Nathaniel
*Sirdan, on his travel to Mentia to participate in the civil war, would take a sea route, sailing downriver to the republic of Kadho, and then taking a boat upriver before continuing north by land.* 

*On his way there, he took on a mission to hunt down bandits, and ended up alone in the forest, looking at a suspicious looking treehouse. It doesn't look like a bandit's dwelling, however.*

*The elf squinted his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he prepared to confront the inhabitant, or flee.* 

"Hello!"
Daniel
*Upon hearing the sound from outside Wenwyn would grab her bow and head to one of the windows, looking out and down to the other elf.* "Who are you?" *She called out, bow in hand, though without an arrow nocked.*
Nathaniel
*The elf examined the figure in front of him, and lowered his bow,*"Sirdan Sirali! On the lookout for a group of Macen bandits! You don't look like one!" *He shouted back at her.*
Daniel
"I haven't seen any Macen since I got here. Did you want to come up?" *She offered as she put her bow away, leaning slightly out the window to look around.*
Nathaniel
"...Hmph. Mother told me not to take a stranger's offer in the forest. But I'll take it." *He holstered his bow by his side, and then double checked his gear - and sword and dagger, before coming over to the treehouse, climbing up, keeping alert all the time.* 

*Must be one of the wood elf that have strayed into this land. Still, best to be wary.*
Daniel
*She moved to the doorway, which didn't have a door, and lowered the ladder so it was within reach. By the time he climbed up she was sitting on a hamock in the small room. It was very sparse, with basically nothing beyond her weapons, tools and some food.* "Hunting for Macen bandits? I haven't heard or seen any locals in this country yet. I'm Wenwyn, and you?" *She asked as she was sorting out her hair.*
Nathaniel
"Sirdan Sirali - I am from the south, an Kirig elf from the steppe. The Silnarian call us Fricharii... You speak fluent Silnarian." *Sirdan said, examining the figure in front of him. The house was small, with only a hammock. Maybe a hunter? He don't see any sign of cooking either.* 

"A simple dwelling. I was told that the Macen bandits were hidden in this forest somewhere, and were deserters from Upper Mentia preying on the locals."
Daniel
"I don't know much about the politics here. Macen don't interest me. So what brings you from the steppes to here? It's far from home, isn't it?" *She asked as she moved to lay in her hammock, facing him, her arms behind her head.*
Nathaniel
*The elf found the position awkward, and tried to find a place to sit down,*"Indeed. I went to Salvainia in search of opportunity. But that is a land of peace, and opportunity ran dry, so I came here seeking employment in the battlefield - I'm a warrior myself. One who wield sword and spells. And you? I don't see many Ombuian dwelling outside of their forest. In fact, you're probably the third or fourth I've seen in my entire life."
Daniel
*She let out a quiet hum as he mentioned that.* "I'd rather be home right now, but that won't happen any time soon. I'm.. Well, many things. I'm good with my bow and spear. I'm just here surviving, really." *She noticed he had nowhere to sit and shuffled up a bit on the hammock, just enough space for him to sit by her feet.*
Nathaniel
"Hmph. Just surviving? You alone in the forest? Thought of going out for adventure?" *The elf walked over to the hammock, and then sat next to her. It was awkwardly close. He wondered if this is an appropriate position,*"I'm looking for someone to travel with to Mentia myself."
Daniel
*She put her legs over his lap and crossed them as she relaxed. She seemed pretty easy going, even if he was a stranfer to her.* "I think putting some distance between me and here would be a good idea, probably. I should probably be as far away from home as possible."
Nathaniel
"Wh-" *The elf blinked in shock as Wenwyn crossed his legs over HIS lap, which was quite possibly the most bold move anyone has made on him,*"You're the first one I've heard of longing for home but putting distance between yourself and them. What happened?"
Daniel
"Nothing good." *She huffed, looking away for a moment.* "I'm not exactly safe there anymore, I'm in exile. Don't worry, I didn't do anything wrong- Just- Association." *She sighed a little and relaxed.*
Rebecca
"Well. In that case, I have a need of capable warrior to join my group." *He looked around the house,*"Any problem abandoning your residence to follow a stranger that intruded into your house?"
Daniel
"Well. In that case, I have a need of capable warrior to join my group." *He looked around the house,*"Any problem abandoning your residence to follow a stranger that intruded into your house?"

"This place? I just kinda- Found it. I did a little work to it. The hammock is mine." *She flicked the side of the hammock.* "I'll join you, why not. I don't have anything to lose."
Nathaniel
"Welcome to the team then." *He would beckon for Wenwyn to pack up her belongings,*"Shall I wait or help you out with packing your belongings? We'll go to the nearest town - crash at an inn and rest for the day. I'll pay for your expenses until we earn our first bucket of gold - sounds fair to you?"
Daniel
"There's not much to pack." *She stood up, geared up and took the hammock down after he got up.* "That's all fine by me, i'll just follow your lead."
Nathaniel
*The elf would climb down the tree house, waiting for her to come after him. Once she is there, he would start walking leisurely along the main road into the depth of the forest, leading her out toward the nearest town.* 

"If I wanted to travel fast - I'd turn into a horse, but that is not an appropriate form to have a conversation with. Say, tell me more about your homeland - I've heard that it is a land of strange people and stranger fruits and food. I'd like to know more"
Daniel
*She'd raise a brow as they walked and talked.* "I mean... I've never left until now. I don't really know what to compare it with. I've only met a few foreigners before and most were teachers."
Nathaniel
"Perhaps you'll know more when you come to another land. You can tell me all about the food and the customs. What you say hello with, what you say goodbye with... The customs of your people, you know." 

*After two hours of walk, the two would arrive at the nearest town after passing by three villages - a town of some four thousand people. The town was unfortified, but was a bustling market town of some sort.* 

"Apology, I didn't expect to pick someone up today." *He would lead her to a pretty normal town inn, with decent, homely food, and then sat down at the table,*"Say, Wenwyn, are you hungry?"
Daniel
*She'd spend the walk talking all about her homeland, teaching him a few words and customs. From the conversation he might pick up on that she was definately from the upper class. She'd look ever so slightly anxious when walking into the city, sticking close to him. Once in the inn she spoke.* "Erhm. Yes, i'm hungry." *She nodded, she was definately cautious about this place.*
Nathaniel
*He would listen to her and talk about the customs of his homeland. Roasting a lamb whole, *Boiling* Meat instead of roasting them, which was quite wondrous... If not undelicious. Although he says his tribe has repudiated that practice after trading with other people, and Sirdan himself really like Salvainian cuisine,*"Let's try out some local food - do you have any dietary restrictions? Or you eat anything that walk on four legs as the Runran say?"
Daniel
"There's nothing i wouldn't try. I just hope these macen know how to make a proper meal." *She said, a little unsure that they could. She crossed her arms and stood next to him.*
Nathaniel
"Mmm. Let's try something traditional." *Sirdan looked at the menu and salivated. It was in local Mentian, but luckily for him, he knew the local language well, having picked it up on his travel.* 

"Let's have the breakfast menu of potato pancake with egg, and for the main dish, we'll have spatzle together with pork knuckles. And some good old local wheat beer. How does that sound?"
Daniel
*She raised a brow as he suggested what to eat.* "Potato.. **Pancake?**" *She muttered something under her breath in Ombuian, shaking her head.* "I'll try it at least."
Nathaniel
"Potato pancake, yes. They smash the potatoes and then fry them on a pan." Sirdan explained the dish to his best ability. After a few minutes, the wheat beer would arrive, served in large, generous glass mugs, followed by the freshly fried potato pancake, browned on both side, alongside some egg.
Daniel
*She sat down and took a sip of the beer. It was clear by the look on her face that the taste was unfamiliar. She persisted nevertheless. She timidly chewed her food to start with but ate faster as she became more familiar with it.*
Nathaniel
*Despite possibly being the bigger water, the steppe elf enjoyed his food at a slower pace. He finished a minute after her, leaving a half full mug of beer in his side of the table. He took a swig from it, and then looked at her empty plate*

"Like the food? Good thing there's more coming."

*The waiter would come in with the main dish - a large Mentian pork knuckles, flavored with black pepper and salt, marinated for a few days beforehand with flavor soaked throughout the meat, with the knuckle cooked till the tendon melted in one's mouth. Served together with it was a generous helping of egg noodles.*
Daniel
"It's... Unique. I think I prefer Ombu food." *Though as she saw that pork was on the way she inhaled and sniffed in before chowing down on the pork. She definately enjoyed that. She was a little cautious about the noodles and wasn't sure what to think about it.*
Nathaniel
"We'll have plenty of time to find out what food you like. The food up north - I heard they're even better, and we'll definitely stop by some large cities. Perhaps the wine up north would be more to your taste. Do you drink a lot?* 

*The elf took the pork knuckle and started slicing pieces of meat off, mixing it in with the noodles and chewing on the food. The noodles was quite ordinary - bouncy, and subtly flavored, but nothing out of the norm.*
Daniel
*She let out a hum, contemplating if she actually did.* "I drink.. Well, i used to drink seagrir beer. I've tasted wine once, a merchant offered some to my family." *She'd continue to eat!*
Nathaniel
*This time, Sirdan finished his side of the meal quicker, gobbling down the remaining food - he clearly found the food more enjoyable than the one he had earlier.* "So, tell me, how proficient are you at combat? I'm a Spellblade - proficient with magic and sword. And you? It looked like you have a bow of your own, an archer, can you fight in melee too?"
Daniel
"I've killed Goblins, if that's what you're asking. I trained a lot with my household knights and rangers." *She gave away definitavely that she was a noble of some kind, though it didn't cross her mind what she just revealed.* "I use my longbow and my spear."
Nathaniel
"Then you are a good fighter. I wonder, if we are a match for eachother? Are you stronger than I am, or am I stronger than you are? That is something we must figure out. Say, after we wake up in the morning, we should go to a local training field, rent it, and test our strength against local summons... Well, there's only one summoner in town, but I am sure we can enlist their service, how about that?" *Sirdan took note she is a noble of some sort, but it was nothing of note to him. Plenty of nobles.*
Daniel
"..I guess we can. Sure. Why not." *She raised a brow but decided to go with it. She knew she wasn't great, but, might as well give it a try.* "Well. Shall we order rooms?"
Nathaniel
"Sure thing." *Sirdan would go over to the innkeeper,*"Two rooms - one for my companion and one for myself, of the highest grade you have available, please." 

"That'll be 2 silver a night per person." *Sirdan set down the coins for a day of stay, and then went upstairs for his room - both of them's rooms would be well-funrished, with linen bedding, an actual and mattress - plus, breakfast's included the next day.*
Daniel
*She smiled softly as he got up to get her a room. After he paid she walked upstairs with him and went to check out her room. She laid down on her bed and picked her feet up, glad to have a proper mattress again.*
Nathaniel
*Sirdan went to sleep quickly, but only after spending ten minutes taking off his armor. He kept his sword by his side and tightened his belt, ensuring the dagger is by him - one may never know when you will be in danger in foreign country.* 

*The next morning, he woke up, surprisingly not assassinated in middle of the night, and went over to Wenwyn's room dressed in his linen clothing. He knocked on the door,*"Morning!"
Daniel
*She opened the door just a moment after he knocked. She was already dressed and seemed like she'd been up for a while.* "Good morning! Did you sleep well?" *She stood back so he could walk in if he wanted.*
Nathaniel
*Sirdan walked inside,*"Quite well - the best night of sleep I've had in a while, actually. It is nice to not sleep rough or on a ship, you know." *He gestured downstairs,*"Go get breakfast first - I'll be putting on my armor before we go to the training yard, unless you want to help me out. Putting on plate takes a while."
Daniel
"I'll help, Sure! I used to help my brother get into his." *And upon reflection after she said that the reality hit her. She went quiet but nodded to the door and went to head to his room to help him out. She hoped he wouldn't ask too many questions about her family, but she just seemed to be listing them off.*
Nathaniel
*Sirdan would head back to his room, and started by putting on the breastplate, and asked for her help to secure the backplate - the easier part, then he started putting on the limbs armor, which would take more time than usual if done on his own - but with her help, most of the set of armor would be secured firmly to his aketon after 5 minutes*

"Alright, now to awkwardly sit and have breakfast in this." *Sirdan brought his helmet in his arm downstairs, putting it on the side of a table, and then waited for breakfast - the usual, large mug of wheat bear, german sausage and potato dumplings*
Daniel
*She definately had experience helping others to don armour and at no pointed seemed lost for what she had to do or require instructions. She's definately helped people in and out of armor a lot and it showed. She smkrmed at his comment and followed him down, eating the same meal.* "Do these people use potato for everything?"
Nathaniel
"For the most part, yes, they also use wheat and make noodles and bread - but there's none served at this inn. Potato is a staple - easy to grow, easy to harvest. And no harvester's going to come up to your potato field and say counting and taxing them." *Then Sirdan paused for a bit,*"But they are heavy in water and hard to store. All potatoes must be harvested fresh. Do your people not grow something similar to potatoes?"
Daniel
"Most of our food comes from trees. A good meal for me is some seagrir bread, some pork, maybe salmon, and seagrir beer." *She quickly finishes her breakfast.*
Nathaniel
"Potatoes on tree, I've heard. Maybe one day I'll figure out what this seagrir is." *He finished his own breakfast and then put on his own helmet, pulling up the visor and then went out of the inn, where he would meet up with a summoner from the local garrison - a man in his forties, who looked quite experienced.* 

"I'd like to test out my companion and I's mettle - lethal weapons fight against your summons, but we'll stop at first blood and avoid depleting too many of them. Summons will use training weapons against you, Wenwyn. Is that fine?" 

*Sirdan produced around forty silver coins to compensate the summoner for his troubles and no doubt lower summon capacity for the rest of the day.*
Daniel
*She nodded cautiously. She'd hit training dummies but this was something else entirely. She'd enter the grounds with her bow out. When she found a spot in the middle she shoved her spear into the ground and adjusted her buckler on her belt to be pulled up quickly. She nocked an arrow and waited.* "I'm ready."
Nathaniel
"Your might with an arrow could be demonstrated on a dummy, actually. I'd like to see your skill in melee with the summon. But first, let's see how powerful your archery is." Sirdan would lead her over to the archery yard, where he would nock an arrow onto his composite bow, and then shot it into a dummy. Then he motioned for her to follow,"Let's see how heavy your arrow is - and how deep the arrow goes."
Daniel
"Alright!" *She used a powerful longbow and fired arrows made for war. She took a stance at the range before sending an arrow down range into the dummy. She struck the target and the arrow went in deep.
Nathaniel
*The elf walked up to the arrow after raising his hand,*"Alright, let me examine it." *He would look at the dummy he shot at, and then at the one that she fired at. The arrow she used was quite heavy and powerful. Not unlike his. Perhaps slightly less powerful, but nothing to sneeze at.* 

"A powerful bow, you're almost as strong as I am. Now, the hard part." 

*He would bring them back to the main training yard - after recovering the arrows for Wenwyn and himself, and had her position herself against a single summoned soldier,*"Prepare to fight them with your real weapon. They'll use a training weapon - if they score three hits on you that is solid, then you're out. You, in the meantime, try to cripple them - don't kill them if you can, the summoner can heal them for a second round."
Daniel
*She left her bow at the rntrance to the yard and equipped her spear and buckler. She spun her spear as a show off as the first summon was brought in.* "Should be easy enough." *She said as she approached the summon with her buckler hand fully extended as she went to jab her spear at it.*
Nathaniel
*The summon looked at her, and raised his shield to defend against her jab, placing his training sword behind the shield.

The summon backed off from her, trying to figure out a way to bypass her range*
Daniel
*She gave her spear a little twirl before rushing at the summon, not giving it too much time to plan an attack. She kept putting pressure on it with quick jabs of her spear as she looked for an opening.*
Nathaniel
*The summon continued backing off, until he reached the edge of the training field. It started to sidestep in an attempt to ward her off - but Wenwyn's attacks was a bit too fast to keep up. Eventually, she managed to jab him once in the leg, and the summon attempted to charge her, planting the shield near the shaft in an attempt to control it, while trying to bonk her on her head with his training sword.*
Daniel
*She jabbed her buckler against the hand holding his sword to pin it down so he couldn't swing as she went to try and thrust her spear into an unshielded spot.*
Nathaniel
*As she parried the sword away, she managed to find another moment of weakness and thrust the spear into the man's thighs, piercing through it and taking out a vital artery.* 

"HALT!" *The summoner shouted, and then walked up to the summon. The summon dropped his sword, groaning in pain - quite used to this type of combat now, but it hurts.* 

*The summoner cast a healing spell.*

"Good, you can tackle a single soldier. You'll do well fighting with me. So, wenwyn. I'll be going to Middle Mentia - probably joining their side in the war. Would you want to tag along?"
Daniel
*She turned to look at him and gave a nod.* "I'll join you. I've got nothing to lose afterall. So you plan to just.. Join their army? Or?" *She asked as she walked over to him, putting her spear onto her back again.*
Nathaniel
"What? Me? A mercenary, joining an army, settling down for life, being called PRIVATE? NO!" *Sirdan asserted and crossed his arms,*"We'll volunteer for some mercenary group, probably have to stick with getting called some fancy ranks - but we'll be fighting for them until this campaign's over or we've made our fortune and decide to go back. Do you have anywhere to go?" 

"If not, I plan to make a fortune and bring it back to Salvainia with me. They fight for a good cause, but my home is Salvainia and it calls for me."
Daniel
*She shook her head a little.* "I don't really have a home, so, I'm good to just head off and not look back. I might go ti Salvainia with you." *She shrugged.*
Nathaniel
"Then that'll be the plan. Once we're done, we can part way or go together in Salvainia. I might introduce you to the New Sunlight guild. It is a good guild if you want to get your hand dirty and fight, but still want to live the dream of every man." 

"Of settling down in a house and wasting away..." *Sirdan added, and then left the training ground after thanking the instructor. Then, he would go to the local stable,*"Can you ride a horse in combat? I'll be going on horseback... Technically, to Middle Mentia. Unless you are comfortable with me being a centaur or a horse, you'll get your own." 

"Or we could save money, but it would be an awkward thing to offer to a new met companion."
Daniel
"I can ride a horse." *She nodded with a smile.* "I'm better on foot, but I can ride if we need to. So what's this guild?" *She asks with a raised brow as she leans on a fence, tilting her head.* "You er... Want me to ride on your back?"
Nathaniel
"The New Sunlight guild. A guild that was founded by a bunch of paladins to help the poor in Salvainia. Later on, they morphed into a guild that ended up running its own pawn shop and mercenary contracts, and a point of contact for anyone that need a job solved with violence. Monsters still pop up all the time in Salvainia - and not all the soldiers are so brave to deal with it. So locals put bounty, and the guild act as a middleman." 

"Higher ranking member also instruct people in fighting - like me, I'm technically a Captain in New Sunlight. But in truth, I have no apprentice or followers, so I am a captain in all but name. Even a lieutenant in a regular free company is more important than I am." 

*Then he tilted his head.* 

"I suppose you can, if you don't mind. However, I don't have a saddle with me at the moment."
Daniel
*She listened to him talk about the guild, with some interest.* "I suppose i'll have to consider looking into this guild of yours. I don't really know where i'm supposed to go with life now, but that might help. So you want me as an apprenticr of yours?" *She asked witb a raised brow, slowly walking away from the training field.*
Nathaniel
"Apprentice? Maybe. I think that is reserved for guildsmen or a mage though. Though I am a magic wielder, I don't exactly walk around with a pointy hat and gambeson. Squire or page would be a more appropriate term."

*He walked back toward the inn where they were staying.*

"So what say you? Wenwyn, Page of Captain Sirdan. Maybe you will become the lieutenant at the head of my company one day."
Daniel
"It's a long way from being an heiress, but i don't see myself returning to that life. I'll be your page." *She said eith a nod, softly smiling as she followed him back.* "So what now?"
Nathaniel
"Pack up and start a long, arduous journey to the north in search of gold and glory, or death. As the cliche goes. Let's get packing." 

*Sirdan would go inside the tavern to pack his belongings, before going out with Wenwyn.* 

"We'll be riding about a hundred miles north - four days journey, to Upper Mentian territory - hopefully we don't run into any bandits on the way, and then we travel down river to the land of Middle Mentia, and we will offer our arms as mercenary. Sounds good?"
Daniel
*She went inside and grabbed her equipment. She was travelling light and barely had anything to carry.* "I don't know this area too well, but i'll trust that you read the map." *She gave a nod.* "Sounds good to me."
Nathaniel
*He would go away toward the market, purchasing a saddle bag and then packing it full of supplies - mostly emergency food and ration, in the form of dried meat and rice to be eaten on the way here. Luckily, it was middle of summer, and food can be found at any villages on the way, but Sirdan didn't want to be caught in the wilderness without food.* 

"I've asked locals around for the route, and that route would be the correct one. So, shall we set out on our journey north?"
Daniel
*She'd also buy some stuff for the road, things like a backpack, soap, rope, a blanket. She'd give him a nod.* "I'm ready to go. Let's head on." *She smiled and started walking.*
Nathaniel
*Sirdan did the same, and then went over to a private corner of the tavern,*"We'll be travelling faster this way." 

*He would cast a spell of animal transformation, turning himself into a full plate armored centaur, and then implored her to put the saddle on him - alongside the saddlebags and belongings.* 

"This is gonna be awkward... Let's set out, we must reach the next town before nightfall. Else, we'd have to deal with camping out in the night. And I would not start any fire with how insecure the Mentias are.."
Daniel
"Agreed." *She placed the saddle on his back and climbed on, she didn't seem too awkward about the situation. She kept her hands on the saddle and her feet in the stirrups as she made herself comfortable in the saddle.* "I'm good."
Nathaniel
*There were stirrups - because the shopkeeper insisted on buying it together with the saddlebag. But Sirdan were unresponsive to the stirring. Clearly, he is not used to being stirred like a horse. 

He would start riding out of the town, as quick as he reasonably can - to avoid too much scrutiny that he just turned into a centaur. He had some difficult at the gate, showing a temporary passport issued by one of the lord, and then pointing at his own face repeatedly to insist he was the same person.* 

*After a while, the pair were now traveling out of town, with Sirdan trotting alongside the roads leading north. The roads weren't stellar, but seems to have been maintained well enough as a point of contact between the north and the south of Mentia.*
Daniel
*During the ride she'd ask him all sorts of random questions, making general small talk. She kept her hands to herself and didn't jab her feet into his sides as he'd carry her off. She'd constantly stay alert as they trotted off!*