shadows-of-almsivi:
The carriage had beaten the life from his joints, thudding and jolting over every possible rock and pothole. Impossible to either rest or write, it had been a phenomenally-long fourteen hours. Moraelyn was half-convinced he could taste splinters, and wished he could spit a few of them at the sour-eyed carriage driver for his bruises. He settled for a withering glance and a few choice curses under his breath, but it wasn’t the same…
He stretched out his crackling spine, leaning against the stable wall to help spread out his tightened shoulderblades. His sternum popped. “Ayyeh…” he groused to himself, raking his wind-mussed hair back into a semblance of order. “Lords take the bastard–”
He stilled a little, hearing a soft laugh he had not expected. He frowned, turning in its direction. A little too far away to hear him, surely, but who was that? A dark-furred Khajiit, lingering by the stalls with a tankard that reminded him fiercely of his own thirst. Did he still have that flask of whitecrow-gin in his pack, or was it only the wine left…
“Ah, well met, stranger.” He smoothed his well-worn scowl into a more welcoming expression, glad at least to see someone having a better day than he. Imperial Cyrodiilic felt odd on his tongue again. “Fine travels?”
J’hasi’s ears perked at the familiar accent, still grinning from Ghost nuzzling one of his ears, pestering for more apple. He scratched at her jaw, ducking under her head to give the stranger a short wave in greeting.
“<Warm welcome to you, sera!>” Ghost snorted directly into his ear, the Khajiit giggling before cutting another slice of apple to appease her, patting her jaw as she set to munching with a swish of her tail. His tail curled as he took a smaller drink out of his tankard, licking his lips before speaking again.
“<Fair enough, I’d say. Riften’s a lot nicer than Winterhold this time of year. The leaves are gorgeous. Though I’d take a guess from your cursing that yours wasn’t as pleasant?>” The mare’s ears pricked for a moment before nosing at her master’s tankard, curious about the smell.