Uncomfortably riding in silence, they followed Nevin at a slow and steady pace. Megladon kept snorting, and indeed eventually Vaeron did take Nevin's advice and came off the huge beast. Maybe it was something about the way the blood mage spoke that enticed him, or maybe it was that Vaeron actually realised that he had a point.

Celandine, on the other hand, refused to get off Erik. She protested loudly and clung to his saddle rather than the reigns, yelling she'd, "Rather die than be forced to dismount her devoted tera'k." Just how devoted Erik was to her was still to be seen - the two had not yet been in an actual battle.

But still, Celandine got her way. As she was apt to doing. Vaeron gave up when the moaning for too noisome and simply grabbed Erik's reigns to guide the two steeds by himself. Plod, plod, went the animals and he strode easily just behind Nevin, two humans in this world of strangers.

Soon enough they got to the blacksmiths. A great sign declaring, "Yark," proclaimed it enough. Vaeron looked at Nevin a while pausing with the reigns of the animals, then seemed to decide something else. Still without speaking he tied both leads to a rusted loop set in the wall, then gestured to Celandine.

"Come on, kid," he said.

She huffed stuffily, but undid her hooves from the stirrups and slid down to the ground. With a splash she landed in a puddle and sent a small wave of dirty water at Vaeron's trousers.

For a moment the fury was clear on his face ... Then it vanished as she snatched up her hand.

"Thank you ... Nevin," he said in a short, terse tone. "We will ... Thank you. We may come by your store."

"I want to go," Celandine mumbled.

Vaeron lifted his chin and nodded once to the other human. "Thank you again."

He did not move.

Awkwardness reigned as he tried to remember how to be polite to a shopkeeper.