Harvey
In his efforts to stay concealed, or at least low-priority to the mammoths in the distance, Marlo was failing in an amusing way. He was flat to the ground on a small hill, perhaps more aptly just a mound from its lacking size, wanting to have as little of him sticking out as he could... Failing to take into account his warm aura melting away the snow and frost in a circle 'round him.

Oh well, the mammoths didn't seem to care enough. The patch of mud and withered grass atop a hill was of no interest at such diminutive size. On the upside, the notebook Marlo was scribbling into every so often didn't have to contend with the dampness of snow damaging it.

Having been absorbed in recording the offspring and parent interactions between the hairy creatures for the last half hour, Marlo finally broke out of his concentration and called out, without being too loud:

"Taenli. Taenli! Report!"

"... Where are you"

He was just trying to get his bearings again and maybe decide on what to do next. Being in archiver-mode was a bit disorienting upon the mental departure from it, and he often needed a refresher on events since minutes before entering it. It'd help decide whether to keep pursuing the mammoths, this time perhaps repositioning for another purpose, or to just continue on their merry way 'till nightfall or the next herd.
Michael
The voice of the plated knight snaps from, more or less, durectly behind him. The knight had been standing as if a gate-gaurd in pure silence, simply out of respect for a prior warning to avoid spooking the creautes.

Standing; completely ruining the point of his plan to lay low, even without his heat aura.

"Is it finally time to run a lance through the hides of these creatures? Are my services needed?" She coos, head tilting down and to the side as she regards his general location. His aura was, afterall, Taenli's largest indication to where he was. Sure, she could 'see' him, but to her, what made Marlo 'Marlo' was the combination of features; cheif of all, his pool of mana.

"Surely you have acknowledged how the creatures leer at you, ready to trample. They are withheld only by the presence of a wondrous knight like I." She speaks.

"I don't know why we're out here looking at bears to begin with. I thought father gave you all there was to know about such foul-tempered beasts." She notes.
Harvey
He waited, as he often does, to let her conclude her words- he gets the idea to respond snappily usually, but unlike with most people, Taenli was specially reserved the act of being listened to completion. 

Not from any deference in wisdom, gods no, nor even tangible respect. It was because he first wanted to call her bloodthirsty at the mention of her skewering these creatures on her lance, then how if her presence even warded them off as presumed he'd have no reason to send her at them, and then... At the mention of *Bears*... His shutter-esque eye managed to do the impossible and *Twitch*

Recovering from the feat right after, and taking a breath to respond to her calmly, he got up and answered "These... Bears... Are different from those back home. And I believe he'd find it prudent if the report we brought back included a subsection on the logistical demands of giants, were they to ever attack the nation to which our home lawfully belongs to"

He pauses, and utilises the foresight to simplify it for her, taking a breath again as he adds "... It's good we know what the giants need to eat to have a full belly, in case of war with them"

Turning around, he takes a step and *Thump*S the notebook closed, stating "If you're feeling so restless, I'm sure you'd be glad to keep walking, then" In the tone of a teacher reprimanding a student for goofing off. Though he more-so cared about keeping Taenli's pride from shish-kebabing the mammoths in unacceptably literal terms.
Michael
Taenli seems satisfied with the idea of mammoths being "Different bears," And the reasoning behind them studying them at all. Enough to offer a self-satisfied "Hmmph!" In reply.

"I am not restless! A knight is always simply ready for combat. And it is my illustrious, easily visible combat prowess that holds these bears away." She notes, as a mammoth passes directly behind her without care.

"I would suppose you plan on moving on, then?" She chuffs at him, banging the pommel of her lance against the ground twice.

"You have ended your writing." She notes, to state the obvious. "Usually, that means you are ready to journey elsewhere. Am I... Correct? Or are you lacking some other notes on the differences of one kind of *Bear* To the other?" She snips at him, as if the concept of needing to know such things was inherently stupid to her.

...Even if she'd continue holding this spot ad infinitum, if they didn't move.
Harvey
What he *Wanted* To tell her was that these animals were far from aware of her "Illustrious combat prowess". What ended up coming out was a far less inflammatory remark on the visibility of her martial skill: 
"Be careful not to mistake an animal as capable of appreciating fighting experience. That is a human quality, and we'd do best to hold the qualities of our Father's ilk as above these creatures" He reminds her, doing his best to not join in her trend of calling them... *Bears*

Truly, she has provided him with bountiful experience in navigating the sensibilities of the meat-headed through choice of words

Even if meatheads threatening the two usually ended up on the wrong end of her lance rather than pacified by Marlo's words, rounding back to using the skill mostly on the knight herself

He'd be biting his lip now, if he could, both at her emphasis on the word *Bear* And implying something negative about his note-taking. Still, he stifles his emotions as usual, and merely responds "Yes. Partly so we can leave these creatures blissfully unaware of how your ire manifests. Secondly, not just journey *Elsewhere*, we are still looking for a settlement of giants, though I suspect only a town holds any semblance of a library. We continue to lack... A map of this region, or the trail of any significant road, so even a village will do to at least collect directions. Come along now, Taenli" He instructs before waddling off, each step in the snow being met with a brief *Sssshhhh* Noise due to his emanating heat
Michael
"The savage beast appreciates might." She corrects him. "Bears are no different. Why would they be? It is how they measure eachother, just the same. This bear colony is probably old." She nods, as she begins marching off after him.

"That is why we've seen no combat from them. They have already established an order of strength." She nods.

"Even the mother bears shall not unleash their charactwrstically untimely ire upon me." She declares, pointing out a matriarch and it's two calves.

She marches off after him, emphasizing each step through the snow with a soft "Hup!" As she goes, in a bid to keep herself occupied.

She had plenty of other things to say; but she'd rather deliver it to him when he had more to say... As petty as that was. Or, perhaps, she were simply saving her thoughts for when there are more ears to hear them; the village would do nicely as a place to sing her own praises, and then ignore potential suitors for entertainment value.
Harvey
All he can do in response is roll his yes, preferably to the privacy of himself, as she speaks with assumed authority on the world of bears and other savage beasts. Hell, it's not even the least coherent thing he's heard her say before. 

After quietly "Admitting defeat" To her argument, an event that isn't uncommon, he adds after a few minutes of silence "Just promise not to turn your words upon offending the giants. I don't know if Father hammered the necessary knowledge into you, but please, be *A lady* Once we do earn a stay in a commune" He remarks, not making it clear whether he fears the stomping ability of the large ones against small folk like themselves *CoughminusTaenli'sgigantismcough*, or is just avoiding miffing them enough to be disallowed a peek at their archives. Most likely the latter, to anyone that knows him.

After some time, in a clearing seemingly free of any mammoth presence, recently or otherwise, Marlo spins around to face where the sun was shining from. The globe of light was approaching the horizon, and the little golem put his hands up just below the sun in his vision, counting the fingers between the burning circle and the mountains it would soon hide behind. It was a technique of measuring daylight left: every finger that fit between the sun and nearest horizon point was 15 minutes of time left. Marlo counted three, so he turned around again to let Taenli know "We have around half hour left before nightfall. Please prepare the camp" 

He's been relagating the task of setting up to her for a few nights now, mostly because he didn't want to and she was the one carrying their camping kit. But he also conveniently excused himself by offering to secure dry ground and sucking up what little heat he could from around them to start a campfire.
Michael
The scolding about not being ladylike enough to avoid conflict sees her stop her noises, smoldering in silence as she processed his words. This, to her, was some sort of challenge of her character.

She picks up her pace to overtake him, quickly scouting out a location to settle down. After clearing it of rubble, she places a small, cylindrical box-like contraption upon the floor. Technically a golem; but more in tune with a simple construct than anything else. It follows the logic of trees, swnding roots into the floor; but Taenli is keen on channeling mana into it, holding her hands above the contraption as if awaiting the heat of a flame.

It raises slightly from the ground, and the top flattens and widens until it had made a stone-like cap of sorts.

Below, the "Roots" Have been displacing dirt and rubble, and forming a surprisingly organic wall to hold the impromptu bunker's structure. When it is done, the roots peel the cap up: now a lid, a door down into the little pocket of earth.

And then she is off, trotting away to gather firewood. She leaves her weapons behind; gone only for half the alloted time before she's back, moving down into the bunker and arranging the sticks as they should be, with the open door serving as plenty enough ventilation to avoid smoke from becoming a sight-irritant haze.

Thankfully, her task has wrenched her mind off the prospect that'd given her pause before, and now she were happily going about this little daily chore with a rehearsed sense of devotion.

As she finishes the little divot that shall serve as the fire-pit (mostly for light for marlo; she could personally care less about complete darkness) comes back up, pointing at him.

"Alight the flame, then. You are the one who *Needs* It." She goads. "A superior model like I needs not light to see! One of the many flaws father corrected when he decided to make one more suitable for the reality of the world. Furthermore; [Taenli continues to drone on for the next five solid min

Utes, as the sun sets]-"

She only stops to pick up her weapon when she is satisfied with her own speech; moving to take watch by the brim. She won't close it until Marlo figures himself no longer requiring of light.