[X] Hurry over, but don't attack. You can deal with this civilly!
You drive your heels down with a loud grunt, and your horse takes off in a quick canter. The group ahead of you finally notices your approach as the clomping hooves get closer.
"Oi," closing in, you order your steed to a stop as you bark at the men, "Would one of you like to explain what's happening here?" The both of them give you nasty looks. The girl, who despite her impeccable attire seems a bit scuffed, appears mildly relieved at your appearance.
The one closer to you, one hand still gripping the young girl's arm, suddenly shoves her away, down to the ground, and saunters carefully toward you.
"Nothin' worth your intruding," he spits back, lazily slapping his hand against the dagger at his waist, "So get lost and save yourself some pain, whelp."
"Are you sure about that?" You stare firmly down at the fittingly ugly man. Taking a calm breath, you procure your longsword's scabbard, holding the grip tightly as you continue forcefully, "Think before you answer, this time."
Tense silence falls. The man glares up at you, lightly fingering the scabbard at his side. Your grip tightens over your weapon. As the man's expression darkens, you inch the blade out...
"Ay," the second man swats his friend(?) on the back, continuing harshly, "Ain't worth'a, let's get gone, quick."
With that, he hurries away, down the road. The man confronting you huffs indignantly, spitting toward you before jogging after his companion.
You're more than prepared to pursue that offense, but at the moment there's something more important to worry about.
You replace your weapon and guide your horse slowly to where the young lady sits on the ground. You hop off your mount and move to offer your hand, but it's not needed, as she's already standing up.
"Thank you," She belts out hurriedly, eager to show her appreciation, "Miss...?"
"Lethis Writham," You proudly introduce yourself, "Glad to have helped. More importantly, are you okay, girl?"
"That's...I..." She fumbles uncomfortably, face coloring. "Yes, I'm...just fine. I'm Ancillas, by the way."
Ancillas. You see, hm.
...
"Ah, you said..." You ask cautiously, "Ancillas?"
Ancillas nods stiffly.
"I see," you cough awkwardly, "Then, I ah, suppose I apologize for embarrassing you, young man..."
"It's no problem, really..." He smiles thinly, nervously adjusting his hair.
At a distance you were certain it was a frail young girl - the flowing hair certainly contributed. Now, even up close, you're not sure you'd have known without being told. Maybe if you squint...
"Th...that aside," He eagerly changes the topic, "I really am grateful."
"Don't mind it, helping is its own reward, in this case. But," You examine the boy again. His manner of dress is certainly better than anything you'd have been likely to see in the upcoming town. It's more what you'd expect of a young noble. "What were you doing here? Are you from nearby?" You don't recall any nearby rich or noble houses, but who knows?
"I'm..." He quickly trails off, skipping a beat before pressing on, "I'm on my way to town."
You feel like the question was dodged, but don't have time to raise any objections, as he continues.
"If it's not too much trouble," He starts nervously again, "Could I accompany you on my way? I feel it would be much safer."
Well. Far be it from you to deny a roughed up young traveler a short ride into town. It's not a whole lot farther at this point, after all. You say as much, and he smiles brightly.
"I'm grateful, really! If you'd like, I can-" He starts to fish for something in a small pocket, but you stop him.
"Please, I don't need anything. A brief ride is nothing."
"I...thank you, Miss Writham."
After a short struggle to help the young Ancillas onto your steed, you depart once more, the boy sat directly in front of you on the horse's back. It's a bit less comfortable than before, but he's not too big, so it's manageable. He's light, too, so you don't think you've got to worry about your faithful mare carrying too much weight.
So your journey resumes, now with a passenger.
"So, Miss Writham," Ancillas shuffles slightly to look toward you, "Are you a knight?"
"Not quite," You state simply, "I'm completing the last part of my training."
"I see..." He smiles again, "You've really got that knight-y aura."
You grin, yourself, at the odd vocabulary. "I'm glad you think so."
Your horse strides on. The upcoming town of Fauge isn't terribly far, but there's still a good amount of time left in your ride.
[] Ask the young sir something?
-[] Write in
[] Spend the ride in silence.
