Unexpected Offerings

-A Cottage Somewhere in the Bramblewood, Evening of 0 DSTR-

Simon chuckled softly at Katya's statement about the people's fear, his guard lowering slightly as he spoke, "Well, when you live this far out, you have seen many people walk by your home on the war march. For it to be in this good of shape, it must have never been sacked, so they have no fear of strangers. Continued luck has a tendency to build complacency within even the most cautious folk." Keeping his ax across his thighs as they closed in on the cottage, he allowed his eyes to roam the building for any clear sign of threat or obvious damave that would show the current residents to be frauds who have killed the real inhabitants and set up shop for a while. Seeing no sign of a struggle and only well tended grass and shrubs, he was looking over the face of the building when Celestia stepped through the front door.

Or, she would have been Celestia if not for her hair and the scar along her face. Furrowing his brows slightly, he looked over to Katya to see if she was seeing the same apparition as he. Seeing her remain calm, he could only assume he was putting an image on the woman that he wanted to see: an older Celestia stepping out of the cottage as he came home from a mission. Pulling himself from those thoughts, he watched the woman take a few steps from the door before offering to help them with their things. Feeling his hand tighten around the handle of his ax at the conceived threat of being disarmed, he glanced quickly towards Katya when she responded. Narrowing his eyes slightly before turning his gaze to the woman, he spoke quietly in response to Katya, "It seems this is the right place, what with its sudden appearance. However, I'm not sure by her questioning. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stop and find out at least."

Rising Maddox closer to the cottage, he slipped from the saddle and stuck his ax handle within his belt. Walking the steed over beside the front porch, he thought to hobble him but chose instead to leave him free in case they needed to make a hasty escape. Grabbing a saddlebags with a few spare changes of civilian clothes from Maddox, he threw it over his shoukder before stepping up onto the porch. Reaching down to kick his boots off, he lined them up beside each ither before taking the handle of the water bucket and speaking, "May I enter?"