Morgan tried to concentrate on the rhythm of her horse as she rode along to their next destination. Her eyes were peeled and her ears were on alert for anything unusual. The sun was trying to bake them through the trees. The leaves blocked some of the sunlight which dappled the ground. It helped disperse the heat, yet Morgan felt sweat dripping down her back. Her leather tunic was damp and the cotton undertunic was clinging to her. She also wore pants to help with movement, comfort, and modesty. She liked dresses, but it didn’t make sense for traveling. She patted her bay gelding. “What a good boy Bruno!”

She stiffened and her face became more frozen when Aravae pulled up alongside her. It shouldn’t have surprised her. They were getting near a town, and they would need some supplies. She had a hard time keeping the look of annoyance from displaying across her face while Aravae was looking at her. Her horse tossed his head in response to the new tenseness from his rider. She concentrated on getting him under control while she considered how much she could give Aravae without her being suspicious that there was more. “I’d like extra vegetables. I know that some of us really like bread, but I feel better when I eat vegetables and fruit.” She didn’t like to broadcast that she was uncomfortable with eating meat.

She rummaged through some of her usual money-hiding places on her person. There wasn’t a lot left. She liked to keep some of her money to herself just because, but she also had to keep her poison stock full. She didn’t want anyone to know what she was using except herself. Her coins lightly clacked together when she passed them to Aravae. There was one more hiding spot she hadn’t emptied yet, but that should be enough to keep Aravae from nosing further. She carefully moved her horse farther from the healer to make sure they didn't start misbehaving or run into each other.

Sage clopped alongside Liliana and Vylan listening to them bantering. She wanted to join in, but she was used to Liliana not responding and being very quiet. She didn't want to mess up this rare moment. Sage rarely got hired for a job, so she didn’t have money unless Aneni gave it to her. She didn’t want to kill something unless it was for food or to protect herself. The main job she accepted was hunting down a wild animal that was disturbing a farmer’s farm, but she was normally paid with a meal or something similar rather than money. She didn't contribute much, but there were a few times when that hot meal was a blessing to the group.

Pandora was on a pinto mare behind “the siblings” and in front of Ben. He made a good person to keep an eye on the stragglers. If somebody like Pandora or Morgan did it, a cat fight was bound to break out because someone was being overbearing. Meanwhile, Jupiter was showing off how strong and brave he was to be looking out for them. He did at least twice as many steps as everyone else because he would walk around them trying to keep an eye out. She doubted his efficiency, but if he wanted to waste his energy like that, who was she to stop him?

Pandora found horses very uncomfortable. Being a mermaid, she was meant to live in water. Although the water was constantly moving, it didn't make her nauseated the way a long horseback ride could. Something about the slow uneven rocking of a horse's gait could churn her stomach. She would be glad to get back onto the ground. The ground was so quiet compared to the water. Although air connects everyone, because it was thinner you couldn't feel or hear near as well what was going on around you. Sage decided that since no one else had volunteered that question, she'd be the annoying young one who asked. "How close are we to our next stop? Do you have a job lined up for us?" She was surprised that no one complained about being hungry. If they continued to go slowly, Pandora might decide to walk.

Aravae noted the tension in Morgan’s face as she moved to ride alongside her, but said nothing about it. She gave a nod at the request. “Easy enough. I’ll see if I can’t find any dried fruits that’ll keep on the road while I'm out.”

While she waited for her to produce her contribution, Aravae looked around to decide who she ought to speak to next. Pandora, Sage, Vylan, Liliana, Ben, Jupiter…Pandora. She noted that the woman looked rather uncomfortable, so perhaps, she thought, there was something she could purchase to ease the discomfort. Once she had collected the money from Morgan, she uttered a soft word of thanks, then moved on to Pandora. She rode alongside her, saving her words for a brief beat as Aneni spoke up to answer her question.

“Half an hour at the most. We can pick up the pace if everyone is willing.” He called back, casting little more than a quick glance backwards at the speaker before he continued on his path.

Aravae gave no reply to the group’s leader, instead keeping her attention on Pandora. “You seem uncomfortable.” She observed. “Can I get you anything when we arrive in town? I’ll need your contributions, of course.”

~~~

“…My mother used to insist I show off my abilities to her friends, especially at parties. After I learned how to create illusions, I–”

“Wait, hang on, you can make illusions?” Vylan interrupted Liliana, his expression a mix of incredulity and excitement.

“Only small ones. It is not my area of expertise,” She responded. “As I was saying, I made the ballroom rain little flakes of gold once. It did not end particularly well, though, I lost my grip on the spell and ended up turning my skin blue for a week.”

“Make one! What can you make?”

“Did you not hear me say I turned myself blue?”

“Oh, come on Lils. Please?”

Liliana sighed, smiling slightly and shaking her head and looking at the ground before she relented. “What would you like me to create?”

Vylan looked around, thought for a moment, and turned back to Liliana. “Birds. Like, a flock of crows or something.”

“Too complicated. Too many details, too much time and energy.”

“Magic crows? Minimal detail?”

She paused for a moment, expression thoughtful. “Yes, I suppose that is doable.”

After a moment of pause, eyes closed and brows furrowed slightly in concentration, and lips moving just slightly. Her voice joined them in a moment, as she spoke a few arcane words. She brought her hands together, crimson threads of energy swirling about her fingers, and, as she slowly brought them apart, the threads coalesced to form the bird he had requested. As the threads of energy completed the basic shape of the creature, she raised her hands to send the ethereal animal into the air. It flew from her grasp, flapping its wings and soaring around the group to the sound of an excited cheer from Vylan. The illusion circled the group, then flew through the middle of it. It followed Jupiter on his path for a moment, before turning its attention towards Sage as it came close and landed on her shoulder, before vanishing into little threads of energy and returning to Liliana, who had a slightly crooked but quite pleased smile gracing her lips.