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 Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:24 pm
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Ky's sleep had been more ineffective than usual. While normally his nights go without issue, the previous night had met him with troubling dreams. Perhaps it was the discussion he had only hours ago, or maybe it was the high concentration of mystical energies that he wasn't used to. Either way it would stick with him.
He was a boy. Surrounding him was the buildings he recognized all to easily. They were the buildings that surrounded the grand cathedral. They were burning. Every last one. He could feel the suffocating flames against his face, and smell burning wood and flesh. He turned around to run only to be blocked by the image of the burning cathedral wrapped in the sinister grip of the beast. It's visage was uncanny: enormous, black, but at the same time whispy and wraith-like. It pointed at Ky. It didn't speak, but the boy knew what it was saying. You did it. You made me.
Ky was a breath away from screaming when a white light broke the darkness. From it came a voice, telling him that it was dawn. That it was time to wake up.
Ky awoke with a slight start. His eyes darted around before settling on Naelonni. It all came back to him. He was in the tower of the Kae'dryn.
"Oh, Miss Dalearin. Good morning." he managed to say before covering a yawn. The memory of the nightmare was still fresh. It had preyed on a fear he'd conjured since being told about the dragon wars. But it would have to wait. The day had started and there was work to be done.
He smiled kindly to the elven maid and said, "I hope the night saw you well." |
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:31 pm
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Rikki Tikki Travi Ky awoke with a slight start. His eyes darted around before settling on Naelonni. It all came back to him. He was in the tower of the Kae'dryn. "Oh, Miss Dalearin. Good morning. I hope the night saw you well."
  Nae Nae watches the turbulent emotions pass over the young knight's face like spring's swiftly changing storm clouds. Whatever dreams were imposing themselves upon him, they did not seem to be pleasant. Chocolate eyes drift over the distressed features. He looked so much younger in the morning light. So much less .. barbaric.. and more .. well, almost boyish. Innocent. Could this man really be involved in some great deception with the angels? It seemed so unlikely now.
It took her a few gentle shakes but she was eventually able to rouse him. She pretended not to notice his faint start, inwardly pleased that she was able to pull him from such unpleasantness. In reply to his kind greeting, she offers him a warm smile.
"I slept well enough, thank you. If it pleases, I have prepared a bath in your quarters." She thought it was pretty safe to assume that none of the visitors would want to bathe in the more communal room that the Kae'dryn had upstairs. Though to be honest, Nae wasn't even sure the ancient magi would want them up there in the first place. Either way, this just seemed safer. "The Kae'dryn rarely rises this early, so you have a chance to clean up and perhaps have some breakfast before you conduct your business with her. In the meantime, I can check on your other companions and make sure they are attended."
I am a leaf on the wind... |
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:35 pm
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 Cyrillia sat at her table, weeding out the tangles from her blond, damp hair with a small brush she held in her hand, she felt exhausted but knew it had much to do with the lack of sleep the previous night. She couldn't remember when she had finally fallen into a deep slumber before it was morning but she did not worry about it. It was once again another day.
She stood from her table and dressed in a white gown that almost seemed translucent and strapped a green bodice dress over it, concealing the most critical parts of her body. Today was one of her training days that she did almost always, it was like a tradition of sorts for her. Whenever she finished learning a new magic arte or spell she always felt the need to test it and so would go and train her mind and body for it. She knew how strong and exhausting a spell could be first using it. The young elf pulled her wavy blond locks up into a bun upon her head, a few pieces twirled and curled along her face and neck.
Grabbing her magic book she headed over to the door, sliding her pale feet into flat green shoes that matched her bodice. She wondered though how the Kae'dyrnn was doing, of course she would not be awake at this hour, Cyrillia felt compelled to go and check on her but almost reconsidering thought it best to stay away. She hoped to be finished with her prep training before the Kae'drynn awoke, she had many chores to attend to and did not wish to upset the woman by not being there and getting them done. She only prayed that she could master her spell and get back quickly. Cyrillia opened her door and walked out, heading down the corridor, it was odd to know she had been here for as long as she had already. It seemed only like yesterday that she arrived here, she smiled at the thought and hugged her book closer to her chest.
Her thoughts of course ventured to the nights previous ones, would she always stay here? Or request to go with their visitors? To help people not from a safe distance but physically. It frightened her however she was compelled to help, almost inspired to fight alongside people who cared about others. Thanks to Ky her mind would not stop thinking for just a moment.
She sighed, 'I feel this will be a much harder task to overcome than any I have faced before.' she thought. |
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:19 pm
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 The bright, piercing rays from the morning sun invaded the room through an unprotected porthole, and the sleeping angel was slowly brought to consciousness. After an unceremonious yawn, a rub of her eyes and a rather ungraceful series of stretching, Ash rolled out of the hammock with every intent of facing the new day. Her plans were momentarily foiled as bare feet touched down on the cold, unforgiving wooden floor, sending her hoping back a few paces before flopping her seat on a cargo crate to escape. Quickly she scouted for her shoes and stockings, making sure that this time when she braved a step her toes were properly shielded from any further unpleasantness.
A few more minutes found her dressed and heading out into the corridor to locate her absent spellweaver. She passed the door to the sleeping area where their wounded crew member lie, but decided against checking on the halfling until Ash knew what Azzy's investigations had turned up the night before. Said blue tinted Elf was eventually located in the small mess area, curled and peaceful on a couch. The angel smiled to herself and leaned against the wooden frame to watch the sorceress for a moment before reaching a hand down and tugging on one of Asmyrra's toes.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead," came the cheerful, affectionate greeting.
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:39 pm
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BeaMichelle Kari took one last swig of her drink and set the mug down. She wiped the remnants of liquid from her lip before asking, "Wha' kind o' tales 'ave ye been told, Firefly?
 That emerald gaze did not rise from scrutinizing the steaming contents of her mug, though her thoughts were entirely upon Kari's query. What exactly should she tell her friend? Sure she had heard some wild things from the fey folk in the forests, and yes Kari knew that they spoke to Molly often despite their natural skittishness and mistrust of humans. Still, she hadn't confirmed much personally and it was her instinct to keep quiet on general hearsay until she knew for sure.
"Mind you, it's just stories," she started hesitantly, slipping back into their native tongue. With how often she switched between languages, it was little wonder why some people found conversation with her infuriating. "But the fey... every so often they'll mention something about a 'sister'. I don't quite know what they mean by that. They never explain it. In fact, if they realise they've said something at all they clam up again and I cannot get any more from them."
She paused then and took a sip of the warm liquid, letting it swirl over her tongue while she organized her thoughts. "Usually when they talk like that, use terms like 'sister' or 'mother', they are just referring to another of the fey folk. The dryads call the naiads their 'river sisters' and the great large oaks their 'mother' tree. But there are times that it seems different. Like these other 'sisters' are not one of them, though they seem to be accepted. The feeling I get when they speak of them... it's more like a guardian."
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:41 am
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Cheshiyre "Rise and shine sleepyhead," came the cheerful, affectionate greeting.
 It had been something of a running battle for a while. The soft cushions of the little couch, and the warmth of her robes and her extra cloak against the miscreant thoughts plaguing her mind. To say sleep had been elusive would be an understatement... But Asmyrra had eventually managed to catch the evasive beastie.
Sunrise was not a welcome guest to her mind, however... The hood of her cloak pulled well over her head to protect her eyes from any awakening light, the depth in which she'd burrowed into the couch... As such, it was probably no surprise to Ash when the offended toe so rudely shaken twitched itself free, and disappeared under that midnight-coloured fabric.
The unfamiliar voice is what finally did it, however. Even less than half-conscious, that cursed memory would find ways to haunt Asmyrra... The voice that had only been discovered last night, after a moment of life or death. The voice that marked a return of heroism decades gone... The voice that reminded Asmyrra where her bed was located, what territory it lay within.
So, the cloaked bundle shifted a few times irritably, a hint of defiance emerging as it burrowed even deeper into the cushions of the couch. The same defiance became even more clear when a tattooed hand emerged from the midnight folks, and brushed the hood partially away from the face it concealed...
...And revealed the single slanted eye glaring a half-asleep, half-baleful violet gaze up at the pale woman who so rudely (in her mind) woke her up... |
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:32 pm
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Seraphi Thorne
So, the cloaked bundle shifted a few times irritably, a hint of defiance emerging as it burrowed even deeper into the cushions of the couch. The same defiance became even more clear when a tattooed hand emerged from the midnight folks, and brushed the hood partially away from the face it concealed...
...And revealed the single slanted eye glaring a half-asleep, half-baleful violet gaze up at the pale woman who so rudely (in her mind) woke her up...
The cheerful chime of laughter was the rather unimpressed reply to the gaze of loathing. "Oh no you don't. Don't give me that gorgon look. It's doesn't work on him and it won't work on me," she teases playfully, her fingers finding the escaped toe through the fabric of Asmyrra's cloak and tugging again.
"Come on, I'll make you some coffee," she added, moving to the unfamiliar counter to hunt through the cupboards. As she poked around the containers, occasionally opening up a lid and sniffing the contents for identification, she continues her line of thought. "Then you can tell me all your discoveries regarding our begrudging patient. Seeing as you didn't come fetch me in the middle of the night, it must be a fair assumption that she's going to live?"
Finding a particularly aromatic container of ground coffee beans, Ash then set upon the task of locating the instruments of production. As the pleasant scent of the rich, exotic blend permeates the air, the angel continues her light-hearted rambling. "I must admit, she looked to be in a lot better condition last night than your previous description had led me to believe. It isn't like you to exaggerate things like that. Are you sure there was no healing properties in that sleeping drought the gypsy provided? As an Elven caravan, they probably had access to trade with the Northern cities. It could have been laced with a potion."
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:59 am
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The "gorgon" look didn't fade in the slightest as a faintly more coherent, mild bap! was aimed at the offending hand, before Asmyrra tucked the violated foot beneath one of the cushions on the couch. That would show her. Fortunately, though, the pale woman moved off without further torture of the mostly-asleep elf.
As Ash began her search through the cupboards, Asmyrra allowed her eyes to slide closed once more... Not in an attempt to fall back asleep, nearly so much as allowing her mind to try to shake some of the fog free. Coffee... She hated coffee. It tasted like what the grounds looked like, no matter how well it smelled. She only stomached the stuff because even its taste couldn't stop how effective it was. There had just better be something to murder the taste of it in the pantry.
As the pale woman continued her ramblings, however, a faint growl emerged from Asmyrra. Wounded compatriot, indeed... Archer in a box. She was still almost tempted to lock that thing shut, somehow... Bringing a hand up to rub at her eyes, that sleepy soprano finally emerged, countering some of the commentary so persistently intruding through the fog...
"...she was well enough to hide in one of the cargo crates after we left, if that is what you mean," that purring accent grumbled out, slightly muffled by the hand still rubbing at her eyes and face. "Some sort of darker shaping of the Weave seemed to be binding the wounds, a type of Spellweaving that I never paid a lot of attention to. Guess we'll see how she is doing when she comes out of her box..." |
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:48 pm
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Seraphi Thorne "...she was well enough to hide in one of the cargo crates after we left, if that is what you mean," that purring accent grumbled out, slightly muffled by the hand still rubbing at her eyes and face. "Some sort of darker shaping of the Weave seemed to be binding the wounds, a type of Spellweaving that I never paid a lot of attention to. Guess we'll see how she is doing when she comes out of her box..."
The amusement following the mental image of Evalin hiding in a box was temporarily placed on hold after the mention of dark energies. Instantly the paranoid angel's mind flashed to Uriel, who was certainly the darkest creature she knew. He also already had ties to Eva and the assassination attempt on Asmyrra. However, they were in the Kae'dryn's territory now. There was no possible chance he could have snuck into Relm's domain without disturbing several dozen wards that would blow him into oblivion. Uriel was already on the black list from his actions during the Sorceress Wars, and Ash knew that any excuse to end the black winged angel would be snatched up by her ancient friend in a heartbeat.
Ash was actually of the same opinion on the subject. Johannes was always the soft-hearted, everyone-can-redeem-themselves one who dragged his feet with the idea. Though his reluctance had faded significantly with the recent attack on their blue tinted companion.
"Dark energies? Binding the wounds? Can they even do that in a healthy way?" she inquired dubiously as she poured the steaming coffee into a mug. Her newest task, aside from paying attention to the conversation, was to find flavouring strong enough to wipe out the taste of the bitter morning drink. Her words came sporadic and slightly muffled at times while she poked through the cabinets. "I mean, will it do her more harm than good?"
Finally settling upon some peppermint oil and dried milk, Ash did her best to doctor up the coffee to remotely palatable standards for her coffee-hating friend. She brings the pleasantly warm mug to Asmyrra's 'bedside', offering over her creation. "Where would she get dark healing from anyway?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 7:57 am
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Violet eyes opened to slits once more as the smell of hot coffee was settled beside her, though not with any sort of balefulness. In that deceptively appealing scent was a hint of... Peppermint? The colour of the beverage was all "wrong", as well, marking signs of some sort of dairy added to it. Those slanted eyes drifted over to the pale angel standing nearby her couch with a small hint of suspicion, but...
After a moment or two's internal debate, Asmyrra finally slid her legs off the couch, a faint groan escaping as she came slowly to a seated position. Giving her face one last vigorous rub to try and finish restoring consciousness, Asmyrra tilted her head back, stretching her neck before slowly rolling her head forward and side to side. The couch was obviously not designed for people to sleep on... Sigh. Taking hold of the steaming mug, the azure-touched elf dared to try a small taste of the liquid...
Those slanted violet eyes widened in faint surprise as the flavor of the drink coated her tongue, without the usual bitterly acidic violation the beverage usually carried. An appreciative smile was offered to Ash before the Spellweaver settled back into the cushions a bit, cradling the steaming mug... Mulling the other woman's words over in her head.
"...There are some among the Kael'dorei that turn their attention in the Weave towards the boundary between life and death, and the energies suffused therein," came the eventual replay, that purring soprano clearly thoughtful. "Often, my people decry those who study that particular kind of Weaving. They usually end up turning down the path towards the death side of it, rather than the life side... It is a much easier course. 'Let the priests and godspeakers help the living' seems to be the motto..."
Shaking her head, Asmyrra took another tentative sip of the coffee, her expression still one of troubled ponderings. "That particular Art usually contains the most powerful healing magics that those who work with the Weave have access to. And, when they are used, they tend to be terribly effective. Perhaps the Kae'Dryn did a bit of sneaking last night...," she concluded with a dubious shrug, her mind not able to come up with any other folk that could possibly be in this region, with those gifts. |
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 6:41 pm
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Seraphi Thorne "That particular Art usually contains the most powerful healing magics that those who work with the Weave have access to. And, when they are used, they tend to be terribly effective. Perhaps the Kae'Dryn did a bit of sneaking last night...," she concluded with a dubious shrug, her mind not able to come up with any other folk that could possibly be in this region, with those gifts.
The angel beamed faintly upon receiving Asmyrra's smile, confirmation that the drink was acceptable. She knew how much Azzy couldn't stand the stuff. Ash herself was of a similar opinion on that bitter tasting beverage, but being an angel she could refresh herself without the use of caffeine or other such stimulants. The commander, on the other hand, was most definitely not a morning person. When forced to wake at the butt crack of dawn, Azzy always needed that extra kick to drag herself out of sandland.
Butt crack of dawn... Ash couldn't help but smirk. She could practically see Johannes shaking his head with her terminology. Yes, I know. Such a lady. The thought made her internal smirk widen into a grin, recalling how mortified Gabriel had been with her behaviour. Served him right for ever thinking she'd submit to being some kind of submissive, obedient wife. Barefoot and pregnant indeed.
The mention of the Kae'dryn brought the angel back to the present conversation and she paused to remember everything Asmyrra had said. To be sure, Ash had absolute faith in the abilities of her ancient friend. Call it naive, but deep in her heart the angel was convinced that Relm probably knew every kind of magic there was to know and could wield it effortlessly. She could imagine the little oriental woman standing aloft, raining down firey balls of death upon an unsuspecting city and all the while never spilling her tea. Johannes might have a slightly more realistic view on the topic, but even he could not deny that the magi was a walking encyclopedia of all things magical.
No, it was not the idea that Relm knew the magics that bothered her, but more the notion that she had come all the way out here, in secret, and bestowed some kind of healing upon their wounded companion. That didn't sound like the ancient magi at all. Especially considering the state they left her in...
Sigh. And she still had to make up for that one somehow.
"I really can't see Relm doing something like that," Ash explained softly, her voice losing some of its cheeriness with the disturbing nature of the topic. "If she bothered to sneak around we certainly wouldn't be able to spot her tracks. And besides, if you are convinced that bird is somehow involved... Well, in all of the years I've known Relm, she's never kept a familiar. The only minions she keeps are the apprentices. Couple that with the fact that her mood wasn't the best last night."
Ash straightened from leaning on the back of the couch, her head turned towards Eva's direction. "Perhaps we should go check on her now. You up for it?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:11 am
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Asmyrra offered a bit of a rueful nod to the pale woman's words. Indeed, the Kae'Dryn had been most displeased the previous evening... There wasn't a single story Asmyrra could call to mind that spoke of the ancient Weaveshaper actually helping someone after being enraged.
Unless turning someone gaseous (read: into smoke) was considered helpful...
But the feeling of the magic was clear to Asmyrra; whomever had shaped the spells she had detected had definitely been someone well-versed in Elven magics, no matter how dark the styling was. As she had been the only spellcaster of her race to come from the Paladin's Rod, it was virtually impossible to her thinking that any contact Evalin had, as an assassin or not, could have offered any sort of healing... It had to be someone from this region.
"...perhaps it was one of the apprentices, then," she mused quietly to herself, before disguising her pensive look behind the mug clutched in her hands. Draining the last bit of the only mildly unpleasant staple of her usual morning routine, Asmyrra settled the mug on the table, and stubbornly pushed herself to her feet. Rising to the tips of her toes, Asmyrra allowed tattooed fingers to press lightly against the wooden beams overhead in a long, full-length stretch, before settling back on her heels and raking her fingers through the midnight-hued cloud of her hair, settling it back into some semblance of order.
"Perhaps checking on her would be a good thing," she agreed, putting on her "I'm awake... Really" face. "After all, it looked like she didn't move any of the contents of the crate outside, so it must be awfully cramped in there... We might be doing the sneaky box-dweller a favor," she concluded, offering Ash an impish wink before heading towards the door and out, aimed towards the 'cargo hold'. |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:39 pm
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Seraphi Thorne "Perhaps checking on her would be a good thing," she agreed, putting on her "I'm awake... Really" face. "After all, it looked like she didn't move any of the contents of the crate outside, so it must be awfully cramped in there... We might be doing the sneaky box-dweller a favor," she concluded, offering Ash an impish wink before heading towards the door and out, aimed towards the 'cargo hold'.
Although Ash was not at all sure that her dearest friend would be teaching her apprentices such dark energies, she allowed the subject to drop without further comment. At this point any conclusions they could come up with would be speculation. If the recipient of those dark energies did not seem worse for wear this morning, the angel would be content to simply wait and ask Relm about it later. That was another point of undeniable faith that the guardian had in the ancient magi. No one came onto Relm's territory without her knowledge. Period. End of story. Die in a fire.
As the angel quietly followed the commander's lead, her thoughts could not help but drift back to Evalin's alleged current position. Hiding in a box? From what? The idea that the halfling would be hiding from them had not occurred to her until the mention of dark energies. Apparently Eva really, really didn't want them to discover that someone had visited her before they arrived. Was that the visitor's wish? To not be revealed? Ash's brow furrowed in concentration. That might support the notion that Relm had either visited herself or sent someone. If she were feeling snarky enough, the impish magi could have come aboard and filled the halfling's head with some crazy hubbub to put the girl on edge with them.
But would she do that? This ancient, extremely powerful creature who could level cities with a single swipe? Would she manipulate some wounded girl, make her paranoid against her comrades and then sit back to watch the show?
Yes... yes she would.
Relm probably knew that Johannes suspected Eva of the assassination attempt. She probably even knew about Evas connection to Uriel. Hell, Ash thought realistically, she probably knows more about the whole affair than we do and we were there. In fact, wasn't that one of the things the angel had intended to speak to the magi about when she first arrived?
Lost again in her thoughts, Ash simply followed Asmyrra to what she assumed to be the crate in question. She paused there a moment to shoot a brief glance to her blue tinted companion. There were serious doubts in her mind that Azzy would find humour in Relm's actions, if she were responsible for this. People on the outside, and consequently the very people who were made into fools, rarely appreciated the magi's sardonic amusements. Not that she blamed them. She just knew that Relm didn't care. But Ash cared what Asmyrra thought. The last thing she needed right now was to have to two best friends at odds with eachother.
Why must things be so complicated??
With a sigh the angel refocused on the task at hand. With another quick look to the commander for confirmation, Ash lightly knocked on the edge of the crate. "Evalin?" she called to the inhabitant within. "Are you in there?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:35 pm
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:48 pm
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Cheshiyre
She paused then and took a sip of the warm liquid, letting it swirl over her tongue while she organized her thoughts. "Usually when they talk like that, use terms like 'sister' or 'mother', they are just referring to another of the fey folk. The dryads call the naiads their 'river sisters' and the great large oaks their 'mother' tree. But there are times that it seems different. Like these other 'sisters' are not one of them, though they seem to be accepted. The feeling I get when they speak of them... it's more like a guardian."
If Kari had been hearing this from anyone else she'd have thought them daft, but she knew better when it came to her wee friend. The guardian listened intently as Molly stated her case with what little information she had managed to gather from the forest folk. Talk of a guardian honestly didn't seem all that far fetched at this point. There was still something that ate at her though, and she was quick to let Firefly know about it.
"I don't know, love. A guardian would be all fine and dandy, but why now? We've been at the giants for a good while now. They could have been helping us all this time. All the people they could have saved from those brutes. Why tonight and why me and the man I was trying to save? That is, assuming that the stories you've heard are true."
Her tone was skeptical with a hint of pleading. She now felt a need for vindication. Maybe it was the ale talking, but she wanted reasonable justification for having been the one person they chose to keep a close eye on. |
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