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Post by geob on Nov 29, 2009 14:43:15 GMT -5
Shaking herself out of her introspection, Tiponi moved closer to the fire and the others that were gathering there. "If there is enough, I would take some of that beverage as well," she put in with a faint smile for the others gathered about. She had decided to return to her earlier approach: ignore the men of the group. Meanwhile, she needed to get to know these others that seemed to make up the population of this place. Luminista was glad her companion was making an effort to open up some even if she was closed to the men. Muse's Temple was not built in a day. it had taken a lifetime for Tiponi to build her defenses against men in general, she would not be able to overcome them in just one day. With quiet contentment she moved over a bit from the fire and settled herself down, close enough to catch some of the radiant heat of the flames but not so close she would overheat. It was curious to her how the dancing blaze offered her some comfort when really for her it didn't serve much purpose otherwise. Well, it was with fire that those wonderful honey buns were produced… * "Well at least she didn't come up behind you and scare you into the stream," Aurellie said. "Ye us' wait. I do'na get mad, I get even." Trinity's reply had Tien Mu laughing gently. This pair were just her kind of "people." "A companion? No, I haven't found a companion. At lest not yet. I hadn't really even realized it was possible until recently," she said with a look over the clearing and the collection of pairs it contained. "Until all of you started appearing recently I had thought Rhaine, Tyden, and Lilaini were the only ones there would be. Well, and the Diega, of coarse. Have you two been paired long?"
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Nov 29, 2009 23:02:28 GMT -5
His first notion that Erilynn was with them again was an off-sided elbow to the ribcage as she struggled to righten herself. Tyden winced, as it was the same rib Xanthe had broke earlier that month, which really had healed remarkably under Rhaine’s care and only ever came to his attention when he did anything particularly jarring or got elbowed in the chest (the latter happened a lot more then one might think, Lilaini’s temper being what it was). He brought his head back to clear any other flailing appendage, keeping his arm around her firm lest she manage to upseat herself from Odin completely in the process. However, once she achieved a meager vertical, and had a moment to asses the lay of things, she settled, sulkily mollified.
Relieved that onslaught of elbows had ceased, he managed a smile to her inquiring gaze, and answered curtly, “We are still a good hour’s ride from camp, but you’ve missed nothing of the scenery so far. If we’re lucky we might catch a glimpse of the mammoth’s herd when we cross over the next ridge; then it will be all uphill from there. As for what happened…” he caught the blush of mortification across her features, and his tone softened. “I wouldn’t call it fainting exactly…. more… an adverse reaction to magic. Yes. Like an allergy. To Odin. Sometimes I feel much the same way myself.”
He ignored the snort from the unicorn beneath them, and shifted backwards politely to allow Erilynn more room that she seemed from her body language to desperately crave all of a sudden. He pushed blithely through the awkward silence. “Anyways, if it’s any difference to you, I’d be happy not to make mention of that part again. I mean, my track record for rendering companions to the Guardians unscathed would be no worse for wear if we neglected to tell them certain details, aye?” he tried to catch her regard but Erilynn’s focus remained obstinately distant. He sighed. It made for a very long ride to dinner.
Odin’s weight shifted as he began to climb, the long shadow of the mountains chasing them forward. Tyden swallowed the silence as long as he could, which lasted until they began they crested the next rise. In the distance, lit by the last horizontal rays of sunlight, the mammoths grazed. From this distance they looked like large wooly sheep, ranging in hue from the usual ruddy browns and golden, to pale cream and ebony too.
“There,” Tyden pointed to the happy distraction. “Looks like it could be Wuuthalo’s tribe from the size, although I can’t make out any features in this light. She’s the most frequent to these parts at any rate, and that youth did look right enough for a grandson. When I was young, I used to escape my lessons to go follow the herds; I’m sure I drove Dai no end of batty! But really, scouring the whole of the Skyfields from atop a mammoth, or scouring a dull old faded manuscript about history of Atlantis? Truly no contest. Of course, there was the time I actually fell asleep on Wuuthalo’s back, and didn’t realize the tribe had drifted far to the west, and I had to make my way home through the hegglot marsh, alone… and if you’ve never run across a hegglot, you are lucky. So there I was…” and the tale began, Odin’s hooves marking an even rhythm over the ground, and sky lit the world in swirling hues of crimson and indigo…
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Post by Delicious on Dec 2, 2009 0:36:37 GMT -5
Pasipahe met Ulysses glare squarely, unblinking - but when he snorted as if to question her offered thoughts, her neck arched and that angry tickle from earlier flared back to life. The mare pawed at the ground in irritation. "I may have not seen war - but I hardly think that is my fault." She spat back at the black stallion, "As to the rest, you could not be more wrong. I've no doubt. No companion. But I refuse to allow there is any 'too late' for anything regarding the expulsion of such foul snakes from Kalidore...!" Phae punctuated the last with a stamp, and a toss of her head. "I imagine such doings, however, will go more smoothly with your direction instead of your portendings of doom, and so I anxiously await your instruction..." She finished with a fake simper, her hot-headed temper easily overcoming her fairly anemic social common sense. --- Contrary to his fiery-tempered travel-mate of earlier, Liam was actually in a fairly good mood. Water gathering taken care of, dinner on the way, and now the latrine preparations coming along in fairly short order - the soldier was actually feeling like he had hit his stride. His side ached with some of the exertions he was putting it through - but the sensation was almost comforting in it's familiarity. Half-healed hurts was something he was well acquainted with, even within his broken memories, and Liam was enjoying the otherwise rare feeling of something commonplace. Why, if there were just a few less talking beasts and women, and a bit more blood and bad food... he might almost be able to close his eyes and imagine himself home in Ireland on a patrol. Not that, necessarily, the substitutions here were a BAD thing .... off putting occasionally, so many women without escorts had him wondering when a angry husband or lord would turn up and find his presence offensive (and then justly attempt to separate head from shoulders). And the idea that his next attempted meal might reproach him with words and (possibly) REAL curses made him more than slightly suspicious of anything more than vegetables (which soon would ALSO be called into question after meeting a certain talking plant)... but all in all, things weren't all too bad. Providing of course he could continue to not almost get himself killed by wild animals and actual PROTECT the party he was riding with instead of just dying inconveniently and embarrassingly. The man finished the last of the latrines and surveyed it with a pleased eye. Nothing too fancy as he was sure the ladies were accustomed too - but measurably private, and near enough to a clump of bushes with large flat leaves that he had tested and SEEMED to not be poisonous to the skin. He nodded to himself and whistling merrily (and slightly off tune), and was about to start towards the nearby creek to wash up before inflicting his (currently very dirty) presence back on the camp when ... he was accosted by Gwyn with her sopping (and loudly singing!) plant companion. "No ma'am," Liam gave a broad smile to the mare and touched his forehead. "But 'tis good te' make your acquaintance. But te' answer your question, no 'ahm no companion. Just a straggler of sorts that was gathered up elsewhere..." He said, being purposefully vague, not really wanting to trot out the nastier particulars of his entrance to Kalidore when even he wasn't quite sure of them. He was about to continue when Mio hit a particularly loud warble and Liam blinked, and leaned over slightly so he could make out the exact origin of the song. "Och. Perhaps I weren't quite all t'gether after all... this definitely has the makings of a fever dream. First all th' animals ken' chatter, but surely I must be off m'rocker te' be hearing a bunch o' green singing fit te' kill...." He peered at the saddle bags in bewilderment - wondering if now was the time to go and ask Rhaine for help, or if really it was time to just wander off into the woods and be done with it (for SURELY he was on his last legs!) for good. --- Kyn blinked. He tried to make the mental shift from small human child with the most INTRIGUINGLY candy-like scented hair (his mouth watered to give it a small nibble) to Xanthe's hissed warnings about ... someone. 'He?' Kyn eyed the girl in front of him. Surely the little one was not a boy... he had heard about these things, and she was definitely clad in a 'dress' which was supposed to be for -girl- humans. He thought it was, anyways... but then Xanthe seemed so sure.... The yearling tried to eye Lyonee with a slightly larger measure of distrust and skepticism, and to stop his embarrassing drooling over her hair. She (he?) seemed nice however, and even introduced herself (himself? Kyn was confusing himself roundly here) formally in such a polite respectful way that Kyn was rather taken with her. (her! It must be a her! Kyn decided.But Xanthe had said -he-...!) He peered at Lyonee for another few moments, trying to act as grown-up as her polite introduction had made him feel, but soon the questions grew too numerous that he, unused to delayed gratification as he was, was unable to stop them from seeping out. "What is France? Of course I'm a colt! Are you a colt ... ehrr... boy too? You don't look like one. What is cocoa? Can you eat it?" He sidled closer to the small girl again, and tried to discretely lip at her hair a bit, but really only succeeded in drooling on it.
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Dec 2, 2009 22:21:24 GMT -5
Oh, the stubborn glare, the snitty pawing of her hoof! it was all so terribly silly, sad and naive that Ulysses had to press his eyes shut against tears of laughter. We really are done for, if unicorns are reduced to this. Only the good die young, and so we are left here a feeble race, bridging senility, to try with failing limbs to do the work of giants....
...Why did I not relinquish life then, too?
Aye, fool... for you were not The Good; your curse then, to see the universe die twice over...He inhaled sharply, the night air cold in his lungs, and opened his eyes. The mares were still there, staring at him. He wasn't sure now how long he had turned away, how long the night had been falling around him, and looked again to measure the two moons rising into the velveteen sky. "There is only one way to save Kalidore," he said quietly, "and no, I cannot even with this measure guarantee her fate. But if we are to have any hope in hell, it must be done. We must destroy the Gates." * * * Lyonee giggled as the hot air rushed through her hair when Kyn tried to lip her again. While she had never been the type of child to goo over kittens, she did like animals, a kind of quiet appreciation that had inspired her once to announce that she would like to be a naturalist, and sail like Darwin around the world and study birds; had the meeting been on better footing, she would even have been fond of the naughty Adar too. She grinned at his flurry of questions. "France is the place where I live. Where are you from? Does your home have a name? And of course I'm a girl - boys are not nearly so pretty!" A touch of pride coloured her cheeks at that remark, not because she had stock in whether or not she was pretty, but rather because to compare her to a boy only brought to mind images of her dreadful brother. And truly, there was no comparison! But it was his last question that keyed her attention most of all - "you've never had cocoa?" her face was appall. Well! There was no remedy but to correct it immediately, and she tugged on Rhaine's sleeve again, delighted to have for the moment such an easy fix... Xanthe, meanwhile, had been watching the exchange with an expression of withering dismay. It had started out quite bright, downright aghast really, that Kyn was not leaping to attention and attending at her very beck. This simmered into curious confusion, to confounded clarity, until finally settling a blank look of complete and utter incredulousness. At the word cocoa, she knew she'd lost him completely, casting a dubious stare at the wee one who was currently more interesting then an urdvoggen, but not, in her opinion, then saving the world. The world! Silently Xanthe withdrew, slipping between the gathered unicorns and companions to find a patch of grass and invest in some serious contemplation-grazing, biting off the grass in huge clumps and ignoring the little twigs and flecks of dirt that were hauled up in the process. Xanthe, a notoriously picky eater, didn't even notice them. She was too busy thinking... * (((and I think that's it for me tonight... which means the rest has to come... saterday? D:))
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Post by jadecorrine on Dec 4, 2009 0:29:55 GMT -5
Cheri walked side by side with Alcyone through the trees in silence, comforting her with her presence. The blue mare had been more shaken by the yak’s revolt than her regal demeanor had let on. Cheri herself had been scared stupid, but the adrenaline rush had left her elated rather than trembling. Once they had been safe she’d let out a whoop of excitement before she noticed the terror in her friend’s eyes. She’d dismounted and laid a kiss on the mare’s nose, giving her a buck-up smile and assuring her everyone was safe. She’d lent her the strength of her thoughts, which seemed to bolster Alcyone’s mood. Then she’d suggested a walk to clear both their heads.
As they walked she recalled what Tyden had told her on their journey here. The large black stallion that the two mares were speaking with must be the Rogue he’d mentioned. Although the conversation didn’t seem to be going well, she surmised that he wasn’t the one murdering innocents in the forest. He was the kind that looked like he had better things to do. And besides, he had saved them, after a fashion, right? She longed to edge close enough to eavesdrop, but didn’t dare.
Ulysses, Alcyone’s mind whispered to hers. It was the first word she’d, well, spoken since the valley. The lost Son of Kaedon. He left Kalidore when even my father was very young. She nodded toward the disgruntled ivory stallion and went on with what looked to be a warning gleam in her eye. They will tell us what we need to know. And when.
“You have too much confidence in the government,” Cheri muttered, and got a blank look in return. “Nevermind. I wasn’t going to go snooping, anyway. I was, however, thinking about the grumblies in my tumbly. Looks like soup’s on over there. Shall we?” Besides, there were new people to look over, including a couple new specimens of manflesh. About time, too. With the amount of estrogen flowing through these lands Cheri was surprised there weren’t catfights erupting hither and yon. Maybe it was all the wide open fresh air that made everyone so friendly. Or maybe everyone was too tired to squabble after the journeying they’d been doing. She knew she could use a rest.
Cheri hovered at the edge of the circle around the fire, not ready yet to inflict herself on the folk gathered there. No sign of Liam, and Tyden for sure wasn’t back yet. She hoped he was okay. There were lots of new people about, one (Iole) playing with the pocket griffon, a Native American-looking chick, and… hold on, was that a kid? What in blue blazes was a little kid doing out here in the middle of god-knew-where? From the looks of her she wasn’t some stray ragamuffin, and she didn’t look to be from Kalidore. Poor thing must be terrified… but Cheri shook her head. She was absolute rubbish with children…
Cheri found herself pitched to the ground with a curse and ended up sprawled in a tangle of arms and legs. Some were hers, some were… ah. New guy. Figures. She flushed scarlet and tried to right herself.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was… whoa!” She slipped on the log he’d been sitting on and landed on the poor unfortunate man again. By the time she’d managed to disengage from him and introduce herself, she was desperately trying to hold back laughter at the absurdity of the situation. As long as she hadn’t cracked the poor guy’s ribs, she was sure she would lose that particular battle.
**couldn't find Iole's color, so i guessed. i don't think it's right...
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Dec 4, 2009 23:41:53 GMT -5
Gwyneira burst into a hearty belly-laugh at the soldier’s confusion, shaking the creature in her satchel into burbling silence. “Nay, no fever, as sure as we are all children of Kal! This is Kaus Mio; a more… unusual… example of rare Kalidorian flora that I actually had not been acquainted with before today. This adventure is proving full of all kinds of unexpected boons, is it not?” she nuzzled the somewhat baffled man cheerfully. Liam’s eyes had really never left the protrusion of greenery at her chest, which was slopping around inside the satchel and emitting strange noises. Eventually Gwyn’s attention arrived there too. “I believe I may have given him an overly good soak, indeed, perhaps I have rather drowned him.” “’sshaaal good,” Mio burped. “A good shoke, ish good for… for the… green leaves was my delight…” he lapsed into song again, unfurling his tendrils with a flourish and spraying sloppy mud everywhere, including the bemused faces of his captive audience. “Mayhap I should let him dry out a bit over dinner,” Gwyneira’s eyes crossed slightly as she tried to asses the dirt on her nose. She refocused on Liam, and then snorted in spite of herself. “Oh dear me! we had better get you cleaned up for dinner, too….” She was about to offer a warm tongue (mother’s spit being the thing of wonder that it was, even with all the magic of Kalidore) when the plant started into a particularly loud chorus that would have made the Irishman at home in any local pub. Gwyn frowned. “You wouldn’t by chance have a pocket knife on you? a few holes in the bottom of this sack might further the process along…?” * Rhaine handed another bowl to Lilaini to fill, and dinner was served. The thick soup was offered with some of Lana’s buns, still deliciously soft after two days on the trails. If the amount of people they were now serving and amount of food they had packed had begun to worry Rhaine, she kept her worries concealed, ensuring each person had a good share and was content. Besides hot cocoa, strong tea was served, something from Lilaini’s special blend that would ensure a restful and rejuvenating night’s sleep, to prepare for whatever found them tomorrow. And what of tomorrow? Her gaze traced through the trees, but the elders had not returned and Gypsy had given no word to Lilaini. Curiosity bit her, but there was nothing she could do the bronze mare couldn’t, and probably better, so she remained. Anyways, seeing to dinner was duty enough, and that fulfilled, Rhaine was satisfied. Well, mostly. The missing members of their party still worried her, even though there was no logical reason; Tali had been caring for himself in the wilds long before their coming upon him, and Tyden – well, Tyden was Tyden. She starred at the bowl of lentils in her hand, realized after a moment that it was her own dinner and it was getting cold. She sighed. She was about begin when a small hand tugged at her sleeve again. This of course was Lyonee, the young French girl who couldn’t be more then ten years old. About the age I was when I first came to Kalidore, the thought touched her. Was I really so small then? Goodness, no wonder I worried them all so!“Are we to sleep out-of-doors tonight? Like pioneers? And in a tent? As if we were camping?” the child wanted to know. “I have never been camping. Olivier went once with papa, but I was not allowed to go because Mother said I would catch my death, and then what would become of her? I do not think I would catch my death; I am not sure if death would even know where I am.” She looked quite satisfied by that notion, and took another swig from the tin mug. Cocoa painted her upper lip and she licked it happily. “Indeed we shall, and I quite assure no-one will be catching their death tonight if I can help it,” Rhaine replied cheerfully, thankful that Ryan had seen to all the tents before the light had given out completely. With dark, so came the cold, and she shivered; she had given her cloak to the child. She turned towards the crackling fire, and began to eat. Staring upwards, Lyonee had just noticed that Kalidore had two moons, a very curious fact that she intended to press for more information when rustling in the trees nearby brought her attention around. The sound of more voices, laughter, and the delicate plunking of unicorn’s hooves upon the stones, she looked down from the moons to find the most beautiful unicorn she had ever seen. He looked to be made out of moonlight itself, for he was black and silver like the sky. She barely noticed the two riders on his back, or the large dog that plodded along beside him, while the rest of the camp broke into activity around her. Odin emerged through the trees, steam rising from his nostrils against the chilled night air. In the light of the campfire it turned from silver to flame, and one could imagine he breathed fire himself. Beside him was Tali, looking quite pleased with himself as a large scrub grouse of some kind was dangling from his mouth. And astride Tyden also looked pleased, giving his riding companion a brief reassuring pat on the shoulder before leaping down to address the group. “Greetings and good eve’, fine people of Kalidore! I trust I have found you all well? Though… ’tis a bit off the beaten path for a camp, you think?… It was luck we came upon Tali who led us through the pass or we might not have been here until moon’s high. And not only that, he comes baring a delicious gift of pheasant to roast for the evening’s meal!” (here Tali’s tail thumped with satisfaction, thoroughly warmed by the reception his offering met this time around; Tyden grinned at him and continued). “And certainly I did not come empty-handed either… more provisions, blankets, waterskins, medical supplies, clean laundry, and,” he had turned, rummaged through the saddlepacks for an example of each, “a little something for our thirst as well…” He found the carefully wrapped bottle among the bundles and gave it a quick once-over. It wasn’t the finest vintage but it was strong, dry, and would bolster the blood against the cold and happily dull whatever ailed you; plus it doubled as an antiseptic. Rummaging had brought him into proximity of a curvy panted leg which he’d absentmindedly rested a hand upon while considering the bottle, and upon that realization, realized too this was probably a faux pas in any culture, regardless of the immediacy of the ride he and the lady had just recently shared. Also he realized he hadn’t yet introduced her. He took a step back and cleared his throat. “And this is Erilynn; was wandering around the midland plateaus all by herself, so I’m sure is very glad to be rid of my company by now and be back among civilized people. Erilynn, the Ladies Rhaine and Lilaini, Guardians of Kalidore, and our friends.” Here he paused to see if she required help dismounting, rather dubious that she would, and hadn’t quite thought far enough ahead to consider just how he’d do that with his hands full anyways. His gaze wandered back to group around the camp fire, looking somewhat larger then what he recalled. “So…. what did I miss?”
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Leopardstar
New Member
Leaping, dancing, unicorn stalking.
Posts: 40
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Post by Leopardstar on Dec 5, 2009 0:32:02 GMT -5
Iole eyed Lyonee as the young girl chattered and giggled, so young but perhaps it was the right age to be "hanging" out with unicorns. For her it was still the age of imagination, magic wonderous and the thought as an explanation not discarded easily, the unexplained exciting at times. Iole felt a small pang at missing it, around the age of almost eighteen the only magic came from miracles, movies, and most importantly books. Saddening as it was, everyone had to grow up unless you were Peter Pan and he didn't exist! Then again, unicorns existed though they spoke and seemed to all have very different personalities and perhaps histories and magic all on their own. Everyone was different, no one else could be exactly like them in the world. Her amber eyes glittered as they settled onto what seemed a shadow in the darkness, a stallion. Proud and regal he stood, but there seemed much hidden away and locked in his heart. But maybe that was just his coloring... Iole paused petting Adar and gently set him down onto a nearby log. "Later..." she promised. Then she set out to catch some dinner. She gleefully bit into a warm bun and savored the taste, at least they wouldn't starve. Hot cocoa was sipped delicately, silently she wished for some milk to have poured in and cooled it down. The young women could see steam rising from the top and making patterns in the air. Her eyebrows raised slightly as Tyden entered and began going on and on....if Iole was to admit to it she wasn't really paying attention to him at all. Rather, she watched the stunning stallion at his side. Then her eyes moved to Erilynn as she was introduced. Tyden seemed rather....medieval, Erilynn modern. Iole then looked at her halfway eaten bun and realized that her hand was still poised as if to take it to her mouth and be bitten. She quickly lowered it and hid a smirk with a cough as the man asked what he had missed. "Oh, nothing much..." she whispered to the air and placed the rest of the bun nearby the pocket griffon...(OOC: Sorry about shortness, must leave! Edit: Made it a little longer. )
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Post by Admin on Dec 5, 2009 22:25:56 GMT -5
Ryan looked between the Guardian and newcomer as they had conflicting requests. But he would never sit down and leave a woman standing so he quickly went around to the opposite side of the log and gave it a good push. It rolled easily a few feet closer to the fire, and he went and pulled it back slightly so as to not be too close. Too close would make the heat uncomfortable. Smiling, he turned back to the young woman and motioned with his hand for her to sit. “Here you go, this should help warm you up,” he looked to see if he could offer Lady Rhaine a seat or perhaps the young child, but they seemed to be engaged elsewhere, so he asked jovially, “you don’t mind if I sit on the other end here then do you?” Seeing as she didn’t appear to object he sat down for the second time, stretching his stiff legs out behind him.
“I am Ryan by the way, it’s very nice to meet....” he was mid sentence when another young lady collided with him. He was sent sprawling backwards over the log with the [color=darkslateblue[/color]woman[/color] landing on top of him. They had become entangled in the fall, and he was about to begin apologizing when she managed to almost right herself. Unfortunately, she slipped again and landed back on top of him. At this point, he felt the best way to assist her was to do nothing and allow her to disengage herself. It took a moment but she managed to do so at which point she introduced herself as Cheri. Sitting up, he dusted himself off and stood up.
“Nice to meet you Cheri I’m Ryan, and there’s no need for you to apologize. Please, let me offer you my seat.” He indicated the spot he had been sitting moments before and tried to see if the predicament had offended her. It wasn’t everyday when a woman accidentally fell on top of you, and he hadn’t been sure how to react at first, let alone assist her.
Adar squawked in protest when Iole stopped petting him and put him down. At least his feathers were back in the proper spot, so they weren’t irritating him. He was about to scuttle after her and demand that she continue what she was doing when he heard that man’s voice. The griffon paused and looked around. He caught sight of Tyden at one end of the clearing with another human. The idea to investigate if this human had food crossed the griffon’s mind, but at that very moment, Iole placed a bun near him. He stopped, sniffed at the bun (which he came to find smelled delicious), and then pounced on top of the doughy delicacy, all thoughts of newcomers and Tyden forgotten.
Gypsy appreciated the bay mare’s fervour but now was not the time and place, and she could see how these two could quite easily bicker so she gave her a look which asked her to calm. She turned back to Ulysses and stayed silent, waiting for his thoughts to settle and for him to continue. He seemed to be afflicted by a swirling of thoughts or perhaps emotions, she wanted to reach out and offer him comfort but she knew he would not accept it. So she stood silently, waiting. At long last, he took a sudden deep breath of the night air, opened his eyes, and spoke.
The bronze mare was startled by what he said, and it showed briefly on her face. “Destroy the gates? I do not think this is entirely a wise idea.” She let her thoughts reach out so that her mind gently touched upon the consciousness of her companion before she continued. “Or perhaps even feasible. Do you have any idea what kind of magic you would need to do such a thing? And I can’t believe that would be the only way to achieve our end.” She stared at him, wondering where this idea had come from. Destroy the gates? The gates had been around since the dawn of time. Certainly they were here for a purpose, therefore would it be wise to mettle with their existence?
Lilaini felt Gypsy’s mind touch her own, but the mare did not say anything and the feeling retreated. This occurred just as Tyden and Odin entered the clearning. She was glad to see Tali was also with them and she looked over the newcomer. She listened to his little speech and stood up to help take some of the supplies from him. Her eyes momentarily flashing between him and the girl named, Erilynn as she approached.
“Miss? Nothing too important, other than us nearly getting trampled to death. Oh and Ulysses’ arrival,” she looked at him quite seriously, but her eyes were amused. Despite all that, she was glad to see him returned safely. Turning to the newcomer she bowed slightly, “Welcome Erilynn, I am Lilaini. Please come and sit by the fire, we are just in the middle of serving dinner if you are hungry.” She smiled and nodded to both Tali and to Odin before reaching to un-tether some of the supplies.
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Post by pinkmoonbeam on Dec 6, 2009 18:58:34 GMT -5
Asarte had listened to the young kore's explanation of what she was doing with amusement, and watched her scurry off with a hint of smile playing on her lips. She turned to the dappled Unikoros beside her and said, "I'm fine, thank you... takes more than that to put a dent in my rump! I think we'll need to keep an eye on that one though." She indicated the retreating kore with a toss of her head. "She's most certainly up to something... I'm Asarte by the way. And you are?"
Meanwhile, at fireside Sapata was doing her best to keep up with Iole's train of thought. She wasn't sure the the girl hadn't lapsed into another language, because most of what she was saying made absolutely no sense. Still, she tried to look interested, and when the conversation turned to the unicorns she was relived. "They are very intriguing... I've really only met a few, but they were kind. That bay mare that just got knocked about by the baby unicorn befriended me. Asarte's her name, and she has made me glad to be here in Kalidore. At first I was rather..."
Just then the blond man smiled, shoved the log closer to the flame, and bade her sit. He sat at the opposite end of the log, and Sapata watched him though her eyelashes. At least he didn't mind her presence, and it looked as if she'd be allowed to stay, if indeed he was the one who decided such things. He began to introduce himself, but before she could respond he was quite prone on the ground with a young lady atop him. It took the pair sometime to recover themselves, and by then the moment to name herself to Ryan was gone.
Her attention turned briefly to the other end of the clearing, where it appeared that the group was gaining members yet again. A stunning silver stallion, a handsome youth, and his lady companion astride the noble creature. And were they accompanied by a... wolf? It certainly seemed so. Ah, such a strange place, where man and beast gathered together as kin... she shook her head in wonder.
Then the food was done, a bowl passed her way, and her thoughts turned to her belly. Iole didn't seem to mind the lapse in talk; she was once again busy spoiling Adar. The contents of the soup were familiar, Sapata rather liked it. She'd never eaten a risen bread before, but the warmed rolls were delicious, and she sopped up the dregs of spiced juice from the bottom of her bowl with one. But the cup of cocoa was all that Lyonee had hinted at and more. Sweet and hot, warming the belly and exciting the mouth. She turned to tell the child that she did indeed adore the drink, but the girl was busily engaged in an exchange with a [/color=burlywood]small unicorn[/color]. Sapata was glad to see the child had found someone close to her own age to amuse her, and was loath to interrupt, so she turned back to her cup. It was like nothing she'd experienced before, and her mood was suddenly improved tenfold. The warmth of fire, the company of others, the sating of her empty belly... this adventure was taking a turn for the better!
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Post by geob on Dec 7, 2009 15:59:01 GMT -5
As the group relaxed and dispersed about the camp that was coming together (and with the return of Fiera), Foehn Miri wondered off to enjoy some cool, fresh water after that dusty run. While still stream-side she began to graze enjoying the relative quiet as well as the camp's muted sounds-odd as that seemed. Leisurely she grazed her way back to camp where she continued to graze along the outskirts where she could catch all that was going on about the fire.
Upon receiving her steaming bowl of lentils, Tiponi moved over to where Luminista had settled herself on the ground within the fire's glow. Settling herself among her companion's hooves and leaning back against the mare's barrel, Tiponi commenced to enjoy her meal in spite of the men present in the group. The cocoa presented she found to be too rich for her, but the tea offering was divine and the roll was a wonder. Such a delicacy in such a situation amazed her. As she savored her meal her mind drifted to the patch of berries she had spied earlier and made note to herself to gather some for the mornings breakfast.
When the silver stallion and his party entered the clearing Tip's jaw clenched but that was the only indication of apprehension. The relaxed banter of both the new guy and this Tyden were so in opposition to what she knew of men. The steady chatter of the child that had joined them was a welcome distraction. She, herself, could not remember a time of such simple innocence. It was refreshing.
((I have got to get that girl interacting with some of the other girls in our group! Erg!))
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Dec 11, 2009 20:51:40 GMT -5
((I am going to assume Erilynn has dismounted, because Odin has business elsewhere, and it would just be kind of awkward if she's still sitting there at this point, lol))As the last pack was removed and the final trappings unbuckled and pulled away, Odin gave a hearty shudder that sent his ample mane swirling every direction. Once it settled he turned to the man and woman at his side, a gentle nudge to each. "I am glad we find you and the group well, Lilaini. Seems there are many unusual things about these days, the least of these being my newly-returned brother. It is for that reason I must take my leave of you, at least for the next leg of your journey." Tyden nodded, laying a hand quietly on the stallion's neck. Odin had many responsibilities throughout the isle, and that he had accompanied them this far before duty obliged his presence elsewhere were circumstances to relish, so it was with remorse - but understanding - that they bid adiue to him now. "I'm sure we will get along just fine without you, old boy," Tyden chuckled. "You won't need to worry about us in the least." "I wasn't worried," the stallion's ears flickered. "Not about you, anyways." He gave the man an affection bump on the chest (what with arms still full, caused a small stumble) and gazed about the campfire one last time. "Kal's eyes upon you all," he tipped his horn, and with a graceful sweep of his tail turned and disappeared through the trees like smoke. *
Beyond the canopy of the firs, the two mares and an ink-coloured stallion stood opposing one another. The bay mare was scowling silently, possibly acknowledging Gypsy's request for quiet, or possibly just silent because she was too furious at the rogue stallion to speak. Gypsy's face was drawn with perplexity, her eyes upon the other bright. Ulysses watched her reaction and shook his head. "As much as I expected. As much as I should have hoped for. After all these yes why am I surprised to find peace has bred such complacency among the unicorns?" Ulysses backed against the night, his gaze unflinching on them, and cold. "Destroying the Gates are the only way to ensure that it never happens again, that Kalidore will be safe, lest the insatiable appetite of Dragons swallow us whole.... if we had but half the courage all those years ago, we could have ended it then! But courage failed, and we failed, and now we find ourselves standing again at the brink of night..." Again, again, all over again.... Suddenly he swirled, rising on his hinds and feet striking forward with menace. "You have let this all happen!"And then a silver shadow was beside them, shouldering hard, and knocked the thinner stallion back to his fours. "What is this that has happened, brother, that you must yell fault at our good sisters for?" Ulysses had the wind knocked briefly from him, and that gave him time to focus on huge stallion standing at his side. " Odin," he breathed between teeth. He straightened, slowly. "I would hardly expect you to understand." Odin never moved, his breath a ghost in the cold. "It has been many years since you and I have conversed; it would hardly seem fair to make allegation based on events happened so long ago. Besides, if there is danger to Kalidore, then it is my duty to know of it. What say you walk with me, brother, and tell me what pursues your mind this night." Their eyes met, silver-blue and gold, and above them stars tumbled. The wind sighed, and the night held its breath. Gypsy's ears pricked forward as she watched them. Ulysses was so furious the air around him seemed to snap, and for a moment she thought he might strike out again; but Odin remained a pillar, resolute and unblinking, and at last the dark and storming koros recoiled into himself. He looked to the mares again, and returned to his brother. "Very well." Odin nodded, then tipped his horn to Gypsy, and again to Phae. "Kal keep you, good sisters," he said on both their behalf, and without another word the two turned, the sound of thier hooves fading into the night. At last Gypsy let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She have herself a shake, feeling the cold finger through her mane as it moved. "Come," she turned to Phae gently. "Let's see to the others."
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Post by jadecorrine on Dec 17, 2009 22:47:56 GMT -5
Cheri laughed and smiled at Ryan. He was certainly a chivalrous one. Cheri normally didn’t trust chivalrous men, but she figured here in Kalidore she could probably give him the benefit of the doubt. “No, please. I can’t run you over then kick you out of your seat. I’ll be fine here.” She crossed her legs and sat on the ground beside the log. She gratefully accepted dinner and tea, then noticed the young woman sitting on the other side of Ryan. “Oh! Oh, I’m sorry, I’m interrupting. Please, don’t mind me.” She sat quietly and ate her meal, surreptitiously inspecting the pretty Native American-looking girl. She thought about introducing herself, but didn’t want to interrupt further. Besides, she wasn’t sure the girl spoke English. But then, everyone else did, which now that she thought about it was patently absurd. Maybe Kalidore was permeated by airborne babelfish.
Alcyone wandered away from the fire, leaving her companion to the company of her kind. She seemed content. She shuddered again at the thought of how close she came to losing her today. Alcyone didn’t know what happened to unicorns if their companions died, but she did know she wasn’t eager to find out.
She shook her snowy mane. Enough of morbid musings. She’d only gone a short way through the trees when she heard a sound. Her ears swiveled to find the direction of the… singing? Strange and slurred it may be, but she she was certain there was a melodious note to it. She followed the sound to find Liam confronted with a mare whose pouch seemed to be what was making the noise. She turned to the mare.
May I be of assistance? she sent. Your pouch seems to be… but oh, is that a plant? Alcyone looked closer. Is it sentient, or does it merely sing to attract prey or pollen carriers? She tilted her head as the plant slurred on, terribly out of key. Or mayhap it’s a defense mechanism?
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Jan 18, 2010 21:58:57 GMT -5
((bumping us forward to the next day... I'll get to the rest of my characters in another post, but I thought I'd begin the morning off a little differently, from Liam's point of view. Enjoy!))
Chapter 5 ~
The morning broke heavy with dew. Moistness in the air meant the arriving day would be warmer, or, that it would rain. Liam rather hoped for the former as he stretched, working the stitching cramp down his back as he withdrew from his look-out perch on top the bolder as the camp below him began to stir.
Day was a pleasant change to the night before. As far as nights in Kalidore went, it had been an odd one, and that was saying something. While the group’s spirits has been bolstered by Tyden’s return, Odin’s subsequent abrupt departure with the mysterious Ulysses left a hole within their tight-knit fabric. And though nothing had been said out loud, Lilaini and Gypsy had stood for a long time by the side of the campfire, leaving no doubt to the soldier’s mind of the grave discussions that had silently convened.
For his own reasons Liam was most selfishly glad Tyden had returned, for, the quiet lad Ryan aside, it was nice to have some chummily male comradelier again, which he was much more used and suited to. He considered it luck that the arrival of the young child had made evading Rhaine’s succulent attention a relatively uncomplicated event; not that he had anything against Rhaine’s caring per se, just… he felt horribly out of sorts in the Lady’s presence – or worse! – and had concluded that the best course of action would be to avoid her completely. So as seating arrangements permitted he parked himself next to Tyden, and two had exchanged a polite but provocative debate on the continued importance of swordsmanship in the evolution of warfare while sharing some of Tali’s pheasant, roasted to perfection over hot coals.
After the bird had been divided and enjoyed, a certain small Viking strode up to the two men and informed Tyden she would be taking first watch that night. Arguing otherwise seemed futile, so Tyden was quite happy to let her have it. It was here Liam interjected he would take watch that night too, playing down the concerns his comrades had about his past injuries and need for rest. Because he seemed so earnestly insistent, Tyden also agreed, and it was decide Liam would take the last watch before dawn.
It was not far into the night that Liam decided dawn couldn’t come soon enough.
It started out as ordinary; he spread his bedroll near the fire, willingly leaving the occupation of the tents to ladies, and excused Phae to her regularly scheduled moping session in some remote corner of the camp. Sleeping under stars he was used to and the animal sounds that lingered up from the valley were unremarkable; he was soon asleep. He woke a short time later when rustling from one of the tents signaled the wee one had to make use of the latrine; this business was sorted and carried out and dealt with in short order, the camp fell quiet, and the soldier rolled over and resumed sleeping. A few solid notches of the moons later he woke again, this time because an unfamiliar sound touched his ears. It had ended by the time he was fully awake, so he only had the half-heard memory to go by, which had sent shivers down his spine. The moons were bright, and in this light he saw that Tali was also awake and sitting on the other side of the tended fire, gazing into the night. The wolf Liam rather liked, for he’d always been fond of dogs, and his early lessons in Kalidore had taught him to put whatever former opinions he had about other creatures completely aside. At the same time, he still looked… somewhat fearsome, backlit against the moons as he was. The wolf got up and trotted away. Liam settled back into his bedroll, feeling the usual stitch in his side at the injury’s site, and resolved himself back to sleep.
He couldn’t.
Try, try as he might, his mind seemed distracted and unwilling. It was then he began to think he was being watched. That, of course, was ridiculous. Firstly, a quick glance around camp put everything and everyone in order and accounted for, give or take the few figures of snoozing unicorns he couldn’t make out distinctions through the trees. Secondly, he knew Tyden was on watch and he trusted the man impeccably; if there was danger, he would have woken him, promptly. Thirdly, despite the affections of a certain cavebear, it did not go to prove that the deranged animals of Kalidore were drawn completely and unequivocally to him. That was just silly. Near by, a twig snapped.
Now Liam did not consider himself a superstitious man, at least no more then any parish-raised Irishman of his generation; he believed there was a certain divine order to the universe, through which all things were made explainable, generally by other people who were more suited to that kind of existential thought than he. Of Kalidore in general, it was to be believed simply because it was; whether this caused any flaw in his core dogma he defaulted to memory loss and resolved to ignore; Liam was not a complicated man. The solution to this kind of situation was simple: have a stronger shot of whiskey before bed tomorrow. He rolled over abruptly, determined to sleep.
The next time he woke the moons were so bright that in his sleepy stupor he thought it midday, that he’d slept through, and he was late, and they’d right be off shortly and – he blinked. The eyes blinked back.
The light hung between day and night, a surreal transcendence of place and time; Liam had no idea how long remained staring, if he was actually indeed staring and not dreaming or hallucinating and drunk off moonlight by fate of some ill-disclosed faery games. The image before him was veiled in the haze of half-consciousness and the details were indistinct; the eyes one moment seemed almost familiar, like a clear piece of sky, the next exotically inhuman and cut with silver, curtained as they were with silver hair (or was it gold?). They hung like two moons – or maybe they were the moons? – and it was in that moment he realized he was incapable of any real action or will of his own nor even the the foggiest notion what he do if he did. He blinked his eyes shut again. Opened them. The star-filled sky spread endlessly in his field of view. He was very much alone.
He was not sure how long he lay there, staring at the sky, before his brain began to thaw again and started making suggestions on his behalf, like perhaps whisky before bed was NOT such a good idea after all, and mayhap if we still had feet, and they were working, a trip to the latrine would happy diversion right about now. Afterwards, Liam decided as he was not sleeping anyways, he would relieve Tyden of his post for the remainder of the night. This he did, brushing aside unimportantly any inquiries the other man made about the quality of his rest, and waited determinedly for morning to come...
There was stirring in the tents as the light filtered through the trees and reached them, warming them, and Liam strode towards the small ember’d glow of the night’s fire and began stirring it to roaring life again with more kindling; beside rested the water skins, and he gathered them all together, heading now towards the stream so that there might be hot water for the morning’s tea.
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Jan 23, 2010 17:02:26 GMT -5
As the sun gathered intensity outside, Rhaine blinked a few times against the light before giving and rolling over, rousing herself to the day with a yawn. Liliani was already up and rummaging around inside her pack, but the rest of the campers seemed off to a slow start. Lyonee in particular was still fast asleep, nestled against Kyn who’d managed to sprawl with Xanthe the night before at the flap of the tent; Xanthe was currently nowhere to be seen, but Kyn seemed to have wedged himself mostly into the tent, making use of a spare supply pack for a pillow. Rhaine decided to leave the child sleeping for now; the night had been quite restless for her, and she worried her spirits would droop if she was overly tired. Instead she followed Lilaini’s lead and turned to find her bathing supplies, and a change of clothes; she dreaded the thought of the cold mountain water on principal, but after spending two hard days riding, it was unavoidable. At least, if she still wanted to be welcomed in the company of her peers! “We should see about putting some water to boil before we go, if no one has seen to it already,” Lilaini looked up as she sensed the other’s movement. She had two garments in her hand, a green riding top and a teal one, and was currently scheming which of the two to wear; regardless of situation, it was beyond Lilaini to conduct herself without some attention to style and personal up-keeping, two points she had tried to instill on her fellow guardian with limited success; Rhaine, after all, was still wearing Tyden’s old shirt. She shook her head. The green blouse worked to set off her eyes, but the teal was tailored so nicely to her figure; it was a bit of a quandary! Rhaine had already stashed her selected clothing under her arm and nodded as she made her way carefully around the sleeping figures in the tent. “I’ll do that now,” she replied, found her shoes, and slipped outside. * Tyden woke to the faint sound of someone muttering. It was an odd sound, broken into several languages, none of which seemed to be pronounced very well. The sound went on for a while, until there was a bit of lull, followed by and incantation, followed by a small but distinct *poof*, followed by an expletive. Tyden rolled over and propped himself up on an elbow. Around the campfire was quite still, the rest of the camp barely stirring and Liam hadn’t made it back with the water yet. A short distance away stood the source of the muttering, a certain golden dun kore currently haloed by a strands of dissipating smoke, scowling over a spell scroll. Tyden rubbed his eyes, then made it the rest of the way out of bed; sleep was over-rated anyways. He shook the debris from his boots and pulled them on, fastening his belt as he made his way to Xanthe’s side. “You’re off to an early start,” he greeted wryly. The kore tensed at the sound of his voice, but when she realized who was speaking the ears drooped down and she snorted. “Well, you know what they say,” she said morosely He glanced at the spell scroll, but in truth had never really paid attention to them himself and couldn’t offer anything beyond encouragement. Actually, he was quite impressed Xanthe was being so keen about her studies, and marked this as the first spark of maturity; he’d be sure to relate this to Muse upon their return. “I’m sure with a bit more practice they’ll work for you,” he replied. “Maybe,” Xanthe seemed doubtful, but took the comment to heart nonetheless. After all, the spell she was working on was quite advanced, and she but a mere apprentice; the fact that she’d snuck it from one of her mother’s old silk-bound Elven volume she hoped would not come back to bite her in the bum later. It was a very important spell after all. A Truth Spell. And if she could successfully cast it – why then, the solider would just have to tell everyone his dastardly intentions! And if she was lucky, it would make everyone else see the truth as well. She wasn’t exactly sure how it worked, truthfully, but she had great expectations. After a failed go on Liam the night before (he’d woken up in the middle of it; luckily, she didn’t think he’d seen her) she was all the more determined to have it working before night fell again. As the kore returned to her studies, Tyden returned to the fire just as Rhaine appeared, still blinking against the morning but looking fairly determined. “I suppose someone has already gone to fetch water?” she remarked at the absence of the skins. Tyden nodded, handing her the kettle as he began to gather his belongings and roll them back into packs. “I believe Liam did; which reminds me, I still have a change of clothes for him. He tried to tell me last night he didn’t need it, that the one shirt was most generous; I can imagine what the customs of the typical soldier may well have been like, but hopefully he’ll realize that on Kalidore, we afford the luxury of bathing regularly.” “Oh Tyden, you’re being cruel,” Rhaine chided, ignoring that engaging grin as she set about a spot for the kettle securely over the flames. Undaunted he straightened, regarding her most thoughtfully for a moment’s silence. Eventually there was no alternative but to query. “Now what?” she frowned. “Well,” he began, the grinning now insatiable, “had I been more attuned, I’d have brought along a little something for you, too.” At her baffled look he shrugged innocently. “What can I say? You look far better in my clothes then he does.” Rhaine didn’t answer, but that was because her attention had been drawn elsewhere. Up the trail from the creek Liam came, whistling a cheerful tune and only straining slightly under the weight of the waterskins, slung in a makeshift yoke across his shoulders. “ Liam!” she exclaimed, dropping what she was doing and barreling towards the soldier with haste. “You shouldn’t be exerting yourself like that! The strain – it could tear the lesions, and then where would you be? By Kal, you silly man! Now let me see –” One moment he’d been happily trudging up the hill, his thoughts on breakfast and what possibilities that might hold, the next he was met with baffling bombardment of feminine concern. He stopped in his tracks, letting the yoke slide sidelong as she arrived, and, with intention rapt, began arguing with his clothes. Now, there were any number of ways Liam could consider the proceedings. There were many proceedings going through his mind about the proceedings too, the cumulative effect threatening to cause his brain to short circuit in fear of revealing exactly which proceeds it might land upon. The mortification of this – and not so much the attention itself, except in relation to that – coloured and subsequently paled his features with such velocity as to make any cuttlefish proud. Liam, utterly frozen, was helpless to do anything to more then just stare. Luckily Rhaine, for all her enthusiasm, was first and foremost a trained empath, and realized quite quickly that her patient seemed ill at ease. Assessing the situation again (by this time the camp had come mostly to life, as the travelers emerged from the tents and set about on their morning routine) she realized ruefully what must be the matter. “Oh, I beg your pardon!” she conceded, apology written all over her features . “Would you prefer rather that I undress you in privacy?” Liam was never sure why he didn’t die right then there; it truly seemed the only plausible solution to the situation… Tyden had watched the scene unravel with a myriad of expressions on his face. When it at last came to a stalemate, he roused himself into action with inconclusive motivation. He arrived beside them and moved to assist Liam with the waterskins. “Now now Rhaine, see here, he’s barely broken a sweat, there’s no harm done. I think you underestimate the poor bloke.” Liam, who was at the moment sweating profusely, nodded enthusiastically at the other’s suggestion. Rhaine looked torn, but Tyden’s deadpan was absolute. A flush bit her cheeks and she nodded. “Aye; maybe I am a bit forthcoming.” She released her grip and straightened the garment as best she could. “My pardons again, I shall let you be, and see instead to my own toiletries this morning. Feel free to carry on as you were,” she dismissed the pair, and curtly turned and was away. Just the same, Liam felt markedly horrible as she turned to go; he couldn’t help but feel he had disappointed the young Guardian, when that was surely furthest from his intent! Recouping his ability to speak, he turned to apologize himself, when a brisk unbalancing of the yoke had him spinning around. Tyden had relieved him of half his load, specifically the load on his left side. “You heard the Lady,” he quirked, swinging up the skins. “You think that’s unpleasant? Wait until Lilaini discovers there’s no hot water for her morning drink – would rather have another go at that cavebear, I mark!” With that he started brightly for campfire, and Liam thought the better and hurried after.
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Post by geob on Jan 23, 2010 20:03:32 GMT -5
Tiponi stirred in her sleep, snuggled up next to Luminista near the edge of camp. The subtle sounds of an awakening camp penetrated her consciousness . Groggily her eyes drifted open, falling upon the campfire and the man squatting there. She tensed before realizing it was the one who had been injured. Li-, Li-?
*Liam.*
Glancing up at the red mare who had supplied to name to her, she muttered a thanks and good morning. She rubbed her hands across her face then excused herself before setting off into the trees.
More of the group were stirring about as Tiponi returned to camp. Looking about for the packs containing supplies for the group, she made her way to them thinking to begin preparations for the morning meal.
Hearing approaching footsteps, she glanced up to see the two men approaching with full water skins. Tiponi returned her attention to rummaging for ingredients, but could to avoid the tension that radiated through her being.
*Breathe, Tiponi. Just breathe. There is no threat from them,* her companion sent and Tiponi worked on following instructions and trying to take to heart the reassurance.
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Leopardstar
New Member
Leaping, dancing, unicorn stalking.
Posts: 40
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Post by Leopardstar on Jan 23, 2010 23:21:03 GMT -5
As the sun slowly rose from the horizon, it left Iole rising up equally slow. If not slower. The girl had never been used to waking up early except on Saturday mornings, otherwise it was school and who wanted to get up early for school? No, usually her father or brother woke her up instead. Besides, the sounds of the night and the fact that she was sleeping in a tent was all new to the young lady. Sure, she had gone camping before but that was with family and only for a few days. How long would she be staying in Kalidore? If only she knew...
A mumble tumbled from the still sleeping girl's lips and she rolled restlessly in her sleep. In her dream she was lost, time her only companion in a forest of dark trees and endless walking. Her whole body felt...strange. If Iole had given herself time to think about it she would have realized that she was dreaming but then something new happened. A figure bathed in light appeared at the end of the dark forest. A black stallion, no a koro, stood before her with his horn raised as if to touch her brow. He motioned her to follow him and she obeyed, lost as she was she felt that this etheral creature was all the hope she had. Then he increased his pace to trot, a canter, and a gallop. "Wait!" came the cry that escaped from her lips as she chased after him. But...he was gone, leaving her lost and alone once again in the dark forest of black trees, solemn and still.
Iole woke suddenly then, a chill come upon her. She blinked rapidly and hurridely rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. It was a new day...and she was still in Kalidore. A realm of unicorns and people out of past ages. Strange, exciting...different. She yawned and stretched cat-like before struggling to make herself presentable. After failing in what she presumed was epiclly shoved a piece of gum in her mouth, chewed it, and then thrust herself out of the tent and into the sunlight. Still sleepy she looked about, eyes glazing over everyone as the camp became active. She had no clue what she was supposed to do.
(OOC: She'll be happy to talk to almost anyone.)
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Post by geob on Jan 28, 2010 14:42:00 GMT -5
While sifting through the contents of the packs, Tiponi came across a fire-blackened pot. Pull it free from the other things she held it, staring vacantly at it while she pondered Luminista's words. Finally, she cast a glance at the fire. Seeing the stones about the dancing flames already set up from last night's service to receive the pot, she steeled herself before turning to the nearer of the two men ( Tyden) and held out the pot to be filled. She crouched on the ground at the man's feet almost and it was all she could do to stay there. Tension still ratted from her, but Luminista's words echoing in her head were encouraging and soothing. The muscles in her jaw still jumped and twitched as she fought to maintain her position. She was so vulnerable there! The pot trembled as instinct warred with reason. * Luminista had barely started toward the stream for water and to break her fast on the tender grass growing alongside when her new companion's tension had registered. While on one level the red mare was quite exasperated by Tiponi's whole "men are evil" attitude, she had been able to share enough with the girl that she could understand why the attitude was there. Looking back at the girl and reminding her to breathe, the star-dappled mare just watched at first. Without conscience thought she soon found herself moving closer, past the water toting Tyden. With the pot extended and trembling, the girl vibrating with her tension, Luminista moved up beside her and almost wrapped her in an embrace - the kneeling girl at shoulder level with the red mare and the mares white-snipped nose nuzzling gentle at the back of the girl's neck, warm huffs of air flowing down the human neck as they waited upon the man's response.
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Jan 28, 2010 20:15:06 GMT -5
Tyden set the waterskins down and searched for the kettle Rhaine had discarded in her haste; he found it rolled across the ground and under a bush. Dusting it off, he propped it upright and filled it, then returned it to its hanger above the fire. Soon it was crackling merrily as heat permeated the vessel and the water began to warm. Straightening, he nearly tripped on Tiponi stiffly crouching with pot, Luminista hovering behind. He reached for the waterskin again. “There should be some dried barely meal in one of the bundles; it will do for a quick porridge this morning before we’re off,” he suggested benignly. He returned his attention to the fire, and set about poking the rocks back in place for the pot.
There was movement across the camp as Lilaini emerged from the tent with packs in toe, looking quite radiant in her fitted teal top and not like someone who’d spent the last two nights sleeping out-of-doors. She paused at the flap, holding it open with her free hand, and shortly a small figure emerged, the child Lyonee. Tyden received the rundown the night before, but his misgivings about having a child in toe were quelled by the notion that really, what else where they supposed to do with her? As soon as this business was concluded, they would see the Daiga about finding her a gateway home. It also seemed to Tyden that either Rhaine or Lilaini should have been able to do that kind of simple summoning, but after the last Gate fiasco both seemed reluctant, so abidingly, he didn’t press it. Not like he had anything to offer towards the situation either. Just the same, it made for one more thing he had to worry about; fate really seemed to have it in for him these days…
Lyonee peered around at the damp, dew-laden glade and frowned. The trees looked… terribly ordinary in the morning light. Had she been up earlier, she would have caught the mist before it was licked away by the climbing sun, and that would have quite satisfied her notion of Fairyland. As it was, Lyonee hadn’t slept well last night, and some of the thrill of adventure was beginning to wear thin.
She wasn’t going so far as to say she missed home – well, she did miss the idea of Nanny bringing her breakfast, two slices of strawberry jam on toast; and she was feeling guilty that Nanny must be beside herself by now wondering where she was. The night before, the Lady Rhaine had explained that time worked differently in Kalidore, so that while it seemed like such a long time to her, only a few minutes might pass for the people back home. This made sense, for Fairyland did do strange things to a person; she just hoped the Lady Rhaine was right, and that time wouldn’t work the other way – bringing her home to find everyone else grown and aged, while she was still a little girl! That would have just been adding insult to injury.
It was still chilly, so she clung to her blanket, draped over her head like a little monk and trialing on the ground behind her. Her hair was a bit awry, without Nanny to have put it in papers the night before. She stubbed her toe in the dirt, and glanced around the rest of the campers from the corners of her eyes. At this moment, she didn’t recognize any of the people or unicorns in view; Lady Lilaini had left to see about packing preparations, as one by one the tents were dismantled and went tumbling down. Lyonee was too little to be much help here, and she was still cold besides, so she headed towards the fire hoping that maybe there might be more cocoa.
A strange woman and a red unicorn were contemplating a large cooking pot, while a tall man tending to the coals. She remembered him from last night, and her eyes danced at the memory of the wonderful silver unicorn. She glanced around again, but saw no sign of him this morning. Curiosity spurred her, and she turned towards the gentlemen; besides, he seemed to be in charge of the kettle, and that was one step closer to hot chocolate!
“The silver unicorn,” she began haltingly. “He’s your friend… isn’t he? Will he… will he be back again today?”
Tyden turned towards the small voice. Her cowl had fallen away and she looked almost angelic crowned by the messy golden hair. Nuisance or not, Tyden had a soft spot for children, though he likely wouldn’t admit it. He smiled down at the girl as he replied. “Yes, I suppose you could say Odin is my friend. But he’s also quite an independent fellow, and had business to attend to elsewhere. I cannot say when he might be joining us again.”
He watched her face fall as he delivered the news. Well, that wouldn’t do; he certainly hated to disappoint a lady, and crouched down to her level to make amends. “You’re Lyonee, aren’t you? I heard about how you fought off Adar yesterday – goodness, that was brave of you! I must admit Adar makes my stomach turn on the best of days; he’s quite a naughty little beast, isn’t he?” He caught the beginnings of a grin and continued gamely. “I also here you will be coming along with us on our adventure. My name is Tyden, and I shall be your guide throughout Skyfields,” he offered a hand to shake. In background, he was sure he heard Lilaini snicker, but the child grasped his hand with spirits renewed.
“Do you think we’ll see Fairies on our adventure?” she gleamed. “Or perhaps even a sea serpent?” In her eagerness she stepped forward onto the end of the tattered blanket nearly tripping herself in the process; Tyden caught hold of the garment and managed to free the girl, setting her back onto her feet.
“Well, I am not sure about fairies or sea serpents, but I suppose if you’re lucky you might see a mammoth or two. But first we’ll have to do something about this,” he straightened, holding the cloth in one hand and retrieving his pocket knife with the other. While the girl watched curiously, he made a small cut in the material, then tore it neatly into two. The tattered half he discarded over his arm and with the other he turned to the girl. Laying it across her shoulders, it now came down just above her ankles; no further worry of tripping. “There we are: a suitable traveling cloak for our young adventure. Lily, my dear – would you have a spare cloak pin for this dashing young lady?”
Lilaini looked like she was about to say something, mostly likely that she could use a little more help with the packing, but a spare cloak pin was something she surely had. Silently she retrieved one from her pouch and passed it to him. Tyden fastened the garment expertly, then stood back to admire his handiwork.
The pin was polished steel with a bright green glass stone in the centre, though to Lyonee it was surely an emerald. She felt warm and secure in her new robe and quite ready to face whatever challenge this adventure would bring. If this was A Test, which she was sure it was, she finally felt with utter confidence that she would succeed. And then, what a story would she have to tell Olivier when she got home!
“Well done, oh most perspicacious guide… now why don’t you be a dear and help Tiponi feed these people so that we might not start our day on an empty stomach.” The guardian’s green eyes flashed, and refused to make contact with his just the same; this was mostly because she was sure he was laughing. She ignored him outright, turning to child and nodded her approval. “It suits you very well. Have a seat, and we will get you some porridge shortly.”
Up the path she saw Rhaine returning from the creek, cleaned and wearing a change of clothing with Lilaini considered equally unflattering but well suited for the day at hand. She motioned to her to not to dawdle so and turned again to address the camp at large.
“We’ll pack as much as we can while breakfast is heating; then I want to make sure we all eat a hearty breakfast, for we may have quite a ride ahead of us today. If you are not sure what you should be doing, come see me; we could use a hand organizing these saddlebags. The rest of you, carry on as you were.”
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Post by varuna on Jan 29, 2010 3:08:04 GMT -5
Brynja's presence, on the surface, had been a but meager. One could always correctly assume that the little viking was on guard; especially when quiet. It was no different when she had taken the liberty of appointing herself as first watch; nor was it when she was relieved of it.
And while she had only rested her eyes the previous - this night she allowed herself some much needed rest. A warrior could not neglect sleep or themselves for too long - otherwise they would be useless in battle. Brynja's knowledge of this was quite possibly the sole reason she allowed herself to sleep. Well, aside from Thora's sleepy urging. Though all true and sincere, Brynja had still woke well before sunrise feeling quite refreshed and ready for whatever lay in store for the group.
And unfortunately for the viking she seemed to be very much the only early bird aside from those on watch. And therein sparked her task for the morning, along with a grumble - or roar, rather, of her stomach. She would fetch a decent breakfast, and this time she would be more discrete about her choice. Oddly enough it was Tali's example from the previous night that had left a huge impression on the little woman. She had watched him trot into camp with his kill and, as a fellow hunter, she had to examine the bird and familiarize herself with the species - obviously this one was not off limits and became the logical choice for her hunt.
It took patience and knowledge to hunt any animal. Luckily for Brynja the fowl of Kalidore seemed little different in the way of roosting habits, from those from her own world, or at least these had. In the end she had found two; both of which had given themselves away by the ruffling sound of their feathers as they burrowed into themselves for comfort against the cool morning.
Thora had stirred and eventually woke sometime between when Brynja had stoked her own fire (so that she would not disturb those that still slept) and propped the plucked pheasant's on a make-shift spit over it, allowing Brynja to return to the others' camp and check on them. Though, mostly to keep an eye on Tiponi. That girl still set her to worry. Even more so when she found she hadn't been in camp upon one such inspection. But absence was better than stirring up trouble, she supposed. Or rather told herself so as not to go stalking off into the woods in search of her.
Which was precisely why Tiponi received the brow-knitted look of mixed concern as Bryn returned to camp with her own version of well-cooked breakfast to share. Not that it took the keen eye of the warrior to notice that the girl was literally twitching in nervousness, but she had not missed the behavior. Puffing out a sigh, she veered around the apprehensive woman with her freshly filled pot and toward Tyden - presenting a pair cooked pheasant still warm on the stick.
Clearing her throat she rolled her eyes off to the side to steal another glance at Tiponi, then returned her attention to Tyden. "Another day dawns - let's hope it remains peaceful through out." It was a greeting as much as it was a prayer. Glancing toward her morning's work, she nodded in it's direction. "I am more skilled in the manner of eating than cooking, though I know enough that it's done through. I hadn't any spice or seasoning, but good for keeping up the strength for travel." It was not entirely a pretty thing either; burnt a bit on the skin and likely dry meat below. But at least it was all edible, in her opinion.
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Post by pinkmoonbeam on Feb 2, 2010 0:52:08 GMT -5
Sapata was roused from her sleep by the commotion of the camp coming to life after it's nightly lull. She yawned, her jaw stretching till the muscles ached, then rolled out of the nest of blankets her new-found company had provided.
She found her mind already reaching out for Asarte, with a query on her whereabouts. Sapata had wanted to stay with the unicorn when she bedded down, but Asarte had insisted that people needed shelter from the damp night air, and that the idea of a full grown mare tying to fit into the little tent Sapata was to occupy was out of the question.
Now the mare answered Sapata's mental touch with the rather irritating suggestion that she come and find her after she'd had some breakfast. Sapata still felt unsure of herself among the people of Kalidore, and she wasn't looking forward to having Asarte constantly push her to interact with them. So it was in a bit of a huff that the young Indian maid left the confines of her sleeping quarters. She jerked the tent flap back with a snap, thinking black thoughts about her companion, and stomped out so quickly that she very nearly ran over the dark haired girl she'd talked with at the fireside the night before.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Iole!", she stammered. "I didn't see you there. I'm afraid I wasn't watching where I was going." She paused, looking about, and took in the scene of busy preparations for the day taking place around them. "What are we supposed to do, I wonder? I had the idea that I might see about making myself a knife after I'd eaten if I could find the supplies I'd need... but there looks to be much to do. Perhaps I should ask Asarte where I'm needed. If I can find the fickle thing, that is." The last part was muttered under her breath.
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Post by Admin on Feb 3, 2010 19:29:17 GMT -5
Ryan awoke to very hot breath rushing over his face from the muzzle in front of him. Blinking, he didn’t move for several seconds as he tried to get his bearings. It seemed to be quite early in the morning, and he had quite a stiff neck. “I thought you were never going to wake up,” Cadence said with some amusement. Ryan reached out and pushed the stallion’s muzzle out of his face. “And you could use a mint,” the young man replied with a laugh. The camp seemed to be coming alive slowly, and several people had made their way out of their tents. Ryan had refused a tent on the grounds he didn’t want to take one away from one of the ladies. He was fine to sleep on the ground he insisted. His neck was currently informing him otherwise. Yawning, he shrugged out from beneath his blanket and sat up. Cadence was standing nearby and for whatever reason seemed to be amused with his companion. Ryan figured he must have really bad bed hair or something. “You’ll be hungry I’m sure, food’s being served by the fire,” the stallion responded to a growling noise that emitted from the young man’s stomach before turning away to go in search of his own breakfast. Ryan watched him go, and then determined there was nothing to do but rouse himself and begin the day. He got up and began rolling his blanket and sleeping bag and shoving all other odds and ends of his personal belongings into the make shift saddlebag he had. Once finished he ran his fingers through is hair several times, attempting to control what he assumed must be quite the disarray of hair and then made his way to the fire. The smell of breakfast cause his stomach to gurgle angrily again and he settled himself on the nearest log.
Tia had passed her evening in one of the borrowed tents. The night before after hobbling around the camp in her boots, the guardian they called Rhaine, had stopped her to after looking over her attire, gently suggested she speak with the other guardian about extra clothing and footwear. Apparently, she was the only one in camp who thought to bring things like extra shoes. She had done as she was bid, although she did not imagine the much taller woman having anything that would fit her. They had went into the woman’s tent and began rummaging through bags that rather shocked Tia. She never imagined someone could pack so many things into such a small space. But the guardian had done this somehow and despite the rummaging seemed to know what it was she was looking for. At last she had found her a skirt. It was meant to be a shorter skirt on the guardian, so falling mid calf, but on Tia it was skimming the ground. Yet she wasn’t tripping over it, and it was several feet longer than the one she was currently wearing so she figured she couldn’t complain. The boots she was given were a bit big, although not as big as she assumed they would be. She insisted on wearing her own shirt for now, feeling rather ridiculous in the garb she had as it was. But it was practical, which her attire certainly was not. The skirt was a simple one done in dark blue and you couldn’t even see the boots for the length of it.
All this passed through her mind as she slowly resumed consciousness. She wondered where they were headed now, and how much more walking her feet could handle. Most of the other humans seemed to have what they called unicorn companions, who were willing to carry them if needed but she had none. She was not out of shape but she was used to driving where she needed to go, although the prospect of riding for several hours probably would leave her hobbling too. Seemed this was a loose loose situation. Sighing she rolled over and quickly dressed into her new attire and exited the tent. She looked around and saw that many of the tents had been broken down so she began to break her’s down as well. She used to camp with her family so she had a rough idea of how this was done, although she was sure it did not look quite right. It would do though, and with that she wandered over to the fire to investigate what it was they were going to be fed this morning.
Gypsy and Lilaini had spent much of the night before off together in deep discussion. All the others had been sleeping when the Guardian had finally returned to her tent to get some rest. Gypsy on the other hand had went off by herself and had not yet reappeared. Lilaini could feel her companion’s mind and she was not far off, but just wanting to be alone it seemed. Wandering kept her busy. Many of the group were up and moving and everything seemed to be getting into motion. Rhaine was almost upon them now after returning from the creek and the Guardian sent out a thought to her and to Tyden. Come, we must talk before we set off, and she walked some distance from the group so that the others would not overhear. Tyden had been inspecting a piece of meat by the fire, but caught the tone and followed. Rhaine diverted her direction and quickly joined the other two. Lilaini relayed all of what Gypsy had told her the night before. About the dragon’s that were supposedly in Kalidore, and Ulysses’ idea to destroy all of the gates. “Gypsy feels this is a bad idea, because the gates have been around since the dawn of time. Certainly they are there for a purpose,” the Guardian continued in a hushed voice. “She said he made mention of Al’therwen, and thinks this is likely the point of entry for the dragons. This needs to be looked into further, and we are unsure of what Ulysses planned on doing up there but it seems wise for us to arrive before he does.” She concluded, and looked back and forth between the two, worry being projected out from her emerald eyes.
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Post by Lady Whimsy on Feb 3, 2010 20:08:00 GMT -5
Tyden, his mind still mostly on still-sizzling meat Bryn was divvying up by the fire, shrugged at Lilaini's concern. "I hardly think Ulysses could destroy all the gates if he wanted to; where would a unicorn get that kind of magic? It's not their way."
Rhaine's eyes had clouded, deep in thought. "There were time in Kalidore when magic was more prevalent then it is now. Al'therwen is the ruins of an Elven stronghold - only stories remain of what once flourished there, and even those are damaged by time and incomplete. Including the location of the ruins; lucky then, that I brought the map?" she looked pointedly at Tyden, but he likely didn't notice. "I will fetch it."
As she scampered away, Tyden (who had noticed but was still firm in his opinion of the map in question) returned his attention more fully to the other guardian. "The next question that comes to mind; what exactly would you have us do when we get there?"
Rhaine dumped out her satchel a second time. She'd also overturned the packs she'd stacked neatly this morning, and even went so far as to poke at Lilaini's. Unsympathetic to her frantic searching, the satchel yielded nothing this time around either. Rhaine stopped in mid scoop, brows knitted and tracing the day's past events through her mind. I had it with me in the valley, when Lilaini and I rested beside the yaks. It was in my hand. And I put it back into my satchel, I did, for then there was the stampede... She dumped the satchel a third time, worried fingers probing the loose buckle that even now came undone too easily in her hands. Heat prickled her cheeks as she rummaged again, but eventually, even she had to conclude that the ruins map really wasn't there.
Her face was pale as made her way back to the others. "I... I seem to have misplaced the map," she said quietly. The Daiga's words, Muse's careful guidance, and the net of carefully laid-out plans came jumbling undone before her. She couldn't bare to look at them, and her eyes wandered across the camp, seeking out other plausible sacks and supply packs she could rummage through, even though it wouldn't help. But at least it would keep her busy...
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Leopardstar
New Member
Leaping, dancing, unicorn stalking.
Posts: 40
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Post by Leopardstar on Feb 6, 2010 13:25:27 GMT -5
Iole never saw Sapata coming, she was much too busy staring at the suddenly active campsite with narrowed eyes. And when the girl did notice, it was much too late to start off normally, it was easy to see the Indian maiden was not in the best of moods the way she almost trampled into her. "Oh," she began in the midst of confusion. "It's quite alright! I often am lost in my own thoughts myself and forget to watch just where I'm going." She also shared in the puzzlement of figuring out what to do and unconsciously began to twirl a strand of hair with her hands. It kept them busy, that was for sure.
The young woman faced the other and shrugged. "I'm afraid, I have not a clue..." It was admitted with only a hint of reluctance. "Breakfast?" she suggested as she licked her lips. The little piece of gum thrust away most hunger but it could never stop it entirely and there was nothing like a full meal of sausage, egg, toast, and a cup of hot cocoa. Mmmmmmm....her eyes closed in pleasure at just the thought of it! "....We could ask one of the guardians." At that thought her gaze switched to Rhaine and Lilaini, wherever they happen to be.
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Post by Admin on Feb 6, 2010 13:53:31 GMT -5
Lilaini did not like Tyden’s tone one bit. Her eyes flashed as she turned to glare at him. In truth, she did not know exactly what they had to do when they got to Al’therwen but she felt compelled as her companion did to go there. If Ulysses had returned to Kalidore because of this threat, then certainly it warranted to at least be investigated. And if he managed to slip away from his brother and did go to attempt destroying the gates, certainly they should be there to try and stop him?
“Well,” she said in calm annoyance, “Rhaine and I have not been training all this time for nothing, but perhaps you will be able to chase Ulysses away from the gate with your sword while Rhaine and I use our Kal given gifts to kep the gate safe, since you utterly lack any other magical means of being of assistance to us.” She snapped her gaze away from him as Rhaine approached. The Guardian quickly noticed the perplexed look on her friend’s face and saw that she was not holding the map. Lilaini kept her face blank despite the uncertainty she felt. With no map, how were they sure to know in which direction they should be heading? Al’therwen was not normally a spot that was much travelled nowadays, perhaps Gypsy would remember the way....her mind drifted with these thoughts, before her companion’s mind touched her own. She was still a moment and then turned to the others.
“Well, sitting here will do us no good. You and I looked at that map just yesterday, I think we have a general direction to go with. So let’s get everyone moving.” She touched Rhaine’s arm to let her know that is was not her fault the map was gone and to not fret. They would make do without it. She hoped. And with that she strode away from the others to finish breaking down camp. When she neared the fire she spoke to those nearby. “We are setting off as soon as everyone is done having something to eat, so please get everything gathered together and ready to go once you have finished.”
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Post by pinkmoonbeam on Feb 7, 2010 4:02:31 GMT -5
Sapata nodded to Iole. "Something to eat would be nice..." She turned her head as the Guardian spoke. "Ah, it seems we will be heading onward soon.... do you have any idea exactly where it is we are going? I'm afraid I just joined up with the group, and made the mistake of not finding out more. I don't suppose it matters much though; where else would I go? I certainly don't know how to get home from here, and my time alone in Kalidore was a bit of a mess." She paused, and looked towards the firepit thoughtfully. "It looks like there maybe a meal going... I think I'll get some food, and then come back to take down my tent. I don't really have anything to pack up, as I lost it all shortly after getting here."
With that she took off towards the center of camp, only pausing to look back over her shoulder and ask Iole, "Coming?"
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