Ьȴʊє Ͻ a r a v a n (The adventure continues elsewhere!)

Where should the characters in this thread be transported to after leaving the treasure room?

Aboveground under the tree (i.e. directly to the camp).	80.0%	[ 8 ]
Underground under the tree (i.e. under the hole in the ground that opened up).	10.0%	[ 1 ]
Indifferent.	10.0%	[ 1 ]
Total Votes:			[ 10 ]

[Dayum We Roll Hard]

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Chapter 7, and a half: Another Place, Another Time


It was not uncommon for people to refer to the mountains of Racluear as the world's end. While it was not truly so, there were truly not many who would stray far from their native half of the continent, the half which they called home. It was for good reason too; why risk life and limb to climb past the near vertical apices, brave bottomless chasms where vultures and unseen beasts awaited their lunches, or tread past the narrow pathways that could give way at any one moment? Culture and entertainment were not lost in the districts of Shahrazad in the east, and scarcity of food and wine were never concerns given the breadbaskets of Phronwood in the west. Neither side needed the other; it was a large wonder that the east and west could unite and together be called Albrind to begin with.

Yet they were. And as it goes, even if some could catch a lucky break and be savvy of less back-breaking routes through the mountains, many are not so fortunate, and even more stories left untold. But not today's. Today's story would be forever marked in history. Today, dawn opened to a sky of cotton clouds and cheery blue skies, though it didn't take a veteran sailor to foresee the rain to come, and any with rickety joints would soon come to feel it in their bones. In little time, the clouds would build in size and number, and a concert of the low rumbling of timpani and the epic clashes of cymbals would sound. While those of the Blue Caravan were tasked with escaping a rescue situation turned nightmare in Lenti, a hill-born town in the far east, others would become caught in a conflict of a different sort. No one could doubt that nature was a worthy opponent, especially in the wilderness that was western Bethryl meets Racluear. It was the best of both worlds: scenic yet haunted woods growing into the rapid slopes of seemingly endless peaks. The problem was having to deal with it.

It was probably a good thing that there was a particular outlaw of note and her loyal companion in the area. Probably.

[anais nighteyed]

x

artwork by Midori Foo, from Book of Picturesxxx

xxxxxxxxＮａｓｒｉｎ Ａｉｄｚｉａｍ

Rain was coming, that much she knew. She felt it in the fine mist that drifted through the trees and settled on her skin, making her shudder. It was a herald of things to come.

A woman was rifling through the rucksack bound to her horse’s saddle, searching insistently for something among the jumbled odds and ends lying within. The imminent weather set her on edge, prompting her to hasten her efforts in finding whatever she was looking for. Her mouth was cast into a slight frown as she withdrew a rolled strip of timeworn, yellowing parchment from the depths of her belongings. With this in hand, she snatched up a bundle that had been unceremoniously thrown over the beast’s back, shaking it loose of dust collected from the road.

At one time the garment had been a proud cloak, but wind and wear had reduced it to nothing more than a dull, tattered shroud. She pulled this about her shivering frame, drawing a frayed end over her face, seeking sanctuary from the elements. They were beaten for the moment, but she had no lodgings to return to, no warm place to hide. Nasrin was smoke on the breeze, a truth she begrudgingly acknowledged.

She strode to a slab of stone held in the tight grasp of gnarled roots and impatiently brushed away leaves and pine needles from its surface. Unfurling the parchment, Nasrin gingerly smoothed out the creases and tried to make sense of the fading ink. Before her was a map of Albrind, and despite how detailed it was, she had her doubts in regards to its accuracy. The world was always changing, but she had nothing else to go by. As she bent over it, she silently told herself she would pinch a better one when she got the chance.

She hesitated at a bit of lettering, her finger poised beneath the foreign word, and her brow furrowed as she studied it. With the creases in her forehead deepening, she cast a furtive glance over her shoulder, suddenly curious about the whereabouts of her traveling companion. Nasrin sought out the familiar figure, expecting to spot him somewhere nearby, but to no avail. Where was he?

Turning back to the map, she began to sound out the word aloud, giving voice to the letters with painstaking effort. She discovered there was a settlement far off to the east, a town called Lenti. Considering this, she glanced at the clouds gathering on the horizon, just barely visible beyond the forest canopy. Rising to her feet, she went to her horse and returned the map to her rucksack, planning to set off and scout the surrounding area. There weren’t any inns close by, but they still had to find a proper place to sleep for the night. If they were lucky, they’d happen upon a few travelers along the way. Perhaps some lost unfortunate burdened by the weight of a heavy purse… or someone who shared the same sentiments. Nasrin was prepared to find anything – the woods were filled with possibility.

[artfreek]

¥ Sebastian Beird ¥

Sebastian sat on the ground shaving at a stick with his knife. He wasn't making a particular pattern. He was simply whittling away bits of wood. He never had been good at making patterns. He once knew someone who was excellent at it. When Sebastian had tried it himself he quickly gave up the practice because he could never succeed in making a discernible pattern. So instead he shaved sticks into crude points taking away the darkness of the bark. It was the sort of thing that kept his hands busy.

Sebastian stood upping dropping his sharpened sticks to the grounds and brushing stray wood shavings off hid pants. He slid his knife into it sheath on his belt and started walking. Nasrin was probably expecting him. He had been away longer than he had expected letting his mind wander too much. If he wasn't careful he could sit in one place for hours.

He saw a glimpse of Nasrin's horse not far from where he was. A few more steps and he could see his own horse settled close to his companion's. As he came closer he could see Nasrin standing by her horse. “Any plans?” He said walking up his horse, patting side before turning back to Nasrin and crossing his arms.

[Sypher-Anthem]

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXE l i j a h X A u r e l i s
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Why don't you let me Be
Leave me Alone
You start a fire Inside
That I could never Control
You wanna see a Reaction?

Elijah was somewhere in the woods, which was about as accurate as he could be at the moment. The young man felt like this was the first time he had gotten to catch his breath in a few hours. This wasn't as farfetched a claim as it sounded since the the dark haired male had been on the run for most of that day. Why? Well it was usually the result of some job he signed up to do or his course of action after making a hit on a passing caravan. His pursuers this time were a relentless lot that continued the chase into the woods long after most would have retreated back towards Bethryl. This was no surprise though. No one wanted to let a thief get away when he stole supplies in Racluear, the place was dangerous enough without highway men. With his bundle pack strapped on, trusted blade at his side, and loot in hand, Elijah was about as satisfied with his hit as anyone could be. Though now his situation was proving to be troublesome. The part of the woods he was in still had voices in it, which was a sign to keep moving. Any further though would lead him into the mountain passes and that was not a place the green eyed raider wanted to be chased into, but with the only other option being to double back and risk capture the male decided to press on before stopping to wait out the hounds on his tale.

The double edged blade that was going to be working its way into the situation was the weather. Being a former farmer, Elijah knew the smell of a storm when it was on his way. The good thing was that if it rained it would most likely drive his trackers back toward Bethryl and if he could hold out just a little while after that he could make his way in and feign an innocent traveler trying to get out of the storm. The down fall for this was the terrain. Unlike some areas of the range the gave hints to gradual increase or decrease in elevation, this part of Racluear was known for is steep and sudden drop off cliffs. Elijah knew it was not a place you'd want to get caught at during bad weather since the slippery edges made its crossing more of a death trap than it already was. 'Damn if I knew it'd end like this I would've tried harder to take more instead of just stealing what caught my eyes. No use in complaining; I've got to find a way to beat this storm back inward before it washes me off a cliff.' The dark haired male thought as he started along a fair enough ridge line knowing all the ones to follow would only get narrower and narrower.

What caught his ear though was a voice from below the ridge his we was. Not being one of his pursuers, the voice gave birth to a new plan and Elijah couldn't help but smirk at the timing of travelers in these parts, maybe he still had some luck left. Noticing that the mountain wasn't as steep as parts to come Elijah opted for the quick route down, sliding down the slanted rack face and landing just outside a thicket of bushes and trees. The owner of the voice was now in view, a women with long hair and who stood to be fairly tall compared to most. Either way this was proving to be the perfect cover. The ones looking for him never saw his face and were looking for a lone man, so what could be better than hiding with a group. Another voice came into earshot now, a male one this time. They were apparently trying to make plans as well, even better. He had to make sure they didn't see him as a threat and thus kept his hand away from the hilt of his blade and stepped out of the thicket.

"Well I'm glad to see some friendly...well human faces. I was afraid I was walking up on to beasts when I came off that slope. You guys heading for some where close by? If so do you mind one more for company? Just tryin to beat the rain ya know?"The male said with a friendly grin as he took a few steps closer before standing his ground. If things went as planned this would be chance at a clean get away with all the loot. He hadn't exactly had the chance to count it up but from what he saw before stashing it away, it was a lot of silver, some gold, and eve a few paper twenties. One of the bigger hauls he'd ever made.




Location:Somewhere between western Bethryl and Racluear
Mood: Relieved
OOC:



╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣"Good people only exist in times of peace. In times of chaos, there is no good or evil; Just survival."╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣



Come on and cut me Down
You've gone as far as I'll Go
Now you're crossing the Line
And I am letting you Know
Well here's your Reaction!

[Samantha Whitfield]

↻xxＴｈｅxxｗｏｒｌｄxxｉｓxxｃｒｕｅｌxxｐｌａｃｅ ・ ・ ・

The weather was nice, or at least it was for now. It looked like rain off in the distance, something he didn't mind generally but which made traveling somewhat a nuisance. Though honestly, what isn't? he mused. If a voice had been attached to that thought, it would have sounded rather irked. Tobias tended to sound that way. The dark-haired rogue was always angry at something; though, he was good at hiding this fact initially or when needed. Today it was simply the forecast that had garnered his scorn.

His horse—he didn't know the name, given its origin—seemed like a good steed though. It hadn't even bat an eyelash when he gutted its former owner. Working for him now, the steed made traveling the harsh terrain that much easier. Hitching rides was usually an easy matter, but because he had decided to let his temper get the better of him—a common event—he had been forced to bail early. No matter, though; he was safely away from town and on the road again.

He much preferred it that way; people were not quite his favourite things to deal with. When it came to taking their coin, of course he was happy to tolerate them. However Tobias was, despite all his pretenses, not a very good people person. He would smooth talk if needed, and play coy if it suited his purposes; however, he was always itching to whip out a blade and spill blood. Like the sea, a calm exterior belied a bloody depth.

Yawning, Tobias turned his eyes away from the sometime trail he was riding through and leaned back in the saddle. He was planning his next destination still. While his appearance was something to be lost in the crowd, and he tended not to attract too much attention even with his explosive temper, the male had finally decided that it was time to move. This area wasn't exactly a prime location and kind of stunk. Westerwood was his first choice. It was nice and had a lot of cities and trees. He could play highway man or steal prized jewels or something. The thief hadn't thought that far ahead.

And speaking of things ahead.

A whine came from the horse, followed shortly by a tilt. Tobias was quick to react, but it was already to late. Apparently, the horse had veered too close to an overhang; its inattentive driver hadn't kept his slate eyes on the path. Thus, the two careened down a slope.

Thankfully, the fall was short. Unfortunately, the horse continued to whine and groan in agony. There had been no tumbling and no spinning; the pair had simply slid down the rocky side until they hit a trail a few yards lower. But again, unfortunately his leg had been beneath the full weight of the horse for most of that. When he managed to get up and get a good look at the beast, it was clear one of its legs was shot and another didn't look like it was gonna be any better. The creature couldn't even right itself.

Pathetic, he sighed, then put a gash into the animal's throat. There was one last whinny as the creature drowned in its own blood in short order. That out of the way, Tobias moved to the saddle. He wore a very distressed expression. A slight limp as he approached the bag tied to the saddle gave away the cause. No broken bones. No torn muscles. However, he was bleeding from a rather obnoxious wound on his thigh. Opening the bag, he hastily pulled his pants down and wrapped up the wound with little fanfare. It might get infected, but that wasn't exactly an immediate concern of his.

The bandit kicked the carcass, "Be more useful next time, wouldja?"

He kicked it again when it didn't answer. Only venting, his grey eyes found the sky, and the fact that rain was surely coming his way only worsened the already agitated male's mood. Without a horse on a trail and gods knew where the nearest town or village was.

・ ・ ・ ｅｘｐｅｃｔxxｎｏxxｓｙｍｐａｔｈｙxxｆｒｏｍxxｍｅxx↺

[anais nighteyed]

x

artwork by Midori Foo, from Book of Picturesxxx

xxxxxxxxＮａｓｒｉｎ Ａｉｄｚｉａｍ

She tugged at the saddle’s straps, testing them to judge their security. Nasrin made slight adjustments here and there before she was satisfied with her handiwork, and she nodded once in approval. Where she came from, most preferred camels over horses, and she was among them. It was the sensible choice when one was traversing the desert. But she doubted that the camel’s soft feet, suited for sand, would fare well in Bethryl’s terrain.

So, when her travels had eventually taken her into the west, she’d had to make due with a gelding the color of hay. She hadn’t bothered to name him yet, but he was mild-mannered and they got along well enough. Despite her prejudices, she was growing attached to him. It wasn’t obvious, but the evidence was in the blanket she’d thrown over his back to keep the saddle from chafing his hide and to ensure his comfort in the bitterly cold nights.

Nasrin looked up as her missing companion approached, and her hand was resting idly on her horse when she felt the muscles in the beast’s neck tense beneath her fingers. Saying nothing, she shifted her attention to the gelding, wondering what had brought about this change in him. His ears were raised in mild alarm, eyes focused on something of interest in the distance. This made her hesitate, and she studied him for a long moment before Sebastian’s inquiry registered in her mind.

“Yes, I’ve got a few,” she answered, pulled from her thoughts. He never had much to say, but when Sebastian did speak, she always took notice. Nasrin wasn’t one to eagerly place trust in others, but she did trust him – and that, in her opinion, was good company. “The skies here weep with little warning,” she added quite suddenly. Whether it was a woodland creature or something else entirely that struck unease in her horse was still a mystery. She strained her ears, listening closely to the woods, waiting for the cause to reveal itself. In the meantime, she made casual small talk with Sebastian. “We ought to find shelter before the storm is upon us.”

A man emerged from the brush and she turned to the visitor, scrutinizing him. She’d been hoping to come across a traveler or two; now they were falling right into her lap. Casting a pointed glance at Sebastian, she perked one brow. The fellow explained himself and advanced a few paces nearer. “We were going to look for a place to sleep for the night. We’re humble travelers, you see, trying to scratch out a living,” she told the man, taking hold of her horse’s reins. Setting off into the woods, Nasrin turned her head to call over her shoulder at the stranger. “We don’t have much to offer, but come with us if you like. Do you have a name?”

[Sypher-Anthem]

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXE l i j a h X A u r e l i s
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Why don't you let me Be
Leave me Alone
You start a fire Inside
That I could never Control
You wanna see a Reaction?

The woman who now faced him seemed humble enough or as humble as anyone could be in this part of the world. The slightly shifty look she shot her blonde head companion could be marked as worrisome to the dark haired man since, he definitely didn't want to risk the haul he just made to another pair of highwaymen, but than again how trusting could Elijah really expect these people to be when a stranger just walked out of the woods at them. Still his friendly disposition never faltered as she spoke up towards him.

“We were going to look for a place to sleep for the night. We’re humble travelers, you see, trying to scratch out a living,” She said before taking her steeds reigns in hand and starting off into the forest. For now things seemed to be going in the young mans favor as he followed in stride now resting his left hand on the hilt of his blade and adjusting his scarf with his right. Now the only problem would be beating the storm to shelter. She called out to him again this time offering to let him travel amongst them and his name.

"Its Elijah, and trust me your company is more than enough for me." He said from a humble stand point keeping his pace just a few steps behind hers. This was completely honest as well, since they were going to be all the cover the emerald eyed male would need to get back in to town or at least go unnoticed for a while. He'd packed his haul securely into his bundle pack so that the jingle of coin wouldn't turn heads as he traveled with strangers. "What about both of your names? and if your traveling to scratch out a living, do you have some kind of final stop like a major city, or does your profession require you to stay on the move?" The dark haired male asked a few questions of his own to keep up the small talk. His particular 'profession' required the ladder though. Staying on the move was a big reason Elijah was even in this part of the world. Originally from a small farm home on the outskirts of Windnesse in Westerwood, the now raider/traveler never thought he'd find himself this far north wen he was on that farm.


Location:Somewhere between western Bethryl and Racluear
Mood: Relieved
OOC:



╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣"Good people only exist in times of peace. In times of chaos, there is no good or evil; Just survival."╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣



Come on and cut me Down
You've gone as far as I'll Go
Now you're crossing the Line
And I am letting you Know
Well here's your Reaction!

[artfreek]

¥ Sebastian Beird ¥

Sebastian nodded at Nasrin looking at the ground for a second before turning to his horse. He patted it's side and searched through his bag pulling out some leather gauntlets with retractable knifes. He had had them for a while, but had yet to figure out how best to use them. He looked them over for a second then slipped them back into the bag. He glanced up at the sky when she spoke of it raining in a riddle sort of way. She always talked like that. Always sounding like she was reading poetry.

He turned his head at the sound of foot steps to find a man walking towards them. He looked at Nasrin catching her meaning before turning back to the man. He acted friendly, but Sebastian tensed all the same. He watched the man silently letting Nasrin do the talking. She had always been better at that. He grabbed onto his reigns as Nasrin did, but waited behind to see what the man did. He stepped into stride with the man following slightly behind. He didn't miss how casually the man's hand rested on his sword. Sebastian wondered if it was just for show to deter others from trying anything. Sebastian had met a few people like that, but they normally didn't travel alone. If the the man, Elijah he said, was by himself it would be wise to have some skill with the sword.

Eliah asked question, but Sebastian didn't answer them knowing Nasrin would do the honors. He kept his eye on the man as they walked. Sebastian was cautious. He would walk with the man, but he would not simply believe he was a traveler in need of company. He never trusted what people said completely. It was too easy for them to lie.

[anais nighteyed]

x

artwork by Midori Foo, from Book of Picturesxxx

xxxxxxxxＮａｓｒｉｎ Ａｉｄｚｉａｍ

She smiled without restraint, thoroughly amused at his answer. “If that’s true, we’re happy to have you.” Her eyes were focused on the woods that seemed to stretch on without end. The lack of landmarks was worrisome, but according to the map a road was supposed to be nearby. Usually she was quite happy to avoid them, but if she managed to find this one, she would have a much better idea of where they were.

Thin, weblike pathways winded through the underbrush. They piqued Nasrin’s interest, and she admired them for a time until she wondered if the urgent march of a search party might have shaped them. Needless to say, this bothered her greatly. She scrutinized the trees. Peace itself could be deceptive, she reasoned. She couldn’t afford to be too trusting, not when the price was so high. She was scouring her surroundings for assailants when the newest addition to their odd group spoke again.

“Yes, you could say that,” she replied. “We go where we please.” Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. She couldn’t flaunt her face in certain desert cities anymore. Though her thoughts were elsewhere, there was thinly veiled mirth in her voice as she skirted around a direct answer. “I’m Nasrin, and the one behind you is Sebastian.” In her introduction was a subtle message for this fellow, a reminder that he was being closely watched even when her back was turned. If he was planning to do anything untoward, she trusted Sebastian would handle the situation. She didn’t have to give her companion suspicious looks to tell him as much.

The prospect of armed men bearing down upon them like the storm continued to trouble her until she realized the delicate trails couldn’t have formed under the feet of man. They were the paths the wildlife took. Her relief was immense, but she was left with another pressing question. What drew them to this place? This stretch of woodland appeared no different than any other she’d seen. “So, Elijah, what business brings a young man like yourself to a place like this? Visiting a lady friend in the woods, are we?”

Nasrin caught a glimpse of something up ahead. Brightening at the sight, she gave her horse’s reins a cheerful tug. “This way!” The trees were thinning ahead of them, revealing a barren expanse of beaten ground. “Ah, the road,” she observed, pausing at its edge for a moment before taking a few wary steps out of the woods, her horse following closely behind. Overhead, boughs heavily laden with leaves swayed in the wind. Pale sunlight dappled the hard-packed earth that was scattered with duff. The woman stood there, marveling at the mark man had left before she noticed a retreating figure a way’s down the road. “Hello there, stranger!” she called, addressing the figure. “Turn around so that we might look at you.”

[WanderingMercenary]

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{{Fatima Al'awhadi}}

Bounty Hunter

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You can find me here: Forests of Bethryl
With the company of: Sadie, my horse

indent"Looks like we lost him again, didn't we girl?" the blue-haired woman said, standing up from her crouching position. The forest floor in this particular section of the forest seemed to be hard, and didn't leave tracks very well. Which was a shame. She would have loved to have captured the bounty she was after. This particular man was a rapist, and she couldn't stand them in the slightest. Whenever she brought one in, they were always ruffed up, sometimes to the point where they couldn't decided whether to present the "alive" or "dead" reward.

indentShe couldn't understand why the man had ran into these woods. Stories were that they were haunted. She once had a brush with these woods a long time ago, close to when she first started. Back then she had sworn she would never enter these woods again, but now she was a different person. She bravely walked the deer paths, no fear of the haunt in her eyes.

indentShe hopped on her horse, and urged her onward. "Such a nice sum on this one's head to Sadie. Maybe even enough to get you that saddle you were eyeing in Phronwood." she said, patting the horses neck. More than likely the reward money would go towards new arrows for her crossbow, maybe a sharpening of her longsword. Better yet, some quality food for the trail would be divine. Even though there was nothing quite like the taste of freshly caught game, there were foods that could be found in the towns.

indentShe kept her eye on the woods in front of her. Another thing about this section, there seemed to be small drop-offs now and again. One wrong move and the pair could be tumbling to certain injury. She could stand to have a broken bone or two, but she doubted she could handle it if Sadie broke a leg. She treated the horse like a sister, and she had no doubt the horse thought the same of her.

indent"Eye's ahead Fatima, eyes ahead," she said, once she found her thoughts wondering off. Hopefully the man had taken a tumble, and had taken one just around that large tree. That would be a nice present.

[BallDrogo]

Maria Qhorin and her best friend Vera

An adventure hungry mercenary just looking for work

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away ricochet, you take your aim fire away, fire away you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium

She was smarter than this, yet asked herself why she did it. She knew better than to travel through the forest when the open road was available to her. Did she know the layout out of the area? Not well enough, she only glanced at the maps a few times. For her foolish idea, Maria did pay. As she was walking along a forest trail, her foot stepped on a piece of loose earth and gave out under. Tumbling down from the path, she tried her best to grab onto anything that would stop or slow her down. Her fingers only grazed a root sticking out and she lost her grip when she dug her nails into the dirt.

She stopped moving when she slammed her side into a lone tree, letting loose a string of expletives. Maria was not a religious person, but did thank the Gods that she was not harmed. She could of easily been cut by her axe, seeing as it was strapped to her back. Groaning, she rolled over on her back, staring up at the sky, looking at the clouds starting to gather. That meant rain and by the looks of it, she was going to be stranded with a possible broken rib. It was difficult to breath, so she probably broke it. Lifting her head up slightly, she assessed for any more damage like a twisted ankle. She sighed in relief, resting her head on the flat side on her axe. She had only a few scraps and bruises from her tumble. Next, she moved her arms and legs as if she was making a snow angel. Those were working fine. Taking a deep breath, she began to mentally prepare self for what lay ahead. It became harder to breath, she found herself grunting in pain with each movement of her body. This wasn’t going to work and she knew this. Yet, what would she be able to do? Was there anyone within the forest that would be able to help her? Sighing in defeat, she pouted, crossing her arms and contemplating her next move. Was it to try and crawl away until she can reach some form of shelter to protect her from the rain. No, she thought to herself, she had to fight through this!

Grunting and trying to get on her own two feet, Maria found herself unable to muster up the strength. She could survive an arrow in the arm and continue on with no problem, but this was different. Sighing, it was worth a shot, she had to at least try.

“Hello!” she cried out. “If there is anyone out there, I could use a hand getting up!” Maria called out, waiting for a response. She did feel a bit foolish screaming in the woods. How could she know if there was someone out there that, they would not try to attack Maria in her current wounded state? Also, who says that anyone would trek down here to find her? Maria was armed afterall, what was stopping someone from thinking that she was planning to kill and rob anyone coming down to find her.

[Samantha Whitfield]

↻xxＴｈｅxxｗｏｒｌｄxxｉｓxxａxxｃｒｕｅｌxxｐｌａｃｅ ・ ・ ・

The male, his grieving over the horse complete, had turned his sights back to the trail and making his way anywhere but here. He at least knew he was still headed in the same general direction. His dark tunic and trousers aside, he was left to carry his rucksack himself. It was not hefty, though it was a burden nonetheless. Filled with a meager coin purse and general tools of the trade, not exactly the most important of things. But he had some, slight, emotional attachment. More importantly the bag held his cloak, if it started to rain as it seemed it might, and a assortment of maps. About half were ones to get from town to town, but the other half were his own; they were secret tunnels and paths into places in the cities he had been to in the region. Written in a method only he could understand, parting with them wouldn't hurt. Still, it made jobs a lot simpler for him when he could plan a way in and out no one else knew of.

That said, they might not do him much good in the forseeable future. He was sort of getting tired of this place; Tobias wanted to travel the world like some dashing rogue. The male did not particularly care where to he went, either. Just some place fresh; he could use the challenge. At the very least, here he would want to lay low and stay away from the town he just left. Being wanted for murder, for a thief, was sort of bothersome. At least they had not gotten a good look at him.

"Hello there, stranger," came a sudden call from behind. "Turn around so that we might look at you."

She could not see, but a scowl quickly produced itself on his forehead. Having been busy thinking, he had not particularly been focusing on his surroundings aside from keeping his feet on the road. Sighing, Tobias took a moment to compose himself; at the same time he tuned his ears to his rear and listened. Two? Three horses. No carriage. Great... he finished his thought and turned. Upon his face, the short male bore a friendly smile. His grey eyes were busy scanning his newfound company.

"Greetings," he responded with a raised hand. "Fellow travelers? Nice to see friendly faces."

What a crock of s**t, he mused to himself. He was a little suspicious of one of the males, and aside from the female's greeting they did not seem all that friendly. But he was playing the part; act like you are a normal person and pretend to enjoy company. He loathed it, but it simply had to be done. Besides, there was no point in being an a*****e to these people. They had horses; maybe he could get a ride, one way or another.

"As you can tell, I'm headed this way, but my horse and I slid down a slope," he explained, motioning to the wrapping around his thigh.

Above the bloodied bandage was, clear as day, the daggers strapped upon each of his hips. He made no effort to hide them, but also did not pull his hand toward them. No need to spook them. The bandaging itself was slightly soaked with blood, but by this point he was no longer actually bleeding. Of course, he did not dare remove it. He was no doctor, but he would wait a couple hours before seeing if everything was alright. The fact it was barely a 'would' would hopefully mean little chance of infection. He needed his limbs in his profession, after all.

・ ・ ・ ｅｘｐｅｃｔxxｎｏxxｓｙｍｐａｔｈｙxxｆｒｏｍxxｍｅxx↺

[Sypher-Anthem]

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXE l i j a h X A u r e l i s
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Why don't you let me Be
Leave me Alone
You start a fire Inside
That I could never Control
You wanna see a Reaction?

The fact that he had left his back exposed to the blonde haired male wasn't really worrisome since Elijah could see where the travelers perspective was at. He wouldn't want a stranger traveling alone to just walk behind them. For the same purposes though Elijah kept his left hand casually on the hilt of his blade knowing that if it did come to blows he could reach the females back before her companion could reach his though that was unlikely. Elijah wasn't going to say he was a good judge of character, but of ability. From what he could see the two were indeed travelers and from the wear and tear of the cloak the Nasrin was wearing he could tell they had indeed traveled some distance. This was confirmed as Nasrin commented on them going where they please. Her word choice did strike up a few thoughts in the young mans mind. ' Now that's a strange way to put it. They say they are trying to make a living, but then turn around and say they go where they please. I have to say I can't think of many professions that allowed for such freedom...Other than my profession perhaps. If that's the case maybe it would be best to cut ties with this group before it comes to having to cut throats. Elijah thought all while keeping his eyes vigilant and conversation open. In all honesty Elijah tried not to kill alot of people on the open road only because he felt if he had to kill someone and risk his life doing it then he might as well be paid to do it. When she gave their names he turned his head slightly to acknowledge Sebastian before turning back. He wasn't much of a talker and Elijah didn't take offense to that since there wasn't really a need to be open with someone who might not be sticking around.

The question of why Elijah was in the woods came up now and it honestly was something Elijah was wondering how long it would be before they asked. Then he let out a chuckle before calming it with a hand over his mouth over Nasrin's assumption. It was more business than anything, but it was a statement like that, that made people targets and Elijah again wasn't going to lose the haul he made over a simple misstep.

"If only I had that kind of luck, maybe I'd settle down. I'm a simple traveler though. Making my way to a town, maybe doing a job to make enough money to get to the next town. I guess you could say my goal is to see what the world has to offer." He said with a smile to add a naive effect on top of his answer. That wasn't necessarily a lie either. He was a traveler, went town to town, and did 'jobs'. What context to take it in was up to his temporary companions, but either way with the amount of money in his pack now, the emerald eyed male wouldn't have to resort to his usual business for a while.

The group finally started to see changes in the layout of the trees and Nasrin sped up slightly before stopping right at the edge of the road. Elijah kept his usual smirk now seeing his plan come together. Now all there was, was to head to a town and start spending since the easiest way to not get caught with evidence was to use it up. Stepping out on to the dirt road Nasrin was the first to pick up on the figure in the distance. The group started to close the distance on the person who could now be seen as a young man with black hair, a dagger, and a recent injury. 'I wasn't expecting this many travelers on the road, but I guess it should be expected to see one or two travelers on one of the only safe roads in and out of this place. Elijah thought as he gave a wave to the young man while he greeted and explained himself.



Location:Somewhere between western Bethryl and Racluear
Mood: Relieved
OOC:



╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣"Good people only exist in times of peace. In times of chaos, there is no good or evil; Just survival."╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣



Come on and cut me Down
You've gone as far as I'll Go
Now you're crossing the Line
And I am letting you Know
Well here's your Reaction!

[WanderingMercenary]

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{{ϜᾳϮϊϻᾳ Ȧʅ'ᾳῳɧᾳɗϊ}}

Bounty Hunter

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You can find me here: Forests of Bethryl
With the company of: Sadie, an injured woman

indentSo far, no sign of the rapist. Fatima didn't let it deter her. She had chased after more elusive bounties than this. Once across the northern desert of Thahbufir, and once more across the delta of the Racluerr. By comparison, this was almost like a child's game of hide and seek.

indentFatima pulled on the reins, stopping Sadie. She thought she heard a crash, as if something was moving rapidly through the forest. It continued for only a moment, and then stopped. She listened for any sounds afterwards. If it was a person they'd be calling out in pain. If it was an animal, then there would be nothing, except maybe more crashing as it would run to find shelter. Another moment later, a voice called out. It was close, and was calling out for help. She urged Sadie on, heading in the direction of the voice.

indentAt first, she couldn't see anything, but then something appeared up ahead. Something uncharacteristically green. She hoped off her horse, and slowly made her way to the color, hand on her sword. As she drew closer she began to see more detail of what the color was. It wasn't just a color, but clothes worn by a person, a woman. She loosened her grip on her sword as soon as she saw the woman was in pain, and that she was lying on her weapon, and axe. What luck she must have, Fatima thought. If she had landed any different...

indent"Hail," Fatima said, approaching closer to the woman, "Answer truthfully: are you seriously injured, or are playing pretend?" It was almost a useless question to ask. If the woman was a bandit, then she would just say she was injured. If she was telling the truth, she would say the same. But why would the woman pretend? She doubted the woman was a bandit (although that combination of pretty face and axe made her wonder), and besides, there were better places for a bandit ambush, such as closer to the main road. These questions wandered around in her mind as she awaited the woman's response.

[BallDrogo]

Maria Qhorin and her best friend Vera

An adventure hungry mercenary just looking for work

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away ricochet, you take your aim fire away, fire away you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium

Location: Forests of Bethryl
Mood- Relieved
In the Company of: Blue-haired woman, a horse,
Inventory: Her armor, a small coin-purse, Vera, knapsack consisting of: One loaf of bread, two apples, one small knife, and map

The steps of boots crunching against twigs and leaves had Maria’s attention. She was an idiot, her shouting probably got the attention of a bandit who was now on his way to check out the one who was making all the noise. She was a bit tense, having no real way to defend herself if it was a bandit coming over. In hr current crippled state, Maria was at the mercy of this bandit. Ha, mercy and bandits. Those were two things that never went together. She’s seen a bandit’s version of “mercy” first hand. One of her friend’s received a bandit’s mercy and wasn’t the same. The daughter of produce vendor, she was ambushed in the middle of a harvest. Recalling this tale, Maria sighed. This was a chipper girl who would often sing songs and dance and after being ambushed, she withdrew. She didn’t smile and took her life a week after by drowning herself.

Enraged, Maria was driven to hunt down those bandits and deliver her own personal justice. What would of the courts down with them if they were captured? Just give them a public trial and hang them from the gallows or behead them? No, they were to suffer her wrath. Even if she was blunt with people and could have quite the mouth on her, Maria was a sweetheart who wanted to do nothing but help. Though, if someone were to even harm a hair on anyone’s head that she cared about, she would come down on them with such severity that it would take three grown men to tear her off them.

After two days of tracking, she did manage to find those bandits. Did she kill them? No, she wasn’t going to let them have that. She would have them praying to whatever God’s they worshipped for the sweet release of death. She did remember that night vividly. There were about five of them, all around the campfire, eating deer they probably killed that night. Being on horseback herself, Maria had the advantage. She could run them down, put up barriers to protect herself and begin her revenge.

Her daydreaming was interrupted though by the sound of a female voice calling out to her. Looking up to the voice, she saw armored woman, sword at her side staring down at her. A bit stunned at the sight of her, she composed herself mentally, counting her luck for the only person in this forest not to be a bandit.

Raising up her hands to show she was unarmed, she did chuckle at the question. “If I was only pretending, I would have armed myself with small crossbow,” she winced in pain, her ribs hurting from the laughing. “No, I am actually injured. Lost my footing up on that forest trail and took a tumble and slammed into this tree, hitting my rib against this tree,” she brushed the tree with the back of her hand, turning her stare to her potential savior. “So stranger, do you trust me enough to help me out here? I would be able to provide payment in the form of food or coin if you can provide shelter, medical attention or transportation if possible,” she put her offer on the table, waiting to see if this woman was true to her world, or if there was malicious intent hidden behind that pretty face.