10.Jun.18, 11:30 PM
Dessa smiled absently to herself as the horse pulled the small cart along the well-travelled path. She had enjoyed visiting with her son-in-law and daughter, as she ever did, spoiling her grandchildren and enjoying their sticky kisses and sweet voices. The eldest, just barely two, was the light of Dessa’s life and she delighted in the way the child doted on her. The infant, another little boy, was a beautiful child who promised to be as delightful as his sibling. Dessa was proud of her daughter and she was proud of the life the girl was leading and wished her all the happiness on Pern.
Her attention was snagged when the horse snorted, and Dessa looked up curiously, wondering what had caused the animal to react. She was rather surprised when she saw what looked like a pair of youngsters walking along the road ahead of her. Dessa blinked, and tilted her head, considering. There were not usually lone travellers. She was a bit of an oddity, travelling by herself with her sturdy horse and little cart. Dessa didn’t believe in hiring a guard when she was quite capable of being intimidating when the time called for it, and besides, who would want to rob her? She was dressed comfortably but didn’t exactly reek of Marks, and while her horse was sturdy, he was old. Her cart was small, and usually filled with herbs she was taking to sell in her daughter’s home town as well as her own travelling items – clothes, primarily.
The pair was still a good distance ahead of her, and were either ignoring her or hadn’t yet realised there was someone coming up from behind. Dessa figured it was probably the latter, since the mild breeze was blowing into her face, meaning the sound was carrying away from them. She pulled her horse to a standstill and tilted her ear into the wind. If they were talking, it wasn’t loud enough to carry, which seemed strange to her. Usually children were loud and chatty when walking together, and she figured they were probably heading down to Telgar from one of the farms within the vicinity. They were still a couple of days out, but she’d known parents to send older kids off to the Hold to pick up items when the adults were too busy to make the trip.
Giving the reins a gentle flick, Dessa encouraged her horse back into his lazy walk. She watched them as she got closer, deciding she’d offer them a place in the back of her cart in exchange for any stories they had to tell, when she got close enough to realise it was a woman and child, not two children. Her eyebrows lifted somewhat, but Dessa smoothed her features before calling out a friendly greeting, watching curiously the way they reacted to the sound of her voice.
Her attention was snagged when the horse snorted, and Dessa looked up curiously, wondering what had caused the animal to react. She was rather surprised when she saw what looked like a pair of youngsters walking along the road ahead of her. Dessa blinked, and tilted her head, considering. There were not usually lone travellers. She was a bit of an oddity, travelling by herself with her sturdy horse and little cart. Dessa didn’t believe in hiring a guard when she was quite capable of being intimidating when the time called for it, and besides, who would want to rob her? She was dressed comfortably but didn’t exactly reek of Marks, and while her horse was sturdy, he was old. Her cart was small, and usually filled with herbs she was taking to sell in her daughter’s home town as well as her own travelling items – clothes, primarily.
The pair was still a good distance ahead of her, and were either ignoring her or hadn’t yet realised there was someone coming up from behind. Dessa figured it was probably the latter, since the mild breeze was blowing into her face, meaning the sound was carrying away from them. She pulled her horse to a standstill and tilted her ear into the wind. If they were talking, it wasn’t loud enough to carry, which seemed strange to her. Usually children were loud and chatty when walking together, and she figured they were probably heading down to Telgar from one of the farms within the vicinity. They were still a couple of days out, but she’d known parents to send older kids off to the Hold to pick up items when the adults were too busy to make the trip.
Giving the reins a gentle flick, Dessa encouraged her horse back into his lazy walk. She watched them as she got closer, deciding she’d offer them a place in the back of her cart in exchange for any stories they had to tell, when she got close enough to realise it was a woman and child, not two children. Her eyebrows lifted somewhat, but Dessa smoothed her features before calling out a friendly greeting, watching curiously the way they reacted to the sound of her voice.