"Is Khessa sure that a good idea this is?" Katarina asks hesitantly. "Katarina worries that perhaps their owner is nearby... and Katarina does not want it to look like she and her friends are thieves..."

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"Is Khessa sure that a good idea this is?" Katarina asks hesitantly. "Katarina worries that perhaps their owner is nearby... and Katarina does not want it to look like she and her friends are thieves..."

"Owner?" Khessa marvels "No, I would rule it out, my friend... The village seems abandoned... and the horses not only don't have saddles, but they aren't even tied... Which owner would leave his horses like this?"

"Perhaps an owner who is looking for lost horses?" Katarina points out. "But... if lost they are... then maybe a favor we would do their owner by bringing them to a town..."

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"Perhaps an owner who is looking for lost horses?" Katarina points out. "But... if lost they are... then maybe a favor we would do their owner by bringing them to a town..."

"One more reason to bring them to the ranch (if we can);" smiles Khessa "there they could recognize the brand and know who the horses belong to - plus, there is always the fact that we would come quicker to the ranch's rescue..." her blue eyes become a little concerned "it could make a difference for the life of someone... let's try to get them".

Jasper takes a carrot out of his pack of rations from Barthen’s and coax one of the horses to him. Slowly he approaches and gives the carrot to the horse and pets the side of its face.

Animal Handling:  10

The horses are not startled by Khessa and Jasper's approach. They let you approach them and pet them, and they seem willing enough to let you ride them. All three look to be mares, and one is a dapple grey, one brown with a white blaze, and the last one is a striking palomino.

Khessa improvises rudimentary bridles for all with her own hempen rope and chooses the palomino for herself, murmuring to it: "You are blond like me, aren't you? You'll see, we'll get along quite well, nice one..."

The blonde arcane warrior smiles at the elf cleric: "I would have loved to have you ride this horse with me, Jasper, but I, with my size and my armour, am perhaps the heaviest individual of the group - and therefore perhaps it is better if I ride alone. You could choose a horse and ride with Aura, and Katarina could choose another and ride with Echo..." she embraces all her companions with her blue eyes "Okay? Come on, with this stroke of luck , we'll be able to arrive sooner to help the ranch".

And if no one objects, the tall adventuress leads the - now mounted - group towards the destination.

Jasper was fumbling with his rope when Khessa came over to help make a bridle. “Thank you dear. I to would have loved to ride with you.” Thinking about holding Khessa’s waistline is enough to make him blush. Jasper hops onto the dapple grey horse and asks Aura to join him. 

'I would have loved it too so much...' thinks Khessa 'but given the circumstances...'

Seeing her beloved elf blush, the blonde arcane warrior thinks back for a moment to that last night at the shrine...

'Damned Cryovain...' thinks the tall adventuress 'when he doesn't steal lives, he still at least finds ways to steal time that could be spent in peace or joy! When we finally get rid of you, scaled and winged bully, it will never be too soon'.

Riding through the afternoon, Jasper dwells on thoughts of his reading. His book mostly talks on the schools of magic and those able to wield it. Some magics harnessed through study and intellect. Others through nature and the Divine. But something that jumped out was those that could draw out the magic from within. From blood. Jasper always wondered why he could use the divine magic like his mother and sisters when no other males could in his tribe. His mother hid it from the others for tradition sake but taught him in private. But even she was curious but worried why. ‘Maybe the Moon Maiden blessed me or maybe it’s in my blood…Maybe I can make more of her divine gift. Maybe I can will more from it.’

As they happen on the destroyed village, Echo wrings her hands and mumbles in a small voice, "oh no... But these are burns? Wouldn't Cryovain have left behind ice blocks instead?" She lowers her voice like they'd be overheard in this empty ruin, "do you think the orcs did this? Gosh, I hope the people were just taken away."

Echo would have gladly helped Khessa, though admittedly she's more used to herding cows and goats. She approaches the horse from the front and clicks her tongue to get it's attention, and asks with a smile as if the animal would understand if she asked nicely enough, "we're going to just borrow your time for a bit, ok? Maybe find your homes too."

She climbs onto the remaining brown horse easily, hoping to steady it before Katarina does the same. She pats her on the neck gently, "they seem nice! My dad always said you should ask nicely even if people say the animals don't understand. I think they do, and I think they're letting us borrow their time! I'll call this one... Sugar for now. She seems sweet."

"I think your dads told you a very right thing Echo" Khessa smiles at her friend. "They're letting us borrow their time... and their freedom! Being nice to them is really the minimum".

"Oh, you call her Sugar?" the blonde arcane warrior approves "Good one!" and she pats her blonde mare's neck amicably, talking to her in a sweet tone "Then you should be Honey!"

Katarina doesn't have a whole lot of note to say during the ride (besides some friendly banter), but the sight of the burning city makes her hair stand on end.

"Katarina is not so sure it would be mercy if carried off the people of this place were," the feline says nervously. "Either way... save them we must if it can be done... or... or avenge them if it cannot..."

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..."Katarina is not so sure it would be mercy if carried off the people of this place were," the feline says nervously. "Either way... save them we must if it can be done... or... or avenge them if it cannot..."

"Oh, well..." Khessa says, clearly saddened "if they have been taken away, at least they can still be saved. It is exactly what happened to my family (and to me)... the village razed to the ground... we capured and enslaved by the Drow... Yes, probably, such a situation would not be 'mercy', should it go on indefinitely; but at least it is a situation in which there is still hope... I managed to regain freedom. And I will do everything to free my family also - all of them and of course any other that those damned Drow enslaved".

Most of the day passes by uneventfully as you ride the three mares. However, late in the afternoon you notice a cow just off the side of the Triboar Trail, grazing on a patch of grass. The cow has a bell around her neck.

(OOC: Hey! She is super-cute!)

Khessa tries to approach slowly, not to scare the animal and looks around to see if there are other cows or a possible owner.

If no one is there, the blonde arcane warrior says: "This poor thing must have gotten lost... As we are going to the ranch, perhaps we should take her with us... Maybe she would be safer there than here and moreover at the ranch they could find out who it belongs to and notify the owner".

Perception, if needed to spot other cows or cow's owners: 8

Jasper takes takes the path about 50 feet further while Khessa tries to wrangle the cow. Stops and keeps watch of the surrounding areas with Aura.

Perception:  18

Jasper asks his Goddess to give him awareness. Casts Vigilant Blessing on himself. 

Before reaching the ranch, Jasper casts Aid on Khessa, Echo and Aura. 
(Increasing their max hp +5)

Jasper notices that the cow is branded with the same letters as the horses, B.A.K. The cow watches Khessa with a placid demeanor, looking at the blonde adventuress with curiosity and a sprig of grass hanging out of the corner of her mouth.