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Though he was weary from their travel, he still felt excitement zing through him like a charge, enough so that he kept the yawning at bay until almost the end. As they crested the final hill, the cool breeze, smelling faintly of salt and fish, hit his face and he couldn't fight the yawn anymore. His stallion bounced a bit beneath him, jostling him enough to drag his gaze down and out, towards the sea.

It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

Steel gray, it moved like one unbelievably massive living creature, and he supposed that's exactly what it was. The breeze seemed to be a true wind down upon that water, because there were indeed whitecaps dotting the tops of the waves. The water slapped lazily against the shore and almost seemed to climb the weathered timbers of the docks and the ships moored there.

The town of Northport itself was alive, in a rather surly, early morning sort of way. He could see the dots of many people moving about, some from ship to dock with armloads of goods, others bustling about between stalls set up very near the same docks. He could hear the faint shouts from the sailors as they were caught by the wind.

"Mm, it's too early for people to be that energetic," he mused, flashing a lazy smile at her. While he'd always gotten up at the crack of dawn to appease his father, Maedoc loved almost nothing more than languishing at the edges of slumber for as long as possible, no matter if he lay in a bed or on the ground. "The sea is beautiful."

"I've a mind to. I'm sure all those sailors would rather be in their hammocks sleeping off their hangovers instead of working them off." He chuckled to himself, because Oberon had already started a lively trot down the slope. Clicking his tongue, Maedoc gave the horse his head and let the big beast follow at his own pace, which happened to be a bit faster than the stag in an effort to catch up with him. He'd learned rather quickly that the stallion was competitive, which was rather odd for a courser. Maybe it had come about in lieu of the lack of fighting the horse could participate in.

And in a random bit of thoughtfulness, as he stared out at the faintly roaring sea, he also realized he had yet to name the animal. That thought brought about thoughts of his sister again; she had been prone to naming anything with fur and feathers, but he'd never taken to the thought of it for horses. Mounts could be easily killed or lost in battle and getting attached to one was sure to bring about heartache in the long run.

As if sensing his thoughts, the stallion turned his head just enough to stare at Maedoc with one dark, intense eye before he bolted in true, full-flighted form. The salty air whipped his hair about and he grinned like a foolish boy.

Perhaps the horse deserved a name, here in this country that lacked tribal warfare.

They reached the town in no time. It was far busier even than it had seemed on the hilltop. People were everywhere, carry this or that, pushing carts, herding sheep, hawking wares, and gutting fish. It was a true slap to his senses and he glanced about, feeling the rumble of his stomach. Pastries sounded wonderful.

"Where to, m'lady?"

The horse didn't like being surrounded by so many people, but he was willing enough to obey the commands of Maedoc's hands, knees, and feet. Raj and Oberon walked through the market as if they owned it, the sea of people parting like curtains to allow them passage. Was it because they were that well known here, or because the stag was simply that intimidating?

Well, not intimidating to him....

Much.

When an elderly, but vibrant woman called out Rajani's name--or rather an adorable shortening of it that he liked better than 'Raj'--he stopped his horse and stared down at the exchange. A smile tugged his lips at the matronly air about the woman. Her words continued as if in a single string and he was reminded on his grandmother, now many years. She had been much the same.

Slipping from the horse, he took Pemma's hand gently and gave her knuckles a chaste kiss and a slight bow of his head. "Lady Pemma, my name is Maedoc. Raj told me your pastries are the best and I'm eager to try them for myself."

He made a soft noise that could have been a swallowed laugh. "No, only those that deserve it. And those happen to be few and far between." The stallion shifted against him, growing steadily more irritated with the crowd. Eyeing him, Maedoc patted a hand against the horse's neck and murmured a soothing string of words until the expressive ears flickered forward again, instead of sitting plastered to the horse's skull.

"She reminds me of my grandmother," he said softly, after a moment. And anyone that did that deserved all the special attention in the world. Though he hadn't seen Rajani's slight of hand, he slipped his fingers into the pouch at his belt and produced two gold crowns, handing them to the romani woman without preamble. A slight movement of his chin towards the box let his intentions be known.

"I've realized I need to name my horse." It was probably a very random remark from Raj's perspective, but it was a thought that seemed unwilling to quit nagging at him. Perhaps they could come up with one while they enjoyed whatever dear Pemma gave them.

Maedoc hid his smile at the exchange by glancing out towards the sea once again. He found it surprising that the old woman had so invited him to what he guessed was a very important place for Rajani's people. He felt oddly humbled; from what he had gleaned of the Romani, they were not very open with strangers.

After a moment, he turned back to the women and bowed his head at Pemma, taking the rather large bundle of food from Rajani's rather beautiful hands. "Thank you very much, Lady Pemma," he said with a smile. "Your kindness is very welcome."

Finally, it seemed that his stallion had had enough of being on the boardwalk. He half-reared with an irritated whiny and shifted away from Maedoc. He snatched the reins of the beast at the last second and hauled roughly on them. The horse might as well have been a boulder rolling down the hill for all the good it did him. He kept a tight hold on the bundle of food however and simply followed the temperamental creature through the crowd.

"I'm going to walk off his temper," he called over his shoulder, glad only that the stallion wasn't biting or kicking anyone. "Be back in a moment."

He opened his mouth to respond but then closed it again, slowly, as he looked between the ornery Oberon, the disappearing Pemma, and...the bright, adorably red-faced Rajani. She was...blushing? The color complimented her skin nicely and he found himself rather enjoying the look on her. That thought led to some others and he felt very ungentlemanly for a moment.

"Dare I ask?" he said carefully, trying in vain to keep his lips from curling into a smile. Something very primal warned him not to embarrass this woman further; he had a very strong feeling that she would not hesitate to make him pay for it in some unique and probably painful ways.

In an attempt to assure his own longevity, Maedoc vaulted onto the stallion's back, set the package of food carefully in his lap, and followed her in silence.

The horse took a moment to orient his footing on the sand, but soon they were trotting across it like anything else. Hell, the horse seemed to want nothing more than to go running into the water, but Maedoc kept him just at its edge for the benefit of dry, unsalty food later. The ocean breeze was stronger here, smelling more like salt and water and less like fish and commerce as the town did. It was a good smell, clean in its own way, and it made him close his eyes and turn his face into it.

His curiosity made him wonder exactly what Pemma had said to Rajani back there, but there were few things that would make a woman blush quite like that. It was a thought that made him grin widely as he urged the stallion to greater speed in an attempt to catch up with their fellows.

He'd schooled his face back into nonchalance by the time they reached Oberon and Rajani's side. Glancing at her, he lifted the bundle of food with an arched brow. His belly rumbled faintly in emphasis.

"Shall we?"