I'm on my way from misery to happiness today

[itookashot]

WHO: Jesper Fahey, Ciri, Claude von Riegan, and Gideon Nav
WHAT: It's Quest Time Baby
WHERE: Throughout the journey to Solvunn's Supply Run
WHEN: September
WARNINGS: Eventual violence!



With Solvunn providing aid, the leaders of Thorne and the Free Cities have asked some of their trusted Summoned to travel to an agreed-upon meeting point to retrieve the supplies, check them, and bring everything back safely. This will take two weeks out of Cadens to do. While portals will be utilized to cut down on travel time, they will still need to cover the remaining distance of some miles to reach their final destination each way.

The Free Cities will ask the Summoned to accompany some soldiers to help guard the supply transport. They will be taking the southern trail (shown by the dotted lines) across the desert, traveling west to the forest that sits between the Solvunn and Free Cities border. While a portal will take the transport team as close as possible, characters will still need to make the rest of the journey by horse, ensuring the wagons come through the portal safely. They will also need to watch for the usual beasts and bandits, as well as take into account weather, terrain, and other hazards. To complete the assignment, they must successfully bring the supplies back to the waiting portal and into Cadens.

Comments

[wiedzminka]

Ciri laughs, not at her so much as in agreement. Understanding, at least.

"I warned you. And it'll be worse tomorrow."

Putting out a hand for the horse to snuffle at as she approaches, Ciri gives her a moment to get acquainted before reaching up to stroke the mare's glossy neck. The same midnight color as Kelpie, but the resemblance ends there. This creature is far too docile.

"You don't get to rest yet." This is aimed at Gideon, though she's too busy petting the horse's nose to look up.

"I need to fix your bad habits before you get thrown off. Or hurt your horse. What's her name?"

[frontlinetitties]

"Hnnnnnghhhh, don't say worse. Do not say no rest yet. I'm tired and sore and I wanna eat," but despite her complaints there's an unmistakable slump to her brawny shoulders, which suggests she already expects to be defeated. Not precisely known for her acquiescent behaviour, Ciri nonetheless has a point. It's because of this that Gideon doesn't attempt to slink away as Ciri approaches her horse with a casual ease that fuck knows Gideon herself doesn't possess. She stands aside instead, watches with veiled interest as Ciri strokes the horse with that same ease.

"She's called Midnight Hagette," the answer comes quick, without hesitation. Wonders vaguely just how pissy Harrow would be if she knew she'd named a horse after her.

[wiedzminka]

"You'll eat in half an hour, if you listen to everything I say and don't make it take longer by whining."

Giving the black mare another pat on the neck, Ciri finally looks over at Gideon and takes a step back, gesturing for the other woman to step up.

"Midnight... Hagette?" She doesn't get it. "I assume it's the name you suddenly decided on, and not what the soldiers call her, if anything."

Now that it particularly matters. She wouldn't be surprised if this horse doesn't even have a proper name, as it seems to be part of the fleet of workhorses the military keeps for pulling wagons and carrying supplies.

"All right. Go ahead and mount."

[frontlinetitties]

Gideon snorts dryly, shoots her a dark look that is only semi-serious; despite how wildly different the two woman are, there's something comfortingly Harrowhark about her response. It softens something in her, which is like, deeply embarrassing and awful and makes her glad that the shape of her thoughts will forever remain concealed.

She moves to follow Ciri's command, takes a hold on the reins to prevent her mount from sidling away. Not that Midnight Hagette has shown any such desire to do so-- maybe she's been misnamed.

"Yep," she announces, as she moves to place her foot in the stirrup closest to her, "if they've given her a name it's probably something lame anyway. Midnight Hagette is like, waaay better."

In a move lacking grace and punctuated instead by visible uneasiness, Gideon bears her weight down upon the foot in the stirrup, practically hurling herself over the back of her horse until she's sitting astride her. Midnight Hagette snorts, evidently unimpressed, and yet endures this unrefined attempt with remarkable placidity.

[wiedzminka]

"Great. Now, dismount and do it again," Ciri orders, her tone brooking no argument.

This time, she gives Gideon pointers. How to let herself down off the horse, how to mount and dismount only from the left side if she can, how to step up using the stirrup and simple momentum instead of hauling her body onto the animal like she's trying to climb out of a lake.

Once she is satisfied with Gideon's second attempt to get on the horse, Ciri moves on.

"When we're riding again tomorrow, pay attention to how much pressure you use with your heels. See what she responds to, and make sure she's listening to you."

Ciri gestures at Midnight Hagette's majestic, placid face.

"Watch her ears. If she's paying attention to you, one or both will rotate toward you. If she doesn't give a fuck and is thinking about her next snack, she'll just be ears forward ignoring you. You can be firm. This one isn't going to leap out from under you, might even need more nudging."

She steps forward, making sure the horse can see her, and strokes her nose, then checks her mouth.

"Be careful with the reins too. You don't want to pull too hard. The bit is solid metal. If you're too rough, you can hurt her, and she won't trust you. Or she'll get mad and buck you off. That's what I'd do, anyway."

[frontlinetitties]

Gideon does as Ciri suggests with only minor grumbling; she's tired and hungry and her thighs are screaming for her to take a break, but the reality is that this isn't so bad. It kinda reminds her of her own self-imposed drills, the aching hours she'd managed to while away whilst sculpting her body into something any solider could be proud of. The only real difference being the company, and the presence of Midnight Hagette herself-- working with living, breathing animals comes with a hell of a lot more complications than something long dead and entirely mindless.

Something Ciri may well have noted, if her instructions on the pressure of her heels are anything to go by. You can be firm, she says, and even if it sounds like permission there's still a small point of concern in her. Slaughtering monsters that would kill you as soon as look at you is one thing, but causing potential discomfort to an animal who falls into the 'friendly' category is a whole other ball game.

She sighs, dismounts again, this time with considerably more grace, and glances up at her strong, stalwart mount. "That's a hell of a lot to think about all at once. Someone needs to hurry up and invent a less complicated means of transport. You know, like motorbikes or something. No offence."

This last comment she directs toward Midnight Hagette, who's neck she scritches a touch uncertainly.