[M] The girl who cried Demon (IC)

[Namingtoohard]

Sarah had been expecting Innali to be big, but the capital city proved to be larger and more grandiose than she had ever been able to imagine, even from a distance.

Dressed in the same plain traveller's cowl she had been wearing for the past couple of days, the former shepherdess was a poor sight. She and her clothes were both covered in the grime of a long journey made on foot, likely smelled something terrible, and her hair had definitely seen better days. Sarah longed for the opportunity to sit down and comb it again, but unfortunately she couldn't see herself getting the chance to do so any time soon. Even if she had the chance, the shepherdess would have had to decline. She had important matters to attend to, and the sooner the better.

"I hope they listen to us, Enek" she muttered softly as she approached the city's outer gates, throwing a small glance down at the sheepdog that marched along beside her. Predominantly black, with a small patch of white fur on his chest, the dog looked back up at her at the sound of his master's voice. She knew there was no answer forthcoming, but Sarah waited a few moments in silence before continuing regardless. "I mean, they have too. After what happened...there's no way they can ignore something like that, right? Even coming from someone like me?" Again, silence was her only answer.

Sarah and Enek ended up passing through the city's outer gate without incident, though she received more than a few wayward glances from the guards and other arrivals alike. The two of them entered the city for the first time, and immediately, the shepherdess felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. It was an awe-inspiring sight...at least, for one who had grown up in a small countryside town. Enek immediately trotted off to explore, heading towards a street stall nearby, while Sarah tried to wrap her head around the vastness of it all. Even the sheer number of people proved staggering, let alone the larger buildings. She wanted nothing more than to run off and explore, but her resolve lingered. She still had a job to do. With a soft whistle, the shepherdess would call Enek back to her, and he would quickly abandon his exploration and trot back over obediently before Sarah would flick the hood of her cloak and stop to ask a passerby for directions to the castle. The man looked at her like she was crazy, but gave her the information she had requested nonetheless. With the end of her journey in sight she set off immediately, striding forward with purpose and haste as she marched to meet her target.

She approached the outer perimeter of the castle grounds with head held high, striding towards it with some sense of purpose and authority that she did not rightfully possess. Naturally, two of the guards on duty immediately stepped forward to stop her. Both were dressed in full uniform, which included chain mail and swords worn at the hip, to deal with anyone who might cause trouble. It was understandable, but made the shepherdess somewhat nervous. There was Enek to consider, too - he was an extremely loyal dog, and would likely attack anyone who tried to harm her. Sarah cared for the dog more than anything, and she would gladly place herself in the line of fire to protect him, too. Seeing him killed by an annoyed guardsman was the last thing she wished, and wouldn't bode well for her task here. Thankfully he was extremely well-trained, and the shepherdess trusted that he would listen to her commands, even in a stressful situation.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The first guard called out to her, one hand reaching for the sword he wore at his waist. At his command, Sarah slowed to a standstill as they approached. She wasn't here to cause trouble, after all. She would comply with all their rules and regulations if it proved necessary to get her an audience with the ruling family.

"A messenger from Jahkaved. I have news that his grace will wish to hear"

[Holeypaladin]

He was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming, for he had had such dreams before. He also knew that this form of dream was not just a dream... he was seeing a vision, of actual events. This was his "gift" as a demon hunter, but it felt more like a curse, for he had to watch these creatures slaughter villagers while being helpless to stop them.

They were attacking a small town, this time. He hated these scenes the worst... the women... the children... the brutal massacre and heartlessness these creatures showed to unarmed civilians made him want to vomit, but of course nothing would come up... since he was dreaming. It filled him with such an intense rage, to see the atrocities these demons committed, so much so that he had devoted his life to delivering payback every time they attacked.

Prince Henry woke in a cold sweat. Judging by the alignment of the stars, it was just past midnight in the Capital. He tried to recall the events of his dream... it was in these few moments after waking that the vivid memories of such brutality echoed most in his memories. Thankfully, the memories faded over time, but the rage he felt towards these monsters would never fade.

He hadn't been able to identify the town... there were simply far too many small towns in the Kingdom for him to place that one. And he also had no idea if the town was in his kingdom, or in a neighboring kingdom on the same continent. He cursed himself that he couldn't prevent these events from happening, only respond to them. If only he could have the dreams before these attacks, rather than after... he might be able to prevent them.

But he knew... he knew from experience. That town was already destroyed. There were survivors, of course... peasants always had a way of escaping to the hills at the first sign of danger. But even still, the number of dead, slaughtered women and children... those too old or too young to flee in time... the most helpless of humanity... was always too much to bear.

One of the survivors would send word to the kingdom. He was sure of this. And the chances are, his father the King would turn the poor refugee away. He wasn't the worst king in the world, but kings had a tendency to be heartless, to refuse an audience with anyone who doesn't look the part of a messenger. Therefore, Prince Henry himself resolved to keep an eye out for any dirty refugees requesting an audience.

This opportunity came several days later, when a shepherd girl and her dog were seen approaching the castle. Bravely... she was brave, at least... she approached the guard and asked for an audience. However, with a laugh, the guard simply said, "A messenger disguised as a dirty peasant shepherd? I have no time for these pranks, begone!"

Prince Henry, however, was sitting in the courtyard when this happened, reading a spellbook. As he saw the guard turn the messenger away, he slowly closed the spellbook and followed after her. The guards made way for him... he wasn't so important a son as to be considered in line for the throne, so he didn't require any bodyguards just to take a walk in the city. Plus, he could handle himself against any ruffians in the streets, after all. He focused on keeping an eye on the shepherd girl.

[Namingtoohard]

Sarah's face immediately fell as the guard dismissed the idea of allowing her to speak to the king out of hand, unable to hide the mixture of surprise and disappointment that immediately started to bubble up inside her chest. She subconsciously tightened her grip on the quaterstaff that she was currently using as a walking stick, eyes narrowing as she regarded the man standing before her. She still knew in the rational part of her brain that there was no point picking a fight or otherwise trying to force her way in physically, but her mind flickered over the possibility briefly before she squashed it down again. The thought that she had failed here, at the final hurdle, was almost soul-crushing but her resolve held strong. There were always other options she could try, and Sarah had come too far to give up now.

"...very well, then. After the two of us meet, you can explain to the king why I was so late" she remarked, trying to keep up the air of poise and authority that the shepherdess had felt she was projecting when originally making her approach. In hindsight, perhaps she should have found an inn to stay the night and cleaned herself up before coming to make her appearance, but even if she had decided as such, she had not the spare coin to afford much. If she was forced to give up with her mission, Sarah would have undoubtedly been reduced to living as a beggar until she could find some other sort of work to provide a new source of income. Until then, she would be living in the gutter, as likely fitted her current appearance.

Turning away from the guards, the woman would stride away from the guards again with Enek at her heels, who followed obediently even without being commanded as such. She wouldn't allow herself to glance back as she walked away, to check what the guards were doing, and perhaps for that exact reason, she failed to notice the nobleman who stepped out of the courtyard past those very same bodyguards to follow along behind her. She was too caught up in trying to decide what she would do now, what she could try to achieve her goal. Perhaps commit some sort of crime that would require the city guards to drag her before the king? But no. Such would undermine anything she tried to say to him, and there was the chance she would just get thrown straight into a dungeon.

Glancing around as she walked, Sarah would make for the first side street that she spotted, heading towards it without reservation when she finally came across one. Sandwiched between two rows of larger buildings, the street was much smaller and darker than the main streets she had been using up until this point, and almost entirely devoid of people. Satisfied that it would do, she walked part of the way down the street, before coming to a halt. Lowering herself down in front of a blank section of wall, the shepherdess would seat herself down on the ground, leaning back against the wooden wall to use it as a backrest. In a display of affection, Enek would follow suit, helping himself to a seat beside her.

"Its okay boy. We aren't giving up yet" she cooed softly, laying her staff down beside her before reaching out to pet the dog with one hand. His tail wagged eagerly behind him as he nuzzled up against her outstretched fingers, clearly pleased with the turn of events. Despite herself, Sarah found herself smiling as she watched him. "We'll just lay low and check back every few hours to see if the guards have changed. Once those two leave, we can try speaking to their replacements to see if they will let us in instead" she informed him, clearly not worried about the prospect of anyone else overhearing.

"To be honest, I don't understand how all the people here can be so calm. An entire town, wiped off the face of the map, and they just continue on like nothing has happened. They mustn't know - I can't imagine anyone being able to relax if they knew the truth" she added after a moment, eventually withdrawing her hand and folding both in her lap. She knew there was no way for Enek to respond, but she enjoyed speaking to him regardless. He was always attentive, and it made her feel a little less lonely. Especially now that her family was gone, along with all her friends, and even her sheep. She couldn't dwell on that, though, or Sarah knew she would break down and start to cry then and there, and completely forget about the task at hand. No, that was more important

[Holeypaladin]

Henry felt bad for the poor girl, who may have had important news to deliver, and yet wasn't even granted an audience. He understood that should just anyone be allowed entrance to the castle, it could cause chaos and pose a security risk, but even still... the king's appointment list was far too long, and didn't allow for emergency situations, such as the eradication of a village by a demon army.

Most of the Royal Family had very little to no experience in dealing with commoners. They were considered repulsive rabble by the nobility in general... peasant labor to bring them wealth in order to further their own goals, yet the commoners themselves tended to be incredibly poor. Inns in the city were meant for travelers, merchant class mostly, who could afford a room. Chances of a sheepherder having enough coin to afford an inn room in the big city, however, were quite slim.

Sure enough, she seemed to be making a home for herself on the streets. At this rate, she'd end up another illegal beggar that the guards view as vermin and street scum... the exact opposite impression she was trying to portray. The cycle would likely repeat itself, unless someone intervened. And it didn't look like there was anyone else around who knew or cared enough to help.

Henry decided to take it upon himself to hear out this girl's request. Slowly, he made his way through the streets. He was a bit out of place in this part of town, and drew an eye from everyone he passed. A few would-be ruffians scanned him, but then decided against getting to close when they saw Henry's hand move to the pommel of his sword. It was still daylight, so they wouldn't be trying to pick a fight against him quite yet.

As he got close to the girl, he overheard her talking to her dog. She mentioned that the people were calm, despite the fact that a town had been destroyed. Speaking up, Henry responded to the girl's monologue. "They are calm," he said, "Because they are unaware of what happened to this town. Nobody in the city has received word of any towns being destroyed, recently, as you're the first to arrive."

"What town was it, if I may ask? And what was it that attacked? I'd like to confirm some things," he said, and then paused. "Ah, but pardon me... I haven't introduced myself. I am Sir Henry Fitzgerald, seventh son of King William Fitzgerald, and a prince of this kingdom. I couldn't help but notice the desperate look on your face as the guards turned down your request for audience, and decided to take it upon myself to listen to what you have to say, miss...?"

[Namingtoohard]

Sarah practically jumped out of her skin as an unknown voice spoke up out of nowhere, having been so focused on speaking to her dog that she hadn't noticed the stranger approach. Glancing up at him, the shepherdess immediately reached for the quarterstaff she had laid down beside her, trying to keep the movement subtle but not entirely succeeding. Enek, on the other hand, had picked up on the man's approach, thanks to the special spatial awareness that all animals seemed to possess in some manner, and glanced up at him with a sort of idle curiosity. The sheepdog was too well-trained to immediately rush towards the man to say hello, but neither did he get defensive, so clearly he had determined that the prince wasn't a threat. As soon as Sarah noticed this, she relaxed her grip, more than willing to trust herself to the dog's judgement.

"The two of us are the first ones to arrive? But...I was trapped for a good few days before I was able to escape and make the journey here. If I'm the first one, then that means..." she mumbled softly, trailing off a little as she pondered the implications of this, what it meant. If nobody else had managed to make the trip, did that mean none of them had escaped? There was the possibility that they had just fled in a different direction, or were hiding somewhere in the countryside even now, but she couldn't imagine anyone surviving an attack like that and deciding not to come and report it to the capital immediately. Sarah felt tears starting to prickle at the edges of her eyes as she considered the possibility, before she snapped herself out of it as the man continued introducing himself.

Despite the emotions bubbling up inside her, the shepherdess' eyes went wide as the man introduced himself. Quickly, she scrambled to her seat, leaving her walking staff where it was on the ground. Enek got to his feet too, fixing Sarah with a questioning glance, but she simply ignored him for the time being and bowed to the man who had introduced himself as the prince. She had no way of knowing for sure if he was telling the truth or not, but Sarah would cling to any small hope in her desperation, silently thanking whatever gods were out there for her sudden change of fortune. But then, after what she had been through, she felt as if the world owed her a bit of good luck for a change.

"My...my name is Sarah, and this handsome fellow is Enek, my sheepdog. We're from the country town of Jahkaved, located right on the country's southern border. About a week ago, there was screaming and shouting, and an alarm bell started ringing. I thought it was a bandit raid at first, but when they breached the walls the...things that marched into the town were anything but human. Beings of rock and fire, spewing ash and wielding magic like weapons. Enek and I panicked, ran for home, and we hid ourselves in the basement before they burned our house down on top of us. I figure that none of them knew I was there, or I would've ended up like...like everyone else" she finished simply, before pausing briefly to take a moment to wipe both of her eyes quickly. Sarah's voice was shaky now, but she pushed on regardless.

"Once it was over I dug the two of us out, and we came here to ask for aid, only to be turned away at the gates. After that...well, I suppose you know the rest" she answered simply, forcing a small smile up at the man, before pausing. Eyes going wide, she blinked a few times in surprise as her mind worked, picking up on something strange in what the man had said. "Before, you...you asked what exactly attacked us, right? Anyone else would have just assumed they were invaders or bandits, but not you. If you had to ask, that means you expected something else from the beginning" she announced, body stiffening a little as she observed the main and waited for his answer. It wasn't so much a question, but rather a statement of fact.

[Holeypaladin]

The girl was obviously surprised to see him. Her reaction indicated that she hadn't noticed him approach, perhaps being too preoccupied with her thoughts on what to do next. The way she reached for her staff indicated that she was preparing for the worst, but Henry showed no sign of ill will. Instead, he offered his hand to the dog so that the dog could give him a good sniff and get to know him before petting the creature gently.

"Your being the first to arrive doesn't really mean anything. I'm sure there are other survivors, but they could be anywhere by now. Not everyone's first thought is to go tell the capital, after all... most of them instead search for lost relatives, in order to re-unite their family as quickly as possible." Of course, he had no way of proving this to be true... after all, he hadn't inspected the village yet, and was just now getting to know which village it was.

He was used to the sort of surprise this girl showed whenever he introduced himself, but really he didn't consider himself to be important. There was no way he'd grow up to be king or have any real authority over the kingdom, after all, considering he had six older brothers who held priority. Instead, Henry did a lot of travelling, adventuring around the kingdom in order to smite demons and monsters who would wish harm. Sometimes he would lead a group of soldiers, other times he'd simply go alone. He was still deciding which to do in this particular case.

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah," said the prince, "And you too, Enek," he petted the dog once again. He was a well-behaved dog, who knew his duty but also a good judge of character, who had apparently come to the conclusion that Henry was no threat to his master. "So... the town that was attacked was Jahkaved? I've heard of it." He nodded, trying to remember his geography lessons. A small town, not all that important, and he'd never visited it personally, but he knew roughly where it was and how to get there. "Elementals... and demons," he nodded, remembering the creatures from his dream. She was doing a pretty good job describing the dream he had had less than a week ago, though he himself forgot some of the details in that time. "I'm glad you escaped," he offered what little condolences he had to offer.

As she completed her story, he noted that he had made a slip. He had indeed asked what attacked, rather than assuming it was bandits. Should he tell her about his dream? Perhaps not... not quite yet. Instead, he would offer some hospitality to the refugee. "You've had a long journey," he said. "Let us head to the inn, where you can get some rest, a bath, and a change of clothes. Tomorrow I'd like you to take me to your village so that I might inspect this first hand... will you be in a condition to head back?"

[Namingtoohard]

"True...I suppose I hadn't considered that" Sarah would answer as her new friend announced that maybe some of the others had escaped and simply decided to pursue a different course of action than the one she herself had chosen. Hers had just seemed the most logical path, and deep down inside her some small spark of hope flickered into life as she allowed herself to think for the first time that maybe someone she knew had actually managed to escape that slaughter. Most hadn't, she knew, considering the walk to the edge of town she had been forced to make after digging herself out of the ruins. Bodies had been visible everywhere, and the ash in the air had her concerned not by what she might be breathing in, but who.

"I...I thank you for the kind words" she muttered softly as the man offered his condolences, forcing another small and wry smile. To be honest, she was more glad that Enek had survived than she herself. Part of her questioned why she had been allowed to survive, not any of the other more deserving people, but so far she hadn't found it within herself to cry. Normally the shepherdess would have broken down at this sort of event, but so far she was yet to break down and embrace her sadness. It seemed as if the reality of Sarah's situation hadn't really sunken in yet, as if she thought this was all a dream and she was expecting to wake up again at any moment. In any case, there would be plenty of time for grieving later.

"R-really? You'll come and help me? I mean, the two of us can lead you back there easily enough, no problem" she stuttered. Undoubtedly, Sarah was worried about what they would find back there, but if that was what she needed to do to earn aid for any possible survivors, or to potentially see her family and friends avenged, then she could manage that. "Will it just be the two of us, or will you be bringing some guards or soldiers or something? It would be wiser to have some sort of help, just in case, wouldn't it?" she asked simply, watching him in silence for a moment as she waited for an answer, before frowning a little as she recalled her line of thought over her current money situation.

"In any case, I'm happy to stay out here if I must. Enek's nose and ears are more than enough to keep me safe from any potential robbers or cutthroats, and he remains alert even while we sleep when outdoors. I wouldn't know where to find an Inn to begin with, and even if I did...everything is so lavish here, I could scarcely afford it" she announced, blushing a little as she uttered the final little part of her statement, as if there was some sort of embarrassment to be found in admitting her financial state, though it was hardly a secret that shepherdess' earned little enough. Besides, she hadn't exactly gotten a chance to go scavenging for money when preparing to flee for the capital. At the time she hadn't even considered that she might need the coins.

[Holeypaladin]

"Of course I'll help," offered the prince with a small smile, "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's defeating demons. I have little patience for court intrigue, and would prefer to travel the kingdom aiding its people rather than deal with the pointless power squabbles between nobles." He shrugged. "I suppose we could bring some guards as well.. though most of them have very little training in how to deal with demons, focusing primarily on how to fight other humans. We can worry about that more tomorrow, after you're rested."

He shook his head at the girl's offer to stay out by herself. "That, I'm afraid," said the prince, "Is something I cannot allow. I shall accompany you to the inn, and cover the cost of a night's lodging and food. If you wish to pay me back, do so with your pleasant company, and I shall be satisfied," he offered a slight smile before taking her hand and helping her to her feet. "Come now, let us proceed to the inn."

He began to lead the girl through the streets of the city, winding away from the slums towards the more respectable districts. He set his sights on a large four-story building that stood taller than its surroundings. He doubted the sheepfarmer could read... most commoners could not, after all... but the sign on the building read "The Local Inn." Making his way to the inn, he attempted to make polite conversation. "Is this your first visit to a big city, Sarah? What do you think of it?"

Making his way in to the large common room of the inn, everyone's eyes turned on them. They were quite the odd couple, after all... a rich nobleman and a commoner who looked like she hadn't bathed in a week. Henry immediately made his way to the innkeeper. "A dog-friendly room for my good friend Sarah, here. And a bath. And some new clothes, if you don't mind. I'll cover the costs for my guest." He gave a polite nod to the shepherd girl.

[Namingtoohard]

Sarah's consciousness immediately told her to decline the prince's kind offer of leading her to the inn and covering all the expenses himself, bu after a moment of silent internal debate she decided to just give in and accept it. From the way the prince spoke, he didn't sound like he would take no for an answer, since he had most likely been raised to uphold the principles of chivalry, and his wealth the expenses likely meant very little to him. The idea of having a proper bed was definitely appealing, too, and the chance to clean herself up was even more so. In the end, she let out a defeated sigh, a small smile flickering across her face as she consented.

For the most part, she would follow the man in silence as he lead her through the city, keeping her eyes locked on him for fear of having him disappear into the crowd without her noticing. Enek was as well-behaved as ever, only wandering off on occasion to sniff at something that caught his attention, before running back to his master's side. They would continue to plod along in relative silence, before Sarah would snap out of her trance as he asked what she thought of the city.

"Its...overwhelming. There are so many people compared to my home, and most of the buildings are more than double the size. I can't imagine how anyone is able to get around here without getting themselves hopelessly lost, but I suppose everyone who grew up in the city is used to it by now" she remarked idly, expression unreadable as the two of them finally arrived at their destination. Letting Henry lead the way, she would step inside after him, feeling rather sheepish as everyone's attention focused on the two of them. She could practically feel their eyes burning into her.

"Ah...they actually have rooms that allow pets? That's a relief" she mumbled softly to herself, waiting patiently as the two men worked out the details. Afterwards, the innkeeper called out to one of his barmaids, telling the working woman to lead them to the room that Henry had just rented out on her behalf. Before she went, though, the shepherdess would pause briefly to turn back to the man.

"Um, thank you...for everything. I don't know what I would have done had you not stepped in, sir" she announced, giving him another small bow to show her appreciation.

[Holeypaladin]

"Most people are only familiar with certain areas of the city," he explained, "Those who visit frequently or live here are familiar with the neighborhoods around their homes or business districts, for example. Inns are typically easy to locate, since they're the largest buildings in the city... and when in doubt, one can always ask directions from an innkeeper. Sometimes there are signs, but they're only helpful to literate people."

"Pets they'll typically allow for a little extra," he said. "Think nothing of it. I hope you enjoy your rest," he paused. "Go clean yourself up and then come back down here. I still need to put some food in your belly before I let you go for the evening," he chuckled. "Take care, Sarah," he said, waving to her as he took a seat at a table.

He listened to the music of a bard in the corner of the room. Such entertainment was usual in these inns, and one of the main things that differentiated the different inns. Some relied on higher quality prostitutes, others higher quality alcohol, and others high quality entertainment of various types. This particular inn was among the more classy... not very many prostitutes, good quality food and drinks, and a decent bard playing most evenings.

Turning down the offers of a few of the prostitutes, Henry contented himself to drink some ale and listen to the music, waiting for Sarah to finish cleaning herself up and come back down before he would order any real food. The ale he drank was a dark stout, one of his favorites, high in malt and full of flavor. He kept an eye on the staircase, waiting for Sarah to return.

[Namingtoohard]

"As long as you don't mind waiting. I have a week's worth of dirt and grime to wash off" she announced simply, giving Henry a smile before turning away to follow the barmaid up to her room. Trailing along just a few steps behind, she would follow the larger woman up the stairs with Enek in tow. The lady would stop outside one of the rooms, pushing the door open and informing Sarah that the key was inside, and she would be back with the bathwater shortly. Thanking her, the shepherdess would step inside, taking a moment to familiarize herself with the layout of the room and set down her quaterstaff, before removing both her sling and horn from their respective places inside her cloak. It wasn't long after that she heard a knock at the door, and Sarah quickly opened it to admit the barmaid with everything required for her bath.

Given the suddenness of the request, the water was lukewarm at the very best, but after so long the woman was beyond caring. After the barmaid had gone, she undressed and stepped into the tub quickly, simply focusing on scrubbing the countryside from her body for the time being, as opposed to sitting back and trying to enjoy it as she might have done had the water been heated. It was a rather arduous process, but Sarah managed it as quickly as she could, while Enek waited patiently by the door. Once she was done, the woman got out of the tub and took a moment to dry herself, before glancing across at her dog. She briefly considered the possibility of cleaning him up too, but after a moment's thought Sarah decided that the innkeeper wouldn't enjoy having a wet dog running around indoors, regardless of the cost.

The shepherdess had no other clothes, so she had no choice but to put the same dirty ones back on, much to her annoyance. She couldn't take the time to wash them too, considering that Henry was waiting for her downstairs and it would take much too long to wait for them to try. After she had donned them again, she found a simple wooden comb waiting on the dresser. She ran it through her hair a couple of times, sorting out most of the major knots, though again she didn't have time to work through them completely. She would do that later tonight, before she went to bed. Satisfied that this was the best she was possibly going to get for now, the woman headed for the door again, calling for Enek to follow before stepping out into the hallway again.

Heading back downstairs the same way she had come, Sarah quickly sidestepped out of the way of a few people moving in the opposite direction, before continuing on her trip once they had passed. Quickly spotting the same barmaid that she had spoken to before, the shepherdess moved towards her, informing the woman that she was done with her bath and that the water could be taken away. She only got a simple nod in reply, but that was enough. Afterwards, she would glance around in search of Henry, spotting him quickly enough. Smiling to herself, she immediately trotted over.

"I hope that I didn't keep you waiting for too long" she greeted him sheepishly, quickly moving towards the chair opposite. Pulling it out, she would drop herself down into it, folding her hands together and resting them on the table. By her feet, Enek would stroll under the table before laying down to relax, resting his head on her feet as he scanned the room idly. "I suppose I owe you my thanks yet again. This is proving to be a very humbling visit, all in all." she answered, doing her best to start a conversation, even if she lacked in social experience. Shepherds were rarely good at idle chatter, considering that their work usually had them alone for the better part of their time.

[Holeypaladin]

After awhile, Henry saw the girl coming back downstairs, but she was still wearing the same dirty clothes form before. Well, at least she herself looked a great deal more clean and... discounting the fact that her clothes were dirty... now that she had washed up, he noticed that she actually had a rather pretty face. He hadn't been able to tell before, since it was so dirty, but indeed, she wasn't bad to look at.

"I thought I had ordered some new clothes for you when I checked you in..." said Henry. He didn't have to point out that she was still wearing a dirty outfit, as he knew the girl was well aware of it. "I suppose they haven't arrived yet. Once they do arrive, you might need to take a second bath... but you still look much better than you did before." He offered her a slight smile. "Please, take a seat," he gestured to the seat across from him at the table as she sat down.

"I was just enjoying the music," he said, nodding to the bard. "Do you enjoy bardic music, Sarah? Or is this your first time really hearing it? This particular ballad is about the battle of Aidendorf, about two hundred years ago. He's singing about a hero known as Gregorius. An interesting tale, to be sure."

"Anyway.... I promised you food, so what would you like to eat? The food here is... decent. And after your long journey, you must be starving half to death. So please, eat as much as you like... it's the least I can do to try and ease your suffering." He reached out a hand to her dog as well, gently stroking his dirty fur without seeming to mind.

"We should feed this loyal companion as well," he said, praising the dog for helping out his master so faithfully, "He's served you well when you needed him most. Truly a well-trained hound, and a great companion for his master." He offered Sarah a small, friendly smile.

[Namingtoohard]

"Well, there were none delivered with my bath, so I assume that must be the case. In my frankly rather limited experience, though, most inns don't sell clothes. Perhaps they had to send someone running out to buy one...and of course, it would help if they knew my size" she answered simply, clearly not bothered by the current state of her clothes. She had gotten used to the dirt during her time along the road, not to mention the extensive amount of time she spent in the countryside thanks to her work. To her mind, such a fact was irrelevant, considering that the two of them would be heading back out into the wilderness to return to the ruins of her home town.

"As for the music...well, we had plenty of bards visit Jahkaved in the past, but their visits were few and far between, and most were reserved for the nobles and richer folks. I rarely got the chance to sit back and listen to them properly" she answered simply, glancing around the room briefly in search of the source of the music. It didn't take it long to spot it, and after a moment spent admiring she turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Some food would be very much appreciated, though. I'm in the mood for some sort of broth, personally, but anything with a cut of meat would be very much appreciated. I've spent too long living off wild berries and the likes" she remarked dryly, a look of distaste flickering across her face. She had indeed possessed some small portion of meat when originally setting out for the capital, but most of it had been given to Enek as his own rations. After that, she had needed to send him hunting for small game like rabbits and the likes to sustain himself, and he had only been able to eat what he could catch to keep himself alive. In a way, he was just as starved as she was, though a dog's physiology was more used to that sort of diet than a human.

"I'm not a big eater, so I'm normally happy to share whatever is left of my portion to share with him" she added simply after a moment, leaning to the side a little so she could glance down at the table where Enek was watching over the two of them, while being petted by Henry. "As much as I wish I could take credit for training him, I'm afraid he was a sheepdog long before I was a shepherdess. His first master passed him on to me when she changed professions" she answered simply, straightening up again and giving her companion a warm smile

[Holeypaladin]

"I was unaware that dogs could accept a new master, considering the close connections they share with their original master," said Henry. "Not that I'm all that familiar with how to train and raise dogs... I simply hear of how incredibly loyal they can be to their master." He paused. "There's a saying I heard from a travelling bard... it goes something like, 'A dog is the only creature that has seen his god.' Basically it says that their devotion to their master is along the lines of worship."

Before long, the waitress came by, smiling at Henry and Sarah. "Good evening, milord. Would ye and the mistress like something to eat, or more drinks?" Apparently she had confused his relationship with the shepherd girl as something more... intimate than it was. Possibly due to the fact that she looked even prettier up close, and the status difference between the two was too great to assume any sort of formal relationship. Still, she had missed the head of that particular nail.

"Oh, our relationship isn't like that," the prince said, "But we would like some food, yes. I'll take the chef's special," he said, not having a clue what the special was, just figuring it was special for a reason. "The young maiden can have whatever she likes, as much of it as she likes, for herself and her loyal hound, on my tab."

"As ye wish, milord," said the waitress. Her etiquette was terrible.. one did not simply address a prince as "milord." But, she probably had no clue who he was, just that he was some sort of nobility judging by the way he dressed and the sword he kept at his side. "What would ye like for yerself and yer dog, miss? Oh, and the innkeeper told me to tell ye that Clementia went to the market to buy ye some clothes. They're waiting for ye up in yer room."

Henry nodded to the girl, assuring her that it was covered, and that she could order any dish she wanted. The information that she brought him was far more valuable than the meager cost to feed, clothe, and grant her a room. He offered her a slight smile.

[Namingtoohard]

"Maybe most dogs would struggle to take to a new master, but Enek was raised a working dog, not a regular house pet. They aren't normally shown the same sort of affection for the most part, to the point where they aren't even supposed to be petted or fed from the hand, though I openly admit I bend those rule on a frequent basis. He was in the prime of his youth when it happened too, so I hardly think he would've been content giving up everything he had trained for to spend the rest of his life trapped indoors." she pointed out simply, giving a casual shrug. That rather unique saying about a dog and his god brought a smile to her face, though, before Sarah was quickly distracted by the arrival of one of the waitresses. With the conversation cut short, she looked up at the woman expectantly.

Her eyes widened as she listened to the opening part of her exchange with the prince, and Sarah immediately felt blood rushing to her cheeks as a small blush tinged them a faint red. Naturally, the implication in her words had not escaped the shepherdess' attention. How could anyone think that sort of thing, even just while looking at the two of them? Certainly, he had brought her here and paid for lodging, and now the two were sharing dinner together, but they hardly looked to be of the same social class, much less anything closer. She was a peasant who couldn't even afford clean clothes, and he...well, had already proven that he could cover all her expenses on little more than a whim. The prince could even be used by his father for political strategy at some point, for all anyone knew. Not that it was any of her business, or concern.

"I'll just have a cut of steak, please. One without bones, if possible" she ordered simply, still planning to share with Enek like she had originally intended. She ate very little herself, and he needed to maintain a proper weight, for his work. She took note of the mention of some clean clothing, but didn't see fit to comment on it. Clearly it wasn't something they did normally, but it was hard to refuse a prince and the coin that his demands promised, she reflected silently. Once the woman had reassured them both that the food would be out shortly, she turned her attention back to the man sitting opposite.

"So, on the subject of your...work" she started tentatively, speaking carefully out of the ignorance as to how much she was supposed to speak of the matter in public. Naturally, the shepherdess didn't know if Henry's demon hunts were well-known in the capital, and certainly didn't want to risk sending anyone into a panic by accidentally mentioning that an entire town had been destroyed just like that. "I assume you had some sort of training, right? Like, you didn't just show up on the first day and have to fend for yourself. If you don't mind me asking, of course." she asked, tilting her head somewhat curiously. After a few seconds though, a question of perhaps greater importance sprung to mind.

"and before I forget, if we get there and you find...sufficient proof of my claim, what next?" she added after a moment's thought, still picking her words with plenty of thought. She half expected him to dismiss the topic out of hand, saving it for when they were alone or on the road, where there would be no prying ears to listen in. Some of her bravery remained, though, even now she had accomplished her goal, and she figured that the worst thing he could potentially do was refuse to answer.

[Holeypaladin]

Henry listened as the girl asked for a boneless steak. Why she wanted it boneless, he didn't know... he figured dogs liked bones, after all. Once the waitress had left with their order, Henry turned his attention to the girl as she asked him about his training. "I did have training, yes," said Henry, nodding to her question. "Grew up as a knight, learned arcane magic along the way. Useful skills to have, for hunting demons," he said with a shrug. "Most wizards are nerdy weaklings who rely on brains since they lack brawn... but I like to combine might and magic together, because why not?"

"Of course," he admitted, "There's really no training like experience. Once I started actually going on demon hunts... that's where the real training began. It's one thing to practice a skill or set of skills... but another entirely to use it when your life is on the line," he said. "Fortunately, I survived enough of those initial battles to gain enough experience to deal with most any variety of demon we're likely to come across, so long as there's not too many of them."

"As for our plan of action," Henry shrugged. "Chances are, I'll start hunting down the demons that attacked your town. Demons are terrible at any sort of unit cohesion, they merely follow the biggest, most intimidating bully of the lot, but once he dies... they tend to turn on each other in order to determine the next biggest bully to lead their next attack. Of course... once you show me the way back to your village... I suppose we'll go our separate ways, won't we?"

He chuckled. "That is, unless you want to become a demon hunter yourself! But it's not an easy life..." he considered. "You... don't really have a home to go back to, do you?" he asked the girl, "Have you... have you considered what you will be doing, once we get back to your village? I've already more or less decided to hunt down the demons who attacked and bring them to justice... but what about you, Sarah?"

While they were talking, the waitress returned, setting down their meals next to them. Henry's meal was some sort of roast mutton or lamb, but once he cut into the meat and tasted it, it was actually pretty good, for commoner food. He didn't much care for the gourmet food of noble banquet tables, anyway. Another perk to travelling was that he got to experience new types of food wherever he went.

[Namingtoohard]

Needless to say, Sarah was surprised when Henry responded to her questions openly, and without any of the attempts at concealing their true meaning like she had made. Did that mean that most of the people here already knew about the existence of demons and hunters and that sort of thing? It had to, really, since there was no other real explanation that sprung to mind. Such a revelation shocked her, considering how different their attitude towards such things was in her home town. Heck, on the instance where she had seen something potentially harmless yet slightly unnatural in the woods, a full-scale witch hunt had been organised to try and find the source. Some townsfolk and guards attacking a sorcerer with conventional weapons likely wouldn't end well, but townsfolk were defensive of their homes, and in the end they hadn't discovered anything to begin with.

Still, the shepherdess listened to most of his explanation in rather polite silence, nodding along when it seemed fitting. The news that he had been trained was no real shock, now that she knew that demon hunting was more or less a public affair here in the capital city. There were probably entire organizations dedicated to the cause, or at least a network of trained hunters each with their own contacts and friends, who could train newcomers to keep their skills and order alive. In any case, it was reassuring to know that there was little to no chance of them facing unheard of that Henry wouldn't know how to deal with himself. That made her feel marginally safer about the prospect of going back to the place where thousands of people had just been slaughtered.

"Well...I suppose there's no other choice. Part of me wants to see the matter through to the end just to make sure the job is done, but the inherent danger makes me wonder" she mumbled simply as the man pointed out that the two of them would likely have to part ways there. Her eyes widened a little in shock once again as he suggested at the possibility of her becoming a demon hunter herself, and at first she thought the man must be joking. She had no experience with that sort of thing, after all, and had been utterly powerless during the attack on her home. The thought of that, combined with his mention of the fact she had no home to go back to hardly made for cheery conversation. Unable to help herself, Sarah's head would dip a little; a few strands of her black hair falling down to partially mask her face.

"No, I don't have a home to go back to, and finding more work as a shepherdess will be nigh on impossible. Nobody will trust their sheep to a stranger, much less a woman, with no proof of skill or experience. Not to mention how territorial most shepherds are, since any given area of land can only support a set number of sheep. Nobody would be able to share, even if they wanted to" she finished simply, speaking much more quietly than before. Needless to say, she had no other skills to offer an employer, so finding work in any other profession would be equally impossible, regardless of where she traveled.

"Oh, but I'll find something eventually" she added after a moment's pause, lifting her head and forcing a small smile as she tried to lift her own spirits and the overall tone of the conversation, though it seemed a bit of an uphill battle at this point. "If worse comes to worse, the two of us can just live off the land. It'll hardly be a pleasant experience, but better than begging for money in some alley with the risk of being robbed...or worse. The two of us managed it for a week during our trip here, so I'm confident we could do it for longer if necessary"

[Holeypaladin]

"I see..." said the knight. He didn't know what else to say to this girl, this refugee. These attacks were always more dangerous than the initial casualty count, as they always left so many people homeless, jobless refugees with no other choice but to either travel in hopes of finding employment or try and rebuild their homes. More often that not, enough peasants would escape the initial attack that the survivors would eventually return and rebuild their village... with a much-enlarged cemetery, of course.

He wanted to help this shepherd girl, but he didn't really know how. She probably had no education, or social etiquette. Even among commoners, shepherds were somewhat outcast, since they spent very little time among other people, always moving their flocks and working all hours of the day in solitude. Sarah's sheep were probably demon food by now, which could potentially mean that there's a huge debt that the owner of the ship might want to collect from her. That could prove quite problematic should they catch word of her still being alive... despite the fact that there's nothing she could have done to save the sheep.

"I would like to help you," said Henry after a long period in thought. "My heart goes out to the victims of these attacks. If only my dreams would happen before these attacks instead of after... so that I could prevent them." He suddenly shut his mouth, but it was too late. The words had already slipped out of his mouth. Oh well... he had intended to mention his dreams at some point. Maybe. Ok, maybe not.

"Um..." he said a bit sheepishly. "Well I feel sheepish," he said, making a joke about sheep to a shepherd girl. "We can pretend I didn't say that, for now! But if you insist..." he shrugged. "Perhaps I might be willing to talk about it. But not tonight. Tonight, my dear Sarah," he said, looking over at her. "You need to rest. It's normal for shepherds to sleep at sunset, yes? I'm already keeping you up late. Worry not though..." he said, "I'll be back to pick you up in the morning."

Finishing the rest of his food, Henry stood to his feet, taking the girl's hand and gently kissing the back of it. "We will avenge your people, Sarah. Count on it!" He smiled at her, not really wanting to leave until she went up to her room to get some rest.

[Namingtoohard]

Prince Henry's response didn't exactly fill Sarah with confidence, and the smile she had forced while trying to lighten the mood as much as possible quickly faltered somewhat to reflect that. She quickly found her mood sinking again, and her thoughts once again turning to the rather dark topic of...well, the current state of just about everything she had ever known. Had the girl not had Enek to keep her company, she doubtless would have given in to grief well before reaching the town. It was like the dog was her one remaining anchor to this world, though now that she knew she could rely on Henry to help her take revenge on the evil that had done this to her eased the burden somewhat. Now that she enlisted his help, she felt she could finally relax somewhat, and perhaps allow herself a little time to mourn tonight.

As he let slip about the strange dreams he had been having, the shepherdess raised one of her eyebrows in a puzzled expression, able to gather some implications as to what the dreams were about from what he said, and the context of the situation. Had he known about the attack on her town? Was that why he had come to offer help to her? Suddenly feeling a tad suspicious of this demon hunter, she tore her attention away from him and focused it on his meal for the time being. Grabbing her cutlery, she would tuck in immediately, letting the topic go for the time being as she remembered just how hungry she was, and how good real food tasted.

Suddenly feeling ravenous, she devoured as much as she felt she was able, pausing only briefly to quarter a small section of the steak. Made up partially of the meat and partially of the stringy fat that lined the steak, she leaned to the side so that she could see under the table, grabbing the offcut and feeding it to Enek out of her hand. The sheepdog snapped it up greedily, and even gave her fingers a few licks before she withdrew it quickly. As much as dogs loved bones, she had specifically requested a cut of steak without one because dogs were only supposed to eat them raw. Cooked bones could splinter when the dogs broke them up, and the sharp splinters could puncture the interior lining of a dog's stomach, resulting in a painful and extended death. Sarah didn't know what exactly changed about the bones when they were cooked, but it was what she had been told, and there was no way she would risk Enek like that.

With her sheepdog's help, Sarah had managed to finish off her steak in its entirety, which is something she would never have been able to manage alone. Apparently unworried by the fact she had just fed her dog from her bare hands in a public establishment didn't seem to worry the girl, who was too tired and had been through too much to care. Turning her attention back to Henry, she would give him a small smile at his little joke, before nodding in silent confirmation as he stated that shepherds normally went to sleep at sunset."

"Aye...I normally sleep early so that I can wake and watch over the sheep while they rest in the early hours of the morning. Enek watches while I sleep, too. We might not have sheep anymore, but its a hard habit to break" she answered simply. Almost as if on queue, she let out a soft yawn, before shaking herself off. A small blush would infuse her cheeks as the prince kissed the back of her hand, but she found herself smiling nonetheless as he swore that she would have vengeance.

"I certainly hope so. Maybe then the spirits of my family and friends will be able to rest easily..." she mumbled, trailing off a little, before snapping herself out of it. "In any case, we can worry about that when the time comes. For now, I think its time I got to bed. Until tomorrow, my lord" she would answer simply, getting to her feet before excusing herself with another polite and proper bow, the same kind the shepherdess had given when first learning of the man's identity. Without another word, she would head back upstairs to the room that she had already claimed as her own.

Once inside, the girl would quickly change into the fresh new clothes she had found waiting, before crawling into bed. After a moment's hesitation, she would call Enek, who would jump up onto it and curl into a ball beside her. Normally he would have slept on the floor, but she felt in need of his comfort tonight, and the both of them could do with a little treat after their ordeal. Placing one arm over him protectively, the shepherdess laid her head down on the pillow and pulled the covers tight around herself with the other. Left alone with her thoughts, a show of tears would steadily begin to leak from the girl's eyes, and with nobody but Enek to rely on for comfort, she would finally cry over what she had lost for the first time, before eventually drifting off to sleep.

[Holeypaladin]

Once the shepherd girl had gone upstairs, Henry himself made his way out of the inn. It was evening, and he wasn't yet tired, but he had some preparations to make for the journey ahead of him. He began to visit some of the shops in the marketplace, stocking up on supplies to last the journey back to the village. He was planning on taking a couple trusty guards and demon hunters as the girl suggested, as it wasn't generally a wise idea to fight that many demons himself.

He ordered some provisions from the marketplace, a week's worth of supplies for four people, and told the shopkeepers to deliver them to the inn in the morning. Henry would have to stop by the inn again to pick up Sarah, after all, so it seemed as good a place to meet up as ever. Once that was over, he stopped by the training ground of the King's Elite, warriors trained in advanced combat techniques with their own magical talents to assist them.

As he entered, the guard on duty recognized him. "Greetings, Highness," said the guard. "What brings you here at this late hour? Are you planning another of your dangerous expeditions?"

"Indeed," said Henry with a nod to the guard. "Are the usual duo available to travel tomorrow?"

"Not at this time," said the guard. "However... we do have two very promising candidates who are ready to be field tested. Powerful warriors, both of them, just inexperienced and somewhat... interesting. Would you like to meet them?"

"Not at this time, I still have some work to do," said Henry. "Have them meet me at the inn tomorrow morning. There will be plenty of time for introductions at that time. Good day to you, Sergeant," he gave a brief nod to the guard.

"Take care, Highness," said the sergeant on duty, offering a salute before returning to a game of solitaire that he was playing with some cards, probably to alleviate the boredom of guard duty.

Henry himself set to work assembling his gear and his armor, conducting proper maintenance on his weapons, and gathering some spellbooks for study on the trip. Eventually, he fell asleep. Thankfully, his rest was not plagued with dreams at this time... though it also meant that he had no source of intelligence regarding the demon movements either.

On the following day, Henry woke early, expecting that the shepherd girl was already awake. Dressing up in his battle armor, this time he took a war horse with him as he proceeded over to the inn. The townspeople made way for him, not foolish enough to try and stop a fully armored knight and his not so friendly steed.

[Namingtoohard]

As was to be expected for one of her profession, the shepherdess was awake well before dawn. The curtains surrounding the single window in her room were drawn, but her body clock did not lie, and she knew to trust it. Already completely aware that she would be unable to get back to sleep even if she had tried, Sarah quickly pushed back the covers of her bed and forced herself to climb to her feet. As loathe as she was to leave the first sort of comfort she had experienced in a week, there was on compromising on this. Enek was stirred by her movements, too, and quickly returned to consciousness himself. Getting to his feet, the dog would take a moment to stretch, opening his jaws in a soundless yawn in the process, before quickly jumping down off the bed alongside his master.

Stepping over to the curtains quickly, Sarah would draw them back, glancing out over the almost-empty street. Even this city was quiet at this hour, though there were still a few people out and about, which was something that never would have happened at home. She stood and admired the sight for a second, before forcibly pulling herself away. Walking over to the dresser, she would pick up the same comb she had used yesterday, seating herself on the edge of the bed before running it through her hair. It wasn't a proper brush, which she would have preferred, but she would make do for the time being. A comb was better than nothing, and as long as she could get the tangles and knots out of her hair she was happy.

It took her the better part of an hour before she was satisfied, but Sarah felt it was alright - she had nothing better to do with her time, now that she had no flock to watch over during these early hours. Once she was done, the shepherdess would get to her feet, before setting about getting ready for the coming day. The sun had risen now, casting a dull light over the room, and by it she quickly returned the comb to its rightful place before going about collecting her things. Her sling and horn were both tucked back into the appropriate pockets of her traveling cloak, which she quickly donned before taking up her quaterstaff again. She would be leaving the city today, so she wouldn't be returning, even if technically the room was hers for the rest of the morning, and as such Sarah made sure to take everything with her.

She headed downstairs promptly, and found the foyer largely empty. There was a man standing behind the counter, but apart from that the room was completely empty. He must have been some sort of overnight worker, keeping watch on the facility, Sarah guessed. The stranger eyed her curiously, but didn't say anything, and she gave him a simple nod of acknowledgement before heading to the front door of the inn and letting herself out with Enek in tow. She didn't feel the need to take breakfast, which was another pattern that her body had grown used to during her time working as a shepherd. Now that she was outside, she pulled her cloak around herself, and settled down to wait. It occurred to her that she had no clue exactly how long it would be before Henry arrived, but there was nothing that could be done about it now.

She waited in silence for the most part, holding her staff with both hands and leaning on it absentmindedly while she waited. In truth she had no idea how long it was before she eventually caught sight of the man riding up, and she froze at first. Her eyes went wide with surprise as she beheld him in full armor for the first time, never having seen anything quite like it before. As he approached, she remembered his manners and gave a hasty bow.

"Good morning, Sir Henry" she greeted him formally, giving a small bow after a moment as she remembered her manners. Enek sat by her seat, looking up at the man absentmindedly with no more worry or aggression than he had shown at their first meeting yesterday. He wasn't bothered by the presence of the horse either, and likely would have run over and tried to say hello had Sarah not told him to stay put. His training was ingrained enough to keep him in place.

[Holeypaladin]

Henry hadn't expected the girl to be waiting outside the inn already, but it didn't really surprise him when he realized she had probably awoken before dawn. Such was the life of a shepherd, after all. Her reaction to seeing him in his full armor made him smile, however. He had seen similar reactions before... usually worn by people who needed to be saved from some evil or another, so that reaction was somewhat encouraging, made him feel he was doing something right.

"Morning, Sarah," Henry offered the girl a nod before dismounting from the large horse. "You're up early. I was going to treat you to breakfast in the inn, but I see I'm already too late, as you've stepped outside. I trust your rest was adequate?" He reached out to pet the dog as well, saying hello to the loyal worker. He seemed to be able to read that the dog wanted to greet him, so he might as well provide a proper greeting to the creature.

"I took the liberty of ordering some supplies for our journey. They should be arriving soon, as I had them delivered to this inn. Probably once the shops start to open, I should think. Additionally, I took into consideration your suggestion... that there might be too many demons for a single knight to handle. Therefore, I requested the help of two elite guards."

He paused. "They're... new to the whole demon hunting thing. But from my understanding, they have rather... odd personalities. Seems they have a reputation, and because of their reputation, other knights are hesitant to bring them into battle until they've proven themselves." Henry chuckled a bit. "So I guess it falls upon me to put them to the test."

As if on cue, two guards began to make their way towards the inn. "I TOLD you we had the wrong inn!" said the taller of the two, "But noooo you didn't believe me! You would have had us waiting all day at the wrong inn!"

"You said that one was wrong, sure," said the shorter of the two, "But you also had the wrong inn! We're lucky we took Main Street rather than Second Street, else we wouldn't have even found this one on our way to who-knows-what inn you were leading us to!"

"Shut up, Wedge!" said the taller guard.

"No, you shut up, Biggs!" said the shorter. They continued to squabble a bit before eventually heading over towards Henry and Sarah.

Henry merely sighed at the exchange, glancing to Sarah. "Well..." he said. "I did say they were odd, didn't I?"

[Namingtoohard]

Straightening up again, Sarah would smile warmly at the knight as he brought his horse to a stop before her, taking the opportunity to dismount. Still holding her wooden staff in both hands, she would watch him somewhat calmly, still unable to believe how much the simple suit of armor seemed to change his stature. Before, when Henry had first approached her yesterday, the shepherdess had thought him undoubtedly kind and noble, if not a bit strange given the few things he had let slip about himself. Now though, encased in the steel of war, the princeling seemed undoubtedly bulkier and more imposing. She half-expected him to speak with a sudden and unfounded harshness in his new garb, though when he addressed her his voice was still the same

"It was my first night in a proper bed in a week. It may have been nothing extravagant by your standards, but to me it felt like the softest bed in the world" she remarked, unable to help but chuckle softly to herself at the thought. Her smile faltered briefly as memory of her family and how she had actually spent the past night, but there was no need to share that sort of information with Henry, or dwell on it any longer than possible, so the shepherdess quickly did her best to force the topic from her mind quickly. She didn't bother correcting him on the issue of breakfast, either, since she didn't really feel the need to eat, as he had so correctly surmised. She nodded in acceptance when he informed her that they wouldn't be travelling alone, too, and he had already arranged for supplies.

"Seems like you really do have everything und-" she started simply, before getting a little distracted by the arrival of the two people who were supposedly going to serve as their escorts. Naturally, she could hear their arguing from a ways off, and it didn't strike the shepherdess as being particularly impressive. How could these two remember how to fight, especially against demons, if they couldn't even find their way around the town they currently lived and worked in? Needless to say, she didn't hold high hopes for the two, even if the prince seemed to trust the two of them.

As Henry spoke up, the woman would glance back across at Henry as he said they were indeed odd, though that was hardly the word she would have used. "I thought you said that we were supposed to have elite guards tagging along with us. I don't know what sort of standards your garrison usually holds, but I would have thought that they held a higher standard than this" she answered quietly, doing her best to keep her voice down so that she wouldn't directly offend either of the two as they made their final approach. Unfortunately, Enek seemed to share her views somewhat, as the dog got to his feet as the men approached. He didn't make a move against either of them, but from what Sarah could see he was more on-guard than when it was just Henry around.

"So, is there anything else we should get done while we wait for those supplies to arrive, or do we really just have to wait until then before we set off?" she asked idly, directing her question towards Henry with another small glance, since he was still in overall control of the operation. She also wondered at Henry's decision to bring a horse, when she had none and neither of the guards had their own either from the looks of things. Was he just going to use the beast to make the journey easier on himself? It was likely, considering that he was the one in full combat gear. In any case, she didn't know how to ride regardless, never having needed to learn or been given the opportunity thanks to her upbringing.

[Holeypaladin]

"I'm glad you found your lodgings to be comfortable," said Henry with a nod to the shepherd girl. "I've seen all manner of comforts, from the overly extravagant to the nonexistent sort you had to deal with on your trip here. Part of the benefits of travelling, I should think. So I know what a soft bed feels like after a hard journey and a fierce battle."

Henry tried not to pay too much attention to the guards that had gotten lost in the city. "Yes well... I recall you saying that it was easy to get lost in a city this size, did you not? Or perhaps I was the one to say so to you... either way, I'm hoping their navigational skills are not indicative of their combat skills." He paused. "I really, really hope they aren't, at least." He waved at the two "elite" guards as they finally made their way up to him.

"Good day, my... I mean, YOUR highness," said the taller of the two, kneeling briefly before him. "My name's Wedge, and this here's me mate Biggs. We're the best two mooks in the kingdom, that we are!"

"Or at least..." said the shorter, who had been introduced at Wedge, "We WILL be the best mooks in the kingdom. Once we proven ourselves an' made a name for ourselves. That we will!"

"Shut up, Wedge!" said Biggs, "Even if people don't know who we are yet, that don't mean we aren't the best! It just means we aren't known as the best! But we still the best mooks in the kingdom!"

"No, you shut up, Biggs!" Wedge said, "Best means you done the bestest mook work, and we ain't done no mook work yet! So we ain't the best yet, not til we get some mook work done!"

"Both of you," interrupted Henry, "Should save this debate for later. The shop clerk is here, with our supplies. You've got... how did you refer to it? Ah yes... 'mook' work to do, so start mooking." He gestured in the direction of the two pack mules laden with supplies and the guards nodded eagerly before leading the mules.

"I've never seen anyone with such strong ambition as to desire to be the best low-ranking underlings, or mooks as they refer to themselves, as those two," he shook his head slowly, speaking in a low tone so that the two "mooks" wouldn't overhear. "I suppose they won't be trying to usurp my authority, however, so long as their only ambition is to be a good mook. In fact... they might instead prove most loyal. Although I fear they may also lack the capacity for independent thought... which might explain how they got lost."

"Well then," said Henry once the two mooks had gotten the supply mules under control. He turned and smiled to Sarah. "It appears we're all set. Shall we go?" He offered her a hand to walk her through the city, holding on to his horse's reins with the other hand.

[Namingtoohard]

"Whichever one of us said it originally, there's a difference between not being able to find your way around as a first-time visitor and not being able to find your way around after spending time living and training here" Sarah replied simply, throwing a small glance in Henry's direction as she pointed out the difference between her own struggles navigating and the struggles of two people who had supposedly been here for at least a few months while they trained, if not longer than that. In the end it made little difference, though, considering that Henry's point stood regardless, and she agreed wholeheartedly with his hopes that their navigation skills were not an indicator of their abilities in combat. If that was the case, she and Henry would have probably been better off just leaving the two of them behind, to ensure that they didn't get themselves killed.

She listened to the exchange between the prince and the two guardsmen in relative silence, but was unable to help but let a soft giggle slip as she listened to their antics. As silly as the two of them seemed to be, the shepherdess found their little exchange to be amusing nonetheless. She had no real idea what exactly a 'mook' was, but from the context she inferred that it was some sort of slang term for a low-ranking soldier or something else along those lines. Either way, the shepherdess made a mental note to ask Henry about it later, just so that she knew for certain. It didn't make much of a difference, but Sarah was curious about such things regardless.

"Well, that makes sense. Isn't there some sort of saying about how the sort of people who don't question orders make for the best underlings or something? I mean, if that's all they aspire to be, then I suppose you can't fault them for that. They've set themselves a somewhat reasonable goal, as opposed to like...becoming captains or something" she answered softly, feeling like she was jabbering on a little bit but certain that Henry would get her point regardless. For a moment she would watch the two as they finished securing their supplies, before turning her attention back to the prince as he offered her a hand while suggesting that they be off. Smiling, she would give him a small nod, releasing her quaterstaff with her right and reaching out to accept his hand.

"The sooner we get a move on the better, I suppose" she answered, before setting out alongside him as they finally made a move to begin their journey. She would walk along calmly for a few moments, before glancing back over her shoulder and calling for Enek to follow. Responding immediately, he would get to his feet and trot over, before falling into step beside the shepherdess, so that she had the dog on one side and the prince and his horse on the other. She let Henry take the lead for the time being, since he doubtless knew the way to the city gates better than she herself, and he had already informed her that he knew where Jahkaved was located. She would make the trip in silence for the most part, before eventually speaking up again.

"Can...can I ask you a potentially personal question?" she finally said, breaking the silence that had settled between them for the majority of their journey. Once again thanks to the nature of her life as a shepherdess, Sarah had very little social sense, so she had no idea if what she was about to ask was an acceptable point of conversation or not. So, she would wait for him to answer in the affirmative before continuing. Should he agree, she would speak up again, talking in a slightly more hesitant tone. "Was there anything in particular that prompted you to enter this line of work? Any sort of attack or whatever else have you? Or was it just like choosing any other job?" she asked simply, tilting her head with curiosity.

As they continued to walk, the small party found the city walls looming over them ever higher as they approached the outer boundary of the city. The size still intimidated the shepherdess a little, but the knowledge that they were almost out in the open again brought another small memory rushing back.

"Oh, that reminds me, I should set up a ward or two once we get outside the city limits. I doubt we'll have much to worry about in the way of bandit or wolf attacks with three armed guardsmen as an escort, but its better safe than sorry, I guess" she remarked, speaking more to herself than any of her companions this time, though she did spare a quick glance for her sheepdog, just to make sure he was still following along obediently. Thankfully, he was.

[Holeypaladin]

"I suppose you have a point," said Henry in reference to the goals of the soldiers, "Typically, when a soldier does particularly well at a low ranking position, they get promoted to a higher rank, and so on, until they find themselves at a rank where they're no longer nearly as competent as they were at a lower rank," he said. "Perhaps these two realize that they'd rather be good at a low ranking job than terrible at a high ranking job. With their sense of direction... I wouldn't want to place either of them in a squad leader position, after all."

He held her hand as he walked. It was delicate in his grip, reminding him that though she was a hard worker, she was still very much a girl. Being a shepherd must be hard work for a female, as they had to work long hours on very little sleep, having to deal with dangerous wild animals and bandits, and keep track of their sheep. It was fairly rare to see any women in that line of work, as it was rare to find female soldiers as well. Sarah must be particularly good at her job in order to succeed... but it also meant she'd have difficulty finding employment in the future, most likely.

He glanced in her direction as she asked for permission to ask a question. "You may ask," he told her. "If it's too personal I just won't respond." He waited for her to ask. The question wasn't as personal as she had implied... the girl must have still felt uncomfortable around him, Henry supposed, for her to be so anxious about a simple question like that.

"I suppose I might as well tell you," he said with a shrug. "It's not something I talk about a lot... since it gives people an odd impression of me. But since you've seen these things yourself, well," he glanced over to her, "Perhaps it won't sound like superstitious nonsense to you. I chose this line of work out of a sense of justice. You see..."

He took a deep breath before revealing his reasons. "I have... dreams. Dreams that haunt me... dreams that taunt me. Always after the events, making it impossible for me to prevent them. But making me angry, making me feel like these creatures need to be punished for their actions..."

He chuckled. "Maybe I'm rambling, or not making sense. But I had a dream of the attack on your village. That should explain to you why I know more about it, why I sought you out in order to hear your story of the events... and why I want to help you punish these foul creatures. Anyone would want to do the same, if they saw such things happen in front of them, would they not?"

As they left the city, the shepherd girl's whole attitude changed in front of Henry's eyes. She went from being a clueless refugee to being someone more at home, more in her element. The familiar feel of travelling, he supposed, reminded her of what she was.

"A ward?" he questioned her suggestion. "You mean... a magical ward? You can use magic, Sarah?"

It was the first thing he had heard about her having any sort of mystical talent, but... come to think of it, it didn't surprise him. Simple warding magic would be invaluable for a shepherd, especially a female shepherd, when crossing dangerous terrain and protecting her flock. Henry wanted to know more about it, so he asked again. "Tell me about these wards... actually, show me. I want to see how you do them. I'm suddenly much more interested in you, Sarah."

[Namingtoohard]

"I don't think that there's anything you could do or say at this point that would make me think you're any stranger than I already do" Sarah answered idly, dismissing Henry's concerns with an idle shrug as she expressed his own reservations, before falling into silence as he explained about his weird dreams. She listened in silence for the most part, and found herself wondering about him slightly. She definitely saw him in a different light now, though the shepherdess wouldn't go so far as to say that it completely changed her first impression of the prince. It certainly filled in a lot of the gaps in their earlier conversation, like how he had known to wait for a potential survivor visiting the city to begin with. It also raised more questions, like the cause and them and a few others besides, but Sarah was hardly in the position to push for more information.

"Ah, I see...so you saw everything that happened to my home town, then" she remarked simply, unable to help but feel a little crestfallen over the thought that this man quite possibly knew more of her family and friends' final moments than she herself ever would. It felt as if she had failed them in some basic way, not even being brave enough to witness their ends as she hid out of fear for her own life. Upon hearing his words, she fell silent for a moment, before forcing herself to speak up again.

"Still...I don't think everyone could say they would do the same. Most would dismiss such visions as nightmares, or be to afraid to do anything about it" she answered after a moment, speaking in a quiet tone as she glanced away, out of shyness or something else akin to it, mostly because that fear was the exact sort of thing she had felt, and still felt in some small amount even now. "In that regard, I dare say you're quite different to the average man" she added after a moment of silent thought, hoping to make him feel better in at least some small regard with her words as she forced herself to look up again.

Thankfully, the mood seemed to lighten as the discussion turned to the topic of magic, as quickly and suddenly as the towering buildings of the city gave way to open plains as they passed underneath the arch of the city's outer gate before heading out onto the open plains. To the shepherdess, at least, this environment felt much more natural, and much less oppressive. She felt rather strange not having a flock to worry about, though Enek seemed completely fine with the idea. With no standing orders to follow or jobs to do, he dashed off ahead of the group, settling for exploring a little to sate his curiosity. Sarah was happy to let him go, confident that he would remain close enough to hear her should she have need and call out to him.

She was definitely somewhat grateful as the discussion turned to the subject of magic, and her rather basic knowledge of it. The shepherdess nodded in simple confirmation as he asked whether she could really use it, finding the subject relatively easy to discuss compared to their prior one. Where she lived, it was common for people in her line of work to be taught as such, if they proved to have the aptitude for it.

"Most of the shepherds from Jahkaved could. The better you proved to be at it, the further from the city they would send you. Passing travelers would often pay any they passed a coin or two in exchange for a simple good luck charm" she remarked with a casual shrug, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I can only do basic glyphwards, though. Nothing fancy, or that useful to fighting" she added after a moment's thought". Glyphwards were a rather obscure branch of magic, often dismissed by combative mages as being useless in the heat of combat, since they took time to prepare before casting. They needed to be prepared beforehand for use in a fight, meaning one couldn't improvise spells on the spot to get out a sticky situation. Not only that, but glyphwards grew increasingly complex the more powerful the spell one tried to cast, and even the smallest mistake in their writing could cause the spell to fail spectacularly. Most wards that shepherds used were rather simple though, so they weren't all that catastrophic even when trainess managed to screw them up.

"Well, here's as good a place as any, I suppose" she answered once he asked her to demonstrate. Bringing their little convoy to a halt, she would walk towards the side of the road, stepping off the worn track and into the dirt. Taking her quaterstaff in both hands, she would begin to chant in a low voice, while using the lower end of the length of wood to draw in the dirt. It was a simple pattern - one circle inside another, with a few lines connecting them, and the symbols for safety, warding, protection and luck scratched around the four corners. It roughly translated to "let us be shielded from misfortune", and as she finished her chant, the shepherdess' cloak began to billow about her, as if caught in a breeze, despite the lack of wind.

"And...that's all there is to it, really" she answered, turning back to face the prince with a small smile on her face as she stepped back onto the road. As it was, she could feel the spell weaving itself into the group, settling around them like some sort of invisible aura. It was barely noticeable, and less aware people wouldn't even notice its presence. Regardless, she could tell the execution had been close to perfect. "I'm afraid it won't be as strong as normal, since I don't have an amplifier on this staff, or anything more conductive to channel the spell's magical energy through than dirt. I could do better if I could write the glyph on a piece of paper and burn it, or if I had a chime, but it seems we don't have that luxury"

[Holeypaladin]

"I suppose you have a point..." considered Henry, listening how the girl described how most people were cowardly, and unwilling to help those in need. "I myself had doubts of these dreams at first, thinking they were nightmares... until reports came in which confirmed that they were, in fact, accounts of the actual events. Still..." he considered, "I suppose there are many who lack the strength and resolve to bring these creatures to justice, even should they be aware of their attacks."

He listened as the shepherd girl described her protection seals, and demonstrated by casting a spell. He recognized it, in fact... it was similar to his own demon sealing magic, if a good deal less complex. He realized that it would do a good job of providing a moderate amount of protection from animals and bandits, but it wouldn't stop a premeditated, planned ambush. Still, it was indeed a very useful talent for the girl to have.

"Well now..." he said, sounding a bit impressed by her display, "You're full of surprises, aren't you? And here I nearly dismissed you as a peasant. Yet you not only possess a talent for magic, but you even know some low level sealing and protection spells. And you say it's common among your village? I had not thought there were any institutions of advanced academic learning near Jahkaved..."

He considered the significance of the girl's display. True, it was rather rudimentary, and simple... but it was also surprisingly effective, and not at all shabby. It would allow a young woman such as herself to herd sheep like experienced, older men, without losing them to wolves and other wild animals. With a bit of formal training, the girl could accomplish some truly impressive feats.

"What would you say..." he began, "If I told you that such sealing techniques are more effective against supernatural creatures than they are against wild animals? For example, a simple protection spell, like the one you cast... could also serve to ward off lesser demons, creatures that by all accounts are more dangerous than the average soldier, as I'm sure you've come to realize by now."

He shrugged. "With a bit of practice and education, you could in fact be an asset to this expedition, rather than just a guide. It's dangerous... so I won't force you to do it. But if you choose... I might be able to show you some methods to improve your protection spells. While many wizards shun spells that take time to cast... the smartest of them realize that proper preparation before a battle can make a huge difference once the actual fighting starts."

He glanced at the mooks as they discussed... random nonsense, by the sound of it. Biggs and Wedge didn't seem like reliable teachers.... no, if the shepherd girl wanted to study magic, the only one that could provide even a modicum of instruction in this particular group was Henry himself. "Who knows," he said, "You might have more talents than you are currently aware of."

[Namingtoohard]

Unable to help herself, Sarah almost beamed with something akin to pride as the prince praised her on the sudden and unexpected display of magic, quite content that she had done an ample job of showing off her skills. The fact that it was someone who trained and used magic on such a high level as Henry must to be an accomplished hunter made her all the more pleased, even if she had yet to see any actual proof of his expertise. She pouted a little at his mentioning that he had been ready to dismiss her as a simple commoner up until just that moment, her smile fading just a little, before she dismissed the thought as she decided it hadn't been intended as an insult. The shepherdess really was just a peasant, magical skill or no, and most nobles were condescending towards them. It seemed Henry was similar in that regard, despite her initial first impression.

"There aren't any magical schools around my home town...or there weren't, I should say. The few basic wards we know were just handed down from one shepherd to another as an extra security measure. No formal instruction, just people trying to keep their friends safe. They weren't generally shared with the rest of the population" she answered, giving a small shrug. The truth was a little more complex than that, but Sarah didn't care to get into it, since it was of little importance. Still, it felt strange, talking about her friends and workmates in the past tense like this...though it was something she would have to get used to, now.

The discussion took a rather unexpected turn as he suddenly announced that her basic knowledge of warding could also be used to defend against demons and the likes, and for a moment she froze. Did that mean that if she had learned of them earlier, studied or sought them out, she would have been able to do something about the attack on her home? That she could have stopped it, or at least assisted the defenders? She squashed the thought immediately. She wouldn't allow herself to think like that, lest the guilt destroy her almost entirely. The idea of learning was one she relished, but if that meant she might have to face those things herself...Sarah shuddered at the thought.

"Learning more magic would be wonderful, if it proves to be within my abilities" she started, finally breaking her silence as she came up with a decision. The shepherdess' voice was quieter now though, more reserved, hinting at the underlying hesitations that still lingered in the back of her mind. "I'm always willing to try and improve, and perhaps it would be a skill useful to have when it comes to trying to move forward with my life, once this is all over. Everything is telling me to try, but..." Sarah added after a moment's thought, trying to rationalize her own decision to herself as much as she was trying to explain her thoughts on the subject to the armored knight standing before her.

"...well, I don't think I could stand before one of those things and keep my calm long enough to do anything useful. The thought of moving to meet even one of those things terrifies me, even just walking back to a place I know they are waiting...even if it used to be my home. All your effort would be for naught, because in the end, I'd still just be another person that requires protecting" she added. Her earlier cheeriness had vanished in its entirety now, and she looked up at him with a wry smile, obviously forced to a great extent. "I suppose you could say I lack the strength and resolve, hm?" she added, mimicking his words from before, when the two of them had been discussing in an attempt to lighten the mood, though it seemed that she had failed somewhat miserably in that regard. She had already shown some strength and resolve in seeking out help to see the demons punished in the first place, but the shepherdess didn't see it as enough.

Perhaps in an effort to change the topic, she looked away for a moment, before calling gently for Enek, who responded immediately. After he had trotted over, she would crouch down briefly to pet him, before finally mustering up the courage to look up at the knight again. "We should keep moving. The two of us will still need to sleep at sundown, so we'll cover much less ground in a day then you would probably like, meaning we need to make the most of the time we have. At least I'll be able to watch over the camp as a sentry in the hours before sunrise, though" she answered, trying to regain some semblance of usefulness beyond that as just an ordinary guide. As if to make good on her words, she would turn and set to walking again, simply trusting the rest of the party to follow for now.

[Holeypaladin]

Henry had to remind himself that most people had a different reaction to danger than a trained warrior did. It had become a second instinct for the prince-knight to draw his weapon and face danger when it reared its ugly head, but such instinct had taken years of study, and a great deal of battlefield experience. He had the luxury of studying how to fight with blade and spell for his entire life, thanks to his upbringing and inherent magical affinity. For the common folk who were more concerned with the bare necessities of survival... indeed, it was more natural for them to run and hide than it was for them to fight.

"There is one thing," explained Henry, "That many people are unaware of. Courage, you see, is not the absence of fear. I think it would be quite unusual indeed to lack the basic fears that humans have acquired as survival instincts, after all. No... true courage is more the way one deals with fear." He shrugged. "For example, some people run and hide from their fears, and others face their fears directly. Of course... facing something too strong to overcome is simply foolishness, not courage. There is a difference," he shrugged.

He glanced over to the two "mooks" as they held some sort of conversation. "Imma kill me some twenty demons, at least!" Biggs was bragging to the other soldier. "I'll have the highest kill count of any mook in recorded history!"

"Well Imma just need to kill me twenty one!" Wedge was trying to increase the level of boasting, "You ain't gonna out-mook me, no sir, no way, no how!" The conversation kept going as so much, with the two soldiers challenging each other to see who can kill more demons. It eventually turned into the topic of how difficult each kill was, and how a greater demon should count for more points than a lesser demon. Before long, they were discussing some sort of elaborate scoring system for how to measure who the superior mook is.

"I doubt those two could even keep up the necessary mathematical calculations in the middle of battle," said Frederick in a low tone to the shepherd girl. "I'm starting to wonder if they lean more towards the side of foolishness than bravery. Or perhaps they're mostly all talk... we won't know for sure, unfortunately, until we see some action."

"Regardless," said the prince, "Due to the nature of your warding magic, you can also cast it before the fight begins in preparation, and then hide for the rest of the battle. The choice is yours... I won't force you to assist us in this fight, nor will I forbid you entirely from seeking justice for the destruction of your village. For now..." he mounted his horse before offering the girl a hand, "Would you care for a ride?"

[Namingtoohard]

Unfortunately for Sarah, it seemed that her attempt at fleeing from that line of conversation was to be met with failure, as Henry rebuffed both the way she tried to change the topic and the way she tried to hustle their entire little group back into movement again. He continued the conversation without so much as breaking stride, or so it seemed to her at least, beginning with a new little piece on the true meaning of courage. Had someone asked her before the accident, the shepherdess would have thought herself quite brave, having stood off against wolf packs as she had, which was more than most girls her age could say. After what she had seen, though...well, that opinion of herself had changed rather drastically during the time she had spent travelling to the capital.

"I suppose you would have to count me among the former, in that case, considering that...well, running and hiding was exactly what I did. Or would you simply tell me that is supposed to be the lack of foolishness you mentioned?" she answered, glancing back across at him as a small, wry smile flickered across her face. "Either way, it just seems that we have something else to add to the list of what exactly it is that I lack" she added after a moment, her tone becoming a tad more neutral. Normally the shepherdess didn't view herself in such a negative light, and she kept such thoughts to herself, but after what had happened to her, it seemed somewhat understandable if she was more than a little shaken.

The talk between their travelling companions did little to help her relax, either, considering the topic of their discussion. Fighting demons could only have seemed an enjoyable experience to the insane or people who had never before experienced it, in her mind. They thought it a chance to win glory, while the demons they sought already had the blood of hundreds on their hands, including the city guard. And the numbers they spoke of...if their predictions were accurate, would the small band of four be enough, even with the prince at their head? She stayed silent through Henry's little quip at the two of them, before hesitating briefly at what came next.

"W-well...if I didn't have to stand and face them directly, then maybe that would be a different matter" she finally admitted sheepishly, almost unable to believe the words as soon as they had come out of her mouth. She had to do something, though - the young woman was already the odd one out in their little group, in more ways than one, and the comment earlier that had implied she was virtually useless was still fresh in her mind. After all, the same purpose could have easily been fulfilled by a simple map. "If I can support you from afar, offer some sort of help then I am willing to try. Its easier, knowing that I won't be standing face to face with one of those things" she finally muttered. It was an innocent statement, considering what fate had in store for their party, but such were her thoughts and wishes.

Still, her eyes widened in surprise as the man offered her an opportunity to ride, and she stood there with a look of shock on her face for a moment as she glanced down at the offered hand. "Ah...um, I'm afraid I've never had much of a chance to ride before. I don't know how" she admitted sheepishly, before reaching out and taking his hand regardless. "If that's no bother, though, then...well, I'm willing to try this, too" she answered with a small smile. In reality she was unsure as to whether she was even supposed to sit in front or behind him, such was her lack of knowledge, but she was to face bigger fears than those of being thrown from a horse in the coming days. This seemed as good a place to start as any

[Holeypaladin]

"We need to work on your self-confidence some," said Henry, looking over the girl. "You're a very pretty girl, once you're cleaned and properly dressed, but the whole 'I can't do anything' attitude..." He tried to keep in mind that the girl had been through a great deal of trauma lately, having lost her village and friends and all that, so he tried to be gentle with his tone. "Well, with a bit more confidence, you could be a very attractive young woman," he said with a slight blush.

"Some support from the rear is better than no support at all, right? So if that's all you feel comfortable with at the moment, I should find it acceptable. Don't worry, though... I won't let anything hurt you. You're safe with me, so long as you keep as calm as you can and do as I say." He realized what he said might be easier said than done, but... one could hope.

Taking her hand, he helped the girl up into the horse, holding her in his lap as the warhorse protested somewhat only to get a swift whack from Henry to let it know who was in charge. "You don't mind if I hold on, do you?" asked Henry, wrapping his arms around the girl and hugging her waist. "Wouldn't want you to fall off, after all. I'm the only one with stirrups, anyway."

Holding her close, he rode forward a bit of the mooks, who quickened their pace to try and keep up. He could have easily outdistanced them, of course, but they had all the necessary supplies for the trip, and he didn't feel a need to tire out his horse for no reason. He noted how soft the girl felt in his arms... very different from his own body, yet much more... pleasant. Henry had never really had time for women in the past, so his heart started to beat faster once he caught the girl's scent.

"So..." he said, trying to keep his voice steady in order to ease the tension he was feeling from having a pretty girl in his arms. "Are you... comfortable? How do you like riding?" He realized that he sounded rather lame, but he wasn't sure what else to say at the moment.

[Namingtoohard]

A small blush infused the girl's cheeks at the next few words to flow out of the prince's mouth - namely, those about her current lack of confidence, and how he thought she would make a rather attractive young woman otherwise. To be honest the shepherdess wasn't even sure which part of that little statement she found the most questionable, not that she cared to continue on that little like of thought any longer. Rather, she just wanted to move on as quickly as she possibly could from that little thought, and the opportunity to try out the simple activity of riding a horse for the first time allowed her the perfect avenue of escape.

With his help, Sarah swung herself up into the horse's saddle, settling down in front of the prince with his guidance. Realistically, she was lucky to have his assistance, considering that she likely would've been unable to so much as climb onto its back without it. The shepherdess wasn't even sure if she was supposed to sit in front of him or behind him, though that question was answered soon enough as Henry guided her into position. She shook her head a little in response if he asked as to whether or not he could hold on, though she found that strange - didn't he have to hold the reigns? Or was she supposed to do that? Maybe the horse was obedient enough to just follow the path, so it wasn't necessary at the time.

"It feels strange, to be honest. Its like sitting on an uncomfortable chair, with your legs at an unusual angle...while it moves" she answered, frowning to herself as she tried to think of just how she was supposed to describe it. The constant motion proved a little bit of a struggle at first, with Sarah struggling to settle into the rhythm, and she wasn't able to budge the worry in her chest that she was about to fall despite Henry's grip.

"I suppose I could get used to it...eventually" she added softly after a few moments, a small smile flickering across her face. Despite her nerves, there was something enjoyable about the whole experience, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. At that moment she thought she could get used to it eventually, and not having to walk for once was extremely nice. "I'd prefer to avoid getting saddle sores any time in the next few days though, considering what is to come. That's something that happens to people while they learn to ride, isn't it?" she asked with a soft chuckle, throwing a quick glance back over her shoulder at Henry while she spoke, before realizing how unsettling it was not watching where she was going, and quickly spinning back.

"So, can anybody carry a tune?" she asked suddenly in the silence that followed, directing her question more to the group than any one specific person this time. She was curious to hear the response of their of the mooks just as much of Henry's own. Obviously, she had chosen this tune for a reason, and continued on by humming a few opening bars from one of the songs she had listened to frequently as a child, mostly to see if any of them would risk joining in. It had always been a good way to pass time on the road to her, though she wasn't used to having an audience of other humans.

[Holeypaladin]

Henry held the girl in his arms, looking at the way she tried to sit and get used to the flow of the horse. He was, of course, fully able to direct the horse with his knees without having to use the reins, but he held them anyway, even with his arms wrapped around the smaller shepherd girl. "Try to relax," he said gently into her ear, "Once you get used to the motion, it's unlikely to cause any lasting pain. Maybe a few sore muscles, but only at first. Like walking or running causes sore muscles to people who are not used to it."

He noted her slowly start to smile, and nodded in approval. "Riding can be quite enjoyable, after all," he agreed with her. "As for the saddle sores you hear about... most of those are due to improper fitting of the saddle itself. If you start to feel friction, you're doing it wrong, but if you follow my lead... we can most likely prevent such sores from happening." The prince enjoyed having someone to ride with, as the girl felt most pleasant in his arms. Though she was of humble birth... she wasn't bad on the eyes, at all, and she smelled nice.

"Oy, I kin carry a tune!" said Wedge, nodding as the girl began to hum. "I know this song, too! Heard it in me hometown, I did." With that, he began to sing off key to the tune that Sarah was humming, causing Henry to chuckle a bit. Soon, he was joined by Biggs, who also seemed to recognize the tune, and they began a warbling of off-key singing that was amplified since there were two of them.

Additionally, as they sing, they sometimes used different words for the same portions of the song. The difference between their lyrics only grew as they continued to pollute the air with their obnoxious singing, until the two of them were singing two different songs entirely to the same tune. Eventually, the two stopped singing and began to bicker with each other over which lyrics were the right lyrics, and which song was the right song. They even argued over the proper name of the song.

"Different villages," said Henry to Sarah to try and get her to understand, "Often have different lyrics to the same melody. It's difficult to determine which version is, in fact, the proper version of the song... as I'm sure the version you are familiar with is probably different than what both of them were singing, isn't it?" He chuckled. "As for me... I don't have much confidence in my singing voice. Those two have entirely TOO much confidence in their singing voices though, don't they?"

[Namingtoohard]

Once again deciding to trust the prince's superior experience and take him at his word, the girl nodded, doing her best to push such worries from her mind. Instead, she decided to take his advice and focus on relaxing, simply trying to settle into the constant motion of the horse's steps. She was starting to find that it was easier to settle into the gentle rhythm when she wasn't actively thinking about it, and Henry's company was enjoyable enough. The feeling of sitting with his arms around her was both comfortable and comforting at once, and talking to him certainly better than just being left alone with her thoughts, for obvious reasons. Having someone to chat with helped keep her mind from wandering into darker areas.

The shepherdess practically squealed inwardly with excitement when one of the other members of their travelling party announced that he did indeed know the song what he had chosen, and that he could carry a tune...or so he thought, at the very least. Naturally, she kept humming along as the two of them began to sing the lyrics, quite content with the way that one particular idea had managed to turn out. She didn't really care for the fact that their singing was off-key, or the change in lyrics, mostly because that wasn't her goal in bringing up the subject to begin with. Singing could serve other purposes than to sound pleasing to the ear.

Her smile faded a little as the two of them broke off their song to instead start an argument, before she gave a dismissive shrug, deciding that it wasn't worth getting upset over. The singing had been nice while it had lasted, and the two seemed to argue about anything and everything that crossed their minds already, just judging by her personal experience with the two of them so far. Still, she threw a glance back at Henry as he began to explain, raising one of her eyebrows in a puzzled expression.

"Oh, I'm well aware. The point of the song wasn't to get them fighting though, or to put on any real show. On a journey like this it just helps to pass the time, really, and it can take your focus off burning muscles towards the end of longer hikes. They can sing whichever versions they like, so long as everyone's having fun..." he trailed off, before quickly glancing back over at the two where they were arguing. "...well, such is the idea, at the very least" she mumbled softly to herself after a short pause - Sarah's own way of admitting that things hadn't gone exactly according to plan.

After a few more moments of travelling, she would let out a soft yawn, raising her left hand to cover her mouth and stifle it was best as she was able. After it had passed, the shepherdess would blink rapidly a few times, before glancing up at the sky again. The day had passed much more quickly than she had originally thought, given everything that they had done to distract themselves, and her body clock was reminding her inwardly that it was nearing the time she normally started winding down for the night. "My my, so late already? I'd completely lost track of the time" she mumbled softly to herself, frowning a little as she thought it over. "Well, we might need to find a place to set up camp soon, otherwise I'm liable to fall asleep in the saddle. Of course, if you want to cover more ground tonight, I suppose that isn't the worst option..." she mumbled, mulling over the idea, before another problem sprung to mind. With a small blush infusing her cheeks, she would speak up again. "Oh, and...um, I think I'm going to need some help getting down when the time comes"

[Holeypaladin]

"Somehow," said Henry with a shrug, "I think they have fun arguing over minor things. I mean," he gestured to the two mooks, "Look how much fun they're having debating over the proper lyrics," he said as the two continued to bicker and debate. It was clear they were used to such arguments and held them quite frequently. "I guess it's a 'mook' thing, to find minor things to argue and debate and to toss around meaningless insults as a sign of... camaraderie? I don't quite understand, not being a mook myself, but," Henry shrugged, "The two appear to be best of friends. Don't you think?"

He enjoyed the feeling of the girl in his arms... for some reason, she just felt warm, and comfortable, and he wanted to hold her tighter... but at the same time he didn't want her to think he was being inappropriate or taking advantage of the difference between the social standards. He resolved to simply enjoy the feeling of her in his arms as much as he could, and focused on riding ahead, holding her tightly enough to prevent her from falling off the horse and to assist her in proper riding technique.

Eventually, the girl's yawn indicated that it was approaching sundown. It was almost as if she indicated the end of the day before it happened... such was the life of a shepherd, he supposed. It may slow their progress somewhat... but Henry didn't want to press the girl harder than she could handle, nor did he want her to sustain unnecessary skin abrasions from riding while asleep. "We can look for a camp sight," he told the girl, nodding in understanding of her need to sleep early.

Once he had found a suitable location to rest, he helped the girl down, holding her in his arms. He gazed at her tired face and stroked her hair. "You know..." he said as he realized how pretty she looked in her near-sleep state, then shook his head, thinking better of the thought. "Nevermind.... I'll let the mooks set up camp. They like that sort of work. We'll let you take the early morning watch, since you'll be awake anyway by that time."

He set the girl down, holding her for a moment. "Are your legs a bit numb from the ride? A quick rub can get the blood flowing again, and return the feeling to your legs," he said as he looked her over. "Lie down for a bit, I'll help if you like," he offered.

[Namingtoohard]

Upon hearing his response concerning the mooks and thier strange brand of friendship, Sarah raised one of her eyebrows in a puzzled look. She would hardly have considered their mannerisms normal, but back at her home at least a few of the guards she had known had often teased each other as an odd way of displaying their friendship, and she had just naturally assumed that their discussions fulfilled a similar purpose. Had Henry never done the same, with any of the other people who were training at the same time as him, or that he used to fight alongside? It seemed a strange thought, though after a moment's thought the shepherdess just decided to attribute it to his noble upbringing. Perhaps such things were just frowned upon for a man of his station.

She nodded in grateful understanding as he announced that they could look for a campsite, glad that he was happy to surrender to her own unique habits instead of insisting that they push on regardless. Sarah had said she could try sleeping in the saddle, but still wanted to avoid it if possible, considering that she still had no idea how that would turn out, and wasn't still entirely used to riding itself to begin with. Once they had finally decided they would stop for the evening, she would accept his help in dismounting willingly, glad for the assistance. The last thing she needed today was to slip and fall in front of her new travelling companions now. As soon as she was down, Enek would trot over and join her quietly, as per usual.

She was a little surprised by Henry's forwardness in stroking her hair, which was something that seemingly came out of nowhere, but the shepherdess wasn't going to complain about it at this point. Was she too tired to bother, or just enjoying it in her own right? Probably a little bit of both, really. She looked up at him with a curious expression as he started to speak, before giving a dismissive shrug as he told her not to worry about it. A look of brief surprise flickered across her face as he told her that a quick massage would be a good idea, and that he would do it for her.

"Ah...um, well, if that's normal for people who are new to riding" she mumbled softly, able to feel the blood rushing to her cheeks at the thought. The two of them had only met the day prior, after all, and she had never really been in that sort of situation before. Stifling another yawn, she would step off the road and quickly step towards their new campsite, before taking a seat in the grass. Enek, on the other hand, would take the opportunity to wander off a little, sniffing around the immediate area. Sarah would watch him go, before glancing back across at Henry again.

"So am I supposed to be laying down on my stomach, or on my back?" she would question briefly, still a tad unsure how exactly she was supposed to go about this. She would wait in silence for an answer, before quickly responding once she had been given one by shifting and laying down in the appropriate position. Once she had, she would throw a quick glance across at the mooks. She briefly wondered what they must think of her, before coming to the conclusion that neither of them probably cared all that much, given their personalities.

"You're lavishing a surprising amount of attention on someone who isn't meant to be any more than a simple guide. I mean, its unlikely I'll ever end up going riding again once this little expedition is done" she added after a few moments, throwing a quick glance back in Henry's direction once she had settled down. "Speaking of which, when exactly do you intend to set about teaching me more about magic? In the mornings before we set off? Or were you planning on just lecturing me while we were travelling?" she questioned, raising one of her eyebrows in a puzzled expression. Naturally, the evenings didn't seem the best idea, considering how early she was used to sleeping, so she was curious as to what the prince's thoughts on the matter were. She was always eager ot learn, despite her misgivings as to the use of such magic

[Holeypaladin]

Henry had expected the girl to rub her own legs, but when she lay down and agreed to let him take care of it, Henry happily obliged. In truth, his offer had been somewhat of a joke, to get to see her reaction... but with her accepting it, he merely shrugged and said "On your back is fine." He wanted to be able to see her reactions and whether she blushed or not, as it really didn't particularly matter how she lay down.

Once the girl was on the ground, he began to slowly slide his hands up and down her legs, feeling her smooth skin, rubbing out the stiff parts of her muscles. "Your skin is rather soft," said the prince, looking over the girl as he continued to rub and caress her legs, feeling them in his hands and soothing the aches away. His hands slid somewhat high up her thighs as he gazed at her face to see her reactions.

Eventually, he had the girl roll over onto her belly so he could rub the backs of her legs. This time, his caresses included the sore buttocks on which she had been sitting the previous day, rubbing her muscles and gazing at her to see her reactions. It amused him somewhat that the girl would let him touch her like this after just meeting... but he supposed it probably felt rather refreshing to her, as well.

"Alright, that's enough," he finally said as he finished. "How do you feel?" He shrugged at the girl's comment of attention lavishing. "You may be a guide, but you're also a girl. Think about things from my perspective," he said, "I could either pay attention to you... or I could pay attention to those two," he pointed at the two mooks which were arguing over guard shifts. It seems they both wanted to take the first watch so that they'd get an uninterrupted sleep.

"Which would you choose, in my position?" he said, laying the girl down on her sleeping roll and tucking her in. "I think the answer is quite obvious. As for magic... yes, I can teach you in the mornings, while the two mooks sleep. Plus I can provide reading material for the road... once you've learned the necessary runes in order to read Draconic, that is."

[Namingtoohard]

Needless to say, the shepherdess was somewhat embarrassed about the potential idea of having the prince deal with any aches that might have sprung up during their trip. Naturally, she hadn't picked up on the fact that his offer had been made in jest, and had really only accepted because she had briefly wondered if that sort of behavior was supposed to be normal in the circumstances he had grown up in. In any case, it was too late for the shepherdess to back out now, and she responded with a simple nod at his answer to her question, before laying back down in the grass. She could feel her cheeks flushing slightly, but simply closed her eyes and did the best she could to relax, still under the impression that this was supposed to be somewhat socially acceptable.

Her blush deepened somewhat at his comment on how soft her skin was, and while she did her best to suppress her nerves, the shepherdess didn't quite succeed. It was almost a relief when he asked her to roll onto his stomach, and the girl quickly folded her arms in front o her and laid her head down on them as soon as she had, to hide her face. A small squeal escaped her as he moved on rubbing her rear briefly, and she had to resist the urge to spin around and take a swing at him, not having expected him to be that handsy despite their deal, which she had only really expected to include her thighs originally. It took all of her self-control not to do so, and even then, she only resisted because she had agreed to this somewhat, even if it was unknowingly.

She glanced across at the mooks briefly when he gestured towards the two of them, and silently conceded that point, but there was something else in his statement that Sarah found herself raising an eyebrow at. "What, so the fact that I'm female means you're to focus on me more, over even the men under your command?" she questioned, tone and facial expression clearly a tad disapproving. She had already spent the majority of her life alone in the wilderness, after all, and there was also the implication in his words that he would be open to doing the same as any other female he happened across. "Are you a bit of a womanizer or something? I daresay that two unblooded trainees would require more oversight than a guide who already knows the path and isn't going to actually get involved in close quarters combat" she added after a moment's thought, tilting her head a little as the impromptu massage came to an end.

She nodded in simple acknowledgement as he announced that he would teach her in the morning. She was somewhat daunted by the task of having to learn an entirely new script, and briefly wondered just how in-depth he was planning on going with this supposed education when the two of them only had a week or so to work together. As she slipped into her bedroll, the shepherdess gave a casual shrug. "I'm surprised you decided to bring books like that on a journey like this, considering" she mumbled softly, but other than that she let the issue go for the time being. She laid down in the roll that had been set out for her, before pausing briefly. Immediately, she would sit up again, quickly glancing around their campsite.

"Enek, over here!" she would call softly, causing the sheepdog to immediately dart across to his master's side. Smiling to herself, Sarah would twist a little to face him, while the sheepdog would step up to meet her, placing his front paws on her lap as he craned his neck up towards her. A small smile would flicker across her face and she would reach out to pet the dog, stroking his fur gently for a moment, while seemingly having forgotten about Henry's presence for the moment. "I'm afraid I have to rest now, boy. Your nose and ears must guard us while I sleep. Don't let me down, hm?" she would coo softly, before pushing his paws off of her lap and lying down again. Stifling a quick yawn, she would mutter a goodnight to both of the boys standing alongside, closing her eyes and rolling onto her side as she did her best to relax and slowly fell into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness.

[Holeypaladin]

The girl seemed to be misunderstanding something, assuming that his reasons for paying attention to her were because he was a womanizer. "A womanizer?" he asked. "No... I thought you realized by now. I'm a knight. How many stories have you heard about a knight who is rude to women and instead prefers the company of brutish men who smell funny? It is a gentleman's duty to ensure that the women and children are comfortable... whether they are used to travelling or not. As for our mook friends... they're soldiers. They're used to long marches. They'll be fine."

He watched as she relaxed into her sleep, paying some attention to the dog and seeming to forget about his presence. She really did sleep early... earlier even than soldiers, though soldiers were accustomed to long campaigns with very little sleep in general. It wasn't an easy life, but it was apparently something that Biggs and Wedge took pride in.

"Biggs, second watch," said Henry in order to solve their little dispute. "Wedge, third watch. You two can take a quick nap in the early morning while I educate the sleeping beauty in draconic runes. Now get to work."

The two happily jumped up to obey his order with a solute before laying down their own sleeping rolls and jumping in bed to nap. Apparently, they loved to get bossed around by their commander... such mookish mooks, these were. Henry himself decided to pet the dog as he kept watch, while stealing glances at the cute sleeping face of the shepherd girl.

[Namingtoohard]

After Sarah had eventually drifted off to sleep most of her night had proven to be somewhat restless and fitful, as was to be expected for one who had just experienced what the shepherdess had gone through. If one cared to listen, they would have found her muttering occasionally throughout the night, in a low tone that was barely noticeable. Even if one did care to listen they would find that it was mostly just nonsensical and inaudible gibberish, with no hint as to what exactly sort of memories had run through her mind. Enek stayed close for most of the night, laying down in the grass beside her bedroll and keeping watch, just as instructed. By the time the shepherdess had awoken, all her dreams had faded into nothingness, along with the night.

She awoke with a soft yawn, sitting up in her bedroll and taking a moment to stretch, before glancing around at her surroundings sleepily. Raising one of her hands, she would rub her eye briefly for a moment, one after the other, before finally and reluctantly getting to her feet. Enek took note of her movement, and made to join her, but the shepherdess bade him lay back down immediately, while giving him the command that he could sleep now. Once she was done, she went in search of whoever it was that was holding the current watch so she could relieve them.

It didn't take her long to spot Wedge, and she immediately made her way towards the mook. After a short exchange, he took his queue to head back to his own bedroll and get some sleep. With him gone, Sarah swept her gaze across the rest of the campsite, making a quick mental note of where everyone else had set themselves up. Afterwards, she would walk back over to her own things and take up both her staff and cloak, before picking a tree bordering on the edge of the campsite. Walking over to it, she would sit down with her back pressed against it, laying her cloak across her legs to help her maintain some sort of warmth. A soft yawn escaped the woman as she helped herself to a seat, causing her to pause briefly.

"..did I really sleep so much less than usual? I mean, to be up before sunrise isn't all that strange, but..." she muttered softly to herself, frowning a little. As she settled in, she took it upon herself to lay out her horn and staff, so that both were well within reach but not currently on her person. She would just sit in silence for the time being, doing her best to keep herself awake and alert as she kept watch, as was her job. Sarah was used to guarding her sheep in a similar manner, but that didn't stop it from being boring work, and there was little she could do now but relax and wait for dawn

[Holeypaladin]

As the shepherd girl slept, Henry began to prepare some of the basic lessons that he would be giving her in the morning. In order to learn magic, she'd first need to know the language. Magic was ancient, pre-dating the rise of humanity by milennia. Elves of course had their own affinity for magic, but humans couldn't use elven techniques, so for a long period of history, they were significantly behind in that regard.

The silver dragons, however, realized that humanity could use the Draconic language in their incantations and the spells would maintain their full power. Therefore, the basis of arcane magic was the Draconic language, so in order to instruct Sarah in magic, he'd first need to teach her the language. Preparing a basic lesson on Draconic runes and incantations, he dozed off to sleep, letting Biggs take over the watch.

Eventually, he woke up as the sun rose, noting that Sarah was of course already awake. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he slowly sat up and moved over next to the shepherd girl. "Morning," he said somewhat groggily. "You look tired, still." He looked at her face and shrugged. "Well anyway... are you ready for this morning's lesson?"

Henry himself was still quite tired, but a basic lesson on Draconic runes shouldn't be too difficult, as he was nearly as fluent in the language as he was in his own native tongue. Most commoners, however, were unable to read or write in any language, so it might prove interesting and difficult to the shepherd girl.

Opening one of his spellbooks, he showed it to Sarah. It was written entirely in Draconic, without a word of the common language in it. "Can you read?" he asked her. "Well, even if you can't... you can at least tell that this isn't the language you're used to speaking, yes?" He paused. "In order to learn Arcane magic, it is necessary to learn the language that it's written in."

[Namingtoohard]

Sarah continued to sit in silence for several moments, doing her best to relax as she waited for the rest of their little traveling party to awaken. Since nobody had bothered telling her what time to wake the rest of their little troupe, the shepherdess had decided to just wait patiently and let them all come too in their own time. Speaking of time, her only real way of judging it was watching the sky, and it was only just beginning to lighten when Henry finally bestirred himself. The sun itself was not yet peaking over the horizon, but the sky itself was definitely beginning to lighten, with the first tinges of blue moving to announce the coming of a brand new day. Sarah was looking up at the view when the knight joined her

She simply shrugged somewhat dismissively as Henry commented on how tired she looked, inwardly hoping that a lack of a real response would shift their conversation away from that particular avenue. She didn't have a mind to speak of it with anyone, except maybe Enek. She had almost completely forgotten about their planned lesson for this morning in her early morning stupor, but the memory quickly came flooding back as she asked if she was ready for it or not.

"As ready as I'm ever likely to be" she answered simply, giving a bit of a dismissive shrug as she consented to the beginning of what was likely the first lesson of many. A shake of her head was the answer as he asked whether or not she could read, considering that she was in the same boat as most peasants. The shepherdess had never been taught, as it wasn't immediately necessary for her work, and thus teaching her letters would have been considered a waste of time to her.

"They just look like a bunch of fancy squiggles to me, I'm afraid" she muttered after a silent moment spent staring at the book that she was presented to her. She was frowning now, and continued to stare for a moment longer, before finally forcing herself to look away and back up at Henry again. "I can see a few repeated shapes, but beyond that I can't make sense of any of it" she added after a moment, before tilting his head a little as she pondered something to herself in silence.

"So...if Draconic is necessary to learn magic, how can I do as much as I'm already able? Unless the runes I use when writing the glyphwards are Draconic to begin with. That would make sense, I suppose" she mumbled softly as she frowned again, falling silent for a moment as she started to ponder quietly to herself, while waiting for Henry to speak up and answer that little question once and for all.

[Holeypaladin]

"It's fine," said Henry. "Learning what the fancy squiggles mean is the first step towards literacy... And you've already shown that you have the ability to learn magic. You see, there are at least three types of magical affinity.. at least three common types. The first is people with no magical talent or ability to speak of. This includes the majority of the population, unfortunately... they'll never be able to use magic."

"The second category," he explained, "Includes people who don't have any natural magical abilities, but have the ability to learn magic. This is most likely the category you fit into, Sarah, as you've already shown that you can cast spells. And yes... the runes you use in your glyphwards are Draconic, although a bit of a simplified form of it," he pointed out some of the more intricate runes in the book that resembled the ones she had used in her ward.

"The third category of magical affinity," he said, "Are creatures that are inherently magical and can naturally use magic. While some humans are known to fit this category, most of the creatures in this category include Dragons, Fae, Angels, and yes, Demons."

He paused. "Speaking of demons, it seems we have some company. I'm sensing a few demons on the edge of your glyph ward, trying to break through. They must have followed you from your village, as they're only about two days behind you." He nudged the books with his foot. "Wake up, you mooks! It's time to earn your pay! We've got demons to kill!"

The two rolled to their feet, quickly grabbing their gear. "Right, Cap'n!" said Biggs, "We're ready to fight!"

Henry glanced to Sarah. "You can stand back and watch, if you like. Ready to see some demon hunters in action?"

[Namingtoohard]

Sarah would fall into silence as Henry began her first lesson on magic, doing her best to focus and commit everything that he said to memory, as was only natural. She had always loved learning new things growing up, and that attribute had never left the shepherdess, even once she had begun her work. She was a little more nervous than usual, but that was partially because these lessons would likely contain information a lot more sensitive and potentially dangerous than what she was used to, and because Henry already seemed to expect a fair bit from her. His initial reaction after her first display of magic and how extensive these lessons were supposedly going to be both suggested as such, and Sarah wanted to do her best to impress him. If she could do a decent job here then perhaps some sort of magic-related career might open itself up to her later, just in case she really couldn't find work as a shepherdess elsewhere once this little venture was over.

She would nod along in understanding as he explained the three basic kinds of beings...or at least in relation to their magical potential. Everything he covered in this short little introduction was easy enough to understand, including how she supposedly fit in with this method of categorization. Her thoughts briefly drifted to the prince himself, and Sarah found herself wondering if he was a part of this second category too, or one of the much rarer humans that supposedly sat in the third. Part of her wanted to immediately voice the question so that she might know for sure, but it seemed that she was not to get the chance. Even as she opened her mouth to speak, Henry pointed out that he could feel some demons approaching.

"W-what? Demons, here?" she stuttered, eyes going wide as his words sunk in. She had been able to understand a hoard of the demons descending on a town right on the outskirts of the kingdom undetected, but could there really be any number of them wandering freely only a day's ride out from the capital city? "I...I thought that they wouldn't dare venture this far inland. As much as I want to deny it, though..." she muttered, trailing off. Needless to say, she could feel them too, now that Henry had mentioned it. Their presence had been hard to detect, and she likely would've glossed over it completely had the prince not actively reminded her to check. Whatever the case was, it seemed that they had no choice but to deal with them now.

"I...I might as well watch. If they are here, you can't let them go regardless of what their purpose is, right? Besides, if we're marching to track down demons, I might as well get used to the sight" she answered Henry simply, quickly climbing to her feet. The shepherdess would take a moment to brush herself off, before retrieving her horn, staff and sling. She glanced around for Enek, only to find him standing at attention, already facing the way that the demons were supposedly approaching form. She watched in silence as he let out a low and throaty growl, supposedly having sensed the demons and their ill intent, before summoning the dog to her side with a quick call. Reluctantly, he abandoned his position on-guard and obeyed the order that his mistress had forgiven.

"In any case...I trust you three to protect me. You've given me so much already, so its time I repay a bit of that with some faith, hm?" she remarked, forcing a smile at the rest of her party. The girl's throat felt unbearably dry, and she felt like her hands would be shaking if she didn't have her staff to grip, but Sarah made herself say the words regardless. She was already plagued with nightmares about how she let the rest of her town burn while she hid for her life - the shepherdess wasn't willing to go through that again. Besides, if the demons had followed Sarah here, that means any danger present was her fault. She wasn't going to run and hide while Biggs, Wedge and Henry all risked their lives. He hadn't forgotten what the prince had said to her yesterday about confidence, and that had to start somewhere.

[Holeypaladin]

"You'll be alright," Henry assured the shepherd girl, "I'll make sure of it." With that, he turned towards the demons, ready to face them. As he stood staring, the creatures slowly came into sight. No one could have confused them for human, as they quite obviously didn't belong in this world. They had breached the ward in order to fight them, so they would be weakened due to having to fight inside it... but even a weakened demon could still potentially be a problem.

As he watched one of the demons began to form a ball of fire in its hand. As it did this, Henry incanted his own spell in draconic, and a spherical disk of magic appeared, which blocked the bolt of fire as the demon threw it at him. Summoning forth a freezing blade seemingly from nowhere, Henry charged the creatures, ducking under the swing of one before severing its legs. As it fell to the ground, Wedge brought down his heavy axe on the brute, severing its head.

"No kill stealing!" cried out Biggs as he charged with his sword drawn, impaling one of the creatures through the chest. Henry raised his empty hand and blasted another demon with a bolt of white light, causing it to disintegrate under the intense energy. As the creatures died, they turned into a sort of chaotic light and melted.

Two of the creatures seemed to note that Sarah was the weakest one present, but Henry stepped between them and her as they made a move to attack her. "Not so fast," he said, "I'm your opponent." With that, he drew his sword across the creatures in several rapid slashes, cutting off chunks of them and causing them to fall to the ground.

The mooks, for all their arguing and complaining and seeming incompetent at simple tasks, actually proved quite formidable in combat, and before long Henry realized that there weren't any of the creatures left. It had been a small force that attacked them, for sure, but even a small force of demons would overwhelm most soldiers... proving that Biggs and Wedge were in fact top quality mooks.

Releasing his grip on the blade he had summoned, it dissolved into nothing as Henry turned to look at Sarah. "Are you alright?" he asked her. "We seem to have dealt with them swiftly enough." He had been able to prevent the demons from attacking her, true, but he was still worried for the girl.