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 Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 6:34 pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________  ~Marnie~
"It's perfectly alright cousin. You can take the 'sometimes' away from that sentence." Marnie smiled. So her parents enthusiasm for money and power was that apparent. She had been starting to wonder.
"Oh! Of course, I haven't had much chance to practice today. I was tutoring the little ones. Some study time would be good." Marnie nodded.
"It might do my parents some good too, to miss out on a bit of input into my day." Marnie said with a bit of twist to her smile.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 8:03 pm
As soon as the Dragon's left Astrayl stood and bowed to the wolf whisperer. "Thank you for taking care of me." Then he stood back up ad walked outside soon into his carriage. Toki followed soon after still sweating from keeping so many documents together. It wasn't until five minutes in the carriage till Toki said something. "Master, what was the real reason for retrieving the dragon apprentice?" Toki knew that Astrayl doesn't mess up very often or at least not by accident. When Astrayl gets into trouble it is because he wants to or because he think it will be more fun if he did. This worried the bear secretary, he knew that this incident could destroy relations with the other countries. Any mistake made by the whisperer makes it very easy to judge the entire country soon after. Toki didn't want to push but felt there was no other way but to get a straight answer.
Astrayl had a empty look on his face as he stared out the window of his carriage. It took him a couple seconds to realized that Toki had asked him a question then a little more time to realize what the question was. Astrayl looked at Toki then back out his window. "Toki, have you ever heard of led by example." Toki nodded knowing what the phrase meant. Astrayl continued to speak. "Some of the other nobles in our country feel that I am not fit to be the head of our clan. Do you know why?" Toki began to sweat again then looked at his master. "Why, master Astrayl what would ever make then think that?" In his mind Toki was going over a list of problems that Astrayl has and has caused for him and the rest of the bear clan. 'Let's see he is easy to anger, thinks in black and white, has no consciousness of other people's feelings, finds fun in making a mess, the list is endless.' Sighing, the secretary knew that Astrayl knew of all these things but why bring it up now. Astrayl just smiled at Toki's predictable answer then chuckled a bit. "Well even if you say it out loud your inner thoughts say otherwise. But my personality is not the biggest reason. It is simply because I do not have a apprentice. They fear that I am not looking for one because I want to stay in power for the rest of my life. Nothing is more boring then leading this clan." He just sighed and kept looking out the window. "I brought the dragon apprentice simply to see a example of a apprentice. What I should be looking for and the clues." His smile soon became a frown. "Sadly I did not see much. Her frame is week, she would not last 10 minutes in my training. So I am back where I started."
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 7:52 pm
(Gah a weak frame sweatdrop now I feel all inclined to make her a super strong whisperer XD ) __________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Marnie~
Marnie was somewhat curious to see Dragana's home again. She hadn't been there all that often, and was curious to see what if anything had changed this time. It was always a lesson in fashion whenever anyone came by here, Marnie was sure.
Not just any fashion either, the latest in fashion. Not to mention the influence Auntie had had on the grounds.
Plus she wanted to see just how Dragana managed to avoid so many suitors. Surely they couldn't all be so well mannered as to give up when she asked.
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 1:17 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
((Well, I can say this. It is not always the strength of the body that makes the Whisperer, but the strength of the spirit. A weak body can have an intensely strong spirit. *nods sagely like a totally bamfy master*))
The rest of the carriage ride passed in silence. Dragana had her eyes closed, looking as if she was resting. In reality, she was sorting out what she knew of all the clans. The Drayce's trade networks were valuable in gathering information, but it was by no means complete. For one, the merchants rarely interacted with the nobility of the other clans. Generally, the closest they got was negotiating with the stewards of the great houses. The best she could do was gauge the nobility of the other lands by how the commoners viewed them.
The only way she could expand her knowledge of the other clans' nobility was to keep entertaining suitors, preferably from outside the Drayce lands. However, her father insisted on increasingly older men in order to strengthen trade ties within the Drayce lands. Her mother only kept nagging at her about biological timers and how she needed to marry soon and bear children or her insides would turn to dust. Dragana hated both of their shortsighted ways. She had a vision of her future and it did not include being hitched to a fat old man tending a dozen brats. She was a Whisperer, one of the most powerful people in all of Deonia!
Finally, the carriage lurched to a halt and she opened her eyes. She and Marnie exited, and one of the servants was waiting with a platter that held a calling card. It seemed that a new suitor had dropped by during her absence. It was not a name that Dragana recognized, but she tucked it away in her memory and told the servant to send her apologies and how she was eager to arrange a meeting.
The steward was waiting patiently on the front steps and bowed slightly.
"Ah, Jonathan. Marnie will be staying with us for a little while as I train her. Would you see that one of the apartments is made ready and that she'll have something appropriate to wear for dinner? Oh, and a maid as well."
Jonathan bowed in acknowledgement and said, "Of course, Lady Dragana. Welcome, Miss Marnie. A servant will show you to your rooms when they are ready."
Dragana swept past as another servant opened the front doors for her and headed straight for her rooms to change. She had about an hour before a Sir Edgar Porent arrived for tea. He owned a substantial fleet and she was fairly certain he was looking to ensure the safety of all his cargoes by marrying the Dragon Whisperer.
"Come on, Marnie. The rooms have to be aired out and sheets changed and all that. You can help me find something to wear."
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:47 pm
(YAY strong spirit muahahaha) __________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Marnie~
"Oh ah, thank you." Marnie said, to Johnathan. She would have used his name as well, but felt that may have been a bit forward. d
"Ah! Alright!" Marnie said striding along to catch up to Dragana. She was used to walking fast without looking like she was running to catch up. A useful skill when anyone had parents like she did. Not much of the Drayce clan was into holding hands, even of the little ones.
She hadn't expected a maid though. She wondered what kind of dress she'd be wearing to dinner exactly, if she'd need help getting into it. She hadn't needed a maid since...well...she couldn't remember, but hey, she'd take it.
Her parents were the suspicious sort. Something she wasn't proud of, but they employed minimal servants for a reason, and it wasn't simply because they were frugal. Though for people so well off, they were that too.
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:48 pm
After the other whisperers had left, Shira lay back on the stone bench and looked at the sky, wondering where her own apprentice was. She knew her daughter was currently staying with her father, Shira's husband. Kinra didn't stay at the estate very often because she didn't like her mother as much as her merchant father. Shira sighed wistfully.
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:17 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 About an hour later, Dragana was seated near a small table in one of the glass sunrooms to watch the spectacular sunset over the water of the ocean. There was a lovely view of the beach and ocean from most of the southern part of the estate, as it were located on a large bluff that dropped off into a cliff before sloping down a ways into the beach. Few trees grew on the seaward side of the bluff. Clouds were scudding across the sky, turning into wonderful fiery oranges and pinks as the sun gilded them with its final rays of the day. Her dress was a dark green velvet, purposely chosen to clash with the sunset and present an image that was pleasing, but not beautiful. Across the table from her was the Sir Edgar Porent. He had a neat beard and mustache, both salted gray, and had the rotund look of a wine barrel. Dragana decided he was alright, if a little clumsy in manner and speech. At least he hadn't begun by bragging about how big and important his fleet was. Still, he was not someone she would marry. That had been decided long before she'd ever got a glimpse of him. She was the perfectly charming hostess, though, laughing daintily at all the appropriate times, and keeping the conversation light and interesting. She occasionally inserted some barbed comments that always made Sir Edgar pause and wonder if he'd been insulted. Marnie was somewhere getting settled in. Dragana had given her some concentration and meditation exercises to work on and had set some minor dragon spirits to test the apprentice by being annoying and trying to play with the girl. As she continued to entertain, making clever observations about a flock of gulls cavorting above the waves, her mind wandered to her apprentice. The girl had an uncanny knack for understanding the dragon spirits, just like Dragana did. It had been how Dragana had found out Marnie had the Whisperer talent, during a visit to her aunt and uncle's house where they'd been completely convinced their daughter had gone mad. Dragana had found her cousin talking to a rather large dragon spirit, though to normal people, it seemed as if the girl had been speaking to air. Dragana had simply watched and waited patiently for their conversation to wrap up, then asked the dragon what his opinion of Marnie was. After a moment's consideration, the dragon had responded, "She'll do", and flown away in the coiling undulation of his kind. Since then, Dragana had been training Marnie, though the training had been intermittent at best. I've let myself become too busy with my plans. It'll be much more convenient to have a properly trained apprentice nearby to help me. Perhaps it's time she move here with me. Mother and Father will be leaving for the winter estate soon. There will be plenty of winter storms for Marnie to practice subduing and conjuring.She made up her mind that Marnie would move in, provided the girl approved of it. It wouldn't do to have her apprentice resentful for taking her away from her family. Though I daresay her parents are doing a bang-up job of chasing her away. She's not an idiot, and she can see they're exploiting her to gain more status. I don't know if I could have arranged a better situation even if I'd had help from the dragons.Finally, Dragana became tired of fencing with this old knight. She ended their meeting skillfully, and he farewell'd her a good night and winter, which meant he would not be returning for courting. She'd purposely kept Sir Edgar struggling to keep up with her wit, which men did not appreciate in a broodmare wife, so as to discourage him from pursuing her further. If I were ever going to marry, it would be someone who could at least keep up with my mind and would let me do what I wanted. Definitely not someone who expected to further his family line and manage his household for him. And not someone old, either.She went back to her rooms and changed from the dress into a more comfortable knitted one made of the finest, softest lambswool, with a delicately tooled belt of interlocking leather links. It was lighter than the green dress, and one she preferred for training in. Jonathan had informed her that the second suitor she'd been supposed to dine with tonight had fallen ill and had not been able to make the trip to the estate, so she did not have to dress up again tonight except for dinner, and even that wasn't too formal an affair. The few other guests currently staying at the estate were acquaintances of her parents, and would be more interested in speaking with them rather than the Whisperers. It's almost funny. Nobody in Drayce territory wants to acknowledge the Whisperers exist until they need their power for something, and then all of a sudden, there's no other solution and we're the most important people around. We're just too strange for them, I think.With that cynical thought, she went to find how her apprentice had been doing.
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:59 pm
When they got home, Astrayl was greete by the usual crowd. First it started with the apprentices who wanted to be trained by him. Second, the soldiers who were wondering when it was their turn to be sent into battle. Lastly, came the elders of the bear clan. Astrayl always found them a pain in the a**. Even if he was the whisperer and the head of the household, in secret these guys help the power.
The Bear clan live by a strict rule that says who ever is the strongest rules the land. No other person is stronger then the whisperer and you must be strong to contain the bear spirits. Whether a person themselves had a high spirit threshold, it would not matter for combining with the bear spirit put a physical strain on the body. Astrayl is the strongest in the clan thus his body is the only one that can with stand the might of the bear spirits. He talks to them on occasion but find most of them annoying. They usually just want to sit around and drink sake with him. It was good for passing the time but it would get him into a lot of trouble.
Astrayl walked into the household and was greeted by the elders, all of them with the same look. "What have you done Astrayl?!" said the most high elder, Priest Kaito. Kaito was a former whisperer but due to his old age he lost the physical ability to contain the spirits. He then became the most high elder, currently he is the only former-bear whisperer alive. Two generations of whisperers have passed sense this old fool lost his rights to being a whisperer.
Kaito continued to talk down to Astrayl like he owned the place, which in some actualities he did. "You have caused bad relations with the dragon clan from your little stunt today. Have you no shame or pride. You carry the entire clan on your shoulders as the whisperer!" Astrayl looked at the old man with a disappointed look on his face then walked right past him. "If I remember correctly most high priest, I am the whisperer. When did you get the right to talk to me like that. Besides why should I care about something like formalities. The other clans will always be suspicious of us sense we contain ourselves like we do." He walked away with only the sound of the tatami mats behind him. The elders looked at him with disdain and followed.
Another of the Elders spoke, this time the official of resources. "To a different subject. You want us to pay gold for food and resources. Are you mad? The gold you should of spent on something more important like the indulgence of the nobles. We must use it to impress the other nations." Astrayl whipped around so fast that no one in the room even noticed he moved until he was already holding the official of resources in the air by his neck. "You would have me forsake my clan. I would never spend gold on something as petty as my own fine dining. If you have time to think about such things then find out what is happening to all our current resources."
He dropped the official and went into his room to change into his house robes. Then the last elder spoke, the official of social perception, his job is to make sure that we look good to the other clans. "Astrayl we understand that you are the whisperer and what you say is law. But if I remember correctly you still have yet to find an apprentice much less a wife." Astrayl cringed when the talk of marriage popped up. Boring, that was how he describe marriage, actually he thought of it as more tiring. What is the point to a marriage if he can't be free. If he was going to marry someone, that woman would have to be really patient and carefree. The official continued to talk. "Listen, you must find one or the other soon. Otherwise the other clans will start to look down on us. People already begin to talk. They think of you with a big ego. Saying that you consider yourself a god that is untouchable."
Astrayl walked out of his room and looked at the three elders. 'How easy would it be to snap your necks right here and now.' The muscles in his hand flexed for a second then relaxed. "Listen, a apprentice whisperer of the bear clan must be able to carry the physical burden of the bear spirit. The most high priest understands that as much as I do. So, the reason I cannot find one is because among the new generation of our clan, there is no one physically gifted enough to hold in the bear. Understand? As for marriage, lets talk about that later." The elders laughed at his last remark.
The most high priest spoke again. "We knew you would say that about marriage so we have already taken measures." Astrayl looked at them with a cold glare. "What did you old fools do?" The official of social perception spoke. "We have arranged a carriage ride to the Drayce clan. There you will meet with the Dragon Whisperer and propose." Surprised, Astrayl stepped back but regained his ground. "I will do no such thing. After the incident today, I doubt she will even look at me." He thought he had them till one raised a finger. "We have sent a messenger pigeon saying how sorry you are and how you would like to convey your feelings in person. It was even signed by you yourself." Astrayl saw the trap and knew there was no way of getting out of it at the moment. He bit his lip and spoke. "When do I leave?" All of them gestured towards the door. "We have already prepared a escort for you. We would give you a carriage but it might do you some good to ride on a horse. Here is your proposal gift." The most high priest handed him a ring. "Have fun."
Astrayl set out again with reluctance. 'Those old fools, if only they would mind their own business.' He wanted to get this over with. In his mind he was hopeful that the dragon whisperer would refuse on the spot. This way he could just go home without any care of what is to happen next.
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:23 pm
((If you PMed Beyond Autumn's Gate with more profiles and received no response, just send those profiles to me and I'll post them. I'm officially taking over this thread until she PMs me back saying if she's coming back. You don't have to wait for me to post your profiles before posting. If you decided you want out of this RP, post and let me know as well so I can clear out profiles.))
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:52 pm
Be warned.. MEGA POST__________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Marnie~
Marnie sat on the floor with her legs crossed and her back against one of the four bedposts to the massive bed her cousin had given her for the evening. She had her eyes closed and tried to focus a little less on the knot forming in her lower back and a little more on finishing the meditation exercise she'd been set.
She'd always had problems just zoning out to the thought of nothingness. As a child she usually just turned to a good book, or when her nanny had taken her lamps and her backup candles, and made it so her shutters couldn't be pulled all the way open so the moonlight could stream in her wall length windows, she'd turned to making up her own stories -> starring herself of course. It was good because she didn't strain her eyes and it often helped her fall asleep.
Even cousin Dragana or the other whisperers would ocasionally be added in, with her as their faithful and oh so clever side kick, glorious travels of the entire world would ensue (with the Dragon clan reigning supreme in the end - naturally of course) and the world would be saved from whatever catastrophe had occurred that week. Biggest and most oft repeated in her storylines were stories of sunken treasure and the curse of greed laid upon anyone who dared disturb it without showing the proper respect.
It was the stories that had attracted the dragons. When Marnie relaxed enough within her own mind in her stories, they could see them too. For a long time she'd wondered if maybe being a whisperer had come to her, been given to her - because in a way she'd broadcasted how much she'd wanted to be different.
She knew now that it was a talent. You were born with or without it. How you handled it and the spirits of your chosen deity could define how talented you were. Fortunately for Marnie, her ability to entertain and be sensible with her studies were an interesting mix for the Dragons, one they apparently enjoyed.
When she'd been found out, her nanny having fetched her parents to watch from the doorway that was open only a crack, the old dragon she'd been talking to had known. Marnie had been frightened at first, being such a small girl, she thought that maybe her parents would want to try and tame the dragon or something as equally ridiculous. She worried that he would leave forever, as he knew about her parents personalities almost as well as she did.
In the end, the old dragon had asked her some odd questions, interesting ones, like - how would she feel if her parents were gone- forever?, what would she do in their place? Then he'd dared her to answer them while they watched and listened and thought her mad.
They couldn't hear what she said, but knowing the dragon wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, Marnie answered as honestly as she could and for the first time in her life, ignored what her parents thought of her. Because, she'd learned, some things were more important.
That was the day cousin Dragana had looked at her, really looked, for the first time. Since she'd been looking ever since, Marnie worked hard to make her proud, but it was darned difficult when she'd set the whole flock of small tempest dragons whirling around her while she tried to focus.
Her hair flicked this way and that in the breeze they stirred up - invisibly of course- which had creeped out her ladies maid so much Marnie had asked the girl to see if she might go check what was for dinner, after she'd sent off a small note to her parents via carrier pigeon, if she could please.
That being a successful if fairly evident diversion, she now had to deal with her...little friends. she could deal with dragons, it actually had bothered her a bit more to have a person watching her...do nothing but sit on the floor.
She snapped her fingers and shot a petulant look over her shoulder as one of the twirling beasts came to a slightly slower hover above her. He looked upside down, though, space really wasn't relative to dragons. From his point of view she was on the ceiling. Being boring.
She waited until they'd all gotten exceptionally rowdy and finally flopped on the floor in mock frustration. She flung an arm over her eyes and huffed.
"You know, it would be so much easier to focus if I knew Dragana was safe. I did something really horrible today you know, and now the Bear clan....well...now they have an advantage."
Not ones to be easily fooled by dramatics, the dragons continued to twine and hover, floating a paper off her desk and to the floor then back up near the ceiling.
Though it's not like they weren't watching either.
She laid her arm down flat and lay spread eagled on the floor. They just needed some more bait.
"The bear clan thinks we're weak because I'm small of frame and apparently easily fooled." Marnie put emphasis on the I'm and rolled to her side the picture of shame and depression.
The dragons...mostly ...were listening now. They didn't like to have their reputations messed with. They were no average spirits after all, they were mythical.
"Oh! But I suppose things could be worse." Marnie said, giving them a show of her usual quiet optimism. "It's not something for you to mess with anyway. " she said smiling at the closest dragon who had wandered near her to blow her hair off of her face as she sat up.
"I mean, what can a tempest dragon do to a bear whisperer really?, Whisperer's can't interact with other spirits right? He has no idea how strong dragons are! But still ..." she petered off leaning back on her hands, letting them think she hadn't realized what she'd said.
"I wish I could give him what's for." she said it quietly, and kept her face thoughtful and stoic.
Now at that the young, mischievous, slightly miffed and extremely bored dragons perked up. This...was ,...potentially interesting. It could only be better if it involved treasure.
"I bet-" OR a bet. They liked bets too.
Marnie continued as one of the dragons couldn't wait and spun in a tight circle, causing a whirl of wind and a small funnel to form.
" I bet the Bears are kind of reeling from the fact they had to buy so much of what they needed this year." Marnie's lips quirked to the side in thought. "I bet the Bear whisperer will be in more trouble than usual." She sighed. "It's too bad I couldn't know how he'd been told off. If I knew how his own people bugged him, I could figure out how to use it to our advantage the next time the clan's had to barter."
The dragons thought this made sense, a penny saved was a penny earned after all, but it clearly hadn't been as exciting as they'd hoped.
She turned and looked at the sun to gauge the time of day. "You know, I bet the Bear whisperer has gotten home by now. ...
I should call a breeze dragon to see if I can't catch a whisper on the wind." Marnie grinned and looked innocently at the tempest dragons who were leaving her alone now and thinking quietly to themselves.
"Ah but, after I practice my concentration might be best." She practically mumbled it to herself as she lay back down and closed her eyes. Crossing her fingers to stop herself from falling asleep and to leave her a link to reality.
She was only quiet for a minute before the wind stopped twirling around the room. It was hard not to quirk a grin, but Marnie held back and re-concentrated her effort into her studies. She didn't know how fast hand maids traveled after all.
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:47 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 ((I guess I'm a bit of a bad influence, huh? Nice posts, by the way, Zetao and ichibi1. I'm very impressed!)) Dragana found her apprentice sitting alone in a pose of quiet concentration, the little dragon spirits having disappeared. She must have sent them away so they wouldn't break her concentration. I wonder how, though... I'd thought they were more single-minded than to be easily distracted. It's rather impressive, actually.Rather than interrupt Marnie's concentration, Dragana calmed her mind and peered into the spirit world to see Marnie's progress. The girl's spirit was still firmly tethered to her body, which meant she hadn't completely succeeded in reaching the balance of relaxation and tension needed to see the spirit world for the first time alone. Dragana wasn't too surprised. The first time was always the most difficult, or so she had been told. It had taken her a month of practicing the meditations before she finally managed to dislocate her spirit and see the spirit world for herself. She returned to herself and deliberately ahem'd lightly, testing Marnie's concentration.
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:47 pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Marnie~
Marnie considered opening an eye, but it was a dangerous move. She was in a semi zen state and didn't quite know how she'd gotten there. Though it was a similar feeling to being awake but still living in your dream. When you were almost awake but not seeing the back of your eyelids.
So reasoning it out, Marnie took it in stride and reviewed her process thus far before cautiously and slowly cracking open an eye in the direction of her cousin who surely had to know how difficult it was to focus in two things at once.
Seeing as it was Dragana Marnie figured she was probably wanted for something else. Was it dinner time? She was getting hungry.
Closing her eye again once more Marnie un-crossed her fingers and got up, immediately released from whatever the heck kind of state she'd been in.
"Good evening, cousin. Did you want something?" she asked as she brushed off her skirt and stretched the one arm.
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:23 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 was about to shake her head when the maid returned and dropped into a curtsy, then rattled off the night's menu of grilled ahi with various vegetables and spices. Dragana merely raised an eyebrow and asked if dinner preparations were close to being done. The maid said others had been setting the table, and Dragana brought her hands together with a clap. "I suppose we had better dress for dinner. You'll be sitting across from me, Marnie, and you should know that Mother and Father have a few guests. Just ignore them and the ordeal will be over before you know it."With that, Dragana left Marnie to the maid and headed for her own rooms to change back into the dark green velvet gown she'd worn earlier and brush her hair out before tying it back loosely with a black ribbon. One of the cats that liked to hang around her room rubbed against her leg, begging for a pet, and she stroked it, not even caring about the fur it was leaving around the hem of her dress. "I'll get you some ahi, don't worry, and in exchange, you move from the middle of my bed when I'm ready to go to sleep. Deal?"The cat flicked its tail noncommittally, as if to say, I won't promise anything before I get that treat, then walked over to her bed and hopped up, kneading the soft blankets with its claws. The other one lifted its head from where it had been sleeping close to her pillow in annoyance as his uninvited companion stepped on him unceremoniously. Dragana laughed and headed down to dinner. It was a dreary affair, with the three other guests ignoring Dragana and her apprentice past the point of rudeness. She ate quietly, enjoying the meal of fish and vegetables, thinking the cook had done an excellent job with the dish. During the lull between the main course and dessert, Jonathan approached her with a note on a tray. "My lady, a message from the leader of the Bear clan, Astrayl Algnernon. It arrived just now by carrier pigeon, and was labelled urgent."Dragana took the note and thanked Jonathan, then opened it and read it. Her face suddenly stilled into a mask of calm composure and she rose gracefully. "Please excuse me, but something has just come up."Without waiting for a response, she swept out of the room, her mind already racing. The note had conveyed Astrayl's apologies for his behavior at the meeting and how he would arrive to convey his feelings in person soon after she had received the message. What does he hope to accomplish with such a move? Could this be a ploy to distract me while he moves in forces to seize goods he needs? But that's so absurd, almost idiotic. He must know I set dragon watchers all around our borders to look for invaders, just as any watchful Whisperer would. So what else could he want?It troubled her that she could not divine any motive for the visit. It would mean she would be going into the meeting unprepared, and that would be just as bad as going into battle unarmed. Oh, if only she had more information to work with! Knowing the current political situation within the Bear clan would offer so much more insight on this unexpected development. She continued to struggle with the problem as she changed into a different dress (red velvet bodice with a skirt paneled in red and gold, with a different dragon embroidered on each panel in the other color) and ordered one of the smaller sitting rooms prepared to receive a caller. Finally, she was sitting gracefully by the sitting room's fireplace, a pot of hot coffee nearby, as Astrayl was ushered in by Jonathan. With an expression of calm expectancy, Dragana gestured in welcome, indicating that the Bear Whisperer sit in the other available chair. "Welcome to my home, Astrayl. Can I offer you some coffee to chase away the night's chill?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:24 pm
Astrayl soon arrived at the Dragon estate, though he wasn't too happy about it. 'Of all the places I have to go to...' He just shook his head and then walked up to the large doors. The guards stationed crossed their weapons when they first saw the stranger. They both spoke at the same time. "Halt, for those wishing to enter the dragon estate please present your papers!" Astrayl was still only half way up the stairs when they spoke and when he reached the top they both noticed who he was. Both the guards dropped to their knees bowing. "Bear Whisperer, please grant us a apology. We did not see your face till just now." Astrayl walked past them only conveying a few words. "Thats alright." Before the guards could open the door, Astrayl just put one hand on the right side and pushed with little effort. It swung open with the force of a large animal.
He walked inside himself and was soon accompanied by a butler. Soon he was led to a small study where the dragon whisperer sat then gestured for him to sit down in the chair in front of her. "It is a very nice place, Dragana." He sat down in front of the fire. "Thanks but I don't drink coffee. It gets in the way of training sometimes." He sighed not knowing what to say.
'Crap, why do I have to do this. I suppose it would be easy to start with a apology but I really don't want to do anything drastic.' Putting on a serious face. "I presume you know why I am here so to begin with." Astrayl stood up again and bowed on his knees in front of the Dragana. "In my country we do this to apologize, just like I am now. Please forgive me for the incident earlier today. It was not my wish to cause any complications between us. My reasons for bringing your whisperer are the same as before. I truly thought that you would not becoming to the meeting. You did not send any prior message saying you would so I just assumed. I had hopes that your apprentice would tell us the state that your clan is in. This way we could have sent resources accordingly. Please accept my apology." He remained bowing, waiting for an answer.
Astrayl's mind was racing right now. He had not done a bow sense he was a child. To him this broke part of his pride but it would have broken his pride more to cause any hostility between his clan and the dragons.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:30 pm
(Sorry my compy died. Im stuck using my phone! Thus the poor punctuation!.) __________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Marnie~
Marnie was just finished quietly setting her utensils across her empty plate when one of the tempest dragons from before swept into the room. It deftly avoided Dragana's parents but it's breeze rattled the tiered layers of crystal beads on the chandelier. The dinner conversation stuttered to a halt but Marnie didn't notice.
The faces of the guests at the table couldn't help but stare as, her eyes trained on the ceiling, Marnie rose from her chair. She listened intently and blushed faintly as the dragon related its news. She looked across the table to where Dragana had been on;y a few moments before. Then just as the rest of the tempest dragons flew into the room; causing the candles to be put out and the fireplace to gutter Marnie excused herself from the table; thanked her host for the meal and calmly left the room.
Of course that changed as soon as she was out of sight and - sending a tempest dragon in front of her to find the right room, she ran to tell Dragana the news.
Unfortunately Astrayl was already there. Fortunately he hadn't seen her yet.
Waving madly Marnie pointed to the tempest dragon behind her - Who she kept from entering the room. Than to Astrayl with a motion to come out to the hall. After which she quietly knocked on the door frame.
"Sorry to interrupt." she said with a bland smile, hands clasped behind her back and the picture of innocence.
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