The next day, Iris woke up early, as usual, yawning as she stretched. As she got up, she noticed that Bree was still sound asleep next to her. Which made sense, because the woman had the late shift for the watch. Kaira was also gone, as it was her turn on watch. Iris quietly slipped out of the tent, taking care not to wake the sun elf. After walking a little way into the woods, she found a private spot to relieve herself.

When she returned, she saw that Laken was standing next to Mocha, talking to her in hushed tones. Iris smiled at the sight–it was clear that Mocha had taken a liking to the young archer.

“Good morning, Laken,” she said as she approached the two of them.

“Morning, Iris,” the elf replied, turning to face her. “I was just talking to Mocha, here! I think we’re finally starting to understand each other.”

Her horse nodded. “He can’t understand shit. I just keep nodding when appropriate,” Mocha whinnied.

Laken’s eyes went wide. “See! She’s agreeing with me!”

Iris snorted. “She sure is, buddy.”

Laken chuckled. “I’m just glad she seems to like me–”

“Like is such a strong word. I prefer tolerate. Tell this kid to give me apples and we may promote him to… minion,” Mocha nickered.

“See! We’re going to be great friends, Mocha,” Laken said, stepping toward her horse to pat her on the neck.

Mocha turned to face Iris and rolled her eyes.

Iris laughed at the exchange between the two. “Looks like you two are going to get along great,” she said to Laken with a grin.

Laken beamed. “I’m happy to hear it. Maybe one day she’ll let me ride her,” he said, patting Mocha’s neck again.

Mocha snorted. “Don’t count on it, kid. I only let the best of the best ride me.”

Iris put a hand over her heart. “Aww, Mocha! I didn’t know you thought so highly of me.”

“I fucking take it back. You two-legged weirdos are all the same,” Mocha whinnied.

Laken beamed. “Mocha, you are seriously the most amazing horse in the world.”

“Keep it coming, suck up some more. Iris, tell this fool to get me some darn apples,” Mocha nickered, clearly amused.

Iris chuckled. “Well, the first suggestion I have for you, Laken, is to bribe her with apples.”

Mocha’s ears swiveled toward Iris and the horse huffed. “Bribe? What do you take me for? They are offerings from a supplicant.”

Laken nodded eagerly. “I’ll do whatever it takes!”

Oddly appropriate response.

Iris smiled at his enthusiasm before turning serious. “So, any news from the night watch?”

The [Ranger] shook his head. “No, everything was quiet. Nothing to report, boss.”

Iris nodded. “Good to hear. Let’s give the others a bit more sleep, but let’s start preparing to leave. You can sit in the back with Gryff. You two can get some rest on the way to the bridge. We’ll need you then.”

Laken stood straighter. “Understood. I’ll be ready,” he said with a nod.

She turned toward her horse. “Mocha, get the mundanes ready? We’ll get you all armored up before heading out.”

Mocha held her head high. “Aye, aye, Captain. Adventurer Mocha can handle it,” the horse nickered, lifting her front leg in the semblance of a salute.

Iris laughed. “You’re a damn goof.”

Kaira waved as the woman saw Iris as she returned from whatever had her busy. Iris smiled as she saw the pixie-haired elf start getting ready for the day. She took a deep breath and went to join her, the two talking about nothing in particular as they cooked and cleaned up.

Once the group packed up their camp and were ready to leave, Iris mounted Mocha and took her place at the front of the party. Bree took the reins of the wagon, with Kaira sitting next to her. Gryff and Laken climbed into the back of the wagon, ready to catch up on some much-needed rest.

Iris took a deep breath of the morning air and felt the sun warm on her face. She smiled to herself, feeling content with the way things were going.

She turned to look back at Laken and Gryff. The two of them were already dozing off, their heads lolling to one side as the wagon began to move. Iris chuckled softly to herself, glad that they were getting some rest.

As they made their way down the dirt path, the forest slowly giving way to open fields, Iris couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. They were getting closer to the bridge, and she knew that things were only going to get more challenging from there.

But for now, she was content to enjoy the ride and let Mocha take the lead. She leaned forward and whispered in the horse's ear. “You ready for this, girl?”

“I was born ready,” Mocha whinnied.

As the sun steadily rose, the party continued on their journey toward the bridge that would lead them to the next part of their quest. Iris rode ahead on Mocha, her eyes scanning the road ahead for any signs of danger.

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Bree was driving the wagon with Kaira at her side, while Laken was in the back of the wagon preparing his bow and Gryff was watching the treelines, spear, and shield at the ready.

As the bridge came into view, Iris didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. She [Focused], trying to catch any movement. Anything out of the ordinary. When she was satisfied that they were safe to proceed, she motioned the group forward.

They moved at a steady, measured pace as they drew closer to the bridge until Iris signaled for the group to slow down and stop just before arriving. She heard the wagon creep to rest just behind her, the mundane horses snorting out air. She dismounted from Mocha, patting the horse's neck affectionately before turning to face the rest of the group. As she stepped forward, Mocha remained by her side.

The stillness of the surrounding forest was only broken by the tranquil sounds of nature. The gentle chirping of birds and the hum of insects harmoniously intertwined with the soothing flow of the nearby river, creating a tranquil symphony that permeated the entire area. It was as if the forest itself had taken a deep breath, pausing for a moment to relish in the beauty of its surroundings. Iris took a moment to breathe it all in before addressing the others.

“Alright, team,” she said, her voice low and serious. “This is where I was attacked by the bandits and the uh… evil terrans. From here, we will need to locate where the bandit camp was and see if we can find any clues that might lead us to the prince.”

Kaira narrowed her eyes. “Iris…” she hissed.

The woman stood and hopped down from the wagon, moving toward her with a purpose. “What do you mean ‘evil terrans’, Iris?” she asked with a low voice as she neared. “You didn’t mention anything about terrans in your report”

Shit. I forgot to tell her.

Iris shifted uncomfortably on her feet, not really knowing what to say. She fucked up, but hopefully, Kaira would understand. “I… I didn’t want anyone to dismiss the seriousness of it because they were also terran. Every time I see other terrans, people think that I automatically want to join them or talk to them…” she explained, her resolve hardened as she continued, “I don’t know them. They’re the ones who approached me to join them. They’re the ones that wanted to do the bad things. I just want to help people, and they fucking had the audacity to assume I’d just help them because we’re both human?”

Her chest was heaving as she finished, her frustrations pouring out like a flood.

Kaira crossed her arms, studying Iris for a moment before nodding in understanding. “I see your point,” she said, her voice softening slightly. “But we need to be clear with each other if we're going to work together effectively. If we’re going to be together. No hiding things and we can’t afford any misunderstandings or omissions of important details. That was an important detail. If this… whatever it we have is going to work, we have to trust each other. Fair?”

Iris took a deep breath and nodded, feeling relieved that Kaira didn’t scold her too much. “That’s fair. I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have mentioned the terrans, at least, when you and I talked.”

Kaira searched her for a moment, the shorter elf narrowing her eyes as she thought of something to say. “Now, please tell me exactly what happened. When and where they approached you, and what they offered or suggested. Then finish with exactly what happened here,” Kaira said, gesturing around them to emphasize the point.

Iris opened her mouth to speak but the woman held up a hand.

“Wait…” Kaira turned and waved to the others. “Laken, come here!” she called out.

After Laken joined them, Iris took a deep breath and proceeded to explain what happened, starting with when the terrans had approached her at the inn in Stilstead and ending with the attack on the bridge. Kaira listened intently, nodding occasionally and asking questions for clarification.

Laken tilted his head. “The magic user you spoke of before our spar, it was them, wasn’t it?”

Iris took a deep breath, letting the mana that had rushed into her settle. “Yeah, Eira was shit, but she hurt Mocha…” she explained. “I gave them every chance to stop before that point…”

Laken’s countenance grew dark. “Good. No one hurts Mocha.”

“That’s a good minion,” Mocha neighed and stepped forward to give Laken a nudge. “Iris, tell him about my fight with the guard!”

Laken and Kaira looked at the horse with curiosity.

“What did she say?” Laken asked her.

Iris chuckled. “She wants me to tell you about her part in the fight.”

The archer’s brows rose while Kaira’s furrowed.

“So, Mocha here,” she said, patting the horse’s flank. “Faced down five spearmen. She snatched one of their spears right from their hands and proceeded to beat the crap out of the man with it,” she said with a laugh.

Mocha adopted the most heroic pose, raising her head and neighing proudly to confirm the story. Which made her look even more badass in her armor. Laken and Kaira exchanged a surprised look, clearly impressed by the horse's bravery and skill in battle.

Laken shook his head. “That is amazing.”

“Yeah, no shit. Someone give this horse a sword,” Kaira said smoothly.

Mocha, on the other hand, got overly excited. She… hopped as she turned and looked at Iris. “You hear that? Give me a sword! I’ll fight the next bandits we meet! Maybe, I’ll level up again!” the horse whinnied.

Iris smiled, patting Mocha on the nose. “We’ll keep it in mind, girl. But hey, at least now they see you as more than just a pretty face.”

Mocha blew air into Iris’s face.

Kaira chuckled but then brought the group back on task. “Alright, let’s get to work. Laken, you’re up.”

The man nodded and started looking around. He asked Iris some questions, such as the direction the telv man ran off in. She pointed away, back down the road, and toward the woods. “Over there. He ran down the road a bit then darted into the woods.”

Laken nodded. “Look’s like that’s our destination then. Let’s move the wagon and get our gear.”

Iris turned to Mocha. “Alright, girl. We know how you are in the woods. I need to give you a job. I need you to make sure the mundanes don’t run off and that you protect the wagon.”

Mocha nodded, raising her left hoof in her version of a salute. “Leave it to me.”

With the wagon settled, Iris gave Mocha one last wave before moving to follow the others into the woods. Her horse called out to her.

“Wait, leave me a sword!” Mocha whinnied.

“Next time! We need to practice first!” she called back over her shoulder.

Her horse huffed and stomped on the ground.

“Spoilsport!” Mocha whinnied.

Iris laughed, shaking her head as she hurried to catch the others.

As she fell into step behind Bree, the shorter sun elf woman turned and smiled at her. Iris gave her a curt nod in return. The party stepped into the woods, and she forced herself to [Focus].

Time to put on your game face, Iris.