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 Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:27 pm
 "A*****e," Ren muttered, rubbing her throat with one hand as she got to her feet in the crater. "Didn't have to grab my neck or throw me down just to say our sparring match was over. What's he trying to do, kill me? Good thing I'm wearing my throat guard."
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:49 pm
"Hey you going to swear at me or are you going to follow?" He laughed a bit then walked out of the house expecting the girl to follow. When they went out, kids everywhere were already training. Some were doing push-ups, others sit-ups, even some were going through techniques with other masters. It made Astrayl smile to see his clan continue strong, although sometimes he wondered what life would be like if he had a more leisureliness childhood. 'I probably would be a weakling, but I may have been happy.' He smiled as they walked by the play ground. Some of the younger children, those too young to train seriously, were playing. Without a second though he decided to join them. One of the kids yelled out. "Hey everybody, Astrayl is back to play with us." All the kids huddled around Astrayl. "Hey guys, I brought someone else to play with you guys as well." He looked at Ren and smiled. "Kids this is my new apprentice, Ren. She is my younger cousin." All the kids rushed in and tackled Ren to the ground, laughing with bright smiles on.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:02 pm
Ren allowed the kids to tackle her. She didn't want to hurt them, after all. She laughed and gently but firmly pushed them off, getting to her feet again, grinning.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:06 pm
"One of the biggest lessons I could ever learn from your mother. A whisperer is kind and always places their hopes on the next generation." He stood up and waved good-bye to the kids. "It is my hope that you will be stronger then me some day." He smiled as they soon arrived at a large temple. "The monks here will train you when I cannot. Keep in mind that you will still carry out other exercises according to an agenda I give you."
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:15 pm
Ren waved to the kids and followed Astrayl. "Ah, the warrior monks," she smiled when her cousin mentioned them. "The male counterpart to the priestesses who trained me as a child. Of course I know I'll keep training according to your agenda, Astrayl. I wouldn't be your apprentice otherwise, just a Bear Clan warrior and espionage specialist."
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:05 pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________  ~Marnie~
Marnie was both excited and terrified to be tested.
Excited because it was something she knew she could do, but worried because she did not know if she could do it well enough...
Though it was mostly her own indecision holding her back. She could think of a few different ways to get the task done fast. Some more accurate than others. Tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear Marnie stared at the water to think it out logically.
Summoning a great dragon to such a task would be offensive, despite the fact that she had a question for an ancient one....younger dragons could move fast but could be easy to distract... and then there were the choices of which dragons...use those of the sea, shadows or the air?
Finally she decided on a compromise. Taking as deep a breath as her dress would allow, she began whispering to the wind.
Her words were audible at first, then quickly stolen away, and soon even the ability to read the words whispered to the wind faded. A swarm of fast, darting little dragons stole Marnie's words as they were spoken, blurring the movement of her mouth. They clutched at the sounds as if they were grabbing them out of mid air, tucking them to small chests barely visible even to whisperer eyes. Tiny black claws were what stood out most, but soon even they were gone and Marnie alone stood still looking off towards the sea.
In this sudden calm, Marnie's hair stopped blowing in the unnatural swirl the small dragons had caused and started blowing with the normal sea breeze once more. She smiled and watched the horizon as if she could actually see tiny dragon forms heading off on whatever task it was this small horde seemingly did.
She apparently didn't have to wait long. From far off in the distance, carried on the wind (or more likely the backs of those same flitting dragons) came the sound of thunder, a loud rumble that could have come from the depths of a very large dragon belly. The softness of rain filled air surrounded them as well, but no drops fell.
Marnie laughed out loud as the sound and feel of a storm surrounded her, though she sobered as it rolled off into the hills to dissipate.
You couldn't get much clearer than that.
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:11 pm
Life in the Bramwell clan had been uneventful lately. With Theo bedridden with a nasty flu, all activities that depended on him were put on hold until he recovered, which included Addie's training. There hadn't been any tornadoes lately, and even if there was, Theo would never allow Addie to venture into the spirit world without him, even just to get help from the rams. Theo's reason for that was because he said she was too delicate, but Addie knew what he really meant was that he didn't trust her alone. Addie knew he had a good reason to, but she couldn't help but feel a bit indignant.
So, for the last few days, Addie had been helping her family members out on the field. It was a bit harder to control the spirit rams without Theo's help, but she managed fine. The rams usually roamed the fields in packs. They humored the kids and played with them sometimes, but most they just stood there and grazed. Everyone in the Bramwell territory had long gotten used to the rams watching them work by now.
Now, as it neared the middle of the day, Addie headed over to Theo's to check up on him. He was recovering well, but he had wanted to stay in for the next few days, until he fully recovered. As she walked through his front door, Theo looked up at her and gave her a big smile. "Addie! Always nice to see your face."
"How are you feeling, Theo?" Addie replied simply, taking a seat on the couch. "Well enough to come with me to the rams' world?"
Theo chuckled. "Patience. Actually, yes, I suppose we could take a trip today. I've been meaning to meet with a few of the senior rams, and-" He stopped abruptly as the bleating of the sheep outside grew louder and more urgent.
Theo headed for the door, Addie quickly jumping off the couch to follow him. The flocks of sheep that usually milled around his house shied away from a pack of wolves that were standing in front of his houses. There was a cream-colored envelope in the mouth of the head wolf, and Theo gently took it in his hands. He quickly read the invitation inside, his face lighting up with a smile, and nodded to the wolves.
"Please send my regards and thanks to Lady Shira. We would be honored to attend the festival."
The wolves lowered their heads in a quick bow, then turned and sprinted for the Phelan territory. Addie looked at her master, curious. "What was that about?"
Theo handed the envelope to her. "We've been invited to the Phelans' upcoming New Moon Festival. This doesn't happen often. It will give us a chance to meet with the other Whisperers and Apprentices. You will attend, won't you?"
Addie grinned at him. "Of course!" The last time she'd seen the other Whisperers, they didn't have Apprentices yet. She was eager to meet them.
"Good," Theo said, returning her smile. "Now, shall we go?"
"Go where?" she asked. Then, realization dawning, "Ohhhh."
[[ooc: Hello all. ^.^ Hopefully my first post is accurate. If there's some wrong info, please tell me. When is the festival exactly? Because until then, I'll be roleplaying with myself, and I'd love to interact with the other characters soon. [: ]]
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:23 pm
((Okay, everyone seems to be making this mistake: The New Moon Festival is monthly, as should be obvious by its name. It's only rare that other clans are invited.))
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:49 pm
(To be fair I think you could take that post either way, and it is in here in some form cause my charrie asked about it I believe...so no worries ^.^ )
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 6:15 pm
  Cruel dark clouds loom just above the bow
and the torrential rains begin to fall Lightning and thunder hack up the sky with blazing blades
As dragons fight to win the night
Dɼagaɲa Єadgyσ Dɼaycє Dragana smiled in approval at Marnie's success. "Perfectly executed, cousin. Very impressive. Now then..." She steepled her fingers and leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees. "Where is it going to strike, how much damage will it cause, and what is your recommended course of action?"Such a request was a big leap from basic meditation exercises, but Dragana had a feeling that Marnie would be up to it. The dragons responded to the girl's requests eagerly. She was developing a close relationship with the spirits, and such a relationship would only make her a better Whisperer and make the Drayce family stronger. Soon, I might even be able to divulge my plans to her and have her begin helping me accomplish my goals. Wouldn't that be something?
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 6:55 pm
(So...sick T.T *achoo* ) __________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Marnie~
"The storm is going to strike up coast, near the western cliffs I believe...it will damage their crop of scallops, but minimally so. The dragons were telling me before that the sea grasses up there have had a lot of trouble taking hold on top of the winter erosion this year. The grass and thus the scallops should pick up for next year though." Marnie shrugged and continued
"What's more concerning is the storms direction and speed. It's heading inland and will meet up with the remnants of the year's first hurricane near Marketston, and they've had far too much water already what with winter melting. Their soil will need to be aerated and we should really try to avoid sending any more rain their way for some time if the local farmers want to have any chance at a decent growing season this year. Plus Marketson is, I don't need to tell you, one of our larger market places and the rain has been affecting spring sales." Marnie stopped there, as she didn't really know what she could do to fix waning sales in an entire major city.
Then again she'd never been asked to fix waning sales for an entire city. Marnie tucked her hair back as it slipped away again and tugged at a sleeve, which she'd unconsciously rolled up when she started to think.
That was all she had, hopefully it would be enough. She only knew about aeration as her father had taken her to a farmer's market as a child and she'd spent most of the day at a local family's booth being watched by the mother and listening to the father haggle over renting an aerator. He'd only been to happy to detail to her the machine's purpose, and how difficult growing as a business was in general. Ever since she'd been interested in finances of businesses such as a family farm, sea farms, shipping companies. You name it. Her father shared the business pages of his reports with pride. Noting no other girl her age gave a fig generally.
Marnie just waited. her cousin usually thought over what she said before speaking, though realizing this didn't generally make the waiting for a verdict any better.
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:50 pm
Astrayl looked at Ren and smiled at her straight forward nature. "These monks taught me some of the 1000 styles that I know. You will learn as many as you can then learn the rest from me. But also remember that style will do you no good until you have a body that can contain it all." Astrayl brought out a large gourd filled with Sake. "You aren't of drinking age yet but I still want you to finish one of these a day. This way it will be easier to teach you the drunken fist style." With that, Astrayl did a quick bow to the monks. "Alright lets continue you our walk." They started to head towards the main village plaza, there the two were greeted by the villagers and some of the other warriors. "Ren, some day when I leave you will take over. Be kind to these people."
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 11:06 pm
Ren bowed to the monks and followed her cousin. She greeted the villagers who greeted them and saluted the warriors with a fist tapped against her heart. "Why wouldn't I be kind to them? I wasn't raised to be a snob," she said. "After all, my mother was the Whisperer before you, and you ought to remember she was never too curt with those who came to her for help."
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:58 pm
Cruel dark clouds loom just above the bow
and the torrential rains begin to fall Lightning and thunder hack up the sky with blazing blades
As dragons fight to win the night
Dɼagaɲa Єadgyσ Dɼaycє Dragana reviewed her mental library of the year and nodded at Marnie's assessment. It was adequate for being so off-the-cuff. She went over the options, overlaying facts onto a map in her mind's eye, weighing the decision carefully. "You're mostly right about the Marketston dip in sales. However, one thing that must be considered is the groundwater for the area. For the past couple of years, it has been drier than usual until lately. They've drawn more heavily on the wells in the area, and that has diminished the water supply. The current rain pattern is what would happen naturally, and is necessary in order to prevent a drought in the next few years."She tapped her lip in thought, then looked up at the large dragon spirit that had been watching their training. It blinked slowly at her, not adding its own input. Dragana went back to her mental calculations. "I think the Drayce finances are more than capable of taking the minor loss such a storm would undoubtedly incur. In fact, we should probably be on site to monitor the storm and intensify it if need be."She glanced at Marnie and added, "Part of being Whisperer means looking at the bigger picture. While my parents are only worried about how much money they'll make this quarter, I have to worry about how much there will be to eat three years from now. Our jobs mean ensuring that our people stay in balance with the land."Dragana stood and started walking towards the house. If they were going to leave for storm-watching, she needed to change into something more appropriate.
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:36 pm
Theo and Addie walked to a more secluded area of the Bramwell territory, a little ways away from Theo's house. Although it wasn't located anywhere close to any other houses, there was always someone nearby; kids that played in the fields, or other people needing Theo's judgement on an issue, and the elders preferred to be alone when meeting with Theo and Addie.
They stopped in an open area that was part of Theo's property, a vast field covered with long, untended grass. Theo nodded to Addie. "Would you like to do the honors?"
Addie grinned. Concentrating, she murmured in the airy language of the rams. Theo watched her carefully, ready to jump in if she got distracted. The wind began to pick up, starting with soft, gentle breezes at first, and slowly escalating to strong drafts. She faltered at one point, when her concentration slipped and she nearly lost control of the drafts. There was a rather large gust of wind that nearly lifted Addie off her feet, and with that gust, a group of approximately ten sheep, consisting of rams and ewes. With them, a few lambs pranced around by their feet.
The ram at the head of the party took a step forward. All the spirit rams looked similar. They weren't white, or brown or black, like regular sheeps, but rather were all a ghostly, pale blue shade. They were transparent, and their form was constantly shifting, as if their forms were made from the breezes itself, thus explaining the gusts of wind that accompanied them. The only way to tell spirit ram from spirit ram was by their height and the size of their horns. The bigger the horns, the higher up in the rank of superiors.
Theo nodded politely. "It's been a while, Aleric. How have you been?"
"I am the same, as always. Nothing ever changes in our world," Aleric replied solemnly.
Theo smiled in return, and took a moment to greet the rest of the sheep who came from their world. He began to walk with Aleric in hushed tones. Addie wondered if she should get closer, but she wasn't sure whether or not Theo wanted her to listen in or not.
Finally, they finished. Theo stepped back, and he and Aleric traded bows. Aleric returned to the rest of the group, and their forms melted away, carried off by the winds. They started back for Theo's house at a leisurely pace.
"What did you two talk about?" Addie asked.
"We discussed what actions to take if disasters, such as droughts or windstorms, decided to pop up. Remember, to counter such disaster, it takes the cooperation of both Whisperer and spirit ram, and their ability to compromise and agree with each other."
"So what did you decide on?"
Theo gave her a knowing smile. "How about you try to guess? Think, what has happened lately, in terms of the usual natural disasters that plague our lands?"
"Well... nothing, really."
"Exactly. At first, the lack of tornadoes and droughts worried me. I kept thinking that maybe Mother Nature was reserving her energy for a fiercer disaster, so that she may unleash it on us all at once. Then, I received reports from the outskirts of the Bramwell lands saying that they have not had rainfall for nearly a month and a half. A bit strange, considering we're just entering spring."
"But we've never had many spring showers anyway."
"Not many, but a few at least. Aleric and I concluded that the likeliest natural disaster to occur next will be a drought. We haven't determined yet how severe it's going to be, but at least when it happens, we'll be prepared. What do you propose we do when we confirm the drought?"
Addie thought hard, her lower lip jutting out in a frown. "Get more rain. I mean... ask the Drayce Whisperer to help out a bit, maybe send us a shower or two."
"When?"
"The New Moon festival," Addie said immediately.
"And then?"
"Pray that our lands don't get dehydrated until we meet with Lady Dragana," Addie replied with a giggle.
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