"Yes." Kin assured her emphatically. His face however downturned rather fast they they gathered their horses. He did no petting of the horse. She was nice but not his style. He still hadn't warmed up in the slightest to being on what he had a feeling wouldn't just be a week long vacation.

Let alone with her, that would be enough to ruin the whole trip. And so far it was. It would be so much easier if his mode of transport could be himself.

He clenched his jaw as he looked up at her, scowling.

"Did you?" He huffed, obviously upset and she seemed to be quite pleased with it. He shifted his feet firmly into the stirrups, he was as ready to go as he was gonna get.

AHAHAHAA

yes)

I'm gonna sayy that didnt count as lying because it was a question-ish format))

Eris smiled slyly at the elf, delighted to be on a horse and even more delighted by how uncomfortable he was. He should be easy to run away from, if he was that uncomfortable on his steed.

"No." She said brightly, gently pressing her heels against the gelding's flank, walking him onward toward the street.

"Lead the way, handler." She mocked, saying the last word like he was a joke.

((Idea- she should try to run away, he pins her down, forced proximity prompt

*Mike drop*))

Yes, I don't care when but preferred it would be between 20 minutes or if she tries while he's "sleeping"))

Kin's eyes rolled so far back in his head he might as well have been peering into his own windows to the soul. She did not just turn his joke on himself.

this seemed to be the first time he'd seen her smile. "Amin delotha lle." He huffed.
He subtly squeezed with his legs, following the path the bear had left. Of course they were still a ways away, they still had to get through town.

What do you mean when you say between twenty minutes

I'm thinking while he's sleeping))

Eris simply smiled faintly to herself, though it was short lived when a wince killed the upturned corners of her mouth. She glanced at her thigh and let her brows furrow slightly before she lifted them and went about looking ahead again. She raised her eyebrows at the statement, turning her head to him. "I'm assuming you won't tell me what that means." She said flatly, stretching her good leg out in the stirrup slightly.

Between in twenty minutes and when he's sleeping

👌🏻 got it)

Kin thought very hard for about two seconds, which he debated swiftly and concisely. "No." He smiled fakely. The phrase roughly translated to 'I hate you' but it didn't carry the same meaning if you have to explain it, so he didn't want to.

He adjusted in the saddle, sitting normally would definitely hurt for the next few days. Let alone sitting on a horse. He could already feel the bruise.

Soon enough they found the original spot the bear had trampled. It still stained with blood, but no bodies, and less debris. Probably moved to collect those who had been crushed and rescue those who had survived.

He shifted again, probably getting chills. The afterlife happened to be complicated for him, severely religiously confused. However, there was no reason not to be a little uncomfortable about walking over where many had died. He could still smell the wet copper tinge in every inhale.

Eris rolled her eyes and heaved a soft sigh of annoyance, getting comfortable and focusing her eyes on the trail of destruction ahead. Her lips twitched downwards, her eyebrows furrowing just slightly as it got worse and worse.

She took in a hard, set breath as the overwhelming scent of the blood of multiple species, mainly elven, filled her nose. The coppery, nasty tang that filled her nose- her throat, her mouth. Innocent blood. She glanced at the ground a few meters away, studying the spot. There had been a half eaten Angel there last time She saw the square.

She wondered if he was alive for a moment, then pulled herself back in.

When glanced at her elven guide, then around at the area, and moved her horse onward to continue following the trail.

When the mare began dancing under him, he leaned forward a little, urging her to move faster. Figuring it would probably be better for them all if they got moving. He really would rather not be attached to a horse who’s bolting.
Right about now he figured the horse was probably thinking something like “why are we in a field of blood”. Or he was projecting because that’s exactly what he was thinking too. Who in their right mind decides to abandon their post and in place of an army, take one (1) asshole on a wild bear chase??
Well, luckily for ..what’s her face here, sanity had never been Kin’s best attribute. What was her name? He’d heard it said by the elders but he couldn’t care less. Somethin’ like air or.. Rinse. He still didn’t care, just now it was bugging him.
Though he wasn’t just gonna ask, he was too deep in for that. Now though the green woods was swallowing them, birdsong in the air while the sun was trying to rise. It smelled infinitely better too.
The mare finally chilled out, and he started to relax into the saddle. If he wasn’t still uncomfortable he might he tempted to nap. Sleepless nights did wonders for a person.

Eris settled deeper into her seat as her gelding began pacing beneath her at the sight of the mare doing the same. She blew out a breath through her nose and urged him onward a little more, leaning forward as both his front hooves left the ground in a small shift. She let out a slight, almost inaudible grunt of pain as her weight came back down into the seat, moving her thighs with it.

She shook her head and ignored the destruction all around, letting her gelding catch up and walk in line with her... companion. She glanced around quietly, taking in her surroundings under the guise of looking for clues. Also, simultaneously noting potential escape routes. She rolled her shoulders back as they emerged into greenery, keeping the tension in her body despite having left the battlefield. Her eyes scoured the trees and brambles on either side of the path, noting the large, ursine yet also canine prints in the earth below. She set her left leg in against the gelding's flank, nudging him away from the elf so there was more room between them. Her nose twitched faintly as new, unfamiliar smells came in toward her. Flora- not much fauna, but a little. Unique, fresh flora, at that. Almost inviting. Unlike Greenbriar woods, with their thick, menacing trunks and interlacing canopies that blocked out the sun- the woods that invited mystery, danger- a bargain, some magic. Fae to the core.

What she would give for those woods- for the place most like home- now.

But no, these woods had more friendly looking growth. The sun, as it rose, filtered cleanly through the leaves and there was no foreboding or menacing around. Almost a sense of whimsy, as she saw it.

She shook her head and went back to observing the path in intent silence.

Kin left her to her own devices back there, as long as they were in the same general area he couldn't care less what she did. He could tell she wasn't having very much fun, but she wanted the horses.

Still deciding if she had been a lapse in judgement or what. He could have easily found an even more knowledgeable and far more trustworthy magic expert. He was aware there probably weren't any armies headed toward the bear because of the war, which was likely getting harsher. Especially with the fae here.

His eyes faintly trialing the two sets of pawprints, they were almost the same size. He didn't dare make more then a sly glance at her until after it was just the bear.

The silence made him slightly uncomfortable but he was very determined not to say a word to her. Conversation was unnecessary. And she was kinda bad at small talk so far.

By the time the sun started to fall, slightly early feeling but no less very welcomed, he was ready to get off. They'd rode while a ways, maybe even fifteen miles. He decided it was beyond time when he found a flat area. Distantly he could tell someone had been here years ago and it was a little ways off the path the bear took but they could easily find that.

He halted inside the area, and slipped off, stretching his legs for the first time since they stopped to let the horses drink. He was half worried his legs were going to stay like that.

He made sure there was blood flow to his feet first, and the took the tack off his horse and replaced it with a halter he'd stuffed somewhere and wandered a short ways to get firewood, kindling and slightly bigger for now. They should have fire before it gets dark, since it's been getting colder.

Its giving

Would you rather be alone in the woods with a bear or with a Fae?

"I choose the bear"))

Eris was silent, eyes trailing carefully over broken branches and other such signs of destruction caused as the bear-wolf demon had forged on. Even a few days old, the faint odor started to familiarize itself with her mind. She blew out a small, dismayed breath at the scent she couldn't dispatch, continuing to focus on the trail.

She could likely escape tonight- that was where her focus was. Less so the crystalline bear demon, more on the idea of getting out. She could manage. If he didn't bind her, she could probably make her way onward. Then again, riding the gelding would be loud- but fast. On foot, she likely couldn't make it far, and she wasn't willing to lose the potential opportunity by waiting until she could make it on her leg.

So. There was only one option- it would have to do, using her shadows to be as discreet as possible as she exited.

She pulled her attention back into the trail, forcing herself to really take in details she would if she were actually serious about this investigation.

It had large, serrated claws- she knew that both from experience and in the faint indentations in the tracks. Furred, but faintly, judging on the few transparent hairs stuck on branches they passed.

She turned her attention subtly from the trail to her companion, noting his stature, potential weaknesses. He had her in height and size, and brute strength since her leg was sabotaging hers. Then again, she had her shadows- while he was slim and probably fast among his peers, if she really worked at it, she could outmaneuver him, even with a shit leg, she supposed. And there was always intelligence- she could beat him there.

As they came into what she assumed would be camp, she stayed silent and took a deep breath before sliding out of her saddle and giving a small yelp of pain. She closed her eyes and seethed through her teeth for a moment, then steeled herself and went about hobbling around and untacking. She haltered her gelding after and used his lead to give him a picket line, letting a breath and moving to sit against a tree nearby.