The Sylvan Crown (Peregrine x Greenie)

Peregrine

Waiting for Wit
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
  3. One post per week
  4. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
On fairly regularly, every day. I'll notice a PM almost immediately. Replies come randomly.
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
  2. No Preferences
Genres
High fantasy is my personal favorite, followed closely by modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic, but I can happily play in any genre if the plot is good enough.
A small caravan of five people and three wagon-pulling Oksen, emerged from within the brush and vine covered jungle outskirts, just outside the village of Tranmere. Caliyh had leaves tangled up in her strawberry blonde hair, causing the locks to tangle up around the back of her neck. They’d run out of drysoap several days ago, and she had been looking forwards to trading for more so she could finally clean her hair again. A cart wheel thumped behind them, as the Oks pulling it heaved the thing over a particularly tangled patch of ground, the straps tying it to the cart straining against its thick, rough skin.

It wasn’t just soap that Caliyh was looking forward to trading for. They’d been on basic rations for over a week now, limited to cold food or a fire fueled by dried Oks manure. A proper, cooked meal would be heavenly. She wanted to buy new shoes as well. These boots had gotten chewed up by thorny vines on their latest trip, nearly ripping through the soles at several different spots, and she didn’t trust they’d be able to make it all the way back home without completely disintegrating.

Of course, Caliyh knew full well that new boots shouldn’t be her highest priority. She’d traded away Nevin’s bow and arrows to one of the trees in exchange for safe passage, despite the forester’s objections, and Caliyh knew full well that Kieran wasn’t going to be buying her anything until he’d replaced his brother’s bow. If she was being honest, Caliyh probably wouldn’t, either.

If they were lucky, they’d be able to make enough profit that everyone in the group would be able to get the new items they needed, and they’d have enough to up their trade scale again. At a minimum they needed Nevin’s bow, and her boots, but she knew for a fact that Mikah had been wanting to get a backup dagger for several journeys now, and she was sure Samai would want something as well. If they were really lucky, they might even be able to buy a fourth Oks when they returned to their home village of Squall’s End.

Around another standing of vine and reed, and Tranmere suddenly came into sight, a squat but relatively sprawling village built into the top of a stoney hill. Caliyh started to smile, until she suddenly heard raised voices drifting through the still air. She came to a halt at the unexpected noise, resting a hand lightly on Kieran’s arm to get his attention. Her eyes rapidly scanned the top of the hill and nearby area, checking for anything out of place. Had the trees invaded the village from the other side of the mound? She didn’t see anything that looked like roots, and the houses still seemed intact, but that was no guarantee. She couldn’t see the entire village from here. If the trees had invaded, she was going to have to find a way to negotiate everyone’s safe release. Hopefully everyone was still safe, and they hadn’t arrived too…

“Stay on guard,” Mikah’s voice interrupted Caliyh’s mental monologue, and she started ever so slightly. Mikah didn’t seem to notice her reaction, but he had certainly noticed something was wrong with the village. If he hadn’t, there’s no way his hand would have closed so tightly over the shaft of his bone spear. “But we need to keep moving forward.”

They all sped up slightly, the Oksen complaining at the increased pace. They all slowed involuntarily as the hill grew steeper, and the ground transitioned from brush and grass, to dirt, and finally to hewn stone. As Caliyh got closer, she began to make out more details in the shouting. Rather than scared shouts, they sounded far more angry than anything. Nothing like what she would have expected to hear if the village had been under attack. Countless voices had raised in overlapping bellows, making the words all but indistinguishable. Straining her ears, Caliyh could barely make out a few words. Out. Leave. Not. Don’t. Here.

“Kieran?” she queried. “What do we do?”
 
  • Bucket of Rainbows
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It had been a tiresome journey, that was for sure. Kieran knew they had plenty to be grateful for, but at times it was hard to keep positive and see the pros. What did help him along was knowing everyone in his group looked up to him as their leader. Doubts would often trouble him, but the face he had to show others was of confidence, of knowing what he was doing. Most of the time he did, but as much as his companions relied on him, he just as much relied on them. Caliyh and Nevin had always had his back so he had no doubt they would stick with him to the end. Mikah had always been more Nevin's friend, but his brother trusted him and so Kieran did too. The newest in their group, Samai... well she was harder to figure out, not having known her for too long. However, she had remained loyal so far, and good hand with their Oksen, and most of all kept the wild animals at bay.

It was a fact that without Caliyh, their group would have probably crumbled years ago; he could only hope Samai would prove to be just as invaluable.

He looked at his girlfriend for a moment, appreciation in his eyes before returning his gaze forward. Growing up and even now, he'd often scoffed inwardly when he heard tales of long, long ago, when supposedly humans had been worried about trees dying out. With the opposite showing literally in his face, it was hard to sympathize with those people. Water was scarce and dangers were a plenty. Whatever those people of the past had done, the flora had decided they were the greater ones now. Thank goodness they had someone who could deal with the trees.

A frown came to Kieran's face as he paused as they approached their destination, hearing the raised voices further in the direction that they were headed in. Feeling Caliyh's hand on his arm, he knew she could hear it as well. Nodding at Mikah's words of caution, he turned around and looked to Nevin. His little brother had his hand at his belt, wrapped around the hilt of his short sword. Samai was meanwhile at her place with the Oksen, whispering soothing voices to the three of them.

As they continued up the hill, his frown deepened to the point that he realized he needed to show a calmer demeanor. He took in a deep breath and slowly let out the air, just in time to hear Caliyh's question. Rubbing his hand against his forehead, Kieran thought hard. They didn't want to incite already angered people, they didn't need that sort of trouble in their lives. However, they had travelled long and couldn't just leave without getting something back in return.

"We need to continue forward," he decided after a good moment. "We can't turn back now. However, I don't want to put anyone in unnecessary danger. I'll go ahead, with Caliyh." He looked between Nevin and Mikah before nodding to the latter. "You stay with Samai and the Oksen. Nevin, you come with us. Let's go." With that said, he started forward once more.
 
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Aurelia had made her way to the edge of Tranmere's town square early in the morning, settling into a corner with her back to a stone wall, a thick, embroidered wool blanket spread out under her to protect her clothes from the bare earth. She'd taken the time to carefully bind her hair up this morning, braiding it in the same style as many of the women she'd seen over the past several days. Of course, she doubted that her efforts would actually do anything to change the impression that the villagers had already formed of her.

In a place where every drop of water came at great expense, her dyed leather shirt and embroidered vest marked her as an outsider as surely as the color of her hair. Normally, Aurelia wouldn't have bothered about what these people thought about her. It wasn't as though their opinion of her would have made a difference, and under normal circumstances she wouldn't have been in their village long enough for them to even catch more than a passing glimpse of her, if that.

But, of course, under normal circumstances Relvin would have been standing a few feet behind her back, his very presence a reassurance, not to mention the rare plate armor he wore. She was reluctant to admit, even to herself, that she missed his deep baritone voice, even though she'd reminded him countless times that he was nothing but a guard. He wasn't her confidant. He wasn't...

"What are you doing back here again?" A barking voice snapped Aurelia out of her reverie, and she glanced up in surprise at a muscled woman who was glaring down at her. Aurelia closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm.

"Don't you ignore me!" The woman, however, didn't seem inclined to take silence for an answer. The back of one of her hands slapped against the palm of another. "Didn't we already make it more than clear to you that you aren't welcome here!"

"I'm waiting for the caravan," Aurelia replied, her soft voice sweet to the ear, even with the faint grate of temper that hid in the depths of her tone. "Since none of you want to take this opportunity, I'm waiting for someone with more sense to arrive."

Every word Aurelia uttered seemed to turn the woman's face more red, until now it was flushed almost puce. "You!" the woman yawped indignantly. "Vixen! Witch!"

Aurelia looked away dismissively, prepared to ignore the woman until she went away. "Call me what you wish. It makes no difference."

No, these weren't normal circumstances. Relvin wasn't standing behind her back, to chase away anyone who might infringe upon her dignity. He'd died in the depths of the jungle, holding off the Skoog just long enough for Aurelia to vanish into the jungle, only to haunt her with the echoes of his screams for hours to come. She didn't have a caravan of the finest guards to watch her back, either, or the best foresters to lead her safely through the jungle. Not anymore. Instead she was reduced to sitting in some outskirt village, listening to some housewife hurl abuse at her.

But none of that changed her mission. She was going to have to head back into the jungle before too much longer, and if she didn't have people to guide her anymore, she'd simply have to find new ones. One way, or another.

For several minutes, the woman continued to abuse Aurelia, clearly trying to get a rise out of her. However, Aurelia did not give her the satisfaction, holding true to her promise to ignore everything the other woman said. Gradually, the other woman's temper got the better of her.

"You...!" She scolded again. "You already tried to trick Ansell and his crew, and if Old Gerald hadn't intervened, you probably would have convinced them to go lose their lives in some jungle. But you don't know what's what if you really believe we'll just stand here and let you deceive our caravaners. Just you wait!" With that, she turned and stormed off.

Aurelia relaxed at her disappearance, finally allowing the stiff posture of her shoulders to slump into something more relaxed. She leaned back against the cold wall, unconsciously trailing her fingers across her blanket. If this next group didn't listen to her... didn't take up her offer... Was she really going to have to go out into the jungle on her own?

"Drive her off!"

Aurelia glanced up in surprise at the shout, her eyes abruptly going wide as the housewife reappeared in her vision. But this time she wasn't alone. No, she'd somehow managed to gather a large group of people, all of whom were storming at her angrily. Unconsciously, Aurelia pushed her way to her feet, scooping up her blanket and holding it in front of her chest as though it would act as some sort of shield. Her other hand momentarily dropped down to the dagger at her side, before she removed her hand. As little as she liked it, she couldn't hurt these people. Not if she wanted to earn the goodwill of the caravan that was supposed to be showing up today.

Only a few minutes later, and the mob had surrounded Aurelia, trapping her with her back to the wall. They hurled abuse in her direction, before one man surged forward, clawed hand reachign out to grab her shoulder. Aurelia moved by instinct, one hand lashing out to twist the man's wrist, even as her foot struck his leg, knocking him to the ground. He howled, from shock as much as pain.

There was a moment of shocked silence from the mob, before the shouts got even louder.

"Ge out!" "Leave this place!" "You're not welcome!" "We don't want you here!" "Go back to the jungle!"

Muscles tense, Aurelia braced herself for a fight.
 
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Though he remained silent and his expression wavering between neutral and concern, Nevin was in fact the slightest bit annoyed that Kieran had asked him to come along rather than Mika. Being in the heart of excitement had its own merits, but there would have been the perfect chance for him to talk and hopefully even flirt with the small animal whisperer, who was still something of a mystery to him at least. But no, instead he had to trail after his big brother and girlfriend. That too, without his bow. Oh how he missed that beloved piece of weaponry. Truth be told, he had felt tears stinging his eyes when he was made to part with it, but alas, they had needed to make a trade and that was that.

Keeping the exasperated huff held tightly where it wouldn't be heard, the forester decided the time to sulk inwardly had passed and it was time to pay attention to what was happening right now. One glance at his big brother was enough to show him that Kieran wasn't about to stop. They did need this trading opportunity to go through, though by how loud and angry the calls of the villagers were, Nevin was unsure they were going to get anything out of this deal.

Eyes squinting as they continued toward the town square, he could barely see past a group that had gathered by a building made of stone, surrounding someone. Many against one? It certain seemed that way, and it brought a bad taste to the forester's mouth, causing a frown to crease his brow.

"Hey," he muttered, reaching a hand taking hold of both Kieran and Caliyh's arms. "Why don't you two let me see what's going on there first? Last thing we need is either of you getting stuck in a mob of senseless angry folk." Silly sulking aside, Nevin had great love and respect for his big brother and his lover, and there was no way he was going to willingly allow them to stride right into a heated situation. At least not until he'd quelled a few flames first. Kieran was their leader, and he was a good one, being able to balance his feelings with the tasks that needed to be done. Kieran was the one who inspired people without having to resort to scaring them

And as for Caliyh, well, none of their ventures wouldn't have been possible without her ability to speak to the trees that would rather they starved and died. It was because of her that they were alive and able to travel easily through the overgrown forests plaguing the world.

No, he was not about to risk them.

He had but to wait for a nod from Kieran before letting go of the two and striding forward. Tall and somewhat muscular, it wasn't too hard to push his way through the edge of the crowd to the center. Ignoring the angry looks and words that came his way for interrupting them, Nevin looked instead at the object of their discontent. He blinked with surprise, though curiosity took over, never having seen someone with that hair colour before. Looking down to her clothes, he could tell she was certainly not from Tranmere. No one here would be able to afford something like dyed clothes, unless it was procured in a trading deal.

"What's going on here?" His voice was loud as he once more pushed through the crowd until he was no longer a part of it, but instead was standing next to the woman with the light hair. "We came here expecting to trade with the village, not whatever this is!"
 
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Another young man gathered his courage, lunging towards Aurelia with a metal rod clasped tightly in his hands. The young woman moved forward in turn, her hands slipping inside his attack, diverting the blow before her other hand landed heavily on his chest. He let out a surprised oomph noise, before crumpling to the ground, desperately gasping for breath.

Her second attack, at the very least, seemed to somewhat dampen the violent enthusiasm of the rapidly growing mob. The quick, almost casual, way she'd disposed of her first two attackers made it clear to everyone that she wouldn't go down easily. This lull wouldn't last forever, eventually a large group would come for her, but they all knew that she would be able to hurt the first few people that came at her. No one wanted to be that person.

But the tension in the air grew again, especially when the two men she'd attacked were able to collect their feet underneath them and return to the crowd.

"Please," Aurelia shouted, a faint wrinkle in her brow the only sign of her displeasure at having to lower herself to beg from village folk. "I am just here to speak to the caravan. I do not want to have to hurt you!"

Unfortunately, her words seemed to have the opposite effect of what she intended, as the shouts only got louder. This time, Aurelia realized she couldn't hesitate to pull out her dagger. It's cool, heavy weight rested reassuringly in her grip, and she lifted the blade in front of her, gaze cool and serious. "I will defend myself with deadly force," Aurelia warned one last time.

They hung there for a moment, Aurelia tensed and braced for the attack, until a man's voice suddenly broke through the gathering crowd, his voice forceful enough to hold back the angry crowd. Aurelia felt her heart soar at his words. They had come to this village to trade! This was the caravan she had been waiting for. Finally, her salvation was here. She had absolute confidence in her ability to persuade these people. They might not trust her, but any true merchant would know the value of what she carried, and that there was no great profit without also a little bit of risk.

"Are you the leader of the caravan?" Aurelia turned, speaking directly to the dark-haired man. "I have come to strike a bargain with you, one these... people do not wish you to receive."

"Do not listen to this witch's words!" the housewife shouted without hesitation, forestalling any response from the merchant. "She wants to lead you to your death." The crowd mumbled their agreement.

Aurelia ignored them. "May we speak somewhere? In private?"
 
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Nevin shook his head, his eyes still on the very restless crowd. "No, that'd be my brother." His gaze moved from one person to the other, unsure of what they were speaking about yet clearly able to see they were very, very angry with the woman beside her. "A witch eh?" The thought of such a thing would normally have made him laugh, but it didn't seem wise to even smile in amusement at this point in time. He could tell everyone else was in agreement with the forceful yelling woman, and that the light haired one had absolutely no ally over here.​
"Hm..." Thankfully his height allowed him to look over most of the crowd, where he had left Kieran and Caliyh behind. Probably a good thing too, considering how fiesty the crowd was, but Nevin wasn't about to talk any sort of deal with this woman of interest. That was Kieran's job and rightfully so- while he was bigger and certainly more intimidating to look at, it was his older brother's calm demeanour and skillful way with word that made him the leader of their group, and rightfully so.​
"Look," he said, speaking to the crowd in general but looking at the woman who named the light haired one a witch, "how 'bout you let us take her along, eh? Seems like you don't want her around, we'll free things up for you. Okay? Alright."​
Without waiting for an answer, he took hold of the white haired lady's arm and started pushing through the crowd, heading back in the direction he came from. "Nevin's my name, and Kieran over there's the one you want to speak to. Don't piss him off like you have these folk here." He really wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but his curiosity would have to wait; he wasn't quite sure these people would let him and her leave unscathed. That last thought caused a frown to crease his forehead, though it wasn't one of anger or distress. No, he was simply annoyed because people were annoying. There was a reason he'd rather deal with trees and forests. At least they didn't talk... to him anyway.​
 
It seemed that the villagers had realized that, despite their "best intentions", they'd managed to come across as the villains in that exchange. Perhaps that was why they allowed the man named Nevin to push through their ranks with Aurelia in tow. Or, perhaps, they didn't want to risk offending the caravan that was bringing supplies they were going to need to survive. Whatever the reason, Aurelia was more than happy to escape from the ring of people, although she was less than thrilled about the hand that clung to her arm. She was not the kind of person others were supposed to touch casually, and she politely but firmly shrugged her way out of his grip as soon as they were no longer at risk of being separated by angry villagers.

However, while they may have released her now, the villagers did not seem particularly inclined to let the matter drop there, especially not the matron who had started this whole conversation. She stepped away from the crowd as Nevin and Aurelia left, her voice pitched loud. "You be careful, Nevin." the woman said, the concern in her voice evident. Aurelia couldn't help but frown. She needed these people, but it was clear that the villagers knew them well. If they listened to this woman rather than her... "You'll see soon, she offers nothing good. She'll only bring harm to you and the caravan!" With that, she turned again, waving her hands in a shooing motion to disperse the crowd.

Aurelia formed a somewhat sorrowful smile as she glanced up at Nevin. She did not bother to defend himself, either from the village woman's accusations, or from Nevin's own assumptions. She simply shook her head. "As you've probably noticed, we had a bit of a misunderstanding. I'm still not sure what I did to deserve their wrath."

"Whatever you did, it was enough that those people wanted to lynch you." The black haired man shook his head. "They're peaceful sorts here and we've traded with them before as you probably no. So..." he paused a little, apparently for dramatic effect "you better have a good reason for Kieran about whatever happened."

They made it to the edge of the town square before Aurelia noticed the fine boned young man who was standing at the edge of the street, with a young woman hanging gently on his arm. The young man, presumably the Kieran that Nevin had mentioned earlier, was watching them approach with a relaxed stance, though his eyes seemed to follow her and Nevin's every move. The young woman on his arm, on the other hand, was peering at them with eyes practically burning with curiosity. "I wasn't expecting them to be so furious at such a beautiful woman," she said, strawberry curls faintly bouncing as she giggled. "Most people are nicer to beautiful people."

Aurelia hesitated, not entirely sure what to make of this pale-eyed sprite, and ultimately decided to ignore her. Instead, she focused her gaze on the young man. "Are you Kieran?" she confirmed softly. "I have a business proposition I would like to discuss with you."

"I see," was the reply. Kieran looked behind the two at the dispersing crown before returning his gaze to Aurelia. "A business proposition? Sounds intriguing. However, we have come here to trade with the villagers. If we're going to be shifting our attention from them to you, we're going to need a good reason why." His gaze hardened a little. "Especially after the dissent we've had to witness."

Aurelia couldn't help but shake her head. "I'm not looking to interrupt your trade with them. Despite how it may seem, I have no qualms with the people of this village. No, my business with you would begin after you leave this village." Anywhere else, and Aurelia would have insisted they find somewhere private to speak before they continued, out of fear of spies and thieves. But these villagers already knew what she was carrying, and also did not understand its true value. "I seek escort southeast, to the home of the Clan of the Silver Tooth. I am carrying an item of great value, one that they will pay most handsomely to see safely delivered."

"Is that so?" A small frown creased the man's forehead as he gave what she said some thought. It was understandable; propositions weren't simply rejected in these trying times, but clearly Kieran needed more convincing. "Sounds intriguing, but I'm going to need more details than that." He lifted his eyes away from her and to the village instead, motioning with his hand. "I know them, and I trust them; to see them so openly averse to a person is surprising." Blue eyes returned to Aurelia. "Tell me why they are so heated."

Aurelia nodded, not hesitating to speak. Even if she could have succeeded in hiding the dangers of the journey in this first conversation, the villagers would undoubtedly tell the caravan the dangers that lied on the path Aurelia needed to take. There was no advantage to her in being dishonest, not even covertly so. "Because the only path to the Silver Tooth Clan lies through the Swamp Pass, which is guarded by..."

"Oh," Aurelia's words were cut off by a gasp of shock from the other woman. "The Red Alder."

Aurelia nodded once more. "Precisely."

Both Kieran and Nevin looked unsettled, though the latter remained quiet as Kieran spoke up. "Ah. Well I can see why they would be upset."

"And why I was being warned," Nevin added in.

Kieran nodded to what his brother said, though he seemed a little more intrigued now that he knew what the reason for the uproar was. "And what would be transporting if we agreed to this proposition?"

"You'll be transporting me," Aurelia began, already reaching towards the hem of her shirt. It was just possible to catch a glimpse of a cloth, which had been wrapped around her waist, pressing up tight against her skin. When she'd first started wearing the bandage she'd found it uncomfortable, and it had nearly worn her skin raw. Now, however, she found its constriction almost comforting, and it was strange to take it off. From the small of her back, another rolled up ball of cloth dropped into her hand, which she quickly unfolded.

"And this."

Resting in the center of the cloth, nestled in the curve of her palm, was something that looked almost like a seed. If, that was, seeds were half transparent and glowed with a radiant mixture of blue and green light. Even in the middle of the day it was radiant.

As Aurelia watched the brilliant colors reflect in the eye of the caravaneers, she knew she had them hooked.
 
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It had been a relief for Samai when Kieran asked for her to stay back with the Oksen. Not that she expected any different, seeing that was her main purpose in this group was to remain with the beasts... or animals as she still preferred to call them. She was still relatively a newcomer to the caravan, turning the four into a fifth. For a loner and wallflower life herself, it had been quite an adjustment, even though she had been the one who wanted to join Kieran and the others in the first place.​
She could still remember it like yesterday, the day she met them. She had been attempting to cross through a forest where the the only way through was travelling through the trees, a dangerous feat in itself. Unlike the others, she had no family or group left, the survivor of a bandit attack- the only reason she had managed to live was because she was good at hiding and they hadn't thought to look through the crevices of gnarly roots Samai had taken cover under. In any case, she had survived and managed to live for a good few months before she met the others... or rather Mikah, who had been attacked by a rather enraged beastie. It had taken quite a bit of whispering and cajoling to calm down the creature.​
It wouldn't survive her if the others were still iffy about her, but Samai tried her best to prove worthy of remaining, looking after the Oksen's well being and making sure they were docile and compliant. Could she survive the green world without the group? Perhaps, but she knew her chances were much less with her alone. Kieran, Calyih, Nevin and Mikah, they had travelled much and had their contacts. It would be stupid to want to leave them.​
"Let's get going my beauties," she murmured softly to the two beasts of burden, stroking their large heads before urging them forward so that they could rest in the area made for caravans to stow their wagons and ware. There she would be able to keep them away from the loud and rowdy people; the last thing they needed were for the Oksen to get spooked. Perhaps there would even be some fodder there to provide for them.​
It wasn't too long before they reached the stable like structure and Samai had the Oksen settled in. Once she was done, she noticed that the ruckus from earlier seemed to have calmed down relatively.​
"Do you reckon we should join them?" she asked the fiery haired man. "The noise seems to have lessened... I wonder what that was all about." She had only been here one time before, but that had been enough for her to know that the people here were relatively good, and her group was on good terms with them.​
 
Mikah had watched Kieran lead Caliyh and Nevin away with a quiet resignation. Under any other circumstances where their leader was marching into some unknown situation that involved a lot of shouting, Mikah would have insisted on accompanying the man, most likely taking Nevin's place since it took a miracle or a particularly ornry tree to separate Caliyh from the man's side. However, Mikah couldn't help but figure, if there was something dangerous enough in the village that they'd need him by their side to survive it, then they were all probably fucked anyways.

No, what he needed to do was relax. They were out of the woods now. He didn't need to be constantly on guard, waiting for some mutated creature to jump on them. He needed to take advantage of this time when he didn't have to be on high alert. Give his mind a chance to rest, before they had to head back out again.

Slowly closing his eyes, Mikah took a deep breath in to the count of seven, held it for several moments, and then released it in a slow hiss. When he opened his eyes again, he found his gaze unconsciously straying towards Samai's golden brown hair. She'd leaned in close to the Oksen, whispering in their ears the way she might a lover, one hand stroking their noses. She'd been a blessing to Mikah, to the entire team, since that day she'd saved his life in the jungle. However, she wasn't a particularly outgoing individual, certainly nothing like Caliyh, who would start chattering at the slightest prompting, and Mikah hadn't gotten very many occasions to speak with her in any particular depth. He figured this instance wouldn't be particularly different.

When they started moving towards the stables, Mikah trailed a few steps behind the wagon, keeping his grip on his fine metal spear loose and relaxed, rather than tight and desperate like he'd held it for the past week of their travel. They were out of the woods, he didn't have to protect anyone.

Very purposefully, he leaned the spear up against the wall of the stable, before leaning against the stone himself, allowing his eyes to drop closed as he listened to the gentle grunts the Oksen made as they settled into their new bedding. He kept them purposefully closed as Samai started to speak, before shaking his head in answer.

"Keiran told us to stay with the Oksen," he replied calmly. "I'm sure if he'd wanted us to come along, he would have told us." Mikah opened his eyes then, turning to stare in the direction of the voices from the town center. "I'm sure if things have calmed down, they'll be back soon enough to tell us what happened. Just try and relax in the meantime. We get precious enough time for that while we're traveling."

He'd never tell her that the words were far more for his own benefit than hers.
 
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Samai flushed a little from sheepishness. Mikah was right, of course. Keiran was to be listened to, and when the time would be right, he'd return to them and tell them what the matter was and how to proceed further. "True," she admitted, fiddling with a hank of hair that always found itself falling on the right side of her face. For a little moment she twirled it around her finger; when the novelty of that faded, she began to braid it instead to keep it tucked out of the way when she was done. Was this the relaxing Mikah had been taking about? She cast a glance in his direction, though as soon as her eyes made contact with his she hastily looked away. Humans seemed to have so much more hidden in a glance than animals; with eyes as intense as his, Samai wondered if perhaps the fighter could see even more than what she showed at face value.

That being said, she did find it much more comfortable to be here with Mikah than with Nevin. The dark haired man was a little too obvious in his interest, and frankly that drove the shy and quiet Samai away. It also helped that she found the fiery haired man more attractive as well- not that she would ever say or even hint that. Even the thought caused her cheeks to redden once more.

"Say... uhm Mikah?" Finally breaking the silence, she looked his way once more. Even though she was a trusted member of the caravan, there was so much she didn't know about the others there. Perhaps it would do some good to learn more about them, and what better opportunity? Unless he decided that she was being too nosy and prying into others' business. Still, if she didn't say anything now and simply reverted to quiet, she would look stupid, or worse, rude. "Uhm... how long have you all been together? I mean, you and the rest?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt silly. After all, who else would she be talking about? "Sorry, ah... you don't have to answer if you don't want too..." Her voice trailed to an awkward stop.

Meanwhile...

The frown that creased Kieran's forehead wasn't from annoyance or anger, rather curiosity as he stared at the see luminescent and translucent seed that Aurelia was holding in her hand. After a good moment he looked to Caliyh, trying to gauge her interest in the matter. The matter was risky, but it could very well be worth it if all went well. They certainly needed more opportunities than heading from one small village to the other, and from what the light haired woman was saying, they would get paid very well.

Still, he was no hard headed leader- he was going to take everyone's opinion in consideration before agreeing or rejecting the current prospect.

"What're you thinking, Cali?" He raised an eyebrow, ignoring Nevin's disgruntled grunt at being ignored.​
 
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Mikah glanced up at Samai's words, a faint trace of surprise causing his brows to lift. She wanted to talk? Well, that was certainly unusual. The woman hadn't been with the caravan particularly long, but it had been long enough for Mikah to stat to get a basic impression of her. She was dedicated, focused, strong, determined, but not much of a talker.

Then again, except for the couple of days they rested in the village between each of their trips, they spent most of their time out in the wilderness, dealing with whatever catastrophes the trees decided to throw their way. It wasn't as though there'd been a great number of opportunities for them to talk in the couple of months since Samai had joined their group. Especially not with Caliyh always dominating the conversation.

"It's fine," Mikah consoled immediately, rubbing one thumb along the length of the spear, unconsciously taking comfort in the smooth, glossy feel of the metal. "It's not as though it's some big secret. Let's see..."

It wasn't exactly easy to keep track of the days when they were traveling. The days quickly started to blend together. "I've been traveling with Kieran and the others for... a little over a year, now. I think. I was with another caravan, until they all but abandoned me in Windmoore. When Kieran came along, he pulled me out of a drunken brawl with about three other men. A brawl I was winning handily until the sheriff showed up and clubbed me over the head. They were heading back towards Squall's End, and said they'd pay me to escort them past the hive of Monkels that had set up a nest along their usual route home." Mikah shuddered slightly at the memory, the gesture apparently all but unconscious.

Monkels were some horrible, mutated hybrid of monkeys and weasels that liked to dig extensive underground burrows, and then pop up from below the ground to eviscerate anything that disturbed them. Kieran's usual route led them in a V shape between Tranmere, Squall's End, and Windmoore, and the caravan would have had to detour all the way out to Tranmere to avoid the Monkels. The week and a half that Mikah had saved them had apparently been worth whatever Mikah would have asked in payment.

"But, obviously, we didn't part ways when we got back to Squall's End. I didn't really have anywhere else to go, and they found my services useful, so I stuck around." Mikah shrugged slightly, as though the process of him joining up had really been that casual of a decision.

"I think those three have been traders for... five years, now? I know they were barely more than kids when they started. Apparently Caliyh negotiated some sort of truce with one of the trees near Squall's End back when she was 12, and that was what made the decision for them. Although I'm pretty sure at least half of that story is pure exaggeration, so there's no saying exactly. I'm sure Caliyh would be more than happy to tell you the story, if you ever ask."

For a moment, silence filled the stable after Mikah's story ended. He struggled silently for a moment, fishing for another topic of conversation. "So... what were you..."

However, before he could finish his question, Mikah suddenly caught sight of Kieran approaching, with a strange, silver haired woman following after him. He tensed, grabbing his spear, trying to suppress his frustration that Kieran chose this moment to return. He'd heard almost nothing of where Samai had come from, or why she was out alone in the forest when they'd first met. Why did they have to come and interrupt him now?
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Caliyh's eyes had gone wide with surprise and fascination the moment Aurelia had pulled out the glowing orb from her bag. The woman's gaze hadn't wavered for a single moment in her scrutiny of the orb. "Fascinating," she murmured, one finger reaching forward as though to touch Aurelia's prize. However, before Caliyh could even get close, the woman pulled back, folding the small, glowing seed back into its cloth and returning it to her bag.

Calihy wanted it. She'd heard so many stories about mutagens, and even though she knew most of them had to be exaggerations, legend built upon hyperbole, if even one of the things she'd heard was true, she wanted it. She was absolutely certain that her mutation would only enhance her ability to communicate with tress, to turn them from vaguely hostile into actual allies. The vision in her mind was all but glowing, as she negotiated a truce between the tress and humanity, and her name would go down in history as the person who had restored peace to the world.

Of course, Aurelia looked like she'd stab anyone who came even close to taking her precious cargo, but what about the people who could afford to buy a mutagen? Who knew how many of those they had? If Caliyh could prove her value to them, her's and Kieran's of course, they could both earn a mutagen. And then they'd take on the world, standing side by side as they always had, and always would be.

She finally tore her gaze away from Aurelia and her bag, and the hidden seed of light, when she heard Kieran say her name softly. Her tawny eyes turned to gaze at him softly. "I can do it," she promised. "You know how good I am with the trees. I'm sure the Alder won't be different in the end, even if it's a bit more... grumpy to begin with."

Gently, she tugged on Kieran's arm. "Let's take her back to the others. I'm sure they'll agree with me."
 
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Kieran looked down at Caliyh, not at all surprised by her enthusiasm. It made sense to him that she would feel so strongly about this out of the blue, once in a lifetime... quest, he supposed it could be called. "I know you can," he replied, smiling back at her. He trusted her and her skill with not only his life but the lives of their group, and she had never failed them for his belief in her to suddenly disappear. However, that didn't mean there wouldn't be any danger, and though he knew his friends would follow his orders, he wanted willing compliance rather than a disgruntled one.​
He leaned over and pressed his lips against her unruly hair, though as he did, his sky blue eyes were locked on Nevin, trying to gauge his little brother's reaction. He wasn't surprised to see the forester had his own grey eyes on the fair haired Aurelia. A pretty face was a distraction for sure, and despite his strength and common sense, Nevin had always had a weakness for women, for better or for worse. Stifling a sigh, Kieran decided it was probably best to do as his girlfriend mentioned and head over to where Mikah, Samai and the Oksen were. At least he didn't have to worry about the fiery haired warrior to be distracted.​
Or he hoped anyway.​

Mikah wasn't the only one who was a little disappointed that the others were approaching so quickly. It had been nice, being able to listen to Mikah without having her attention forced away by something or other. And it seemed as if he was actually interested in talking to her as well- it made her feel nice inside, setting motion a small tingle in her stomach and a pink on her cheeks. She bit her lip as she straightened up, pushing away her dark locks as they fell in her face. Looking away from Mikah, she stood up to greet those returning. Her eyes immediately locked on the silver haired woman, immediately struck by how pretty and fancier than the rest she was.​
"Uhm, welcome back," she called as she stood up, dusting her pants to loosen any straw that may have clung to her. She looked at the three she was familiar with before her gaze returned to the new person.​
"Thank you," Kieran replied, sparing a smile at the duo before letting out a small breath. "The commotion you heard was because of this fine lady here." He motioned with his head before continuing. "This is Aurelia. It turns out she has a proposal for us that, despite the risks, may be quite profitable."​
"Risks?" Samai repeated, her eyes moving to look at the oksen, her immediate concern. Her companions could take care of themselves, but the beasts were her chosen burden and she needed to make sure they would be able to undertake that journey.​
"We will have to pass by the Red Alder." Kieran looked at Mikah, trying to see what the warrior felt about that.​
 
Mikah studied the other members of his caravan as they approached, quickly trying to get a read on the situation. Nevin walked towards the back, his tall shoulders slightly slumped, a faint frown wrinkling his brow, even as his eyes occasionally darted to the silver-haired woman. Caliyh was almost the exact opposite, a faint bounce in her step that made her seem almost as springy as her curls, and her eyes positively glowing with excitement. The only one of the three he couldn't get a read on was Kieran, but that was far from unusual. Their leader was almost always calm and inscrutable. It was part of what made him a good merchant, even in these small waters.

A moment later, and his gaze turned to the new arrival. She walked with a slow, lithe step, his stride reminding him far more of the woodcats in the forest than a human. Like Kieran, her gaze was inscrutable, and if there was one thing Mikah's travels had taught him, it was never trust a beautiful woman until you knew what they wanted.

Luckily for him, Kieran was kind enough to introduce Aurelia's motive, or at least a part of it, only a moment later. Mikah's eyes narrowed into slits at the mention of the Red Alder. Not only was it one of the most dangerous trees in the known area, it was also very infrequently traveled. Unlike Kieran, Caliyh, and Nevin, who had never gone beyond the triangle of land created by the three towns, Mikah had ventured with some of the larger caravans in his past, traveling with groups that had trade routes that spanned the continent, rather than just a few local villages. However, those merchants were able to survive by traveling well-established paths, paths that their parents and grandparents had walked before them. And Mikah had never heard of a group whose trade route went past the Red Alder of Swamp Pass.

The fact that Kieran was even considering something as obviously dangerous as this meant there had to be more to the story. Samai had focused in one one side of the situation, Mikah now had to look at the other.

"What's the profit?" he asked, somewhat stiffly.

Before Kieran could answer, Caliyh leaned forward, eyes positively sparkling. "She's got a mutagen," the red haired girl said in a stage whisper.

Mikah's eyes went wide in shock, his body momentarily stiffening before he forced himself to calm down. However, he couldn't quite keep the tremble from his voice. "As payment?"

"No." This time it was the pale haired woman who spoke, and quite promptly at that. "The mutagen is the property of the Silver Tooth Clan. But they will pay very, very handsomely for its safe delivery."

Mikah's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're a member of the Silver Tooth Clan?"

"I am," the woman agreed, head tilting slightly to the side as she studied him.

"Your emblem," Mikah demanded in response.

He felt a small burst of satisfaction, watching the way Aurelia's eyes momentarily widened in surprise, before she regained control of her expression. It was clear that she hadn't expected him, hadn't expected anyone in this "backwater" corner of the woods, to know anything about Clan etiquette. He was more than happy to prove her wrong.

Aurelia reached into the collar of her shirt, fishing out a small, carved token a moment later. The fact that it was made of wood, one of the most extravagant luxuries in a world where approaching a tree put a person in direct risk of bodily harm, told a lot of its value. Mikah scrutinized the necklace, a tooth shape carved with various layers of markings, and quickly gained a much better understanding of Aurelia for it.

A member of a branch family, Mikah thought contemplatively, some of his suspicion lessening. Doubtless, there was some great honor waiting for the woman, if she succeeded in bringing the mutagen to the core family. It not only made her story more believable, it meant she had a vested interest in their journey succeeding.

"Let me guess," Mikah said lightly, his gaze turning back to Kieran. "Caliyh's all for it, Nevin's against it, you're withholding judgement until you hear Samai's and my thoughts." He took a deep breath. "It's not going to be easy. Or safe. You'll truly be risking all our lives for this." He pinned Kieran in place momentarily with the full weight of his amber gaze. "But if the mutagen is real, the profit will be, too. If you think we can make this journey safely, I'll support your decision."
 
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