Ayr was the destination today. Quan had some business dealings with an acquaintance of his apparently, so they packed up their camp in Serenia and shipped off to the airy continent of.. well, Ayr. It was quite a sight to behold, though he'd been to Eowyn before and thus on a ship, it still surprised him what the world looked like beyond the forests of Serenia. He'd been outside of his home exactly two times not counting this time - once when he ventured to Soudul on his own, and once right after he'd been freed from his bonds to the Mistress.
"Quan," the boy asked as they went. The man simply grunted in acknowledgement. "Who exactly are you going to deal with when we get to Ayr?"
"It isn't anything for you to worry about, lad," came the reply, though it was slowly and almost hesitant. "Maybe when you're older."
Quan's tone of voice was what ended the conversation, and Ainsley didn't bring it up again. Once they landed, the young Orderite was given quick instructions about where to meet later that night before being left on his own. Probably not the smartest thing to do, leaving an adventurous and relatively ambitious young battler on his own in a foreign land, but for whatever reason Quan seemed more than comfortable with the arrangement. Ainsley wasn't complaining either, and so he began exploring.
He didn't see very many people once he'd gotten a ways out of the town they'd docked into, which was fine with him. His pack was certainly light enough, and his axe was mounted on his waist rather comfortably, so he felt safe and ready to take on whatever came his way. And the boy explored and he explored until, at one point at about midday, he came upon a nest. Upon closer inspection he noted that there were several eggs in the nest, so inched even closer, close enough to touch one...
And then he heard a loud screech in the background. Looking up and around, he noticed a group of black spots coming in closer from behind him. The closer they got, the more he realized that they were birds. Not just any birds; he didn't see any feathers so they closely resembled dragons, except significantly smaller in size. Without really giving it much thought, the boy grabbed his axe and readied himself for a fight.
Of course, ten-to-one wasn't exactly a fair fight, but he was more than willing to give it a shot. The first dactyl that came at him was the one that took the first hit, and the blade of his axe cut right through its wing. It screeched and skidded into the cliff side just beneath him. The next that came at him followed in suit, though just barely, and they each took their shot. Ainsley felt a few of their barbed tails sink into his skin a few times, but they were no more than scratches, and he was beginning to get dizzy and unsure of his footing. Within minutes, however, it was all over, and he was the one left standing. The dactyl that had attacked were all simply injured and elsewhere, healing and perhaps calling for more help.
Ainsley wasn't going to wait for the next squad of birds to come after him though, so after a bit of thought the boy grabbed an egg and carefully took it with him back into the town, nestling it close to his chest to keep it warm and safe. He'd show Quan later, and maybe ask about what in the name of Serene had attacked him. Flocks of birds.. or something like that.
