Thelania: Assault of the Strifesworn (Closed For Now)

[Nightmares_Shadow13]

~Arina the Dancer~

As the music wore on and her dance continued, Arina sighed. She had not seen any sign of the young girl Catrina, it seemed she would have to come up with a different plan to awaken her darker side, but now was the only chance she would get to give it a whirl with Drythe. Every now and then, she would look in his general direction, making sure that she knew exactly where he was as she began to accept her first takers for the dance. She grinned and casually flirted with her movements with all her volunteers, dancing with them as if she had been in love with each person, though flitting away whenever a new volunteer presented his or herself. Within the final beats of the song, Arina had finally made her way to Drythe and some strange feline girl who was standing by him. Perhaps she could get this woman involved in a little love triangle with Drythe and Catrina. She had no clue what the woman was to him after all. Though mere feet from the two, who had been standing near the opening of the tent, Arina decided to play this out to the very end of the song, dancing as if she hadn't even paid attention to them being there. The final drum beats were being hit before Arina spun, now face to face with the warrior. He seemed to be filled with such hope, a renewed vigor to prove himself worthy. She was about to try and cut him down from that. She then grinned seductively as she leaned in, her lips not even an inch away from his before she whispered softly. "Now, Drythe, of Little Vargol. Why don't you show us your true talent." The last of her words were punctuated with a playful hiss before she grinned and leaned in, pressing her lips to the poor boy's, kissing him, though little did others suspect, using this contact to let her own darkness rub off on the boy, trying to unlock the memories of his slaughtered village, all the terrible deeds he had committed, it was all or nothing right now. Cheers and hollers could be heard from all around the tent encouraging more. It seemed they all liked the free show, but this show was far from over.

After a long moment of their lips locked together, Arina pulled away, licking Drythe's lip playfully before she winked and gave him a small bow, as if it was all part of her performance. If her plan didn't work, she would just play it off as an innocent sign of affection not to mention trying to break the boy out of his shell to finally have a little fun. But she was hoping that that would have done the trick, strangely enough, Arina hadn't even prepared for what had happened next. As the elf woman was straightening up, she caught a glimpse of Catrina charging towards her, somehow managing to tap into the dormant shadows that were keeping her alive to summon up a weapon. Oh how delightful. Though her grin did not show outwardly, the young girl charged up to the elf and grabbed her by the front of her outfit, holding the blade to Arina's neck and drawing a thin line of blood as she shouted at the woman. Oh yes, most delightful indeed. Unfortunately, this momentary lapse of enlightenment and touching back into her former being, recoiled as the girl quickly reverted into her now normal mindset, looking pale, as if the poor dear was going to faint before she quickly dropped the blade and ran out of the tent, without saying another word. If nothing else, now the village would shun the girl for attacking like that and more distrust would be sewn towards those who came from Feora. This could still be a blessing and help with her plan. Though the dancer acted shocked and she held a hand to her throat, as if she didn't believe that this had just happened.

[Nightmares_Shadow13]

~Catrina Walker~

Catrina stood outside in the night air for a long time, trying to gather up her nerve again. She had been doing so well until she had said something she had meant as a joke but only ended up making her feel queasy. It didn't help that she had heard Drythe's voice either. And he was talking to some other girl. Something about secrets. She felt her heart race and ache. Why was he talking to other girls? No she shouldn't think something like that. It wasn't like there was anything between her and Drythe, was there? She remembered all those times she had given him a hard time, but even now, she still very much cared for the boy. Could it have been that they were both from similar situations? She pondered the thought for a moment before their voices hushed and the roar from inside the tent could be heard which only meant that they had ventured inside to enjoy the festivities. Good for them. That meant Catrina had an excuse to stay outside for just a little bit longer. She wanted to avoid Drythe. She didn't want him to see her like that. It would be too weird. It wasn't until she heard a chorus of cheers that curiosity got the best of her and Catrina peeked into the tent. What she saw made her heart sink, she felt as if she were drowning as the scene in front of her unfolded. Arina and Drythe were kissing. He wouldn't even touch Catrina that way and he had known her for so much longer, but now that he's with this new woman, he's suddenly more bold? He fancied this stranger over her. Something inside of Catrina snapped as she hadn't even realized that a knife began to materialize in her hand. Her eyes seemed to flash a red for a moment before she completely lost it and charged at the dancer who had now stepped away from the boy.

"You treacherous little snake, how dare you touch him like that? You don't fancy him, you don't even know him? What makes you think you are good enough for him!" Catrina shouted in a darker and colder voice as she held the knife to Arina's throat before she noticed the small line of blood she drew from her neck. The girl's eyes went wide as she felt all the color leave her face. Oh no, what had she just done? She had just betrayed the chance that everyone had given her. She just harmed another person, she made a fool out of herself and Arina and the mage Artym. She then looked back at the blood. Oh no, she was going to be sick. She could almost taste bile coming up. She then quickly turned away and ran out of the tent, dropping the knife and letting it fade out of existence. As she was greeted by the cooler night's air, Catrina felt as if she were about ready to cry. She felt so alone. The one thing she had been afraid to be. Perhaps, however, she was meant to be alone. She sat quietly under a tree, hiding in the shadows of it as she pulled her knees close to her body. She was a monster, wasn't she?

[Laureli ObsidianFang]

Enaia Laeshunn

Enaia was relieved to hear Drythe agree not to tell anyone about her secret for now, and for once she felt she could believe someone, smiling back at him as she felt more confident about her overall situation. Things seemed to be looking up a little for her and she was glad for that, but as they approached the tent she couldn't help slipping back into her usual displayed personality for the most part. She stuck close to the young man, feeling acutely aware of all of the bad things that could happen at parties like this, including but not limited to drunken brawls and other things that could possibly land her into a dangerous situation, she felt an automatic distrust of the room in general but she tried to fend it off, focusing on her newly established friendship and her intent to work from there. Thinking about it that way the world felt a lot less imposing, if she could befriend one person and then one of their friends and so on from there then she'd wind up encompassing a fair amount of people and that gave her a rise of hope. These were all just people, people like herself and Drythe although perhaps minus the dark pasts, maybe they wouldn't understand them so well but they had done them no wrong either and she kept hat in mind, she had nothing to hold against these people, others had wronged her but they had not. The word yet echoed unbidden in her mind but she did her best to ignore it looking up at Drythe as he asked her about the party and she shrugged slightly, "I suppose so, they often tend to end on bad notes though, drinking seems to be a dangerous pass-time." she said warningly without thinking before she silently cursed herself for being so negative, she didn't want to ruin his outlook on things like her own already was. "N-Never mind that though, I'm sure this one will be just fine." she said, trying to give a cheery and encouraging smile as she stepped closer, in the process of reaching out to hold onto his arm like she'd done back at Divona's house out of partial habit and seeking a little support in maintaining her own positivity.

She stopped midway however as the song ended and she blinked over at the dancer who was right by them, the moment that Enaia laid eyes on her up close she felt something was off about her, she couldn't place it at all, just something about the woman made her fur stand on end and she stiffened beside Drythe. Rosy eyes grew wide as the healer leaned in close to the young man and spoke, apparently she was familiar with him and wherever he was from, Little Vargol apparently, not that it rang any bells for her right now, but that wasn't what concerned her, there was definitely something off about the woman and seeing her so close to her first friend in almost 20 years she didn't like it one bit. Black furred ears pinned back flat against pink hair and tail thrashed behind her in a very displeased manner as she watched Arina kiss Drythe, "No-.." she'd started to say wanting to yank the young man away from her, something felt very wrong about this, it wasn't jealousy that made her reach out to grab the back of his shirt as the other woman drew away, but concern. Every fiber of her being told Enaia something very bad had just happened, she had a very strong sense of magic and this woman was steeped with it, dark evil magic, something foul and in that moment of contact with Drythe she'd spread it like an infection to the man. Some girl had run into the tent and held a blade to Arina's throat, she didn't know Catrina but she was pleased for the distraction as she turned her focus onto Drythe, giving the back of his shirt a soft tug, "Drythe..." she said, voice soft and worried, she wanted to get away from here, she didn't know what the woman had done to him but she hoped he was alright, her taint still lingered and the catgirl cast a glare over at her before looking back to Drythe. She didn't know who either of these women were or what their exact connection with Drythe was, the one who'd had the knife having fled back outside, but right now she was more worried about whether or not he'd been affected by whatever the dancer had just done to him. Instinct told her to draw her wand to defend herself because he would turn on her but she refused to, she wanted to trust him, she willed herself to have faith in him and to not go for her wand.

[Laureli ObsidianFang]

Denerius Belfore

Denerius gave a faint smile at Catrina as she told him he should take his own advice, her next comment catching him quite offguard though he tried to force out a laugh as he rubbed his head, trying not to act awkward about the weird comment but failing. He had to admit he wasn't very surprised when she excused herself before rushing off looking somewhat ill, the man nodding to her before she disappeared and he sighed a little, shaking his head a bit. That was another in a long line of conversations that had gone very badly for him but he tried not to pay it too much mind, a lot had happened and it wasn't anyone in particulars fault. He'd said he'd look out for Drythe and he did just that, keeping an eye out for the black haired man as he resumed his position by one of the walls out of the way. He thought he'd seen Cyneward come into the tent with a woman but they'd vanished in the crowd before he could get a good look, he needed to speak with him as well but Drythe was his current priority and so he continued watching out for him for now. Unfortunately when he finally did spot the man entering the pavilion with a pink haired cat girl and was making his approach he was cut short by Arina's dance ending and her taking an apparent interest in the boy. "Drythe-" he'd called out, but the healers interruption far overshadowed his call, the woman leaning forward to kiss Drythe and Denerius stopped in his tracks quite taken aback by the scene. "Whoa.." was his only reaction for a moment but something seemed a little odd about the whole thing and he quickly resumed his approach, intent on talking to the other man as soon as possible about Catrina.

He was halted once more as the girl in question suddenly appeared, screaming at Arina and holding a knife to her throat, "Damn it!" he shouted, frustrated by the whole situation, things were not going well at all, now it seemed apparent that Catrina was still some sort of risk. For a moment he wondered if she'd merely conned them but her reaction as she saw the blood she'd drawn from the healer made him doubt that, no there was something else at work here and he had every intention of finding out as he closed the final distance toward them. However just as soon as he'd gotten there Cat had taken off again, and after letting out a growl and casting a brief glare at Arina who he felt distrustful of at the moment as well, he took off after the girl. "Catrina, wait!" he shouted, hoping she'd stop, he didn't want to have to chase her too far after what had just happened it would only make things look all the worse for her and he had a suspicion things were as straight forward as they first appeared regarding her actions. He'd had the impression from the way she acted about Drythe earlier that she liked him, so obviously there was some jealousy there which he couldn't blame, if he had ever liked anyone and seen them kissing someone else he didn't imagine he'd be too happy either, but there was also the darkness issue. They'd already come to the determination that she still retained some bit of the shadows in her which she must have used or perhaps been used by a moment ago, it was uncertain. Denerius had keen eyes but even for him it would take a moment to find the girl in the darkness outside, especially as she sat in the darker shadow of a tree, he just hoped she wasn't planning to flee the town because things would only get worse from there.

[First of Four]

The Soulless Being of Darkness

In the shadows and alone may not have been the best decision Catrina made this night. Not long after she hid herself in the darkness of the tree an arm suddenly wrapped around her back pulling her close in a comforting manner as a voice came from next to her. The voice was calm, smooth, and flowing and held a hint of slyness though it was mostly overcome by the sound of false concern that was much clearer in the words. “Do not worry little sister. I know you likely feel alone at the moment, but let me tell you; know that you will never be alone. Even if everyone else leaves you I will always be there for you.” The one next to her, comforting her was none other than Jake. He knew however that even if she was herself as he knew her she probably wouldn’t know who he was with his new appearance unless she was able to sense and identify his specific signature of darkness, but him calling her sister may have been enough to give her a clue as to who he was.

[Literary_Method]

Artym Kay

Artym smiled at Shamera's response to his invitation but the expression didn't reach his eyes. How nice it would have been not to have any ghosts hanging over his head. Though in the grand scheme of things two was not so bad for his age, Artym could think of a number of people who had lost many more in the same amount of time.
“You are quite fortunate.” He said after a moment, “Many were lost on the battlefield and people die every day besides. You should cherish those you hold dear while you can. I will admit, however, that I mourn someone who fell long before the gates of Feroa were breached.”
As Shamera moved closer and took a seat near him Artym made note of her features. She held an exotic quality that set her apart from the denizens of Feora and Nayavere though the differences were subtle to his eyes. The peoples of Thelenia were as diverse as the grains of sand on a beach and free to travel as they pleased. As a newcomer to the continent every person he met was exotic in their own way.
“You have a keen eye.” He said in response to her next question. “My name is Artym and I am a ranger of Feythabolis. I came to Feroa the day it fell seeking to observe the strifesworn and decide whether or not they constituted a threat to my homeland.” There was little point in hiding his mission at this point and Artym tried not to lie when he could. It was said that each lie a person made took on a life of its own and required tending to be kept. If a person continued to lie heedlessly they would soon find themselves overwhelmed and the facade would fall apart.
“You said that you had only been in Feroa for a few days before the attack, where do you hail from then?” He asked intending to deflect any interest in his mission with smalltalk but it seemed like the woman was preoccupied with something else judging by the look on her face. “You seem troubled.” he commented, “is something bothering you?”

[Nightmares_Shadow13]

~Catrina Walker~

Catrina held back her own tears, though she couldn't help but shake a little. She couldn't understand why she was so upset about this. She had heard Denerius call out for her after she had ran off, but Catrina didn't want to face him. She didn't want to see anyone. She had lost control and started to become the monster that she had just been freed from. She curled her legs in tighter, just wishing to disappear as she laid her head down on her knees before she felt an arm around her shoulder. Catrina jumped slightly and let out a small squeak as she quickly turned and looked at who was next to her. She heard his words and was a little offset when he called her little sister, but could it have meant something else? She sat there and listened to him, the words sounding oh so soothing, but ever so familiar. They reminded her of the time that it had first happened. All the blood and all the pain. Then the promise that she would never be alone. It was something that was so tempting, but every fiber of her instincts told her it was a bad idea. It felt so familiar, just like that night. She almost wanted to trust the man, but somehow, she knew she shouldn't. Gently taking his hand and sliding it from around her, Catrina scooted away and shook her head. "I'm sorry, as nice as you seem, I just, I don't know you and this doesn't feel right. Um, I actually should be, um, going. Thank you though. It's nice that someone was concerned. But, um, yeah." Catrina fumbled over her words as she moved away from the man a little more before she stood up and dusted off her dress a little. She then walked towards the town, hoping that there might be someone there, though she wasn't sure. It was pretty crowded in the tent. She just was afraid to be alone with this person. And for good reason, as far as she was concerned.

[Connecto Prease]

- Drythe Hallover -
- [X] -
- Repentant Catastrophe -

Drythe could do nothing but stand in shock as Arina did the unthinkable and kissed him with such passion. All he could do was stiffen his body up and let out a loud squeak. He had no idea what was going on and everything just seemed to stand still. His body frozen with a strange sense of addled bliss.

It didn't last for very long though, all of a sudden images began to flood into his mind. Images from his past life. As the darkness slipped into his body, all he could see in his mind's eye was death and pain by his hand. The vision of the Reaper of Vargol, a silent butcher who revelled in blood.

He remembered how good it felt.

But despite the reminder, Drythe's new found resolve, and the image of the priest who forgave him, saw him struggle through the ordeal of memory. As Arina pulled away he stared into her eyes, his face completely red. Despite the fact that the woman just stole his first kiss, his thoughts were focused on what was now the cracked foundations of his mind.

"What did you do...?" He was cut short as a girl dived over and attacked Arina, shouting very strange words. They were odd because he had never met this girl before. What was causing her to react in such a way?

It wasn't until after she ran off in horror that he realised and his body felt itself drawn to where she had run, but his feet remained frozen to the spot. He murmured in his voice, which was shaken just like his core.

"Was that...Catrina?"

[Nightmares_Shadow13]

~Arina the Dancer~

Arina felt almost defeated as she saw that Drythe hadn't reacted much to the kiss, or at least, not as she had expected. It wasn't until she felt a spark of darkness, much like her own come from Drythe before she smiled weakly as she tried to laugh off his question. "I'm terribly sorry for this mess, Drythe, I was just trying to get you to relax and I thought that a little affection might have helped. I truly am sorry. Had I known that it would have caused this much trouble I would never have done it." The woman said in a rather somber voice as she looked down before she heard him ask if that was Catrina. Perhaps she should push him over the edge a little more. Oh what fun that could be. She then looked at where the girl had left the tent and then to Drythe. "You haven't been told. I would've assumed you knew what had happened. I mean, I wouldn't think your friends would hide something like that from you. Well, um, I suppose this is as good of a time as any, but yes, that was Catrina, but not as you remember her. See, um, well I'm ashamed to admit that I allowed this to happen in the first place, but while I was getting everything prepared for this party, building the tent and everything with magic, I hadn't realized that the mage, Artym, had found the poor dear. I'm not exactly sure what had happened in the time that I was enthralled with my spells, but from what I did awaken to see, the mage was using his magic to torture if not kill her, forcing the darkness out of her body, though, it seemed she had been human before these shadows had taken over. I'll let her tell you her whole blood soaked story, but the mage almost killed her but turned her into what she is now. Her body is much older than it was last portrayed, but her mind is still that of a child. She must have been taken when she was very little to still have the mentality of both a child and a woman. I still am shocked that no one's told you, but then again, it seems our dear friend Denerius has forgiven her for what part she had played in Feora. Since then it seems that he's rather fond of her, I mean, did you not see that he was heading over towards you, even before our little kiss. But then, as soon as Catrina ran off, he chased after her with such worry. I hate to say it, but these pieces are not adding up. I would hate to think of anything that could be played behind our back, but knowing how Catrina is, in her mind set, she's probably not even aware of what is going on around her. I promised you I'd look after her, and so I shall, but please, enjoy the party. I will be back later, I just need to make sure that no one tries anything foul with that poor dear." Arina was baiting the poor boy and she had a feeling it was an easy thing to see, but even still, she had to try, just a little bit. It was after she finished her words that she bowed to Drythe and then bowed to her audience who had seemed to be watching the whole thing before she walked out of the tent and went to go "look" for their missing little girl.

[Nightmares_Shadow13]

~Shamera Utaku~

Sham listened to the man say something about having a keen eye. She didn't think so. She was able to tell different cultures apart simply because of her travels to so many different places. She only offered up a small smile before she shrugged at his comment and listened to him go on about her being lucky and the likes. She wondered who he was mourning who hadn't fallen in Feora, but she figured that it was not her place to ask such a question. She then heard his questions and sighed a little. It wasn't an easy answer to give cause there was no actual land in which her tribe would stay. "I'm a nomad, or at least, my people are. We would normally stay in the Eastern wastelands, I fled to escape a duty I do not find myself ready for. I have no real place to say where I'm from, but I have a people whom I belong to. My people are the Utaku horse tribe, known for their battlemaidens. Not that exciting I'm afraid." She said, a simple enough answer if she did say so herself. That was all the information he would need, or so she thought. After a short moment had passed of sitting in silence, the man posed another question. She didn't want to lie to him for it was a sign of disrespect and dishonor on both parties. Neither of which she wanted to subject him to. "Fate had caught up with me. I needed to take on the duty I ran from in order to help the people of this village. After seeing what the Strifesworn had done to just about every village I've gone to, I wish to fight and protect the others that are still whole, giving them enough help to keep their home. But, I don't even know where to start on said duty, I can handle myself just fine, but when there are rambunctious, boisterous, all and all loud foreigners without any word of them even coming into this city let alone crashing a party. I didn't know how to tell my people no and to leave the townfolk alone. It's been so many years since I had even seen any of them. I hardly recognize them." She answered once more with a somber sigh. This had been much more than she had said, even when Shin was around. "So then, I answered some questions for you, now I have one of my own. Where exactly are you from?" She asked as she tilted her head to the side.

[First of Four]

The Soulless Being of Darkness

Catrina’s reaction didn’t surprise Jake all that much, she was not “herself” after all. He stayed where he was however and watched her from in the shadow of the tree she had left him in. After hearing what she had to say he smiled pleasently with a twinge of slyness in his eyes and spoke up before she was out of earshot. “I will be watching over you my young sister, so don’t feel alone.” When she was then out of range of his voice he whispered to himself as a wicked grin replaced his plesent smile. “Even when they have left you behind in their death I will be there.” And with those words his image fadded away into the darkness of the shadows he sat in as he vanished.

[Laureli ObsidianFang]

Enaia Laeshunn

Enaia slowly released the back of Drythe's shirt, he didn't seem to even realize she was there anymore right now, he seemed to still be himself for the most part, he wasn't becoming violent or anything, but there was still something wrong and she knew it. Ears remained pinned back and tail low as she watched him, rosy gaze darting from him to the elven woman suspiciously, he knew she'd done something as well and a moment later he had apparently recognized the girl who ran in and threatened the dancer, Catrina apparently. She felt like she had heard someone mention the name in passing at some point perhaps at Divona's house or elsewhere but it meant nothing important to her in particular, the girl however seemed to have feelings for him and she wondered if they were returned though it wasn't technically her business. The girls frown set deeper as she listened to Arina, the woman trying to play off the kiss as something harmless but Enaia didn't believe her, she was filled with dark taint, just what it was she wasn't sure at all, but she could feel the magic of it in her. Next she'd gone on to explain whatever had apparently happened involving Catrina since she was changed from how he had originally seen her, or that was what she managed to gather from it anyhow, but the elf was clearly trying to stir up trouble as she prodded at him with the mention of the green haired man, trying to provoke something from him.

"Perhaps," she began coldly, eyes narrowed at the woman as she stood beside Drythe still, "He was coming to inform Drythe of this very information, but after what you did clearly someone had to go make sure she was alright and wasn't going to do anything rash. Clearly you weren't going after her in any hurry, eyes too set on Drythe to see your work perhaps?" she hissed, her usual distrust of everyone strengthening tenfold in regards to this woman, she didn't trust that she had any good intent whatsoever in kissing Drythe. Perhaps it was a little ironic for her to defend someone she didn't even know against distrust given her own trust issues, but she had a much easier time putting faith into anyone but the dancer right now. As Arina passed by them to head out of the tent with the supposed intention of looking for Cat Enaia tensed, fur bristling and fingers reaching for her wand though she didn't draw it forth, watching her intently before she looked back to Drythe again, still concerned about him she reached hesitantly to touch his arm.

[Laureli ObsidianFang]

Denerius Belfore

Denerius didn't quite spot Catrina under the tree at first as he looked around, but he heard voices and began to approach them, overhearing some man saying something about being there even when everyone else was dead or some such. Hurrying his pace he saw the girl leaving the tree to head toward town, he paused a moment to check very thoroughly around the tree but in the end he found no one else there, she was alone and he quickly turned to follow after her, "Catrina, wait." he called, his long stride carrying him to her before she stopped behind her. Gently placing a hand on her shoulder he stopped her, "Who were you just talking to?" he asked, voice a little more demanding than he'd intended for it to be which he quickly caught on to. Raising his hands a little in front of him in a somewhat apologetic manner, "Sorry, just there was no one there when I looked. The hell just happened back there though? I mean I can take a guess, about why you did it, but where'd you get the blade from, was it you or it doing that?" he asked, basically wanting to know whether she'd been in control of herself and utilized the darkness inside of her or whether she'd been influenced by the darkness instead.

This whole thing felt pretty fishy, he didn't trust it and didn't like it, it felt like someone was trying to make Catrina out to be a villain again, perhaps she was still a threat of some sort, he couldn't be sure really but he felt right now that he could trust her. Her reaction to the blood seemed too real to be her pretending, she wasn't a killer, not right now not anymore, she was herself, whoever that might be in the end it wasn't a murderer, that was for sure. His gut told him that someone was trying to provoke her into making herself look dangerous whether she still was or not, or perhaps even trying to actually provoke her into returning to her old ways, he wasn't certain, but given the circumstances the only conclusion he could reach right now was that the someone in question was likely Arina. This meant either she was still under the control of the shadows herself or that she had been a threat all along, he couldn't turn down either possibility, but until he learned more he couldn't try and lay a solid claim about it either, he needed to know she was up to something for sure before he said anything to anyone like Ramarith.

[Literary_Method]

Elin Mull

It was all too easy for Elin to slip inside the tent and drift among the party goers unmolested. She smiled and nodded to any face that turned toward her and before long there was a mug of ale in her hand as well as a spring in her step. No one would guess that she was a strifesworn spy by looking at her. The facade was only skin deep though. Butterflies roiled in her stomach and it took all of her concentrated to keep he movements fluid and boisterous. The ale helped some after she downed half a flagon alongside a tall, lean man who looked like some kind of traveler who seemed to be drinking his own brew and toasting every passing girl in the crowd.

After escaping the drunken horseman Elin found herself a place on the wall and a fresh drink along the way. She had spotted the pair of knights as soon as she entered the tent, for the female stood out like a sore thumb in her armor, but made sure to take a meandering route to her current position so as not to arouse suspicion. Now she was just within earshot of the two which in the noise filled tent meant she had to linger fairly close. The young ranger's eyes watched the byplay between a female dancer and what appeared to be a serving girl but her concentration remained fixed on the pair of knights. Occasionally she would take a sip of her ale and shout encouragement or a bawdy joke at the revelers who had started dancing again once the serving girl had stormed out.

It occurred to Elin that now would be a perfect time to approach the knights and beg for help. Her guardian had no hope of sneaking inside the tent unnoticed and she doubted even its supernatural ears could pick out a quiet conversation among the din of the party. Trust kept her glued to the wall. She didn't know these two. All it would take was one misspoken word or one poorly timed possession to end her deception and her life.

[Literary_Method]

Artym Kay

A hundred questions sprang to mind regarding Shamera's culture but the horsemistress was not done speaking yet. He listened patiently and nodded as she spoke of duty and a seemingly insurmountable task set before her. It was easy for the ranger to sympathize with her and he set aside his questions for the moment to see if he could reassure the young woman..

“Command is a heavy burden to bear.” he offered after considering her plight, “However I should think that if your greatest worry is how to tell your people no that you are very fortunate indeed. Discipline is important to be sure but perhaps you should give those you command your trust. In return I have no doubt they will give you theirs. You say they have crashed the party but I hear no screams of terror or shouts of anger coming from the tent.”

As he glanced over at the tent Artym realized the night was progressing and that the ceremony should as well. He had gotten caught up talking with Shamera. Thankfully the next part was much easier to start. From his pocket the ranger pulled a lump of coal and cupped it between his hands. He brought the lump to his mouth and blew gently putting a small amount of magic behind the motion. The coal began to smolder then took light and Artym tossed it into a pile of kindling at the base of the pyre. Normally a calling pyre would be made mostly of coal since wood was rather scarce in Feythabolis but so long as there was even one piece the spirits would be appeased.

As he turned back Shamera's next question caught him off guard. He had thought that naming his home country would be enough information for the young horsemistress. It had never occurred to him that she may not have heard of Feythabolis before.

“As I have said I come from Feythabolis. It is a country far to the north of here and across the Bitter Sea. It is a cold and unforgiving land that is covered in snow most of the year but it holds a rugged beauty not easily matched. Does that answer your question?”