Mari pushed her small trunk of possessions she was bringing with her to Evershoal. A few outfits for the colder season, toiletries, a few books Tharvis insisted she brought with her to continue book club via letter, and a small pile of handkerchiefs that Orion insisted was his horde. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, and pushed herself into the caravan. With Grummen's large size, he couldn’t be accompanied with many of the rest of the group going to Evershoal. So Mari had insisted she and Orion would be his traveling companion.
“So I’ve gotten some sweets to have a little later,and some dried sausages from Murg. Apparently there are a few inns that we will be stopping by to refresh the horses, and I was told we can restock there” Mari chatted happily as the final checks were being made. She paused for a moment looking out to Quillpond for a last moment. Her home for the past few years. Slowly she rubbed her eyes before turning to Grummen with a bright smile.
“Are you excited?”
“”No” he grunted as pleasantly as could be expected. All of his possessions fit into a Grummen sized backpack, save for a large, wicked looking axe on his back. He held a javelin off to the side, currently serving as a kebab pole of fish and various baked goods. He has also brought a snack.
“Oh, come on, this will be fun! Also, at least we’re getting a ride there”
Compared to Mari’s last long trip, this seemed remarkably more comfortable. There was finally the sounds of confirmation, before the group was moving, a few residents waving goodbye before slowly they were only a spec on the road, and Quillpond was off in the distance.
“Have you traveled before, Grummen?” Mari asked as she settled in for the long ride. Orion had already made himself comfortable, by curling up under Mari’s cloak and around her shoulders, only the head and the tail peering out of the hood.
“Once.” His jumbled memory of the storm and washing up on the shore by Quillpond came to mind.
"Me too" Mari said, recognizing the expression of someone who also didn't want to think about it. "Well we'll just have to make this the best trip ever. What do you want to do?"
“Stay here” Grummen grumbled like a child being asked to go to bed.
Mari looked up to Grummen and tilted her head. "You don't want to go to Evershoal?" She asked, slightly concerned "You don't have to go, if you don't want to"
“Ev-er-shoal thing hurt home, find thing, come home” Grummen said with resignation trying to be determination. “Have, wood, have fish, have home, what Ev-er-shoal have”
"Well, not Evershoal itself, some bad people who live there" Mari corrected but understood the impulse. She had also been worried about being amongst so many people, far too many eyes. Yet she pushed those worries away "Evershoal has fish too, different kinds to catch. And a good chunk of our friends and neighbors will be there with us. There will be lots of new people to meet, and things to see and do. I'm sure it'll fly by". Her smile was wide, and she tried to be reassuring
Grummen eyed her with waning suspicion, “have new fish, have other new food?” He should have brought more snacks
"Absolutely! Big Cities means lots of people, so there will lots of folks from all over" Mari explained " There will be so many things to try!". Her enthusiasm was becoming more genuine as she painted a picture of the city as she heard of it.
“People,” Grummen grunted, “lots people.” People were not Grummen’s favorite experience, it so often went poorly.
Mari sympathetically patted her friend on the shoulder. “Well, I will do all the peopling for us both, then” She said “If you want anyways”
“But back to my original question, how do we make this the best trip ever?”