Anearis, who's horse was in line next to Current's, struggles a bit as his horse makes consistent sidesteps back and forth, as the elf tried to mount it, making it difficult, though still possible. Once atop the creature, it settles once again to a standstill.

As best as Tide can tell, the horse is calm and docile, and has no intention of ill will towards any around it. As Tide relayed the information to Current, Austin mounted her own horse.

Swiftly mounting with a strong push off the ground, Austin situated herself perfectly and Hagman held out the reigns to her. As he did the creature kicked off and began bolting away from the group. Rounding the corner, back towards the north road out of town, a pair of pedestrians leapt out of the way, fearful of getting trampled as the horse went by.

Austin managed to hold on, as another rider and horse came up beside her, matching speed and gait, and eventually guiding the horse to a slowed stop, just outside of Lindenfeld. The rider was Ser Sharpe who, after leading the horse to a trot and stopping completely, reached down and grabbed the reigns. Handing them to Austin, he held the side of her horse's briddle, turning it and leasing her back to town and eventually the group. "Firm and deliberate, but make sure your movements aren't sudden, or unexpected." Was all he said to Austin, regarding her riding.

Uthal takes the offered reigns and holds them lightly in one hand. "How does one make such a creature move in the direction you want?"

Even after Tide's analysis, Current is hesitant to get near this creature. How would it feel about her mounting it? Would it attack her? Land creatures were foreign to her and the whole situation was making her nervous. However, seeing the other manage to get on their horses, albeit with a few struggles, she attempts to move closer to the horse and climb atop it. With Tide staying near the horse to continue to relay information about the horse's emotions, Current slowly approached the four-legged creature. However, if at any point Tide communicated a feeling that might pose a danger to the warlock, Current will immediately start to back away again (unless she has already begun mounting in which case she will stop breathing out of fear, but try to finish the maneuver). 

Animal Handling?: 13

Seeing Current struggle with mounting her horse, Anearis will offer his hand to help the genasi hop on.

"You need not fear it. It means you no harm."

(hopefully offer advantage on the roll?)

Current awkwardly manages to mount the horse and situate herself as the last member of the party needing to do so. "Squeeze your thighs to go. Pull back on the reigns to stop." The chain-mailed member of the Right Hand's group announced to the group, before heading off to his own horse.

As Sharpe arrived back in the group, with Austin in tow, the Right Hand waved and the group started forward. Various members of the Chosen Men flanked the group as they moved through the streets of Lindenfeld, but once having left the city, and on the open road, those riders fell back so that the Right Hand's members were only to the front and the rear.

The party moved out, heading south, back towards the road that ran between Cathaan capital and Midgar.

Austin thanked her rescuer with a nod of her head. She gripped the reigns as she waited with the others for the Right Hand to start them off.

On her horse, it takes Current a few hours before she is somewhat settled in the saddle, and even then she is visibly uncomfortable. As they ride, she talks to Tide about the terrain that they are passing and shares some of her thoughts with the sprite.

It was still a few days ride, back to Midgar, but even with the struggles that initially came with certain members of the party acclimating to horseback, it still was quicker than walking. 

During the night's the larger party in general simply camped on whatever flat ground was directly next to the road, never seemingly worrying about taking shelter from weather or potential threats, though no risk ever presented itself, so it seemed not to be needed. While the Chosen Men did not exclude Felix or any of the party members from socializing during the rides or at night, they seemed to gravitate towards certain cliques even among themselves, whether it be for social or professional reasons. The Right Hand herself spent most of her time conversing with Felix or Sers Sharpe and/or Harper. Otherwise any others she gave attention to when required, but never really sought out interaction with any others. 

Among the Chosen Men themselves, it was the equivalent of friends who had not seen each other in ages, making the most of the time they had, knowing that being around each other was to be short lived. And to a degree, this became accurate. When they all reached the split in the road, where it ran east to west between the capital and Midgar, the Right Hand's group split. Sharpe, Hagman, H'Aris, the female tiefling who is referred to as Ea, due to a complication with her proper name's pronunciation, and the young chain-mailed human named Perkins, continue on with the group towards Midgar, while Felix and the Right Hand take the road back towards the capital.

Oddly enough, the remaining members (Harper, Tongue, the Warsmith, and the tabaxi with her two male tabaxi followers) continue south, off the road and simply across the open plains beyond it.

Before separating Felix acknowledges that Uthal is capable himself, but still gives a blessing to the group, wishing them luck, and reminding them of the Unfamiliar Familiars. "The Right Hand's men will see you to the shop and ensure you pass safely from the city. And should you need to contact me, or any mutual friends in the capital, Sol will be posting Donovan in Midgar as a go-between. I don't know if he's arrived back there yet, but I hear he's grown fond of an establishment called the Maiden's Bossom. You be likely to find him there."

"It's a great place, just proves that Donovan has good taste," Ura says.  "Are you gonna be okay, Felix?  Don't work yourself too hard.  And say hello to Solomon for us, too."  Ura frowns, thinking of something, and then reaches into her pocket.  "By the way, I have something for you too.  Might be nothing," she says, pulling the runestones she pilfered off the cultists in the Castle of Aaaargh and holding out the bag towards Felix.  "Still, maybe you or Solomon can make sense of these, since no one else has really looked at them.  Not even Tepes here in Midgar was interested.  These are some runestones that all of the cultists in Aaargh were carrying with them.  Maybe they're just stupid cultist trinkets, maybe they actually mean something.  You guys can take a look and find out if you want, though."

Felix takes the runes, holding one up. "They don't seem like much. Just look like stones that someone carved into. Nevertheless I will have them looked at." He put a few in his pocket. "I recommend holding onto some. I am by no means an expert in this field, and you may find someone more useful in your travels."

Ura nods and pockets the remainder once more.  „Safe journeys,“ she says.

Austin works to stay on her horse and try to keep the sorness of her bottom from making her groan too much. Otherwise the split of the Right Hand's group makes little difference to her. She does frown at the group walking seemingly to nowhere towards the South. "What is in that direction?" She asks those who might know more of this land than she does, once the groups are moving away from each other.

Current is uncomfortable the entire time that they are riding, but she does her best to keep her complaints to a minimum. Instead, she redirects most of her thoughts to Tide, who is the recipient of many an angry comment about the soreness of her bottom and her desire to be swimming instead of riding. Other than that, Current spends a little time with everyone in the party when they make camp, and tries to learn a little about them and share something about herself.

She gives no response to Austin's question, although she looks around at the others, thinking they might have an answer.

Anearis shrugs.

"I do not know what lies south. It seems like they have their own special assignment."

Anearis thought at the back of his head that hiding an ally’s objective was an "odd" way of showing trust.

Captain Sharpe answers Austin's inquiry, as he watches the south bound individuals leave. "The only roads to the southern cities of Cathaan, are along the east and west borders, but if you know the land, the paths and trails along the countryside make for a quicker route, from here." He nods towards the departing group, "They're going to a Cathaan colony to deal with an orc revolt." Anyone looking at Ser Sharpe could tell his thoughts we somewhere else entirely as he spoke.

It's only two days more for the remainder of the journey to Midgar. While camping at night, rather than a few smaller fires, the Chosen Men light a single one, still relatively easy to maintain, but with enough room for the party to sit around it with them, should they feel so inclined. 

While riding during the day, the Chosen Men continued to convoy the party by staying in both the front and rear of the line. There was no traffic on the trip south from Lindenfeld, but now on the main road between the capital and Midgar, the party seemed to pass at least a cart or rider or two every hour. Some seemed interested in the riders, but no one enough to stop or provide a polite greeting, in passing.

The group didn't exactly ride in silence, but conversations between the Chosen Men were minimal, and only Perkins, whom the party observed as some sort of 'errand boy' actively spoke to the party, when ordered to do so by Ser Sharpe, relaying information of when the party would be stopping or inquiring if everyone had water. Then whether one wanted it or not, Hagman quite offer would break into song, though only pulling out instrument when camping, otherwise allowing his voice to carry the tune.

It was mid afternoon, when they arrived in Midgar. As they reached the bridge into the city, Captain Sharpe fell back to ride along side the party. "We'll stable the horses at the barracks, then H'Aris and I will proceed with you to the shop on foot."

Pausing long enough to logically assume no questions, he then retook his position at the front of the line, leading the group through Midgar.

As they travel down the road, Atalura keeps their eyes peeled for any sign of highway banditry, fully remembering the kidnappers Ander had mentioned meeting on the road.  From the reaction of the guards, it seems they're either unaware of the bandits, unconcerned about them, or it was a rare event that Ander was unfortunate enough to encounter.  They try to use that as a reason to keep on disliking the Chosen, but still, they find themselves appreciating especially H'Aris and Hagman's attitudes.   During the campfires, Atalura even once tries to join in with the song.  Of course, not knowing the words, not knowing how to sing, and perhaps most importantly, not being invited to, influences their performance.

Performance: 2

As an apology afterwards, Atalura does prestidigitate Hagman's rations to be super damn delicious that same evening, though.

When they arrive at Midgar, Atal hangs towards the back of the group, eying the city to see how it might have changed since the night of terror they spent there, when zombies attacked and the barracks burned down.

Following Atalura's utter failure to perform alongside an otherwise learned musician, Hagman accepted the apology, and commented that it hadn't 'completely' ruined his own performance.

Arriving in Midgar, the city seems nearly identical to how it looked when the original party first arrived, rather than the dismal display of the zombie attack aftermath.

For Current at least though, this was the first time encountering a 'proper city' on this land. The city's entrance was a stone bridge extending over the very same river that ran past Lindenfeld. On the river’s edge here, a long stretch of well built stone, separated the waters, from the residents.

Several water wheels and small wooden docks were built from the barrier, with boats and rafts crowding around them; though the two groups seemed separated by the bridge. The water wheels, of varying sizes, with several individuals seeming ‘working’ on them, stood to the south of the bridge; while the boats seemed to almost create a blockade just north of the bridge, as if the only direction they could travel was up-river.

At the bridge's edge stood two little shacks, one on each side, and a guard at each, respectfully greeting Captain Sharpe and the rest of the party as all riders continued on unimpeded.

The guard from the shack on the north side was a human with plate/chain mail armor. He held a simple spear, adorned with a streamer that matched a banner hanging from his shack. Both were blue with gold and silver designs.

The guard from the south shack was an elf, his armor almost silver in color, and his pauldrons, helmet, and wrists of his gauntlets/ankles of his boots all ended with an ornate point to the metal frame. While potentially sharp points, they don’t seem to have any type of practical use. The helmet had an open face that was curved around the eyes and cheeks, presenting the sharp features of his face. His spear resembled more of a halberd in shape but an incredibly thin one. And a red banner hung from his weapon and shack, both containing black designs of which none of you had ever seen.

Moving into the city, you pass the barrier wall, stretching only three or four feet vertically above the street. The first buildings, just beyond the barrier wall, while although mostly only one story buildings, are very wide and lack any type of ornament; perhaps used for storage or business other than housing or commerce. Once past these however, which seem to make a barrier of their own, begins a hodgepodge of a city.

The main street is lined with a mixture of architecture types and reasons for existence, like the buildings simply sprung up independently of each other, and had never experienced the forethought of city planning. The party passes a mixture of taverns, stores, houses, and several buildings that are simply unidentifiable from the outside.  In addition to the lack of conformity that the capital city displayed, regarding the buildings and their layout, Midgar had a comparatively lower guard presence, on the streets themselves.

A three story gothic, black stone building, with tall thin slit windows, had a double wide door on the second floor, and a wrought iron staircase leading down to the street itself. A faded wooden sign at street level showed an open book with a vial of some liquid resting beside it. While directly next to this building was then a flat single story box of a building, made seemingly entirely of wood, with a narrow door and wide windows housing flower boxes. No signage or anything to mark the building. Such differences continue on both sides of the street as you continue.

This scene was a familiar one to most of the party, particularly the 'town square' that they all now rode through. In the center a tall and twisted tower that most knew as the Arbitrator's Spire, stretched towards the sky; and just to the south of it, across the street, an equally impressive building. Three stories high with bright ornate wooden trimming curving around the windows and roof, as well as a series of balconies circling the building. It was a very light colored wooden and stone building, perhaps even pure white, though somewhat faded with time, however still well kept. The commonly visited 'Maiden's Bossom.'

The group continued onward, until almost reaching the east gate of the city, and eventually stopping right next to a stone building surrounded by wooden beam scaffolding. Atalura, Uthal, and Anearis knew this to have previously been the Northern Midgar barracks, which had met an unfortunate demise. Now stood a wood and south frame that appeared would eventually be made into a complete two-story building; though the previous one was three.

Between the scaffolding and the adjacent building, Sharpe led the group to the city guard courtyard and dismounted. Giving the reigns to Hagman, Sharpe and H'Aris walked to the party, specifically Atalura. "We'll stable the horses here for now. The Priest said you know the way to his contact."

Atal nods.  "Yeah... fond memories of that place."  He turns to the others.  "We're aiming for a shop called Unfamiliar Familiars.  It's in the north part of town... I know a little shortcut, so it shouldn't take too long to get there, but..."  He takes a look at Austin and Current.  "If you'd rather see the town properly, we could stick to the main roads."

Remembering their last visit to the Unfamiliar Familiars, Anearis raised a question to the party and the knights.

"Is our contact aware that we are coming to seek help? Otherwise, he might ask something of us in return."