Travel via horse is ok. But after a few hours in a saddle or on the back of a pack animal in Nyesha's case, is hard on the posterior and she ends up walking funny for an hour or so afterwards.

Though this way they meet more people, some going to other places than Border Town as they are getting down in to more populated lands with the occasional village or hamlet (places too small to support an Immortal or Vampire properly). Still nice travelers get the blessings from the halfling 'priestess' and rude ones get either ignored or wished a 'bad day' depending on How rude they are. Bandits don't get to live long at all. But they only met one such group and Freyah showed her true self and the pair chased the terrified bandit's back to their camp. Where they found many women and children bound or in cages, to be sold off as slaves by the Brigands.

Freyah happily ate a few while Nyesha taught them that women can fight to. Swords and lightning and pure rage make for a very bad day for the criminally inclined. (Mortals vs Gods, mortals lose. It takes an exceptional Mortal to face off with even a least powerful of Gods to have a chance at winning. None like that are to be found among these lowest of the low of human kind.)

The evil defeated, the prisoners saved, the loot sorted and given (much to the dismay of a certain Immortal) to the prisoners so they have a chance at a better life than the one they had previously.

For a short time they had a large group to look after. Getting them to one of the larger walled towns with a proper government and guards (who were very pleased to learn the brigands were dead as they had been a thorn in the locals side for many years.) The local Immortal population was not as happy about it as it meant they could not easily drive the new comers out, them now being local hero's and all.

But Nyesha could not stay too long. It was summer and for her that meant travel, the Itch to move, to explore, to be on the road was just too strong. (Though she did stay long enough to weed out the vampire and false god population. Immortals and Vampires are strong to be sure, but not a one is immune to Lightning or a person who can Turn in to Lightning. A new ability for her resume - Energy Body Electricity (Lightning Form)[this is More than the lightning cloud form, The next step up as it were]. With the 'Hidden Evil's' removed and a grateful populous behind her she felt good. But that Need was pushing her to move on. Each day was harder than the last till finally she had to go.

Packing her belongings and selling her horse (it was a nice horse sure but uncomfortable and slow to her way of thinking.) Freyah was for staying now that the bad ones were gone but she understood, her friend was compelled to travel, it was her blessing and her curse. Only in a place of deep winters would she be allowed to stay for a time. But Spring, Summer and early fall, she had to be on the move. The day Nyesha was ready to leave she really thought Freyah would stay, but she found her friend, on her war horse (Whom she called Blood Rose ) was at the gate waiting for her, "What you think I am going to let You just wander alone out there. Hey I have the job of keeping you safe from You, you know. Keep you from getting a swelled head and all. Plus we have a quest to finish before I can settle down. Find that Evil False god Jarl and separate his head from his neck then set fire to it." she states in a calm tone. Much of her venom is gone, though she still hates the man with a deep passion, she is less violent about it now, more of a Frigid Anger. If vengeance is best served cold, then she is Ice.

Smiling up at her friend, "And your keeping the monster horse to I see and the cat."

Freyah shrugs, "I have tried losing the cat, he keeps finding me, I think he is magic or something. Keeps bringing me mice and such to. Not sure what that is about."

Nyesha laughs, "He is trying to feed you more. Or teach you how to hunt better. Cats that like a person tend to bring them presents like that, especially if they think your too thin."

Freyah humphs, "Not like I can gain weight, I am the way I will always be. stupid cat." she mutters. Nyesha grins even as they head out through a side gate. The guard saluting them as they leave and wishing them a safe journey. Nyesha smiles at them and thanks them for the hospitality of their fine city. Traveling slowly through the farm lands and well patrolled paths there is little chance for trouble or adventure.

The third day they move beyond the safe area's and in to the wild. Around midday they hear voices on the road ahead. Male, "No I don't know when or what is coming, you know how the dreams work as well as I, we were just told to be Here, today, at this place. Stop griping about it Thea, the gods sent us all here for a reason. If I knew that reason I would tell you."

Thea sighs dramatically, "Telavil it's just so boring here. I know you love the woods and all, but this place is just TO green for me."

3rd voice snickers, "You wanted adventure, you were Bored with being in the City all the time. So now we are out of the city, on a quest by one of your Own gods and your bored again and complaining about being in the wild."

Thea growls, "Oh Shut Up Vorgaud, go pray or something."

Nyesha slipped in to the woods even as Freyah brings her horse around the bend, spotting the 3. 2 tall halflings and a bald man with a Lot of cats all around him. Nightmare, Freyah's cat sits up on the back of the tall horse, then comes around Freyah and stares suspiciously at the bald man, leaning low and in a protective stance, unsure of what he is sensing.

Freyah looks at the 3, "Well your certainly the loudest brigands I have ever come across." she states casually.

The girl stands straight and with a wounded look, "We are NOT brigands. We are adventurers on a quest."

Freyah shrugs, "Only people I usually see dressed in black and standing in the middle of the road are Brigands. I kill brigands, allot." she states though she makes no move toward her weapons.

The male halfling quickly grabs Thea's arm as she started to reach for the blade on her back, "Now now we don't need a fight. We are just waiting for someone is all. A Tallfellow like ourselves. "

Freyah nods, "I heard you mention that you received a dream vision and that sent you here. The question though is which god sent you. Some are good, some are bad, most are annoying." The bald man snickers.

The male fellow shakes his head, "I am sure you would not know her tall one. You big people rarely know of any gods beyond your own."

Vorgaud sighs, "Don't start that again. Not everyone is ignorant of other's faiths. Just because the local humans where you came from were, does not mean they all are."

Freyah shrugs, "I know of 2 actually. Yondalla the mother goddess and that fellow, the one with dominion over thieves. Can't seem to recall his name at the moment." she pauses, thinking.

Vorgaud, "Brandoboris. The scamp or the like I think is one of his titles."

Freyah snaps her fingers, "That's it. The one Yondalla does not really like. Know a priestess of Yondalla you see. Talks about him sometimes and what an embarrassment he is to the people." Telavil nods, "That sounds like a priestess of Yondalla alright." he says with a grin.

Thea is looking all around, suspicious of this seemingly loan traveler. Then she spots the movement in the tree's, "HOLD I see you stalking around out there!" this time she manages to move away from the more cautious Telavil and draw her sword, "Show yourself or else!" she challenges.

Freyah just grins as Nyesha comes out of the wood, her own long swords drawn and sparks of lightning leaping between them. "Ok, now what oh loud one ?" Nyesha states, her long hair hidden inside her black cloak and her soft careful steps speaking of the skill with the twin swords she carries.

Vorgaud shrugs, "Your fight Thea. Have fun dodging the lightning bolts." he states as he gets out of the line of fire.

Thea looks over at Telavil, "Help ?" she pleads. He shakes his head and sighs, "I really think you need to stop starting fights with unknown people. " he turns to the woman with the swords, "Greetings Traveler, I am Telavil the Tall, the loud one is Thea Astrid and the fellow heading for the tree's is Vorgaud Cecil, priest of Sehanine Moonbow and female cat attracter. Long story, weird curse, don't feel like going in to it now."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Freyah is grinning at this and holding Nightmare in place as he looks ready to make baldy bleed, "Apparently Male cats hate him to. Nightmare is intent on living up to his name where Baldy is concerned."

Nyesha partly drops her swords, "Cecil, really ? Ouch bad name."

He looks offended, "What is wrong with Cecil ?"

She shrugs, "It means Blind. Either mentally or physically. Never heard your first name before so I can't tell you it's meaning."

He looks surprised to hear that, "Ok, I can see why you say it's a bad name. Fortunately I am neither Blind in either sense."

Freyah grins, "Names have power. My name fits me perfectly. Lady of strength, self-knowing, and strong heart. Whereas her name" nodding at her sword wielding companion, "Means rain, as in Rain down the Destruction on anyone Dumb enough to cross her." Nyesha grins at her friend, "Nice translating there." she says with a grin.

Telavil nods, "Which says one of you knows about names and their meanings but does not tell us what your names really are."

Turning her grin on the girl, "Your name however translates as Goddess of Divine beauty. Thea is Goddess in the Greek, while Astrid is Divine Beauty in the Norse language. So your name fits as you are physically very pretty. Personality needs work though."

Thea looks at Telavil, "Was that a compliment or an insult ?"

Telavil shrugs, "Little of both though essentially correct. Your pretty as you know, but you’re a bit of a bore and tend to speak without thinking, which is pretty obvious to the rest of us."

She shakes her head and huffs, putting her sword away as her 'friends' won't help her fight. She watches the knowledgeable girl flip her swords around and slide them backwards and upside down in to her own back sheaths. Then put loops of leather around them in a practiced move to keep the blades in place. She does not however move forward just stands there watching.

Telavil looks between the two. One on the armored horse who seems intent on keeping her large tom cat from hurting the priest and the rather tall halfling woman who hides herself inside a to large cloak. Neither match what little description he has as he was told to seek out a tall Tallfellow halfling with hair the color of blood and eyes like a frozen storm. Something about her needing training on how to survive in the wilds other than cooking things first then trying to skin them, or something like that. Dreams make it hard to understand things sometimes.

Horse woman, "So who are you looking for and why seem to be the correct questions." she states.

Thea points with her thumb at Telavil, "He had a prophetic dream, something about a red headed Tallfellow who needed training in hunting and wood lore for some quest or something she is on. We just got dragged along for the ride so to speak."

Vorgaud, "Translation, she was bored and tagged along. I came as healer support and cause I know about magic and I owe Telavil a few debts."

Telavil shrugs, "Hin with hair the color of blood, eyes like a frozen storm and something about cooking things first then trying to skin them."

Nyesha sighs, "One Time, ONE. I blasted a chicken with a lightning bolt cause it spooked me, then decided I may as well eat it cause it was already cooked, did not work out well."

Freyah smirking, "Rooster was chasing Nightmare, both ran over her, she over reacted a might strongly and BOOM fricassee of chicken in one shot."

Nyesha pulls out a braid of her deep red hair, stroking it for comfort, "Yondalla thought it was funny. She came to me in my dreams and howled with laughter and told me that's Not how you cook a chicken. I know that, I do know how to cook. But I am a city kid who always had access to a butcher shop. Never needed to know how to do all that icky stuff with skinning animals and all … I think your being here is her answer to what she calls my short comings in survival."

Freyah is nodding, "I am the hunter in our little group. She gets squeamish about skinning animals and all that. Killing stuff she can do. Skinning things, or plucking feathers and such, not so much."

Nyesha shrugs, "I can live quite well on conjured food and foraging for berries, nuts and such thank you very much."

Telavil is shaking his head in wonder, The mother of them all sent him to teach This person. One who admits that she can't skin an animal. He has tried to teach squeamish sorts before. Some get over it and some end up crying and running away. He gets the feeling this one is of the latter type. "Great, lovely, wonderful." he says with a deep sigh, "The Mother sends me to teach you how to hunt and live off the land and you would rather Not know."

Nyesha shrugs, "I can hunt ok. I can fish to, better than most in fact, especially since I got a good net now."

Freyah is still snickering, "Yeah one lightning bolt on a pond or stream, the fish float to the surface and she uses the net to scoop them up, tossing back any that she does not want or are too small."

Vorgaud shakes his head, "Using magic to hunt is not hunting. Calling on your goddess for such small things is a waste of the gods powers."

Nyesha shrugs, "It's my power. Not the gods, Psion you see. Power is called Electrokenisis, meaning I can control lightning, cast it whenever I want and stuff."

Looking surprised he nods, "Oh I see. Mentalist type then. So you are not using your priestly abilities then. Ok that makes more sense."

Nyesha nods, "Warrior, Psionicist, Priestess, that's me. Yondalla has a new goddess in the pantheon, one with dominion over travel and the weather. One who is Not a thief and can cover adventurers and merchants instead of Brandoboris. Lucky me, we have the same name and cause of my power set, I get picked to be her First Priestess. Certain Mother has a strange sense of humor sometimes I think."

While in the city, Freyah and her came up with this story to keep people from worshipping her and let them think she is Just the priestess. The coincidence in name was at first just for fun, but now Nyesha is playing it up as being a godly prank and acting all put apon about it. The Psion bit is to cover her mage powers as well as explain her godly ones to, as the Hin normally can't work magic. Though that is already starting to change. Some are being born with the gift and just don't know it, may never know it in fact as they don't know to try working any magic.

Telavil nods, "Of that I am most certain. She is a wonderful goddess and all, but her humor is sometimes hard to figure out. Fortunately I am a Ranger not a priest, priestly spells aside." he comments.

Nyesha sighs, "So she thought to send you to teach me to hunt and such. Oy that is so not going to work. You would not be the first to try and teach me to skin animals. I just can't do it, makes my skin crawl and my stomach turn. I can hunt just fine, its that part I can't do and really have no desire to either. The irony of me being dedicated to a goddess of travel is not lost on me. If not for the wanderlust I would just as happily never leave home."

Little something she is coming to realize, her dislike of travel. The thing is, before this happened, she hated to travel. Sure a little trip once in a great while was nice, but now it's required of her and well it's not really 'her' but the god business and while she likes the powers and all, she is not so sure about the Job. That is a big reason she never tells anyone about her doings. It's not being humble, it's she really does not want to BE a god.

Does not mind helping people, and she likes Freyah, so helping hunt down that evil sire of her's is a good thing. But really, she wants to be able to settle down some day. Find a nice home, and all the normal things. But she feels 'cursed' with this wanderlust. Its much like the cravings she got when she was diabetic, the overwhelming Need they cause, the nature of the need is different, but it feels much the same way and she is slowly getting rather annoyed with it.

She wanted a new life, healthy and strong sure. But she is not sure this is going to work. The 'lightning' in her helps fight the depression some, but ... she does not know.

Freyah has noticed it really. She sometimes hears the tone in her friends voice, the desire to belong somewhere is strong in her, but the NEED put in her by the gods is pushing her on to. She worries about her friend and that more than anything is what is keeping her by her friend's side. Nyesha she knows is not one who would do well alone.

Freyah has also tried to teach her to skin animals, girl gets the shakes then, well it's like her skill at sewing, she injures herself and she seems to FEEL what the animal would feel if it still lived. The shakes is a mild term for what happens to her when she tries to skin anything that walked or flew on the land. No such problems with fish or crabs though. Things from the water hold no power over her. Though she does insist on wearing thick gloves when she works on that. Gloves that don't work well in skinning animals or plucking feathers.

Vorgaud shakes his head, "I can't see how you ended up as a priest if you feel that way."

Freyah sighs, "It's like a complusion. This wanderlust, She really does not like to travel, well no, she likes meeting new people and seeing new things, but does not like the bit inbetween, all the walking or riding. She would rather fly or have some kind of magical carrage to carry her along. She has a whole bunch of such idea's for those, from 2 wheeled things to monster sized ones that roll over forest ranges, making roads from the tire tracks, as they go. She is very good at the flights of fancy. She is a good companion to, loves to help others and has a good heart. The thing is Yondalla gave her Goddess a double dose of wanderlust, and as her first priestess she got it to. She can't stay more than a couple weeks in any one place and then only if she has a mission to see to. In the last place we rooted out several false gods and evil sorts. Brought them forcibly in to the light and showed them from what they truely were. For some of that sort, sunlight and them is death as the light burns them."

Nyesha nods, "Other than helping travelers that is part of what we do. Find the dangerous and remove it. From brigands, to demons, to false gods and evil undead."

Vorguad looking perplexed, "I thought all undead were evil ?"

Nyesha shakes her head, "No. Some are just people in a bad situation, like living under a curse they can do nothing about. So they try to remain good in heart and many do what they can to fight the evil ones and help out those around them. It's the other sort that are the problem. Like one we are hunting now. Fellow claiming to be a god, but is really an evil monster. Name of Jarl."

They all nod at the name and Thea sighs, "Pretty fellow, surrounds himself with beautiful women. He is in Parvel right now. We just came from there. Tried to lure me in to his harem at one point but I am not that shallow a person."

Cecil grins, "He stopped when my cats went after him to. They don't like him at all."

Nyesha nods, "Whelp we know where we are going next." Thea happily gives them directions. Even if she does not get to fight, seeing a false god brought down will be interesting.