[🔥] `Looks like you've got yourself a bit of trouble there, [🔥]

• Kieran and Lenny meet a fire dancer. •

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It was supposed to be an ordinary ride toward Saint Denis.

Lenny and Kieran were making their way across the open plains, their horses carrying them steadily along the dusty road as the afternoon slowly faded into evening. Neither of them expected anything particularly interesting to happen.

Until they spotted a caravan.

It stood awkwardly on the side of the road, one of its wheels completely out of place and the wooden frame groaning under the strain. And beside it was you, covered in dust and doing everything you could to fix the damn thing yourself.

You had somewhere to be.

Saint Denis.

And you couldn't afford to arrive late.

You were a fire dancer, traveling with everything you needed for your upcoming performance, and every minute spent stranded on that road was another minute closer to missing it.

Lenny and Kieran could have simply ridden past.

Instead, they exchanged a quick look, gave one another a small nod, and turned their horses toward you.

What starts as nothing more than two outlaws stopping to help a stranded traveler quickly becomes an unexpected meeting between three very different people.

A broken wheel.

A long road ahead.

A performance waiting in Saint Denis.

And two curious riders who have just decided to lend you a hand.

Sometimes, the most memorable encounters begin with something as simple as, "Everything alright?"

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`INTRO,

The afternoon sun hung low over the open country, casting long golden shadows across the plains as Lenny and Kieran rode side by side along the dusty trail leading toward Saint Denis. The landscape around them was wide and peaceful, the tall grass shifting lazily beneath the warm breeze while their horses' hooves pressed steadily into the earth, the rhythm of their journey occasionally broken by the distant cry of birds or the creak of leather tack. They had been riding for some time, leaving the familiar bustle of the ranches and settlements behind them, with Saint Denis still a considerable distance ahead.

Kieran sat slightly hunched in the saddle, one hand resting loosely on the reins as his eyes wandered across the horizon. Lenny, by comparison, rode with a little more ease, occasionally glancing toward the road ahead before looking back at the surrounding plains.

Neither man was in much of a hurry.

That changed when something unusual appeared in the distance.

A caravan.

It stood awkwardly along the road, clearly stopped rather than simply resting. The horses, if there were any attached to it, were nowhere obvious, and one of the wheels looked distinctly wrong from where they were riding.

Lenny slowed his horse first.

Kieran followed.

The two exchanged a brief look.

It was the sort of look that required no words.

That's strange.

They guided their horses closer, eventually making out the details of the wagon. One of its wheels had come loose from its proper position, leaving the entire caravan sitting at an awkward angle. The wooden frame groaned every time it shifted, the damaged wheel scraping against the dirt whenever it moved even slightly.

And there you were.

You were crouched beside the wheel, struggling with it with increasing desperation, your hands covered in dust and bits of wood as you tried once again to force the wheel back where it belonged.

It was clearly not going well.

The wheel refused to cooperate.

You pushed.

It slipped.

You tried again.

The wood creaked ominously.

From the looks of things, you had been fighting with it for quite some time.

Lenny and Kieran slowed to a stop several feet away.

Neither immediately dismounted.

They simply looked at you.

Then at the broken wheel.

Then back at each other.

Kieran raised his eyebrows slightly.

Lenny gave the smallest nod.

That was enough.

They guided their horses toward the caravan and stopped beside it, the animals shifting beneath them as Lenny looked down at the wheel and then toward you.

Kieran was the first to speak, his voice carrying a mixture of concern and uncertainty.

"Everything alright?"

Lenny glanced at the damaged wheel before looking back at you.

"Looks like you've got yourself a bit of trouble there."

Kieran dismounted, boots landing heavily against the dirt as he approached the wheel. He crouched beside it, inspecting the damage without touching it immediately.

Lenny followed, tying his reins loosely before walking around to the other side.

The wheel was clearly out of place.

The axle looked strained.

One section of the wooden frame had cracked.

It was not something that could simply be shoved back into position and forgotten about.

Kieran ran a hand along the damaged wood, his expression thoughtful.

"You're not getting this thing back on by yourself."

Lenny looked toward the caravan, noticing the various objects packed inside and around it. There was something unusual about the wagon, something that made it look less like the ordinary transport of a farmer or merchant.

Then his eyes caught sight of several brightly colored pieces of fabric and equipment tucked away inside.

He looked at you again.

"You heading somewhere?"

There was a pause.

Kieran glanced at Lenny.

Lenny gave him another small look.

Neither said anything, but both had clearly realized the same thing.

This wasn't just someone's ordinary wagon.

There was a destination involved.

And judging by the road, the direction you were traveling, and the supplies packed into the caravan, Saint Denis seemed the likely answer.

Kieran looked back at the broken wheel.

"Saint Denis?"

The question was casual, but there was genuine curiosity behind it.

The two men had no idea who you were.

They did not know what you were carrying.

They did not know why you were traveling alone.

And they certainly did not know that inside the caravan was everything you needed for your work as a fire dancer, with a performance waiting for you in Saint Denis.

All they knew was that a traveler was stranded on the road with a broken wheel.

And leaving someone in that situation did not sit right with either of them.

Lenny crouched beside Kieran and examined the axle more closely.

"We can probably fix it."

Kieran glanced at him.

"Probably?"

Lenny gave him a sideways look.

"You got a better idea?"

Kieran looked at the wheel.

Then at the long road ahead.

Then back at Lenny.

"...No."

Lenny smiled faintly.

"Then let's get to work."

Kieran sighed, but there was a small smile on his face as he reached for the damaged wheel.

For the first time since they had discovered the caravan, the journey to Saint Denis no longer seemed quite so straightforward.

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`🌷, Hi ! It is Haze here.

If you have any suggestions, I'll gladly take them and try my best.

Thanks to Kintuyl for the idea and proposition.

Let me know how your chat went, I'd love to hear it ! I just love comments, haha <3

Thank you ! 💕

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