The Fight for Valeroma IC

[Bitterblue]

[Fieldbox= Vivian, green] [dash=purple]
Vivian stiffened at Tysin's laughter. Was what she said funny? That wasn't her intention. Nonetheless, her anger was kindled even further and she was about to lose control. She could feel her dragon trying to escape and tear this large bloke to pieces. "I don't need to hear my own words, Tysin. Hasn't there been enough death already? Look at all the death this monster already created. Do you seriously think we should add more to that number? Think of it, Tysin. Those men could have had families...and this could have been the only way they could have provided for them. Yes, I think they were wrong, yes, I know defending ourselves was necessary. But what if it were you? What if you had a family, and you had no way to support them? What would you do if you saw your children starving? I know it's hard to imagine seeing that we're elves and our community isn't one to let a family starve. But humans do. Humans don't care about each other as a species. At least in the most part. I'm not as upset with you all for doing what comes natural as I am with the thoughtlessness of it all."

Vivian turned away and continued her work of gathering the bodies of the slain into a pile so they could be burnt. They would at least be given a proper sendoff. She listened as Kolmar started giving orders. Good. She would rather take orders from him, then from the brute who opened a big wound she had been working on closing again.

"My heart is heavy for your loss, Vivian," Vivian stiffened. She had definitely slipped when she had told them about her father. She had meant to keep that to herself. She honestly hadn't lost anyone before, and she did what came naturally: She bottled everything up. She was planning on a sarcastic response but was cut off when Kolmar started talking again. "Grief has awakened much anger in you, fair maiden, and it lashes at its nearest outlet. When we have reached relative safety, please take the time you need to mourn fully. Now is not the time, but you must grieve. Otherwise... otherwise your anger may consume you. Promise me you will do this?"

Vivian stood at her full height, maybe a head taller than Kolmar, and turned to face him. "Kolmar, I appreciate your concern, really, I do. But grief is the least of my worries right now. I slipped. We need to focus on the task at hand. Stopping this monster that we were apparently chosen to stop." Vivian stopped and took a few deep breaths before she continued. She was still fuming, but she was getting better at controlling it. "But yes, I will take time to grieve, when everything is over. Let's just focus on our job." Little did Kolmar know, she had to tell her family when they reached home. She would take some time to grieve, but keep the majority of her emotions in check. She had to have a clear head to fight. She had to be in a state of mind where she could focus. She took a final deep breath and the rest of her anger faded...for now. A large growl of her stomach interrupted her contemplation. She fought back a smile, and met Kolmar's eyes. "Maybe we should take some time to replenish. I'll go hunt, bring back some fresh game. Shouldn't take me long. Seeing I am a dragon." Vivian let a twinkle in her eye to show Kolmar she was only joking. She had no need to hunt in dragon form...yet.

She turned and drew her bow from her back and knocked an arrow before quietly entering the forest around them, listening to sounds surrounding her. The men had left quite a mess in their retreat, but the birds had already picked up again. She breathed in deeply, her heightened sense of smell taking everything in. Goodness how she missed this. [/dash][/Fieldbox]

 

[Warenai hana]

"I don't think it's as bad as it looks, but you can take a look and see." "I'll take a look then." Her voice was more of a strained whisper as she knelt down and rested her hand upon his wound. After taking a deep breath in attempt to calm her nerves she started using her magic to assess the damage. Niklaus was right, it wasn't as bad as it looked, the torn clothing and wet blood was misleading. This would be an easy task. She took another couple seconds to reassess his wound, as a precaution, before her hand began to glow, then an aura started to form before flowing into Niklaus's wound.

A snarl broke her concentration. She was still a little edgy from the battle and the snarl through her off her game. She quickly got a hold of herself and continued healing. A quick glance up told her Niklaus hadn't noticed her stopping instead, at the moment, the entirety of his attention was directed at the argument between Tysin and Vivian. As she healed she noticed his skin suddenly started to harden and his body temperature was rising at a rapid rate. In response to the unknown and unnatural phenomenon Valaina quickly removed her hand. She looked up to see Niklaus standing with a rather serious look on his face, completely spellbound by the heated exchange.

Valaina was ready to flee, finding that it would be safer somewhere else but before she could move she remembered how important Colleen said trust would be. Every fiber in her body was telling her to run for cover, but she gathered up what little courage she had and replaced her hand on Niklaus's leg. Once again she started to assess his condition. His body temperature was continually rising and his skin was only getting harder. She was beginning to think it would be wiser for her to back away but Niklaus seemed to be regaining control. His body temperature was on a steady decline and his skin was returning to normal. Valaina sighed and began healing once again.

This time she wasn't interrupted and before long she finished up leaving no trace of the wound. "I finished." She mumbled as she returned to standing. Valaina immediately turned and walked over to Kolmar, whom she was the most comfortable around.

 

[Kelairn]

Niklaus

The tension from the recent fight and confrontation still lingered in the air. Nik started slightly when Valaina stood close to him. The conflict before them had so absorbed his thoughts that any consciousness of her healing touch was swallowed up in the heat of the moment. Before he had a chance to utter his thanks, she had already turned away towards the dwarf. Silently he cursed his lack of control. How could he hope to improve her impression of him if he completely ignored her when she was right beside him? He looked around, grabbed what remained of the orc he had dismembered and dragged it over to the three already by Kolmar.

He prepared to shift so he could burn the bodies, but after all the attention that their dragon forms had already caused, he paused to ask; "You think I should shift and burn these like Vivian suggested?"

Kolmar grunted, his critical eye obviously trained on the back of the slinking elf. After a long moment, he finally answered Nik's question. "I don't see why not. They already know where we are and our numbers. But do it quickly. Time is of the essence."

"You'll want to stand back, I think the flames are pretty hot."

Self consciously shuffling his feet, he glanced around. Come on, shift already. Normally his body wanted to take dragon form and he had to choose to be human. Why this strange reluctance to shift all of a sudden? They needed to burn these bodies and move on. "Umm... give me a minute, I'll be right back" He stepped over to the trees to collect himself, and finally managed to shift. Phew. What was that about? he pondered as he returned to the pile and let out a focused blast of searing flames, incinerating the bodies almost instantly.

 

[Warenai hana]

Colleen

Colleen wasn't having any luck finding the horses. She even whistled to call her own but he didn't show up. Never the less Colleen kept searching. Without a horse she doubted she would be able to keep up with the rest of the group, and there was no way she was willing to slow everyone else down. "Fweee-" She whistled again and finally her horse responded and galloped up to her. "You had me worried for a second." She mumbled as she ran her hand over the sides of his muzzle, "Now, where's Valaina's horse?" If hers was around here than Valaina's shouldn't be too far off. Colleen continued to search the woods for a good couple of minutes before she spotted Valaina's horse whose lead was tangled in the brush. With a quick detangling Colleen got him free before returning to the others with both horses following close behind.

By the time Colleen made it back the bodies had already been burned. "Almost ready to go?" She asked as she came into the clearing and tied up the horses however Colleen had already gotten her answer by the time she turned around, Vivian was missing. "Where did Vivian go off too?"

 

[Lady Alainn]

[dash=grey]

Perhaps he should have said something to Vivian, rather than let her go off without more than frustrated sigh. But would a word have changed the outcome of her feelings, her understanding, or her actions? No. She firmly felt that she alone felt responsible for keeping this strange group of people together and accomplishing the inconceivable goal set before them. So Kolmar kept his convictions to himself and watched Vivian go.

At least the others were still around and Colleen had managed to find both horses. Nik was healed and the bodies had been burned. There was nothing else for them to do but wait for the she-dragon to return from her hunt. The dwarf had no idea just how long she was planning to take, either. Had she wandered off just to spite him for being so anxious to go? If so, there was no telling what length of time she would constitute as a just punishment. But why would Vivian place all of their lives in jeopardy for a long hunt to prove a shallow point to him? Kolmar could not think that lowly of her.

His brow furrowed in annoyance and only deepened upon Colleen's question.

"Hunting," he grunted in response. "Here we stand in the aftermath of a skirmish like ducks on open water and she decides to hunt. I do not like the looks of the clouds overhead, nor the feel of this place. If Vivian does not return by the time the saddlebags are checked and the horses are ready, we should move on without her. She can easily track such a cumbersome party to catch up and I feel more and more watchful eyes upon us the longer we stand here idly."

He turned to Tysin. "How much food do you have left in your pack? Will it last for another couple hours of hard travel?"

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[Bitterblue]

[Fieldbox=Vivian, green] [dash=purple]
Viv knew the others probably wouldn't approve of her taking off just now, heck she knew it was probably foolish. The bandits could be getting reinforcements to take them own, but she just couldn't take it anymore. She needed just a few private moments to herself to regain her composure. Mindlessly, she shot down three or four small animals, mainly rabbits. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she collected them quickly, and cleaned and gutted them. She hadn't truly accepted the fact that this monster was real, until she saw him taking down the most majestic and looked up to race in the world. She tried to get her emotions in check, as her hands had started to shake. Dang nerves were freaking out again.

She didn't know how to cope with the death of a loved one, but she needed to put it behind her for now. She had to focus on getting this group to her house, safely. Determined to not let her nerves show to the others, she took a few minutes to calm herself, then went on to string the meat through her pack, and started the five minute walk back to the others. As she walked, she slowly stored her feelings down, and thought about how she had reacted to being challenged. She hadn't responded well...that has always been a weak spot: responding in anger.

She broke through the edge of the forest quickly to notice them getting ready to leave. She hung back, glad to let Kolmar take the lead for now. Her stomach growled loudly again, smelling the meat on her back drove her crazy, but she had wasted enough time. She jogged to catch up to them, and walked besides Nik, her face a mask of calmness and neutrality, she would face this task with dignity, and would learn from her mistakes. Her stomach growled again, but that would wait until home. She nodded at Nik, and jogged to catch up with Kolmar and Tysin, knowing they would be the most skeptical of her. "I realize now that I shouldn't have taken off like that…and I offer my sincere apologies. The day has definitely taken its toll." She left it at that as she walked on, leading the way home. They had several more miles to go before they could rest, and she was determined not to make another mistake.[/dash][/Fieldbox]

 

[Kelairn]

​

It had been a long time since Tysin had traveled as part of a group. The past 24 hours only emphasized why he usually preferred to travel alone. Stepping back, his gaze wandered over the other members of their party as they dealt with the fallen brigands.

What a foolish lot we are. He thought to himself with a half-smile. Barely have we known each other four and twenty hours, and already we quibble and dicker like household servants.

His gaze intensified, searching the skirmish grounds and replaying the combat in his mind. Fixing in his memory the threads of movement he witnessed and the aftermath strewn around him, he gradually wove the threads together, sorting and shifting his perceptions until all the pieces fit together into a cohesive whole, detailing movements, methods and techniques, reflexive actions and deliberations. His subconscious added information to his mental database on each of his companions that could prove useful in future battles.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The question is not if the world will ever again be balanced, but where will the balance lie? Tysin's contemplations turned to Vivian's revelation of her father's death, and what they had all learned of Vaeros. Vivian is trying to find a new balancing point, we all are, and none of us will be fully predictable until we find it. Changes of this magnitude have the potential to alter who we are at the core. We need to get to that 'safe' training area Vivian spoke of, and quickly. The training will help remind us of who we are, and how we fit into this puzzle of a team. Until then, perhaps it's better to let actions speak louder than words.

Upon reaching this conclusion, Tysin reached into his satchel. Drawing out a packet with some of the dried meat and nuts he had distributed earlier, he strode over to Kolmar, anticipating his question.

"How much food do you have left in your pack? Will it last for another couple hours of hard travel?"

"I have enough to keep us going for another day or two if need be." Tysin replied. Tucking the packet of food neatly into Kolmar's beard, he gave a quick, satisfied nod, then turned the direction they had been travelling before Kolmar had nearly bowled him over, lengthened his stride, and was soon back up to travelling speed.

 

[Warenai hana]

Valaina stopped a few feet away from Kolmar, for a moment or so she only stared at the tall dwarf. Now that she had no tasks to apply herself to (or distract herself with) she was starting to feel the after effects of the battle. Truthfully, considering her lack of actual combat experience, she seemed to be handling herself quite well. Then again she was used to seeing wounded and even deceased, such was the life of a healer. She took a deep breath before finally turning to the pile just as Niklaus laid the last body down. Niklaus and Kolmar spoke briefly to one another but the words didn't seem to even reach Valaina's ears.


The young elf bowed her head as Niklaus backed away and she recited a payer under her breath asking that the spirits of the men be guided. Just as her hushed and nonrhythmic prayer had escaped her lips a burst of orange brightened her face and the bodies nearly instantly vanished. Valaina hadn't been standing too close, but even still she could feel the ferocity of the flames. She couldn't help but touch her arms almost expecting to find a burn. Her mind was both racing and silent, and to her displeasure she couldn't shake the feeling. "May your souls find peace." She mumbled the end of her prayer more-so to herself than anyone else. With a third deep breath she could feel herself calming down, her mind started the process of returning to a peaceful state, or at least as peaceful as it normally was. Perhaps the battle took more of a toll on her than she had thought, but according to the veteran soldier's that she had treated over the years it would get easier, honestly she wasn't sure herself whether that was a good thing or not.


When Valaina brought herself back to reality she noticed Colleen had returned with the horses and Tyson was handing Kolmar what she assumed to be food. "We're heading out." She instructed herself. After a quick check of her saddle bag for the scroll she mounted her horse and with a quick kick of her heals she was up to speed following a dozen or so paces behind Tyson.

 

[Kelairn]

Niklaus

Nik could smell the unease of the horses as Colleen approached the edge of the trees. It was only natural that they would fear him. After all, either one of them would have made a very satisfying meal right about then if it weren't for all the trappings that invariably accompanied a horse which stood ready for its rider. A slight rumble escaped through his jaws at the thought. No wonder Vivian had left to go hunting. Nik pivoted one large, glassy eye to focus on the dwarf. If not for the already obvious displeasure Kolmar expressed at Vivian's departure, he might have gone hunting himself before the temptation to nibble on the horses grew any stronger.

Suppressing the thought, he mentally prepared to travel again. Wouldn't it be great if I could learn to communicate by thought the way Vivian does! I would almost never need to shift back to human form, except when… his thoughts were interrupted by a stray leaf that drifted by on the breeze. That was more what he was used to. Drifting on the breeze, taking whatever life tossed his way with a grin and a surety that things were looking up. It could never be that hard for a dragon who could always disappear among the humans whenever it suited him. At least, that was what he used to think before Vaeros showed up. Now, he wasn't sure where he fit in, but it sure wasn't here.

Tysin's movement drew his attention back towards his travel mates. That elf never seemed to do anything that didn't draw attention and prod other people. Nik watched as Tysin left the group to resume traveling. I guess he doesn't care if we travel together or not. Seeing Valaina pass by on her horse, Nik resolved that he would at least stick this through long enough to see if he could find out more about her. She seemed very nice, in her timid way. Swinging his bulk into line, he lumbered after them. Flying would be so much easier, but they had already been scolded for revealing themselves, and he wasn't about to expose himself against the sky again so soon without being directed to do so.

An unexpected movement beside him stole his attention. When had Vivian returned from hunting? Nik wasn't sure, but he was glad that they would at least be traveling together and not leaving any of their number behind.

 

[Lady Alainn]

[dash=grey]

Kolmar did not know whether to be offended or merely shocked as Tysin pocketed the parcel into his beard. It wasn't the action itself that had him startled-- for such was a common enough practice amongst dwarves-- but rather who was doing it. How could the monk have the audacity to pull such a maneuver so effortlessly! But ah! The tattoo. Tysin had trained with the Pounding Wind and more than enough dwarves had found their way into that order over the years. Kolmar could forgive him for acting too dwarvish, especially since it was in the service of giving him food. The dwarf wiped his dirty hands on his leg guards before carefully removing the pouch from his beard and eagerly opening it. Inside were a few strips of jerky.

His stomach growled loudly.

Between his long run the day before, the pitiful sleep after, and the harder jaunt this morning to keep up with the long, loping strides of the elf, his reserves were pretty much tapped. The skirmish had drained what little stamina remained and not even the savoury jerky could restore his strength that quickly. Blasted elf, showing off like that. If only their run hadn't been interrupted [which had been the elf's fault as well!] Kolmar might have actually made the long trek to Vivian's house without admitting need of a saddle or stout dragon claw. As it was, weariness seeped into the depths of his bones and because he was now aware of it he could not overlook his exhaustion.

Kolmar stuffed the last bit of jerky into his mouth and licked his fingers. Tysin was long gone, the lanky, practically bald figure a mere shadow against the horizon, and Valaina had dutifully taken off after him on her pony. Vivian's apology still rang in his ears as his eye swept over her form next. She'd not stayed long enough for him to respond and that was probably for the best. They both needed time to cool down and think things through so their next encounter could be much more civilized. Not that their words had been anywhere close to barbaric compared to the tension between she-dragon and monk.

Beside him Nik started moving. Kolmar felt this rather than saw it, for the sweeping expanse of dragon tail knocked him cleanly off his feet. Thankfully, Ikspar had been properly stowed away already and his hands were free to grab onto the spike at the base of the tail to keep himself upright. Underneath him the tawny muscles rolled with each heavy step, seemingly oblivious to the hairy bump on his back. Kolmar was about to jump down again when a thought occurred to him, eliciting a grin. Eh, why not? If Nik hadn't bothered shaking him off by now he must not mind terribly. The dwarf latched his arms more firmly around the tail and laid his head against the rough scales. Now he only need focus on not falling asleep to the lulling motion of the tail!

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[Lady Alainn]

Bump, bump, bump, bang, bop, thump, oomph!

Nym rubbed her backside and grimaced, her upper lip scrunching into her nose's territory so much they almost meshed together. Apparently, being safe and sound in the spirit world did not necessarily mean she was free from Valaina's saddlebag. Her body, or essence or whatever, still bounced along with the jostling stride of the pony as it fled through the forest away from the attacking ruffians. Confounded scroll and these pseudo-magic trick thingies! It was one thing to actually be in a saddlebag and bouncing along. It was quite another to feel like she was in a saddlebag while sitting tranquilly on a rock.

The other thing that bothered her-- though not quite as much as the bruiseless bruising-- was the fact that she couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched. Or at least that someone was looking over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. Nym sat up a little straighter over the reflection pool beneath her and cast an eye about suspiciously. None of the other spirits were paying her any mind and she highly, highly doubted Vaeros knew enough or had enough power to be tapping into her scroll's magic. She'd have to check up on him next, though, just to be sure. But not before she felt fairly certain her Chosen Ones were in a safe place. This little fist-fight they'd gotten themselves into was just not pretty!

She visibly winced as the dwarf's obnoxiously large hammer plummeted into his attacker's chest. Talk about getting the breath knocked out! There was the shaky little leaf floating in the air above everything. Good, good. If she wasn't going to be any help at least the elf wasn't a hindrance! She did have a head on her shoulders. Then the crazy monk was just... what the heck was he doing? Some kind of hanky-panky dance to turn the tide of battle? Nym frowned and scratched her head. She didn't remember the monks having any battle gods that required such absurd movements. Up, down, side to side, whirl around, like a drunken jig. Hmmph.

Oh! Now THAT was cool! Hazel eyes snapped to the human girl by the dwarf and widened as the sea-farer snatched an arrow out of mid-air and shot another clean out of the sky with it. Huh. Her bottom lip tucked up under her teeth and puckered her brow as a thought nagged its way through. Archery wasn't a strong-point of someone who slept on a ship, was it? Wouldn't they be more piratey with those beautiful rapiers or a nasty looking cutlass or---

DRAGONS!!!

The field was now filled with dragons! When did that happen? Okay, there were only two, but still! They looked huge compared to everyone else. Apparently the brigands thought so, too, because they ran away screaming. What was left of them anyway. Good. Everyone was safe.

Nym sank back on her perch, arms stretched out behind her with most of her weight leaning back on her palms. Whew! That was intense. And slightly troubling. Both dragon shifters had shifted, but wasn't the human she picked a shifter, too? A... what... what was it... She wracked her brain for a moment. Ah! A skunk weasel. That's what it was, wasn't it? So why didn't she show off like the others? Being a shifter herself, Nym knew her instinct in a battle like that would have been to shrink into her beautiful foxy coat and latch onto the first enemy leg she came to, teeth barred. Never ever underestimate the power of a well-placed bite!

The fox-girl sank further back on the rock until she laid down completely and tucked her arms under her head. The pool beneath rippled in apparent agitation at working without someone bothering to watch.

"You can stop for now," Nym told it with a lazy wave of her hand. "Wake me when they get to wherever they're going, okay?" The waters murmured something in agreement. Her lashes fluttered closed and images of her Chosen Ones began to play on the backs of her eyelids. The elf-dragon, the human-dragon, the dwarf, the elf, the monk, and the... the... human-shifter. She couldn't for the life of her remember their names, but their faces were easy enough to put together with what strengths she remembered about them.

What an odd concoction they all made: brawn, brain, reflexes, precision. Somehow they all fit together, though, and that's what truly had Nym baffled. It certainly wasn't anything she'd done! Maybe this prophecy thing would work out after all, in spite of who was leading it.

The dwarf had obviously seen many battles. His form and quick decision-making in the midst of the heat suggested he knew his way around the battlefield and could distinguish weaknesses in his opponents. He knew how to work within the flow of battle and turn the tide in his advantage. He liked working in a team, as was evidenced in his fancy maneuvers which required dwarf and human to watch each others' backs and understand each other. He trusted. He directed. He had an unshakable faith in himself.

Then there was the elf-dragon. She had also taken the brunt in that foray, drawing some of the attackers away from the group. She must have a need to protect those in her care. That and stubbornness. She was unwilling to give up her ground even when forced into a position she didn't like. She had heart and a fierce determination which sparked in her eye. While her thrusts and parries weren't as second-nature to her as the dwarf's were, each blow had been matched and deflected with a fighter's natural instinct. She had guts and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

Unlike the human-dragon. He didn't seem to have very many opinions, just floating along with whatever came his way. He struck Nym as somebody who looked after himself first. If it didn't suit him, he didn't do it. Obviously he wasn't very skilled as a human. As a dragon, that kind of attitude made sense-- to keep to himself. He fought only to keep the brigands from bothering him, Nym was certain of it. So what was keeping him as part of the Chosens? Was it curiosity? A longing to be something more than a dragon vagabond? A crush on one of the females? That thought made her giggle. In truth, she didn't know much about him. He was so... bland compared to the others. She would have to keep a better eye on him.

Now the female elf's face flashed before her. Ah, the timid one who quivered at the slightest hint of something outside her comfort-zone. And there must be a ton of things outside of it! She was extremely shy and had no faith in herself at all. A complete opposite to the dwarf's booming personality. But she could think quickly and act upon them at the drop of a hat. She may not trust her abilities while she was thinking about them, but when it came down to instinct there was nothing but trust. She just needed to know she already had the courage she needed. Silly little dear.

Silly like that monk! Nym didn't know what to think of him. He was so quirky, so outside of the box, so distinct. She'd never met an individual like him before and probably never would again. He didn't lift a finger-- just both clown feet!-- to help in the battle, but Nym couldn't help the nagging suspicion he'd been instrumental somehow. He took things seriously and yet next thing was treating it like a joke. He was, for lack of a better term, an oxymoron. Plain and simple. She wouldn't waste any more time thinking about someone she couldn't even begin to understand.

And that left the skunk mole girl. The archer. But wasn't the elf-dragon the one with a bow? Why were there two archers? She seemed very cut-and dry, a methodical thinker. Everything was calculated and executed by specific form, not by instinct. Even when she'd snatched the arrow out of mid-air and re-aimed it Nym could see the gears turning and clicking in her head as she did the math. There wasn't the adaptability and inventiveness Nym was hoping for.

Why did something feel off about her? Before Nym could think up any answers, sleep came to claim her with a couple hearty snores.

---

The fox-girl awoke to the sound of water sloshing against the rock from the pool below and an exceptionally uncomfortable jolt from the saddlebag as the horse's gait changed. She sat up quickly and rubbed the crusties from her eyes with her fists.

"I'm up, I'm up!" she snapped as her foot was suddenly drenched with one last urgent splash. Crawling forward onto her stomach, Nym leaned over the boulder to see what had the pool so excited. In the far distance of the reflection she could just make out a cottage of some sort.

Bump, bump, bump, bump, thump!

They'd picked up pace since she'd fallen asleep. This must be where they were headed! Wouldn't it be fun to surprise them there? Nym looked over her shoulder and squinted at the sun lowering in the sky. It was almost gloaming. Good! By the time her scroll in the saddlebag was close enough to the house for her to materialize there, the sun would be weak enough not to mess with her magic.

Hopping to her feet, the fox-girl dismissed the mirror pool and busied herself with incantations for materializing. She needed so much more practice with these rituals!

---

Just as the sun began its descent under the horizon, the weary travellers halted before Vivian's house. Leaning against the wall with arms crossed casually over her chest was the flaming-haired maid from the Grove that morning. A big grin spread across her lips at their approach.

"Hello there! Did you have a pleasant journey?"

 

[Bitterblue]

[dash=green]

Vivian led the group over the final rise in this first small leg of their very long journey and heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of home. Well, at least the home of her childhood. Unbidden memories started to flow before her eyes; the time when she first shifted, and the joy that her father had shown. Her mothers cooking. The food fight that often erupted between her, Emma and their mother whenever the three of them were trying to cook at the same time. Vivian allowed herself a small smile at the memory. She looked wearily around at her traveling companions, raising her eyebrows at seeing Kolmar riding along on Niklaus' tail. She had not expected that. Tysin seemed confident and arrogant as always, but that might just be his typical resting self, she had no clue. She briefly met Vala's eyes, and winked at her with a small smile. Colleen seemed...closed. She looked like she was lost in her own thoughts. Nik was content with being a dragon it seemed, as he hadn't changed back to human much since the skirmish a few hours ago, but he seemed friendly enough. Yanking herself out of her observations, she looked towards the decent sized cottage ahead.

Inhaling deeply, Viv's stomach growled loudly at the smell of her favorite stew emanating from the house. She automatically picked up her pace, eager to be home, yet dreading it at the same time. Her stomach churned sharply as she thought about how to tell her mother and sister her father was dead...but pushing it out of her mind for now. At that moment the door of the cottage burst open and a young girl came sprinting out. "VIVIAN!!!!!!!!" Viv laughed at the young girl and knelt to meet her sisters embrace. "Hey dove." Viv held Emma close, unwilling to let go for about a minute, before she stood. "Are you alright Em?" she asked softly in their own language. She was desperate to know if they had been touched by the fire that Vaeros had brought...they were fairly close to the dragons and all. But a word from Em related that they were fine. She smiled, and turned her to the group. "Emma, this is Valaina, Colleen, Niklaus, Kolmar, and Tysin. Guys, this is Emma. My sister." she gestured toward each person as she said their names, and Em's eyes widened at the sight of Kolmar. Viv chuckled, Kolmar was very likely the first dwarf her sister had met.

After introducing Emma to the group, Viv grabbed her hand and led them to enter the house. However, at that moment she noticed a very familiar fiery youngster leaning against the house. Now she shows up? How convenient. she thought.

"Hello there! Did you have a pleasant journey?"

Scoffing, Viv ushered her sister inside so she wouldn't hear the coming conversation. Whirling towards the smiling Nym, Viv frowned. "Well look who decided to show up. It's about time. You tell us to meet somewhere in the middle of freaking nowhere, tell us we have to beat an unbeatable monster, and then just poof! You disappear. I for one have several questions, if you're going to bother sticking around to answer any of them, let me know." She stopped talking as her anger and frustration had a tendency to make her say more than she meant...she'd really need to learn to control that in the future...

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[Mowkie]

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The sounds of land birds filled the hot, dry morning air around the wandering soul as she finally came to rest her eyes upon the grove that had been revealed to her in her strange dream so long ago. Her trek on the land had been long and hard, and the calls of the seabirds were long missed. Yet there was no desire to turn back towards the sea and head home. There was only a desire to move forward – to reach her destination. Who was the voice that lingered in her head? The cooing call of a beautiful woman ever beckoning the sailor away from the spray of the sea.

Stopping just outside of the grove that had been seen in her dreams, Sahvati chuckled to herself, shaking her head as she wiped the sweat from her brow, which was currently uncovered. Her father would get a kick out of such thoughts. His daughter dragged away from her beloved open oceans for a woman. She could almost hear his sarcastic comments in her head at that one. But alas, she did not think that it was in the way he would mention. This was not just about that woman…but about the odd prophecy…and the others in the vision that had been granted to her. More than anything, it had to do with her sheer curiosity.

The grove was silent, and it was quite obvious that no one had been there in quite a while. A few days at the least. Sighing, the sailor took a step forward and looked around. No sooner had she done so that another "dream" took place, stealing her mind from her body as it was shown her next destination.

There crouched a group of seven, surrounded by a dozen others. Shots had been fired. Their figures were in a hostile state, and the tension was so tangible that it could almost be tasted in the air. Words were thrown, and then came the clashing of steel. It was all a blur, a flash of silver hair as the first of the group took the offensive.

The tussle did not last very long, and the others had very little time to react before the flash of silver grew larger, and a dragon was shown with crushing power. Fear filled the sailor as she witnessed this strange transformation. It was a dragon shifter! Yet this one did not give the air of danger that had been shown in the first vision. This one was much more gentle, even as she picked up the figure that had started the mess and seemingly threatened him.

The twelve that surrounded the seven figures ran away as quickly as they had appeared. For a moment, all seemed frozen with shock…and then, everything faded away…

She came out of her stupor slowly, realizing she had fallen to the ground while her mind had been stolen away. The blackness that had risen into her thoughts after the odd dream remained in the sailor's eye for a few moments more, and while this might have scared anyone else, her calculative mind sent her to listen to everything around her and focus on the noise to keep from being harmed in such a vulnerable state. But after a few moments, the darkness faded, and her sight returned to her.

As it did, she rose to her feet slowly and looked around. It would be a while still to make it where she knew to go. How she actually knew which direction to go, she did not know, nor did she care to come to an understanding. Instead, the need to get there as quickly as possible drove her to start walking in the correct direction. For some time, she did this silently, attempting to verify the direction by tracking what footprints she could. Of course, being a woman of the open oceans had its drawbacks, and the ability to track was one such thing.

Still, she somehow managed this way for quite some time. Seconds, minutes, hours…she did not know, nor did she care. All Sahvati knew was that she had come to arrive at such a destination, noticing the surprisingly large prints of dragon feet, something that would be hard even for her to miss. By this point, the sun was gone, and she knew it would be a while still before she caught up with the strange figures that kept showing up in her dreams.

That strange feeling crept up her spine then, and the sailor knew it was time to find shelter as to keep herself from being vulnerable. Quickly, she shifted into the shape that was as well known as her human form, the fuzzy little weasel skittering beneath an old fallen log to feel herself fall into yet another vision…

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[Kelairn]

​

As they drew nearer to their destination for the evening, it became increasingly apparent that these lands were intimately familiar to Vivian. The hills around them grew in height, hinting at the mighty grandeur of the mountains beyond. The trees on their rolling slopes packed themselves tighter and tighter. In some of the valleys the slender spires of spruce and pine stood packed like mighty toothpicks, fighting each other for every drop of sunlight streaming down on them. It would have been nigh impossible for Nik to pass through some of them in dragon form without leaving a clear trail of wreckage, but Vivian continued to lead them swiftly onward, always in more or less the same direction, changing course just enough that there was a way through. The mountains in the distance loomed over the hills, the late afternoon sun still gleaming off the snow that clung to the high peaks, providing a bearing that even the most clueless adventure would be hard pressed to miss.

Cresting one of the many hills, surprise hit Tysin like the sunlight which penetrated the noticeably thinner trees. A large valley opened itself before them, spanning what looked to be just shy of a dozen miles across. The river basin cut a clear path through the length of the valley, its banks obviously much wider during the spring runoff than its current course. Small and mid-sized clearings dotted the secluded plain, looking almost like some giant's attempt at playing hop-scotch. The house, which sat nestled into the trees across the clearing from them, almost disappeared into the forest around it.

"Impressive. I was not expecting to find such a place to pause for the night. We will certainly need to take a few days to spar and test each other here, being careful not to over expose ourselves to the mountains beyond. How many people live here? I don't see the tell-tale wisps of smoke dotting the clearings to indicate fires, so it can't be very many." Tysin would have continued to survey the panorama displayed before him for several minutes had not Vivian quickened her pace at the sight of the house. "What is this place to her?" he pondered. "She obviously isn't trying to hide or make a good impression with this approach. Our ragged band, weary after a skirmish and long day of travel, sweaty and hungry as we are, can't look like much to whoever lives here. I suspect we will learn much about her here. It is probably for the best that, after the loss of one so dear, we come to a place that is familiar to her."

"VIVIAN!!!!!!!!" The cadence of his thoughts hiccupped when, with the shout, a young elf maiden streamed out of the cottage at full sprint. Fortunately he had time to slow more gracefully than when Kolmar had plowed him over, and came to a full stop a respectful distance away, where the heaving of his chest and heaviness of breath would be less noticeable to their hosts.

"Emma, this is Valaina, Colleen, Niklaus, Kolmar, and Tysin. Guys, this is Emma. My sister."

Sister! Then this was home for Vivian. Tysin paused before following Vivian towards the house. "I'll have to watch for a good time for everyone to get out of their hair. Vivian will need time and space to grieve with her family, even if she doesn't think she does. Hopefully I can be subtle about it." He wasn't completely heartless, but he wasn't ready to make that obvious to everyone. They still had a long ways to go before they were ready to face Vaeros, and he didn't fully trust everyone yet.

 

[Lady Alainn]

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Despite the nagging in his muscles that clinging to a constantly swaying dragon tail was not the easiest way to travel, the journey to Vivian's place of safety was not altogether unpleasant. It gave Kolmar plenty of time to think and he liked thinking. Especially when he could think for hours without threat of interruption. He was not exactly within earshot of Colleen or Valaina on their horses unless they raised their voices and Niklaus apparently did not talk in people's heads like Vivian. Or he'd decided ignoring the dwarf hanging on for dear life was a good idea. That left Tysin and Vivian, but after their quarrel earlier in the day it did not seem likely they would risk striking up a conversation again lest they revisit old grievances.

All in all, it was a satisfactory situation for Kolmar in spite of the strain on his arms.

Eventually their pace slowed and Vivian dropped back from her position at the head to allow everyone else the opportunity to catch up to her. They must have arrived! And so it was with great gusto that the dwarf dropped down from the tail and dusted himself off. Legs sore. Check. Arms sore. Check. Core sore. Not quite. The dwarf grinned. He had an exemplary set of abs.

Slowly he worked his arm muscles to relieve the pent up tension. They came to life again with the roaring of a vengeful fire. He flexed his biceps one at a time, glancing back towards the females out of the corner of his eye to see if any of them were watching. But instead of locating potential admirers, his piercing blues settled on the brief exchange between Vivian and Valaina.

The former winked quite a bit for an elf. She'd winked at the spirit lass, then at himself, and now at Valaina, all within 48 hours. Was it a nervous twitch? Or a habit? Or a behaviour often demonstrated between elves? After all, Tysin had winked at Niklaus. Hmm. Considering who her recipients were, he hoped it was not an attempt of being flirtatious. Two females against one male did not have the odds in his favour. His gaze swept after Vivian with a mild curiosity as she moved with a greater haste towards the building they'd come to. It was hard to classify someone as uptight and arrogant when they had a constantly twitching eye. So how should he classify her? If he should classify her at all?

Kolmar did not have time to ponder through this question for his attention momentarily diverted to the mini Vivian bolting out the door of the odd, tree-like building. An elfling child. No more than 100 years of age or so, if he was any judge. Then again he could not fully remember how age and appearance coincided with the elf kind. He seldom dealt with them on his travels. And apparently, the elves here did not have much to do with his kind either for the child gawked at him in the most obvious manner.

"Emma, this is Valaina, Colleen, Niklaus, Kolmar, and Tysin. Guys, this is Emma. My sister."

Sister. Was this then Vivian's home? And with her father recently deceased... his eyes flickered to hers before alighting on Emma once more. The elfling was clearly awestruck by him. His expression softened and his lips parted into a winningly handsome smile within his beard. He leaned forward in a sweeping bow.

"Kolmar, son of Ranthar, of the Longlegs at your service, fairest of elf maidens. It is indeed an honour to meet you." Then before he could move to kiss the young girl's hand, Vivian slipped her hand in instead and whisked the child back into the house. Not to be thwarted in his plans of absolute gallantry, he offered Emma a wink as she turned to look back before the door closed. It was a most unnatural gesture. How did Vivian make it look so effortless?

And on a more important note, how could the elf maiden flip from a pleasant calmness to a fiery ire so quickly? For before them stood the cheeky spirit lass as innocent as a peony. Kolmar had never met an elf with such a noticeable temper before. Surely Vivian's sparks of anger were more befitting a fire dragon than one of the ice? He crossed his newly revived arms over his chest, more determined to play the part of peace-keeper than to jump to one maiden's defense over the other. They'd had enough skirmishing for one day.

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[Warenai hana]

Colleen

Colleen felt Kolmars displeasure gushing out as he explained the situation. Once again all he had was a pile of complaints against Vivian, their self proclaimed leader. Truthfully she was getting tired from this group. The bunch of misfits just went together like oil and water, each having their own fighting style and weapon of choice and just about no one willing to work together, with the exception of Kolmar and herself. It was natural for the dragons shifters to work alone, they had enough power in themselves to take out a squad of soldiers, why should they work with 'weaker' individuals? Tysin, as far as she could tell, didn't even throw a punch in the last fight. He simply awkwardly moved about the battle field avoiding any confrontation, Valaina obviously didn't fight, the timid girl just tossed herself in the air and waited for the scrimmage to be over. Colleen had been spoiled by the soldiers that were constantly at her house. Each one able to work with another, each one highly professional, each one able to fall into formation at the drop of a coin (literally). Colleen was beginning to think this group was hopeless, sure with training they could become a well oiled machine, but how long would that take? She just couldn't seem to understand them.

After checking her saddle bag and tightening her billet strap she leaned forward, resting her head on the side of her horse. This has been quite a long day, her head was throbbing from nonstop thinking and her body was unwilling to once again mount her horse. Never the less Vivian had returned rather suddenly and with only a few passing words she was already heading down the road. Colleen looked up and saw the seemingly disoriented Valaina mounting her horse, if she didn't do the same she was sure she would be left behind.

It wasn't long until Vivian lead them off the well beaten path into a forest. As they continued to progress the tree's got thicker and thicker to the point where Colleen questioned whether Niklaus would be able to make it through the forest in his dragon form without flying, but just as her worries peaked they made it to a clearing. At the center was a strange tree structure. It simply looked like a handful of tree's unnaturally weaved together to make a rather odd structure. At the very least it would look natural from the sky, anyone flying over would just see a small tree grove.

Unfortunately Colleens appraisal was cut short by a high pitched squeal, which didn't help her throbbing head. A young Elf came dashing out of the tree's with a great big smile plastered onto her face and immediately Colleen knew where they were. Vivian's house. If she wasn't mistaken Vivian had some sort of plant magic so it wouldn't be hard for her to create such a strange structure, then there was the fact that the eleven girl, whom resembled Vivian, excitedly ran out to great her. There was no question that the two were close to each other.

Colleen dismounted and grabbed the reigns of both the horses. "Valaina, I'll tie up the horse's, not only did you join us on such a long journey but you also used your magic quite a bit, I think it's safe to assume you're tired. Leave this to me." Colleen half nodded at Vivian's introduction before walking away to tie up the horses at, what she assumed was, a hitching post. Truthfully Colleen just wanted to be alone for a little while. She just needed to get away from this group that makes her mind race a million miles an hour.

 

[Kelairn]

Niklaus

Nik didn't often spend much time travelling on the ground when he was in dragon form. It wasn't that walking was difficult or uncomfortable, but flying was simply a much faster, less bothersome alternative. There weren't trees or rocks in the sky to run into or trip over, just the rising, falling, and blowing air currents that carried you where they pleased. Since he rarely had a specific destination in mind, letting the currents choose his path usually suited him fine. He was still being carried by strong currents, but the currents of fate felt less familiar than the winds.

He sensed their destination approaching before he could actually see it. With the wind still blowing from behind them, he couldn't actually discern much, but the area felt… more disturbed? That didn't seem quite right, but even though he couldn't actually identify what changed, his dragon instincts clearly told him they were getting close to a dwelling of some kind. He entered the clearing, but stopped just inside. Vivian was a dragon shifter too, but that didn't make him any more eager to approach as a dragon. Past experience had taught him that people didn't usually welcome fire breathing dragons with great excitement, or rather, there was usually great excitement and no welcome except for pitch forks and fear. The thought that he might have to shift back into his vulnerable human for annoyed him. Today was not going the way he liked, and it was robbing him of his usual cheer, but hey, tomorrow they were going to train! That thought instantly brightened his mood. He had no idea what training looked like, and he was sure that he was far from the best fighter in this group, but the anticipation of getting to test himself, push his limits, and compare his skills to someone else raised his spirits and lent excitement to their arrival just then. That, and the thought of food. Whatever they had cooking in there, he felt hungry enough to eat it all. Hopefully Vivian thought to warn them that we're a hungry bunch. He would have to go hunting after they ate to replenish what he consumed.

With that thought, he settled himself down on the ground to watch the rest of the group and wait for the announcement that it was time to eat. He would shift then, assuming that he didn't have the same trouble he had earlier.

 

[Warenai hana]

The rhythmic ride was just what Valaina needed; a long distance trot was almost therapeutic. As their journey neared its end there wasn't even the slightest hint of panic in her eyes, instead a small sparkle replaced it. As they traveled Valaina was deep in thought, recalling all that had happened to her during the past twenty four or so hours, and only then realizing just how amazing the rest of her companions were. Valaina knew dragon's were leagues apart from the humanoid races, and dragon sifters bridged the gap between the two. However, she did not full understand just how great dragons were, just how heavy their presence was. For the first time Valaina had been in the presence of not only one, but two dragons. While before today she only had empty words and exaggerated tales, now she had actual experience. Valaina was finally able to understand the power of a dragon.

While Valaina's group possessed two dragon shifters, they weren't the only ones that stood out. They had a wise dwarf, who was fierce in battle, yet gentle and kind. They had an archer who could not only catch an arrow, but shoot another arrow right out of the air. Finally they had an elven monk whom is able to run as fast as a horse and (seemingly) had enough food in a raggedy old bag to feed an army. Though she didn't know a lot about her companions, and she was sure they had plenty more strong points than what she could recall, already she couldn't help but feel they shinned brighter than the stars. Somehow, and only the God's would understand it, she had been invited to join this group. During the ride to what she would later learn to be Vivians house, Valaina made a choice. She would do her absolute best to avoid slowing the rest of the group down!

After Valaina confirmed her resolve to continue on her given quest a small house came into view. Over her travels she had seen plenty of houses. Those of the rich, those of the poor, and everything in between, but never in her travels of the human dominated lands, where she dwelt for the entirety of her life, had she ever seen a house as peculiar as this. They continued to move closer and her curiosity grew. Just as she pulled the reigns to slow her horse a young Elvan girl came sprinting out, her eyes focused on Vivian. After realizing they must be related she came to the assumption that this was Vivian's dwelling. Was this a normal everyday Elven home? They were much different from a humans... For the first time in her life, Valaina was surounded primarily by Elves. Vivian, Tyson, Mini Vivian, and perhaps even a few more that had yet to greet them. Excitement grew in her, she felt the energy welling up in her stomach but it wouldn't last. She would have plenty of time to ask questions and learn about her race, for now she needed unpack what she required for the night and attempt to give Vivian some extra space. It would be rude for her to instantly rattle off questions... not that she was confident she could.

"Valaina, I'll tie up the horse's, not only did you join us on such a long journey but you also used your magic quite a bit, I think it's safe to assume you're tired. Leave this to me." "O-oh! Yes, thank you." Valaina immediately dismounted her horse and unstrapped her bag from its saddle before handing Colleen the reigns. "Well look who decided to show up. It's about time. You tell us to meet somewhere in the middle of freaking nowhere, tell us we have to beat an unbeatable monster, and then just poof! You disappear. I for one have several questions, if you're going to bother sticking around to answer any of them, let me know." While she was distracted with Colleen and her saddle bag Nym had suddenly showed up and right off the bat Vivian voices her complaint. Valaina hugged her bag as she listened to the two before suddenly remembering the scroll she was entrusted with. She took a few moments to pull the scroll out of her bag and examine it for damage. After confirming it was still in the same condition as it was when she first received it she started closing in on Nym with her arm outstretched, fully intending to give it back.

 

[Lady Alainn]

Nym's head dipped as her smile turned more into a one-sided smirk. Green eyes sparked with mirth as she regarded the angry elf storming up to her. Annnnnd, cue drama. She should have known... Vladivin... of all people would not be happy to see her. But it wasn't like she could have done anything differently! Not with the sun shining so brightly and cutting off her ties to the magical threads of moon and starlight. Ah well. People didn't need to be happy with her. They needed to listen to her! Though, it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they liked her, too. In fact, it'd be very nice to be liked. And praised. And worshiped. And for generations to come people would flock to the high mountain where they would cast Vaeros off forever and there would be a temple shining in the magnificence of the morning sun. The Temple of Nym. Nym the spirit who descended upon the earth to give invaluable wisdom to the lower beings...

Her feet suddenly hit said earth again as a torrent of heated words barraged her sparkling daydream. Poof! No more temple upon the mountain top. Just a livid, almost purpled elf maid with a really big sword and even bigger tail. When she shifted, that was.

Nym blinked rapidly, digesting each attack like a deer caught in lantern light. Her bottom lip slowly protruded in a pronounced pout. She'd been mighty pleased with herself that she'd been able to show up at all! And for the most part, she did have good answers to the couple of accusations Vladivinin threw at her. The Forgotten Grove had been a completely obvious place to meet-- smack dab in the middle of everything and everyone and nobody around for miles to spy on them! She'd left when she'd had because the sun was getting too strong. There's a reason ghosties tended to come out only at night.

"What, couldn't handle twelve hours without your trusty guide telling you what to do?" She pushed herself off the twisted trunk she'd been leaning against [her body now fully materialized with the sun but a little more than a red sliver on the horizon] and faced... Vadivinvin squarely, hoping she came across as someone who had every movement perfectly rationalized and accounted for. Someone with immense superiority and knowledge. Someone who didn't keep forgetting the names of her own heroes.

"That's what we spirit guides do, you know. We show up, we point, we sputter awkward riddles and we poof at sunrise!"

Before she could begin to say anything else, though, a wad of parchment was thrust into her face. Just like the daydreamed temple, all of her retorts, musings, pouts, and brainy paraphernalia evaporated. Nym frowned and stared at it until she was almost cross-eyed, refusing to budge in accepting it from... oh gosh, what was her name? And why was she handing her a scroll? It looked kind of familiar. She stooped over to sniff it. It smelled familiar. Almost like home... her eyes widened in recognition.

"Oh!"

Her scroll!

Of course.

The darn, bumpy thing.

Nym waved it away. "No, no, no. You keep it. Or one of you if you don't want it anymore. It's how I know where to keep track of you all when I have to leave."

 

[Kelairn]

​

Tysin watched, amusement mixed with a tinge of disappointment, as Vivian turned on the spirit maiden. He couldn't properly distinguish the words from where he stood, but by the look of her countenance and the few words that did reach his ears, they were probably not particularly uplifting. In that moment, Vivian's own words from early that morning as they set out echoed again in his thoughts… I am trying to encourage the others, when all you seem to do is tear them down. So why don't you just shut your fat mouth if you can't say anything that won't discourage the group. The temptation to shove those very words back at her threatened to overwhelm his self-control, but, taking several deep breaths, he managed to contain them. Perhaps it was time to be introduced to the rest of Vivian's family, assuming that's who lived here. The aroma of something cooking wafted across the clearing again, and his stomach immediately settled any question on the matter. It was time to eat. They had not spared much time for food on the way, and the unexpected length of the run had taxed his energy reserves. He hadn't counted on running quite this far when they set out from the grove.

Lifting his right foot to walk over to the house, Tysin suddenly felt his left knee go weak and begin to buckle. Not good! I must have pushed myself harder than I figured. The thought flashed through his head as he put his right foot down to steady himself. Unfortunately, the ground was still sloping away from him, and he stepped more forcefully than planned. His right knee balked at the extra weight being thrust upon the tired muscles, and he felt that leg buckling too. In an attempt to keep his feet, Tysin soon found himself wobbling, half falling, half running down the last of the slope towards the cottage. He only briefly noticed Valaina, scroll extended demandingly in their guide's face before his momentum carried him right past them and into the house. He did manage to slow himself somewhat on the doorway, but still burst inside much more rapidly than he would have preferred. The smell of stew intensified at the same moment he entered the house, but it barely registered as Tysin scanned the room for something, anything that would allow him to stop. The sparse furnishings did not give him many options to choose from, and the space between himself and the wall was diminishing rapidly. Foregoing the possibility of destroying the furnishings, Tysin tucked his head, and fell forward into a roll. He had planned on following through the roll to end up in a sitting position, but by this time his other muscles had joined his legs in full revolt and would have nothing to do with it. So it was that he found himself stretched out, lying flat on his back in the kitchen of a house he had never seen before, aching from head to toe, and in desperate need of some of whatever it was that smelled so absolutely incredible to replenish his depleted strength.