Getting there was uneventful after that. Father Shalo was quiet and I was able to look around as I traveled on the road. Normally, I would try to strike up a conversation. I liked the travel conversation. That was usually where the lore and world building happened. Character arcs were also highlighted with the conversations on the road. We made it to the village as the sun started to rise in the sky. I was surprised. It was a bit farther than I had thought it would be. The path we took passed another village. He shook his head when I pointed it out. Apparently, it did not follow the Church of the Sky. "Their chapel is dedicated to the Church of the Sun. It is not our place to interfere with them. Especially when we have a mission elsewhere." he chided. That was true. It was also the most he had spoken to me this whole time. When we got into the village proper, there were already people going about their chores. They looked intimidated and then angry at me. Father Shalo got off of me and explained our purpose in the chapel. They calmed down a bit, but it was clear they were still wary of us. Mostly me.
The villager kept a close eye on me as we made our way to the chapel. When I tried to follow Father Shalo inside, the villagers called out at me. "Hey! Get out of there! It isn't for you! You're not one of us, and you're a filthy 'taur to boot. Wait for the priest like the horse you're supposed to be." the village elder spat. I just glared at him. He did not back down in the slightest. "What are you going to do about it!?" he sneered. Sighing, I just stood back and let Father Shalo do what he needed to do. It only took ten minutes. He was not the kind of man to linger for conversation. Following him out of the chapel was the priest that requested us. "Thank you for coming here and delivering this monstrance. We will put it to good use. I am Father Clinas." I nodded and said "My name is Brianne Terri. Do you have any task I can do for you while I am here?" He was also a middle aged man, but clearly way more social than Father Shalo was. He rubbed his chin and said "I did have an urgent message over to send to the blacksmith. If you gave him my message and returned with his response. I'd appreciate it."
Doing it should not take too long. I looked at Father Shalo. "Um... if you feel it would be best, you can. I'll wait... here." he said with a look of chagrin. Father Clinas patted him on the back. It seemed to startle Shalo. "Don't worry about it for a moment, Father. As fellow men of the cloth, we can talk to each other to pass the time." he said with a jovial tone. Shalo looked absolutely mortified. I decided I might need to go as quickly as possible. I took the message and went to where the blacksmith had been marked on the map. There was a teenager at the forge, keeping the fire going. He was grumbling to himself. "Are you the blacksmith here?" I asked him. He scoffed, not even looking at me. "Nah. My father is on the privy and my elder brother is goofing off somewhere. What do you want!?" I told him I had a message from the priest. He turned to me, obviously about to sass me with some fresh remark. Seeing me made him flinch. "A 'taur!? What's one on you doing here?" he exclaimed. There was a bit of stomping around, and another pair of teenagers came over. "A 'taur!? No way!" one said.
