homebound. (earinor & akira)

Logan had a way of making people sigh when he approached them and yet somehow most of them also liked him. Not that he didn't have his fair share of enemies as well. "Maybe I can take some of them off your hands, though I just need basic supplies today, a sleeping bag, a tent, maybe some hide. What have you got?" Logan would visit one of the hunters later on, Lark sold some fine craftmenship of her people, but he'd have to buy some meat too anyway. "An adventure, yes, a big one.", he smiled, he was excited for this one if he was honest, even if the last bit of the journey had been somewhat odd. Was Rhys even made for cold wheather like that? He'd probably want to go home soon. "I want you to meet my employer actually. They are waiting at the inn." Lark was a merchant not a tour guide or translater and Logan was well aware that if he proposed it now, she would say no immedietly, but Cecil had his ways of convincing people to join him.

If not anything else she'd see him and couldn't just let them wander around aimlessly, Logan could at least try to convince her and Edward? Well he'd also be convinced once they all sat on the same table and shared a meal together. "Dinner's on me, I'll come back here and pick you up once I'm done with my shopping, how's that sound?", he asked with another smile. The prince had coin enough to pay just about anyone. Whatever price the Lark wanted they could pay, but that probably wasn't even the point here. Logan just hoped Cecil lack of knowlwedge and Edwards meager attitude was reason enough to agree to, if not come with them herself, find someone else she trusted to guide them at least in the beginning of their journey.

There he was, bright and early as ever. To her people, someone like Logan was but a speck of dust in this tapestry one of them called the world beyond their own confines, and to her, he was another customer, another friend in the skin of a stranger that, if only he had enough coin and power, would turn a place like this into something unrecognizable, even to the most schooled eye. "I should have all of that, not like I get a lot of wanderers coming through here and then buying my wares anyway.", Lark explained to Logan and, at a moment notice, was already looking through her things again, grabbing the sole sleeping bag she carried - nobody ever really bought these - and the tent that had been neatly folded up with all the bits and bops one would need to make it stand on its own. Not that that wouldn't cost a pretty coin, it was thrian craftmanship after all, but why not trust those that wandered far and wide and even had settlements that partially consisted of nothing but tents? If Lark didn't have something, it didn't exist, and if she had something, it was the best of the best, anyway. "Sounds promising. Crossing the border this time, I take it?" Why else would anyone ask for hide? Next, she procured some hides from that one big bag she carried - once she put it on, it would pretty much be more than half her size, too. "I'd recommend reindeer, but if you want something softer, take the wolf. It's not going to be as warm, though.", she offered Logan as she rolled both out in front of him to show him what she had.

With that much done, all that was missing was payment - and the approval of Logan, not that he'd ever say no to something she had given him before, but disagreements were something that occured naturally, all the time, for whatever reason they had to happen. Sometimes it was disingenuity, other times people simply wanted to get Larks wares for cheaper than she paid for them - haggling was normal in this realm, it was anywhere, yet, certain people had their very own way around it. "Your employer? Are they going to buy all of this, or are you trying to get me in on something?", she questioned Logans intentions, but soon shrugged with her shoulds as she folded up his wares again and secured the bundle, so it was easier to carry to its destination from here on out. Wherever that was. Maybe Logan also only wanted it delivered; who knew what it really was. "Not going to eat with your companions? I don't mind either way, I stay at the same inn as you probably are, so we can either meet out here, should you prefer secrecy or back there." With that, Lark finally bundled together her backpack and hoisted it upon her frame - she wasn't small by any means, but she still found herself to be on the thinner side, even if she was well-trained in many arts of travel and combat. "So?"

Logan looked at Larks wares. He didn't need to pretend to check their quality and even though she didn't have everything there was to have, the things she did have were of top quality. There was no way someone could by a metal armor, not even a studded one from someone across the border, they didn't wear those as far as Logan knew, but what Lark had left after her time in this trading village was filling their bags nicely. There was no reason to be stingy with his employers money and yet Logan bartered a bit as was custom around these parts and he didn't want to overpay either. "Warm is good.", he decided on a hide, the prince surely liked soft things, but he had so little fat on his bones, he'd freeze when they crossed the mountains. From what he heard their neighbors country could get quite warm as well at parts, but the opposite was also true, especially at the border. They needed to stay warm and he needed his employer to neither freeze to death, get sick or return home because he noticed this was harder than he expected.

"We are crossing the border indeed.", Logan spoiled the surprise, but Lark saw right through him as it seemed. "I have your coin right here and when did I ever do that?" He didn't and he expected a no if he blatantly asked. He paid Lark right away though, even if she hoisted up the wares herself again to carry them to the inn presumably. "I want us all to eat together.", Logan corrected her with a smile. He also wanted to introduce them, so he rather came with. "Give me say ten minutes to finish up my shopping and I'll pick you back up here. You can also come with, if you want, I don't mind, but in that case let me carry that." Every the gentleman Logan stretched out his hand. He knew Lark didn't need any help and yet Logan was always happy to help a friend, or acquaintance in this case. "Half of this is mine now anyway.", he added to make it easier for Lark to accept his proposal.

Lark was patient, with all of them, all the time - only patience bore fruit and there was really no way to make someone trust her faster, or easier, than this one. How long until she gained Logans? Frankly, that was hard to tell, given that he seemed like someone that, while easy to get along with, was a rather secretive person at times - and every single on of them had secrets, most of which they were hardly willing to share with mere strangers that they bought wares from. For her, it wasn't a matter of wares, but a matter of time, and the desire to sell such things to the highest bidder - if Logan didn't have anything like that he could offer her, he was as good as useless; thankfully, even the strangest of characters often brought about something that anyone could use. "Warm it is, then.", she declared with the faintest of acknowledgement that, why, she figured he'd want that one over the fluffier one - to brave the mountain range not far away from here was akin to suicide in the wrong conditions, and with missing equipment. Someone like Logan knew, of course, and Lark, naturally, understood that his motifs were money, and to keep himself afloat, which he needed to be alive for; better yet if his employer didn't die, either.

Whether it was a contractual obligation or not, one thing was clear: Lark was intrigued, even if it meant that they'd have to pry just a tad bit more into Logans affairs and assess if it was worth the trouble of asking to tag along, or if they'd simply walk the same way over the mountains - the safest one - and then part ways, past the immovable range of stone. "Figures, there's nowhere in all of Ylisse that you'd need warm hide for, not even in winter." Not even out here, despite the fact that it was somewhat crisp down here - it was too warm, all year round, meaning the weather down here hardly ever changed, even in the colder months of the year when there was even more snow in Thria, even down to the smallest vale past the mountains, all of them were likewise buried and Lark was fairly sure she was the only one that still insisted on traversing the treacherous paths up there, to get down here, only for a few coins. "I am not saying you wouldn't pay, you misunderstand." As merchants often did when they were fearful of being cheated out of their salary by their customers; nothing to fear here, though. "All of us?" Lark raised an eyebrow and sighed, almost deeply, somewhat disappointed, but not because she was missing out on some primetime alone with the mercenary, oh no. "Take your time, I am not going anywhere if you require me to stay put.", she explained, but then, well ... given Logans nature, she was going to come with him, no questions asked, and yet, when he wasked to carry her backpack, she snorted at him - in amusement, that was. "Yes, and half of it you will carry." With that, she untied his bundle from her own wares, then handed it to him; Logan could take a lot, she was sure, but he'd break his back transporting her wares to wherever he went now - he wasn't used to the way she piled her wares atop one another. "Lead the way."

"It can be chilly up here For some.", Logan grinned, but it truly didn't matter if the Lark figured out where he was going, in fact he invited her anyway and if anything there was only one secret to keep, who his employer was, but even that she might figure out, even though she wasn't quite knowledgable enough to know who Logan was either. Probably she didn't care about the Lords and Ladies of Ylisse when it wasn't her Lords and Ladies. She didn't have to know much, maybe who the king of this country was she was in right now, but not how he or his sons look. "All of us, yes, you, me and my travel companions.", Logan nodded as he was hoisted the wares he bought just before. With it secured he went on to buy some provisions and other things Lark didn't have in stock but he thought they'd need. Eventually with all that done together they went to the inn, which he entered fully packed and looked around in the eating area. The hooded figures looked as suspicious as always, Rhys on the other hand didn't hide at all, meeting Logans gaze.

Logan swallowed a small sigh, Rhys somehow gave him a headache. Not that he was a bad man, but this whole situation he put him in felt unwarranted. Either way, Logan nudged Lark to follow him over to the table where half of their luaggae still stood, probably because Edward didn't want to leave all their wealth unuarded in a shared unlocked room. Fair enough. Logan tossed their new things into the corner to the other bags, than put a hand on Larks shoulder. "This is an old friend of mine, the Lark, and these are my travel companions." Edward shot Logan a annoyed gaze, he probably thought something like 'Another?!', but he was as composed as ever, holding back while the prince would do the talking. "You know, crossing the border I thought it might be a good idea to actually hear from someone who's from there.", Logan quickly explained, trying to ease everyone into accepting just a few stories for now, or some words of advice, before he jumped the gun and asked them all to travel together, if only part of the way.

Tagging along with Logan was one thing, the Lark was certain of that, but to meet his travel companions was something she didn't often get to experience: At times they had no interest in her herself, but plenty of her wares, and on other days, they were out to simply hear a word from beyond the border, but there were also the ones that she never caught hide nor hair of, as Logan helped them traverse elsewhere, not across but along the border, and as such, they were not in need of her services, or even interested in them. Still, he made an effort to come visit her at times even if there was no need for it, wrested coins upon her that she wouldn't take and drank tea he didn't even want - he was a confusing fellow, that much the Lark was aware of, but much like she had her own secrets, so did Logan, and not once did she pry, lest she had a proper reason for badgering him, which happened about as often as maybe once every six moons, when none of her usual suppliers of intelligence knew what she was in search of. Sometimes, even Logan didn't know and that was alright with her, even when he waxed and waned on about the most curious of things, nearing a breaking point in her patience that she never had shown him before. Mutual respect was important, especially on the long-winding, never-ending road of life that they both fared on, lest one would tell the poor soul that careened them across the hell's nine rivers that the other wasn't deserving of eternal rest, were one to believe in such things.

As they arrived at the afforementioned accomodation not much later, after taking care of their things, they spotted a set of heads that seemed familiar enough to Logan, which meant they were the companions he had called upon in their initial discussion. Funnily enough, two of the men wore hoods, one of them was daring enough not to, but the color of his skin made him stand out enough already, at the very least down here, so close to the border, where someone like him was, if anything, a traveller or a lost soul. She took off her own hood and watched where Logans footsteps carried him, following after him and regarding the crowd with a simple nod, polite as she could be for the time being - there were mixed emotions on the three new faces, the two hooded ones seemed to have differing opinions and their unhooded companion lost in thought, for whatever reason that did not concern her. "A friend? Logan, you know just about anyone!", a boyish voice rang forth from under the hood, in admiration it seemed, followed by another from the other man. "I guess his field of expertise leads him many places.", he mumbled aloud, almost voiced in disdain. "Oh? You brought him to cross the border with us? I think that would be a good idea!", Cecil soon was all excited again, over another travel companion for their ever increasing group - and their dwindling funds, though, they surely had enough of them, still, for now at the very least. The Lark, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow and looked over at Logan in befuddlement. "Joining your expedition? I fear you misunderstand, I can show you across the border, but further than that? That is outside my field of expertise, as you've called it. Logan is a customer and friend of mine, nothing more or less." Not her contractor - Qidao shot him a glance, he had set her up, hadn't he? Then, the hooded young man was about to raise his voice, but something shut him up once more - it was the look his equally-hooded companion seemed to give him, but that could mean anything.

Cecil was excited, of course he was and Logan just grinned at him. He wouldn't say he knew too many people, but he had a few contacts here and there or people simply owing him a favor. Rhys seemed a bit displeased and Edward, well he was unhappy, but Logan knew he'd be from the get-go. "Well getting us across will do and now sit, sit. You can tell us about what we can expect.", Logan smiled, pulling a chair out for Lark to sit down on. With that done he smiled at everyone on the table, they didn't even have drinks yet! "Now ask away my little friend, I'll get us something to drink and eat! A beer for you, right?" He looked at the little prince and winked at him, he knew Edward wouldn't allow that nor would he drink any himself. Logan was just joking, leaving the table to head to the counter ordering drinks and food for all of them. He brought the drinks himself, the food would come later, not that they had a whole lot here, but it would satiate their hunger and that was more than enough.

Edward was unamused. Logan sprung yet another guy on them, as if they didn't have enough people knwoing about them already. The bigger the group, the easier to spot they were too, though maybe a wild group like this would serve as some cover at the very least. Cecil was excited and he'd have many questions, probably too many that would annoy this guy soon enough. Rhys seemed unhappy about something as well, looking after Logan as he left to talk to the person behind the corner, sinking deep into the corner he sat in. Cecil broke the silence soon enough and Edward didn't even try argue about letting someone else join, he just paid attention Cecil didn't give too much away. Logan soon came back, placing some water in front of Edward, who took the beer out of his hand, he was about to set in fron of Cecil as a joke, and placed it to the free spot he'd undoubtedly take up soon. For Rhys he got a bottle of wine and his friend seemed to prefer water as well. Cecil eventually just got some juice. Logan planted his ass next to Rhys, urging him to scoot over closer to Edward. "We want to leave for the border tomorrow, do you even have time for that on such short notice?", Edward simply asked. They had no time to waste here. It would take another day to even reach it, so they better left early tomorrow. "I don't mean to be rude, but I wasn't expecting Logan to bring someone along..."

There they sat, as the ragtag group that got brought together by but one man it seemed, and now it flourished, as the likes of Logan couldn't help it but shuffle about, try to find new scapegoats for whatever cause that it was they pursued and Qidao squinted at him, darkly, as if he had earned her ire for the first time in a long time, something that she saved but for the naysayers and thieves in their midst. "Tell you what you can expect? Would a group of adventurers like you not know what their destination entails?", Lark questioned, astounded by both their recklessness and stupidity upon wanting to wander right over the border into a country that they were neither familiar with, nor spoke the language of. None of them. What an ignorant bunch of fools they were, and yet, she pitied them, for being idiots, of all things that she could pity them for. The one beneath the hood, with the eyes made of rubies and the skin crafted out of porcelain and snow, spoke first - he seemed tight-lipped, his voice brimming with excitement and some sort of fear alike and the rest of them? None of them seemed to be keen about her arrival in their midst, as if Logan had made her crash their little congregation on purpose and informed none of them. "Uh, well, Logan asked first, but ... what's it like? I know there's a lot of snow, and ice, and a whole lot of nothing, too, past the mountains, I mean. How do you even survive out there?"

The Lark was content with watching them and their demeanors, how their expressions changed, their mouths moved, their brows furrowed and their bodies behaved - she knew of plenty of adventurers with less than stellar ideas, of people that paid Logan regardless of their intent and then, when they had what they wanted, they ditched everything else - these men seemed far from it, for the most part, obvious from the reaction to the stupid prank Logan was trying pull on them. "Harsh. The winds are fast and cold, and the ground covered in ice year-round, in most parts of the land, anyhow. There's roads, alright, buried by snow, knee-deep and freezing. Lots of settlements, but not all of them welcoming and wild animals that roam the planes in broad daylight, for they are sacred and not to be hunted. If you have no idea what you're doing, you ought to turn around and not waste your breath or life on a journey you won't survive.", Lark explained to him, glancing over at the man that Logan effectively forced to inch closer to the stoic one, blue-haired and opinionated as they sometimes were, a mystery to both her and her folk at times. Rhys seemed to find the bottle of wine just fitting as an apology and Cecil himself interested in the juice he'd been served, above all things, while they played the worlds longest game of stalemate with one another, trying to delay the inevitable. "I would still like to see it, no matter what.", the small one disagreed and Lark sighed, hearing his protectors complaints, or rather, questions, soon enough. Those two belonged together, that much was obvious to the schooled eye, but Logan and Rhys? They seemed like water and oil, even from the first glance, unable to mix, yet somehow intermingled. "I have packed shop up already, as Logan already has asked for my guidance. Not in that scope, however - I told him I could be able to deliver you across the border and then some, but not much more." She herself didn't stay in one place for long enough, but her business was her lifeline and without her, there was nobody to take her place and carry what adventurers of their persuasion needed to safely cross the border. "You are not rude, not at all. I did not expect to be shoehorned into this, either, but it seems as if both Logan and your employer would like me to bring you places ... I shall, but it shall cost." Cecil clapped his hands, like he was a fly that had found a meal worthy of beseeching with his own existence - Lark pitied them, all of them, even now. "How much?", the pale one inquired, but Lark simply smiled. "That is for another day to decide, but be aware that I will get what I deserve."