The birds cluck and chirp at Ember saying things like,

"You're new" with a turn of a suspicious head.

"Got food?" stamping of feet.

"Do you give scratchies?"

"Got food?"

OOC: Everyone, including Alexia got the reward for finishing up the tower right?  I was basing the amounts on the fact that everyone had some money to blow.  If she's fresh, I'll cover a full bird for her.  That would only be like 10-12pp, right?

OOC: Everybody got the same thing. 

Ember yells over to Alexia, "Hey, Alexia... that one there would like some scritches.  Time to practice some yackle 'handling'. "  

Flitting upward, Ember goes to find Chip, "Chip!  Chip!   They told me they are hungry.   Don't you ever feed them?"

"Silly birds, they always say they're hungy." But he wanders off the get them a snack anyway.

Alexia runs up to the yackle that wanted scritchies. "Hey, Chip! Is there a correct way to pet a yackle, or is it just similar to petting a cat or dog?"

Alexia pops open the vessel at her side and takes out 12 platinum pieces.

Whoever goes shopping returns with an almost new wagon, a load of yackle feed, and two big birds. One brown like maple with white trim on the wings, the other black that shines blue in the fading sunlight. 

Alexia walks over to the blue-black one, passing 12 platinum to the shopper on the way. "Hey, buddy! It's nice to meet you."

The bird clucks and chirps at you giving you an eye. 

OOC: Razzec would have offered to go.

Razzec stays next to the brown one, petting it under the chin and offering it a small sow.  "Looks like we should be good to head out in the morning, yeah?"

Since shopping was covered, Grey would have gone to an agreed upon Inn in town to reserve rooms and start a meal, hopefully a fish stew and a pint, and to wait for the others to return from the shopping, thinking through what spells could be useful for a long journey.

You find a decent inn with hot food, warm beds, and joyful music. Even though you are wary there are no threats and the night passes peacefully. The innkeeper wakes you before dawn as instructed and presents bowls of warm grainmeal with crunchy sticks of bacon before sending you on your way. You don't remember who flipped him a single plat for the night.

Finding your way in the dark crisp morning isn't hard, you retrace your steps back to the Bartletts'. Two lanterns light the way and show the family securing the harness on the wagons and double checking supplies. You are ready to leave in no time and Chip gives his father a fierce hug before you depart. You are not alone on the way out of the city gates, workers, travelers and merchants also move along the road into the countryside.

Alexia takes a position on top of her yackle and begins searching for threats.

 Razzec comes riding up on the group one a third yackle, both a lil bit out of breath, "Well, looks like I'm a lil bit behind schedule.  I thought I would have been back before everyone headed out. But at least we now got an extra yackle to make up for it. Alexia can disconnect hers from the wagon and we can use her to scout ahead a lil but and these two can help pull the wagon." 

Once done making the switch, Razzec says "Not every day you get to ride a bird... or put them to work, huh?"

Razzec is on a 3rd Yackle and has enough feed and equipment for it to handle the trip as well.  He bought them outright instead of renting so they are the group's animal companions now :)

Grey is relaxing, laying on the grain on Charles' wagon, gazing up at the clouds. He does not react much when Razzec appears on a Yackle, in fact he closes his eyes a bit, enjoying the calm, hoping it lasts.

On the first day a pair of rabbits startle the yackles into pursuit. Quick handling bring them under control, but doesn't save the small wildcat that was chasing them. The birds were alert, Podo and Codo split the snack.

Ember watches as the two yackles chase after rabbits and the wildcat that had flushed them from the brush.

"Yackles are pretty fearless against rabbits or tiny cats.  What kind of animals are yackles afraid of?"

Charles chuckles, "Big rabbits and Big cats."

"Oh, are the Yackles hungry? Anyone else hungry?"

During a break, Grey lays out a blanket, says a quick prayer to the dwarven gods and summons up a feast!.

"Figured this spell would come in handy for a long journey" he says, picking up a piece of cheese.