind you that you're the only one having issues walking.

[ because yes, she has no problem being ruthless - especially when she knows that stephen is good natured enough with regards to that sort of humor, and in general. plus, thancred isn't entirely safe from her ruthlessness either - there's still plenty of time left in their journey for her to find something. for now, though, her curiosity does pique at thancred's question, her own eyes glancing back to stephen again. ]

Yes- how terrifying if this mode of transportation? [ which, really, she is curious about this - stephen had mentioned portals to her, previously. and was familiar enough with them as they made it to hayle. what would he constitute as terrifying? ]

[The little jabs back and forth barely prick his pride, expected as they are. If he were in their shoes, he’d be probably making them, too — but regardless, despite his aching bones and sore muscles, he’s relaxed enough to time a quip back without worrying about causing offense. It seems that they all share the same shades of humor among them, at least to a certain degree. He has to admit, it’s a little nice.

It’s that same sense of humor that’s qualified New York public transport as “terrifying”, which may be an exaggeration to some — and nothing short of accuracy to the rest.]

Think of yellow metal wagons screeching [honking] at each other on a crowded city street, narrowly avoiding jaywalkers. Or a collection subterranean metal boxes speeding along a track, stuffed to the brim with individuals trying to get to work on time.

[It’s hard to put into words the trials and tribulations of experiencing it first-hand, but he affects a dismissive gesture.]

Give me some time. I’ll be back on my feet sooner rather than later.

[Not that he has a choice. Their marked spot on the map can’t be that much farther; over the hill on the horizon at this rate.]

[ There is no doubt in Thancred's mind that being out here, far from the castle and undergoing what some what consider grueling travel from place to place, is much more comfortable for him. It isn't that he can't exist or even thrive within Castle Thorne if he chooses to, but out here he can be far more himself, rather than having to consider how he might be perceived at all times. Castle Thorne expects a certain level of decorum, and there are no doubt any number of unwritten rules about how to behave and navigate the petty politics therein.

It's exhausting, simply put.

He's gathered that both Stephen and Yennefer have also relaxed some with more time spent away from that place, whether or not they've realized it themselves. Stephen may be suffering from the inexperience of this sort of travel, but he has been a good sport about it all the same, and he hasn't let that inexperience slow him down much. The wagon helps, of course.

As Stephen describes the transportation from his home, Thancred narrows his eyes, realizing that it all sounds rather familiar. ] Are you referring to automobiles and trains, by chance? [ If so, he still doesn't quite understand what's so scary about them, though having a large number of people packed in might be the contributing factor there.

He makes note of the hill ahead of them and focuses on directing the two horses hitched to the wagon toward it. ] There's a nation where I'm from that utilizes such technology. I will confess I don't have as much experience with them as I do with chocobos or horses, but... what exactly makes them scary?

[ It might be an instance of having to be there to truly understand, or Stephen has made a joke that hasn't quite landed. Thancred is genuinely curious rather than teasing at this point, though. ]

[ that is probably the exact middle ground of their partnership, at this point - that yennefer sees no issue with poking fun at the sorcerer mostly because she knows he can handle it, and she knows - if the opportunity ever happened - she would get it in equal amounts. even still, they did make the effort to get the cart for him, which speaks volumes, and as far as yennefer is concerned, means she has plenty of time to keep making fun of him for it.

the description has her snorting, once, and turning back to the map - fully aware, now, what it is that stephen meant by 'terrifying'. or, at the very least, finding very little terrifying about th descriptions he gives, no matter how little of it she can picture for herself. ]

Why would anyone travel that way? [ especially the subterranean boxes. she sees nothing efficient in that. and then thancred is the one to call them automobiles and trains, and yennefer's attention turns to him, not impressed necessarily but. a little surprised. ]

You've heard of them? [ at thancred's explanation, yennefer finds herself shrugging. alright, she supposes that could make sense, though she still can't quite picture any of this. it appears thancred is trying to change the conversation towards having stephen explain himself, which yennefer would very much also like, but she is still caught up on some of what he said. ]

Hold on- did you say chocobos? What is that supposed to be? Another steel cart?

[ it appears they have officially reached this level of conversation in their time together. ]

[It's a joke that didn't quite land, one sure to go flying over most people's heads without a play-by-play of NYC public transport life.]

Because it's faster. And because some prefer not to spend the rest of their lives walking bow-legged. [To Yennefer. This one's to Thancred:] A subway train, actually, but yeah. It's impossible to convey the existential dread that descends upon a mind when crammed into a subway car like a pack of sardines. Just take my word for it.

[He leaves it at that, for the imagination to pick up and run wild with. Meanwhile, Stephen shifts his weight a little to make himself more comfortable and turns his head to see how much closer they are to their destination -- as though he would be able to tell without being the map-bearer. It earns him a scrunched-up expression and a wince, pressing his elbow into a knobbly bag of supplies to find a position that doesn't make his body protest. His success is minimal.]

A chocobo sounds like something you eat.

[Off-handedly.]

Edited 2022-03-29 13:25 (UTC)

[ Yes, Thancred has heard of them, and while he hasn't had much opportunity to ride in either an automobile or a train on a regular basis, he can see how they would be widespread in certain worlds for their efficiency. It would all depend on how much fuel there was to go around, of course, and ceruleum is a limited commodity. Mayhap that is not the case in Stephen's world.

Both of them seem equally baffled at the mention of a chocobo, and Thancred can't help but shake his head to himself with a small smile. There is still some novelty in running into these instances where something that is so common in his life earns little more than confused stares from his comrades. ]

They are not steel carts, but they are yellow, and sometimes they are eaten. [ He realizes his words sound like a riddle, and he lets them hang in the air for just a moment so that they can both puzzle through it. ] They work best as pack animals and mounts, however. They're large birds, large enough to ride, and easily trained. Some people even race them.

[ Were he any sort of artist, he could draw them a picture the next time that they take a rest. He might give it a try anyhow, just for the amusement of it. He is no Alphinaud, but he should be able to give them a vague idea if nothing else.

They're coming up on the hill, though Thancred does little but adjust in his seat as the horses begin to ascend the gently sloping incline. When he hears Stephen shifting around among the supplies behind him, he casts a glance back. ]

No need to wriggle around so much. I'll let you know when we're close.

[ unfortunately, stephen, any joke you might have with modern context will mean very little to someone from fantasy medieval poland and...a final fantasy. even still, she shoots him an incredulous look before giving a shake to her head. no, she doesn't believe they're faster, or more efficient. and stephen has magic so really - what is he so worried about after all?

still - part of her is much more interested in the eexplanation, though existential dread leaves her almost loudly rolling her eyes. she never realized he was so dramatic, but then again, perhaps his sore legs have left him a bit cranky.

thancred leaves them both with the riddle and yennefer spends a moment or so of that just staring at him, waiting for him to go on, when she's pulled a bit suddenly by the waiting to point further down their path. ] Up there - you're to take a right. You should see it soon enough. [ and then back to the conversation, because she's not quite ready for it to leave. he called them large yellow birds, and yennefer hadn't been sure what she was picturing, but it hadn't been that. ]

Well, yes, but all of that save for the yellow could be said about horses as well. And the bird...do they fly, then? Because I could see the use in that.

[ but don't worry, thancred. the more yennefer learns about them the more confused she's going to be, artistic talents or no. it's around then that the cart starts to shift a bit - in no small part to stephen's weight sending things off-kilter, and yennefer steadies herself with a hand to the railing. ]

Careful- we spent enough coin on all this shit, I'd rather not lose it before we even get there. You didn't break anything, did you? [ said to stephen, and then, because they're far enough up the path of the hill now for her to see the turn in the path, she points towards it again for thancred, sliding a bit closer on the front bench. ] There.

[Large yellow birds. Thancred's version of horses, he assumes, but Yennefer is the one to say the thought aloud, so he only adds somewhat unhelpfully as he moves a bag around, trying to center his gravity so he doesn't send the wagon tilting:]

So they're like ostriches, but yellow.

[He grabs for one satchel in particular, which has always been held close to one of the three travelers to highlight its importance. The dull sound of something rustles within. Stephen's made sure to wrap each thaumametor in thick cloth so that they don't needlessly clink into each other during their journey, no matter what it brings. Wouldn't be much help for all that magical energy to spill out after all this effort.]

Are you talking about the supplies, my bones, or my pride? [He flings back at Yennefer, his sarcasm projected for all to hear. The latter might not have come away unscathed, but he'll survive it. For now, he tucks his book away and waits for the wagon to go move around the bend and a little further down. There, they should find their destination: a hilly stretch of ground right at the edge of a forest which, if he had read the map correctly, would crawl all along the coastline if they took the time to explore it properly.

Which they are, decidedly, not doing. It's good to see one more spot to soon be checked off the list, and he waits for Thancred to direct the wagon closer.]

Some of them can fly, yes. They're also far more common than horses in most areas.

[ Horses are used primarily in the Far East due to the fact that they can be found in the wild there. Chocobos, on the other hand, can be found in all corners of Eorzea, particularly Coerthas, and they've spread out from there due to their decent temperaments and their variety of uses.

He has no idea what an ostrich is, but he can only assume he's painted a decent enough picture if Stephen is able to relate it to something he knows. Thancred shrugs at him, then sends him a brief smirk in response to that sarcastic comment. ] Could it not be all three? [ Though he has full faith that Stephen has kept the supplies safe, if nothing else. The wagon also seems to be holding up just fine, and as he sees the tree line as they come up over the crest of the hill, he knows that they've reached the correct spot according to the map.

They can also see the ocean from here, though they're not close enough that he can smell or feel the sea breeze. A bit of a shame, that, but it's not like they have time to spare for sightseeing. He'll enjoy what he can from this distance.

Once they're at the edge of the forest, Thancred pulls on the reins to stop the horses and allows them a moment to settle before he jumps down from the wagon and circles back around toward Stephen's seat. ]

Did you need a hand?

[ He winks at him, one hand planted on his hip while he offers the other to help him down if he really does need his aid. ]

[ well there you go - they can fly, and of course yennefer can see the use in that. as well as if they are more common - people will always take the route of ease, though the idea of riding a giant bird anywhere, or with any kind of seriousness, does not exactly appeal to her. thankfully, she does not think she'll have any need to - these horses do just fine, and in many ways she's glad that thorne feels similar in more ways than not to many of the kingdoms back home.

( home. a funny word, actually. )

as the cart makes it up the path and crests over the hill, yennefer notices the ocean just beyond, feels the sun breaking through a bit of the winter chill. it will be spring soon, she knows that, but something about this spot makes her feel like it might actually come sooner rather than later. thancred pulls the reins to stop the horses and jumps down, and yennefer follows him soon after. could it not be all three? thancred asks, and yennefer actually laughs softly at that, straightening the hem of her skirt. ]

But I did mean the supplies. Your bones can be fixed, and your pride's a lost cause, as far as I'm concerned.

[ thancred asks stephen if he needs a hand, and yennefer absolutely catches the wink, shaking her head a bit in amusement as her own hands go for the device (that stephen does hand over, thankfully). knowing that if stephen does want out, thancred will help him, yennefer turns and continues on the rest of the way to the spot. she is in too much of a get this task completed sort of mood to wait for all of them to approach together, and the other two are able bodied enough to follow. it's not as if it's too far away, and it's not the first of these devices that they've set up, and she had watched stephen well enough to know the gist of what it is she needs to do. she's not worried about it.

so, with the thaumametors and watch in hand and the assumption that the other two men aren't far behind, she finds the location that had been set out on the map and begins the process of setting it up - securing it to the land and attuning the watch - just as stephen had already done twice now. ]

[ The thaumametors begins to slowly rotate as expected, but in the dry chill this far north, something goes awry. That rotation starts to stutter as the hour glass bobs backwards and forwards. When it looks like it may begin to move correctly once again, the device flips back into the opposite direction. Readings on the watch are all over the board as well.

It seems conditions inside of the laboratories in Thorne were not enough to accommodate for the climate conditions outside of Hayle. The team will need to creatively calibrate the confused thaumametor. Unfortunately, instructions on how to do so were not included! But if they can find some way to protect it from the cold, they may be successful. ]

[Oh, how tempting it would be to ignore that helpful hand of Thancred's altogether, except: 1) He does not think he's being totally sarcastic about it and 2) it actually would be nice to not lug himself out of the wagon, plopping onto the ground like a piece of luggage. And so, with a very loud eyeroll, he takes the man's hand and eases out of the cart with a murmured thanks. Joke's on him, though; Stephen's pain provides immunity to that charming wink. For now, at least.

The state of his pride (and muscles) notwithstanding, he's only slightly trailing behind as they reconvene to where Yennefer's set up the device, feeling less stiff with each step. He stops and crosses his arms, watching without feeling the need to interrupt. That is, until the device itself bobs erratically, stuttering as its hour-glass shape flips in the opposite direction.

This is definitely not how things should be going. They've seen a correct installation of the thaumametors before now, and none acted this way.]

Well, that's great.

[Can nothing go smoothly? Of course not, why does he even waste micromeasurements of energy wondering if it ever will? Stephen unfolds his arms, stepping closer, casting his eyes about for any interference. He sees none, other than a blast of cold chill that sends the device jittering again.]

We're pretty far removed from a lab setting. Maybe it was just a matter of time.

[ To Thancred's credit, he doesn't hesitate to help Stephen down as soon as it's clear that the help is wanted. While his charms may be falling on deaf ears at the moment, that hardly matters. They have a job to do and it would be best if Stephen was there to oversee setting up the device, seeing as he's handled the first two.

By the time that the two of them catch up to Yennefer, however, it's clear that the thaumametor is not working as it should be. ]

I suppose we couldn't have expected this to be smooth sailing the whole way through.

[ Thancred lets out a brief sigh and draws a hand back through his hair. Stephen thankfully does not suggest that Yennefer somehow made a mistake with setting up the device (which would have been likely to get him killed with a look alone), but that does beg the question of what's different about this particular spot.

As another cold wind blows through and sets the readings off the charts once more, Thancred frowns and falls into a crouch next to the device. ]

It is quite a bit colder up here. [ He lifts one arm up to hold at the side of the device, an attempt to brace it against the wind and observe if that makes any difference, much like one would while trying to keep a flame from being snuffed out. ] Is it possible they did not account for that?

[ It strikes him as a silly oversight, but he's no scientist. Mayhap they'd run the tests and yet had not quite been able to replicate the conditions here. ]

[ while the boys are flirting, yennefer finishes setting up the devices. she knows the process that she has to complete, knows the steps she needs to take to complete the set up. she barely acknowledges when both of the others appear, watching as the devise settles and…

the wind picks up, and immediately yennefer watches something go wrong. she frowns, watching the devise turn in the wrong direction, stutter off its course that she’s come to realize is the normal set.

well, that’s great.

yennefer shoots strange a look, defensive and edged, as if she’s expecting the comment to be directed at her instead of the situation itself. except that the two of them both make comments about how they were should have expected as much, how this was almost to be expected, and yennefer…swallows back her immediate reaction, moving to stand. both stephen and thancred move to come closer to the device, and she steps back, letting them take a closer look. ]

The cold’s different, but also the wind. [ her attention turns to the immediate surroundings, the way the wind buffets up against them. she pulls her coat a little more tightly around her. ] Should we try and build something around it? To protect it from… [ she gestures around them - the weather, the wind. ]

[He thinks he catches that look from Yennefer out of the corner of his eye, like he’s about to be derided for something unsaid or implied — but it seems he’s spared her irritation when both he and Thancred put the blame on not enough laboratory testing and the cold weather, instead. He has no reason to doubt her own abilities to set up the device; he wonders how quick others she knows would be, given he almost won a remark about it just now.

But it’s put aside to focus on more important matters. Stephen makes a noise from the back of his throat.]

Someone could stand in front of it with their arms held out to act as a windshield.

[That’s obviously not a real suggestion.]

We just need to shield it enough for the calibration to stick. Think we can bring the wagon around? I could use my magic as a shield, but I think that’d interfere with the process.

[ Thancred notes the glance between them, but doesn't comment on it. They're all in this together which means that when there are hitches in the plan, they should attempt to solve it together as well. He's relieved to find that all three of them seem to be on the same page about that point.

He lets out a little huff of a laugh at Stephen's first suggestion, but it does seem like the presence of his arm, even for only a few moments, had made some sort of difference. If they place the entire wagon and the horses between the device and the trajectory of the wind, it could very well stabilize it enough to calibrate.

Besides, Stephen has a point about his magic. The thaumametor is magical in nature, which means that adding more variables to it could easily cause further problems. It's for reasons like this that Thancred doesn't necessarily see his presence in Thorne as a waste anymore — sometimes magick isn't the answer.

He hops to his feet and dusts off his coat. ] I've got it. Just a moment. [ And with that, he hikes back to the horse-drawn wagon, jumping up onto the bench so he can guide the horses forward.

It takes some careful maneuvering to position the wagon in such a way that it's protecting the device from the wind, but Thancred is up to the task and is eventually able to steer it into the configuration that he wants. The horses are thankfully rather well-behaved. From the seat of the wagon, he peers down at the other two. ]

Has it helped?

[ the moment she's confident enough that the comment isn't about her, or something she's done, her attention does shift. whether or not stephen catches the look, or thancred does, she ignores any possible reaction. lets it pass entirely and focuses, instead, on the issue ahead of them. stephen's comment about holding out their arms earns a kind of huff of a laugh from thancred, but yennefer ends up ignoring it, her attention on the wind itself, the direction, the way it feels to be gusting around them. ]

No- you're on to something there. We don't want to interfere while it's trying to settle, especially with how far we are from the Singularity. [ which is an interesting concept that hadn't really thought about up to this point - how stephen is going to be a walking connection to the singularity, perhaps even a source in and of himself. yennfer wonders if that could have compromised the other two they've already set up, but pushes the thought away. if ambrose had asked them to set these up, he obviously doesn't expect it to be an issue. and whether or not he's right isn't her problem right now.

stephen mentions the cart, and she almost shoots that idea down as well - too much effort, and they probably won't need the whole cart anyway, but then i've got it thancred offers, and heads out back to the wagon before yennefer can offer any snide remark. which is probably for the best, considering that it will probably end up working in their favor. ]

Here- [ yennefer steps forward when thancred does reappear, helping maneuver the cart and horses to most efficiently buffer the device. and then, once they're settled, she ends up reaching back into the cart to remove some of their supplies as well - tossing one of the larger bags to stephen and directing him on where to set it while she does the same, closing off any openings between the cart and the ground, or under the wheels.

and once those are in place, she glances over to see if there has been any change. ] I can't tell from here - can you? [ to stephen ]

[For as improvised as their solution may be, they certainly can’t call it uncreative. Or slipshod, given how diligently Yennefer throws a bag at him, Stephen catching it in his hands more out of instinct than anything else. But he follows suit moments later, filling in the holes beneath the wagon with what they can manage, even if crouching and bending over is not on his list of Easy Things To Do right now.

The sacrifices one makes for magical science.

At any rate, the barricade becomes solid enough—between the wagon and all the supplies—that it takes the punishment from the chill wind rather than the device. Stephen stands, peering over the wagon and at the thaumamator.]

Give it a few.

[It wobbles back and forth. Teases at righting itself, until— with one vacillating swing, it starts to rotate properly, but slowly. Promising, as long as it continues.]

Looks like it might’ve worked. Let’s wait a little and see what the readings say.

[ Both Stephen and Yennefer quickly spring into action when it comes to blocking up any openings beneath the wagon that might let that pesky wind through. Thancred nods in approval, remaining where he is for now if only to ensure that the device isn't disturbed any more than it already has been. There does seem to be a change in its behavior, visible even from where he's sitting. ]

Fair enough. We should give it a few moments to adjust.

[ All things considered, that could have been much more disastrous. Thancred leans forward slightly in his seat to pat both of the horses on their backs, a small encouragement to let them know they've done well thus far. Given that they'll need to still make the journey back to Hayle after this, it seems only right to show some appreciation to their transport. ]

As it turns out, the wagon was a brilliant idea. Stephen, your suffering has ultimately worked in our favor.

[ They have time to kill, and so naturally that means he's back to running his mouth. ]

[ yennefer does not really take into account stephen's soreness into the situation when she tosses the bag at him, already moving to complete her own side of things (and yes, alright, maybe she's a bit one track minded here because there's a small part of her that thinks maybe her lack of magic is what's caused it to go off-kilter. she won't let this be ruined because of her), setting up the bags to best buffet the wind, and trying to gaugue any response.

stephn says give it a few and yennefer grinds down on her teeth. she can tell it's moving, but not fast enough. whether or not the other two feel it, yennefer is tense as she waits, a string wound tight, waiting.

and then the device settles, gives one final swing and then starts to rotate properly. yennefer lets out a breath the second she can tell that the device is rotating properly, standing from where she'd ended up crouching down next to the devices to help.

with the tension in her easing out in a quick rush, yennefer actually snorts once at thancred's comment, shaking her head. ]

Thank the gods, we would have been lost if he knew how to ride a horse.

[ she can already hear his response - his monotone ha ha - but it doesn't matter too much to her. the device has settled, it's all worked, and she settles in to allow the device to finish with it's set-up, and for stephen to check its first set of readings. then, soon after, they'll be off on their next location.

one more down, quite a few more to go. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( closed; quest ) the long and winding road

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and....that's a wrap!