Elana
*The mineshafts. The air was heavy there, stuffy with the scent of coal and iron emanating throughout almost every inch of the fantastically huge cave tunnels. Yet it only gave M'ra the memories of freedom.* "They were like an endless adventure. I'd get lost just sliding so far down the railings that they built and spend hours just exploring the tunnels. Sometimes, I'd find some leftover iron just sparkling in the dark!" 

*It sure was something to be excited about, raw iron! As the two began to move along with the horse, she pulled her hair over her ear, smiling as she closed her eyes and just felt the cold air touch her.* "Must be nice having no worries, eh Carl? You'd think that having a seemingly endless lifetime would mean no worries, but it's more like endless ones."
Curtis
"Sounds profitable."*He'd say rather casually, half his focus maintained on guiding his horse through the field. The Elf had to admit, the peace was nice every now and then. No complaints, arguments, no jabs, or sudden need to be somewhere else. Almost like when it was just him and Carl, a duo simply traveling about.

With M'ra stating how it must be nice for Carl not to have any worries, the Elf would say:*"Well I wouldn't say that. Carl tends to get scared by a lot of things. Mostly from getting taken by surprised in any way. He's a smart horse, but maybe too smart for his own anxiety."*He'd say it in a thoughtful tone, practically thinking aloud regarding his horse as Carl would continue to trot along the grass at his side.*"I suppose that helps in the long run with him knowing when to flee. Whether or not I'm on his back though probably doesn't concern him much."*He'd consider with a laugh.*
Elana
"Profitable, not so much. But what it did earn me was a scolding from me mam fer going down the mines again, hehe!" *Not to mention a hearty pat on the back from her father and a reminiscing story about how he did the same thing AND fought a gnome when he was down there as a child*

*The feeling of the cold air flying into her face as the trio gave their little trot around put a shivering smile on M'ra's face. She pulled her hair over her ear as she giggled to Terrel's storytelling.* "Bein' smart's saved him from a ton of worries, and being a horse has saved him from a ton of others. No need to find food for himself, a loving master that cares for him, and open fields to wander when he needs them. Though now I think about it, my life ain't so different from that, haha!" *Shalah really did practically feed the vampire every day, ironically.*
Curtis
*The Elf listened to the dynamic of her parents' response of her going down in the mine. He'd have headed down too if there were anything worth exploring in it. Maybe he should visit the caverns someday, but for now he has enough traveling to do. Perhaps that was as adventure for another time.

The Elf would bring his horse to a gradual stop upon finishing the circumference of the field.*"A free life for a free ride I suppose."*The Elf would say, patting his horse along his snout.*"Minus the free in that. Taking care of a horse gets costly, but he was always the favorite growing up."*Terrel would walk back slightly so that he stood at Carl's side.*"We can let him go run free for a while. No rider or saddle. Not like he gets that often."
Elana
*At Terrel's signal as the group came to a halt, M'ralind nodded her head. It wasn't so hard to get off as it was to get on, with her using a foothold on the saddle to lower herself down and then simply jumping the rest of the distance with a cute grunt.* "Free life for companionship, that's what I see here." 

*M'ralind brought her hand to her head, combing her fingers through her hair and pulling the left side over her ear just as she had done before, her smile having slowly curved back down to a more neutral expression.* "Working's a drag. Imagine doing nothin' but work for a decade!"
Curtis
*With M'ra hopping off the horse, Terrel would turn to Carl and take the saddle off of him.*"Alright Carl, go have some fun."*The Elf would give him a pat on his side and let go of the lead. Soon enough the horse would gradually trot away, eventually finding a new spot to graze for a while.*

"Never been much of a runner when it wasn't necessary."*The Elf commented as he'd watch the horse before shifting his gaze down to M'ra as he'd think back to their previous conversation.*"So you're fine with staying in Salvania for a while? We'll probably be leaving again in a week's time to head further north."
Elana
"I'm on a journey, but that doesn't mean I'm forced to move every day, dear." *M'ra sighed softly, lowering herself onto the ground and squatting to avoid getting her dress dirty. It seemed like a bit of a late thought, considering she'd already tumbled to the ground earlier when she was passing the fence.* 

"Wherever the wind takes me, I'll go. And in this case, I've chosen my wind t' be you. I'm glad yer happy t' carry me around." *She gave a hearty laugh, her voice bellowing out into the open air as she let her free spirit bound.*
Curtis
"You mean that in the literal sense or figuratively?"*He'd question her, realization soon crossing over him as it became more apparent how much the group was growing and how much slower travel will be with only two horses at their disposal. It was probably for the better they didn't try to shove two people on either horse, the discomfort for it already enough with one heavy traveler.

He decided to push back the thought for now, getting spare horses shouldn't be hard, maybe even just a pack mule for carrying supplies and riding around on.*"We're staying back at the Tavern for now. I'm sure it would be a good place to go meet the others once Carl is done with his grazing."
Elana
"Literally, of course. I'm light as a feather!" *The dwarf snorted out a chuckle through her nose as he played along, tapping his side with a closed up fist in a playful manner.* "It'd be great if the wind really could carry me though. Just like the Hikiriki spirits and the poor souls they capture to clean their hotels."

*Mulling over the thought for a moment, M'ra was satisfied with Terrel's offer.* "I was heading over there before we met, so that works out perfectly. Should I rent out a room for myself or is there enough space for me to set up my sleeping pad? O-of course, there's also the matter of if yer friends feel comfortable letting a stranger sleep in the same room as them..."
Curtis
*The Elf wouldn't move at the playful tap, merely gazing back down at her in amusement or with his mask what could have been a blank stare.*"We'll just tie a bunch of umbrellas to you and see if the wind'll allow you to fly."*The Elf would joke, turning away to watch his horse as his arms would return to the hidden folds of his cloak.

He'd listen to her ramble on about getting a room, the Elf figuring it best if everyone had a separate one or at least pair them up seeing as there were four of them now.*"We'll figure it out when we get there. Maybe they'll warm up to you enough for you guys to become roommates."*He'd say. After some time had passed with the shift of the sun, Terrel would eventually tilt his head in the direction of the road they were originally taking.*

"I think Carl has had enough grazing time for today. Come on, let's bring him back inside and go see the others."