Med nods to Thumbs his thanks and walks quickly to the table where Pral is finishing his second breakfast. He smiles to Pral, "I hope you are closed to finishing your meal. I have secured us a two day job guarding the Countess on her travels. Your skills in battle will earn you 30 gold should we get back here safe with the Countess. Talia and Elendil will spend the time we are gone searching for the beasts from last night. So quickly gather your things from your room and I will meet you out front of the inn within 10 minutes."
Med stands and notices his hands could use a good scrubbing before setting out on the journey, they still had a bit of tint from the beasts' blood even though he washed three times. "If you have the time, make yourself presentable to keep company with the Countess. I believe she favors you and your battle skills over my magics." With that Med gives Pral a smile and hurries up the steps.
At the top of the stair case he greets Elendil warmly, "I have received word that a cleric from the Harmonic Brotherhood should be arriving at the inn within the next few hours to tend to your wounds and to investigate the beasts we slayed last night. I do apologize for the damage that was done to your armor by my spell, I had never cast it on anyone else before. If you could follow me I will fill you in on what has transpired as well as give you my coins to cover some of the costs of the healing or repairs to your armor." Med hurries off to his room, fetches his coin purse and gives Elendil 15 of his remaining 20 gp as he stands against the door frame watching Med quickly but neatly fold his tattered robe from yesterday into his pack.
"Pral and I will be heading to the local Oracle with the Countess shortly. We should be back in 2 days, one day to the Oracle and one day back. Talia has likely left to perform her morning prayers and should be back shortly as well. She will need your help searching the neighboring woods for signs of these beasts. Her and I examined the beasts last night and I realize now that they had no navels. So those things were not likely born to a living being, meaning they were either hatched from an egg or created by magics. She will want to know that bit of information, it may help in tracking them down. If we aren't back in 2 days please do come after us and do keep yourselves safe! We will meet you back here in two days."
Med gives the room a quick scan as he does one last check of his backpack to make sure that his spell tablets are safely wrapped by plenty of clothing so there's no chance for them to break. He places the bag on his back, grabs his hat and pauses to flash a smile at Elendil, "The priest will not likely ask a fee for his healing services, a donation is proper and something in the neighborhood of 50 gold will do I am told. Pral and I are earning a few coins for protecting the Countess, my share is all yours should you need it. If you and Talia do meet with the local elves you will have to tell me all about it when we next meet."
Med washes his face and hands quickly in the rooms wash basin before drying off and heading out the door of the room and out of the inn. "Take care Elendil, Pral and I will see you and Talia in a few short days." Pulling his hat lower over his face to shield his eyes from the sun outside Med heads out the door to find the tamer of the two horses for the journey before Pral got his pick.
Pral wakes feeling rested and ready for the day ahead, whatever it may hold. He gathers his meagre belongings and packs them into his backpack before making his way downstairs to the main hall. Seeing none of his friends he takes a seat at one of the broad oak tables and toys with some cutlery until a serving lad wanders past on his way back to the kitchen. A giant hand on the lads chest stops him dead as if he had run in to a wall! "Big breakfast please? Two of everything?" The lad looks at Pral, nodding rapidly before twisting round the hand and muscled forearm and sprinting towards the kitchen.
Minutes later, Pral is happily shovelling the morsels down his neck when Med enters the room. Pral listens and is pleased that he will earn gold as a guard to the countess, although he doesn't tell Med he doesn't know who she is. Pral is sure that Med will be back to tell him what to do. He watches Med go up the stairs and decides he has enough time to finish his food and sup the flagon of sweet tasting apple juice and maybe some more bread and honey!
This done Pral gathers his pack and goes to the stables. There he sees Med, seemingly struggling with a docile looking small swayback mare. Next to it stands a sixteen hands high stallion with foam flecked lips and wild eyes.
Pral strides up to the beast takes the bridle to hold its head still and looks deep into its eyes. The horse, having no choice looks back for a moment or two before nervously shifting its hooves in the dust. Pral pats it on the neck a few times and whispers something in its ear before adjusting the cinch and leaping easily into the saddle.
"I like horses," he says as he sees Med’s astonished face. "They like me too." Pral’s horse now has its head down and is rooting in the dust for spilt grains whilst Med’s nag is skittish and nervously pacing around. "You lead Med. I will do as you say." Pral sits atop the horse and smiles at Med.
Elendil accepted the gold with a tinge of embarassment. "Thank you, uh, Med," he stuttered, he didn't know how familiar to be yet. It seemed that fighting together made brothers quickly out of strangers.
"I will try to locate Talia, she just disappears when she steps out into the wild. I will await the priest of the Harmonic Brotherhood." His eyes widened at the thought of 50 gold. That was more than he had ever held in his hand or seen in his life.
"Safe journeys. Watch yourself with the Countess, I think she sees other people only as things to use for her betterment, if there is any danger she will not think twice about sacrificing you or Pral."
Seeing Med off with a wave, Elendil winced as he turned to go look for Talia.
Arriving as Med and Pral prepare to leave, her hair shining with morning dew as if nature had placed a thousand diamonds there, there is a fierce light in Talia's eyes, and once again it seems she is more part of the wild than the world of men. But then, blinking, she grins at her new friends, and some of the wildness dissipates, or at least, mingles and combines with something more nearly human.
Moving without fear to Pral's mount, she murmurs something in the stallion's ear, and he tosses his head and nods as she carresses his flank.
"Just telling him to keep your safe," she tells Pral with a smile.
Assuming that they have a moment of privacy, she tells the others that she has found what looks to be the start of the creatures' trail, and intends to follow it. At which point the head of a large snake protrudes somewhat sleepily from under her tunic, and she strokes it absently. "With help, that is. Elendil, you are welcome to join me, but if you would rather rest here for the day, then that is fine. I promise not to do anything foolish." She considers a moment. "Well, nothing too foolish, anyway."
Finally getting atop his horse Med adjusts his hat and picks a piece of straw off of his sleeve. The reason he didn't arrive at the inn with a horse or mule wasn't that he couldn't ride, it's just that Med and horses were never really comfortable around each other. With a sheepish smile Med says to his new friends a bit embarrassed, "Could one of you whisper something to my horse to get it to behave for the ride? I seem to have gotten one with a mind of it's own yet again."
The horse had started heading for the grains on the ground, it was more interested in eating then in doing what it's rider wanted. With a shrug and a confused look on his face Med hoped for some aid or for the horse to decide that it was time to follow it's friends to see the Oracle. "Talia, we are escorting the Countess to the Oracle. We will keep our eyes out for signs of the beasts during our travels and should be back in two days." Looking down at his horse and thinking for a moment, he chuckles and says, "Maybe three."
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