Lia was considering dropping back and leaving the linguist to herself but then the red head seemed to open up a bit and Lia felt more relaxed and less an imposition.  She had no delusions that she would receive any grand recognition for her efforts here but she would know what she did.  Any maps she brought back would still need to be reviewed by some male, probably signed with his dick, before the Cartographers Guild would accept it.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Wow I'm impressed."</span>she said as Sabina gave a rough guess of her language ability.  She could see how she would have been something of a natural with her father's guidance.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"That sounds wonderful, I wish my father had been more interested in my career.  He was much more interested in my potential husband's career, or more precisely in picking one out for me."  </span>She thought about the places she had been and just how much language she had learned.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Well I knew enough in Byzantia and Eritrea to get a meal and my luggage but that's about it.  In Nubia I learned 'jinsia'"</span>She laughed, using their word for cunnilingus, something of a challenge to see if their interpreter knew some of the phrases that might not be taught in a university class.  For a small time she was able to put her worries aside and enjoy the adventure.  She was a bit too engaged in conversation to hear the rustles in the weeds, she took relatively little interest in the flora and fauna, unless it was significant enough to go on a map, but once she classified it as 'tall grass' her interest faded.  She knew not of the beasts that might lurk within, the soldiers and men would take care of that, it was at least one thing they were good for, well a second if she were honest.   She was more concerned about the texture of the ground, the slope of the land and the occasional peak at her timepiece.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"I'm glad to hear it."</span>She responded regarding Sabina's view of maps.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"For all this bunch of brutes know our destination is a days ride from here but they blindly follow this path wherever it might lead them."</span>Though she herself had been more than impressed with some hunter's dead reckoning abilities, they were few and far between.  The average imperial soldier would walk off a cliff if the soldier in front of him did as far as she could tell.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Speaking of which, I need to take my first reading, I hope we can talk more when we make camp or break for lunch."  </span>That was assuming their leader believed in such things.<br/><br/>She pulled her horse somewhat to the side and stopped, so others could pass then pulled out her sextant and time piece.  When the horse wouldn't hold still enough she dismounted, it felt good to stretch her legs a bit anyway.  Of course then she couldn't even come close to seeing the horizon.  As the dark handsome man she had only waved to earlier came up from behind she gave him her damsel in distress look.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Can you help me?"</span>She asked, holding out the reins of her horse for him to hold.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"I need to get up a bit higher but my horse keeps moving."</span>She said though she didn't seem particularly frustrated just yet.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"If maybe you could keep your horse still and let me get up behind you?"</span>She suggested, though there were probably other ways of accomplishing her goal.