The Heights of Londo [IC 2: Bolted]

[Hazuki]

"Yes." Parkin says. "I'd suggest not going, if your foot is injured, but I suppose you could be carried. How much do you weigh?"

[Comissar]

Leah hesitates, then shakes her head, "Umm, I, uh, I think I'll just stay here if, uh, if you don't mind."

[tgva8889]

Alyssa suddenly shouts "Oh!" Taking a moment to regulate her volume, she asks, "Um, we still have some stuff at the Health Hole. Do you know anyone we could ask to help us move it? I don't wanna make Leah walk there and back a second time." She looks kindly at her friend, then back to Parkin.

[Hazuki]

"I know a man with a Mudsdale." Parkin says.

[tgva8889]

Alyssa smiles to Parkin. "If he can help I'd be grateful."

[Comissar]

Leah feels her cheeks heat again as Alyssa expresses her concern. She fidgets a little where she's sitting, feeling that she ought to be more useful, but well aware of the logic behind her friend's statement. She looks over at Parkin as she makes her suggestion and nods gratefully, glad that Alyssa at least wouldn't have to struggle under the weight of both of their gear.

[Hazuki]

"You should ride the Mudsdale. It's a big Pokemon, Leah." Parkin tells they younger girl, as she goes to one of the drawers and retrieves a scrap of parchment to scribble on.

[Comissar]

Leah blinks in surprise at Parkin's suggestion. It was something that just flat out hadn't occurred to her. As such, it takes her a few moments to respond. "I..." She hesitates again, glancing between Alyssa and Parkin, "I, uh, I've never ridden a pokémon before..."

[tgva8889]

Alyssa smiles at Parkin's suggestion. "Yeah! I can help you up if you're worried." She turns to Leah and gives her a wink.

[Hazuki]

"It's very large, and it has to walk in town." Parkin says. "You're more likely to fall over the floor. And what are the chances of that, twice in one day?"

[Comissar]

Leah feels her cheeks heat again at both Alyssa's and Parkin's comments. She nods hesitantly, "Umm, ok, I'll, uh, I'll give it a try."

[tgva8889]

Alyssa smiles widely at Leah, then turns to Parkin. "So, should we go there? Or, um, call them here?"

[Hazuki]

Parkin passes her scrap of paper to Pachirisu, who quickly scurries away. "The Mudsdale will arrive shortly. Would you like any beverages for your trip?" She asks, as she lifts up the waterskin that had been used to heat water for Alyssa's tea.

[tgva8889]

Alyssa shrugs. "I suppose it couldn't hurt. Thank you for everything, by the way." She offers Parkin a smile. "When did you, um, want to sit down for the portrait?"

[Comissar]

Leah shakes her head at Parkin's offer. "No, umm, I'm ok thanks." She glances at Alyssa, then nods in agreement with her friend's offered thanks. When Alyssa tries to arrange a time to produce the portrait for Parkin, she glances down at her hands, almost feeling a sense of... Disappointment..? She finds herself feeling foolish almost as soon as she realises this, it was just a portrait sitting after all. She glances briefly back up at Alyssa, then back down again, her ears starting to redden as her mind whirred.

[Hazuki]

"When you get back." Parkin tells Alyssa. Not long after, there's a faint tapping at the front door, and Parkin leads the girls through her house. She opens the door to reveal the massive Mudsdale, a four-legged Pokemon as broad as Alyssa is tall, with a voluminous black mane and mighty hooves that look suspiciously similar to bright orange leg warmers. This one in particular has a series of saddlebags hanging from its sides, as well as a small rope ladder that leads to a pair of saddles on its back.

[Comissar]

Leah pushes herself up to her feet, wincing slightly as she did. Making her way to the door, she was surprised to see the Mudsdale on its own. She glanced around, making sure she wasn't just missing the trainer, before asking, "Oh,, umm, is it just you on your own..?"

[Hazuki]

The Mudsdale meets Leah's eyes with the weary gaze of somebody who's seen too much, and lets out an affirmative grumble.

"It's just a Mudsdale, little one." Parkin assures Leah, as she stands behind the pair. "His name is Ricewine."

[Comissar]

Leah nods slowly, looking up at Ricewine. She gives the large pokémon a nervous smile. "Umm, ok, Ricewine." She reaches out hesitantly, rubbing at the pokémon's neck, "Umm, and you're happy to, uh, to go down to the gates..?"

[tgva8889]

Alyssa nods to Parkin in the affirmative. At the knock she packs up her things hastily before remembering she doesn't need them and leaving them with Luna, who gives a nod and promptly sits on the bag to protect it.

Alyssa approaches the Mudsdale as soon as he appears and runs her hand along his side. Turning to Parkin as she assures Leah, she smiles at Ricewine on learning his name. "Nice to meet you, Ricewine!" Noting Leah getting to know her ride, Alyssa sidles up to her. Once she's near her, she pats Ricewine again and says, "You seem like a strong one! You don't mind helping Leah get down to the Health Hole, do you?" She turns and smiles at Leah to help assure her.

[Hazuki]

Ricewine nods at Leah, and, when Alyssa questions him, shifts his shoulder so that the rope ladder shakes.

[Comissar]

Leah nods a couple of times to herself, then steps toward the rope ladder hanging from Ricewine. She gives Alyssa an anxious look, but finds her concerns lessen as her friend gives her a reassuring smile. "... Ok... Here we go..."

Reaching up to grab the sides of the saddle, she stepped up onto the lowest rung of the rope ladder and, with a distinct lack of grace, made her way up the short distance. Once at the top, and faced with prospect of swinging her leg over, she hesitated. After a moment's deliberation, she decided to lean forward and toward the Mudsdale's neck, pulling most of her weight off the ladder and instead letting her bring her leg over so that she was properly straddling the saddle. Sitting upright again, she let out a breath, and raised a hand to try and manoeuvre her hair back into place. She glances back down at Alyssa, giving her an uncertain grin.

[tgva8889]

Alyssa spots Leah as she climbs up the ladder, giving her a smile as she settles into the saddle. "You look comfy."

She turns to Parkin. "Ricewine knows the way, right?"

[Hazuki]

Ricewine stands remarkably still as Leah climbs onto his back, and doesn't seem to even tremble when Alyssa joins her.

"Of course he does." Parkin says.

[tgva8889]

Climbing up after Leah and sitting behind her, Alyssa smiles to Parkin. "I guess I should have figured. Well, thank you for your help, Miss Parkin. I suppose we'll back soon." Patting Ricewine, she says to the Mudsdale, "We're ready when you are!"

[Hazuki]

"With me, Eccles." Parkin tells the Pachirisu, which gives the Mudsdale a scratch between its ear before darting down its side to join Parkin's side.

With Alyssa's nudge, Ricewine begin his steady descent through Thundercrag and towards the Gates. The trip is remarkably more pleasant than any they've taken so far, with the mighty Pokemon's muscles easily able to adjust to the height and keep them mostly upright, and people being quite willing to get out of their way as it trots through Thundercrag. They soon arrive at the market, which is thriving as the day lingers near noon. The Mudsdale leads them to the back of a small group of children and adults not native to Londo.

They stand before a stall that seems to be set up in half of a stone dome. It is covered in various supplies like clay and paints at the front, along with books, while the back is decorated with fine paintings, shelves filled with vases and pottery just as grand, with a mural of lightning-clad flowers filling in the blank spaces. Behind the stall stands a short woman, with dark skin and short pink hair that sits curly and windblown atop her head. She's gesticulating before the group, which makes the hook in place of her right hand especially noticeable.

"I am the bane of dragons, their quarry I defend~" The woman declares, in a sing-song voice quite often used by storytellers. "Thus Parmez serves a foeman and thus Parmez saves a friend~!" She finishes, bowing as the group gathered before her clap their hands. "And that is but one of many tales of The Mawile Knight. I hope you'll find the rest just as enthralling." She smiles at the group, as the parents hand over a pouch of coins and they depart with books in hand.

It's at this point that she spots Ricewine. "Now, who's that Pokemon?" She asks with a smile, as Ricewine trots up to the stall. "It's Ricewine! What can I do for you today?" She asks, as the giant horse turns his side so that Alyssa and Leah are no longer hidden by his massive mane. "Oh. I hadn't seen you there. Welcome! My name is Vaster." She bows.

[tgva8889]

Alyssa bows her head, not really able to bow while sitting behind Leah on Ricewine. "Hi! Um, my name is Alyssa, and this is Leah. Parkin sent us." Looking about the stall and spotting the art, she smiles. "I'm an artist, she, um, asked me to, well, commissioned me to paint her. Also, um, we're staying with her and we asked for help to get our things? Is Ricewine your Pokemon?" After that question, Alyssa realizes she should maybe let Vaster respond to her questions rather than keep asking them and forces herself to pause so she might be able to speak.

[Comissar]

Leah finds the journey on Ricewine to be much less worrisome than she initially feared. She finds that, although she's not able to sit entirely still, the movements she has to make to stay in the saddle are easy enough. As they draw closer to the story teller, she finds herself paying close attention to her words, and is almost a little disappointed as she realises they'd arrived just in time to hear the end. She bobs her head in greeting as Vaster introduces herself, and is about to reply, but Alyssa beats her to the punch.

Briefly, Leah tries to twist in the saddle so that she can look at Alyssa as she talks. Realising she'd have to contort her back to do so, she settles for turning her attention back to Vaster instead.

[Hazuki]

"Did she now?" Vaster scratches her cheek. "Well. If that's what Parkin says, that's what she gets. Feel free to hop down and take whatever you need." She gestures over her supplies. "It pains me to say that Ricewine isn't mine, though I'd be honored to own such a handsome Mudsdale." She smiles, and the Mudsdale neighs bashfully.

[tgva8889]

Alyssa smiles as she climes down. To Ricewine, she says "You are quite the fine Pokemon!" and pats him on the side. Turning back to Vaster, she says, "You're a really good storyteller. How long have you been doing that?" She offers Leah a hand to help her down absently before remembering that her leg is bad. "Um, Leah, do you want to wait while I take a look at things? Or do you want to come?"