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 Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 1:32 pm
Rhag'na stood amidst the snow-covered landscape, the chill of the icy air biting at the soft exposed skin on his face, the only skin he left uncovered in this kind of weather. He leaned against the sturdy merchant carriage, his breath visible in the frigid morning air. The snow-capped peaks loomed in the distance, a stark contrast to the warmth of the desert lands they aimed to reach. He’d decided to pick up a bit of work outside of Zena until things cooled down, which was ironic considering the first job he’d found was escorting some merchants to the warm sand of Oba.
With a sense of anticipation, Rhag'na adjusted the straps of his fur-lined armour, the weight of his weapons a familiar comfort on his hip. He was shifting restlessly, his gaze scanning the horizon for any sign of movement amidst the swirling snowflakes. The wind whipped at his cloak, his breath formed misty clouds in the freezing air. The Zena mornings always brought a deeper chill, if they were moving at least his body could keep warm but right now standing still the chill ran right through his warm clothing. He was waiting for the others who would be escorting the merchants with him.
With each passing moment, his impatience grew. The longer they took to arrive, the more Rhag'na was exposed to being found. There weren’t just bandits on the road to worry about after all, there were other dangers that might lurk about the longer they stayed here. But amidst the turmoil of his thoughts, Rhag'na found a flicker of determination, a resolve to see this mission through to its end. He squared his shoulders, steeling himself for the challenges. Not just the ones for this escort, but the others he was trying to distract himself from.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:26 pm
Anahita was more than ready to leave the Zena. The ranger had her fill of colder weather, her fur lined cloak the best protection that she had against the bitter chill that cut into her leathers. Even her gloves didn’t feel up to par in comparison to some of the merchants who were bundled in layers upon layers of fur, the Obans not accustomed to such frigid climates but more than willing to endure for the good trades that they could find by venturing into the northern cities. She hadn’t been expecting to sign up for another escort mission so quickly but when she overheard the need for extra hands, Anahita found no reason to decline especially when she would be traveling in the same direction herself. Though after waiting an hour for the last merchant to finish up some final discussions when they should have already been on the road, the ranger was questioning her own decision especially when they finally ventured back out into the cold.
Though she did pause at the sight of the Zenan warrior leaning against the carriage. If she thought her leathers were an issue in the cold then imagine wearing armor! Even with fur, wasn’t it cold? She winced thinking about how long he had been waiting out here while the Obans discussed business. “I think they were delaying coming back outside, they hate the cold here.” She commented as the merchants climbed into the carriage with Anahita tossing up a couple of the final packages along with them. “Did they discuss travel details with you? I’m kind of a last minute addition so I’m tagging along without much information.” She explained as everyone else settled into position, the ranger was curious if they would need to ride mounts with the caravan or ride inside one of the wagons with the rest. It was probably best if she could ride a mount, keeping an eye on the outside even if she hated the feeling of the cold air against her exposed skin.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:07 pm
Rhag'na observed a woman approaching alongside the merchants with a keen eye, noting that she was a Hybrid, but of what origin he wasn’t sure. He eye’d her crystals, skin color, and hair and all spoke of something different. Then he turned his attention to the merchants and wanted to laugh at the amount of clothing they’d piled on. He couldn't blame them for their discomfort though; the biting cold was unforgiving to those unaccustomed to it, even with layers of fur and thick clothing.
Offering a reassuring nod to her, Rhag'na pushed himself off the carriage and straightened to his full height, his armour clinking softly with the movement. "They do seem to have a disdain for the cold," he agreed with a wry smile, though his eyes held a glint of amusement. "Travel details were discussed briefly. We'll be riding mounts alongside the caravan. It's best this way in case we need to manoeuvre between them easily if something were to happen," he explained, gesturing towards the mounts tethered nearby.
With a fluid motion, Rhag'na moved towards the mounts, his strides confident and purposeful. He selected two sturdy steeds, assessing their condition and demeanour before turning to the woman with a nod. "These will do," he declared, looping the reins over the saddle horn. "Shall we?" he offered, extending the reins of the other mount towards her. “I’m Rhag’na by the way.” He offered as he mounted his own. He was glad to finally be moving, he’d be able to warm up some now.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:50 pm
“I see you noticed. And here I thought they did a decent job of trying to hide it.” She teased, also feeling quite amused by the image of the Obans in their various layers scrambling to get into the warmth of the carriage. As she spoke Anahita found herself smiling as well, the reaction from the iceling a welcome one after all the less than pleasant interactions she had endured since arriving in Zena. “Perfect. I’ve been around quite a few caravans so I’m an expert at riding various creatures now.” Xaraan especially were popular on her routes since they were fast and made scouting so much easier since she could go ahead and return before the caravans even arrived at the checkpoints. Though she was just as familiar with these types of mounts, Anahita smoothly moving to mount the steed that was offered to her. It was a shame though, she was rather fond of Xaraan but she also realized it was far too cold for the birds to be comfortable in this region. These with heavier coats and even with the featherings along their legs made a lot more sense for Zenan weather, especially when they took towards the mountain paths.
“Anahita.” She replied, giving her name since he had given her his own. “Are you escorting them all the way to Oba as well?” At least she knew she could visit family once they arrived there. However, wasn’t it a long trip for someone from Zena? Her aqua gaze was curious even though she didn’t prod any further, just leaving it at her first question and giving him the chance to response if he so desired. All she knew was that they were finally moving, Anahita giving her steed a gentle nudge to move forward as the carriage finally started rolling down the street. More than the bitter chill of the wind against her cheeks, Anahita’s skin had a flush from her own excitement to finally be on the road again.
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Posted: Thu Feb 29, 2024 6:29 pm
He watched with an approving eye as she mounted the steed with practiced ease, a clear sign of her experience with various mounts. It was a detail that filed away in his mind; travellers as adept as she was could prove invaluable, especially in the unpredictable frozen wilds of Zena. He could only hope she was just as practiced with riding as she was with a weapon in case anything happened. Though considering the amount the Obans had spent to get them safely back into Oba, they probably had not spared any expense on their defences either.
"Yes, I’m escorting them to Oba. It's a long journey, but one I've made once before. The path isn’t the easiest and has its own challenges, but none too great for us I believe." A few other warriors were joining them, many of whom Rhag’na knew and had counted on before. He was just hoping his own troubles wouldn’t follow them or cause them other issues.
As the caravan started moving, Rhag'na nudged his own mount into a gentle trot, keeping pace with Anahita's steed. The wind was indeed bitter, but like all Zenans, Rhag'na was well adapted to the cold. The few furs he wore were more for comfort than necessity, he found the chill air invigorating rather than biting.
"Tell me, Anahita," he began, his voice carrying over the sound of hooves against the frozen ground, "what brings you to Oba?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 9:45 am
Anahita nodded. “As long as you're confident that you won’t melt along the way then I’m not concerned.” She replied with a glance over the warrior, not ignoring how strong he did look despite her slight jest. Her own bow and quiver that were tucked neatly against her back for ease of use attested to her own skills. Even if she didn’t have some larger weapon that was enough for her to keep them safe, especially if they noticed danger from a distance. If she needed to fight at a closer range then she had her ways to adapt, her training not skipping over any hand to hand combat options. “As you don’t need to be concerned about me. I’ve traveled along this path before and have faced various dangers.” Though the most dangerous thing for her was this cold, despite her own tease the hybrid could barely imagine a life up in these frozen lands. How did one even dare to survive past the mountains beyond the capital city or even lived here throughout the winter? Anahita suppressed the shudder that threatened her at the very thought.
Rhag’na’s question brought her attention back, her bright teal gaze glancing away from the landscape and back to the warrior. “Obviously for work. Is it not the same for you?” She asked with a raised brow, interest in her expression to see if there was more behind his decision to roam towards Oba than making some coin. “I work with some rangers who do escort missions regularly. It does help that I have some family in that direction so I can visit them once the caravan is settled as well. If anything coming to Zena is something I rarely do, but the sickness of another ranger made it a necessity.” Such a fact did tend to keep her on any escort missions that went towards that region, her presence here being a very rare situation indeed since she always ventured south instead of north.
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:19 am
Rhag'na absorbed Anahita's words, his gaze flickering over her as she spoke, taking in her confident demeanour and the bow and quiver strapped to her back.
"As long as you're with me, I won't be melting anytime soon," Rhag'na replied with a chuckle, his own gaze meeting hers with a hint of a tease. Perhaps this wouldn’t be a boring journey after all and not because there would be dangers but because of the good company.
As Anahita explained her reasons for travelling towards Oba, Rhag'na nodded in understanding, his curiosity piqued by her mention of family and the ranger work she undertook. "Yes, it's for work indeed," he confirmed, his voice tinged with a hint of somberness. "I'm a mercenary by trade, hired to provide protection and ensure the safety of those I travel with." While it wasn’t the whole truth, he felt no need to reveal anything further about the other reason he was travelling out of Zena for the time being.
“I can’t imagine why Zena isn’t a usual route,” Rhag’na said with a chuckle. The cold kept many away from its borders. “Hopefully, Oba isn’t too warm this time of year.” He glanced up at the sky noting the sun before looking ahead again. "Where do you usually take on work?"
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2024 9:56 pm
Anahita opened her mouth at the tease before closing it again and simply shaking her head, a hint of a smile on her lips as she focused on guiding her mount along the trail with the caravan. At least it seemed that she had someone else who was competent that she could rely upon for this journey. She had already dealt with enough trouble on the way here and while in Zena that it would be nice to not worry as much this time around.
"I see. So this won't be the first escort mission for you despite leaving Zena." Though he seemed less thrilled by the description of his work, Anahita tilting her head in slight curiosity though she didn't press the issue. Maybe he truly didn't enjoy leaving Zena and would have preferred a route within the country instead of going all the way towards Oba? Not that she would blame him, especially since the ice lands were so different from the scorching desert country.
But then there was a chuckle and Anahita found herself relaxing a bit once more. "Hmm, I wonder why." She teased in return with a soft laugh, tightening her own fur cloak around her shoulders as a bitter wind seemingly answered the playful statement. "I don't know if there's ever a time when Oba isn't too warm. And as for my normal route? It varies based on the trade routes, but the rangers I work with are established along the Tale and Sauti border. When I'm not helping with patrols within the forest then I'll probably be passing through those two countries unless I'm called to Oba or even Matori." It didn't hurt to share that much information, right? Not that she could really try to hide her mixed heritage, there weren't many Sautians with blue hair as it was. "My grandparents live in Matori so I visit there when I can with the rest of my mother's family scattered along the way. Perks of mixed heritages, I suppose. Do you normally stay in Zena, unless you have family and friends to visit as well along the way?"
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Posted: Sun May 19, 2024 5:32 pm
Rhag'na's smile tightened almost imperceptibly at the mention of family. "Actually, I don't have any family to visit," he said, his tone light but firm. "My whole family is from around here, as are my friends. I haven’t been outside of Zena a lot, maybe twice before this." He cleared his throat, shifting the topic quickly. "Speaking of which, have you encountered any interesting creatures or challenges on your patrols along the Tale and Sauti border? I imagine a ranger's life must be full of adventure."
He adjusted his gear, making sure his weapons were easily accessible. The mercenary life had its share of excitement, but it often came with solitude.
"I've heard the forests near the Tale and Sauti border can be quite treacherous," he continued, keen to keep the conversation flowing away from personal topics. "Any memorable encounters you’d like to share? I'm always interested in hearing about the different beasts and challenges others face in their line of work."
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2024 6:39 pm
Anahita shifted in the saddle, her expression flickering with something akin to regret at his reaction. Perhaps it was not the most ideal topic for others, something she sometimes forgot with how busy and spread out her own family was. Not everyone was so fortunate with such things while some frowned upon mixed bloodlines, something Anahita had been reminded of while traveling in Zena. "I see. Well, here's hoping that you find something interesting along this journey." The continuation of their conversation and the questions made her relax a bit more again even though she still felt some confusion. Had she simply imagined the edges of his smile changing there? The topic of the conversation as well seemed to be shifting...Still, Anahita was determined to not be distracted from the road and so her gaze turned towards the path instead. She was alright with conversation, but she didn't want to let something dangerous surprise them because her gaze was focused on Rhag'na instead. She hadn't even realized her attention had been so deeply on him for a moment there, the awareness bringing a hint of heat to her cheeks. "It depends on what you would consider interesting. I've fought my share of wild animals and bandits over the years, with some strange sightings to match local folklore for some towns as well. But such things could simply be from the mind of a sleep depraved ranger, considering all the nights I've spent patrolling rather than resting. Once I saw what looked like flames flickering over the mountains bordering Zena to disappear into the rising sun, but who knows? Perhaps it was just a trick of the clouds even though the locals in that area spread tales about giant birds of fire."
She simply shook her head at the thought of that strange morning, urging her mount to move around some loose rocks before pursing her lips to think about anything else. "Unless you want to hear about me wrestling for my life against some witu or sermals then I'm not certain what would be appealing. I'm not the best with stories like others I know. What about you? I've never been beyond the capital of Zena, I hear the northern mountains can be quite mysterious and dangerous. Any stories to share?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2024 5:50 pm
Rhag'na's gaze remained steady as he listened to Anahita speak. He caught the fleeting regret in her expression but said nothing. When she mentioned the flickering flames over the mountains, his eyes narrowed slightly, his mind immediately analyzing the possibilities. Folklore often held grains of truth, buried beneath layers of exaggeration and fear. But he would not dismiss her sighting as mere fantasy.
"I have little interest in tales meant to soothe the fearful or entertain the idle," he replied, his voice low. "But your sighting over the mountains… That is worth considering. Flames over Zena's borders could be many things—none of them good. Beasts of fire, perhaps, or something worse. The mountains have always been a place where danger brews, where the unknown thrives. It's not a place to tread lightly, I hope you’re careful on your journeys." He paused, his gaze cutting to the path ahead. He didn’t know why he had told her he hoped she was careful. Anahita was right to keep her eyes forward, though he didn’t miss the brief flush that colored her cheeks. His lips twitched; a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“You’re wise to keep your focus on the path,” he said, his voice softening just a touch. “But don’t think I didn’t notice when it wavered." He let the words hang for a moment, the air between them charged with a subtle tension before he continued.
"As for the northern mountains," he continued, "they are a crucible. Only the strong survive there. I've seen men torn apart by creatures they thought to be myths, by forces they could not comprehend. The cold alone is enough to break those unprepared. The wind howls with the voices of those who died foolishly, believing they could conquer what they did not understand." He let the silence hang for a moment. He was not one for stories, as he had said, but he understood the value of knowledge shared—especially when it concerned survival.
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