Adrian had taken two of his horses for their journey, opting out of a carriage for simplicity’s sake and concern that it would make them more of a target. Due to a lack of oversight between Almor and the elven lands, Adrian warned her that his guild was not the only acting party in the area. He controlled a lot of it, as did the Autumn Council.
Never had she seen such massive horses. They were absolute beasts, towering over her while Adrian could just barely see over them. Bred for endurance rather than speed, Adrian proudly told her. He apparently had numerous horses. Many of whom held different purposes.
This was also the first time she had ever seen him armed. He wore a belt across his chest that bore knives of various sizes. A sheathe lie across his back, as did a longbow with a quiver strapped to his waist. He wore a chest guard. Apparently, he was quite adept with the bow, and only moderately confident in his skill with the blade. For extra measure, there was a short bow among his things.
For herself, Adrian had supplied her a few daggers and a shorter sword more befitting her strength. Those had been the tools of her trade before, though Veleria was more about subterfuge than combat. Other than that, she traveled lightly with a few sets of clothing. Her need for food was lacking now. Adrian was able to mostly pack for himself.
They left Almor following a few discussions with his people and a few trips to the archive and the vault. The horses took their time unless Adrian prodded for a more brisk pace. He told her they would plan to stop at most settlements if it aligned time-wise, or if an outfit was stationed there. They could save supplies that way. Of course, she would need to wear her cloak whenever they entered any towns or settlements. This annoyed her, but she understood. The Sorceresses’s underlings could be anywhere.
It was out in the country where Adrian prodded her.
“You were a mercenary, weren’t you?” He asked her, nodding the horse by hers.
“Something like that, yeah.” Veleria sighed. “Mostly, I just gathered information. Sold it off.”
“Did you ever try to join my guild? I never saw a Veleria…whatever your surname is, on the list.”
“No, and it’s Garris.” she mused. “I hadn’t wanted to be loyal to any one group. I was independent. Kind of a bad idea, though, since that got me killed.”
Adrian gave her a sidelong glance.
“That was a dangerous job. How much did the elves offer you?”
“Enough to settle down in the empire, if I wanted.” She said, honestly. The look on his face was one of concern. “I know, it’s a lot. I had a stint of bad jobs and I was starving. I took the job without a second thought.”
Adrian scratched the back of his head, “I know food is no longer an issue, but you won’t be want for coin anymore.”
“Come on—“
The mare whinnied as Veleria pulled on her reigns.
“We take care of our own.” He told her, his horse coming to a slow pause.
“I’m not one of you.”
“You are always welcome in my home.” His words were simple, plain. Matter-of-fact. “And my home is every gods damned place that falls under my outfit.”
Veleria had the horse continue on. While she appreciated all he had done for her, she doubted that Adrian had any idea what he was getting himself into. She had half the mind that they would separate after they finished this affair with the elves. After a while, Adrian and his horse had returned to her side. They were at their original distance. He glanced at her once or twice, but chose silence, which Veleria appreciated.
Looking on, the road grew more narrow. By nightfall they would be under the cover of forestry. It was something that Veleria would see a lot of during her journey.