Adventures of Caelereth

Paladia rose well before sunrise and was packed just as the sky began to lighten along the sea's horizon with the coming sun. The woman poked the embers of the fire, throwing some loose kindling onto it and finally built the flames up into a modest fire, ready to cook on if the others wanted some breakfast. Some breakfast they could make for themselves.

Halatir emerged, packed and ready to go, from the brush shortly after and held light small talk with Paladia as they watched the sun rise over the ocean. The woman only half-listened though. She was still awed by the great expanse of water. The way the world she had always known just stopped and was completely overwhelmed by this great mass of water. It was so unreal. It was all so unreal.

Paladia was shaken from her reverie when Halatir roused Lyn. As to be expected, the child, after a short moment spent trying to get the sleep out of her system, was already as wound up as ever. Pally bid the two farewell and watched them set off down a different, smaller trail. The elf's gaze drifted over to the path they would surely take. It was a decently travelled dirt road that spiraled down to the little town that was nestled against the land comfortably. Already she could see whisps of smoke from well-built home fires rising into the air and the small white sails of little fishing boats setting out for the day.

Tired of waiting, the sun already beginning to show a sliver of light over the distant horizon, she turned and stood by the fire. Loudly, Pally clapped her hands and spoke in a normal voice. "Alright folks. Up up up. Lets get out of here."

Just then, her attention was grabbed by the maiden figurine sitting in a melted pool of water, still some ice clinging to her expertly carved features, by the roaring waters of the falls.

He was awake at about the same time Pally began to move about the camp but he remained where he was and simply watched her from a distance. He had placed the hood of his cloak over his features before he had dosed off thus he gazed out from beneath it. His elven features hidden well in the deep darkness within it. Hunger did not plague him so he decided to wait till they got to town to break his fast, yet the morning had brought with it a thirst and he lacked the liquid to refresh himself.

After much debate, he rose to his feet as Pally was staring off over the water and made his way to the pool and dipped his hands in and scooped a couple of handfuls up to his lips. The cold water stung his throat as it trickled down yet it quenched his thirst, which was his only goal for the time being.  It was then that Pally made her way to pick up the figurine before rousing everyone to make their way to town. From what he could tell, there were only four of them. Pally, the Cat, himself, and the strange small mage. Hopefully we shall pick up a few new members to the party. We are seemingly in dire need of them if we are going to continue to travel as we are.

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Rushed out of the underbrush on his cat. The brownie had obviously been hunting. Hunting... Hunting?! That poor little hyper brownie can hunt? His kills were obvious enough. A pair of mice hung over Ciatee's back, tied together by the tails. The cat had blood on his lips. Kik was intently carving the little bits out of a fresh mouse-skin. He said brightly. "Iunno bout the rest of you but I'm ready to go!"

Dear Beth.....

Talon awoke early as he always does, and before doing anything else, he prayed to Eyasha and Nehtor.  Talon retrieved a little jerky from his pack and ate,  before packing up, and cleaning up the area he was camping at.
"Good morning Phoenix, how are you my friend?" Talon said as he  walked over and ran his hand softly over his horse, and faithful companion. Talon smiled softly,  seeing that his companion is well, and Talon slept that night without any nightmares.
Talon stood, surveying the area insight. "I am glad we are not far from this town," he said aloud as he stretched. He then proceeded to get dressed dressed in the browns and greens, before placing on his white robe, scarf and veil before walking to Phoenix and placing the saddle and packs on him. He then pat him softly on the sides, and began to lead him down the path, and onward to the town.

Shan had also woken up early and had slunk away from the party unnoticed. He was only gone a few moments when the shingar returned with a dead white rabbit in his strong jaws. The large cat intentionally dropped his breakfast near Kik and his little companion as a threat. He ate it, looking up with blue eyes at the others, and then finally sat on his back haunches, looking down at Ciatee.

"Funny..." he said slowly, still unsure if the exchange between him and the cat had been a figment of his imagination and that he was still talking only to himself,  "I'm still hungry. Could go for something bite size..."

With that, Shan walked slowly over to Paladia and nudged her expectantly.

The sun had already risen before Mana was able to drag herself from under the sheets of her warm bed, though now she merely sat on the edge with slender arms folded across her knees. For the past several days she had been staying at a modest inn, resting for the inevitably long journey to a larger city to track down a potential employer. Slight of body and seeming far too fragile to be much of a fighter she had always been hard pressed for a decent job.    

With a sigh she stood and stretched, a braid of dark hair brushing the back of her thighs and apathetic grey hues staring at the ceiling for several long breaths before she finally relaxed and reached for her belongings. Slinging a pack and cloak over one shoulder and a heavy saddle bag over the other, Mana quickly made her way out of the inn to the stable for her mount.    

The sun rises and another days passes, who actually keeps track of the passing days? Only a few didn’t a tall, muscular stranger who had entered a small town was one of them. He didn’t care what day it was, to him it was just another sun rise. He travels not alone, but with his three most trustworthy companions.  His wolf Ash, a mighty beast that has conquered many a foe strolls proudly at her master’s side. It’s massive size and greyish-white coat make it appear as a grim spectre of death to those who oppose her master. His other two companions lie in sheathes strapped securely to his back underneath his cloak. Put’Mari (The Blood Wolf), who’s ruby red eyes seemingly aglow from beneath a pommel that is carved to resemble a head of a wolf. Veir’Dro (The Death Eagle), is similar in design to it’s sister sword. It’s main difference is that it’s ruby eyes glow from behind an eagles head. Both of these double edged blades compare in length to that of a long sword and their span is much wider then average…

        The stranger himself has eyes which almost seem to glow menacingly from beneath the hood of his black and gold cloak. One eye appears cloudy as if almost lifeless. He sports mismatched armour which can be seen clearly in spots not covered by his cloak. The most prominent piece of all, a huge sun bleached bear skull rests on his right shoulder. He stands over two peds in height and his muscular structure suits him well. Most would be intimidated at the sight of this mighty warrior, unsure what he might do…

        After much walking the proud warrior made his way to the closest tavern, looking for a place to rest up and have a pint or two. People who were walking on the streets, stare at this huge traveler, few have ever seen a warrior like him before. As the proud warrior enters the tavern, it appears almost empty. The only people that were here at this time was the bartender and the tavern maids.

        The stranger took in his surroundings and proceeded to a table in the corner. While he sat down he waved a hand in from of Ash’s eyes, as if to tell his wolf to heel. He waited silently and patiently in his seat for a tavern maid to approach his table, so that he could place his order for the time being...

Edited by: KDor Saduk at: 9/27/04 19:42

Paladia glanced down at Shanvorin and patted his sleak head with a smile, turning back to the camp. Her eyes went to Kikhku and the elf said with a slight edge on her voice, "I suppose this means you'll be tagging along with us, then, little mage?" Her hand slipped down into her pocket where the emerald figurine now rest, figuring that it would be the safest place for it. Pally had almost forgotten how the brownie had helped them and, solely for the sake of politeness added, "Because it would be of no trouble."

She glanced down over the town and quickly the smoking chimney pots were growing in number. One in particular had a larger whisp of smoke than most.

Kameran poked at the soon to be roaring fire and straightened her back as she pulled away from the hearth. The seventeen some young woman brushed a peice of curly red hair that had fallen from her ponytail from her face and looked over the near empty tavern. At that moment, a huge man with a wolf entered. This was a small town and even the sailors that passed through usually went to the inns that filled with more of their ilk than the family owned tavern that was closer to the mountains that the coast. Kameran gawked and then, catching her rudeness, grabbed a tray and walked over asking in a small voice, "What can I get you...sir. And..um...about...er...your friend here," she said suddenly, her voice sinking in volume as she gestured to the wolf, "Will have to wait...ehm...outside. I'm afraid. Sorry......"

The strangers sights sifted to the young women that had approached his table. Slowly he pulled back his black and gold hood that had covered his face, as the women spoke. Three deep wounds stood out on his face. He had gained these scars from a previous battle in his years of adventuring. He sported all his scars proudly and loved to show them off to everyone. His facial features always made him appear angry at all times. Intimidating whom ever stared or looked at him. He had no hair on the top of his head, it was more of a disturbance then anything else….

        The young women finished speaking, but the stranger pained no attention to what she had said about his wolf. He replied back in a deep almost demonic type of voice, placing his order “Get me a pint of your finest ale and a raw piece of meat for my wolf…” The warrior then reached down and scratched Ash on the top of her head. He then shifted his sights away from the young women and glanced around the tavern. Seemingly ignoring the teenager...

Michael, the stable boy was busy at work cleaning the stalls and brushing the horses. Making sure they were all clean and comfortable for when their owners returned for them. The ones that were stabled for rent, he was about ready to take them out for their morning run when a female elf made her way into the stables. Though he knew she was much older than himself, he couldn't keep himself from staring and stumbling over equipment in the stable.

"C...c...can I help y...you?" The boy stuttered as he made his way clumsily toward her.

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

"Well with a big mouth like that, bite-sized could mean a lot." Came the witty retort. The sort that other cats always expected out of Ciatee, however Shan was not like other cats. He was just an unfortunate soul.

Kik looked up to Pally after a moment, mouth stuffed full of mousemeat. He grins broadly and nods several times, however he did finish chewing before speaking. "Yep, I will. I like you guys!" The brownie grinned broadly, bits of meat were stuck in his teeeth, however it was likely that Paladia would not notice, for the size difference between the two was too great.

Dear Beth.....

Paladia sucked in a breath to calm herself and then turned, staring down the pathway. "Then lets get going," she said, taking her pack up over one shoulder. A bolt of pain shot through her side and she made a weird little sound as the elf's knees almost buckled. Her ribs hadn't bothered her that night since Paladia had tied them up again, grateful that the fracture hadn't shifted too much. Wincing and gritting her teeth, setting off down the trail and hoping the others would follow, Paladia resolved that she would be quick to find a healer in the village to take a look at her injury.

They had not walked long, for it was just half an hour later that Pally noticed fresh markings on the road leading to the prescence of somebody walking the trail ahead of them at a far slower pace. She wasn't particularily worried, suspecting it simply to be one of the villagers returning from whatever errand, but she turned her head to the others. "There is somebody up ahead," she began, "Perhaps somebody should go take a look?"

She paused at the stall door where her mount had his large coal coloured head hanging out into the aisle, patting the horse’s nose fondly before she turned to regard the stable boy. After several brief moments of thought she nodded and slipped into the stall, nudging the white ball of fur curled up on her saddle blanket away with her foot, “I need some supplies for my trip, might you know where I could pick some up? "  

Though she had to step around the feline who was regarding her sourly from the straw bedding, it didn’t take her long until she was adjusting the chin strap of Deorheort's bridle and tying her bag to the back of the saddle. Once she was satisfied with that she leaned over the stall door to look expectantly at the stable boy.    

Just shaking his head in disbelief, he said nothing as they once again began their journey to Nepris. It wasn't far now, they should get there long before sundown. The four of them, discluding the brownies cat, were the oddest of company really, though he and Pally shared the elven heritage, they were of opposite genders. When sounds of pain came from Pally's direction, instinct made him turn about to make sure she was okay. With the grimace on her features, he knew her ribs were still giving her a large amount of trouble but he didn't know of anything he could do but help her when needed.
"Paladia..." He spoke softly to her. "I can carry your pack for you. If would be a lot less strain on your ribs and would not move them as much."

When she paused to look at the ground beneath her feet, he found what she had seen and was ready to go almost before the words were off her lips. "Be right back." A smirk formed on his lips as he passed a small wink at her before bolting off down the path.

Trotting at a fairly brisk pace, it did not take him long to find what they had discovered traces of earlier. There was a human walking along his horse. He didn't study them overly so but kept a good distance between them. The man appeared to be conversing with his horse. This greatly puzzled Minsyth for he had never seen a human male treat an animal with such dignity as the elves. Upon the observations he made, he drew his hood up over his features before approaching the man.

"Excuse me good sir. Do you happen to know the distance Nepris is from here?"

@Mana:
The boy nodded knowingly, shifting from side to side staring at the floor nervously.

"The market should have all the supplies you need yet, if you cannot find everything, the store is not far from there. Someone at the market will be able to help you with the directions."

He looked up from the floor to her face, a small unconcious blush rising to his cheeks.

"The market is out the stable door and to the right. Go down that street for a couple of blocks before taking another right...You should be able to find it from there."

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Talon stopped walking and turned to the cloaked man,  and heard the man say "Excuse me good sir. Do you happen to know the distance Nepris is from here?"

"Daín artanhé!" Talon said joyfully, while smiling under his veil. "Unfortunately I do not know how far it is to Nepris, but I would gladly travel with another to find out, I have heard that there is safety in numbers, and I am sure Phoenix would like more company than I."  

Talon stood proud, knowing that Phoenix was in fact in a good mood this morning, and somewhat longed for another companion to speak with.  
"Please pardon my rudeness, I am Aitostalon, and this faithful friend of mine is Phoenix" Talon said as patting Phoenix's side, and Phoenix bowed his head slightly.   "May I have the privelage of learning your name sir?"

“Get me a pint of your finest ale and a raw piece of meat for my wolf…”

Kameran looked down wide-eyed at the tamed (or so she hoped) wolf and then back at it's similarily wild-looking master. "I suppose I can get you some meat but my uncle doesn't serve the ale until after midday," she began, twiddling at the hem of her apron and looking around the early morning tavern, a nervous blush under her freckle dusted cheeks, "I can get you some cider though....it's mighty strong."

Meanwhile, Shan darted off to the side and slipped among the brush after Minsyth, curious himself of the new presence that he could smell on the path. He wasn't surprised to see that he had guessed the scent of a horse correctly and, making the obvious deduction, had also predicted the presence of an owner. The ebony shingar, almost without thinking, stepped from his hiding place and came around from behind Minsyth, being sure to take what he hoped was a non-threatening stance in the company of the horse. Sitting back on his haunches at the elf lord's side, Shanvorin watched the stranger with interest from behind his bright blue eyes.

Nodding politely at the human's greeting as silver eyes studied him carefully, he was immensely curious as to how the man knew styrash. Not every human you run across knows the language, in fact, you can most likely count on one hand the number. When the shingar came up behind him, he glanced down and smiled slightly beneath his hood, patting the cat lightly on the head.

"First of all, I am curious as to how you know styrash. Not every human one runs across knows the language. Second, there is a group of us travelling to Nepris. Another elf, a brownie and his cat, the shingar behind me, and a little girl. We are making our way to return the girl home to her family, perhaps you could aid us in our search?"

When the man addressed himself, Minsyth bowed his head slightly in a reserved politeness before standing up straight and allowing himself to reach his full height. "I am Minsyth Merenwen. I am a guardian."

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

After a long travel the proud warrior only wanted to calm his nerves with a drink of ale. He had been through a lot in the last couple weeks and wasn’t liking the service he was getting thus far. It angered him how this young women was trying to ruin his day, telling him what to do and what he could and could not drink. This didn’t sit well with the warrior, he wanted his ale… and he wanted it now!

The stranger glared at Kameran and narrowed his eyes at her “Cider instead of ale? Cider is for women… Not men. I‘m going to be very patient with you, if I don’t get my ale at the count of three… Well you don‘t want to know what will happen…” he said calmly, but firmly as he reached back and ran his fingers on the pommel of Put’Mari. “One…” the stranger gripped the pommel of Put’Mari tightly and slowly unsheathed his sword so that you could see a glimmer of the polished steel. “... Two…” He pulls his blade out further just far enough to reveal the sacred runes of his native tongue inscribed on the metal. He stared directly into the eyes of the young tavern maid, with muscles flexed and eyes filled with fire he speaks “... Three…”

Edited by: KDor Saduk at: 10/6/04 0:42

"I am Minsyth Merenwen. I am a guardian."

Talon nodded his head slightly. "That is simple how a human knows Styrash, I am not human, I am of elven blood, just raised by the order of white knights, but out of respect for my heritage they taught me my native tongue,  and I have found it far more elegant that Tharian.  I would gladly accompany you, and your companions to return a young girl to her family."
Talon was being very cordial, and polite even though he felt that this Minsyth was not of equal terms, he obviously did deserve some respect to be traveling ahead of a small group.
"Should we return to your group or should we wait here for them to approach us?"
Talon asked a few moments of silence.

"One..."

Kameran froze. She didn't know what to do. Was he serious? Would he actually do...that if she didn't find him some ale?

"Two..."

The girl was terrified. Her aunt was the only other sober person in the tavern and she was just over sixty years old. Finally, with little other choice, Kameran made a little squeak of a sound and ran off through the two way swinging doors, clambering around the kitchen. Finally, she found where her uncle kept the ale and the teenager and her aunt managed to tap it.

She came out, flaming red curls in her eyes, with a plate with a prime peice of sheep meat on it, a frothy mug of good ale and a small sweetcake. Kameran timidly set the ale and cake on the table and then shoved the plate of meat on the floor near the wolf, afraid to get nearby.

"That will be four san, sir. Sweet cake is on the house for the trouble," she said, clenching her teeth trying not to shake convulsively.

The stranger smirked as the young waitress rushed out from the back with an ale and a plate of raw meat in hand. “Smart girl...” the warrior said calmly placing Put’Mari back into it’s sheath, sitting back down in his chair afterwards. He glanced over at Ash and rubbed her head as he spoke to his wolf “There you are... A nice piece of meat Ash. Enjoy...” Ash edged her way to the plate and began to lick the blood around the meat first before she started eating it. The stranger grabbed his forty mug of ale and took a long drink from it nearly finishing half before resting it back down on the table.

        Slowly he reached to his side where a pouch sat, he dug around in it for what he owed the young waitress and withdrew it in a matter of seconds. “Here...” He threw four san on the table and went back to his ale, ignoring everything around him besides his most loyal compaion, Ash...

" My thanks. “ She said with a smile, reaching down to pick up the gangly white cat and place him atop the saddlebag where he remained contently before taking hold of Deorheort’s reins. The horse was solidly built with a height that had his back well above her head, but he followed her obediently as she lead him out of the stall and down the hall. A pause and a quick wave was given to the stable boy, then she turned right along the street as he had said. It didn’t take her long to find the market, gathering food supplies and other miscellaneous items for her journey without too much strain to her funds.        

As she retreated from the market through a side street, her slender hand searched for her map in one of the pouches secured to her belt, looping her mount’s reins around an elbow as she unfolded the sheet of paper. The elf kept a vague aim for one of the roads that lead out of the village, though her eyes were occupied by the map as she moved through the streets.      
   

@Mana

The streets were healthily crowded with the occupants of the town running about in trying to finish their morning errands to begin the rest of their day. The market was not difficult to find, being in the center of the city and where most of its occupants could be found in the hours of the morning. People crowd up next to her horse but never touching it, only ignoring it just as they were everyone else around them. Several brawls were breaking out at the stands as the people negotiated lower prices and quality of the items.

Vendors running from place to place showing off their wares, holding them up for the dark elf to see, speaking quickly in multiple languages inconsistantly. In the distance, a loud scream is heard that cause some to stop and listen. Most ignored it, at least until yelling, cursing and the sound of running footsteps followed after. A tall man, clothed largely in black stood beside Mana's horse, watching and listening intently to the uproar that had suddenly errupted not too far away. A man came running too him, chatting rapidly in fear in a language not of the area. The man in black grabbed the man's arms and tossed him to the side, where he collided with the animal.

Anger quickly flushed over his features and he glanced up at the dark elf but said nothing, only facing the man that had tossed him once again, speaking clearly in common. "Areytuk! You wish to fight? Come! Yet they are coming for you now, to take you where you belong. You no longer have control of me or this town!"

The man that the speaker called Areytuk stared blankly at the man, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance. "Your threats do not scare me Grongar. You know well of what I am capable of and who my men are."
Areytuk walked over to the dark elf and took her wrist, pulling her off her horse and holding her firmly in his grip. "Until you vanish from my presence, I shall have this woman and your family, who are already in my custody." Pursing his lips, a shrill whistle came through and a rope was lowered down and they were soon lifted off the ground out of sight.

When they were high above the ground on one of the taller buildings, he released her but drew his sword and held it close against her flesh. "Sorry about all of this, you were just the closest I could grab. What is your name?"

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Paladia looked over those that had remained behind. "We ought to keep going, they couldn't be too far off." The elven woman started off, leading the rest of her small party down the trail. It wasnt long when she caught sight of Minsyth over the brush and called out, figuring that they would have known if there was trouble.

"Minsyth!" she called, "What have you seen?"

Much further down the trail and within the village, Kameran grabbed up the cash and nodded in thanks to the large man, grateful to Baveras for saving herself trouble that morning. At that instant, a teenager with flaming red hair and freckles just like the serving girl dashed in.

"Kameran!" he cried, out of breath and leaning against the jam, "Quick! Wheres Cousin Jacque? Areytuk hit the market and took a stranger. I figure Jacque could chase him down an' at least--"

But he was cut off as the young serving girl shook her head sympathetically, her face stricken with worry. "Jacques gone out on the rig with dad. But a traveller....Areytuk is too much." Suddenly, a thought crossed Kamerans mind and she looked pleadingly towards K'Dor.

"Sir...please. Could you find it in you to help us?" she asked, the young girl staring at the huge man.

"Please," piped in the boy, "We can't let him get away with it much longer."

It had happened rather quickly for the dark elf, she hadn’t been one to ignore the scream and was first staring curiously in the direction. Her attention had only been drawn to the two men when Deorheort snorted and snapped viciously at the one whom had bumped into him. “Watch it you… Hey, what? “ She gave what could be assumed a shriek of protest as she was dragged form her mount, unable to reach the knives that had been tucked out of sight.  

Her orbs flared with anger, but she didn’t struggle against her captor.    

This wasn’t good, how was she going to get out of this situation. She tensed her muscles to be ready if an escape presented itself, unfortunately she nearly impaled herself on the man’s blade when he released her and reflexively flinched away from the edge on her skin. Mana clenched her teeth and let out a deep breath instead of answering his question, rubbing her sore wrist with thin digits. Eventually she placed her hands on her hips and stared ahead with narrowed eyes.    
 
" Get that thing away from me. “ She warned, not requested.  

Mana really didn’t want to start a fight of any kind at the moment, but neither was she fond of the idea of being a hostage of this, what had be been called, Areytuk? Yes that was his name.      
   

The stranger glanced at Kameran for a brief second and then at the young boy who had just entered the tavern in a panic. They pleaded to the mighty warrior, but he had no intent to help them… Unless they gave him something in return. “What’s in it for me?” the stranger asked as he took another swig from his forty mug of ale. The huge warrior wouldn’t help a soul unless he was going to receive some sort of payment for his deed. He knew that his skills at swords play were excellent, this of course must be worth something right? Ash was another great addition to his arsenal. He had trained his wolf well, and knew that Ash could hold her own in a fight. Slowly the stranger shifted his body towards to the younglings and stared at them for a few seconds, waiting quietly for their reply...

"My group is..." He began but was cut off by Pally calling out to him.

Turning to the shingar, he whispered softly in the cat's ear, "If you would be so kind sir, as to gather the remaining members of the group and bring them here." He gave the cat a soft pat on the head and sent him on his way gently. He had taken a liking to the creature and found it to be a wonderful companion, if not an interesting one as well.

"As I was saying, my group is but about a 100 paces behind me. They sent me ahead as a scout because we heard you but did not know if your were hostile or passive."

"I did not think I was that loud, but oh well." Talon said calmly .
He awaited patiently for the group to arrive, noticing the limp Paladia walked with.
"Greetings, I am Aitostalon and this is Phoenix." He said introducing himself and his mighty stead, offering his hand and a slight bow to the ladies, as Phoenix bowed his head slightly also. "M'lady are you well, may I offer you a ride on Phoenix for an easier travel to Nepris." He said, addressing Paladia.

Paladia greeted the fellow elf with a polite and curt nod, watching him and Minsyth carefully.

"M'lady are you well, may I offer you a ride on Phoenix for an easier travel to Nepris"

The warrior's face flushed with embarassment and a slight tinge of anger. She was a strong warrior and did not need such a service from a stranger she had yet to meet. Yet, as Paladia's gaze went down to the village not far below, she began to doubt even herself with the capablity to make it without further jostling what she figured was at least a fractured rib.

"I..." she began, looking around before stiffening her jaw and holding up her head, "I accept your offer of your steed, sir, if it is no trouble to yourself. The vantage point would help me survey where we wish to go, of course..."

@ KDor

The two youths glanced at each other, completely lost for words or any offer they could make to the massive stranger. But it had been too long that the growing number of bandits had held their humble village in check and it was long past that somebody put an end to it.

"Passage..." the young boy began slowly, "Free transport to anywhere you please within reason. Horses, wagon. Whatever you need. Even a boat. With the weather coming many a ship is heading out soon...Anywhere you please. We can get you there, sir. All we ask is that you help us."

"And if you choose to stay with us for longer," the young girl piped in, "Free board at the inn here. Please, we ask of you only to help us."

The bartender, a middle aged man of little notice, had moved to the bar and watched the scene intently and nodded in agreement at Kamaren's offer for he too was sick of the cover the organized group had capped on Nepris.

@ Mana:

"And what will you do if I don't?" He chuckled softly at her resistance. She was an amusing creature and he might just keep her around for his own uses.

"Escape at this point is futile. My men surround this place. If you run, all I have to do it whistle and they shall go after you and return you to my possession." A smirk crept over his features. Removing the blade from her skin as she requested he bent down onto his knees infront of her. It was at this time she got a good look at him in full light. His skin was slightly tanned from work in the city but fair enough to be of  elven background. Startlingly rich blue eyes contained a sparkle of amusement as he gazed at her. A black scarf wound about his head and was knotted tightly in the back. This covered his entire scalp with one layer of thin cloth as to conceal his hair.

"You are an attractive one now aren't ya?" Running his fingers absently along his jawline thoughtfully. "I think I will keep you, for a little while at least."

Taking her roughly by the wrist, he force her to rise to her feet where he tore off his scarf, revealing long raven locks that shone silkly in the sun. The scarf he drew up to her eyes and covered him, binding it snuggly in the back. "Now I shall take you for a ride." He lifted her effortlessly off the ground and carried her over the rooftops of the city, gradually working his way down until he reached an alley. Glancing over the edge he found his men waiting for him. Without a second thought, he tossed her down toward them. "Catch! She is mine! Treat her well until I return. Keep a close eye on her Putyrte! If she has been harmed in even the slightly way when I return..."

The large man below him nodded knowingly, taking her into his arms before vanishing into the dark. He took her to a room in the center of the city, hidden well within the mass of buildings. "This shall be one of your new homes for a while princess." His loud gruff voice announced as he gently removed the blindfold from her eyes.

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Edited by: Minsyth at: 10/15/04 20:55

Free transport and board? K`Dor liked that, he wouldn’t have to pay for a nights rest or transport. “Sure, I’ll help… Lead me to these bandits, I shall make short work of them…” A smirk formed on his face as he reached back with both hands and pulled not only Put’mari out but also Veir’dro out of their sheathes. He stared at his swords with loving eye's, he cared for these weapons like a father would for his own children. Most would think this is odd, but not to K`Dor, he lived to fight.

        Both blades glimmered in the light, their edges as sharp as a razors. They could cut human flesh like butter… K`Dor slowly lowered his swords to his side, he gripped the pommel of both blades tightly. His eyes were filled with excitement and eagerness, he was ready to shed blood this day. He hadn’t gotten into a battle for sometime now, this was going to be good he thought to himself. Ash arose to her feet and knew exactly what was going on, she was also ready and willing to fight by her masters side. Never would she part him in any circumstance...

Throughout the experience she found the urge to spit out a few curses nearly overwhelming, biting the inside of her lip hard enough to draw blood which turned the corners of her mouth a vivid crimson. She didn’t make the slightest sound though, not until she was dropped from the roof of the building of course. Then she snapped a few words at Areytuk that would’ve received some surprised looks.    

She was his, how dare he say that, if the dark elf ever got her hands on him she’d show him exactly what she thought of him. What a sorry excuse for an elf, an insult really…

Mana was still ranting silently about her abductor when the blindfold was removed from her eyes. Several moments were spent merely blinking to clear her vision and calm herself enough to eventually stare apathetically up at the man who had called her princess, “ No such thing as a home. “ She stated bluntly, let the man figure it out himself.      

@ Mana:

The man looked at her with a confused expression but is soon faded into a broad grin. "All I meant princess was that you ain't going anywhere for awhile so you might as well make yer self at home."

The room was not well lit but from what the light did reveal was a large spacious room with numerous beds, a massive table in the middle with at least 15 chairs, in which she sat in one of them. Also from what the light allowed sight of was that though it was not well lit, it was clean and tidy with little to no dust or a thing on the floor or any other furninature other than people. In a far corner where the light barely managed to reach was what seemed to be a crude kitchen with selves of food. One plump fellow stood back there clothed in white whistling merrily to himself as he worked.

"Hungry princess? Cookie has been working on making you something special and delicious, since you are our guest, you shall be treated accordingly. Yet I must warn you, escape is futile at this point for at least 15 pairs of eyes shall be watching your every move but feel free to go about the room as you wish. Your sleeping quarters are being accomodated for privacy since you are female." The man nodding knowingly and broadly as he spoke. "If there is anything you need during your stay, just give any of the boys a holla' and they shall attend you immediately." Winking subtly at Mana, he quickly disappeared into a far corner where his cot was located and laid down with his hands behind his head and his eyes watching her intently.

Meanwhile, Areytuk made his way down from the roof tops skillfully, landing near the entrance of the city, waiting to see the new arrivals and if he found them interesting enough to be of use to him. Weapons ready to be drawn if trouble arose but many of the city knew who he was and did not bother him as he stood waiting in the shadows.

Kameran's face was washed over with a look of pure releif and she glanced, smiling hopefully at the other boy. "I am Kameran, sir. This here is my cousin Gibson," she said simply but when the serving girl got the feeling that KDor wasn't particularily interesting in formalities, she got straight to the point. "We can take you down the market and Gibson here will be able to point out where everything happened. Sir?" she asked, gesturing for the huge man to follow after the younger boy.

Gibson was smiling slightly as he led KDor down the street and to the trading market where women and children and a few men milled about, trading, shouting, carrying, dragging, selling and gossiping. "Right down here, sir. Took the lady right off and took her round back there. I reckon they followed the alley's but with all the dirt spattered about in there, I figure you can find your way. Well good, sir?"

K`Dor glanced at the alley way, he wasn’t sure where to start, but he’s been in tougher situations then this before. At least he knew where to start, Ash was there to aid him. She could pick up the sent of almost any man, hopefully she could lead him to the bandits. Both K`Dor and Ash slowly sauntered off away from Gibson and towards the alley way. K`Dor's cape flowed in the wind as he walked, it was somewhat breezy at this point and time. With Put’mari and Veir’dro still in K`Dor's hands he kept a watchful eye out. He didn’t want to be ambushed again like he was in the past, “Damn bandits… They nearly took my eye, all of them shall pay… Yes they‘ll pay with their blood!” He thought to himself. He let his mind drift away to that very point and time, he shook the memory out of his mind as he made his way into the alley.

        K`Dor surveyed the area, taking in every little detail, he wanted to find these bandits… and fast. Hopefull Ash could help him out and find something before he could, “Comon try and get something for me Ash… Sniff around…” Ash glanced at her master with her ears perked up, she then wagged her tail and began to sniff around the area. While Ash did her thing K`Dor did his own, he began to search the area himself, hopefully he could find something that would aid him in finding these bandits…

"Of course it would be no trouble m'lady" Talon said cordially.  He stopped to assist Paladia onto the horse before proceeding onward down the path, after softly patting Phoenix's  neck and scratching behind his ears.

The dark elf murmured something not so princess like under her breath without even bothering to look at the man and instead glancing toward the apparent cook with an expression hard won over the desire to scowl darkly at him. That many watching her, was he telling the truth? Better not chance it she told herself and lowered her grey orbs to her lap.    

Absently she wondered how her mount was doing, he wasn’t exactly the most independent or docile creature. Someone's probably already gotten hold of him by now Mana thought miserably and her shoulders unconsciously slumped.      

Shan padded alongside Pheonix, glancing up occasionally to watch as Paladia scanned over their surroundings as they moved, occasionally taking out the parchment that held the rhyme on it. It seemed like no time at all had passed when they came over a ridge and spotted the small village ahead.

It dawned on Shan at that moment that there was no chance that he would be able to enter the village in his form and he was unsure if that truth was evident to the others. The shingar stopped abruptly and sat back on his haunches, waiting for the others to turn about and realize his intentions.

It was after a few moments of investigation that Gibson spotted a young man slightly  his senior wrestling with a large horse. "Hey, is that the horse that that lady who was taken was riding?" he inquired, and when his suspicions were verified, Gibson took it upon himself to lead the horse back to where KDor was searching. "Sir! Sir I think I may have found something," he called, rummaging through the saddlebags that Mana had left behind on her mount, "Will any of this be of use, sir?"

While K`Dor was searching around the ally, he heard a man speak up to him. He glanced at Gibson and proceeded to walk towards him. He placed Put’mari back into it’s sheath, and answered Gibson, “What did you find?..” K`Dor rummaged around the horses saddlebags as well, with his free hand. He wasn’t sure what to find, but maybe something could lead him to those bandits…

        He left Ash on her own, just encase she picked up a sent of some sort. K`Dor wanted to get moving fast, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he could sink his blades into some bandits…

Edited by: KDor Saduk at: 10/21/04 2:43

"VOILA!" The cook exclaimed suddenly, raising his hands in the air in excitement. Very few of the men glanced over in his direction. Evidently he does it very often. The cook bent over and picked something up, staring at it admiringly before making his way over to Mana. The sweet scent of apple pie filled the room as he brought it to the table and set it down in front of the girl, handing her an eating utensil to begin digging into the luscious treat.

"Eat! It good! Me promises!" Showing her his own utensil, dug into the pie hungrily and taking out a large scoop of the meat and stuffing it into his mouth. "MMMMM mmmmmm! DELICIOUS!"
The rest of the men jumped to their feet and ran to the table to take a look at the cook's creation, licking their lips wantingly. "Step back boys! Ladies first!" The cook announced, motioning toward Mana to take a bite and give him a female's critique.

Talon walked along with the group, letting the reigns ofrom Phoenix just rest on the back of his neck. Talon knew that he would not dart off unless frightened severly or attacked. Talon watched over the area, and occassionally looked up to check on Paladia, and saw that she seemed to be hurting less. This brought a small smile to his lips, as they approached the ridge, he slowly saw the village come into sight. After a few minutes of continuing on the trail he noticed that lack of that soft patting of the cat. Talon stopped and turned his head, seeing the cat had stopped.
" I believe our shingar friend wants our attention." Talon said after contemplating why he would sit like that.  

She frowned as she glanced over at the cook who made his way to the table with the pie. Even if she did have a taste for such kinds of food did he seriously believe the dark elf would actually accept the meal. Pointedly she stared at the pie before standing and dropping the utensil onto the table, walking away from the men with a curt stride that had the heels of her boots clicking as they hit the floor.    

Mana moved to one of the corners where she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall, both frustrated and more than a little annoyed, worried too. Occasionally she wondered how many throats she could tear out before she was killed in this prison. Not enough she concluded grimly, but that hardly made it any less tempting.  

The male elf hardly left the shingars side, noticing that the cat had taken to the ground and refused to move any farther and he began to realize why. "He won't go into town, which makes logically sense. A shingar in a city is hardly a common sight and would cause more problems than solve."

Laying a large thin hand upon the top of the shingar's head understandingly, he nodded to the other three. "Go ahead and take the girl back. I shall wait here with the shingar until your return, however long it may be. You never know, perhaps we could find our own bit of trouble to get into." He winked at Pally with these words before nodding at them, urging them onward. "Don't hurry back."

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

@ KDor

Gibson was rummaging through one of the saddle bags when a man pushed through the crowd. He was young, small and sleek with short cropped red hair. "Hey! Hey you there!" he shouted at Gibson, not seeming to notice the towering presence of K'Dor. "Get away from that horse. Its loose, and I'm to get rid of it," he glared, staring down the younger boy. Gibson glanced up a shock of horror passed over his face.

"Sir, yessir. Not to get in your way, sir," he muttered, edging over to KDor. "Thats one of his men," he whispered to the large man, gesturing as the cat-like red haired man took up the reins and looked to lead the great stallion away, "I reckon he's off to take the horse back to one of their headquarters."

Paladia looked over the village from their vantage point and then turned around slowly as the others stopped. "Makes sense," she began, scrutinizing the cat, "Weird how he recognized the danger..."

Minsyth piped in then and offered to stay behind with the sleek ebony hunter. This came as a surprise to elven woman and her brows raised, "Are you sure about that? I'm sure the cat's capable of milling about here on his own. But...well, if thats your decision," she said, Paladia's eyes drifting back down to the village.

Nyari emerged from the bushes, carrying a long stick and a bushel of berries and the child walked up beside Paladia. The stick and berries plummeted to the ground when she spotted Nepris. "We're here!" she exclaimed, staring wide-eyed down at the town, "Come on, come on! We've got to down an' y'all can meet my dad, and Grams and my uncle!" Excited, the child took a hold of Pheonix' reins and tugged at them, hoping to get the party back on the move.

Talon, seeing the little girl tug at Phoenix's reigns, picked her up and sat her in front of Paladia on Phoenix.
"I believe that the young lady wishes to return to her family, so I guess we should be off so we may reunite them. Perhaps there we may find a healer to look you over Paladia to make sure you are healing properly." Talon said with a slight smile, awaiting the rest of the group before setting off towards the town with Phoenix at just behind him, Phoenix's nose at Talon's side.

“I don’t think so…” K`Dor reached over with his free hand and yanked on the reins himself. K`Dor’s eyes filled with fire as he soon found out this man was a bandit. Veir’dro was still in K`Dor’s left hand, waiting to strike. Though he contained himself, "If he’s one of them, then he can lead me to more…” his eyes widen at the thought and a smirk formed on his face. This was almost too perfect…

        Ash’s ears perked up as she heard another man's voice. She saw the man in front of her master, rushing over in a second, she peered at the young man as she waited by her master's side not moving, unless told otherwise. K`Dor glanced down at his faithful companion and knew Ash was always ready to fight when needed. “Now if you have a problem with that, then you can take it up with me…” his voice was full of hatred and anger, he knew that the young man wouldn’t try a thing… Unless he was stupid enough to...

The cat like man turned very slowly when the reins were taken from him and was surprised to see his face not meet with another, but with a very large chest. His gaze, only momentarily faltered by a sweep of surprise, slowly came up to meet KDors. His voice steady and eyes cold, he replied. "Sir? Where do you plan on taking this animal? I have orders, sir, and must report something to my superior." That was what it took to become one of Areytuk's men. Calm, cool, composure and the ability to handle whatever's thrown at you. And if a massive beast of a man is pitched at you, Areytuk's men  had better find a way to handle it.

Paladia rode down the trail, slightly ahead of the remaining members of her party, on Pheonix' back and noticed as the trail they rode was joined by others and eventually merged on with the larger mainroad that they had been traversing earlier. With each trod of the horse, Paladia was becoming more and more bewildered by the expanse of the sea as it stretched out endlessly before her. It was one thing to gaze through a forest, past tree trunk after tree trunk, until you could see nothing more but a black-green wall ahead of you. But to gaze over the sea, blue on blue, and glimpse a ramrod straight horizon that disapeared into unknown. It was all to surreal.

They passed a few cottages on their way. Small and humble, made of wood with tiny gardens and open shutters. One of them eminated the mouth-watering scent of spiced ham from within and two small children played a game in the front. As the travellers came by, the children, two boys, stopped in their fun and admired the troop, large eyes dreaming of the wonders each and every wanderer must have seen in their days on the road.

Paladia slipped of the horse when the bulidings became more and more condensed and the largest bulding in the town, the old inn, came into veiw. "Nyari, do you know where you live?" Pally asked very slowly as she looked up at the girl that had been vertiably bouncing with excitement.

"Durr, of course!" she exclaimed, stretching out her little body to get a better look of her town over the head of the hourse. "Grams and Uncle live near the docks, slightly 'way from the rest of it all."

The elf woman rubbed her neck in thought and glanced at the others. "I suppose you all have some business that can be handled  in the town. Supplies, rest, or whatever you require. I'll be...at Nyari's little home if you need me," she said dismissively.

Kikhku, who had remained unusually silent for the extent of the journey piped up. The sudden shriek of his voice made Paladia cringe. "I ought to be off though, now! Things to do, you know. Thank you for your time, woman!" he cried, slapping Pally on the calf.

Paladia, on the edge of her patience with the brownie, simply nodded as she watched Kikhku and Ciatee bound away towards the town.

Talon said, "I wish to escort this young lady home also, and also you. I wish to look at your leg, I may be of some help, or perhaps might be able to take your to clergy who can help. " While following along to the young girls house.

@Mana:

The men ignored the woman as she left the table to a corner, digging into the pie hungrily. Pushing and shoving to make sure they got their fair share of the feast. There was only one man standing at the door but he didn't seem to be doing a whole lot, just watching his fellow men fight for the mouth watering pie. Soon forgetting about his post, he could not take it any longer and gave into the seductive aroma and marched over to the table to sneak in his own couple of bites, leaving the door completely unguarded.


Minsyth just stood by Shan, watching the rest move on without them then waiting to see what the cat would care to do next. "What now?"

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Edited by: Minsyth at: 11/1/04 3:24

Idea’s erupted in her head as she noted the guards absence from the door, luckily she’d chosen one of the corners near it and perhaps her streak of bad luck would be ended. Biting her lip she glanced between the doorway and the table, a slim hand clutching the edges of her cloak close around her form to keep it from fluttering and drawing unwanted attention. The dark elf seemed to glide toward the door on the balls of her feet, snatching the handle and letting herself out as quickly as she dared. Mana scanned the hallway to either side then crept off to the right.  

Running would bring suspicion and take her right back to where she had been so instead she strode with as much confidence as she could muster down the hallway with her dark hood pulled up to conceal features that might have been recognized by someone lingering nearby.    

Edited by: Manalkar Melor at: 11/3/04 2:20

A chuckle escaped from K`Dor’s lips as the bandit finished talking to the mighty warrior “Heh, I don’t plan on taking this horse anywhere, I just don’t want  you to have it…” narrowing his eyes at the young man, K`Dor moved closer to the bandit. “… but you know what you can do…” K`Dor raised the blade of Veir’dro up to the youngsters throat and gazed deeply into his eyes “… You can lead me to where you were going to take this horse.” K`Dor’s hand twitched, but he held his composure. He wanted to behead this foolish man for trying to take this horse away from him, but he knew not to. Though if he didn’t get his way, blood would be shed shortly...

Shan watched the others make their way to the town and then looked up at Minsyth when he spoke. "How bizarre" he thought, "He doesnt treat me like an animal. Perhaps he...knows. I've always thought elves were a little different." The cat returned to all fours and circled Minsyth, scrutinizing the warrior with intelligent blue eyes. "What do you see when you look at me, man?"

Coming to the realization that he was thinking nonsense if Shan thought Minsyth knew his story, Shanvorin nudged the elf with his head and began walking down the trail. He had no plans to actually enter the city, but Shan figured he may have a chance of getting some real cooked food with elf-boy tagging alongside.

Meanwhile, the bandit's face never twitched a muscle. "As you please, sir," he said flatly, taking his eyes off the large man for the first time to glance down at the sword, his frown deepening as he spotted his reflection in the blade. "Come along." Gently easing his neck from the cold metal, he turned to lead K'Dor down the alleyway that they had been searching earlier. As they passed, the lean man shot Gibson a queer look though as his head turned, a few beads of sweat glistened along his hairline.

As they travelled along the outskirts of the village where only a scattering of people whom have left their homes for morning chores roamed, Paladia began to feel anxious. She had, obviously, heard of elders and knew of those in her community, though elves that pyhysically bore their age were incredibly reclusive and the young elven woman had never met one. She had heard of things like wrinkles and strange spots that form on the elderly, but to bare witness to somebody on the verge of something as incredibly as a natural death was more or less unknown to her.

Pondering such a fate, it seemed like no time at all when Nyari, who had been humming excitedly since departed from Minsyth and the cat, shrieked with excitement when a ridge was crossed a humble cottage came into veiw. It was indeed along the coast.

The cottage rested quite securly on a treacherously steep sandy bank that swept down to the ocean below, lined with dark sand, bulbous boulders and crashing waves of the once calm appearing sea. Nyari urged them to go faster as Paladia and company approached, and nearly giddy with excitement, the young girl approached the door on her tiny feet.

But it was then that she paused, staring horrified at the hook on the door where a wreath or sign were normally found. A black velveteen ribbon had been tied graciously onto the steel hook, hanging there and appearing dreadfully heavy despite the sunny atmostphere about them. Noticing this, Paladia guessed quickly enough the custom as a sign of mourning. Illness, injury or perhaps death.

The elven woman rested a hand on the young girls shoulder, the first real contact since she had accidently hit her forcefully the night prior, as Nyari pushed the heavy wood door open. A thick wave of air confronted Paladia as she stepped through the door. The air was thick with heat from a nearby wood stove, the smell of roasting vegetables and the smell of cooked meat wafted on the air, and through dainty red curtains, outside light streamed through the air and splotched the floor with inviting warmth.

A figure stirred in the back of the cottage and an old woman emerged from behind the ladder that led up to a loft where it appeared Nyari slept considering the colorful blankets that lay upon a small bed. Nyari's face was washed free of any worry brought forth from the black ribbon at the sight of her apparent grandmother, and a similiar shock of releif afronted the old woman's face.

"Sweet blessed Baveras, child!" she exclaimed, taking a few shuffling steps forward but having to do little less as Nyari bolted across the heavy wood floors and lept into the old womans awaiting arms. Nyari was crying, Pally realized next and at last noticed, so was her grandmother.

The grandmother, dashing away old tears from her wrinkled face, inspected the child for health and cleanliness (obviously disapointed from the results of the latter as she swabbed Nyari's face with a saliva wetted thumb) and then looked to Paladia and Talon, a look on her face that wasn't as surprised as Pally had expected. Not waiting for a cue, Paladia cleared her throat.

"Missus, Ma'am, Elder," she began akwardly, "I, I mean that, we have escorted your child, well not your child, but this child, home and I--"

The older woman didn't smile or move a muscle in her face. She simply raised an arthretic hand covered in thin pale skin and nodded. "Young lady. Sir. Hold. Let my sweet Nyariana here get washed up. Have a seat. We'll discuss these matters in a moment."

The woman busied herself with shooing Nyari into the back room with a fresh pair of clothes that had been folded expectantly on the ladder steps, until sitting at the table with her guests with a steaming pot of tea which appeared to have been materialized out of nowhere, with three cups. Clasping her hands together and gesturing for the two to help themselves, she began: "Now then. I am Nyari's grandmother, Rose Millwood. I'm sure you've a story to tell, but let us begin by learning the position of its narrators, shall we?"

"That’s right, now it’s only a matter of time…” K`Dor’s smirk grew larger as thoughts wondered through his mind. Veir’dro was then slowly lowered back down to his side again, his hand gripping the pommel tightly. With his other hand, he held onto the reins and guided the horse with them. He knew the bandit couldn’t be trusted with such a task. Ash followed closely behind K`Dor, keeping a watchful eye out for any other bandits...

        As they wandered down the alley, a thought popped into K`Dor‘s head as he began to speak, “Now when we get there, I don’t want any funny business or you’ll be missin’ a head quicker then you think…” He chuckled slightly as he continued “… I’ll be doing all the talking and if I hear one peep out of you… Well you know what will happen…”

Talon followed along, his eyes alert, standing erect, tall and proud. Seeing how people would part  for his very presence once again. He helped the child off Phoenix as they approached the house, and he pat his mighty steads side, as Phoenix nuzzled Talon with his(Phoenix) nose. Talon then spoke quietly into Phoenix's ear "Stay here my friend, I shall return soon to check on you. Talon then took his sword off Phoenix's side, and placed it on his own where he felt it belonged.

Talon then turned and walked inside and upon hearing the girl scream and cry his first reaction was to grab his sword, but upon seeing her hug the old woman he relaxed and left the sword in the scabbard. Talon stood by the door watching all around, when the woman introduced herself, he nodded but did not sit when she offered him a seat. Talon watched over everything, remaining silent. His sense of duty never wavering and if nothing else becoming sharper than before.
Talon watched, listened and stood silently, listening to the words of the conversation, less he be questioned directly he had nothing to say.

Paladia's head was beginning to ache. Things were simply afronting her one after the other. The whole atmosphere of the little cottage was overwhelming in itself. It was small and made her feel slightly claustophobic, the punishing smell of heavy food boring down on her and even the dim and simultaneously bright lighting was making Pally sleepy. The old woman, with her animated features so chiseled with wisdom and eroded with age, slightly scared Paladia with a sense of mortality.

But most of all, Pally had this feeling. This queer idea that something in the house was not quite right. A kind of tension that existed between something and all the objects around it. It was this tension that made Paladia, despite her weariness, sit ramrod straight in her chair and stare at the tea until the silence was broken.

"Boy!" cried Rose suddenly, slamming a surprisingly solid hand down on the equally matched oak table, "When someone so obviously your senior asks you to sit, you do so. And politely. Now then....what did you say your names were?" Rose continued, proceeding to pour the three mugs with steaming hot tea made with a curious leaf that Pally had spotted growing in the plant boxes that hung on the sill.

"I am Paladia, ma'am" she replied at length, finally finding her voice and then glanced to Talon. "This is a companion I've met recently on the road," Pally continued, making an eager opening for Talon to help her with this...less than orthodox old woman whom was nothing as Paladia had expected from her knowledge of aged people.

He led K'Dor through an irretracable labirynth of alleyways until coming a small wood door that was imbedding within a rather nondescript building. According the the steps that led down from the street level to the slightly pitted entrance, it suggested that the building was surely larger on the inside than it appeared on its humble exterior.

The lean man went to the doorway, casting an emotionless glance back at K'Dor and his 'pet', then knocked on the heavy wooden door. A peep slid open and the metal cover was replaced with the image of an eye. "What do you want Geoff? And...." the gruff voice from behind faded and then added in a hushed whisper, "what are you doing, bringing Others here?"

"He was...giving me trouble. I figure I'd bring him here and let him have a little 'chat' with the others," Geoff continued the exchange in hushed tones.

"We've already got somebody waiting to meet with them," the other behind the door began, but receiving an angry glare from Geoff added quickly, "But you're more of a boss around here than I." With that, the sound of a heavy wood bolt sliding against the door was heard and the passage was opened. Geoff slipped in and moved to continue leading the large man through the corriders and towards where Mana was supposed to have been kept contained.

((Sorry for not posting...*hides* Had other things to take care of *waits for reprimand*))

Minsyth chuckled softly as the shingar circled him before nudging him to get moving. "Hungry are you boy?" He followed after the cat as best he could, catching up with it and falling into pace with it's steps as they approached the city.

Meanwhile Atreyk was lying in wait for his victim. Many had passed him as the day wore on but none suited his fancy. Why this was he was not sure but it must have had to do with the internal instict to wait for something better to come along. Lucky for him, he did not have to wait long before he came upon an unusual sight. An elf and a shingar making their way towards the city. How odd. What is a shingar doing coming into a city? He was not going to waste a chance to be the first man in the city to allow a wild cat to escape him, so he quickly tried to come up with a plan on how to capture the creature and take it for himself for whatever purpose he deemed fit.

@ Mana:

None of the guards noticed the dark figure slip from their hold as she made off into the alley, though, others did notice her presence and they were not the most pleasant of company.

An old scraggly man came up to her begging for money or food, whatever she had on hand. He addressed her as he would a child, yet in a rather rude manner. His toothless gums being barely often as he tried his best to form the words he wished to speak. Large dirty hands often laying upon her cloak, tugging on it for her attention and her company. When he finally left her alone and made her way further down the alley, a group of young children holding their hands up in the air begging for something, anything of value to take home. "Please missus. We starvin'." The smallest lifted up his ragged shirt as to reveal his frail form of skin and bones. His ribs greatly pronounced from the lack of food. His lips were dry and chapped from the lack of drink. This was often their key to receiving gifts from people, attempting them to show mercy on the boy, who they would never share their profits with no matter how much they he would aid them in the day.  

"...Life is a story waiting to be written. It is up to us to make it exciting and unforgetable..." - Shara

Edited by: Minsyth at: 11/6/04 8:52

The elf shook her head at the children, she was in too much of a hurry to find out where she was in the city and get her Deorheort back… Mana stopped in the process of pushing past them and fished into the small pouch hanging around her neck. In her hand she held a few bronze coins which she showed to boys for a moment, but instead of giving the money to them she closed her fist tightly. “You may have these but first you must tell me something, if I believe you then I will give you more. Now I must know, have you seen a large black horse on the streets, not just any black horse but a very large one probably being led somewhere. “ She wouldn’t go anywhere without her mount, not that she really could with most of her supplies on his back.        

Slowly letting the reins of the horse go, K`Dor withdrew Put’mari from it’s sheath quickly, with his free hand. He had both blades out again, his hands gripping to each pommel tightly, they were ready to strike… Correction, he was ready to shed blood. With out thought or hesitation, K`Dor swung both Put’mari and Veir’dro in front of his chest, in a X motion, aimed at the door keeper. His eye’s filling with hatred and anger for these bandits as he proceeded with his attack…

        K`Dor thought this would be the only way to get this girl out of here, but at the same time he wanted his revenge on all bandits. Ash, knew what to do in a instant. She lunged at the man who had guided both of them here, knowing full well that he’d try to fight back or run for help. K`Dor didn’t know if this would get out of hand or if he had made the wrong move, but he didn’t care. If more came, he would welcome them with open arms…

Edited by: KDor Saduk at: 11/7/04 22:14

@ Mana

It was not long after her departure did one of the guards notice her absense and it caused a great uproar amongst the men. Yelling and shouting could be heard for miles as they argued about whose fault it was that she escaped and who was going to face Atreyk when he returned and found her missing.

The children blinked and all backed away except the smallest. He refused to move and bowed his head humbly. "I...'ave see black horse...yet men lead it elsewhere. To find men, must go back where you came."

((I know this is what you've wanted with this charrie, KDor, so I'll give you a fight))

Geoff knew something was up when that all too familiar sound of blade on scabbard rung in his ears. He turned, planted his feet, flicked his wrists and sent out a shrill whistle all with one move, three throwing knives seeming to materialize in his left hand. Geoff had turned simply in the nick of time, catching the flying wolf as Ash came at him. His left hand came up, the middle blade pointed outward with the two others coming in at a slightly lower and different angle, and the bandit snapped his wrist up to block the blow of the large canine's snapping jaws. At that same moment, three more blades appeared at the ready in his right hand. Geoff pulled this arm back as he steadied his left, ready to bring them forth as a bunker.

Several shouts erupted from around the corner. Three men charged down the hall, shouting of a break in the House. They yelled when the men spotted the slumped, bloodied body of the doorman, pulling their blades from their sheaths. The three stood at the ready in the hall, watching narrow eyed and stoic faced as their superior took on the wolf.

Obvlivious to the chaos that was erupting in Atreyk's sector of the city, Shanvorin lead Minsyth along the skim of the town. His eyes sidled over to the direction of the town, but the shingar dismissed the presence of the others of nothing of particular interest. Moving along, the wild cat's eyes locked on what he was truly looking for. A cottage, probably that of a local fisherman, was sitting quite comfortably off from the side of the rest of the populas. Pleased with the outcome of his prediction, Shan nodded to himself with his great head and urged forward, eager to find him and Minsyth a decent meal.

((OOC: Yea, it was kinda obvious , but my Character, K`Dor hates bandits with a passion. They nearly took his eye when he was on one of his many travels. Thanks though Shan, I hope this adds a little excitment in the story and doesn't effect anything too much. If not, lets have us some fun  ))

---

Put’mari and Veir’dro sunk deeply into the door man’s flesh, causing blood to spray on impact. An almost sadistic smile formed on K`Dor’s features, he hadn’t fought in sometime now and knowing he had just killed a man pleased him greatly. A tiny bit of blood splattered up on the mighty warriors face, slowly it dribbled down his cheeks and over his mouth. As the blood touched his lips, K`Dor licked the blood from them as he turned his sights up to Geoff…

        Ash was in mid flight as Geoff made some rather quick movements to not only alert more bandits, but also was able to let three blades go, aimed directly at Ash. She had no time or way to move at this point, one of the tiny daggers struck Ash right in her chest, thought it didn’t effect her none. The other two daggers luckily missed her, as Ash set her sights on Geoff’s left forearm.

        K`Dor knew he had to act quickly, he saw that Geoff had another three daggers in his right hand. He charged in, with Put’mari pointed towards Geoff and Vier‘dro lifted upwards ready to strick down its next victim. His black and gold cloak flutterd in the air behind him as K`Dor let out a demonic holler, “RAAAAAAAAH!” he was now only a few feet away from Geoff and It was only a matter of time before K`Dor would go into an all out rage...

Edited by: KDor Saduk at: 11/7/04 23:15

She nodded without a  word and added a piece of silver to the coins before pressing it into the little boys hand. Turning away from the group she ran back down the alleyway as fast as she dared without risk of slipping or running into someone hidden in the shadows. Hands at her side clenched into a fist and relaxed continuously, always near the daggers hidden by the sash wrapped around her hips. At one sound, a shout from somewhere close behind she reflexively lunged for her blades and jerked to a stop, but no one came out to challenge her.    

Taking a breath she moved forward again, a bit slower and in a slight crouch as she rounded one corner and then another until she was thoroughly lost. “Next time I shall remember my route. “ Mana whispered to herself as she stepped around a small puddle that looked suspiciously like blood.    

Only when she was about ready to risk being seen by scaling the side of a building for a better vantage did she hear a chorus of yelling. A grin broke over her face when she spotted Deorheort standing patiently in an intersecting alley, too close to the ruckus to approach safely. She whistled and the horse turned his head and snorted but didn’t move to join her. Muttering a curse under her breath she drew one of her slender daggers and skittered along the wall opposite of the open doorway to her mount.      

Talon was surprised that this woman had talked to him, a white knight.   "I respectfully decline the offer to sit down, my companion outside is standing and I choose to stand just as my dear friend does. He can not enter because he is far too large and it is improper for him to enter any building short of a stable. I am called Talon." With that Talon returned to being silent, he stood, near the door, his eyes sweeping the room, and occassionally out to where Phoenix stood.  This elderly woman didn't realize Talon had already lived probably close to 5 times as long as she has.  "As Paladia said, I have only joined them shortly before coming to town, and shall remain as long as I am needed."[/font] Talon then fell silent once again.

Edited by: Aitostalon at: 11/14/04 22:01

Geoff's eyes narrowed as the huge man charged in. There was no chance of him challenging KDor with strength, but he figured that he was quicker than the brute. Geoff's legs seemed to go limp as his knees appeared to buckle from beneath him. He dropped to the ground in a crouch, supporting himself with bent legs and his left hand, the three throwing daggers up and ready. Coming in quickly behind him three men came in hooting, weilding sharp swords with practiced skill.

Geoff let fly his daggers towards KDor's gut as he dove to the side just as Ash came in. He came to an abrupt halt when he reached the wall of the hall and stood quickly. It was then the three others went in for KDor, blades flashing and eyes glimmering with loathing.

Some shouting sounded from outside. Another bandit, one that had been patrolling about nearby whom had heard Geoff's whistle of distress, came tearing around the bend only to spot Mana about to take off with her steed.

"Hey you!" he cried out in rage, pulling a scimitar from his belt and not slowing down. The man couldn't care less who Mana was or what she was doing, but the bandit was going in for the kill.

~~~~

"Kids...kids I say!" exclaimed Rose, "I suppose there's not much I can be doing about it. Stand if you will. Now then...tell me, girl, how you came across my dear Nyari here..."

And so Paladia told her. She explained to Rose how they had happened across the poor girl being picked on by raiders and how the slowly forming party and herself took it upon themselves to return Nyari home.

"I see," Rose said at length once Pally was done, tapping her steaming, untouched cup of tea with an arthritic finger appearing to be in thought. "These raiders did they...they had gotten to a caravan?" Paladia nodded slowly, slightly on edge from the tone in the old woman's voice. "Nyari...why dont you go outside and find your Gram some Kell. Make a nice little arrangement, will you dear?"

"Yes Gram," came the girls voice from behind a curtain and she emerged, dressed anew with her hair tied up with a pretty baby blue ribbon. She made her way by and as she passed the door, looked up once again to the black bow on the door. "Gram, do you want me to take this down? I'm not missing no more so nobody need not worry now!"

A pause overcame Rose for a moment until she nodded her head. "No child...I'll take care of that later." With that, Nyari skipped off to a garden plot several peds from the cottage.

"Those raiders," Rose took up again once Nyari was going through the garden on her knees. The old woman's voice was ominous and full of pain and dread. "That caravan. I knew the men on it. My son was one of them. A tradesman he is."

Paladia's heart skipped a beat. "Ma'am, with all due respect, I'm sure your son is well. We had chased off those raiders and I figure that they didn't have chance to go back after..."

"He's dead, lass."

The elfmaid sighed and bowed her head. "I'm sorry to hear that. Your son is...Nyari's father?" Rose nodded. "And her mother?"

"Dead I'm afraid. Flu last winter. All that child's got is me and her uncle, dear. And he's always off. I'll not be around forever and..." Rose sighed and stood, making her way to the stove on creaking boards with creaking joints.

Paladia was hit with a wave of memories. The procession just out of the mountains. It was..."By the gods," she whispered, sitting back her chair.

Talon listened quietly and tentively to the tale, and to what the old woman had to say. It is true she won't be around much longer, but the question looms where is this uncle that is supposed to be the man of the house? Talon  watched as the young girl ran past, he smiled softly behind his veil as she passed, before his eyes turning back to Paladia and the old woman named Rose. Talon saw a change in Paladia, he knew a little of her tribe, and that the males were met to be emotionless hunters, but why had Paladia not show much emotion until now. Talon walked forward placing a hand on her shoulder and leaned down and said quietly "Is all well m'lady?" as his eyes surveyed the room.

K`Dor ignored the daggers that were thrown at him, little did Geoff know, he had a thick metal plate covering his stomach. All his vital areas were covered, but not much else was… The daggers bounced off the metal and fell to the floor. K`Dor didn’t lose a step, he charged right into the bandits that were blocking him from getting to Geoff. He swung Veir’dro downward at the man who stood directly in front of him. His eye’s filled with fire, and his muscles bulged as K`Dor went into a rage. “RAAAAAAAAH!” another demonic holler escaped from K`Dor’s lips, he was now out of control…

        Ash landed on her feet, and growled at the three bandits that stood in front of her masters’ way. She bared her sharp, yellow stained teeth and waited to see what happened. She didn’t want to get in the way, she knew her master has lost all control now and would stop at nothing to kill all the bandits that stood in his way…

She turned abruptly at the shout, the free hand which had been rubbing her mounts black neck soothingly whipping to her second knife in a heartbeat. With a  blade in either hand she leapt past her  nervous horse to intercept the man charging down the alley for her, the heavy cloak billowing behind her as she moved with bounding steps. Mana darted into reach of the scimitar, one dagger making a sweeping horizonal cut in an attempt to throw the mans blade out wide as she plunged her second dagger in a downward slash at his chest and threw her weight behind it. If he was so rushed to attack her then hopefully he would make some foolish blunder, they usually did.      

Paladia looked up from her tea to find Talon standing  near her, a comforting sight she had to admit, and nodded. "All's well, thank you. Simply the realization of mortality as I've never thought to see it, I suppose," the elf murmured, sipping quietly on her tea.

"Aye," Rose spoke suddenly and unexpectadly, "Mortality is a cruel thing. To steal the lives of those so young, like my dear Matthew, yet to give power to enslave to those unworthy by imprisoning the public by their own yokes of fear. Aye...mortality. I curse it but embrace it. My son's life may have ended, yes, but those responsible have already abandoned the world worth living when they struck the innocent down." The old woman fell silent, the true lines of age that dragged on her face becoming so much more evident in the latening morning.

"My other son, I call him," she began up again, speaking now of Nyari's uncle, "for he was the brother of my daughter in law. He was close with Matthew, though he is merchant of the seas and leaves often as he does tomorrow night. You will meet him, I'm sure, if you stay here for the feast. A farewell to both men, I presume."

Paladia listened with interest, welcoming the near presence of Talon despite her short time in knowing him. Without even knowing it, Pally was becoming more and more accustomed to meeting new people and tolerating, even accepting, them. Her tea came to an abrupt end and the elf looked down at the small black leaves that smattered along the bottom and one side of the mug. Looking up, Pally saw that Rose's hand was outreached with those dark, wise eyes on the cup.

The elf handed it to the old woman and Rose gazed into it, her eyes closing slowly at length and then opening with a grim set to her features. "You've a troubled present, child," she murmured, Rose's voice somewhat darker that Pally remembered it, "And it's not much for letting up. And a dark companion is both but neither, confused and desperate with no voice nor friend. You help him, unknowning, but harm him for your own good." Rose set the cup down, a troubled set to her brows.

"Wha..." Paladia sputtered, not understanding at first but the elf had her wits about her at the time. "You! You're a soothsayer. The type the stories speak of. You..."

"I am whatever people call me, child," Rose said, standing and taking the cups to a wash basin on the counter.

"Then your son's death. His murder. You forsaw it and--"

Pally's voice was stolen by the soft rustle and thud at the doorstop. A sprig of wildflowers, arranged in colors of red and orange, lay in the doorjam with her mouth gaping and eyes wide with disbeleiving horror. "No.." she murmured over and over, her head shaking and hands trembling. Before anybody could catch her, Nyari dashed from the cottage and ran down a path. All the while, Rose did not move from the kitchen counter, but stood there washing mechanically.

The guard that so unfortnately found himself in the path of K'Dor quickly regretted it. His blade mechanically came up to block, his left hand going to the flat of the blade to support the parry, but the bandit was quick to regret it when he saw the swift and powerful blow that was soon to overcome him. With the strike of the two metals, a pain that burned him to the core shot through the man's arms, trembled down his spine and electrified each vertibrae and finally shot to his knees which trembled under the pressure astounded him. His mouth part open in a weak attempt at a scream, the guard's legs buckled under the weight of the blow and he crumpled backward, his blade flying from his grasp.

The two that flanked him paid little attention to their fallen and more than likely crippled, if not doomed, comrad. They lunged in on either side with trained swiftness at K'Dor, their doubled edged swords going in for the behemoth's sides just below his underarms where most armor was weak if even present. They moved in sync, arms outstretched with taut muscles as the blades gleamed in the mid-morning sun that streamed through the still open doorway.

A shadow moved across that light as Geoff went for the dead doorguard and unhooked a large crossbow from the wall where he had once stood. The weapon was cocked and aimed in a flash, the bead brought up and steadied on K'Dor's subtly injured wolf. Not pausing, Geoff's finger twitched at the bolt, nearing a fore in length, shot forth at Ash.

The man that Mana challenged was no novice or lowly guard. He was par with Geoff in standing though several years his senior with a good deal of bulk to his advantage. His scimitar came in with a steady hand and with Mana's deflect, blade scraped curved blade and hilt met hilt. Spotting a glimmer from her other hand, the bandit spun on his feet and wrenched his own deadly blade from the lock in a smooth movement.

"Back down, elf wench, and me and the lads may treat you," he sneered, circling the dark elf at just more than an arm's length distance.

"You and your boys? That’s an amusing thought. “Mana shot back at the man with a smirk, flexing her wrists and falling into a defensive crouch. She watched him closely as he circled her, moving lightly on the balls of her feet. Without warning she leapt at him again, feigning right then shifting her weight to the left and swung one of her knives at his shoulder. Intentionally missing him she ended up behind the man and kicked viciously at his knees.      

The guard hadn't anticipated such speed from the dark elf and realized his error only as the man felt his knees being forced from under him and his knees colliding with the ground. On impact, he rolled swiftly onto his back and lashed out in a wide arc with his scimitar and then brought it back across again, hoping to make some time for himself to find his next move.

Mimi was sitting in her favourite tree. Pinn had left to play with his silly boat and with Heina and Anila she had had  a quarrel which had ended again with the girl teasing her for not having a father anymore. They always did, when they wanted something Mimi didn‘t want to give them. This time it was the last cookie she had got from Ilbeth yesterday and which she didn‘t want to share with Heina and Anila. So these both repeated themselves saying Oh well, with no father you don‘t have a san to buy you a cooky, so keep it, poor girl.. and went away.

Mimi‘s eyes were full of tears, but she did not allow herself to cry until she sat already in the morning safely on this tree on the highest branch which supported her weight  It was a fabulous place, she could nearly look over half of Nepris. And what was even better, she could easily see the road coming from the Crazy Woman Pass and watch who was coming and going. Not that there was too much traffic, not in the morning. But sometimes even a dwarf came down from the mountains.

This time she didn‘t have to wait long to see travellers which caught her eyes and were of great interest. A little group of people came down the path, a horse with two persons sitting on it, and a man leading it.
When they came nearer, Mimi could see better how they looked like and to her surprise, her friend Nyari was sitting in front of a strange woman, and the beautiful horse (even she not used to horses could see that!) was led by an similar strange looking man. Coming nearer and passing right under her on the road, she could see, that the two foreigners had pointed ears. She nearly fell from the tree, but her trained reflexes prevented her from crashing on the road. She observed where to they were aiming, it was the direction of Nyari's house, or better that of her grandmother Rose.  Nyari was often away from Nepris, travelling with her father. But were was he now?

Mimi slipped down the tree and followed the party, trying to hide, for she was unsure about Nyari‘s companions. All entered the house of Rose, but Nyari came out soon and started picking flowers for a bucket. Mimi wanted to run over to her, but this man stood in the door and looked outside to his horse, so Mimi stayed hidden behind a heap of logs nearby. From there she  could see, that it didn‘t take Nyari long to pick the flowers and to go back to the house - but she didn‘t enter, but stood without movement under the door before throwing the flowers down and running away. Mimi was stunned. What had happened, why was Nyari running away?

Mimi forgot the horse, the strange man , jumped up and run after Nyari , calling her:

„Nyari, Nyari!!! Wait!“

She narrowly avoided the scimitar as she reversed her direction to come in at the man again. The blade slipped past her chest and at first she had been afraid he had landed a glancing blow and flinched. With one knife held back defensively Mana thought to make up for her momentary hesitation, bringing her second blade in a sharp stab at the mans stomach. She was already preparing to shift to one side to avoid a counter, doubting her luck that she would land a serious hit, any hit really.      

Another tear rippled over Nyari's freckle-peppered cheek, following the stream countless other unchecked tears had as she ran. The girl's eyes stung with tears and whenever she turned to look back at the cottage she ran from, back to the horizon and the rising sun, her vision blurred in the light.

"Father...daddy, come home," she whispered into the morning air repeatedly, Nyari's pace slowing as she tired from running, not caring anymore where she was. Her father was dead and she had nobody left. Nobody loved her. She was alone. It was then that Nyari heard a sound behind her. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but now it was clear. Her name.

The little girl turned to see Mimi, a childhood peer whom Nyari had no especially liking for but was somebody to play with, nonetheless. Though today as she saw her friend running to her, Nyari did not smile. "Mimi...not now," she murmured, turning away as she didn't want the girl to see her in her greif.

The guard's face broke into a sick smile, showing teeth stained with liquor and the spit-chew some of the men fancied. His legs, strong from days of training, travelling and patrolling, tensed and he shifted on the ground, making to move into a roll. Plans had to change, though, as Mana's offensive blade made a glancing crimson streak along his right side, just below his ribs. The mark was not deep nor painful, but it did slow the guard down and shot down his hopes of catching Mana off guard.

"I'll get you still, wench" he spat, staggering back to his feet and wincing slightly as he tested the wounded flesh with a free finger. Becoming engraged, the guard charged in at Mana, perhaps foolishly in his passion, his scimitar raised in a heavy strike.

Fighting continued from within the door, the growls and howls of both KDor and Ash fighting off the onslaught of bandits within. They were a remarkable sight, beating against the crowd blow after blow, but there were many bandits. Nearly too many, as KDor and Ash began being pushed further and further back down the hall, back towards the entranceway. Some cries of orders sounded from within as it became aware to the bandits that Areytuk, alerted of this sudden upset, was returning and none too happy.

Mimi run after Nyari and finally the other girl slowed her pace down, so that Mimi could catch up. But obviously she didn‘t want to talk to her, not to mention play together. She just murmured a „Mimi.. not now!“ Mimi stood there being a bit at loss. She was so curious, why Nyari had come with these two strangers and not with her father as usual. It must have been an adventure to ride on this huge horse! Mimi wished, her father would still live and take her on journeys like Nyaris did with his daughter. But why was Nyari - crying? She was crying, was she?

„Nyari?    „ she asked, but the girl seemed not want to reply.
„Nyari, what‘s the matter?“

No response. Nyari had not been one of her closest friends, but when she was at home, she was somebody with whom she could play, especially when Pinn or Heina had been annoying her. So she knows her not too good to know, how to comfort her.

Suddenly something comes to her mind: Wasn‘t there a black ribbon around the doorknob? And did she not know too well, what that meant? Could it be, that Nyaris father has died, as her father did, not too long ago?

She does not dare to touch the other girl, which is still standing with the back to her.

„Nyari, Nyari, they say that, that all good people will come back, in some way, that Seyella guides them and that, that...  grandmother says, that father will be with me as long as I love him... even if I can‘t see him anymore.. „

Mimis voice was trembling now, it was only a year, that her own father had died. Tears were filling her eyes as well.

She backed off a good many paces and stood in a slight crouch, ready for the man when he charged in. Her knives caught a bit of light and flashed when she raised one, adjusting her grip on the weapon and holding it ready near her shoulder. Using it as a throwing dagger she flicked her wrist and sent the knife spinning at the mans chest, ready to follow the blade with the second which was still in hand. Maybe she could cut that ugly mouth off his face, she mused as she moved forward.      

Nyari sniffed and turned finally to look at Mimi, her eyes red and burning from crying. "Dad's dead" she said bluntly, her voice sounding very cold and rather grown up at that moment. But saying those words, finalizing the fact.

Making it reality.

That was the last straw. The little girl's face crumpled, bursting into tears and burrying her face in her hands. "He's gone Mimi! You have no idea how that -- feels..." Nyari looked up then, as her voice faded, to see the expression on Mimi's face and her cherubric face softened. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."


The guard's eyes went wide as a sharp crimson streak lighted up across his light armor. A bloody wound, not too deep but plenty long, graced his right chest, curling along under his arm and just above his ribs. Staggering, shocked, he stopped dead in his tracks and stared bewildered at Mana. The shouting from within reached a crescendo and KDor and Ash leapt out, overpowered at last by the surge of bandits. The big man bumped into Mana before dashing off down the alley, staggering as he went, with Ash on his heels. The bandits that flooded out behind him saw their wounded comrad and soon all eyes were on Mana.

Paladia's hand rose instinctively to her mouth as Nyari dashed out. Rose was eerily silent, watching with a set jaw as the little girl ran off. "Shouldn't somebody go after her?" Paladia said, trying hard to keep her voice in check as it was nearly overpowered by anger and bewilderment.

Rose was milling about the kitchen casually, her slippered feet wishing along the age-polished wood floors as the old woman wiped down the table with a rag. "Feel free to go after her, child. I reckon she'll get hungry from such a day's excitement and will be wishing for a good luncheon. Join us, will you? You and your friends. The dark one, too."

And with that, Rose shuffled into the back of the house and Paladia stood bewildered at the door. "Come on, Talon," she said matter of factly, "Unless you wish to loiter about here and help the Missus with her cooking."

„I know!“ Mimi answered. She didn‘t know, what to do with the sobbing Nyari. She had not been too close a friend to her to hug her, she might not want it. She remembered, when she got to know, that her daddy would not come again, she ran off in the woods and hid for a whole day, until cold and hunger drove her home finally.

So Mimi touched her only slightly on her sleeve, proposing.

„Come on, we are going to my granny, she has a tea which only people are allowed to drink who feel very bad, who have lost something... It helped me as well, believe me. And then, maybe tomorrow, I show you a secret on the path up to Baveras shrine? “

She took carefully Nyaris hand, hoping, the other girl would not withdraw hers.

Nyari flinched as Mimi first touched her, but eased to the contact. The little girl figured it would be foolish to go about on her own until she got over her father's passing, considering that Nyari expected that moment to never come. With a sigh and forced smile, tears still dripping down her cheeks, Nyari followed Mimi's lead to her grandmothers house.

(This post is missing and can not be restored)

Having succeeded in dismounting Brent, Terra feels the emediate situation was alittle more controlable. Terra bring Coore around, quickly and gracefully dropping from her mount to face him on more even terms. Brent had made the foolish mistake of turning to the elf woman who was attacking Atreyk, and gave her a wide opening to attack from behind.

Terra closes the shot distance quickly, delivering a kick to the back of Brents knee, and then proceeds to try and grab hold of him, preffering to force his surrender than to take his life.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

PELLAGRA

The cat had his paw removed from Cole‘s breast, and that was good so, because now it was free to defend itself and move, if needed. Knowing well, that she was not strong enough to fight the boy in case he didn‘t listen to her, she took her staff and gave him  a well dosed hit with it, so that he lost consciousness for a little while. He would have had a headache for a few days, but better than dying here accidentally. She took him by the legs and pulled him inside the cottage, closing the door behind her. Then she looked for some ropes to bind him as well as she was able to do, not really knowing which knot would be the best.

Nyari was sitting in a corner, but there was no sign of Mimi. where the heck was this brat again. Pellagra had hoped, that her only grandchild was safe in the cottage!

MIMI:

Mimi meanwhile sat still on her roof, just behind the top, watching the fight in her courtyard. Slowly she searched for her sling and the pebbles. Then she aimed at Bren and this foreign man who terrorised the village for quite some time now.The pebbles couldn‘t hurt seriously, but she hoped, that  they would disturb the attackers and give the others a better chance.

Kaelan took an arrow in the shoulder and spotted another arrow coming his way just in time to jerk his head out of its flight path. Then he was being accused of treachery. Damn right. "And you came here to murder a small group?", he shouted back at her, bringing his blade  into both hands with the point slightly upward, ready for a melee. Then others start appearing to help with him. In military standards, he has a disadvantage. Then again, they're surrounded. A grin starts to slowly make its way across his face, suppressed by the arrow in his shoulder. This is going to interesting.

Edited by: Warrior Kaelan at: 1/30/05 22:56

Atreyk grinned at the dark elf. "Demon wench," he muttered, having come across one or two of the elves in his time as a bandit, mercenary and all-around bastard. The man, in exceptionally good shape and obviously no novice with his blade, charged in, feining his blade to come straight down on Mana's head, and then abruptly bringing it around in a sharp swipe at her chest level.

Brent was a big man, a blacksmith by trade, and the second Terra laid hands on him he exploded. His right arm which held his short sword, tensed and shot back, aiming to land the pommel of the hilt on Terra's shoulder. A few pebbles miraculously rained down at him at that moment, one striking him nonetoogently in the collarbone, but Brent shook them off, eager to regain some advantage on this woman. At that same time, Brent wrenched free his other arm and swung it around on the red-haired woman, his hand open so he would simply just shove her away.

Shan worked with Dominic, taking down those who piled onto the sailor who was pummeling away at them with steel-like fists. The sailor had received a few cuts to his arms and Shanvorin had taken a glancing blow of a lance just behind his shoulder.

Suddenly, the wild cat swung his head around and spotted Kaelan. He had never seen him before but could see that the other fighters were no longer on his side. Figuring that there were only two sides to be on in the first place, Shan realized that it would probably be in their best interests to help the poor sucker out. With an attempt at a roar (which, though well done, wasn't quite as "masterful" as Shanvorin would have preferred) bowled over another in the hopes to ease Kaelan's load.

Isaraldor made his way over the hill to find a battle going on. He ran toward the house to get into the fray. As he was running toward the house he noticed that the wild men were obviously attacking. He ran at the nearest wild man and swacked him across the head with his staff. He then used the time to force the wild men into another by pushing him with fist of thunder.  He then started off to help the shingar in helping.

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Edited by: isaraldor glamthail at: 1/31/05 23:51

"It's amazing how often I get that." Mana raised her daggers, forming a glimmering cross above her head to block Atreyk's attack when he switched the direction of the saber. Unable to bring her own blades down in time to block she dug one heel into the ground and spun away from the weapon, barely avoiding another wound. She continued spinning and slashed at Atreyk's arm as she finished the turn, holding her second dagger outstretched and ready to defend or lunge at a potential opening.  

As soon as Terra has a hold of Brent he strikes her in the shoulder with the pommel of his sword. Terra's grip holds fast for a few moments, but before she can get in a position to force his surrender he manages to free his arm from her grasp, and swung freed arm back toward her. Terra lowers herself to avoid his arm and delivers another kick to the back of the big mans knee, hoping to force his leg to collapse or at least weaken it, then drive inward hoping to get an arm around his body.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Mimi is exited. Wow, a true fight! And she is able to help! Brent has hesitated and maybe that has given the redhaired warrior an advantage?

She grabs in her pocket to fetch  more pebbles, but has to find, that there are none left. What a ... What could she do now? she searches all her various pouches, but there is nothing  left than a few cookies she got last week from Ilbeth and which she saved for ‚bad times‘. Not very fresh, more the hard variety now, but cookies nevertheless

With her heart bleeding, she pulls them out from the depth of her deepest pocket, eats one and puts the other in her slingshot.

And who should be the target of these valuable missile? Well, aiming might be a bit difficult, so she targets the bulk of wild men and hopes, one will be hit in the right place.

And the cooky flies, right onto the forehead of...


OCC: Preferable onto the forehead of one of our own group, LOL

Atreyk too spun when he realized that his attack would not be quite as successful as he hoped and, due to a minor miscalculation of the elf's speed, took a dagger in his left shoulder, ripping through his leather jacket, the clothes beneath and marking its path with a deep crimson streak. At this moment too, caught in mid spin, Atreyk was suddenly caught with his back partially turned to the dark elf.

Brent's neck was strained with anger as Terra's foot came down on his knee. The leg buckled and went down, but he was determined to show this woman what was what. He used the fall of his one side to propel himself around in a tight spin, though at a disadvantage on his knees, and lunged into Terra. He could surely outpower the warrior in a grappeling match...

Shan spotted Isaraldor's show of magical prowess and accepted the help without question. This was not a time to be picky with whom your allies were. This was a time to thank whatever god that'll listen that he even has allies. Suddenly, as the shingar dug his claws into the hamspring of an unfortunate woman, his sharp eyes spotted a medium-built man with a large, heavy staff quite ready to break either the rod or Isaraldor's spine.

At that moment, Dominic who was currently in a mutual lock with an equally matched bandit, received a blow to the forehead. "What in the...." he muttered, losing concentration for a moment and being pushed down to his knees.

"I'll be payed well for taking you down, fattie," the man spat but, to his surprise, found his wrists encircled by large, vice-like hands that flipped him hard onto his back.

"It's muscle!" Dominic cried as he stood, kicking the man in the ribs and turned to look for a new opponent.

As Isaraldor turned around he found that someone, a lot stronger then he, was ready to crush him or his precious rod to pieces with a quite heavy-looking staff. As the man swong his staff, Isaraldor used his agility to step aside and avoide the blow. As he stepped aside he pulled out his dagger and made an attempt at the throat.

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

The brawny man Brent was more clever than Terra had first thought, as he uses the shifting of his weight to come around quickly on her, then lunged. Terra did her best to evade the attack be he slammed into he leg, driving her to the ground. The force of hitting the ground made her loose her grip on her MoonBlade and it rolled from her reach. In a jam Terra kicks at the mans side with her free leg as he grappled onto her other, trying to dislodge him enough to get free. It was now obvious beyond any doubt that this man would not yield, nor would she intentionally give him any further chances to do so.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Edited by: Terra Artemos at: 2/3/05 4:03

Kaelan watches the man that attempts to help dispatch him disappear, and focuses on the woman. One thing is for certain, she hasn't come along not knowing how to use that weapon, and she obviously intends to make this short. Kaelan approaches her, and the lance becomes active, slicing arcs and thrusts in the air faster than Kaelan can count them. He waits for a few seconds, searching for an opening as he steps slowly back. The lance's motions stop, Kaelan steps forward to make a slice as the lance comes back down again on his head, but the bastard sword meets there, allowing it to do no more damage than a minor bruise. Kaelan places as much force as possible into the upward strike, throwing himself off balance and shattering the lance.

His opponent was thrown off balance as well, but he now had the advantage. He steps in close again, as she starts drawing another weapon, and whispers, "Sorry," as his blade smashes broadside into her side, just below the ribs, senduing her flying. Only two of the other mercenaries remain standing now, and Kaelan still has no answers. This isn't working.

She spotted the opening Atreyk had left and went for it, but once again found herself pressed for the time to manuver her blades. With the momentum from the spin still acting Mana twisted her wrist, her intended slash converting into a stab aimed for his lower back. Since she could not put her weight behind the attack she could only hope to hit something serious and slow him down.  

The large man that battled Isaraldor was no novice. As the dagger came up the mercenary took a nonchalant step back while simultaneously throwing his left hand up. He grabbed at Isaraldors wrist and held in his vice of a grip, appearing quite capable of snapping it like a twig. As the dagger stopped movement a few nailsbreadth from his face, the brute swung out his free right hand to Isaraldor's face which, due the yank he subjected the mage's other hand to, was also coming in towards the fist.

Terra's kick landed, as Brent did not expect the woman to lash out now. He had figured women to be a lot more passive in the sense, though this was easilly the first time the small-town blacksmith had physically battled a woman (though his wife was quite willing to verbally engage with her husband). The blow, definately a lot more solid than he expected, knocked half his lungs dry and Brent's grip loosened.

Cole groaned from within the cottage and struggled pathetically against his bonds. He was in no shape to form coherent thought, much less escape. His blurred vision scanned the room and a few words escaped from him, "W-where am I? What....Rosie...what happened?"

Mana's hit did, in fact, do a little damage, as it sliced a nasty gash right down the left side of Atreyk's back. He screamed and stumbled forward, but his stagger picked up speed and soon he was running, quite desperately, back to the town. A tiny figure came into veiw in the distance, running towards the fleeing leader but, instead of questioning him, took him by the shoulders and helped him to the town. Atreyk was gone, for the time being, and would certainly cower into his underground safehold within the fishing village.

The two remaining mercenaries faltered. Two of their counterparts were currently engaged, and the rest were either comatose, subdued or quite, definately, dead. They were quite easilly outnumbered and had little room for error. The two were men, both with shortswords, and appeared quite aware of their doom.

"Listen mates," one began with an unusual accent that Shanvorin could not recognize, "We're only doing our job. Let us go and we'll pack right through the mountains and well away from here. Not even back to the rich bastards that--"

"Shut up! He'll have our heads if we abandon, and do worse than that if we talk. We just need to..." but the second's voice died off as he caught Dominic's dagger-stare and Paladia's equally vicious scowl as she came up behind him. "Kaelan, mate, help us out."

Isaraldor soon found his strike hadn't work. Not only that but a fist was coming at his face while his face was going towards it, and his dagger was on the ground. But not his staff. that was still in his hand. As he swinged it at the mans arm to deflect it, the fist hammered in on its target, cuasing Isaraldor to be wrenched back and the staff instead hit the other arm alllowing him to escape this man's grasp. However he was knocked back quite a bit, his face all bloody from a nose bleed due to the mans punch. He quickly put his hands together on the ground, as if in prayer, focused on his target, said "lesser light strike you!", and quickly seperated his hands, sending a bolt of lightning, at the mans eyes, quickly cuasing the man to go blind and maybe even cuase him to forget about Isaraldor for the time being.

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Edited by: isaraldor glamthail at: 2/4/05 23:29

That coward, fleeing from their fight. How dare he. Mana hissed in frustration, watching Atreyk until he disappeared down the road. She would've liked to chase him down but the prospect of being the target for Atreyk's archers, no doubt he had quite a few about somewhere, was not what she called appealing. With a final lingering scowl in the direction her opponent had disappeared, the dark elf wiped a blood splattered dagger on her already dark leggings and sheathed the blades.

Oh well, if there is a next time he will be dead, Mana thought bitterly as she turned and made her way to where a handful of individuals were gathered. She noted a couple small confrontations to the side but something one of the attackers had said caught her attention, the name he spoke sounded familiar.  

Kaelan simply stands with his blade point resting on the ground, watching the chaos. "Kaelan, mate, help us." Kaelan nods.

"We surrender." His voice is just loud enough to carry, and he is certain he speaks for all of those left standing from his group. He turned to the one that had asked him for help. "Are you scared?"

Formal business finished, his eyes begin searching the group that he  has been sent to ambush. Someone with a bow...

Terra's kick lands effectively to Brent's side knocking the wind from him and forcing him to lossen his grip, allowing her to pull herself from beneath the man, who would now be vaulnerable for only a sort time. She uses her quick and agile body to perform a graceful kick flip to her feet. The moment her hands were cleared of the ground she went for her long dagger having it free and in hand almost a momemt after she landed in a squat before the still prone Brent. Not waisting any time Terra drove the dagger down apon him.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

A lancing pain in her side caused the dark elf to stop in her tracks and clench her teeth to hold back a gasp of pain. She slowly removed her hands from her side, gloves slippery with blood from the gash Atreyk had given her earlier, it had been disregarded and torn further during the battle. Perhaps the wound was not very bad, but each step pulled the skin of her side as well as the edges of the cut, creating a piercing sting. Mana was about to turn around and retreat to the cottage when Kaelan spoke and her first suspicions were confirmed. “Kaelan?” She exclaimed before being painfully reminded about her injury when she took an abrupt step forward, so she settled with looking both surprised and angry from a short distance away.  

Forgetting about the arrow momentarily, as a few fights still remain, Kaelan moves to assure that everyone is in agreement with his decision. First he moves over to near where one of the men is actively engaged in a melee with a red-haired woman, but stands just short of involving himself. She seems to have this one under control. Slowly, he turns, searching for two things.

No, three, now. Anyone still alive from the mercenaries that might still be in disagreement with him, someone with a bow, and one of the people of the other group that recognizes his name.

The combatants, although still active, were falling quickly. Two more melees and the surrender would be complete. His eyes then fell first on an elven woman with a bow, and traveled further across a small group to a dark elf, who obviously recognized him. Honestly, there was something familiar about her, but he chose to not move to recognize either the archer or this dark elf - what was her name? - until the battles were over, regardless of the fact that the arrow was starting to irritate worse with each passing moment.

Edited by: Warrior Kaelan at: 2/7/05 22:53

The mercenary fell back and held his eyes in shock. "Oh god...Oh god I'm blind," he moaned, writhing on the ground as smoke simmered up from his face. His shoulders began shaking and, at first glance, it appeared that he was convulsing. On closer inspection, though, it became widely apparent that the large man was, in fact, sobbing.

Brent looked up at the last minute and saw the dagger coming down on him. Unable to react, the blade sunk deep into his left shoulder, springing forth a steady stream of hot blood that seemed to drench his tunic instantly. The dagger severed tendons, instantly rendering the arm permanently damaged. The large man, though strong, cried out in anguish and, exhausted and confused, blacked out.

Paladia stepped forward and looked at the two mercenaries who's fate was theirs to decide. "You two...you were payed to attack us? Here and back in the mountains?"

"Well, yes. We're mercenaries, love. Weren't supposed to let onto that, but orders came last night by messenger, while we were already licking are wounds, and were told to finish the job with whatever skills we could muster. I figure the gig is up now though, and it's best we get the hell out of here before our employer comes looks and wants the half that he paid us back...."

"Right....so if you could just let us go," piped in the other, but was silenced by both the elf and and his comrad.

"You two...three...will stay with us for a while. I want to find out exactly what's going on," Paladia said with a final tone, her gaze shifting to Kaelen and Mana. The elf was bewildered, yet interested, in how this strange dark elven woman knew the mercenary. And why the mercenary betrayed his fellows.

phew thought Isaraldor. As he got up using his staff, he went over towards the man to put him out of his misery but upon, seeing his sobbing face had pity on him. So he went towards the house to lean agaisnt its walls and wait for the conversation some people were holding to finish.

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Just as Brent looked up, her razor sharp dagger sunk into his large shoulder. Brent cried out at first, then seemed to loose consciousness. Terra knew it was not an instantly fatal wound, and positioned her knee across the mans back in case it was a ploy to catch her off guard again, the carefully withdrew her dagger trying not to cause the man any more hurt, and clamped her other hand over the wound to help slow the bleeding.

Terra's thoughts were that this man may yet be redeemable as she wiped the blade on his already tunic, then replaced it in its sheath as she called for aid.

"We have an injured man over here!"

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Kaelan walks up to the speaking mercenary, and slaps him on the back. "Face it. Money doesn't come that easy outside of your dreams." That is dealt with, now he approaches the elf who seems to be taking control, and who obviously carries a bow, and finally removes the arrow from his shoulder, extending it toward her with the tip pointing upward. "I believe you lost this." His voice bears neither humor nor anger, as his emotion stands directly betwixt the two.

The fight seems to be over, but Mimi is still sitting on her roof, looking down.

Paladia looked Kaelen over with a skeptical eye until, finally, taking the arrows with a sigh and tucking it into her quiver. Quietly, she murmured, "I'm sorry you were....in the fray...I was just trying to defend us. My name is Paladia and thank you for your aid...but I do wish to know more of this 'job' you're comrads speak of."

Pellagra opened the door slowly and saw that things seemed to have settled down. Looking back at the blacksmith's son, she snapped, "Get up boy...and dont look like such a drunkard." With that the old woman left the cottage and rushed to Brent, looking at Terra and then back to the comatose man. Cole groaned and sniffed himself, quite sure that he wasn't hung over. But yet, the young man felt horrible and was compelled to retch. He, having been untied by the woman, wobbled to his feet and came to the door, sheilding his eyes from the midday sun.

Cole spotted Brent, lying face down on the soil with a blood soaked tunic, and dashed as well as he could to his father. "What? What happened? Why....what's going on!?" he cried before falling to his knees and holding his head with the barrage of dizziness. "Why does my head hurt so much?"

Terra watches as the old woman rushes toward her and the fallen Brent, keeping a measure of weight on his back to keep him from moving should he wake. Terra is beginning to worry about severity of the wound as she kept her bloody hand clamped tight over it trying to stem the tide of blood as best she could. When the old woman stopped and looked at her then down at Brent, Terra spoke calmly but urgently.

"He took my dagger to his shoulder. It looks bad, but it would need to be mended quickly or he may bleed out and die. Unfortunately I do not know how to do this, can you or one of the others do it?"

Terra caught sight of the young man trying to dash toward them, then stop asking what happened before falling to knees apparently dizzy, and asks why his head hurts. Terra looked to him and could tell by the dizzy confused look in his eyes that he had taken a blow to the head.

"It would seem you were struck in the head. Try not to move too much."

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Edited by: Terra Artemos at: 2/11/05 16:36

With the arrow out of his sight and her apology, Kaelan's humor returns, as far as it has ever existed. "And well you did. If the first one had missed me, the second one wasn't planning on it. Guess I'm lucky that one warned me the other was coming." He is grinning lightly now. With a wave of his hand, he motions toward the woman he had struck in battle. "She knows more than any of us. We'll worry about that when we've got this mess" he motions toward the chaos left over from the fight "cleaned up. Until then..."

He turns his attention to the dark elf, now that every thing else is taken care of. As he is doing so, he notices some of the people fussing over one of their opponents. This seems odd, to him. The man would have killed the red-haired woman without thought, yet she acts as though his death was unacceptable. As a former soldier, this makes sense only if the perpetrator must be captured alive, but what was given then wasn't this degree of tender, loving care. Kaelan stops near them for a second, before stating, "Shouldn't you be worrying about your friends first?" He motions toward the dark elf, who has obviously sustained some serious damage.

Mana’s eyes flicker away from Brent, turning an incredulous look to the warrior whom, it seemed, had not recognized her even the least bit. “Friend?” He couldn’t be serious, “You must be joking.“ She added in a quieter tone before clamping a hand over the cut and walking stiffly away. The others could worry about whoever they wanted as far as the dark elf was concerned, she could treat this wound by herself.

Deorheort snorted anxiously when his rider slipped into the den, closing the door firmly and walking the length of the room to where the stallion lingered. “You hush, I’m in no mood for your immaturity Deorheort. “ She snapped as she stripped off the leather riding gloves, tucking them away before leaning heavily against her mount to lessen the weight on her injured side.    

Cole held his head miserably and stared through glazed eyes at his downed father. "I dont understand what happened. I remember...we were at the tavern. With friends...and Atreyk. Then...not sure. I know that a few days later there was...erm...Atreyk wanted us to go hunting. Father didn't want to at first but changed his mind. Then...my mind is full of holes." Cole groaned and shut his eyes tightly.

Meanwhile, Paladia, along with Shanvorin, dragged the mercenary that Kaelan had pointed out and proceeded to tie her up along with a few other comatose ones. Leaving Shanvorin to take care of the mercenaries, the elf goes to the mage that had helped them. She bows graciously and introduces herself as Paladia. "We greatly appreciate you for you efforts, mage. In matters of repayment I'm not sure what can be offered but I'm sure something can be arranged..."

Pellagra nodded in Kaelens direction and said quietly, though harshly, "A person is a person, young man, and as a healer I've the right and responsability to treat each and every one of them. But you've a point. Miss it would be best--" but the herbalist was cut off when Mana stalked off.

Once inside, the dark elf showed a slight sign of weakness. From within the shadows of the den there was a sound of something moving.

"We greatly appreciate you for you efforts, mage. In matters of repayment I'm not sure what can be offered but I'm sure something can be arranged..."

"No need to repay me Paladia. My name is Isaraldor. Is there anything else i can try and help your group with?"  

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Kaelan shrugs at the response, and then moves to find the dark elf. Something seems familiar with her. What is her name? It mildly annoys him that he has forgotten. She isn't that hard to find, though, as he follows where she has gone, stopping a good distance away as he sees her leaning against her mount.

It took several moments but she finally registered Kaelan's presence and straightened. "Is there something you want?" She questioned as she began to shuffle through the saddlebags. Bloody it was a mess, someone must have been through them when she was in Atreyk's hideout. Hopefully they didn't steal anything important.  

The young man, Cole, if she recalled the name the old woman had called him by during the brief stand off, complained that he could not understand or remember what happened. Terra speaks comforting words, though in a level cool voice, to try and help him relax and not aggravate his head injury.

"That is not uncommon. Your memory will return eventually. For not just try to focus on being still or you will aggravate it and it will only cause you more pain."

The a man that had not been part of the group she came upon approached and made a comment about tending to 'friends' first, to which Terra could not agree more with the old womans response. Her beliefs did not allow her the absolution of seeing the enemy as pure evil, perhaps some are, but among them are always those who can be redeemed, those who follow out of fear or misguided loyalty, and believed Brent to be one of these. When the old woman stopped mid sentence Terra finished it.

"To tend the other wounded first. I understand. If you can find be something to use as a bandage, I can try to use my knowledge of wounds to bandage the wound and with luck give him time to be tended properly. My knowledge in this area is vary limited, so I will not be able to do more, or ensure it will work."

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Kaelan wonders if maybe she is offended at his lack of recognition. "It seems I should be recognizing you from somewhere."

Edited by: Warrior Kaelan at: 2/16/05 0:40

Pellegra nodded to Terra. "That's much appreciated, miss. I have many bandages inside but," the old woman looked down at Brent. "I need more hands than I have at the ready. Where is that Mimi gone off to? I should pray to the gods that that child hasn't dreamt of getting into mischeif at a time such as this."

Paladia bowed, "Thank you. As for help, I couldn't say for sure..." At that moment, Dominic came up with a cloth drying his hands. His neck was still red with anger as he stalked around.

"This is insanity!" he finally burst out, Paladia watching him carefully, "This needs to be stopped. That bastard. Look what he's done! Cole is out of his mind and Brent nearly lost his life. Two honest, good men."

"Doesn't seem like it anymore," Paladia murmured dryly, recalling how stubborn Cole was to please Atreyk.

"See, thats the thing. They aren't the type to just go along with something like this. This takes ---"

"You're a mage," Paladia cut in suddenly as she turned back to the newcomer, "Could Atreyk control those two men? Against their will?" The thought in itself made Paladia feel physically sick.

"Could Atreyk control those two men? Against their will?"

"Yes, indeed he can. Would you like my help in capturing him?" replied the mage. He had been tuaght about mind control in Ximax.  

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

She retrieved a leather pouch from the saddlebag before turning to Kaelan, "Yes, you should have recognized me from Helente, we met there not long ago. My name is Mana if it is any help." And if it wasn't she would just have to reacquaint herself, Mana added silently.  

Abruptly the dark elf lowered herself to a sitting position against Deorheorts forelegs, gingerly peeling the edges of her tunic from her skin.When she became a little less intent on dabbing the wound with a dampened cloth she glanced up at Kaelan expectantly.  

Kaelan begins stressing his mind to remember, although in reality the name started a chain reaction that eventually brought most everything back. Suddenly, the memory comes back in a rush, and a light smile crosses his face. "Oh, yes. I do remember you. Manalkar. I suppose you were right to have accused me of thinking more with my blade than my brain."

Paladia's light red brows came together as she pondered the mage's reply. The elf, having been raised and trained by the honorable way of diplomacy and combat, hadn't the slightest of clues about magic and magic users. And quite honestly, the whole concept of conjuring and the like did not set well with the warrior.

"I see...." she began, looking Isaraldor over to try and judge his integrity and dependability. Sure, he was a magic user, but he had tried to help them. And surely, nobody who would help would wish to cause harm at the same time? "Your knowledge in the field would be greatly appreciated Isaraldor but of what interest do you have in this matter?"

Paladia looked to Dominic who seemed even more bewildered by the concept than her. "Magic? This is just getting too insane for my tastes, missus," he began slowly, rubbing his bruised knuckles, "But whatever the case, it has to be stopped. I know it is asking much but, well, I reckon you lot are the most likely help we'll be looking to getting for some time. Not many warriors such as yourselves come to villages such as these. What are you doing here, anyway?"

Paladia often thought that herself. Why indeed were they in Nepris? Of course, it never took long for her to remember the importance of her quest, especially with the mysterious shingar never far off. "Business to attend to," Pally replied curtly, if not coldly, and the Tethinrhim quickly made her way over to Pellegra and the strange woman that had appeared, also lending them a hand. They were fussing over Brent's condition and Cole didn't seem in much improved shape.

Edited by: Luca the Thief at: 2/22/05 5:38

"Your knowledge in the field would be greatly appreciated Isaraldor but of what interest do you have in this matter?"

"To learn. This is a great oppurtunity to find some things out about mind control. Among other things that I could learn," responded Isaraldor. This was true. There were many things he could learn from traveling with a party who was chasing someone who used magic.

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Mimi still sits on the roof, watching all. The fight is finished, and her party has won. She is convinced, that her stones and cookies shooting has helped to her side to win. When Pellagra looks around as if she would searching something, she climbs down the roof,jumps to the ground and runs around the corner, looking for the big cat. Where is it? But then Pellagra sees her and calls her to help. Of course Mimi will help. She runs to her grandmother and asks for advice.

„Go and bring my yellow bag with the healing stuff and the bandages, Mimi, and then set a pot of water on the fire and bring it to boil!“

Mimi is quick, and Pellagra has soon her needed bandages. Back in the cottage, she hangs the pot on a hook over the fire and fills in water.Some more wood on the fire will help to accelerate the boiling!“ Then her task is done - for the moment. The water will take some time till it is hot enough to be used. She looks around and sees Nyari still sitting in her corner, shivering. She goes over, puts an arm around her, and says:

“The fight outside is over, Nyari, and we have won. do you want some tea? It should be ready by now, and I tell you, it helps.“

"Not this time. If you had still been thinking with your sword you would be quite dead by now." She replied casually before wincing. The medicine she had applied to her cut stung, but not so much anymore. Dropping the cloth and a now empty vial, Mana wiped her wet hands on her leggings before stretching them up toward Kaelan. "A little help up?" Mana was curious about what was going on outside, she could hear words but couldn't make them out. What was going to happen to Brent and Cole, she wondered.    

Terra glances up only breifly at one of the elf women as she approached appearing to watch the goings on, then turned her full attention towards keeping pressure on the wound. Terra moved her knee from Brents back so that she could use her weight to try and slow the bleeding, she was sure that he had lost enough blood already that he was quite unconcious. Her shoulders however were becoming sore from being driven to the ground as she was, and she was begining to have trouble keeping the pressure steady.

Pellagra called for someone, though Terra did not look she could here a girls voice asking what to do beside the woman, and having been given her tasks rushes off, so returning with what the woman sought, and going off again. Terra looks to the elder woman who had the bandages at hand.

"Leave me the bandages. I will do what little I can here, so you can tend to the others."

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Without hesitation, Kaelan takes Mana's hand and helps her to her feet.  

Nyari sniffed slightly and looked up at her peer. She never particularily liked Mimi. Nyari was a lot more quiet than she. But it seemed to the young girl that Mimi was, perhaps, the only one who understood her situation. The little girl got up slowly and shuffled, still silent, over to Mimi and waiting patiently for tea. The mood within the cottage was eerilly quiet and the tension of silence between the two was more than just a little awkward.

Pellegra looked Terra over and the lines around her mouth and eyes only brought out the wisened and grizzled look of the old healer. "On the contrary, I will care for Brent. I knew him even as a child and I think he would appreciate my own help more than yours, no offense, ma'am. Take these," she says, leaving little word in her voice for objection as she handed Terra a few of the bandages, "And see to the others. I fear for that elven woman, the not so kind one, and the wound she received. It may be beyond her own personal skill."

It was then that Paladia joined them, a stern look on her face. Pellegra noted that Pally was a determined and strong woman. But she was still young...even for an elf. "The mage," Pally begins, gesturing to the new member of their odd party, "Says that there is indeed a possiblity of mind control in this matter. I know little of magic but...well.....strange things indeed have been happening. I saw that Atreyk fellow fiddling with something so maybe...."

Cole's head shot up at Paladia's words and, after a groan of regret, began speaking wildly, "That damned amulet! He wouldn't stop waving it around. I bet....I bet.....Ooooh,  my head," and before the young man could continue, he passed out, once again, on the damp grass.

Shan was watching from the sidelines, the shingar stationed alongside the comatose and injured mercenaries. He occasionally checked to see if they were concsious, but the shingar figured that even they were, that they would stay still with him nearby. To be entirely honest, this whole ordeal was too much for Shan. He really couldn't care less about this stupid little town and the bad-guys that hung around. People had to learn to fend for themselves. The shingar paused in thought a moment and glanced at the Tethinrhim that was helping him. "Mind is a special case" he convinced himself, not liking the concept of guilt.

For a moment she swayed lightly on her feet, then seemed to regain her balance long enough to wrap a bandage securely around the folded cloth she used to staunch the bleeding. Mana took a deep breath before pulling her stained tunic back down, over the wound. It wasn’t the best treatment, far from it in fact, but she was sure it would do well enough to prevent infection or any serious damage the cut might progress to. At least she hoped it would.  

“Let’s see what the others are doing.” She suggested with only the slightest tinge of enthusiasm, although she did want to know what those outside were going to do now. Perhaps Mana would stay with them if the group decided to intervene with Atreyk.

She clasped a hand on Kaelan’s shoulder, though whether it was for supporting herself or dragging the warrior along as she moved out the door was not clear.  

"Tis strange, Virecrest" said the little orc. He had been tracking the footsteps of a huge wild cat for many days now. Ever and anon it was accompanied by the tracks of other species. What's more, it was a huge cat...think of what others would say, if he, Forkedheart, caught such a cat!
But he could not overcome the oddity of another person with the cat at all times. What was at first a hunt, was now a quest to explain a puzzle. Why would such a beast tolerate

"Ewman's" he muttered. "Why?"

A town was not far ahead. The tracks led in that direction. He rode up, wondering if he would find the cat.

As the trail grew closer to the village, more and more tracks of different animals and people showed-but he soon found the cats footprints again in the muddle. He saw, not too far ahead, a herbal shop, and what looked like the remnants of a battle.

He rode up to the people. "Here Ewman's, what happened here?"

And to his everlasting embarrasment, Firecrest shook like a dog, making Fork fall into the dust.

He leapt up and shouted at the Drake "You voolish beast! What you go and do that vor!???"

Edited by: Forkedheart at: 2/28/05 22:09

Mimi couldn‘t stand the tight tension anymore, and so she got up and fetched some cookies from a box. She wasn‘t allowed to do this, but Pellagra would surely understand. She gave two to Nyari,and kept two for herself.

“Take these, Nyari, they are from Ilbeth, chololate cookies, you surely like them. And they help as well, if you are feeling bad.“

Then she pulls two dices out of her pocket and asks:

“Want to play?“

Kaelan does not release her hand until she is solidly on her own feet, and then turns so that he is not facing her directly as she finishes covering the wound.

As they head back toward the others, he checks his left arm as it starts to rise to her back in an attempt to help support her. Had it been a fellow soldier, he would have done it as he has done before, but he has no idea how she might react to it, or how others might interpret it, and forces his arm back down. In so doing, the nerves on it are suddenly ignited by a shocking feeling, all throughout the lower half of the arm, but he makes no more notice other than to squint lightly.

Terra resorted to using both hands, as her shoulders began throbbing with the pain of getting knocked to the ground, to keep adiquite pressure on wound to stem the flow of blood when the elder healer responds that she would care for the man. Terra was to check on the elf woman that seemed to be wounded, and she seemed to remember her going into the cottage. With her hands covered in blood Terra dared not to take the bandages handed to her, and looked up to the elf woman standing over them.

"Would you mind taking the bandages? I do not wish to get them bloody."

Terra waits till the elder healer was ready to start her work before removing her hands from the wound, then looks to her.

"Is there somewhere I could wash my hands before attending to other?"

Then as she waits a reply she looks back up at the elf woman.

"Given what I observed to the man,  Atreyk, I would think a greavious threat, intimidation, or trap of the promise of power would be more common meathods used by such a man to control others against their will. Although other unseen forces are sometimes used too, though I am sceptical of the use of such things in this case."

Terra almost seemed to be speaking the words more towards Cole than to the elf woman standing above them.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Herald had been wandering around lackadaisically for some time now. He wasn't sure where he was going, but everyone he had talked to so far had sent him in a different direction. Herald really hadn't eaten in several hours, and was beginning to feel rather faint, so he stumbled about until he found someone willing to tell him where the local herbalist was. After stumbling about languidly a bit more he reached the herbalist's abode, and knocked on the door.

The woman let him in and he told her his symptoms, the lack of zest, the sluggish disposition, the exhaustion, the whole nine peds. The herbalist gave him some sort of herbal remedy and told him to go through a door in the back and lie down for a bit. Herald went back and stretched out on the cot, soon drifting off into a deep sleep.

Edited by: Herald the Bombastic at: 3/2/05 0:13

Nyari scratched her nose and looked at the cookies, taking them and nibbling off a peice. The crumbs stuck to her little lips but the child wasn't particularily enthusiastic to eat at the moment. Looking at the dice, Nyari heaved a heavy sigh, which, coming from a child, could be described as one of the saddest sounds known to the sympathetic ear. She nodded, somewhat begrudgingly, and sat on the floor. Before they began to play, Nyari sniffed at the air. Through the already musty smell of an old woman's cottage and the thick scent of drying herbs was a stronger smell. It was not unfamiliar to Nyari, though it took a moment for her to place, since it was a commonly used herb used in sleeping infusions. The infusion, when prepared and left to breathed in, set a man or woman into an even deeper sleep and was usually used to ease the pain of a troubled patient who deserved a good long sleep. "Why is Ma'am Dorgren seeping that herb in'oo the air? Has she a patient?" the little girl asked, knowing well that the herbalist wasn't unknown to keeping a soul overnight to watch over their progress.

Meanwhile, outside, the herbalist nodded to Terra. "There is a wash basin just outside there," she said, nodding in the general direction of Shan who stood guard over the few mercenaries they had dragged over. Not far from the great cat was a barrel and a scoop for fresh water. "Dominic, we'll need you here for a moment," the herbalist called over to the large sailor who was looking over the mercenaries with a look of pure contempt on his face. The two were familiar with each other, like everybody was in a small town such as Nepris, and Dominic knew that he hadn't much of a choice when Pellegra asked for his help. The sailor came over and took Terra's place, holding the wound with a steady and strong arm. He nodded grimly at Terra to discharge the woman of the somewhat un-ladylike task and then flashed a sincere smile, causing his bushy red beard to bristle out from his face.

Shan was bored. He looked down at the mercenaries and then over to his scattered party and then up at the sky. As his blue eyes scanned over the grassy hills that led up into the mountains, he spotted something. It appeared to be a very ill-proportioned rider and horse. But it was the shingar's sharp eyes that defined the figure as it was before anyone else could have. An orc! Of course Shanvorin had heard of orcs. Everybody had. They were uncouth, malice and evil things with no morals or taste. The cat growled, which made one of the mercenaries pale instantly in his supposed sleep, and Shan took several steps forward. The shingar made some deep throated sounds as the orc approached and, to his wonderment, spoke not half-bad Tharian. And then even more to Shanvorin's wonderment, fell.

The shingar pawed impatiently at the ground and scrutinized Forkedheart, and his less than orthodox mount. "What on Ava's sweet soil is an orc doing around here? With a drake no less."

"BY THE ORCAL!" cried Fork when he saw the shingar. He had been hunting a huge cat he knew, but he was a little taken aback by it when he actually saw it. The jet black creature was watching him with an unfriendly eye-something that the little orc was well accustomed to.

"Well," he said, "now that I've vound yew, I'd best vigure out the rest ov my reedle." He strode over to an elf fellow with a staff and declared "I am Vorkedheart, hunter and drake master! Yew lewk like a majeek man. Is that great cat yewrs?" he asked, pointing the shingar.

Edited by: Forkedheart at: 3/2/05 3:56

"I am Vorkedheart, hunter and drake master! Yew lewk like a mageec man. Is that great cat yewrs?" he asked, pointing the shingar.

He looked at the orc that called himself "Vorkedheart", which he assumed actually meant "Forkedheart." He knew orcs were usually ferocious, but this one seemed to be not like other orcs. Being slightly cuatious he begins speaking to Forkedheart. "No, he is part of the group. I'm not sure whether I'm in or not, but I think they will be in need of my services. Tell me, what brings an orc like you to a place like this?"

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

"I am a big hunter" said Forkedheart importantly, puffing out his chest. "I hunt the beeg cat; except, the beeg cat always travel with people: it means strange theengs. Like majeek maybee. Not yewr cat, eh? Well, whew lead this group? Whew direct fight against wild ewmans? Whew follow and lead the big cat?"

He whistled for Firecrest to come over, and the drake stalked up behind him and nuzzled his helmeted head.

Illix felt like she'd been walking forever. She'd been travelling fairly aimlessly (as she was prone to do) until she'd come across some very strange tracks one day. they Looked reptillian, but they were fairly large. What was even stranger was that underneath them were tracks of a group of people and a fairly large cat. She had no idea what it meant, not being very skilled at tracking, but she was fascinated. She decided to follow these tracks and find out what they could be. It only took her a day of walking however, as she quickly saw a small group of people, a large black cat and an orc with a large lizard. I must've found pretty recent tracks she thought as she walked closer.

As she approached the group she decided to listen in on what they had to say, just in case they proved to be... unfriendly.

Here I go, playing the Hero again...

Another person after the shingar? Just how much was this cat worth anyway, Mana wondered absently to herself as she adjusted her weight to her better leg. Now that most of the excitement had calmed to a point where she could look at the situation in perspective she had to admit her curiousity about the majority of the individuals gathered nearby. Some things just didn't fit. "Do you have any idea about this group, and the cat?" Mana asked Kaelan in a hushed voice, still eyeing the orc and his drake a ways off.  

Herald slowly opened his eyes, revealing a nice wooden ceiling. He raised himself out of the cot with the utmost care and proceeded to stretch and yawn. Herald walked out of the little back room, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up, as he did so. He wondered why the door was wide open, and walked over to it. He looked out and surveyed the landscape... it appeared there had been a fight. But, his scanning was abruptly interupted by the sighting of a beast of a cat. Herald neared fainted from shock, but caught himself, it must be his eyes! There are no cats that big, he told himself. Herald reached up and rubbed his eyes, then proceeded to look back up and promptly fall flat on his back, noticably unconscious.

Edited by: Herald the Bombastic at: 3/2/05 5:55

Not yewr cat, eh? Well, whew lead this group? Whew direct fight against wild ewmans? Whew follow and lead the big cat?" Said Forkedheart. He then whistled for his drake to come over, and the drake stalked up behind him and nuzzled Forkedheart's helmeted head.

As the drake came over he take a slightly defensive posture just in case. You never know he thought and then responded to Forkedheart, "No, the cats not mine, don't exactly know who leads this group but you can ask her," he then points towards Pellegra. "Her name is Pellegra. The people you see around you were the ones that fought agasint those humans, including me, and for your last question you will have to ask Pellegra."

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Kaelan shook his head and shrugged lightly, responding in an only slightly higher level of volume. "All I know is that we were sent as an ambush. I wasn't told who, or why. Which is why I ended up turning against them."

Illix watched what was happening seemingly unnoticed. Suddenly she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Someone had fallen down quite suddenly, and he looked like he'd fainted. Illix quickly ran over to him to see if he was okay, and to do so she'd unintentionally run between (well, sort of pushed through) the orc and the mage who were having a delightful conversation about cake, or something, she wasn't really listening all that much.

"Are you okay, sir?" she asked the man who had fallen.

Here I go, playing the Hero again...

He had just been turning to the one called Pellegra when he was bowled over by a-

"Vemale Ewman!" he cried, leaping out of the dust. He jumped onto Firecrest and cried "No one knocks down Vorkedheart the Drake Rider!" Firecrest, seeing his master angry, snarled at the newcomer ferociously. How dare a female human do that him...

Herald's eyes slowly opened to the sound of a woman's voice. The elderly gentleman looked at his helper with kind eyes, gently smiling. He figured he must be in a dream, because the giant cat wasn't mauling him right now.

"Oh, it's nothing young lady. But, by Ava I could have sworn that I had seen a towering behemoth of a cat! It must just be these old eyes playing tricks on me," Herald said softly, looking up and continuing to smile.

Shan was....confused, to say the least. Since when were dinky little towns like Nepris so damn full of all-too-curious paserbys? The shingar, deciding that the orc wasn't too much of a thread, sat back on his haunches and overlooked the bizarre scene from the center.

Paladia was with Dominic and Pellegra. The elven woman seemed to be preoccupied with talking to the two about something in hushed tones and watching them tend over Brent than to notice the newcomers.

Mana and Kaelan, two strangers to the wildcat, were also chatting with hearts about as light as lead. The two were obviously colleagues of some sort and considering how they had come across the male mercenary, Shanvorin wasn't sure if he trusted either of them.

At the door of the cottage, a man was sprawled on the ground with a new woman hovering over him. It wasn't long until Nyari's little head peaked out from behind the door to look him over. His sharp hearing caught her asking, "What's wrong? If you're in the tendin' of Ma'am Pellegra, you ought not be wandering about without her word."

Shan looked back over the new orc and the mage who was talking to him. The shingar picked himself up and moved up to Forkeheart, sniffing curiously at the drake but keeping a safe distance from its obviously sharp teeth and equally unpleasant talons. The cat, not finding the orc much of a threat, let out a nonchalant yawn to reveal his pearly white fangs and long, lolling tongue.

Illix stared blankly at the elderly gentleman. "No, there's a giant black cat over there. See?" she said, pointing at the large feline. "He's the one with the big teeth, and large claws," then she added upon noticing the lizard, "and the Fur"

Mimi abandoned her tea and cookie and went after Nyari. Somehow she was angry, that the big man who had appeared suddenly out of the back room - the room she used to sleep, ignored her and Nyari entirely. That was not right. The new woman ignored Nyari as well, and that was even worse - the man had been at least in Pellagras care, and maybe he was a bit ill in the head. So she placed herself between the woman and the man, with ostentation ignoring her and saying to the man:

“Haven‘t you heard, what Nyari has said? If you're in the tendin' of Ma'am Pellegra, you ought not be wandering about without her word. I know, what happens, if somebody doesn't follow her advice, because I‘m living here. I really would say, go back to your - well my bed, otherwise she might be very angry with you!“

And the Mimi saw the drake,  fell silent, and grabbed the hand of the woman she wanted to ignore..

They are afraid, thought Fork. And people who are afraid become angry and fight. No, no fighting today. He wanted to understand. So he hops off his drake and strides over to the one called Pellegra.

"The cat" he asked. "Is it yewrs?"  

Never laugh at live Dragons you fool-A halflings proverb

Terra waits for a few moments for the elf womans response, and when it does not come she rises to her feet and makes her way over the the basin the healer had indicated to, and beguins washing the blood from her hands. It did not take long for the water in the basin to almost match the color of her hair. Terra has to fill the basin a second time to wash her hands clean, and when finished flip the water from her hands.

Turning back toward the healer, Terra saw an orc had aproached her. Terra felt a shadow of hate pass over her heart, she had developed a strong dislike for orcs during her time with the Kar'ii, but set it aside. Terra approaches keeping her eyes on the orc as she circles around the fallen man to where her MoonBlade lay on the ground. Terra picked it up and returned it to it's place before aproaching the healer and silently taking the offered bandages from her.

Terra then appreaches the group around the doorway to the cottage, looks to the female elf there and speaks in her cool tone.

"The healer asked me to check on you, and see if you needed any help with your wound."

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Pellegra utilized Dominics strength and Paladia's hands as she worked. Her gnarled hands worked quickly and deftly but Brent began to groan under the pain of his wound. Stopping shortly, the old healer pulled out a copper flask and unstopped the lid. The noxious smell of hardened rum stung at Pally's nose and she squinted. An old woman drinking that poison, she gawked. Pellegra caught the elf's grin and smiled, her wrinkles skrinching up around her face.

"Not to worry, child. I'm too old for this stuff. It's for Brent. Even a big man like him needs some good strong rum to ease the pain," she said, easing the flask to Brent's mouth. The partially conscience man sputtered but took a few mouthfuls, groaned, and subdued himself once again.

Pellegra got back to work on the injured man when the early afternoon sun was obscured by a shadow. "Out of the way will you," the old healer began, a sharp tang of impatience in her voice as she looked up to Forkedheart.

The grizzled old woman had met one or two orcs and she had to say that, though they were far from sophistacted or intelligent creatures, they weren't quite as inherently evil as the old stories seemed so eager to suggest. Still, Pellegra kept her wits and guard about her as she listed to his crude accent slur out a question:

"The cat. Is it yewrs?"

Paladia, spurred by the mention of the cat, turned her head with the roll of bandages in hand and proceeded to drop them with a light thud onto the ground. Both Dominic and Pellegra were eerily calm about the orcs presenc, and Paladia was quite simply at a complete loss for words.

All her life, all her training, all the elf had ever heard about orcs was that they were vicious, evil, stupid and lustful for death and blood. Yet...all this was instantly contradicted when the orc spoke, though somewhat haltingly, in Tharian. Pally's jaw slacked and she stared dumbly at the creature, in a kind of daze. Luckilly for her, the weathered old woman picked up the elf's slack.

"No, orc, that cats got no business with me. He came along with these folks," she began, nodding in the direction of the dumfounded elven archer, "What business have you with it?"

She accepted the Kaelan's words with a nod, she had been in similar situations herself and didn't question him further. Her gaze drifted to the others conversing with the newly arrived orc and concern etched itself on her features. Considering how she had first happened upon the elf and her cat companion earlier and acted coldly ever since Mana couldn't help but wonder about their impression of her. The expression was dropped when the woman approached and the dark elf reminded herself not to care about their opinion, they were still strangers and she didn't have much of anything to do them them, excluding the recent fight.

"My wound is fine." She responded in a similar tone, giving only a brief glance to Terra before focusing a blank gaze on the ground.    

Herald lifted his head up as the woman pointed, seeing the black cat come into his vision. The old man's head began to spin and he was getting dizzy, right there on the ground. His head fell back to the ground, making a soft thud. Herald's vision began to blur.

"Ah, I see," Herald managed to squeak out, as he managed to keep from slipping into unconsciousness again. "Did I mention that I have a great deal of disdain for felines."

Herald's head began to swim with visions of small critters of the cat variety as he slowly slipped into his own little world to escape the fear.

Illix stared blankly at the old man. This guy must be senile she thought. She looked over at where the orc and some of the others were standing and gave a little shout. "Hey, I think this old guy might need some help. He keeps fainting and mumbling to himself."

She then gave a small smile to the small child she'd found had gripped her hand, while at the same time she wondered if she might be a pickpocket.

Here I go, playing the Hero again...

Terra looks to the man beside the female elf and is about to ask if he needed help when she was interupted by a woman who had been standing in the doorway looking over an old man laying on the floor. Terra had at first payed little attention to him thinking he was being tended to, but now shifted his attention to him, and the woman looking over him, and spoke smoothly in her cool tone.

"The healer is busy tending someone else who was wounded very badly in the fighting. What seem to be wrong with him?"

It was then that Terra saw the little hand holding the womans. Despite the situation around her a whisp of a smile crossed her face as she looks down at the little girl, though she doubted the girl would notice her subtle expressions.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Nobody seemed to be afraid of any of the newcomers, be it man (man??) or beast, nor seemed it to be strange, that such unknown folks were around, so Mimi gained her composure back again, and because she had already made contact with the strange woman next to her, she tugged her sleeve again, quite demanding for a little girl and with considerable strength.

„You have to help him back to the bed, he is ill in the head. I smell it, Pellagra has given him herbs to get the brain cured! Come on! Help me!“

With that said and after a last pulling of the sleeve, she stepped behind the head of the man, bending down and trying to take his shoulders to pull him back into the room again - without success, of course. Then she decided, that the head would be enough, and puts her strong little hands (not very clean) under his head and his ears, thumbs under the chin (as she has learned it already, not with such a bulk of man though)  to see, if she can manage this way.

Illix grabbed the child's hands and pulled them away from the man's head. "Hey! Don't you know anything? If he's not well you can't be pulling on his neck and head like that!"

She then called back to the others "Could one of you help me carry him inside? I think he's unconcious."

Kaelan turns to where there seems to be a problem lifting something... or someone. With a glance toward Mana, he moves over to them, and pushes his way through them, until he is standing over an elderly man, unconscious. "Lift him?"

Kaelan bends over, takes the man under his arms, and picks him up, placing one arm under the man's knees and one under his shoulderblades.

Terra was about to move in and help the woman carry the unconscious man inside when the man with the wounded should barges through and proceeded to lift the man. Terra was as first amazed that the mans wounded shoulder could support the weight. Terra spoke up in a firm cool tone.

"I don't think you should be exerting your wounded shoulder like that. Trust me, any pain you feel now will only get much worse if you keep exerting it before it has healed."

Terra spoke from her own experience, and hoped this was not a useless effort of male ego.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Illix heard what Terra had said and noticed that the man's shoulder was indeed injured. She moved towards him and spoke. "She's right, here, give me some of the weight. I may not be able to lift him on my own, but you certainly shouldn't lift him on your own either."

Here I go, playing the Hero again...

"I am big hunter" explained the little orc importantly. "I find the tracks of a beeg cat, so I follow them. But all the tracks go with Ewman feet. Someone travel with the beeg cat? That's is strange. So I follow, and lewk for answers." He turned to the elf with fiery colored hair. "Yew? The cat be yewrs? He is special maybe? Your friend perhaps? Yew train him? I wish to understand. It is very strange...what is word...meesteree? Mistoree? Ach, strange word..." he fell into muttering and staring at the ground, unaware that Firecrest was pawing through nearby sacks looking for food.

Never laugh at live Dragons you fool-A halflings proverb

"I'd love a drink kind gentleman, but why go to the inn for drinks alone, you look rather... tired, if you understand my meaning..."

Oh I understand lovely lady. And a smile curled Darién’s lips with the thought. Follow me then. And Darién started padding towards the inn of the village which was only a few houses further. And may I ask your name pretty woman? And he stroked his strong fingers over the woman’s but in a o so playful manner.

ISARALDOR:

The criminal failed to squeeze the alarm out of his sliced throat. His eyes opened widely as he gazed helplessly at the elf-mage standing in front of him. He had dropped his sword with a loud clang and had grabbed his bleeding throat. The live was flowing out of him and all he could speak where gurgling sounds. He coughed up blood and had fallen to his knees. His vision blurred slowly turning dark. The last thing he saw was the elf covered in his own blood. Blood squeezed out of his neck painted the floor, The wall and his opponent. He dropped down with his nose on the floor in front of Isaraldor’s feet. The light went out. He was dead.

Edited by: Darien Gulath at: 5/16/05 17:44

Isa managed to stop the yell. The price was that the sword the man was carring made a clabbering sound and he had killed yet another mercenary. Plus, he was now stained with blood. Great, now I definately won't be found out about. Isa stood there watching the man dying, then lie still. He pulled the man underneath the stairs, and used his clothes to hastily mop up the blood as best as he could. He then tossed it back underneath the stairs.

Isa grabbed the sword in his left hand and gripped the stained knife in his right. The sword was just a prelimanary strike, he intended to drop the sword after he made a swing with it. Isa then hid underneath the staircase, using his excellent ears to listen if someone else was drawing closer.

sig made by gararion

Can you withstand my eternal onslaught of wind and water?
Isaraldor Glamthail-Santharia

Edited by: isaraldor glamthail at: 5/16/05 23:10

Illix felt the hand on her rear and inside she wanted to cut the man's hand off, along with another choice body part...

But she showed no sign of this, and simply leaned in closer and purred to Darien "Well, you can call me whatever you want Darien, but my real name is Rose"

She stayed close to him as they walked towards the inn, one hand wrapped around his waist and resting in a similar position on him to his own hand hand on her, and her other hand fanning her face in that slow, sexy way...

Here I go, playing the Hero again...

They travel swiftly through the forest back to where Terra and Mana had seen the smashed boat. The big man seemes winded from the pace and leanes against a tree for a quick rest. Terra though the trip was a little more dificault for her than it seemed for the elf is still within her endurance and scans the area causiously incase there is an attacker lurking in the forest. The elf seem to pick up the trail quickly and heads back into the forest, Terra followed though again she had a harder time moving through the brush then the elf. It was as if the forest willfully allowed the elf to pass, where it snagged and grabbed at Terra slowing her progress. The elf slowed only slightly to allow her and the big man to keep up.

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Paladia led them through the brush until they stopped finally in the thinning edge of the wooded area, not far from a small house with a hefty supply of firewood stacked at an angle along one side. A man around the back was resting on a short stool whittling at a peice of wood while a thick peice of hobbitweed was soothingly packed between his bottom lip and teeth. Smoke lightly curled up from the tiny smokestack and nothing seemed particularily out of order.

Dominic huffed up behind Paladia, now panting and the fiery red of his beard was damp with sweat. "The tracks....they lead....here?" he staggered between breaths. The sailor sighed and looked to Terra and seemed to straighten all of a sudden, though is chest still heaved with each breath. "That can't be right," he continued, "This is Stephen's house...he doesn't do nothing but cut would for us, he wouldn't go about housing---" Dominic cut himself off as the man with the snuff spit masterfully and turned to go back inside. Reaching behind him, the man heaved a large sword up and reattached the menacing weapon onto his belt and moved on inside.

"Right....a woodcutter's house no longer," Pally muttered, inspecting the area. The lumberjack's wagon for delivering wood was looking very unused on the front lawn. "When was the last time anybody ever saw him?" Dominic could only shake his head.

"I've been out of town for the past month and half that. I wouldn't know. The old boy never really did leave his house much, kept to himself, you know?"

Shan let out a bit of a sigh when Paladia went off to save the day. She was good at that. The cat stretched out, digging his front claws into the dirt and raking along the soil as Shan's ebony black tail whipped out behind him. Shan let out a yawn, a long pink tongue lolling about between sets of vicious white teeth. His muscles rippled about under his flesh as Shan sat back down, looking up to Kaelan who was watching him.

Shan's intelligent, bright blue eyes stared up at the mercenary for a moment, scrutinizing him, before slipping down to his captured companions. One of the mercenaries, whom Shan recalled the woman referring to as Daryl, sneered at the cat. Shan sneered back, licking his lips for emphasis, before setting his large head down on paws the size of dinner plates.

Suddenly, a smell afronted Shan's keen nose. It was sweet and tempting with a hint of spice and a sultry, warm aroma. It lingered on the breeze for a moment, tickling at whiskers before rushing into his sinus' with each breath. Pellegra was baking.

Why the old hag would bake at this time was beyond Shanvorin, but the spiced sweet rolls, probably with a dollop of creamed icing, was too much to resist; especially considering all he had eaten for the past few months was raw rabbit. The shingar stepped slowly past the mercenaries who, by now, could also smell the scrumptious treats being created, and peaked a large, furry head through the door.

Despite the effort of keeping up with  Paladia, Terra was not nearly as winded as Dominic, though she was breathing heavier. Terra listened intently to Dominic and Paladia as they discussed the small house, as she also appraised the house, and watched the big man go inside. When Dominic and Paladia had finished Terra glanced to Paladia, and then back to the small house.

"Well, I am guessing we will have to fight him out. There must be at least two men in there, and with what I have seen of the happenings around this village, I doubt they are just going to turn the mage over because we asked them to."

Terra then turned to Dominic who seemed to know a lot about the area and may know some details about this small house that would be handy as well.

"Do you know anything about this house its self? Where do you think they would be keeping the mage?"

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

ZERIGRON:

Hidden between the leaves he watched the people move… Hearing every word spoken by them. If they could only know what kind of ambush it was awaiting for them. Not 2 men. More like 15 men. Including Bolthor and Radirez. Darién had ordered them to await in a ambush guarding the woodcutters house that was now more like a small fortress… They could’ve slain 20 men before even losing the element of surprise… And then they appear with only 3 people? “This must be a damn joke” Where Zherigron’s thoughts. And he slowly continued dipping his arrows in the fierce poison to fire off any fatal shots. From his height he could also see the 4 archers still located at the roof. And he wondered where Radirez his men where hidden.  

Edited by: Darien Gulath at: 5/25/05 17:25

"Do you know anything about this house its self? Where do you think they would be keeping the mage?"

Dom stood for a moment, scratching at his face through the coarse bristle of his beard. "I've lived in this town my whole life and since I was old enough to spot a pretty girl, I've been sailing. Granted, when I was a strapping young lad, I used to help rebuild Old Grammon's old house. The elder fellow watched us boys like hawks he did, as we built. Hard work for a young guy it was, out in the sun--" Dominic took a cue from Paladia who was staring at him, not looking too impressed. "Anyway, the plans he gave us were old. I mean old. Could barely read them. Same layout as most the other houses around here, really. I guess it's just what worked, so people stuck with it." Paladia was glaring now and the sailor cleared his throat. "What I'm getting at is that there's a chance, and a chance I mean, that there's a stair just by that back door there leading up to an attic or loft. It's none big for a room or nothing, but you could sit a few men up there though not so good comfortable."

Paladia nodded. "It's not much, but I guess it will have to do. And if that's all we know other than what we can see with our own eyes, then we just make do." The set up and numbers were so much different than what Pally was used to. Her training in the sense of group versus group had always been on the defensive; taking care of intruders. Never the offensive. She stared at what they could see. Four archers, on the roof. Not a big deal. The distance was nothing Pally couldn't handle. She just had to be quick and good enough so not to give them a chance to return fire or, should she get her hopes up, alert the others. And Paladia's skill with a bow was nothing to be underestimated, she thought with pride, twanging at her bow string in thought.

The numbers of the armed men was something she wasn't so sure about. She assumed there would be a good group inside the small cottage. Having seen both Terra and Dominic from the corner of her eye in battle, she figured the both of them capable of handling their fair share. But would it be enough?

They were all looking at her. Sweat beaded on her brow in thought. "If there are too many armed men, they'll get hurt. Will they listen to me? They want to listen to me. Why do they want to listen to me?" she thought, her fingernail clicking at the bow string. Paladia bit her lip and looked up at them. "But I need that mage"

"Okay...I think, if I can take the archers out quickly we might be okay with the others. I should hope I could take them out silently, but it would be hard," Pally silenced, waiting for their reaction. A little bit inside of her wanted one of the others to come up with a better idea. To tell her what to do.

OOC: Will be hard to post for an regularly for an indefinite amount of time.

Kaelan, out of sheer curiousity, watches the big cat step toward the building, and follows it, at a fair distance. Something about the smell of someone baking... something, he'd had little experience with this kind of thing first-hand, although he'd smelled this before, intrigued the creature, who seemed tame enough. Kaelan moves closer, but not within reach of the creature.

Why do you ask?

Terra listens intently to Dominic's story, though Paladia did not seem all that impressed. Terra knew that such details so long passed must be difficult to recall at will, and so decides to let him work through it, and search his memory aloud for the details he is trying to recall. Finally he manages to remember that there may be a set of stairs by the back door that leads to an attic or loft. It is not so much the possibility of the stairs that sticks to her mind, though that very well may be where they are keeping the mage, it is the possibility of the back door if he wasn't. Paladia seems uncertain, and so Terra decide to speak up.

"I don't like how lightly guarded it seems from here, it's just does not seem right some how. Had this house been along a more busy route I could see them trying to stay out of sight, but this woodcutter does not seem the type to have such travel near his house. I would suspect that the apparently light guard is meant to draw us into some sort of a trap. We have gotten ourselves in  Atreyk's way, he is likely trying to remove us as an obstacle to whatever agenda he has, and knows we will not allow. The mage was likely convenient bait for a trap."

Terra pauses to think for a moment, then continues.

"I think its best to come at the house from behind, and with any luck we may be able to catch any men waiting for us by surprise. Dominic, if those stairs are there, do you thing you can handle any men that may be up in that loft? I will be no good at fighting in such a tight space as you described, and that would leave us to handle anyone on the main level."

*OOC* Pally, I don't think we are supposed to know about the archers yet. But when they do come into play leave one for me. I have plans as discussed in IRC for one, and shooting him with an arrow will just add insult to insulting injury.  

---

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Edited by: Terra Artemos at: 5/29/05 18:42