This was the crossroads. It wasn't sign posted or anywhere important. it was just were several paths came together heading to the main port.
Some were proper roads paved with large slabs of stone that lead to the larger Centaur and Cervitaur towns and the smaller port that connected the cattaur and wolftaur islands. Other paths were smaller gravel or dirt paths leading to smaller villages or simply quick ways for people to get to their homes or into the forest.
At this point their were 6 roads and paths joining it. The main road in and out connecting the ports, two gravel paths leading to a small centaur village and to the home of a cattaur woodcarver, who paid for a better road for transport reasons, and two almost invisible dirt trails.
One leading to a naga filled swamp land and the other ...no one was sure about. Most though it was a simple hunters trail into the deeper woods.
The sun was still low in the sky and the grass was sprinkled with the first morning dew. Birds sang and danced in the warm morning early summer breeze.
The sound of laughing and hoof beats grew louder as two young centaurs approached the crossroads.
QuinLan smiled pulling his mask down from his face.
"I have to say I have never seen that fat merchant run so fast in my life.
Next time we should use a real snake."
Slowing to a stop as he reached the junction of the roads he stretched out his legs. He hadn't planned on running so soon and hadn't stretched out his muscles properly and they were starting to cramp.
Castanea wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Well in all honesty Quin i did not know he had a fear of snakes. If i had known before you dared me to do it i would have not put that rope snake into his apples."
Standing next to his friends he couldn't help but chuckle picturing the fat cattaur leaping almost twice his hight into the air after moving some of his apples.
"I do feel bad Cas that he upturned his cart. But he never even gave us a chance to help" QuinLan sighed before chuckling again
" If i ever catch you do here again I'll tan your hides and sell them to the leather maker" He mimicked the fat merchants voice waving his fist at his friend"
" But sir it wasn't us we have not been near your stall today" Castanea said micking Quin's 'innocent' voice making soft doe like eyes
"It's always you two causing mischief. now get out of here or so help me" Quin waddled forward trying to mimicked how the merchant waddled after them before triping over his own hooves and laughing
Castanea started laughing so hard he had to hold his sided.
"It was so hard trying not to laugh when playing innocent but when he started running i could help laughing. It blew the whole thing but you laughed
right along with me."
He calmed himself down and looked at his purple covered friend. "So i think the port is out of bounds for the next week or so until he calms down. What do you want to do until then?"
QuinLan sat up smiling still "we could always go prank the cattaurs?"
Castanea shook his head "nope we pranked the boat masted last week and are not allowed back on the ferry until we get him a new net remember"
"And why haven't we got him a new net yet. i though you were friends with the centaur lass that makes nets and fishing stuff."
"You pranked her farther the week before and we need to replace his bow.And before you say it we cant replace his bow cause you pranked the bow maker and need we need to replace his crop of apples after ruining his cider. And we cant replace his apples....."
" Cause we just pranked the merchant." Quin sighed as he slapped his hand against his forehead "i knew their was another reason for going to the port."
Castanea chuckled at his friend he was good really but had been raised with foxtaurs and was more into piratical jokes then a normal centaur should.
"How about we head back to our camp and plan what we can do."
