Welcome to Gaia! ::

With Val's command, the caravan burst into activity- what had once been a quiet, almost unearthly collection of beautiful wooden wagons, asleep in the early morning, turned into the bustling, alive atmosphere of a gyspy caravan.
"Aye," Em said to herself, mostly, bundling together the baskets she'd left out hanging on her wagon, filled with sweetgrass and pinkroot that she wanted to dry, and bringing them back inside the wagon. When they started up again, everything had to be secured inside. She debated bundling Pierre up and leaving him inside the wagon... but he was beginning to crawl, these days, and she didn't want to leave him alone. So she filled a low-slung basket that she usually used for picking crabapples, and filled the inside with a downy deer moufloun. She planned to attach the handle to a scarf, and tie the opposite end about her own body. That way when she was out driving the oxen along, Pierre could sit on her lap, comfortable swaddled and still connected to her unless something happened. (She didn't want a sudden stop to send the poor Fortunette flying.)

Her oxen were still moored off in the side-grass, so they needed to be hooked back up- but beyond that, she was ready to go.

Silver awoke with a start to find Val banging on the door. "TIME TO GET MOVING!"
She sat up and blinked sleepily, her hair a mess. She looked down at Aisrhan's basket and reached to pick her up, but Ais wasn't there. "Oh no..." Silver's eyes widened as she realized Aisrhan wasn't where she should be. She jumped off the bed and quickly looked around the wagon. She opened cabinets and looked on a shelf, even though she knew she couldn't be there. "Aisrhan! Where are you?" she said, a bit louder than she meant to. She ran to the door and looked outside, seeing the caravan buzzing with activity, but no sign of Aisrhan. Silver heard a noise come from the direction of the bed behind her. She closed the door and turned around. She didn't see anything. Finally she knelt down on her knees and peered under the bed. Two blood red eyes met hers in the shadows. Aisrhan hissed and lunged out from under the bed, as an angry and cornered snake might. Silver just barely managed to dodge out of the way. The little girl, now sitting in the midle of the wagon floor with her tail coiled around her defensively, appeared to suddenly realize who she had almost attacked. A frown instantly spread across her face as she burst into tears. Silver, shocked by what had just happened, looked at the girl for a moment in stunned silence. Aisrhan looked up at Silver pitifully and Silver snapped out of it. She picked Ais up and cradled her in her arms. "Shh, shh. It's okay sweetie. I know you didn't mean to." Silver used the hem of her night shirt to wipe Aisrhan's tears. "It's alright. This adjustment can't be easy for you. I understand." Silver forced a smile so that Ais could see everything was okay. Looking up into Silver's grinning face, she blinked away her tears, but buried her face in Silver's shoulder. "Come on now," she said quietly, "We have to get ready to go." She set Aisrhan down on the bed and handed her a doll. It had cute little button eyes and a gorgeous smile stitched onto her face. Silver had acquired it in a trade long ago. Aisrhan smiled and hugged the doll. Silver got dressed and combed her hair, tying it into a braid laced with a green ribbon. She brushed and tied up Aisrhan's hair as well and put her into a little yellow dress with green embroidery. She fashioned a sort of sling from some older items around the wagon for Aisrhan to rest in when Silver couldn't hold her. She flung the sling over her shoulder and picked up Aisrhan. "Now you wait here," she said, setting her on the bed. Ais seemed happy with the doll, so Silver went outside and got her horse, Kesali, hitched to the wagon. She made one more check over her belongings inside, securing a few last minute items. Then she picked up Aisrhan and headed outside to help anyone else who might need her.

Marissa stumbled out of her wagon, blinking away sleep. Being a fox, of course Kale had woken long before the sun and was bounding ahead of her, smelling change in the air. It excited him. He barked and swished his tai.

As she rubbed her eyes, she managed to catch the word "reading," and her heart skipped a beat. A reading? As in...growing? She looked at the happy fox by her feet. It had been so long...

"Val?" She called, picking up Kale and trotting over. "Um, you said...reading...and um, are you available...by any chance?" She half-mumbled the words, not wishing to sound disrespectful or frenzied. Reading...

[The only problem is: As of tomorrow I'm leaving for two weeks. D: So...I won't be around for awile to write the quest. ;; Is that okay?]

Em left her wagon, holding Pierre close to her. She looked about for Leshy'ae ((sorry about the spelling, if it's incorrect))- and saw her, standing near her wagon, looking about as if with eyes for someone in particular.

"Lesh!" She called, holding up her skirts with her free hand, her body and her other hand holding her son. She loped over to the green-haired gypsy. "Might I ask a favor of you? I have to hook up my oxen, and it sends them in a fury when Pierre is near them. I think they still have problems with him as a Darkling. Anyway, would you mind watching him for just a few minutes, while I hook them up and get them settled?"

Leshya'e smiled and nodded as Em came towards her, "Yes dear, of course" She reached out and took Pierre into her arms. "Just come back for him when you're ready...we'll be right here" She smiled and then turned to Pierre, "How about we go in and find something to play with...or someone"

[Eep! I'm just back from a party. Sorry so late. x.x If you'd like to start the thread that'd be wonderful, I'll reply as soon as I can <33]

"Yes Caroline, I will be happy to do your reading. That is if you are ready to grow Rojiza, it seems like she is definately ready." She looked over at Mari. "I will do Mari's and then I will do your before we get under way. I think both of you can accomplish your quest along the road." She patted Rojiza "Hello there chiper thing, you are sure eager for the new and adventurous."

Lesh nodded and handed Pierre back to Em, "No problem...really...Maybe we can try again to introduce them?"