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]

"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.