After what seemed like roughly ten minutes of sleep, Astrid blinked herself awake. Taking a breath she sat up and tested each of her muscles, then stretched her arms up over her head in a proper, luxurious first morning stretch as she parted her jaws in a rather large yawn. Blinking in the momentary head rush, the early morning scents reached her nose along with the permeating smell of coffee. She nearly gagged.

She pushed herself out of bed as gray light streamed through the window, though it was still dim. Her pack had been put just inside the door and looking down at the torn, dirty, bloodstained tunic and leggings she still wore. With a sigh, she unbuckled her belts and pulled them off one at a time, dropping them on the bed. At least they hadn't gotten any blood on them.

Walking over to her pack, she pulled it open and began rummaging through it, finding the last pair of clean breeches and her last clean tunic. Astrid tugged her torn and stained tunic off and dropped it on the floor and slipped the new one over her head. It was a muted hunter green with full sleeves and a front that laced up to a high loose collar that folded over easily due to the lack of support in the material. She unlaced it to the top of her breasts and left the woven strands hanging.

Next, she slipped out of her stained leggings and piled them on top of her soiled tunic. Stepping into her breeches, she pulled them up and tugged them up over her hips. The material fit snugly around her hips and thighs, but it was of elven weave, so it stretched to accommodate the movements of her body and wouldn't tear under stress. Lacing them up and tying them off, she picked her wide, fitted belt up and secured it around her waist, then buckled the thinner one around her hips.

Glancing around, she didn't see her boots or weapons anywhere, so she stuffed her ruined tunic and leggings into her bag. Cinching it, she threw it over her back and opened the door, walking into the main room.

Immediately, Astrid was assaulted a much more powerful aroma of coffee and a lesser undertone of bacon and eggs. Mercifully, there was a bowl of fruit on the table as well, though it remained untouched by the three men sitting around the table.

Three heads turned toward her as she dropped her bag against the wall and moved to sit in the fourth chair across from Will. There was a plate already set for her and filled with bacon and eggs. Picking up her fork, she tucked into the eggs, being careful so as not to touch the bacon.

As she ate, she became conscious of both Will and Gilan, who sat to her left, glancing at the angry red line of fresh scar tissue across her chest. Halt pointedly chose not to stare at her chest, or watch her eat as she avoided the bacon on her plate at all costs. Astrid, on the other hand, ignored all three of them as she tried to block out the nauseating smell of the coffee.

Finishing her eggs, she reached for the fruit bowl, plucking a plump orange from the side. She pulled a dagger from her belt and scored the fruit twice all the way around, then proceeded to tear the quarter sections of fragrant orange rind from the meat. Worming a finger into the top where all of the pieces met, she pulled the fruit into two halves, setting one on her plate while the other stayed in her hand. All this, she had accomplished in less than two minutes.

While she waited for the men to finish their breakfasts, she sat back in her chair and peeled off pieces of orange and popped them into her mouth.

She received looks from all three men at the table, all of whom then looked at the untouched bacon on her plate. Finally, Gilan asked what they had all been thinking, "Astrid, are you going to eat your bacon?"

Taking her time chewing and swallowing a slice of orange, she savored the moment before shaking her head. "I do not eat meat. You are more than welcome to it." She gestured at the slices of meat still on her plate which Gilan more than happily reached over and took.
Halt finished his food and took a long gulp of coffee, an amused look in his eyes as he watched Gilan. Will, on the other hand, looked rather put out that Gilan had thought to ask before he did.

Astrid watched all of these antics with a small half smile on her face as she ate her orange, managing to finish it before the others finished their coffee. She sat quietly until Halt took the last swig of coffee from his mug and stood.

"I'll be out preparing Abelard," he said, heading for the door.

Astrid sat for a moment, then stood and followed him to the door as Gilan followed Halt's example and polished off his coffee. On her way to the door, she saw her soft, worn traveling boots and stepped into them easily, the leather like material stretching around her feet and calves. She exited the cabin, Gilan behind her, her pack in hand, and began walking over to where the ponys' lean-to was. The sounds of leather straps being tightened reached her ears and one of the ponies whickered a greeting to Gilan as they came into sight.

She set her pack down and leaned against the support post of the lean-to, watching the men prepare their barrel-chested little steeds.

Halt waited a moment before he spoke, cinching Abelard's girth before turning to her. "You can double ride with Gilan, if you would like, or we can take a horse from the baron's stables for you."

Astrid was already shaking her head though, "No, thank you. My people do not believe in using beasts to do what we can ourselves. I prefer to run."

Not knowing her people well enough, Halt just nodded and said nothing, respecting her people's beliefs. Gilan looked at her curiously though, settling Blaze's saddle on the mare's back. "Are you sure? It's a long way to castle Araluen," he said, thinking of the distance that would take days to cover.

She nodded and spoke as she watched halt slip the bridle over Abelard's head, the bit slipping easily into the little horse's mouth. "I am positive. All I need is for my pack to be held."

Gilan shook his head doubtfully, but said nothing more as he pulled the girth tight under Blaze's shoulder.