Mary
*Melody would trot her way towards the edge of the outskirts that ran around the city she had stayed the previous night in. While the people she had met there hadn't been the most pleasant, she figured it was just a sign that she was getting close to the border. The war around Mentia sat heavy over everyone's heads and neither Salvainia nor Melody was stranger to it. 

The grass felt soft underfoot as she'd make her way to the land beyond her final city before Mentia, never before had a trip felt so foreboding than having to walk with the constant thoughts of what she'll be witnessing in her home country. It was never in the best state growing up, but for it to get even worst, the centaur couldn't even begin to imagine what must have been happening. She could only attempt to travel as much as she could during the day and rest while she could at night. She was never much of a traveler, especially in deciding to settle at the Capitol for a while only to have to return home a month later. It was exhausting to say the least, but stubbornness and determination refused to let her quit in the endeavor.*
Joann
*He had been traveling for a while, the hooded black cloak he wore growing more and more worn with the passing days. It still protected him in the night and the forests, but when he got home he would need to probably find the tailor he always used. In any case, he walked the road home. Hearing tales of war made him uneasy, being a forest hermit he knew little of the politics and strifes of his homeland. The eastern mountains provided protection, atleast he thought. The sun would not hold for much longer, and because of that he set up camp in the forests for the rest of the day, his smoke, while attempted to be concealed, was seen by the deer lady in the short distance. Alongside the smell of roasting vegetables, herbs and meats.*

"Another expedition, another wasted week..." *He said to himself, having yet to find out where to go from here. He was tired of coming home empty handed when he sought out adventure and strife. In any case, he sat on the log he had found, fit enough as any to serve as a makeshift bench while he plotted out his next moves. A small bit of log serving as his map as he carved the roads he uses, not having a map of his own.*

*The rushing water muffled any noises of oncoming travelers, which made him a bit uneasy, but this corner of the woods were not too traveled. Barring the caravans every now and then, bandits were rare if you stuck to your wits and did not go into shady paths. He placed his longbow by the makeshift shelter he set up, and waited for the food to cook.*
Mary
*Trees would gradually begin to flood the edges of Melody's vision, causing her to instinctively reach for her weapon at the first signs of daylight faltering for the impending night. It wasn't her first time sleeping out in the night, though she knew to remain cautious of bandits and others of the sort looking to take advantage of a lone wanderer. There hasn't been many sign of others out here, that was until a light stream of smoke had caught her eye within the forest. Campers perhaps or was it a much larger group she should be wary of?

She'd keep her weapon out of view for a moment as the smell of food seem to confirm that someone must be staying out here for the night in a way. It was almost enough to make her stomach growl, but she shook the feeling off to focus on what was ahead. She'd gracefully leap from one place to another, prancing about as a deer would in the forest. Melody was always warned about that, that some may mistaken her for another prey animal and hunt her by accident, but she always waved the thought off in hoping to catch them before anyone would come to that conclusion.*"Hello...?"*She'd decide to call out, making her presence known first in hoping that it wasn't some threat out in the forest. It was dangerous to be traveling alone out here and the last thing she'd want would be an ambush by trying to ignore a possible threat.*
Joann
*His eyes darted into the direction he heard the voice. He kept himself ready to rush to his bow incase things went wrong so he would have the advantage of distance.* "Make your intentions known." *He said, stern yet not in the way a bandit would call out. The fire flickered, revealing him being alone, unless he was a lone raider he was more than likely just a traveler, given the way he presented himself as calm yet collected.* "I have nothing of value besides the bow, if you were hoping I was some sort of lost merchant that would be easy to pick off."

*He was still getting used to other people, he was not exactly known for wandering outside of the forests. Upon a closer look, his emerald eyes reflected the light of the flickering fire almost, the only clear visible feature outside of his cloak. The fire-pit seemed to have local fauna and flora, perhaps he was a hunter of sorts? The bow was not exactly one would expect for just combat, looking more like a bow a hunter would used, modified to be strong enough for adventuring. The clothes he wore were weathered from travel, yet not too much. The hood concealed the rest of his face, making it a bit hard to tell what exactly he was besides an humanoid. His accent was at the very least one of Mentia, so that gave some clues.*
Mary
*Make my intentions known. Melody would think it to herself.*"I am traveling."*She'd say simply.*"Looking for a place to rest before crossing over the Mentia border."*It seemed clear enough to her anyways. The light from the fire would be the first thing that caught her eye before shifting them to the shadow of a man that stood not so far from it. He held a bow in his hand, hopefully for his own protection rather than looking to outwardly attack the woman. It was clear he was trying to keep hidden, from what she wasn't sure, but as far as she could see, he was the only one around. Melody would trot closer towards his camp, the glow of the fire first illuminating her deer half before she'd draw close enough for him to be able to make out a more human like torso.

Her orangish colored hair sat tied back with straying locks just at the sides of her face. She bore a light set of Gambeson, the armor appearing more like a large jacket rather than something in a militia. Her own emerald colored eyes would reflect into what she could see of his, almost like looking back at herself had she followed such concealment. She had nothing to hide, however.*"I'm not here to steal from you. My name is Melody. You don't have to share your own, if you do not wish to. I've simply grown tired from days of travel and have stumbled upon this place."*Her tone would come at as more formal the more she spoke, so used to speaking such a way when working. There wasn't much a reason to speak that way here, but she figured most took preference in it.*
Joann
"Ethel. I am also travelling onwards towards there. I am a native of East Mentia, or so I have heard it is called. I am not one to know much of these societal complexities, I just recently decided to leave the forests in search of a more interesting life. Rest here if so desired, even though I am one to keep to myself, I would rather not be the cause someone got lost in the dark." *He said, putting his bow down, still in arms reach but not as primed. He was rested on the log, his carvings flickering in the light, showing a long journey he was nearing the end of. His shelter having a bedding of leaves and his backpack strewn about, clearly living off of the land more-so than others.*

"Do take what you need in terms of food, my foraging and hunting was plentiful. I may not be the best cook in the land, but I know how to do it decently I would hope. Please forgive my untrusting nature, I know not of much what lies outside of the forests. People have not exactly been helpful in telling me, maybe it is because I look like some sort of untrustworthy vagabond? Still, old habits are hard to break. Sorry for the ramblings, I have been told I do it quite often." *He finished, his tone more calm yet hard to discern, speaking in a way that seems cold yet paradoxically kind. Perhaps living as a hermit would make someone's social skills be a tad behind.*
Mary
*East Mentia. So she had heard the accent correctly then.*"You and me both it seems."*She'd say in response to him claiming to head towards the border.*"Heading home because of the war too?"*Melody would gradually trot further into his camp at his invitation. With steady legs, she'd bring her deer half down into a laying position so that she could rest for a bit. The food was a secondary thought for her for the time being while she glanced around at the camp.*

"I don't blame people for being distrusting nowadays. The events going on seems to be affecting everyone, even me. I try to see the best in a person before making assumptions of them though."*She'd explain, shifting her gaze to look back towards him.*"Helpfulness seems to be lost because of that as well, so... Thank you for the hospitality. It's nice to meet another out here that's more welcoming to others. Even if threatening to shoot them first."*She'd let out a quiet laugh at the last statement soon dawning on into silence.*
Joann
"I have to be cautious, been taken advantage of quite too many times. I try to be kind, even if it is hard with my limited social interaction. I was not even aware the war was going on for the longest time, no one had bothered to tell me. If it was not obvious, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to local happenings and the politics of it." *He said, still unsure what would be waiting for him back home. He barely knew the cities of his own land, much less the current climate of the world.*

"I try to be alert, yet not anxious. If someone needs help, I will do so. But I will be ready to draw my bow at a moments notice at all times, you never know what someone's true motives are, even if you try to be an optimist. I am not one, but I am not one to avoid seeing the good in people to the point of being fully cynical. Sorry about the bow, I did not intend to shoot unless you attacked first, if it is of any reassurance." *He said, still a bit nervous, but less-so than before.* "Maybe my ignorance to the outside climate is a blessing sometimes, having not completely fallen to cynicism. Still, I wish people would at the very least tell me where I could learn about it. Being an adventurer with no leads is frustrating."
Mary
"Optimism is often pushed away as wishful thinking. It's better to know one's intention first than to assume they're always out for themselves. Fear of each other leads people to hurt themselves more than need be had they taken the time to get to know the person."*By now darkness had fallen across the sky, leaving Melody to try to keep absently aware of what went on around her in such an ominous forest.*"I don't pay a lot of attention to politics either, but I do work for law enforcement and it is my job to keep aware of some things. Especially things that are negatively impacting my home country. The war has been going on for as long as I can remember, but only recently I've heard that things have been getting worst. I don't look to involve myself, just to get my family to leave..."*She'd explain, not minding sharing such with an individual. It at least had some information of what went on while explaining her reasoning for being here further.

She'd remove the small sack across her back, placing it down on the ground as she made sure she still had enough rations for the trip across the border. Melody idly listened to the man explain his history with people, understanding why one would be less trusting of others.*"Ignorance is bliss some say. If you prefer keeping out of the way of things going on in Mentia it would be best to head further Southeast... But I can understand as an adventurer, you're more of a person of action, yes?"*She'd question him. Melody could have easily just mistaken him for another hunter, but his own reasonings for entering a country at war went unbeknownst to her. Maybe he was like the other Mercenaries looking to take advantage of it or perhaps he was simply wandering from place to place with no clear motives.*
Joann
"I do not seek action, although action would be nice. I adventure to find a meaning in it all, and hopefully find fame and fortune alongside it. Being a hunter is fine, but at the end of the day, once my toils are done, I have done no more impact than that of the wild fauna. I... Guess it is just a desire to not have my young years not mean anything, no?" *He said, taking note of the place of refuge down south.* "I can understand seeking to evacuate your kin and elders. Much of my own left, leaving me back home to run the family butchery and forage. Saying I miss having people to talk to is an understatement, even hermits like me grow bored of stagnation." *The roaring fire was much more steady now, as he added some more herbs and wild berries. He did not know much about species diets, so he figured a bit of everything as a ration would be alright.*

"So, might I ask, what do you plan to do when you head home? Do you plan to bring your kinsmen back around these parts? Sorry if I seem probing, even though it is not my intention, I am told I come off as rude. Fact is, I never really learned what social norms exist and how not to probe too much, to say curiosity has gotten me in trouble many times would be playing it down to the highest degree." *He said, part of it due to curiosity, part of it wondering where she would see as safe at this time. He had gotten caught in quite a few skirmishes, so it would be nice to know where he could lay low incase he was forced to leave his cottage due to crisis.*
Mary
"Maybe you can find a group to call your own."*She'd suggest in a lighter tone.*"Ones whose goals or ideas line up with your own. Of course, that would mean you'd have to go searching, but maybe that's one thing to try to work towards."*Melody would smile at the thought, though it quickly faded as she realized how her own goals for becoming a captain of a guard were being deterred in her suddenly leaving to travel all the way up North. Just when she managed to join a guild nonetheless. It probably wasn't the best showing of her dependability. She only hoped that she'd be able to fix it whenever she returned. If she managed to that is.

She'd be snapped out of her thoughts by his own questions towards her plans, quickly shaking her head to and fro.*"It's okay. I'm hoping to move them at least to Salvainia... Maybe further if the war gets any worse from there... I'm not too sure where I would take them specifically, but hopefully I can at least find a temporary place of refuge for them. Maybe even buy somewhere for them to stay in the Capitol so they'll still be close."*She scratched at her head, almost as if she were lost as to what to do beyond that.*"From the word I've been given. I don't know if it'll ever be safe for them to return home, but I'll be fortunate enough to at least get them through this long trip."
Joann
"I do not think there is a group that would have me. Unless there is some fort of guard that hires random huntsmen off of the street. Besides... I would be lying if I said I did not fear... Having to hunt man. Animals are easy, at the end of the day, they move on. Every life a guard takes, rightful or not, leaves a hole in people that will never fully heal. That is why I am sort of afraid of heading home, truth be told. Every day it would seem, from what I have been told, my kinsmen kill each other, as families grow distant and violent. I am no pacifist, but... It would take me months to recover from killing someone who, at one time, would have been a friend and a kinsman."

*He rubbed his neck through his cloak.* "Sorry, there I go again with my rants. Hopefully I will learn one day how to put these thoughts aside for the missions I will be given. You must be quite resilient, having such a strong heart to be a guard. Keeping your humanity through the trials you have faced." *He said, the food growing ready as he added some finishing spices he found and ground.* "Do you have any dietary habits I should be aware of when I give you your portion? Do you eat meat, have any foods you will not eat, ectara ectara."
Mary
*Ethel was right about one thing. There was a high chance of groups going out to kill people to get their ways. Melody didn't like thinking about it too much. Even in temporary bounty hunting, she made sure to bring the person back in one piece even if they were left injured from a fight. She didn't lose hope, however, that there were some people out protecting people as it should be done despite the world they lived in where killing seemed like the only option for them.*"You never know."*She'd reply gently.*"With enough skill, effort, and confidence you might just find what you're looking for if not them finding you."

*She'd glance over at the fire for a while, shoulders slouching a bit in exhaustion hitting her.*"It's funny actually. I was hoping to lead my own guard one day. Having to travel back home is getting in the way a bit, but I don't plan on giving up on that goal anytime soon. After all, it'll take a while to find the right people for it one way or another."*She'd look back towards him, watching as he'd finish up preparing the food and would ask if there was anything specific she ate.*"Anything is fine really. Believe it or not, I'm not actually a deer."*She'd chuckle a bit at that, coming to find some amusement in it. Perhaps it had something to do with a lot of people not seeing many centaurs around. Even now, that seemed strange to her.*
Joann
"Ah, that makes sense. I have never seen one of your kind, only in the stray book here and there that I found. Where I am from, most keep to themselves outside of commerce. Not a lot of chances to meet other people. Me being the type of person to go days on end to bring a few pounds of meat and hide did not help. It sells out extremely quickly, never knew why. Perhaps the war has led to some type of food shortage. I would not be one to notice, I hunt and farm all my own meals, barring the one time I went to a tavern a few days back."

*He handed some cooked mutton over, with a side of wild carrots. Despite him saying he was not a cook, the food was quite well made. Garnished with herbs and heavily spiced from what he could find, it rivaled some taverns.* "I do hope you find it well enough, had to go on a wild chase for it. Hard to aim an arrow when the target keeps running circles 'round ya." *He added some herbs and twigs to the fire, producing a bit of smoke.* "Should be late enough that I can afford to let more smoke out, helps to keep away the bugs. So, if you do not mind me asking, which part of Mentia do you hail from? I would tell you which part of the east I was from, but, truth be told, I do not quite know myself due to my lack of geographic knowledge."
Mary
*Melody would grab the food as it was handed to her, taking and eating some of the carrots first to put something light in her stomach before moving on to the mutton.*"Strange."*She'd say between bites.*"I always thought hunters tried catching the animals before they realize they're there."*Maybe she had some misconceptions on hunting. While she was oddly stealthy for her size, she never really understood what it was like hunting animals down. She never even used a bow before like the Macen seemed to be. Melody would swallow some of the mutton, coming to enjoy its taste. It had been a while since she's ever eaten mutton, though maybe she could give it a try whenever she got back to the Capitol.*

"North Mentia."*She'd say to answer his question.*"Just further north of the Capitol."*Melody would let out a quiet exhale of air.*"It probably won't stand a chance in the war, but I've come to terms with accepting it might not be there when it's over. Will just have to make a new life out here y'know?"
Joann
"That is the typical, but if a good goat catches me, I am not one to give up the hunt that quick. Worst comes to worst, I eat the mushrooms I was intending to save for some stew when I find some earthy meat to go with it." *He said, biting into the mutton like a wild beast, he was probably not one to learn table manners. Luckily there was no table, at the very least. He never went much north, having only went on a expedition when fauna were low back home.* "I hope the food is to your liking, I learned a thing or two at the very least. Having to cook my own meals became the standard when a bunch of... What do you call those exiled by war... In any case, populations grew so much. Even my hometown has seen people all over, and it has barely enough more than an outpost."

*He seemed a bit understanding of it.* "Cannot be easy, I know if I went home and found it barren with the blood of warfare on it, I would probably run to the forests for eons. I do not have the funds to move into the much more urban areas here, and I know not of any small towns."
Mary
"Must be pretty agile to be able to keep up with them-."*She'd compliment, pausing only as the man would sloppily eat at his food. After a short moment of staring, she'd eventually avert her gaze to focus on her own food.*"It's pretty good. Maybe you can join a hunting group if anything when everything is said and done. You seem pretty resourceful."*After a while, she would soon finish the food, feeling contently full from it. It was enough to make her yawn a bit, but she tried to keep herself awake for the sake of talking to the person more.*

"Seems like a lot of people must be taking refuge there. I can only imagine how overpopulated it must be with everyone trying to flee the country."*Melody wondered if her family had taken to the idea or had decided to stick where they were. Surely they wouldn't endanger themselves that way. They've always been the type to avoid danger if they could help it. A frown would appear on her face, the thoughts of potential future encounters causing her to grow mentally exhausted the more she stressed over it. She simply needed to get through it and get back. Nothing more. She'd look back at the man, curious eyes studying him for a short moment as the Centaur would change subject.*"Do you always wear that cloak whenever you go?"*She'd ask. I'd imagine it must get in the way with hunting effectively."
Joann
"Yes, it actually helps quite a bit, since I tend to hunt and travel in the darkest shade I can find. I get pretty nervous traveling these streets, as I do not know next to anything about the land outside of my homeland. Does not help bandits tend to work in groups. One or two I can handle if I have distance, three or more, or one that gets the sneak on me and I am done. If I need to fight, I do it from the shadows so I can hit my targets without them being able to hit me. Cloak conceals my colors and makes it harder to hit me, as it muffles the shape of my body..."

*He said, his tone getting a bit more... Down.* "...It also helps me keep my confidence, as it makes me seem a lot more experienced than I am. When I am hidden within it, nobody can tell if I am afraid, or if I am wounded, barring tears in the cloak. I do not like to appear weak, people underestimate me a lot, I am not a professional mercenary after-all. If nobody can see me, it means they cannot tell if I am stressed, or near breaking..." *He said, before shaking his head and snapping out of it.* "Sorry. What about your land, has it been hurt by the war yet? I have been lucky to avoid it for the most-part, barring the people seeking refuge, as you said it was called."
Mary
*Melody would tilt her head to the side a bit at his explanation.*"Are you afraid or wounded right now...?"*She'd ask him. There was always the potential of him concealing himself, but with the fire here, a simple cloak wouldn't completely hide the evidence of someone being around. Surely that wasn't the case now. She'd open her mouth to ask another question, but by then it seemed he shifted the subject back to her country. Maybe she won't be able to hear much about it. How saddening that he wore a cloak to hide outside of combat to hide whatever emotion he must be feeling.*

"It was doing alright when I last left it. Now I suspect it'll be the first to fall if the other countries decide to take advantage of its small size. I was gone by then. So I'll find out whenever I get there..."*She'd come to lay down on her side, that being the most comfortable position she could lay down in as she'd look over at him.*"I try not to stress too much about it though. First I have to focus on getting there. Worrying so far into the future will only cloud my focus in the present."
Joann
"I wish I had that willpower, my mind is always racing about the future. Would my kinsmen be proud? Will they still be there when the war is over? Should I just go back to a simple hunters life before I end up empty-handed? I guess I am mostly... Stubborn, I want my life to have meant something, to put it in a way that is understandable. I want to at the very least be a footnote in some odd book, hopefully more. As for why I am wearing the cloak right now... No reason other than my linen is tattered from weeks of non-stop travel with no tailoring or spare sets, I planned to head home sooner but I followed a dead-end lead on some possible lost ruins. Nothing came of it."

*He looked onwards, noting the status of the north.* "I know not of my homelands power, I guess it is not what I concern myself with. The forests will always be there. What worries me is the bloodshed that will come, not which elite rules over us. Would I prefer if my way of life was preserved? Yes. But... My bigger worry is that at the end of this, there will be too few people for it to matter..." *He said in a much more quiet tone.* "As long as there are forests, I will survive. The question is if I will thrive."
Mary
*Melody would fall silent listening to him, one would normally be suspecting she had dozed off by now, but she hadn't. Instead she remained silently listening to his own ramblings on worrying about the future and what his life would become once the war ends. She didn't have an answer towards it. War would end in carnage no matter what happened, but she hoped to live a life where she could protect people from having to live in constant fear of what would become of them.*

"If you could... Forget about expectations... About what kinsmen would want from you... About the war that's going on... About where it is you stand currently... If there was nothing but the land and animals and people inhabiting it... And you could be anything... Create any sort of reputation for yourself..."*She'd look over towards him.*"What would you want that to be?"*Melody would leave that much silence for him, figuring the question probably took a lot of thought to answer. She already had her own answer for it, but as much as he seemed to have some ideas of what he wanted, how he wanted to go about it was unclear to her. Maybe it was unclear to him too. Just living to survive was hardly living at all. Did he even want to go beyond the life of a hunter if it meant more risks to be taken?*
Joann
"...Probably a scholar, believe it or not. They make a mark on the world not of destruction, but of creation. Not to mention it would give me a chance to learn the world's secrets and maybe find out what the meaning of all of this is..." *He said, his voice going more and more quiet.* "I do not think that is realistic, though. I am a hunter and farmer, and my intelligence of this world ends at the forests. I used to want to really try and become one but, sometimes life hands you a deck and you have to play it. That is besides the question, though. Most people are shocked that, of all things, that was my dream. Typically I am seen more-so as a ranger mercenary, or by the less forgiving, some sort of raiding vagabond."

*He said, remembering all the times he snuck a few books on the odd field here and there. He could not afford them when he was younger, and his parents were more focused on training him for the family business. He did not think it was their fault, but he did wish that maybe they would have given it a shot. Maybe he wouldn't be so lost right about now.*
Mary
"Hm."*She'd say in thought.*"I don't think it's a far fetched idea. If you can read and write, you're already halfway there. All that's left is going out and learning of the world. Which I guess isn't in the best state currently, but if it's what you really want to do... Don't try to give up because life gave you a challenge... Overcome it..."*She had to already deal with coming to a new world that seemed prepared little for centaurs. Even in some cases of bounty hunting it wasn't always the easiest, especially in maneuverability, but she refused to quit on it even with her family speaking against the idea of the career she chose. 

It would be wrong to expect the same of a stranger she had just met, but she wanted to at least wish he gave the idea a chance as dead as it might be now. Too many people had been forced into lives and conditions they shouldn't have to live in. Him included. If being a scholar would make him happy why give up on it because of how he's looked at?*"We live in a magical world y'know. Miracles can happen. Why not give being a scholar a try?"
Pauline
{{Going to take a bit of a break, need to take care of things. Will respond when I am back, just wanted to lyk.}}