[M]Would-Be Heroes Off to Help Save the World(IC)

Belvanaj was immediately aware when Elloria responded that he must have overshot the suggestions for what they might take. Of course they would already be carrying much, they would not want to carry everything of that at once.

Belvanaj spoke then to ease the concerned look he saw appearing on Elloria's beautiful face. "When we are there in Elsefort we should find where we would stay while there right away. We can then keep some things there still. And we will be sure to get food there, which we can have where we will be staying. We can bring items for exploring caves there. We can put on the tough clothing, helmets, gloves and boots there, which we would wear going to those caves, and go along there to the one we would choose to look through first with what we willingly would carry there. I am concerned about any steep areas in a cave that might be an obstacle to us, so I thought that equipment for that might be important to have. But I do not know what the cave we would explore would be like already. It might not have any such difficulties, and we can leave those things for it where we are staying. Should we need them still, I might leave you with what we brought to the cave if you would be willing while I go back for those things still needed and return there with them."

There was a jerk they felt and Belvanaj gripped the edge of the bed. But it was not sharp and just the slightest motion was detected, as the wagon now moved, starting on its way toward Elsefort, and the caves near it.

Again, Elloria began nodding along as Belvanaj spoke. She had a passing thought of how lovely his voice sounded- it was so pleasant to listen to. But the sounds of his words were not enough to focus on and plan with; so returning to the content of what he said, the girl stopped nodding after a moment. Wearing their equipment rather than carrying it would help, to a degree, and he brought up a good point about needing tools to clime any sheer surfaces.

"Of course," she started, but was interrupted by the wagon disembarking. The unexpected motion slid Elloria further back into her seat, against the lush pillows on the side of the bed. Taking a moment to adjust herself upright again, though still leaning on the pillows, she cleared her throat and continued.

"Well, then, I suppose that we're off. I imagine that between what we currently have and what we'll buy in the morning, we will not have much in the way of excess equipment, if at all. I see no reason to spend money on storage that we will not have much use for. And I do not mean to imply that any of the equipment that you suggest is a poor choice to bring- for I fully do not believe that. I just mean that we ought to choose what we bring wisely. I would also dislike spending time waiting on leaving the caves to retrieve additional equipment, though... So I suppose your initial list is the way to go. Now that we know what we are buying, what else can you think of for us to discuss in order to be prepared for tomorrow?"

Belvanaj could not really think of more right off additional to his thought out plans that he was sharing already. It still seemed to him that an important point might be slipping by, so he might try saying something for it in a different way.

"The first thing we really need to do is get a place there we can stay while we are there at Elsefort. If we are just getting a room that means we sleep there in the same room, in the way we have for sleeping tonight. That would need to be fine with both of us, otherwise we will be looking for two rooms, where we might each have one then. After we have where we will stay dealt with we can go for more food there, and find the equipment we will need. I expect extensive caves, possibly with us finding one not noticed before. We might be at this place for several days, or more, depending on how much we find to look through. Ultimately if this is not a place with one of the artifacts that we might find, we then need to go on to the next place in line, according to a circuit I determined for getting to the likely places to look."

"Buying a room may be unnecessary," Elloria pointed out. "Let alone two. I have brought a tent and a bedroll, assuming that we would be camping within the caves, unless you think we may venture in and out of them over the course of a day. I do not have a second bedroll, but my tent can sleep two. As for if we were to get rooms, I doubt that the price of a second one would be worth it, if that is alright with you." It was an easier point for her to discuss, thanks to her lack of caves knowledge.

Extensive and unknown caves... The concept did not exactly put Elloria at ease. She was already concerned at her lack of experience in this matter being a hinderance to them, even with the experience that Belvanaj had; what if they were to get lost? Would they have enough food and water to get out? Well- perhaps that was more an issue to be concerned about should it arise. Whether or not they actually found the artifact here was perhaps a more pressing question. It seemed unlikely that they could just stumble into it, but stranger things have happened. "And... if we do find it? Do we have any idea on how to capture it safely, and return it to the institute safely?"

Belvanaj was surprised at this response. He had jumped ahead with this assumption that this beautiful companion in his quest was accustomed to comforts of domestic arrangement. Of course, he figured if some guy had been in the agreement to search for an artifact of power with him, they would have no great difficulty in choosing to share the use of a tent within a cave, to save trips going back and forth. But now he saw he was wrong with that assumption, and Elloria was offering this idea.

Belvanaj said, "We will then need to bring all items and additional food we get along with what we have to a known cave where we would start looking. It might be much to do, even with wearing what we will for protection along the way there. If we actually did find one of the artifacts of power, we should not carry it out openly. We would have to carry it out wrapped up along with other things we carry, to the station where we would catch the train of wagons going to our town, Cleansingway. We would have to wait for the right time for it, as it would be several days apart. We can't know that we will be that lucky to find it right away, still. We should have some chance at finding one of them though as a number of such artifacts would have been hidden away in the same way."

Belvanaj lay back a little more enjoying the comfort of this spot.

Elloria gave a curt nod, and went over what they had discussed so far. They seemed to have a plan in place for accommodations, as well as an idea of what they needed to buy before heading into the caves the next day. And while Elloria herself wasn't entirely sure what to expect inside the caves, she trusted that Belvanaj would, and that he would be able to guide her through everything. As far as she could tell, they were as well prepared for the following day as they could be at that moment.

With that, the woman brought her hand up to her mouth to poorly hide a yawn. It was late, and they had had a rather full day by that point already; between whatever activities each of them had been up to individually, the graduation ceremony, boarding the wagon, and making plans for the next day, it was no wonder that Elloria was tired. She suspected that Belvanaj might be as well, having noticed him adjust to a more comfortable spot on his bed. "Then I think that we are ready for what tomorrow shall bring, unless there's something else you can think of," she said, and leaned down to unlace her boots. "Barring that, though, I believe myself quite ready to be lulled to sleep by this comfortable bed," she finished, placing her boots next to her bag. The gentle bumps of the wagon were like being in a cradle, she thought, and had no doubt that sleep would take her as soon as she laid down.

Elloria was right, Belvanaj realized. He knew sleep was going to overtake them soon, with not much to do before they got there to the destination. With seeing what there was in this wagon a sort of a closet cabinet space was noticeable between the beds opposite to where they had entered, next to a low box. He moved there to check the closet space and sure enough it held what there would be for bathroom needs, even with a sink with a faucet and knobs over it. He realized there would only be a limit to any water that could be available to it. And looking into the box he found there were small bags of various dried fruits, and covered cups holding something.

Belvanaj said then, "I am kind of tired too but I am still hungry enough, that I would eat from what we have. How about you?" He took some of his snacks out from what he carried, and grabbed one bag of the dried fruits from the box there, and lay back to the cushion behind him and started to eat. But as he did he still felt more tired.

There was morning light coming in through the small windows of the wagon, when it stopped from the long way to this destination, and a call was heard. Belvanaj quickly came to consciousness. He must have gone right to sleep after eating what he had. He had at least got himself under a cover and into a comfortable position with the pillow where he wanted it. He looked under the cover. Yes, he was still wearing the same stuff. He thought now, it sure would be nice to shower up somewhere.

He got up out from the cover, and went to that box of fruit bags and cups, and took those to put in his pack with what he had brought. He had his money bag still on him, he saw then that the coat had been taken off and it was by the still empty bag at the foot of the bed from which he had just arisen.

Belvanaj saw Elloria stir. He said, "We are here, let us prepare to disembark from here." Not waiting for Elloria to do so, he went into the small cabinet there where he might wash up his face.

While Belvanaj explored the train car, Elloria removed her jacket and pulled the blankets up from where they were tucked in, and moved the pillows from the side of it to the head. By then, Belvanaj had discovered a portable bathroom in their wagon- what luck!- and a small box with some dried fruit, and offered some. She shook her head and held up her hand. "While the offer is appreciated, I am still content from what I ate at the ceremony. I shall take some in the morning, but I think I will simply sleep, now." With that, she got under the covers of her bed, laid down, and swiftly went to sleep.

As Elloria had suspected, her sleep was truly wonderful. It only took her moments to drift off, and she slept so deeply that the morning light nearly did not wake her. There was also a call, in the distance, that pulled Elloria from her sleep; she would have loved to ignore it, but she had an obligation to uphold. She began to stir, and was immediately met with Belvanaj's voice.

A moment later, she opened her eyes, and sat up. Belvanaj had evidently taken the water closet first. The woman stretched again and yawned, then reached down to put on her boots. She then stood, and took a moment to look in the box her companion had found the night before, but found it empty. Perhaps he's simply packed away what he hasn't eaten Even if that was the case, however, Elloria didn't feel comfortable poking through his bag without his express permission.

This left Elloria with little to do as she waited for Belvanaj. She had never unpacked anything, and wished to be able to use the water closet herself before donning her jacket; and even if she had felt comfortable going about Belvanaj's things, he seemed equally well packed. Lucky for her, not long passed before Belvanaj exited the closet. "Ah, good morning," she greeted him. "I'll need to use that as well, but then I am set to go," she said, and slipped by him into the closet to use it, as well, and emerge herself shortly after. At that point, she slipped her jacket back on, grabbed her bag, and looked at her companion. "Right, then, ready to go?"

They were both quickly ready. Belvanaj had the coat over him, the pack in one hand, and the spare bag he brought in his other hand, and he stepped from the wagon carriage, with Elloria following after him. Houses of a small community all lay on the one side before them, low mountains behind it and wrapping around the settlement on one side of it, to their left as they looked toward the community. An attendant at this station came, gave a short greeting, and went to close the door. They both looked back, and noticed the great animal that had pulled the wagon. It had a harness about it, with ties from it, still slack as they looked at it, that were connecting to the wagon in front of it, with another of the great animals in front of it. This one also had ties to the wagon Belvanaj and Elloria rode in. He saw then the ingenious way that the wagons were pulled, the animal would follow the wagon in front pulled by the one in front, still some space ahead, while pulling the wagon they rode in. But if it were to fall much behind there would be the very unpleasant result the animal would know about of being pulled forward by the pull in front of it, with the animal there dealing with the same thing. The wagons with their animals pulling them were all lined up that way.

He said to Elloria, "There were fruits and things available in there. I brought what was left along for us."