'What do you mean I work too hard?' [attn: Gareth]

[Roan]

Riahana 'Sack o' Potatoes' Gaidin

Riahana laughed as Gareth teased he might keep her in suspense. As they passed people in the hall, she got a good look at the shocked expressions. They passed a group of Ji’Val and Drin who stood open-mouthed, and Ria gave an uncharacteristic smirk as she waved at them. Perhaps not wearing the mantle of Mistress of Arms wasn’t such a bad thing after all. . .just so long as Ravak didn’t burn down the Yards or the Tower.

“Fine. . .don’t tell me then. I rather like surprises, so long as they are the pleasant kind as opposed to the lethal kind,” she countered. She probably didn’t need the qualifier, but Ria had always been more literal than not, and old habits die hard.

Before long, the pair were out of the halls of the Tower proper, and walking towards the stables. Her curiosity was definitely piques, though, and she couldn’t help herself from asking another question, “I gather we are riding at least part of the way, but do we require a Gateway, or is the journey as much a part of the vacation?” She was sorely tempted to ask how long it would take to get wherever they were going, but stopped herself. . .for now.

[Bella]

Gareth said nothing else as they made their way to the stables. Once they arrived, he did finally let her onto her feet while he caught the eye of a stablehand--the boy looking just as shocked as everyone in the corridors had been--and sent him off to fetch their horses and tack. The big Yellow suspected Ria would tack up her own steed, but the boy could at least bring the steeds out.

"Both," Gareth replied laconically, smiling and lifting his pale brows with amusement and teasing.

[Roan]

Riahana

Ria cast a sidelong glance towards Gareth as he set her down, “Both. Fair enough. Fine. Keep me in the dark. We Gaidin love surprises.” Her lips twitched with the last comment given she really wasn’t one for surprises. . .unless they came from her husband.

It didn’t take the stablehand long to bring their mounts, and since they were just going on vacation, Ria was riding Lex instead of Balius. The Bay mare nickered when she saw her rider, and nudged the Gaidin in the midsection with her head, “Hello to you too, old girl.” Ria scratched the mare’s withers before grabbing a curry brush and going in circular motions to lift up dirt. She looked over to Gareth, who was doing the same, and laughed softly when she saw he still wore an amused smile.

Switching to a coarse haired brush, Ria started at Lexi’s neck and worked her way along Lex’s body as she looked back to Gareth, “You are far too amused by this, which has me slightly worried.” Once she finished with the coare brush, she swapped to a fine haired brush to finish brushing her horse down before picking out her hooves and combing her mane and tail. Finally, she put her saddle on Lex’s back and worked to tighten the girth. “It also worries me that you packed for me, husband of mine.”

[Bella]

Gareth's steed was...big, and sturdy. The large Asha'man would not subject himself to any horse who wasn't. And Duran, the horse, was just as placid as his rider. He stood without moving much while the Yellow brushed him out. Meanwhile, Gareth was continually amused by his wife's amusement.

"What exactly are you afraid of, dear?" he asked teasingly. "I think I know enough about you and your clothing to be able to pack things into a bag."

[Roan]

Riahana "I give" Gaidin

The Gaidin smirked, “I said I was worried, not afraid, love.” She checked the girth, knowing Lex would have relaxed her sides. Finding it a tad loose, she tightened it once more. Satisfied, she checked the length of her stirrups before moving to Lex’s head to swap out the halter for a bridle. Looking over to her husband once more, the smirk broadened, “Having said that, I do trust you, so perhaps I shouldn’t be so worried about what you may or may not have packed.”

Ria reached down and grabbed the saddle bags and placed them behind her saddle, attaching them by well placed buckles. Lex reached around and nudged Ria with her muzzle. The Gaidin laughed softly and scratched her horse behind her ears. She looked back to her Ward, “And perhaps I shouldn’t worry so much that you are pulling me away from the Tower.” With the admission, Ria’s smirk was replaced by a loving smile.

[Bella]

"Precisely," he said simply, returning the smile in a way that was sure to make anyone reading along with this thread decide that this pair was sickeningly and possibly stop reading. If only Bella actually cared about that, but she didn't, so Gareth smiled however the damn well pleased at his wife and that was that. "You shouldn't worry. This whole trip is to take both our minds off things that make us worry."

Once he was assured that Duran was tacked properly, and he was assured that Ria was assured about Lex, he led his horse from the barn alongside her and they moved onward to the Traveling Yards. When they arrived, he nodded at the Asha'man manning the Gateways, just like he had already arranged this...which, of course, he had.

Even going on vacation, however, he didn't attempt to stop being warder and bond. He paused to let her ride through first, and then followed...

...when each emerged on the other side, it was to a quiet mountain path leading up to a clearing with a small, simple cabin set therein.

[Roan]

Ria 'Not the Gaidin' Ferria

Vacation. Ria let the idea that she and Gareth were actually going on vacation settle in, though she wasn’t entirely sure she could fully stop worrying. As the pair entered the Traveling Yards, Ria saw Gareth nod to the Asha’man. She laughed softly, “You’ve been conspiring with others to make this vacation happen, I see.”

The Gaidin mounted up as the Asha’man opened the Gateway. When Ria looked to to her husband, he wore an amused grin and simply shrugged as he settled into his saddle. At least he’s letting me do the Warder thing Ria said to herself. She flashed him a warm smile before she rode through the Gateway.

They might be going on vacation, but Ria pulled the Void around her as she let her senses take in the scene around her. Fortunately, all was quiet, and what she saw before her was a path that led up to a cabin. Moving away from the Gateway, Ria let the Void slip from her and grinned as she heard Gareth and Duran exiting the Gateway.

Looking to him, Ria’s grin didn’t waver, “This looks promising. How do you know about this place?” As Duran drew even with Lex, Ria encouraged her own horse onward and the pair made their way the last little way to their destination.

[Bella]

The cabin itself was a small but well-kept thing, with a small three horse open-air stable and pasture behind it where Lex and Duran could take their rest while their riders were busy taking their own...or whatever not-resting activities the pair decided to get up to. (Yes, Gareth had some ideas. Sue him.)

"It happens to belong to one of my fellow Yellows," he replied. "He uses it for his own getaways and time to study, he's one who works more on medical theories and such, has a habit of updating our texts, and when I mentioned that I wanted a trip away, he offered me the use of it."

They rode behind the cabin and dismounted, putting the horses away to the comfortable grazing of the quiet fenced-in pasture. Then he led Ria up to the back door and pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking it and then lighting the lanterns around the dining area with a few filaments of Fire.

Inside was a small kitchen area with a rough-hewn dining table, and then a low-sitting sofa before a fire place. On the other side of the room was a door leading the to bedroom.

[Roan]

Riahana

There was something about fresh mountain air that always brought a sense of peace to Riahana. Without thinking about it, the Gaidin took several deep breaths as she and Gareth rode to the paddock and pasture. Lex and Duran seemed more than a little pleased their jobs were done so soon.

Taking everything in as she was lead from stable to cabin, Ria felt tension start to slip from her body bit by bit. Relaxing wasn’t something that came easily or naturally to her, especially since she and Gareth returned to the Tower. Given Gareth’s insistence they take this vacation, the Gaidin realized she might have been a bit more uptight than usual. Perhaps this place would give her the break she needed, and give them both time to enjoy a bit of down time together.

Crossing the threshold into the cabin, Ria looked around before turning to Gareth, flashing him a warm smile, “It is lovely. . .when you see your fellow Yellow, be sure to thank him for me.” Her hand went to the hilt of her sword out of habit as much as anything. With a soft laugh, she looked at it, and then to Gareth as she began to unbuckle it, “Given we’re on vacation, I don’t think I need this strapped at my side.”

Removing the sword belt from her hip, Ria wrapped it around the scabbard and leaned both against the wall next to the back door of the cabin. Looking back to her husband, she couldn’t help the wry smile, “So husband of mine. . .now that we are officially on vacation, what would you like to do first?” She certainly had a thing or two in mind, and suspected he might well be on the same page.

[Bella]

Gareth hung the saddlebags over the back of the couch and turned to look at his wife as she leaned her sword against the wall. As much as he found his warrior wife attractive, it was just as nice to see her without the weaponry. Of course he was proud of her, Tia and Einion the only creatures in the world he was prouder of, but as a Yellow, he enjoyed Ria's...less ferocious side.

What do I want to do during our vacation... He repeated the question in his head with no minimum of amusement as he looked at her, the afternoon light streaming through the windows and mingling with the lanterns he'd lit.

"To be perfectly frank, I leave that decision up to you," he said with a crooked smile. "You're the one who has the greater need for special relaxation, hence this getaway." He held one large hand out for her and waited until she took it. "So the more appropriate question, my dear wife, is what do you want to do first?"