Where Lies and Truth mingle

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Looking towards Roman as he approached the pair of them, she could feel the uncertainty and dedicated motives he was holding onto though it was Yulin who was the first to respond.

"While your motives are noble Roman, we are at risk with or without you here. You do not present a threat that hasn't already been there. Do not forget that and do not let Talen's words filter your thoughts." she kept watching, offering a soft look to the shifter. "You said to Eryn that you wanted to find your siren brethern, and that I feel is a good option. But you need help to avoid the others that your uncle has sent out." now she seen her brother's smirk. Something feral, something wild and something smug, as he put a thumb to his chest. "And that is where you need me and Eryn. We can help you get to the sirens... as Mar'luin has already thought ahead for. He has a way for us to get out of the cavern without detection."

Eryn tilted her head, "Really?"
 
Yulin's words made Roman's mind still, sudden uncertainty hitting him squarely.

Wait. Had he been filtering his thoughts through Talen's words, the Harpy's opinions? It only took Roman a moment to realize that, yes, such was the truth and he felt a growl build in his throat before he swallowed it down, now more glad than ever that he'd chosen to find Yulin and Eryn, to seek further advice. The male Harpy had opened his eyes to the flaw in his thinking and he was grateful for it, and more than that, amazed that Yulin had done it without making him feel like he was stupid for missing it.

His Uncle would have done such.

Roman's brows raised in surprise of his own along with Eryn's, his own head tilting in much the same manner, brows furrowed in equal question and thought as he took in the expression on Yulin's face. These two going with him he could understand and while part of him wanted to protest that it was too dangerous, he knew he wouldn't be able to dissuade them and might even insult Yulin if he said anything against the Harpy's presence. So Roman accepted their coming with him not without inner reservation, but with outward resignation.

How they planned to get out, though...that he wanted an answer to.

"And what way would that be?"
 
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Crossing his arms over the brawn of his chest looking all the part of the elder brother of not only her, but Roman as well - evidently this harpy male accepted the shifter with no need for bribery- Eryn crawled over to come closer to Roman. Cautious still but she came closer to merely be there. Why... she assumed support but the hell if she knew it was something far more. Something already building.

"Mar'luin has found a secondary exit out of here. We will gather up supplies and we should be able to leave out of that way in a day or so." he nodded, "Do you know where exactly you are heading?"
 
Roman noted Eryn's movement with the smallest hint of a smile, finding that he didn't mind as she grew nearer - finding that he'd not been minding for days now and such made him nervous, but not wary or uneasy. He was simply unsure why, when he avoided most touch from others and expected them to respect that as he'd been brought up that way, Eryn was somehow different. He let her get away with far more contact than anyone else and oddly enough, sometimes, to his utter confusion, he found himself missing her touch.

Perhaps he was just going crazy from being underground so long. It seemed plausible.

Wait, he was supposed to be paying attention...

Roman snapped his mind back to the task at hand, berating himself for doing anything else and went over the sentence Yulin had just told him. Another exit. Right. He nodded in delayed acceptance to the information and then nodded again, clearing his throat slightly before answering the question, regaining his bearings.

"Olecia. It's the Siren's Ruling City. It lies in the coastal mountains to the West, perhaps about five hundred miles from here. Nearly a week's worth of travel by horse, less by flight usually, but more days if we have to stay hidden and we do."
 
Keeping his arms crossed over his chest as she nestled down in her own feathers close to that of Roman, seemingly curious to why he was looking at her in such a way, Yulin cleared his throat to bring her focus back.

"Flight would be our best mode of transport. Namely for a few reasons, we avoid more of your shifters as much as they might be accustom to their flight form, you still need rest. We are born of air. It is far faster and so forth but still-" he began to rub the curve of his chin, "We might need to confront a few of them, post watches while we rest of course." Green looked back to grey, "That is something I'd much rather not have you part of Roman, I know how you are with your own kind. It is honorable and as much as I hate to dispatch those who track us, I'd not want to risk you growing upset with us either for having to protect ourselves."

Eryn chirped sadly before looking upwards to Roman, watching for a reaction. "I can... lure away. Faster than more if it comes to it."

Suddenly her brother started hissing, his own plumage rising up in a threatening stance while she instantly found herself cowering down covering herself in her own feathers. Though she absently crawled closer to Roman seeking shielding. His steps gave him away far before anything else as a loud smug chuckle echoed through his throat. "You three wouldn't stand a day out in the wilds. Especially with a tactiction, a useless rogue and a shifter." Talen rolled his eyes, "Probably why Mar'luin is sending me along with you losers."
 
Roman agreed with everything up until Yulin mentioned taking watches, but not wanting the Prince to do it. His eyes narrowed slightly, growing slightly flinty before he pushed the reaction down and let the blank look come back over him, thinking over when the Harpy had said. He hated to admit that Yulin was right, but his concerns had merit. The only problem was that Roman wasn't sure if Yulin's concern was ENTIRELY valid. It was true that Roman didn't WANT to kill his people and guilt tore at him for the three Shifters who he was sure had been innocent enough, he also knew that he'd betrayed his own kind once.

He knew that if he had to, he'd do it again.

And knowing that tore at him, too. He'd grown up with these people. How could he turn - how HAD he turned - his back on them for a species he barely knew? Did he have no loyalty at all? Was that the price of being part of two species himself? No true place anywhere and therefore no true ties to anything?

Sure, there was that small voice inside telling him that he was doing this FOR his people, to make their future better, but it was getting harder to hear that voice the more complicated things got, the more time that passed and Roman inwardly shook his head at himself, outwardly nodding to Yulin's decision.

His gray eyes were conflicted and troubled, though, and he only realized after the fact that Eryn had been watching him closely when she spoke. Roman was quick to offer a small smile to her offer and he did something uncharacteristic of him in the past, reaching down to touch her head with his fingers briefly in thanks. He would have said something as well if not for Yulin's sudden reaction and Roman moved up as well, but only to a crouch, his muscles coiled, rippling with tension as he recognized the horrid footsteps as well and his body moved further in front of Eryn, a primal growl threatening his throat, but not yet sounding.

Steel gray eyes watched Talen with distrust and then narrowed further at the Harpy's announcement.

Going with them.

Oh, Roman had the sudden desire to strangle Mar'luin.
 
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Scouting his gaze over each and everyone one of them, all varying reactions to his presence that only encouraged a grin further onto his face. "Now look I don't like the idea of having to bail you all out either but without me, you are all good as dead. That is knowledge you cannot deny, eh Yulin."

The secondary male harpy muttered something beneath his breath that might have been in agreement though the sour disposition was enough to say something else entirely. "That's what I thought." hands gripped around his hips looking down at them, "You've got a day to prepare yourselves, otherwise we leave without you."

(move it to the next day please.)
 
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Roman would have been infinitely happier if Talen had died sometime in the night.

He felt on edge - and therefore withdrew his emotions into himself, hiding them behind a well-constructed mask - with the large Harpy around and Yulin's obvious tension and hostility, and Eryn's submissive, fearful demeanor was not helping anything at all. But Talen was the worst. He seemed to purposely try to rile everyone up, and Roman felt that if he was called 'Shifter' one more time in that derogatory tone he'd lose every aspect of training that had ever seen him through a difficult time.

It was a relief when they were able to leave the mountain, careful to remain unseen as they picked their way down the slope, making sure all was clear and they were far enough away from the entrance they'd used before they took off into the air.

At least in the air everyone kept their words to themselves.

Flying was wonderful, to be able to stretch his wings on the warm air, feeling the updrafts that took him effortlessly higher after so long was heaven....but the urge to feel the earth beneath his feet, to test his muscles again was greater. It was about five hours into their travels - without being spotted by any of his people - when he knew they were far enough away from the mountain that his tracks would not give any indication as to which direction he'd come or even that the Harpies were close, that Roman descended to the ground.

His wings snapped closed, sending the hawk into a dive toward the earth below and it was as he was nearing the ground that his wings flared open, slowing him even as his body started to grow and change. The Prince hit the ground with a roll that sent him back to his feet and not half a minute later, even as his legs moved into a run, his body was changing again.

The black stallion picked up his pace as soon as he felt the shift complete and the thrill of hard jolts traveling up his legs with each hoof-fall on the ground threatened to bring a ringing neigh from his throat. He withheld it with effort, sending the energy into his legs instead as he looked to the sky and followed the three Harpies that flew above him.

He'd join them soon enough, but right now, he was satisfied on the ground and keeping up just fine.
 
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