Three little Raygnes Marching

Three of those hailing to the Family of Raygne would soon cross their paths. 

Rautia, a traveller with a sharp tongue, ready to embark on a new adventure on her homeland Warrenfall.
Rutjana, a messenger carrying more burden on her mind than is on the letter she is delivering towards one of the towns of Warrenfall.
Aranka, a heavy lifter whose help is nor wanted or asked - yet he must do his share and thus he has been sent to Warrenfall forests to be acting as a carrier of the tree trunks.

The lush green colored the forestside near the town that would be all of their heading - but not yet, as the trio of our small adventure is going to be on the road leading there. And the meeting of them three would be... curious, indeed.

"So, far away from your precious home, huh? How can you manage?"
"Shut up and let me do my job. I have enough on my plate than have to listen your yapping."
Rutjana was the only one remaining silent as the messenger-to-be didn't really know what she should do - continue her journey to deliver the message or stay to exchange more with familiar faces. It had been a surprise to see Aranka here - and actually working as he was really carrying some firewood on his broad back as he glared at Rautia, who looked like a proper adventurer indeed. They were all apparently going to the same direction - a pleasant surprise for some but an annoyance for others. At least the climate on this green continent was the most pleasant one of all the three there were - one of the reasons why Rutjana still stationed herself here and not to Thedale, where Aranka was from. Rautia was a Fallborn and a proud citizen of Warrenfall - and had had many adventures among the mystical woods and caverns these treetrunks hid from view.

"And you, Rut? What are you running about so fast?"
"I... a letter", she nudged the scroll that was hanging from her small bag, tidely tied to a roll so it would hid whatever was inside it out of view.
"Ooh, a messenger then? Good for you, pancakes." Rautia's smile was contagious - or was it the words that made Rutjana to beam? Too bad Aranka's scoff was there to bring her down in the same instant.
"Engla would need your services more back home, dumbass."
"I..."
"Well now, carrier, aren't you in a hurry to bring your burden back to those that paid you to do the deed? Walk then and stop breathing on her neck constantly about it." Even if you didn't know what was going on between this trio, it was evident of a shared past - and that it had tensions over the small things that wouldn't throw them apart in normal circumstances.
But now Rautia's mind was burning and she was ready to keep on going, away from Aranka's nasty words.

Before Aranka was talking, Rutjana took her chance to change the course of the conversation. "Have you seen Gramps?"
"Not lately. I bet he's busy hiding from everything." Rautia's voice maybe laughed but the words were meant to be venomous. Even Aranka seemed to nod to the remark - to see that they actually agreed on something - and Rutjana couldn't help but feeling relieved. At least either of them was hounding her now.
"We should complete our tasks..." Rutjana glanced at Aranka, who didn't seem so happy to be carrying the firewood. How Engla had made Aranka to take on such a job was an oddity indeed.
"Yeah, you should. Luckily you met an adventurer like me who can show you a shortcut through the forest", Rautia said with a grin lingering on her face. Aranka’s face turned inwards as Rutjana seemed eager to have Rautia to aid them – and to keep her company alongside Aranka, apparently.

“Could you show us the way?” Rautia nodded – and as she turned and started stepping light steps towards a path not seen among the large trees, Rutjana followed her suite with her important messages. Aranka seemed to hesitate a little – but eventually the carrier followed as well, dragging the wood behind him and on his back as the weight of his burden was even taking its toll to the puller.

The Warrenfall woods were easy to travel, luckily – Rautia had had her share of exploring them and Rutjana thought the climate was the most welcoming of the three. Even Aranka couldn’t have said otherwise – the wood he was carrying would have gained weight thousand fold if he had been in Roenden or even Thedale. The forest was blocking away the sun and keeping the warm both inside the woods and also making it possible to enjoy the soothing shadows formed by the treelines.

“So, to whom you are supposed to deliver that letter of yours?”

“Uhm…”

“Aah, a secret”, Rutjana’s apologetic face made Rautia to knock her to the side. Aranka remained silent before their steps, only slight huffs betraying his thoughts of the heavy load.

“You okay with those heavy trunks, big boy? Needing any help?”

“Shut up and keep showing the way to the village”, the male hissed lowly, making Rautia to shrug. “Have it your way then.”

The trio continued to walk in silence. The way Rautia knew was indeed quicker – Rutjana and Aranka would both gain hours by using this route instead the way that was going inside the forest and was used by others as well. Even if this shortcut would be a bit difficult to travel, it wasn’t impossibly hard. Rutjana would get her message delivered in time and Aranka would be able to cash in all the wood he was carrying with him – and possibly go and have another work gig, if he only wasn’t so lazy from the get-go. Rautia was able to map out the territory as well – a very good adventurer would have a perfect map to make sure she would never get lost in the familiar woods.

It wasn’t a bad day, after all.