Seg nodded. "I can do little else," he said. "At least from my quarters I can contact others who may be able to help me." Not just to escape from these caves, but to get new braces so he could walk on his own again. The first step was just to get out of here.
She's been before, at least once, which helps provide an approximation of how to perform this spell, and shifts to open a portal along one side of the cave wall just before them — which quickly looks into the main path of the stable, the scent of hay and horses emanating through. It doesn't take much strength for her to hold it open, at least at the start, but the longer she maintains it the more strain it will place on her.
Still, there's no indication of that as she glances to him, one hand outstretched in front of her to keep the portal from closing. "Going through it will be somewhat unnerving, at least in terms of your stomach. Some don't enjoy the experience."
Seg nodded, looking grimly at the portal, and let himself fall to the floor. From there, he was able to get up on all fours, keeping his head up to see where he was going. He could at least crawl at a reasonable clip, more of an inching motion than alternating as he let his bad leg drag behind him. He went at maybe half the speed of walking, which was pretty good for being on all fours -- this was generally the way he locomoted in the morning or night, when he was alone and not wearing his braces, so he was used to it.
He paused halfway through the portal to groan a bit at the strange feeling, but he did not want to see what happened if the thing closed on him, so he pushed himself forward, until his bad leg had cleared the sparks.
Yennefer doesn't move to help him, having every impression that if he wants to ask for her assistance, he'll do so; it isn't a question of pride but knowing the limits of strength, and if their situations were reversed she believes she might have been willing to depend on him for similar. The fact that he'd reached out to her for aid isn't something she'll forget at any near future point.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to let it close," she murmurs.
It's less of a reassurance and more of an assertion of her own abilities; she's held a portal open for much longer and under significantly more duress than this, or having to wield her chaos simultaneously as a defense against enemies while portalling to another location. Once she steps through behind him, she finally closes it, breathing in the familiar (and in many cases) comforting scent of hay and horses for a moment before immediately moving to do anything else.
The smells of life were a comfort, after that dank cave. His stomach lurched, and he dropped his head like he was going to heave. It was everything hitting him at once -- the relief of being out of the cave, the delayed anxiety of it, the unpleasant sensation of the portal, and the sweet but foul smell of the stable. He took a moment, then breathed deep, filling his lungs with it.
"I'll need help to actually mount," Seg said, looking up at Yennefer again. "But once I'm up, I can ride well enough on my own."
She's close to him, instinctively crouching down beside him to get closer to his level, and as he drops his head between his shoulders she feels the odd impulse to gently place a hand against his back — but thinks better of it only at the last moment, her hand hovering in the air above him.
His words, and his turn back to her, breaks the silence and she finally rises to her feet again.
"I'll fetch a mount. We're only borrowing it, so I doubt its owner will even have time to miss it before it's returned."
Seg nodded and propped himself against the edge of a wall that divided two stalls. He took a moment getting his breath, head resting back against it. Then he started to get himself up, heedless of the mud on him from sitting, knowing he'd need to be in a more vertical position to mount. He intended to be standing as best he could when Yennefer came with a mount.
There aren't many horses to choose from, unsurprisingly; Yennefer has the suspicion that even the ones who are here were brought, like many of them were, from other worlds entirely, but she selects a mare who seems less inclined to nip and then makes a point to leave a note behind promising its return within the day, as well as signing her name to it so the owner knows who is in possession of the horse.
It takes longer, too, to saddle, but she remembers how to do it from being made to when she was in possession of a much more twisted form than this.
The sound of hooves against the ground will herald her return long before she steps into view, leading the horse she's prepared for him and seeing that he's at least managed to get himself up to standing, albeit leaning.
"Here," she announces directly, drawing over to where he's propped himself up so that all he needs to do is lean forward and hoist himself up. She won't intervene to assist him unless he asks for it himself.
Seg grabbed hold of the saddle and took a breath, catching his balance against the horse. He'd never mounted unbraced and unassisted. He'd never mounted unbraced at all, though, and he should be able to do it. His hips would move, his arms were strong. He wouldn't be able to get his bad foot in the stirrup, but it was his good leg that would be his support, mounting from this side. He could do this.
He took a couple of breaths, then jumped and hauled himself up. His bad foot didn't quite clear the horse's rear end, and for a moment he was stuck, but he pointed his toe and his leg slid into place. He'd done it, he was sitting on the saddle.
"Gods below," he sighed, letting himself lean forward over the horse's neck. He looked at Yennefer and laughed, a mix of disbelief and joy. He'd actually done it. He'd done one fucking thing for himself today, and he hadn't expected how good it would feel.
There is a moment, however brief, when she considers wielding a bit of magic to assist him, letting the strength of chaos give him the pressing boost he needs to shift himself into a proper straddle, and then just as quickly as the thought rises she dismisses it. He hasn't requested her aid, and she has the strong sense he wants to see whether he can achieve this on his own power, so she can just as easily step around to the front of the horse, maintaining a steady grasp on the reins to keep it from shifting while he settles himself.
She glances up, though, right at the instant that he plants down in the saddle properly, and it's his lean forward that brings him even closer to her for that brief span — close enough to likely notice her smile as it rises, as she finally steps around to the side of the mount.
"Where do you want me to sit? In front or behind?" She'll let him have control of the reins, but part of her has almost missed being on a horse, so she's not about to ignore the chance to join him now that it's presented itself.
"Behind, if you please," he said. He was going to need to lean like this the whole way or his twisted back would unbalance him and send him to the ground, and he didn't want to be draping all of his weight on her. He grabbed the saddle again and pushed himself as snugly up against the horn as his balls would allow, unsure if there would be room for her in the saddle with him or if she'd need to be behind it.
It's less complicated for her to draw herself up and settle in the saddle behind him — the cut of her skirt is deceptive enough that she can tuck it between her legs in order to ride astride, but given that it's the both of them nestled together, she instinctively wraps one of her arms around his waist, her thighs pressing in on the outside of his own.
"How does that feel?" There's no indication that she's touching him for any greater purpose other than necessity, nor is she attempting to use this proximity for any ulterior motive; she can bear a little discomfort on her side, but what she doesn't want is for the press of her body to create any sensation that might evoke more pain for him for the duration of their shared ride.
Seg nodded. "Fine enough. You feel secure?" he asked. Without his braces, there were few pains to contend with -- it was the choice he'd been forced to make, living pain-free and bed-bound or wearing painful devices that allowed him to walk. He'd chosen to walk. He shifted a little so her arm around his waist was comfortable, and once she was settled, nudged the horse to start walking.
"Shall we make for the elevator? Return me to public housing?" he asked, as the horse picked its way between the people working at the stable.
"More than," she murmurs, though she doesn't initiate any closer position to him apart from that arm wrapped around his midsection, a choice made as much to steady herself given that she isn't currently in command of the reins. In spite of the condition of his legs, what she can feel beneath her fingertips, through the layer of his clothing, is slight muscle, warmth that she briefly presses her palm to.
"If you should ever find yourself in need of rescuing again, I'll be sure to bring the horse in advance," she replies, a light attempt at humor that she instinctively hopes he'll interpret as being in the spirit that it's intended.
Seg laughed softly at that. "Might cut down on time, indeed," he agreed.
He had to shift a couple of times, but he found a way to sit comfortably in the saddle that left room for Yennefer and the horse seemed willing to tolerate. They drew a few odd looks, riding a horse down the street, but Seg ignored them stubbornly and headed for the elevator to the Down. He wasn't looking forward to being stuck there, but he did look forward to this all being over so he could rest awhile.
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Still, there's no indication of that as she glances to him, one hand outstretched in front of her to keep the portal from closing. "Going through it will be somewhat unnerving, at least in terms of your stomach. Some don't enjoy the experience."
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He paused halfway through the portal to groan a bit at the strange feeling, but he did not want to see what happened if the thing closed on him, so he pushed himself forward, until his bad leg had cleared the sparks.
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"Don't worry. I'm not going to let it close," she murmurs.
It's less of a reassurance and more of an assertion of her own abilities; she's held a portal open for much longer and under significantly more duress than this, or having to wield her chaos simultaneously as a defense against enemies while portalling to another location. Once she steps through behind him, she finally closes it, breathing in the familiar (and in many cases) comforting scent of hay and horses for a moment before immediately moving to do anything else.
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"I'll need help to actually mount," Seg said, looking up at Yennefer again. "But once I'm up, I can ride well enough on my own."
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His words, and his turn back to her, breaks the silence and she finally rises to her feet again.
"I'll fetch a mount. We're only borrowing it, so I doubt its owner will even have time to miss it before it's returned."
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It takes longer, too, to saddle, but she remembers how to do it from being made to when she was in possession of a much more twisted form than this.
The sound of hooves against the ground will herald her return long before she steps into view, leading the horse she's prepared for him and seeing that he's at least managed to get himself up to standing, albeit leaning.
"Here," she announces directly, drawing over to where he's propped himself up so that all he needs to do is lean forward and hoist himself up. She won't intervene to assist him unless he asks for it himself.
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He took a couple of breaths, then jumped and hauled himself up. His bad foot didn't quite clear the horse's rear end, and for a moment he was stuck, but he pointed his toe and his leg slid into place. He'd done it, he was sitting on the saddle.
"Gods below," he sighed, letting himself lean forward over the horse's neck. He looked at Yennefer and laughed, a mix of disbelief and joy. He'd actually done it. He'd done one fucking thing for himself today, and he hadn't expected how good it would feel.
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She glances up, though, right at the instant that he plants down in the saddle properly, and it's his lean forward that brings him even closer to her for that brief span — close enough to likely notice her smile as it rises, as she finally steps around to the side of the mount.
"Where do you want me to sit? In front or behind?" She'll let him have control of the reins, but part of her has almost missed being on a horse, so she's not about to ignore the chance to join him now that it's presented itself.
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"How does that feel?" There's no indication that she's touching him for any greater purpose other than necessity, nor is she attempting to use this proximity for any ulterior motive; she can bear a little discomfort on her side, but what she doesn't want is for the press of her body to create any sensation that might evoke more pain for him for the duration of their shared ride.
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"Shall we make for the elevator? Return me to public housing?" he asked, as the horse picked its way between the people working at the stable.
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"If you should ever find yourself in need of rescuing again, I'll be sure to bring the horse in advance," she replies, a light attempt at humor that she instinctively hopes he'll interpret as being in the spirit that it's intended.
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He had to shift a couple of times, but he found a way to sit comfortably in the saddle that left room for Yennefer and the horse seemed willing to tolerate. They drew a few odd looks, riding a horse down the street, but Seg ignored them stubbornly and headed for the elevator to the Down. He wasn't looking forward to being stuck there, but he did look forward to this all being over so he could rest awhile.