"Put that purse away darling! As I told Ashley and Alice, these pastries are gratis."

Nyaa thanks Freya Nya I's still like to lean the ingredients one day Nya - when you've finished your experiment Nya!
Cat tosses the pastry in her mouth and briefly observes her body for obvious changes
It's not poisoned Nya?
Cat says jokingly

Dragging the cart with some effort through the streets of Neverwinter, you make it to the stables. The stable master is in the barn, brushing the mules in question, "There you are! I thought perhaps I got the day wrong, as you can see, I have the harnesses and packs on them and oh good, you brought the cart, now we can fit them to the cart." This human gives off an aura of kindness that is palpable, the mules nuzzle him every chance they can get as if they know it's time to part soon, like saying goodbye to an old friend.

Cat greets the stablemaster waving at him with both paws
Nyaa good morning Mr. stablemaster Nya! Thanks for keeping our mules ready Nya! No worries Nya we will always treat them well Nya!
Cat greets Sandra and Sophia, patting them using a paw as brush
How are you today Nya? Ready to go on a journey Nya?

"They're ready, I'll leave... Sandra was it? On the cart for now. You're all leaving a little late today but don't let that bother you, stop before dark, I see the lantern and that's good in a pinch, but especially today, give them the idea that they don't have to work too hard."

Yes thank you Nya! We will use today Nya to get used to each other Nya!

"Holy heck, for a green clod of grass? Cat, we need to learn how to make these!"

Cat inspects and sniffs the green brick with little confidence
Nyaa we'd need to find lots of alfalfa Nya but I wouldn't know how to press it like that Nya. Looks like you need some heavy machinery for that Nya...

"Oh, you want treats? Work for it..." Ashley pets their soft necks and they seem happy for the attention, "well okay, but this is a loan." Ashley pulls out two more candies and hands one to each. "good thing I got a ton of these, seems like this is a one sided conditional friendship."

Cat laughs at Ashley's popularity
Nyahaha looks like you've got good animal handling skills as well Nya! But don't overfeed them with treats Nya or they'll want some every time Nya!

The stable master gives everything one last look over, "Seems to be in order, have a pleasant trip."

Cat waves Goodbye and leads Sandra pulling the cart
Thank you Sir, Nya!
We will see you again when we return to Neverwinter Nya!
Come on Sandra Nya let's get going Nya!

Ashley smiles and you could swear you saw big fangs.

You feel very much alive to me and luckily you do not reek of blood either!
Yulya smiles at her clearly non-vampiric comrade

Scavenger hunt? Why would you hunt scavengers? They eat rotten animals and probably taste awful! Also they're an important part of the ecosystem.

Yulya has to explain to Alice what a scavenger hunt is
A scavenger hunt is a group game where you need to find a number of items without purchasing them. The team that gathers all the items first wins. But I guess I often forget you did not have a normal childhood...
Yulya pats Alice on the head

"Come and get it boys and girls!" She blows a kiss to the table in question and sits up on the bar, crossing her legs, she presents the pastries like a show girl.

Yulya watches the vulgar behavior of the other adventurers with unease

"please be careful!" Freya says with all sincerity.
Freya slides the pasty to Yulya as soon as she sits.

Y-yes thank you very much as always Freya. You know I try not to get involved with anything bad but the gods seem to have other plans...

At the butcher Yulya decides to keep 25lbs of fairy moose meat and sell the rest.

Alice's eyes widen
Whaat?
I had no idea that weird looking animal could do that! No wonder Nixie struggled with it!
Alice wearing her wofl cloak takes a step back
I'm an adventurer not a magic talking fairy animal so don't butcher me!

Yulya facepalms at Alices second display of utter lack of common sense today.
How comes you know what a mule is but not a moose? And do not worry nobody wants to eat you. Not even Ashley vampire!

At the stable Yulya is again surprised and slightly intimidated by the size of the mules.
Where they also this big when we bought them?

Yulya turns to the stablemaster
Excuse me Sir I do not want to pry into your business but can you tell me something about the incident with Miss Summers horses? We are to report all information about her whereabouts as adventurers! Do you think there were other people involved? Was there any unusual damage or traces of the burglary?

Ashley moves where the girls can see her and she speaks with a cutsie little voice you might hear someone speak to a lap dog. "Aww you girls sho shtinky! Earn your bricks! No trouble."

Ashleys behavior does not escape Yulyas perception but she keeps quiet and smiles. Everyone appears to be having a good time.

The stable master gives everything one last look over, "Seems to be in order, have a pleasant trip."

Thank you Sir I hope we will meet again soon after we complete our trip!
Yulya feels that it will be a long way until their return to Neverwinter

[/quote]

How comes you know what a mule is but not a moose? And do not worry nobody wants to eat you. Not even Ashley vampire!

I only know about animals that have a practical use! There's no such thing as nature and wildlife on most inhabited worlds and very few animals are commonly used. But humans still sometimes use mules in their military even though they have conquered space. In mountain terrain these animals are unbeatable. Better than most machines, don't need a power source, can sustain on a few weeds and in an emergency humans can even eat them. You can't eat a machine!! Well that is what I've been told but I had never seen a mule in real life before the ones we bought!

"Check me again after walking all day." Ashley says with a sour look on her face.

Hey, you can always ride on the cart! It's got more than enough capacity for a whole bunch of Ashleys!
I've thought about it but I'll rather walk than getting shaken through on that rough vehicle. It was bad enough on Gundren's cart.

[At the Butcher]
You kept 25lbs of fairy moose meat.
You now have:
5cp
24sp
14gp
10pp

Alice swallows the platinum and gold coins
Ahh, that feels less empty!

Sandra seems even less interested in Alice, possibly not even noticing who's touching her as Sophia seems tentatively cordial toward her.

Alice notices Sandra's lack of affection
Playing hard to get, are we? Fine, fine! It's not like I don't have another friend here who appreciates me!
Alice demonstratively snuggles to Sophia.

"I gave you a ton remember? Get out of here, this is for my big stinky darlings."

Alice turns 360° and walks away sulking
Meh, it's not the same when I can't eat the candy from your hand!

When you reach the southern gate, two guards stop you and do a rudimentary search of the cart, they look carefully at Alice

Alice does not bother wearing her mask and it is obvious she's not Summer - or any other human girl for that matter. She still chuckles about her plan to smuggle Summer out, somehow disappointed it was not needed.
Hey, I'm obviously not the one you're looking for. Should I take my clothes off or what?

you're off down the gravel high road. The grinding of gravel under wheels interrupted by occasional bangs as small rocks are surmounted, and the crunch of Sandra's iron shoes on the earth are a cacophony. As soon as they leave the gate, Sandra's pace quickens, she's finally realized she's got the open road ahead and she's no longer cooped up among tall buildings and she loves it. She excitedly pulls at a fast pace, moderated by Cat. Ashley leads Sophia who timidly follows, not knowing if leaving the walls of this great city was a good idea or not.[/i]

Alice takes her usual place as rear guard, closely following the cart and keeping an eye on all that's coming from behind

About 12 miles south, the mules are still happily plotting along, the road is level and free of ruts, so Sandra is seemingly unphased by the load. Ashley, ever the spotter, sees a stray package, something that's obviously fallen from a overlander recently. She runs for it and snatches it up, inspects it then tosses it in the cart.

Soap?
Not bad! But it would be a waste to use this as firebombs. Maybe we can sell it in Phandalin. I bet they need soap as no traders made it there for a while.

As the sun approaches the ocean in the Western sky, Sandra stops abruptly. Ashley pulls out an alfalfa brick, breaks off small chunks and leads them off the road.[/i

Alice focuses on whats behind her and almost runs into the abruptly stopping cart
Oh, the divas have their leisure time now?
Well whatever, I guess we've made it far enough.

You've made it about half way to the Triboar trail, good progress, and there's a less than ideal campsite nearby. An old fire ring looks like it hasn't been used in a while, the land is relatively flat, it's not the worst place to set up for the night.

Alice gets the tent and rations from the cart for Cat to prepare and starts a fire
We should eat too, maybe then we can make another batch of poison!

Cat is pleased to see how Ashley is handling the mules
Nyahaha weren't you against getting them in the beginning Nya? And now you seem to like them more than us Nya!

When you reach the southern gate, two guards stop you and do a rudimentary search of the cart, they look carefully at Alice and then ask, "We are looking for a blonde haired girl, approximately 10 years of age, if you've seen someone of that description walking around unattended or see her on your travels, there's a reward for her whereabouts. She's to be treated as dangerous, do not attempt to engage her, she's not to be harmed, simply report as soon as you can to the roadmaster."

Cat struggles not to laugh and is jabbed by Alice who is not doing much better

They let you all go and you're off down the gravel high road. The grinding of gravel under wheels interrupted by occasional bangs as small rocks are surmounted, and the crunch of Sandra's iron shoes on the earth are a cacophony. As soon as they leave the gate, Sandra's pace quickens, she's finally realized she's got the open road ahead and she's no longer cooped up among tall buildings and she loves it. She excitedly pulls at a fast pace, moderated by Cat.

Cat begins working with Sandra and getting her to read her body language. Her tall and charismatic presence makes it easier for the animal to understand what Cat wants without her having to use a verbal cue all the time. Sandra has her personality but is quick to understand Cat's body language even if she doesnt always follow through at the first attempt, testing Cat's authority. But not for long.

Cat turns to Ashley
Ashley Nya I don't know how much you know about horses Nya but you seem to be doing well with Sophia Nya! We will see how it goes with Sandra Nya.
Just remember to communicate Nya the animal needs to respect you as a leader Nya without fearing you Nya! But they gotta know who is in control Nya or things can get dangerous Nya. Just being a walking treat dispenser isn't good Nya so don't try to control them with food Nya!
They are smart herd animals Nya once they know you Nya they can easily read you without a word Nya. Just be consistent Nya. Always same body language for each command Nya. If that doesn't work Nya give them a single short verbal cue Nya. Only if that doesnt work get physical like using the reins Nya or even giving them a slap. Always go through that procedure Nya. Be absolutely consistent Nya and never stop halfways Nya or they won't respect you Nya. Always follow your own rules Nya no exceptions no grey areas Nya! Encourage good behavior punish bad Nya. Never let them push you around Nya! They can't just come up and bump into you Nya! And be reasonable with treats Nya or they'll demand one to do their tasks Nya. Thats not how it works Nya. It's an exceptional reward Nya not payment they're entitled to Nya. Also you'll get bitten Nya because they associate your fingers with food Nya! I'm sure you'll get this down perfectly in no time Nya!



After a few hours it is time to switch positions. Cat puts Sophia in front of the cart and leaves Sandra with the mule pack with Ashley. Then Cat resumes her training program with Sophia who seems to be the easier mule and quickly follows Cat's commands

As the sun approaches the ocean in the Western sky, Sandra stops abruptly. Ashley pulls out an alfalfa brick, breaks off small chunks and leads them off the road. "Cat? Get the water, get the feed bag, the girls are done."

Yes miss mule-master Nya! Right away Nya!
Cat grins and tends to the mules patting them on the side.
You all did well today Nya and we were lucky there was no incident Nya!
[Cat and Alice are busy, either Yulya will have to look for water or create it]

"Let's get settled, I'm going to introduce them to my babies when they've been fed and rested a bit, but before dark." Once they're off the road, Ashley feeds them the rest of the brick.

Cat proceeds to remove the harness from Sophia and the mule pack from Sandra and inspects their fur for any pressure points. The stable master appears to have fitted everything perfectly. Cat gives them a brushing with her paws and gets each of them their share of horse feed and water
Nyaa we should have bought a bucket Nya. We will use the extra pot Nya. Alice go clean it out Nya!

Ashley Nya!
Wait with your training until I am done Nya!
I will make a come-a-long rope and we will train them one by one Nya. If you spook both Nya we got a huge problem Nya!

You've made it about half way to the Triboar trail, good progress, and there's a less than ideal campsite nearby. An old fire ring looks like it hasn't been used in a while, the land is relatively flat, it's not the worst place to set up for the night.

After the mules are fed and the tent is set up Cat makes a 4 person dinner from 3lbs of moose meat and one vegetable ration
How about some moose tonight Nya? Help me out Alice Nya so we can get to training the mules faster Nya!

"I like animals better than people, they're kind and loyal, they don't care if I want to keep my own coin separated, and they don't throw stink bombs at god orbs. They're also smart enough not to boop dragons."

Alice laughs out loud
Fear enough! But that honeymoon phase of yours will come to an end soon, animals can be pretty mean too and they will exploit your every weakness! They have no mercy for the weak!

Nyaa we should have bought a bucket Nya. We will use the extra pot Nya. Alice go clean it out Nya!

Hai hai, just a second!
Alice sighs, undresses and crawls into the big pot that was used for poison cooking. It had been cleaned before but now it becomes as good as new and shiny. Not a trace or scent of its former ingredients is left



Alice re-forms into human shape and gets dressed
This should be good enough as wine glass for our divas!

She hands Yulya the pot
I've seen a lot of water around here, don't think it's worth wasting your mana on that!

How about some moose tonight Nya? Help me out Alice Nya so we can get to training the mules faster Nya!

Alice stubles from one work to the next
I'm coming, I'm coming!
I can warm the ration but you better handle the meat! I mean you guys are the picky eaters, not me!

Alice assists Cat in cooking to reduce the time until dinner is ready

Thanks Nya you won't be disappointed Nya!

Ashley begins to cast, attempting to call her biggest 'baby', "This might be loud..." With a thunderous boom, causing all the birds within half a mile to flap away, a large plumb of purple smoke lifts to reveal the cunning glare of Nixie, the Mechathereal Panther.

Alice has put on her wofl cloak and is busy crouching before the pot and preparing the poison ingredient minding her own business as the thunderclap makes her jump and fall backwards
Hey, what the hell?

"Man that was loud, you're not the stealthiest thing are you? "

If that's just the panther, how much noise will the mecha war elephant make? A sonic boom that kills everything within a mile?
Alice pats the dust out of her cloak and resumes setting up the pot, slightly jealous she's not part of the exercise, mumbling to herself.
Why wasn't I introduced to all the cool mecha animals like that...

"Now for the final exam, let's try this out." Ashley puts her pack, boots, socks and other garments in the cart and with just her robe she begins the process of transformation. Her skin begins to grow long indigo hair and smoke surrounds her as she morphs into the creature known as Ashley Panther. The robe drops and she picks it up in her mouth, dropping it in the cart some awkward effort.

Alice watches the awkward show and shakes her head
What are you doing? We are all girls or monsters here! Nobody cares if you are naked.