Riders of Aternia (O/A)

[Familiar Crow]

✖ Prince Wilhelm Forger ✖

They say we are what we are
But we don't have to be
I'm glad to hate you but I do it in the best way
I'll be the watcher of the eternal flame
I'll be the guard dog of all your fever dreams

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Wilhelm looked over as two others introduced themselves. Hella and Loxias. Wilhelm wondered if Loxias would mind if he called him 'Nutmeg' instead. He decided he'd only do that if Loxias referred to him as 'Cherry'. Karga must have been hungry to be giving folks food related nicknames. Hella and Loxias seemed far too glum for his tastes. Maybe they were just tired or scared. Wilhelm figured that between him, Aura, and Karga, they'd be able to loosen the two up.

As the group approached the camp, Wilhelm noted all the dead animals and...a wolf and a dragon. Was it normal to address wolves as people, he wondered, watching as the presumed leader of their party went up to speak with the wolf. He hadn't paid the elf much mind up until now, though her demeanor was enough for him to guess who she was. She must have been Eleniel...or a circus elf given her dramatics, which seemed to upset Karga a great deal and the horse. He'd read somewhere that she was a princess. Technically that put him on the same level as her politically, although since she was a rider and a dozen times her elder, he supposed he should act as if he were just a normal brat...which was true. Here he was just an apprentice. He was surprised that she was leading such an expedition, or even part of one, being who she was. Being a rider changed a lot of rules, it seemed. He glanced towards Karga, who still seemed quite irritated, and decided he would stick with the man rather than the elf. He trusted Karga, even though he'd barely just met him. This elf? Not so much. She'd not only upset the horses, but a dragon. That didn't seem too smart.

Wilhelm blinked at the instructions to make food. That wasn't in his skill set. Wilhelm dismounted nonetheless and led his horse over to the edge of the camp where he supposed would be as good a spot as any to start hitching the horses. Holly was well enough trained to know not to wander off if her lead was flipped a certain way. He gently pat the horse, whispering into her mane before taking an apple from his pocket and feeding it to her. Yes, he spoiled the silly thing. "Try not to bite the others, alright? The other horses aren't like you, so behave. I've got sugar if you do and I'll even get you something nice at the next town we stop in, alright?" Holly huffed, but seemed to say 'ok' with the glance she gave him. "What do you think of them, hmm? Strange lot we are, but at least most of them seem friendly, right?" Wilhelm smirked and went to join the others again.

He'd just returned when Karga was giving different instructions, ones that Wilhelm liked much better. He could care for a horse. He couldn't cook a meal without burning it. He went over to Holly again and started to give her a proper rub down. Once that was done, he combed out her mane and tail, then cleaned her hooves. It was simple work that he liked. His brother had taught him how to care for horses back when he was quite small. Holly had been just a little filly then, barely trained and certainly not even a glimmer of the lithe warhorse she would become.

He was drawn out of his memories as Karga spoke again, asking where they came from. It was an answer he'd rehearsed many times over, "I'm from the capitol. My father's a merchant there, or was. I haven't heard from him in a while. He might have retired." Wilhelm looked away and continued to care to Holly, "I went to the same academy as Aura and I am fairly certain I've seen Loxias, but I was usually buried in books so who knows." he fell silent then as Holly started to try and eat his hair. Right. Not too many details. Shut up.

He finished tending Holly and looked over at the others, "Anyone need help? I've been doing this for ages so I can teach you so you can do it by yourself next time." Even as he spoke, Holly was still trying to eat his hair. At least she was gentle about it. He figured it was her way of being motherly and kissing him. If she'd wanted to yank out his hair and actually eat it, she would. She'd done that to one of the boy's who'd bullied him when he'd first gone to the academy. She'd also broken the boy's arm and collar bone in retaliation for him giving Wilhelm a black eye and broken rib. Yes, she was a good horse.

[kyounkun]

Christopher VincentSoams

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. Roka and their leader walked off into the woods, leaving the rest to their own devices. If the two dragon riders required help, they would let them know. Evren was talking about setting up camp and getting the horse settled, so that's what he would do. Sliding off the horse, he led it about ten feet from where Evren tied up his own and wrapped a rope around the base of a tree. Unlike the others, who seemed to actually know a bit about their horses, he knew nothing. The stables groom may have mentioned it but it was something he didn't really care for. The horse would follow his command either way, regardless if they shared some small bond. Pulling the saddle down and placing it off to the sides, he started on the blankets and mats. The linens were quite thick and made of what he assumed was yarn and would make sleeping for the night somewhat pleasant, if they actually got any sleep that is.

He thought about grooming the stallion, brushing him to get rid of any ticks or fleas that may be trying to hide in its mane. It didn't seem to likely if leader's voice was anything to go by. She seemed frazzled, probably from whatever that stench was. The ominous warning of not harming the trees due to some illness contaminating it didn't seem to help matters either. After his horse was properly tied off and secured, he wandered around looking for suitable fire wood. There was plenty of twigs and tinder but nothing that looked suitable to hold a fire over night. The best course of action would be to take one of the larger chunks and cut it down a bit, just to avoid a forest fire. Turning the entire thing to ash would certainly be a bad thing.

" I come from a small farming village about 60 leagues away from the capitol. I recognize Loxias from the academy but no one else." Wilhelm was a face he was certain he had never seen before this excursion. To be fair, he didn't exactly notice most people at the academy. He figured based on statistics, most of those faces he would never see again, so why bother to memorize them? Of course now that he was standing around, he wished he had paid just a bit more attention.

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Mood: ► Alert
Wearing: ►Cloak
Location: ► At the campsite
With: ► Riders and Recruits
Thoughts: ► Dead meat and horses...
OOC: ► My brain is all fuzzy

[SilverRainbowRose]

The staring contest between the black dragon and wolf felt like it could go on for hours. It also relaxed Aliera. She figured if this sleek creature wanted to do something, it would of done so already. Figuring that though, the shifter could tell that this dragon was a crafty thing, so her guard was never completely down. The wolf's ears perked up straight at the sound of fast paced hooves approaching. It wasn't long before a horse and it's rider, with whom Aliera was familiar, came riding to the clearing. The pink haired girl stopped her horse just outside of their campsite, where the fallen branches of Avrae's entrance now lay. If she remembered correctly, the girl's name was Auralie, but there wasn't much else about her that she remembered. The meeting had been brief before Aliera had taken her leave. Though she soon could tell that perhaps, she should of stayed, as an aray of new people began to pour into the clearing. For now though, her attention was Auralie. The girl approached with a gently wave and a greeting. Luckily for Aliera, she could understand common tongue and every other language that she knew perfectly even as a wolf. The thing that she lacked in this form was the way to communicate back. While in this form, Avrae was Aliera's spokesman. Avrae did not stir to give a response though, since there was no verbal one to be given. Instead the wolf bowed her head slightly in greeting. Though the wolf's muzzle moved, the bird didn't seem to be bothered by this as it remained on it's perch.

Next thing her golden eyes landed on was the tan skinned boy who arrived with an even darker skinned girl. The girl was unfamiliar, but the boy was Loxias. He had been with Eleniel in the room at the inn before she had arrived. Though he hadn't made it to the clearing just yet, she had no problem seeing or hearing him. His eyes were locked onto her for a moment when he spoke. Aliera tilted her head slightly, still not disturbing the bird, for she couldn't tell if what he had to say was a confirmation to himself, or that he was trying to converse with her. Either way, that thought didn't remain long when a large horse with it's two passengers entered the clearing. The girl, once again was familiar if nothing else for the small golden dragon which wrapped around her shoulders. Once the dragon was settled, the little elf wasted no time jumping off the giant war horse. Aliera watched at the princess walked further into the camp, glancing around at the site itself as well as the few animals she had gathered. The war horse and it's rider were also something that Aliera watched. When Eleniel had "dismounted" the beast was clearly upset as it had tried to show the elf how it felt about the situation. Luckily though, the rider got his horse under control in time. Once again, the rider wasn't someone she recognized. Following him was a dark skinned girl, but there was something strange about her. Her skin differed in color on certain limbs and it was confusing to Aliera. She didn't dwell on it long.

Aliera watched as the rider whom had a scrazzled voice lead his horse with authority away from the group. The black dragon, who she had lost the staring contest to, approached him. 'A rider.' Aliera thought to herself and watched as the young dragon nudged the horse and his rider. Knowing that there was some loyalty to the cause from the dragon which made Aliera fully relaxed about it. Eleniel's voice drew her attention once again, but the message didn't bring any good feeling. What? No more tees? Gather what would they could for the trip ahead? That was absolutely absurd. The group had grown and from the looks of it there were more who couldn't carry their own weight rather than those who could. Her muzzle wrinkled in protest. There was no growl though, for she knew better than to disrespect royalty, even though she had grown up away from any type of civilization. 'Calm yourself Aliera. There is something wrong with the forest.' Avrae's voice whispered softly in her mind. She'd grown up in the forest. She knew of the spirits in everything around her, but her parents had never told her to respect them as was taught to most young elves. Aliera grew up in a world where the spirits each had a job. Fish, deer, pig, squirrels, all for eating. The water, wood, air and earth under her feet provided shelter and substance. All these spirits, Aliera had been taught were grateful to give their bounties only if probably thanked and she never once missed that.

The princess armed herself before walking into the forest with Malazan on her shoulders. Perhaps, under different circumstances, she would follow Eleniel to watch over her. For the moment, she figured that though the princess was blind, she had her dragon as well as a couple centuries on her. The princess would be fine she assessed. Before Eleniel disappeared into the darkness she called out a final order to eat and rest. Aliera laid her ears back flat against her head before staring into the flames. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another boy enter the camp. He seemed to gravitate towards the man with a scrazzled voice. The girl with a different skin tone followed after the princess. Aliera huffed with annoyance at this whole situation. How could that girl be so ungrateful? It was truly amazing. If this was how all royalty acted she didn't want to meet another. As Aliera sulked in her own thoughts, another command came which drew her attention. It came from the scrazzled voice man. He decided to counter the command of the princess by telling those around to tend to their horses. Two leaders? Two? And both didn't seem to agree on what should be done with the moment at hand. Once again, Aliera's muzzle rose and a growl did emit from the back of her throat. This mission was doomed in her mind. The giant wolf rose to her feet and shook her head; ridding herself of the blasted magpie. The bird flew off and landed on Auralie's shoulder. She didn't plan on doing anything, it was just a show of aggravation and annoyance.

Avrae rose her head and peered down at her young rider. There were protocols and certain manners that one would show in a group, but Aliera lacked these mannerisms completely. Avrae sympathized with the girl for she didn't have a proper up bringing. It wasn't her fault, but it also wasn't the group around her. The dragon watched Aliera carefully as she rose and seemed to growl into the fire before beginning to shift back into a normal looking elf. Aliera stood there, naked and visibly upset. Her golden eyes were narrow as she continued to stare into the jumping flames. This trip was already a bad one. Several members had already left. There wasn't a set leader. Just absolutely amazing. Her eyes drifted over to the animals, that anyone had yet to touch. Her anger was almost too much. Aliera began to walk forward, but a webbed dragon claw wrapped around her gently before pulling her back. Aliera jerked her head around and glared at her friend. "Aliera. Perhaps before going to tend to the kills you should be decent." Avrae spoke softly. Aliera looked down at her naked self and rolled her eyes. It was just a body. It shouldn't matter but to be reasonable for Avrae, she decided to dress without anymore fuss. With the dragon still shielding her from any shocked eyes, Aliera rummaged through her sack till she pulled out her loose fitting outfit. It was perfect for things like this.

Once dressed, Aliera made her way over to the caresses. Before doing anything, she glanced up at the Aura, Loxias and the dark skinned girl that stood with him. "Want to learn how to do this? If the skill is already known to you, perhaps you'd like to help?" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed the head of the largest deer,leaving a rabbit and a smaller deer, and began to drag it over to the edge of the clearing where she then set to preparing the meat to be cooked.


❧ company: The group xxxx ❧ location: Forest xxx ❧ Wear/Form: Outfit xxx ❧ mentions:Hehe... Aliera is angry.

[ShadowOkamii]

I'm scared that you'll compare and I'll look a lifetime past repair
I second guess myself to death, I re-solicit every step
What if my words are meaningless? What if my heart's misleading this?
I try to capture every moment as it comes to me
Bottle up the memories and let them keep me company

✿—¤÷(` Ⱥυʀɑʟɪε ☆ Ƞεsτɑ ☆ Ƀεѻυʟѵε ´)÷¤—✿

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Auralie hadn't been there too long before noise loud enough to startle Feiril and herself caused an immediate turn around. She saw the rest of the company had arrived and watched as they all dismounted. That is, until she saw Eleniel's dramatic dismount. Her eyebrows perked when she saw the extravagant, and slightly unnecessary flip off of Hazium's back. It made her wonder why the woman would even go through the trouble of doing that. Aura had twitched, restraining herself from running over to assist in addressing the irritated mare. She was under Karga's order after all.It did seem he struggled some to get her to listen. Once he had control, she went to turn, but stopped mid stride catching the thump and a rather annoyed sounding grunt. At least, it sounded gruff enough. Her eyes fell over to the black dragon, horse, and...where was Karga? She caught an elbow drop upon the dragon's head and had to bite her lower lip hard to stop herself from beginning to laugh. Turning away hastily she looked over to the others.

Roka had dismounted and walked after Eleniel. Wilhelm was addressing his horse, seeming to size up the amount of dead animals. Even though Auralie loved animals she was well aware of the circle of life and wasn't about to have a fit over the fact that there was dead game. She turned from her stud, patting his neck. A simple gesture of her head gave the horse enough of a signal to walk over to the rest of the horses. She had just caught Aleira's change and had gone wide eyed. Her magpie friend had been startled when the growl had been emitted and the wolf had shaken her head. And now it was Auralie's turn to be startled, but this time by a naked elf. She immediately whipped around, giving her a slight spell of dizziness from the speed she spun, but shook it away. Until the heavy movement of what she could only assume to be the dragon made her peek over her shoulder, between some loose strands of hair. Seeing the clawed hand in the midst of shielding the rider, Auralie let out a slight exhale of relief. She had just gone to walk towards the meat when she heard the elf question if they'd assist her. Smiling, Auralie nodded and walked over, passing as the she-elf dragged the deer. She reached for the rabbit, and the leg of the smaller deer.

As she followed in suit behind Aleira, she looked over to the rest who were present and said, "If someone wouldn't mind tending to Feiril, I'll assist Aleira with handling the meat. I've done this before as well so it won't be so much of a problem. That is, if it's okay. If not, I'll help quickly then get to him."

She brought out one of her daggers, slipping it out from the holster attached to her thigh. The long black blade, with sharp but unique body curves, glinted the firelight's luminosity. She looked over to Aleira who would have had steamy wisps of smoke had this been a world of fantasy. Taking in a gentle breath, she went to get to the woman's side. "Uhm... are you okay, ma'am? You...seemed, irked? I mean I know it's none of my business, but well, I don't want...more upset business." She glanced sidelong to where Eleniel had traversed with Roka in tow, and then towards Karga who was busy with Wilhelm and the horses. Shaking her head, she looked back to the ivory haired woman.

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When the hope of morning starts to fade in me
I don't dare let darkness have its way with me
And the hope of morning makes me worth the fight
I will not be giving in tonight

2GP, 13SP, 63CP
OOC: Guh, this is a terrible post.

[SoraKBM]

★ Hella Kyra Augu§tine - Loxias Azeral ★

Loxias's quiet recognition of Aliera had a reason behind it of course. Quite a few people had not joined the group when they left, for various reasons probably, and he thought she might have been one of them. The small army they'd had at the inn had been reduced to a little more than 10 people. Which was still quite a lot, but compared to how many there had been earlier...He didn't want to think about it.

He had just gotten off his horse when he spotted Eleniel jumping off the one she was on, as well as her ignoring the horse's agitation and Evren's scolding. Oh, wow, one horse ride was all it took for it to be some dissent between the them. He couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the journey was going to go with them like this. Eleniel's order afterward made Loxias raise an eyebrow, and he guessed that she'd been getting the same bad feeling from the forest that he was. It was the reason he had been quiet, for the most part, he had been concentrating, trying to figure out what it was, but all he got was a faint sort of...negativity from the forest around him. He sighed, blaming his time at the academy for feeling like he was out of touch with nature. About at that point, he heard the 'thump' and turned to watch Evren elbow his dragon over the head, and unlike Auralie who tried to hide it, Loxias audibly chuckled at the display.

Bringing his attention back to the earlier issue, he was thinking he could ask one of the elves in the group about it, but by then Eleniel had already walked out into the woods, left to her own devices. Oh, wait, Aliera was an elf, he could ask her about it and see how she felt. The moment he turned his head back to her was the moment she'd shifted back. Nevermind the fact that she was nude, the look on her face told him he probably wasn't going to get much out of her at the moment. Ooookay, I'll talk to her later then. He thought, looking away and focusing back on the conversation that was going on around the rest of the camp.

He hadn't exactly caught the actual question, but he'd heard Wilhelm's and Christopher's replies and guessed. "Ah, I'm from the capitol, my dad's uh...Well, maybe you've heard of him. His name's Gale, Gale Azeral." Loxias wasn't sure if he was exactly 'famous' or not, but Gale was a highly talented mage and dragon rider, given the title of 'The Living Storm' for his proficiency in lightning spells. Talking about him made him wonder why he wasn't there instead of his youngest son. "And I've seen all three of them before," He continued, gesturing to Christopher, Wilhelm, and Auralie. "She however..." He gestured to Hella next, who nodded and picked up from there.

"Right...as I've said before, I'm from Zezrania, and I studied at the military academy there." She suddenly became very interested at her feet, and quietly she said "This is...actually...my first time out of the country."

Well hopefully it wouldn't be the only time. Loxias thought, and at that moment, Aliera spoke to them. Fully clothed, thankfully. Then she was off, and Auralie went with her. Loxias and Hella glanced at each other, and Loxias was the one who spoke first. "I kind of want to learn how to do this so," He handed the reigns of his horse to her and started speedwalking away before she could protest. "Take care of those for me will ya?"

"Hey, wait-" She started, but he was already gone. Oh well, she figured she had to do something to pull their own weight. She new how to take care of her own horse, since the care for one was essential for a soldier, so she'd have no problem taking care of two, actually three horses since Auralie asked.

While she got to that, Loxias followed Auralie over to Aliera, who still seemed mad, as Auralie pointed out. Noticing Auralie's dagger, he reached into his hoodie and pulled out something. It was a small throwing knife, probably unsuitable for cutting. "Nope..." He muttered, putting the throwing knife back and pulling out something else that looked like a long nail. "Nuh-uh" The third time, he finally pulled out a dagger of his own. It wasn't curved or colored black like Auralie's, but it would serve his purpose well.
"There we go. Now, teach me how to do this, please."

[CoffeeMelody]

Eleniel glanced back when Roka arrived at the scene and had to hold back a small frown at being followed. Malazan's thoughts kept her tongue at bay on it and she stood up straight to look over the scene and turn back to the girl. "It was nothing more then a clash between one group of Elves and another of orcs and goblins that happened a long time ago." She replied first as she looked over the decaying bodies with a small scrunch of her nose. Eleniel was only glad it wasn't fresh and the air in the forest had had time to lessen the blow of the smell. "There's no reason to set up came anywhere else. It is an old battle." She added as she turned to head back to the camp. "I was just pulled here by the cries of the forest. Death is a daily part of life, but poisoning is something that can be prevented if found...though this forest will remain angry for many years to come." With that she slipped the bow back over her shoulder, not feeling the need to have it out any longer now that the source of the angered spirits was found, and started the trek back to the campsite. She paused for a second to look at the girl with Malazan before shaking her head and sighing softly. "You might want to be careful about being so quick to follow me blindly next time into a dark place. The shadows have a way of sneaking up on me and striking and they don't particularly care who gets in the way." Eleniel felt Malazan smack her shoulder with her tail but ignored it and turned to continue on her way back to camp. Best to keep distance. Was all she said to the mentally glaring Malazan.

Eleniel knew Malazan wanted her to get to know the people she would be traveling with, but Eleniel personally felt no need to. Unlike any of them where there was a small chance they would be able to return home alive, Eleniel knew she would never see her homeland again. The curse would kill or or weaken her enough that some other force could. She would have happily lived out the rest of her days under her trees in the sun with the birds and animals around her, but she had a duty to Malazan and Malazan had a personal score to settle with the Necromancer so instead of living out the rest of her numbered days in peace she would be partaking on this suicide mission with a group she expected at least half of to die. It was pointless in her mind to make 'friends'. She was merely here for a task and no other reason. Eleniel could hear Malazan sighing mentally, but she ignored the dragon getting irritated. Right now Eleniel was not in the mood to hash out the same things once more with Malazan; her mental state wasn't in the right spot for it either. She loved Malazan and thought highly of her, but they were both stubborn in their own rights and it showed as Malazan's tail twitched in annoyance as they resurfaced at the camp.

It was almost a welcoming site to get closer again and hear the little conversations going on and for a second Eleniel almost let out a small smile at the sight of everyone attending to what they had chosen to do. Aliera and a couple of the apprentices were off to the side hacking away at the game that had been caught. Evren and a couple others were tending to the horses. As a rather bitter thought crossed her mind, though, they tossed that flicker of muscles on her face away before it even formed and she moved to a tree on the outside of the campsite. Malazan turned to look at her rider before perusing the campsite once more and mentally nudging Eleniel to try and talk to them. However, she didn't budge and when all Malazan got was a shake of the girl's head she let out a small puff of smoke in annoyance as the very one-sided conversation in their mental link died off with Malazan leaving Eleniel's shoulders to head back to the clearing she had originally come in so she could extend to her full size. Once she had she carefully moved a little closer to the campsite, opposite Eleniel, and laid down to stare in at the group; her only give away that she was currently annoyed was the twitch of her tail on occasion. Her rider seemed to need some mental space and Malazan honestly didn't like where the girl's thoughts were at the moment. However, she knew from past experience that a night's break from being hounded might improve her mood and make her more willing to talk in the morning so she would keep an eye on the girl during the night, but would otherwise not converse with her or act as her eyes.

She did wonder, though, if Eleniel was picking up too much on the angered spirits of the forest and glanced to Aliera who seemed agitated but not bothered by the angered spirits like Eleniel had been. Was it the difference in upraising? Was Aliera not as in-tune with nature, in regards to the same way as Eleniel. She knew the girl was a shifter so was in tune with nature in some way, but maybe it was a completely different way. A way that didn't have the spirits seeking a way to have a voice. The curiosity made her keep the girl in her view as she thought over everything and laid there. For Eleniel as her world went black and she felt Malazan leave her shoulder she gave a small roll of her eyes but otherwise merely sat there in silence staring into the direction she could feel the heat of the fire come from. Normally she would have offered to take first watch, but it seemed Malazan was in a mood and therefore she'd rather just wait till sleep came and get as best a night's rest as she could before morning came. She had already eaten at the inn so wasn't particularly hungry and therefore felt there really wasn't much for her to do outside sit there and wait for sleep to come. Eleniel occasionally itched at a spot on her hand or her right shoulder, but otherwise didn't move as the commotion around her went on.

Cloak & Clothing

[- Strange One -]

Roka's mouth twitched as she listened to Elenial's assessment of the scene but she remained silent until she finished. She was... annoyed by that warning, and by Elenial's immediate departure there after. However, she exhaled and alone among the bodies she murmured soft prayers over them. She wished she'd had some incense on her to cleanse the place but the prayers would have to suffice. Among her people death was not the end but rather a gateway to the next cycle of life, in which one might be reborn as anything that lives. While Roka wasn't wholly convinced of this her words were sincere as she wished the departed souls a peaceful reincarnation. As she finished she bowed low feeling calmer herself and ready to speak to the apparent rider once more as well as Karga. While the elf girl was convinced the old battle meant nothing, someone had to have piled the bodies that way, presumably the victors. Roka didn't know much about elf burial customs, but leaving former comrades to rot among orc and goblin corpses seemed something they would have found insulting.

When Roka caught up to the group she placed a hand on Elenials shoulder. "I know we have not known each other long. In fact I don't even know your name." She began, "But if your situation is as serious as you say, where shadows come at you at random, then you are obligated to tell the rest of us where you are going when you wander and why. This is because one of those recruits may follow you in an attempt to see that you are safe, as I did. If something happens to them and no one is about to help either of you because you chose not to tell anyone where you were off to, you will be responsible." She exhaled, though her nose looking at Eleniel very seriously. "I understand your need to enforce your independence but you must not do so at the cost of your fellow team-mates. The success of our journey is dependent on how we conduct ourselves as a team and if we lose you or anyone else because of your lack of communication it would be an utter waste of life and resources." Her tone was firm but not unkind. She continued gently, "I know this is a difficult journey to make and it may seem easier to close yourself off from the others. But everyone in this campsite, everyone you see here, has chosen to take this journey with the understanding that it would likely be our last. We are all here for the same reason, to defeat the necromancer, and so we must learn to rely on one another for support both on and off the battlefield." She gazed at the girl hoping she understood. If you find it difficult to come to anyone else, you may come speak to me whenever there is a problem or if you simply need to talk to someone." She gave her a gentle smile, "Now I should relay what we saw to the others." She said and turned to make her way over to Karga.

Approaching him and the small group of recruits, she was pleased to see that much of the team was communicating well with each other in spite of the concern in her mind. "Evren Karga." She spoke to get his attention. "Pardon my interruption but the young lady who rode in with you and I found something in the forest that may be cause for concern. Not far from our campsite there are the remains of a skirmish between orcs, elves, and goblins. While it looks from the rot that they've been there for some time, most the bodies have been thrown into a pile, presumably by the victors. Their treatment is indistinguishable between the races and show no signs of being disturbed mid-decomposition. This leads me to believe that the bodies where initially moved by orc or goblin kind as elves would not leave their own to rot among them." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "This may suggest then that there are rather unfriendly orcs and goblins in the area."

Mood◍ Annoyed Concerned
Doing◍ Having a word with Eleniel Having a word with Evren
Location◍ The burial mound of the forest Campsite
With◍ Eleniel Evren and the Recruits
OOC◍ Camp counselor Roka is on the move!

[- Strange One -]

Unbeknownst to the group setting up camp there was a strange beast tracking them in the dark. Long limbed and impossibly thin, its bones jutted out against pale skin as it moved silently through the trees. At a distant glance it may have passed as a naked emaciated doe. Upon any closer inspection, one might notice the human hands and feet with which it slunk between the shadows. Should one see it's face they would be disturbed to see some semblance of human features. The nose of a human but squashed and upturned like a pig. A gaping maw that jutted out unnaturally from its skull, the skin of its lips pulled back from its teeth. As though the creature possessed too little flesh to accommodate its warped skeleton. Steely grey eyes set in sunken sockets, denoted a frightening intelligence as it observed the small campsite though the trees. It's tongue slid out between it's teeth and washed over her gums as she stared.

Not long after she slipped silently into the night and ran far from the group until she came upon a clearing where a dark woman stood. The beast sat on its haunches before the woman and a shudder ran through its body before a long series of sickening cracks echoed in the clearing. The creatures bones visibly shattered and reformed beneath its skin. It writhed but suppressed the howls of pain that threatened to erupt from it's lungs. Until finally it's body settled into shape once more.

Miyu knelt before her mother, forehead pressed against the cool grass. Her breath was labored and a thin sheen of sweat covered her skin but when she sat back and looked up into her mothers face, Miyu smiled. "She found them, Mother. They make camp in the forest near where the elf-tree sits." She grinned up at the woman expectantly, waiting for praise and affection for her work.

[ShadowOkamii]

H A F L I N G
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Amidst the beginning fog, long ashen lashes parted to reveal the serpentine berry colored orbs beneath that immediately focused on the surrounding area. A glint of blue glimmered from the eyes for but a second, and when the being breathed out, the air was visibly chilled. The equivalent in appearance of a warm breath on a cold day. The female to which these eyes belonged to was sprawled out upon a sturdy branch, arm under the chin for support while the rest of her limbs, tail included, hung in the air. Stretching to rouse herself from the light sleep, Neva shifted to a sit. She hadn't been there too long. Probably a few hours or so. She originally hadn't been sent this way, told to deal with other matters of preparations. But once she had finished the requested errands, her instructor revealed to her where the Dark Elf and her Child were, to which Neva was now.


Her eyes fastened themselves on the ground where the sound of rapidly approaching steps from aside could be heard heading to.It wasn't long until a thin, grotesque, yet familiar creature appeared in the clearing and rushed to the presence of the only other person there. The girl in the tree remained unfazed as the thing began to morph and reshape in front of the other standing in the clearing. When the sickening cracks began, the violet haired woman dropped from her sit to a land amongst the grass with nary a sound, given the grace by the singular flap of the miniature dragon wings on her back. Just as the thing that called itself Miyu prostrated itself before the darker being, this one stepped forward to come to their side but yet not too close.

"Welcome back, Miyu. I'm sure mother is pleased." She called (quietly) out coolly, her eyes flicking between the woman and Miyu. After a few seconds of the silence that followed, Neva deemed it acceptable to step closer to their proximity. The woman whom both were referring to as Mother was tall, slender, and dark skinned. Her eyes appeared covered by the horns growing from her head. This woman that both of them considered mother. . .
Instinctively, Neva felt a slight jealous twinge at the sound of Miyu's affection. However she knew better than to speak up or remark on it. Smiling to both, her tail slowly began to move atop the grass, left to right methodically. Her head cocked right and she watched back to the kneeling girl. "That's where they are? They really aren't too far from here. Are they observant enough to notice us? Did he say what we should do? Or is this more of a reconnaissance, Ma'am?" Her question was directed then to their superior, Morilia. Her large eyes blinked, and she fidgeted, unsure on how she was going to be answered.
She knew she was regarded as well as the others in their Lord's vision, but even still, being this creature for only so long made her nervous. And the idea that perhaps the Dark Elf would chide her for speaking up was lingering in the back of her mind. The last thing she wanted was to get scolded by her of all people. The idea of disappointing someone made her tail twitch in its rhythm. The other of the last thing was Miyu to get an ego if she was indeed yelled at, giving the brat the incentive that Morilia was indeed her mother.


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ʟocɑтιoɴ: A small clearing in the forest.
coмρɑɴy: Morilia, and Miyu.
мood: Unsure.
ooc: Hope this is good enough!

[SilverRainbowRose]

This waiting game began to get on the Dark Weaver's nerves. The small fight that her creature caused was entertaining and revealed something interesting. A shifter was among the group. A very special one at that. Instead of a normal sized animal, this shifter was giant. While the battle went on Morilia watched from her perch in a tree with the little glass orb. Though the weather was bad for the time being, the images were clear. It wasn't long until the battle was over. No sympathy or sorrow was present in her heart at the loss. She could make another in a matter of moments. Her attention remained on the shifter though; trying to discover what she could about the creature. During the battle, the wolf had been injured. This little detail was something that she noted that needed to be perfected for next time. The next creature needed to have posionous claws. A small chuckle escaped her lips as for the next hour she watched the wolf, who had shifted back to her elven form, look around frantically for the older rider. This was also something that she took note of.

Morilia had no problem inspecting what she could of the group that she would be following for the most part. Her mission at this point was to observe, but she would of course take liberties and cause problems. The weather subsided as time went on. With the wind lessening, Morilia let go of the cloak that she had pulled close to her body. Now if anyone had happened by and looked up, they might just see a naked dark elf lounging in a tree. As the group set out, each of their faces flashed across the translucent orb. All except one important one. In a moment of panic, Morilia stood on the branch and scanned the town though it was in the distance. There wasn't a dark purple hue anywhere to be seen. Her eyes were drawn to the sky as she scanned for a black dragon, but there wasn't any trace of it being there. Anger immediately flooded her veins. Had this group pushed him away because of his race? Was her baby not good enough for the sniveling noble? There were now two roads and Morilia needed to decide which she would follow. Tail the group that was a going to look for her Master, or try and search for her blood? For a mother, it wasn't a hard decision to make. Hoping out of the tree, the dark elf landed on the ground with grace and barely a sound. With a whisper of a spell, the cloak disappear and was replaced with a set of clothes that basically clothed all the necessary bits. Lastly, a large staff appeared in her hand that had a long curved blade at the end. With a few spins, Morilia placed the weapon on her back. With that, she set off in a direction away from the group to look for Atreus.

Sometime had passed before she arrived in a very small clearing. Morilia inhaled slowly and deeply. The scent of rain soothed her and caused her to relax slightly. A rustle in the distance caused her to turn around. The sound in the dark would normally cause most to be alert and possibly fearful. She on the other hand, continued to have a calm demeanor. It wasn't too long before a creature came into the clearing. It clearly wasn't an animal or anything of norm either. At the sight of this, those who had been scared to begin with, would probably turn to run. For the dark elf, the creature caused her to smile. Morilia remained in her place as the thing before her began to morph and shift into a girl. The girl almost matched the dark elf in height. Miyu bowed before Morilia which caused a great swell of pride to fill her chest. The girl reported of her finding of the group and stared into Morilia's eyes awaiting obvious praise. This was no problem for a mother to give to her child. Dark Weaver leaned down and helped the girl to her feet before saying anything. "Good work my dear. Have you eaten lately darling?" Morilia asked as she inspected the thin girl. Though there wasn't anything that would fix the thinness, Morilia still wanted to care for her daughter. The fact that Miyu wasn't her blood child didn't change how the Dark Weaver saw her.

So the elven trees is where they decided to stop for the night? Interesting. Her demeanor changed slightly at the sight of Miyu, but the thought to find Atreus disappeared when her other adopted daughter approached from behind. The other girl who approached looked to of been fused with a dragon, even though it was actually the opposite way around. Morilia's smile grew at the presence of her two daughters. Neva remarked with questions to Miyu's findings of the group. Good questions. Though Morilia never let on to it, she knew of the small competition that went on between the girls and it made her even more prideful. Dark Weaver reach out her head and placed it upon the small girl's head then stroked along her cheek. "We aren't to cause them harm for the time being, but..." her eyes shifted between the two girls. "...we can play with them." A devilish grin appeared on her lips before she walked past the girls and in the direction of the group. Once again, a spell was spoken and the appearance of Morilia changed. Instead of a young, attractive dark elf stood a deformed dark elf, with horns coming from her head and covering her eyes. This would leave any normal person blind, but she already cast a spell on herself long ago to be able to see just fine. Her hands became more claw like and her garb remained the same. When the transformation was complete, the true Dark Weaver looked over her shoulder at the girls. "Let's go my darlings." With that, she walked off at a normal pace, Atreus far from her mind.

Though it took some time, they finally arrived just outside where the group had made camp. Long before approaching, Morilia had cast spell over all three of them masking their scent and presence. They stood a couple hundred feet back and observed what they could through the trees. She didn't want to risk to be any closer, though there was another that interested her in the group. The man who wore a half a mask and spoke as if glass rubbed against itself in his throat. There was something about him that made him a bit darker that the others he traveled with. Was it possible that he also dabbled in the dark magics, and if so, who's side was he really on? Morilia looked between her two daughters before returning her gaze to the man. "Have either of you seen that man before?" The Dark Weaver asked softly and waited patiently for an answer.




❧ company: Miyu and Neva xxxx ❧ location: Forest Close to the Group's Camp xxx ❧ Wear/Form: Form and Outfit xxx ❧ mentions: Morilia: Yes... I see you.

[SilverRainbowRose]

When Aliera has sat down away from everyone, she inspected the large deer. It and the other game had been sitting for a while. This meant that the blood of the of the creature had already begun to settle in place. She cut a low slice into the deer and allowed the blood to slowly seep out. As she waited Auralie walked up with the other deer and rabbit. Aliera watched the girl impressed as well as surprised at the girl's strength. When the girl approached Aliera's side, she immediately felt awkward but didn't let onto it. Instead she listened as Auralie questioned her on her foul mood. For a moment, Aliera felt bad as she had let her composure down in front of everyone. Only this human girl seemed to of noticed though. 'No one else has said anything out loud.' Aliera's golden eyes slowly swept over in the direction of Avrae. The dragon had a point but it irritated her and cause her to become defensive as well. Aliera straightened her back and looked Auralie in the eye. "I believe that this mission is doomed. The princess gives commands and the scrazzled voice man gives commands. Neither of them seem to agree and the group will divide when we need it to be whole in order to succeed. This group needs a leader. Even if there are multiple leaders, they need to be on the same page." Aliera took a deep breath after she finished her rant. It felt good to express her anger. During the rant she began to disembowel the clear deer she'd opened. A few seconds after her rant was complete, she also noticed that Loxias had walked up behind Auralie.

She watched as he shuffled through a few items before producing a dagger. He also asked to be shown how to do what she was doing. This surprised her in a different way. Though Aliera had offered to teach she didn't actually expect for anyone to ask for a lesson. The schools that the marked went to were taught to survive rather just knowledge of dragons, fighting, and history. This was a basic skill that she felt most people should have. But hey, not everyone was like her. Aliera nodded to Loxias then motioned for Auralie to give the boy one of the animals. "Give him the rabbit. It'd be easiest to learn on. Also less meat to lose." The elf waited a moment for the girl to hand the rabbit over before she began. She wasn't trying to be mean to Loxias, but practical. Everyone needed to eat to keep up their strength, so big amounts of food couldn't be wasted on prep practice. Aliera would remember this from now on though. She would take the time and effort to find extra food for anyone to practice with.

Blood coated Aliera's arms up to her elbows as she continued to prepare the large deer. While doing so she explained to the boy about blood settling, where and how deep to cut, which innards should be kept and the others placed aside for discard; or in this case, dragons. The dagger she used was long and very sharp. Some might mistake if for a short sword because of its size. Her dagger made cutting up the large game with ease. She watched as the boy followed direction and corrected any mistakes. When the prep was almost finished, Aliera noticed Eleniel and the differing skin tone girl returned from whatever venture they went on. From just observation, Eleniel and Malazan were obviously annoyed. After a few steps into camp, the girl reached out and grabbed the princess' shoulder then seem to begin to scold the princess for going off on her own. This brought a small smile to Aliera's lips. The princess being scolded by a child, how amusing. It also made her feel more justified when the girl spoke of how the group was a team and they needed to rely on each other.

Aliera and the two apprentices weren't far from everyone else, but she wasn't sure if Auralie and Loxias could hear the conversation going on between the girl and Eleniel. What drew her attention away completely from her teachings was the fact that the girl felt that she needed to report whatever they found out in the woods to everyone. This bothered Aliera for though she may not treat Eleniel completely as she should, she still knew who the elf princess was. Golden eyes followed the dark skinned girl until she stopped in front of the majority of the group, but her main focus seemed to be the scrazzled voice man. The man whom she identified as Evren Karga. As she began to speak of the things she and Eleniel saw, the more she felt offended for the princess, even if the princess didn't feel that way herself. The anger began to rise in Aliera once again. The majority of this group she may end up killing off for their ignorance. Her eyes narrowed and bore into the girl. As soon as she finished her little report, Aliera piped up. "If the princess didn't feel there was a threat, then I don't believe there is need for an alarm."

As soon as her lips closed, she returned to her task of teaching Loxias and finishing up the prep work of the meat. Once everything of hers and his were prepared, Aliera retrieved some of the fallen branches and placed them close to the fire. The flames leapt high, so there wouldn't be a way to cook over it, but cooking close to it was still an option. As she began to set up the meet on the wood, the feeling of being watched drew her attention away from her task. It wasn't hard to find whom it was either. Malazan had grown once again to her full size and for some reason her attention was on her. Aliera bowed her head in respect then returned to cooking.

Avrae on the other hand, knew exactly why the golden dragon was focused on her rider. It had to do with the differences in how Eleniel and Aliera connected with the forest. Since her rider was occupied, Avrae decided to engage into a conversation with Malazan. 'Aliera was raised in the forest away from most civilization. She knows of the spirits in everything around her, but her parents had never told her to respect or connect with them as elves are taught in their cities or villages. Aliera grew up in a world where the spirits each have a job. That game that she kills are meant to give her body strength. The elements around her are for shelter and substance. For Aliera, everything has a spirit as well, but they are grateful to give their bounties only if properly thanked. She's not as in tuned to their hurt.' Avrae glanced over at Eleniel, noticing that she occasionally scratch certain places of her body. She sat staring ahead though, for her eyes could no long see the world before her. 'It must be lonely for her at times. What has you split apart at the moment, if you don't mind my intruding. Avrae had also pulled her mental connection from Aliera so the conversation that the two dragon's shared was just between them.


❧ company: The group xxxx ❧ location: Forest xxx ❧ Wear/Form: Form and Outfit xxx ❧ mentions:Sooooo Sorry that both of these posts took forever.

[Koozle]

E V R E N ** K A R G A

Cem

"Most from the capitol, is that so?" Evren asked speculatively. Hearing that most of them only knew one another based on sight did not surprise him. His own days at the academy had been marked mostly by isolation, either self-elected or directly imposed on him. The idea of recruits not necessarily getting close to one another did not therefore surprise him. But then, few things seldom did surprise him, or so it would seem. When Aliera transformed, offering the group something of an eyeful, he glanced over with the shrewd consideration of a jeweller appraising a setting but did not seem overly shocked by the sudden presence of bare skin where previously there had been a wolf. One advantage of isolation, he had learned, was that it tended to make one profoundly incurious. He appreciated simple things - a seat by the fire, a solid meal, pleasant bare forms - and he did not worry much over origins. He grunted thoughtfully to himself and turned his attention back to the recruits.

"Haven't heard of any Gale Azeral, but I'm sure that's no reflection on you," he said, not unkindly. "I'm not exactly much of a fit for cities, never mind the capitol."

He nodded slightly when as Auralie and Loxias asked to be allowed to help dress the game, quickly jerking his thumb over his shoulder to indicate they should follow Aliera. "Go ahead. Learn what you're lacking; we've got bodies enough here."

He reached out to take the reins of the horse from Hella, the motion smooth and confident. There was no doubt in his hand or arm; it gave the overall impression that he already had a grip on what he wanted, and was merely going through the formality of putting his arm and hand in the correct position to confirm it. He slipped the nose band from the animal's face, rubbing between its dark, placid eyes and under the straps with surprisingly gentle fingers.

"Odd one out, huh?" he rasped at Hella. "Well, no matter. You'll settle in quick. None of the rest of them knows much about the others to form a group over. Why don't you help Wilhelm a bit? The two of you look to have a good hand with the horses. You'll get the work done quick."

For his own part, he took over Christopher's animal, removing its saddle and blanket to start scrubbing it down while the owner began to wander, picking up bits and pieces of wood to set by the fire. Forces only knew if they could manage to get it to burn, with the rain coming down as it was, but firewood was always good to have on hand. If nothing else, it could be dressed and stacked for the next travellers to come through. Coming from a farming village, Christopher probably knew how to do that neatly, to keep the wood from rotting or from being too exposed to the ground and vermin. He lifted the first of the stallion's front legs, starting to pick the hooves clean and test the nails of the shoes.

"If you need to split any dead fall, there's gear in my bags," he called to the young man; his voice was instantly hoarser from being raised, and he had to cough violently to clear his throat in order to continue. "A couple quick taps with the old dagger rolling around in there'll do it. Not as neat as a hatchet, but does the work."

It was clear he did not mean the bags on Haizum's saddle, but for a moment, it was not clear which bags he meant, until suddenly, where previously there had been nothing save for shadows by Christopher's side, there was suddenly the black dragon, sitting neatly on its haunches with its tail wrapped demurely around its forelegs. It seemed to observe Christopher, head tilted thoughtfully to one side, for a moment, before it stretched its blunt head out to bite one of the thicker branches just under his hand. Its breath felt unpleasantly moist and cool on the knuckles for a moment, before it gripped the bottom in one taloned foot and gave a quick jerk with its muscular neck and broke the branch with a wet crack, leaving the two of them holding a much shorter length of wood. It released its end of the branch, with an air of unmistakeable smugness.

"... or that daft idiot will eat it," Evren ceded. "All the same, fish out that dagger and give him his own lengths to work on. I don't want him getting carried away and dislocating your arm trying to help."

The horses were all but tended to by the time Eleniel and Roka made it back from wherever they had slipped off too, most of them browsing quietly. Evren carefully checked the tack to make sure it had been wiped as free of moisture and grime as possible before being thoroughly re-oiled. He would have to soften wax by the fire before he could properly reseal most of the tavern's tack, but that suited him; he wanted to be sure the leather absorbed as much of the protective oil as it could first. He meant to give them only a short nod of greeting, but ended up pausing to listen as the woman who called herself Roka addressed him directly. Thus, when he did nod, it was a short, sharp acknowledgement.

"Right. Thanks. I'll head out to make sure our perimeter's clear then and we'll set up a watch system just in case. Will you tell the others?" He gave the horses a last, quick pat, before he looked to Hella and Wilhelm, rapidly glancing over their completed work.

"Good job, you two. Couldn't have managed better myself," He spared them a sharp slip of a smile, then looked back to Roka. "I'll take two recruits and do the check. If we run into any trouble, we'll signal. If you see an orange light, it'll mean we've found something."

Now, to figure out how to handle things. Evren detached his water skin for a quick sip from the contents, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Forger, Christopher! Come here! We're checking the perimeter. Hella, you look sharp. I want you to help Roka with organizing the other recruits. They'll listen; you're all around the same age. Make sure they're ready to stand watch when we need them and ready to clear out if it comes to that."

He raised his hand, and suddenly, the black dragon reappeared once more, this time behind Evren, soundless and intense in its focus. It was like a silent patch of shadow itself, but sharp as mustard with the prospect of a little word ahead. Evren simply took its presence for a given, hand settling down on the long neck as a matter of course.

"I'll count on you to organize the other riders, Roka. Make sure each recruit has someone who can get them out if something gets sticky." He held her gaze for a moment, waiting for affirmation, before he cleared his throat roughly. "Christopher! Forger! I'm getting old waiting, so let's go! Climb up one behind the other on Cem here. I'll walk aground. Anything unexpected happens, he'll get you out fast."

Where ○► Forest Wilds
What ○► Arranging a patrol and defences in case of the worst
With ○► Dragon riders and recruits
How ○► Alert; Taking charge

T H E ** K I S S E D

[ShadowOkamii]

I'm scared that you'll compare and I'll look a lifetime past repair
I second guess myself to death, I re-solicit every step
What if my words are meaningless? What if my heart's misleading this?
I try to capture every moment as it comes to me
Bottle up the memories and let them keep me company

✿—¤÷(` Ⱥυʀɑʟɪε ☆ Ƞεsτɑ ☆ Ƀεѻυʟѵε ´)÷¤—✿

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The response from the shape-shifter elf caused a flicker of worry to pass Auralie's face. She hadn't thought that they were doomed. At least she had the positive outlook that they weren't. Considering it was their first time as a group and rather getting to know each other, of course there would be some rockiness between all of them. In spite of the worry she smiled towards the elf again when she caught her eyes again. "Though there may be some difference in the command going around right now, I think we'll be able to handle it. I think even if the group had divided itself, in times of peril and in combat, the child like squabbles of who would be leader would subside. I'm sure everyone here understands that we're to protect everyone's back and not just our own. Though I do agree. If there's going to be more than one, there should at least be common understanding and agreement." She had smiled again then watched Loxias as he approached saying he wanted to learn. When she caught the quip from Evren Karga about Loxias and herself learning what they needed she couldn't help but chortle. She already knew but far be it from her to correct someone so confident of himself.


Aura had nodded to Aliera's instructions to hand the rabbit over to Loxias. She had also caught how he sifted through weapons and she reached swiftly for her other dagger. Pulling it out, she spun it confidently so the handle was in his direction and offered it out to him. "Here, if, you'd like. The dagger you have now would be perfect for the meat but to saw through the bones, use mine. It's weighted to cut deep." She smiled, turning to her deer afterwards. Before she bore into the task she had gathered two sets of leaves that were going to be her place mats for the organs needed and the dragons' bits. She was like a miniature Aliera while she worked the deer. She had slit it open, drained the juices, and followed in suit when removing the innards. Her hand reached for a leaf to wipe the other hand free of the blood, then she began to sift through her sack. She produced a couple of different containers and set them beside herself. "We can dry some of the meat to have as midday rations. I brought the necessary ingredients to make plenty of cured food. Although I don't intend to do it to all the food since our reptilian family needs their tasties too." Chuckling gently, if at all mostly to herself she continued to butcher the deer. She knew Aliera would be a better instructor than herself in teaching Loxias the proper way to dismember game.

She had been deep into focusing that at first she hadn't noticed anything else going on. Until she caught sight of the bloody elf looking back towards the camp area. Thinking it was yet another squabble she lifted her head and peered over curiously. Although she wasn't exactly anything else but a human, she had been trained by animals mostly all her life. Her teachers at school hadn't even taught her as much about surviving and using her senses than those of nature. It wasn't too surprising for her to be able to hear conversations or pick up different energies. As such she caught Aliera's turn of the head and saw the Elf royalty followed by the darker skinned woman Roka. Her eyebrows perked in surprise to see Roka scolding Eleniel. Aura's face contorted in sympathy for the elf woman when she heard the stern talking to but she also didn't pipe up because Roka had reasoning. If what Roka said was true about Eleniel and the shadows that followed her, perhaps the elven woman certainly was going to be a handful. The royal Elf would need to learn to trust the rest of them if they were going to all make it there. Coming back was another matter, but if they could get there than that meant they could get back. It made sense in Auralie's head at the least. It was when she heard Roka direct her words to Karga directly did Auralie lift her head and blink surprise. If there was a shift in power, it was certainly leaning towards Evren Karga currently. It made her curious whether or not this would traverse well with Aliera and Eleniel. She certainly felt that above all, riders, humans, elves, the dragons were the true leaders. And with Malazan being the mother of all dragons, to Auralie it only made sense that whatever the golden reptile said, went.

Seeing that their task of the meat was near done Auralie shifted to a cross legged sit as the fires lit up their corner of the woods. She welcomed the warmth of the fire coupled with the chill of the air opposite side of her. She heard Aliera retort to Roka's words but remained with her mouth shut. She wasn't going to get into this unless she was directly asked or there was just something she couldn't stand by. Yet again though she looked over to where everyone else was gathered, or rather, congregated. Evren was giving directions to the group. Mainly to Roka, Christopher, Wilhelm, and Hella. He called for watch, ordered Wilhelm and Christopher to follow in suit behind him, and spoke about everyone needing an adult to rake them out of the situation. Letting out a soft breath she looked to the meat that the three of them had prepared. The strips she had spoken about to prepare for drying were set aside on top of some of the skin she shaved off. Deciding to preoccupy her time she reached for the makeshift cloth, and pushed off of the ground to a stand. Her eyes scanned the trees, seeking out the best branches she would use if not an arrow from her quiver. Deciding the silver set up on sticks a better choice she set to work on preparing the meat. "Let's get these bits prepped and drying. I doubt it but do you think the dragons would like some spices on their foodstuffs? Well not doubt but am not sure if they'd like it either way. Flavors always a nice additive to food. I love flavor." She glanced back to Loxias and Aliera her smile creating dimples in her cheeks. Feeling it'd just be easier to converse with her current company than reach out to the others she glanced over, while slipping the thicker centers of the meats over the arrow's width. Her task nearly done, she began to ready a makeshift spit for setting her meaty projectile. It didn't her long with a bit of fire-retardant string used for special occasions such as this. Soon enough she had her arrow on the sticks near the fire.

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When the hope of morning starts to fade in me
I don't dare let darkness have its way with me
And the hope of morning makes me worth the fight
I will not be giving in tonight

2GP, 13SP, 63CP
OOC: I hope this made up for the previous one!!

[CoffeeMelody]

Immediately upon arrival at camp there was a division in the group, but Sheda remained in the background as she found a patch to sit down on and unsheathe her weapons. Even against the forest ground her sword gave a small 'thud' and the tip sunk into the ground an inch or so as she settled it against one of her shoulders and took out a whetstone from a pouch at her hip to begin to tend to it. She wasn't really good for the little tasks. Animals in general were unsettled by her presence so helping to tend to the horses might prove more troublesome then useful and, in general, her method of eating food ranged from raw to cooked so she never really learned the task of prepping food. It was either already prepped by someone else at tavern or she ate it natural. Now, need her to chop down another small tree for more firewood? Need her to heft things most men would strain lifting? Sheda could do that easily, but at the moment it was more about settling in for the night so she stuck to her whetstone and weapons to sharpen their edges. Besides, the daintier elf had already said they were not to harm any more trees so there went one of the few things she could have contributed at the current moment.

As people tended to the animals, both living and dead, Sheda eventually moved from her sword to her axe. "Zeeiek doesn't like cooked meat. Takes out fear of beasts when you kill." Sheda had almost forgotten the pest was there since he had piped down during the journey, but now remembered he was indeed there and turned to glance at where the goblin had settled to sit next to her with a couple rocks. Who knew what he was doing knocking the rocks against each other, but if it kept him out of her hair she wouldn't take away the 'toy'. "Most people don't prefer to eat their kill still twitching like you. Now pipe down before I offer you up for added food for the dragons." She replied, sighing as the little goblin looked up at her shock before he began to climb up to side to rub his head on her shoulder. "My Sheda wouldn't do that to Zeeiek. Zeeiek likes his Sheda too much to believe she'd be so cruel. Zeeiek and Sheda kid. They always kid together. It's what Zeeiek likes so much." One of her eyebrows twitched and her grip on the axe tightened a little but she sighed and merely rested the axe against her leg before reaching with the opposite hand to grab the goblin by his head and set him back on the ground. "If you want it to remain just kidding then stop climbing on me and poking me with your bony fingers whenever you feel like." Sheda replied in warning with a look to the goblin that said she meant what she was saying. For a second it looked like the goblin might...cry at the way 'his Sheda' spoke to him, but frowned before settling back down with his rocks. "Zeeiek listen." With that the goblin fell silent again and Sheda was grateful to not have his mousy voice piercing her hearing anymore. It was almost as bad as his little fingers poking into her as he used her like his personal ladder. What she would give for Atreus to have actually come with them and give her someone she could openly talk to outside the little pest and his clanking rocks.

Sheda had hoped he would maybe arrive later after scouting or the like, but so far no sign of it and it seemed he had decided against taking the journey with the group doomed to fail at the current going rate. She couldn't blame him for ditching out while he could and envyed him a little for having that option. Still, after this was all over maybe she could still catch up with him. He did still owe her a drink in her mind from the one they had not had at The Laughing Fox. For now she, however, had to watch...Sheda's gaze wandered to Wilhelm and she let out a small sigh. Unlike Atreus who never really settled like she had, she was now obligated to watch the prince brat who could barely stay on his horse or she may not have a 'home' to return to. Bloody royals, taking advantage of their position to get others to do their bidding and dirty work. In all senses she was 'royalty' in her tribe for being the strongest, but she doubted the human royals would appreciate her ways of persuading others to do what she wanted. The momentary mental image of their shock and horror did bring a small dark smirk to her face as she finished working on her axe edges, making them sharp enough they could slice a strand of hair in half. She took pride in her weapons, especially the axe since it contained the skull of the first orc she had beaten in a death match. When the axe had presented to her she knew it was the first step to finally being accepted in the tribe and therefore took very good care of it, as 'barbaric' to others as it might look. When it was tended to she set it off to the side and perused the group once more.

At this point in time the dainty princess and darker-skinned human had returned and Sheda only marginally paid attention to what the dark-skinned human said to the elf. Something about not wandering off and telling others about her shadows? Sheda didn't even try to make sense of the little bits she caught since it was most likely much more complicated then she personally would make it. She did take notice, though, when the little gold dragon around the dainty elf's shoulder slipped away from her rider to lay in the initial clearing into the camp in her full size. This raised an eyebrow and made her wonder what suddenly made the dragon leave the side of the elf in such a manner. However, it wasn't really her business so she instead focus on the gruff man, Karga if she recalled his name from introductions on the way to camp, as he began to bark new orders after the dark-skinned female explained what her and the dainty one had found on their venture away from the camp.Unfriendly orcs and goblins in the area? This peaked her interest a little, but she didn't actually move till Karga had barked at her charge to join him and climb up on the smaller black dragon. Sheda immediately felt a little protective and worried about her charge wandering off into the forest if there really was potential problems and stood up, hooking her axe back onto her hip and her sword against her back in one fluid movement as if the huge thing weighed nothing to her. "I'll come with you. If there really are orc or goblins in the area I might be your only means to communicate." She piped in, walking over to where the man and his dragon stood, taking a glance over at her charge with an internal sigh. He had almost fallen off his horse. How would he fair on an actual dragon? "Unless you happen to be fluent in Orc and Goblin?" Sheda added though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

Clothes & Cloak

[- Strange One -]

Alleira's comment irked Roka a bit but she didn't show it. So apparently the young elf woman she'd followed had been royalty. The other elf woman in the group seemed to think any questioning of her majesty was a personal insult to them both. Roka's jaw set. The safety of the team was on the line and even if the blind elf Rider's assessment of the situation was sound nothing was lost in making sure this place was safe and protected. Her tiredness was starting to get to her and so she turned to Alleira and said shortly, "My people do not recognize royalty and I won't keep a potential threat to the group quiet on the word of one person."

Ja'Ni's snickering could be heard in her mind, "You should travel long hours more often, Roka. It makes your tongue sharper."


Roka responded with a mental shushing sound then turned back to Karga. She nodded as he spoke. At least someone was taking this seriously. When she'd come on this journey she'd expected there would be clash of personalities yes. What she hadn't expected was for anyone's pride to get in the way of completing their task. As far as she were concerned Royal titles had no bearing on this mission. Taking the concerns of those around you seriously and acting on them, did.

She gave a nod at Evren's words. "Consider it done."

She turned then to Hella and smiled, "If you'll come with me to speak to Aura and the others I'd appreciate the help." She waited for the other woman's response then made her way towards the group at the edge of the camp. She herself had seen the butchering of animals before but the smell of it made her stomach queasy.

Turning away a moment she called the elf Princess whose name she still didn't know over, "Miss would you come over here a moment." She waited for Elenial to acknowledge her words before turning back to the others.

"As you may have heard, there is some evidence of Orc and Goblin activity nearby. I know you're tired but as such you'll need to stop what your doing and help to pack up camp in case we need to leave quickly." She looked to each member of the group in turn making certain they were all listening. "In the interest of safety I'm assigning one rider to each recruit. Rider's you will be responsible for making sure your recruit leaves with you. If we're separated or attacked we'll all have a better chance of leaving unscathed. Loxias, you'll be with the Princess. Hella, you're with the Wolf-shifter. Aura, you'll be with me."

She looked at each of them in turn as she spoke then continued. "Hella and- I'm very sorry I don't know your name- but the two of you I ask to help pack up camp along with Loxias and the Princess. Aura and I will be on watch for Evren's signal, or any sign of trouble. That said if anyone sees an orange light in the woods, speak up. That's a sign that we need to get out quickly." She looked about the group again. "Does anyone have any questions?"

Mood◍ Tired but relieved
Doing◍ Having a word with Evren Having a word with the recruits and riders
Location◍ Campsite
With◍ Evren and the Recruits The Recruits and Riders
OOC◍ Camp counselor Roka is planning activities!