[dplax]

The duo contined... and the skies darkened, and with a wail, they began to weep, much like a broken hearted maiden over her lost love...

Asokil screwed up his oh-so-handsome face at the latest turn of events, jibed 'mother nature' for being a 'sissy girl', and offered his arm to Nivram. "Come friend; it will be faster if we ride."

Nivram lifted the sack full of bottles and clothes to Asikol's outstretched hands. "Secure these first. It contains my supplies for the coming days." Nivram took a dramatic drink from the rice wine and winked at Asikol.

"But of course." He smirked, "One has to prioritise after all."

Nivram then followed his belongings to the top of the horse. The stallion grunted under the added weight and added a snort for good measure.

Stamping its foot, it decided the current arrangement was a bad thing, but yielded under its master's boot. After all, being nudged in the side wasn't pleasant. Of course, Asokil did not seem to deem spending long in the rain when there was booze to be had a good thing... and so, his wee ickle horsey set off at a trot. A rather quick one.

And then the inevitable happened. Alcohol and abrupt, unpleasant stomach movements induced by horse riding never mixed well. Luckily Nivram was able to direct the stream of half-digested food to the side and none of it ended up on his riding partner.

The road however, was not so fortunate, and with the rain, it became a trail; streams of vomit washing downwards... indeed, anyone traversing the path would have to make a quick leap out of the way or be covered with the running rivers of refuse.

Asokil's solution, however, was simply to hand Nivram another bottle of rice wine.

Nivram gratefully took the bottle and to wash the unpleasant smell from his mouth took a big swallow. The rest of the ride passed rather uneventfully. The rain and the sound of horse hooves made any talk rather hard. Drunken singing became the order of the day. What a sight the two of them must have made to anyone seeing them pass. Two heavily-laden riders on a horse singing drunken songs as loud as they could.

"For once I knew a maiden fair; a maiden knew my name;
We spent the night together in bed,
Sheltering from the rain;
But lo! Upon a cloud we saw,
Saw fit to shed its' tears;
And lo! Alas, poor maiden dear,
Her dress was o'er clear;
'Oh no,' I cried, upon the sight,
My blessed eyes beheld;
'Thou art a little wet my dear,
'Shelter must be found!'
But shelter none was about the place,
Except upon one tree...
So cower did the two of us,
And made sweet-"

At this point, the song degenerated further and the village they had just reached found the younger village folk with their ears aflame and looking oddly curious. It was possible to do that with a...?

Nivram grinned back at them and added a specific verse for exactly what you could do. Mothers were seen quickly hiding children.

And in a full crescendo, the first finished,

"For upon that clouded, darkened night, beneath the midnight skies,
My love so fair and innocent,
I now beheld her [bare!
And long my conquests were that night,
Under that oaken stout,
And joyous both we were and filled,
With apple's cider’s clout!
Aloud she cried, delirious,
Breathing passion's flame,
My kiss and hers did meet again,
And love bore her sweet name."

Asokil drew in a deep breath, "My heart cries out for mine maiden fair, my sweetest, sweetest love; why hast thou forsaken me; flight taken as a dove?"

Taking a long, long swig of his own rice wine, he looked around, "Where'd everyone go?"

Nivram immediately continued, singing at the top of his lungs,

"And then came nine months later
Came this little skinny pink bay-beh
His father was long gone
He had simply moved on
To find more oaken stouts
Listening to fair maiden's doubts!"

Asokil gave him an odd look, "Fathered many such children, have thou art, companion drinking mine?"

"How should I know? I wasn't there," Nivram added with a grin.

"Nor I." Asokil laughed, then looked around the village, "Look at this! The slightest drop of rain and they all turn tail and flee. Fie I say! We should move onto the next one."

"Aye. Maybe there they shall greet drenched travellers more openly."