Run, Aello, Run! (Solo)

[Aello]

Fall 55, 511 AV Location: The Wilderness Outside of Ravok Aello held her father's old bow tightly in her left hand. Her bag and her quiver bounced against the space just in-between her shoulder blades as she ran through the forest. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she fought to draw in yet another, ragged breath. Her legs felt chilled, although they were lined with sweat, for the dagger that rested against her right thigh served to make everything as cold as death. No matter how warm she got. Sweat dripped from her brow as she slipped through the underbrush, and pushed past the slender arms of trees, which at times, still held a single brown leaf. Soon to fall as did all of its brothers and sisters before it. Just a bit farther and perhaps we can stop to rest. Keep your heart from bursting right out of your chest, Aello's mind whispered as her feet pounded over the terrain. Crushing several crunchy brown leaves under her boot. Although the leaves did not make a lot of noise, Aello didn't care. They helped cushion her landings, helped keep her feet from sinking too deeply into the soil. Thus, helping to keep her mark from the terrain. Although, with how recklessly she moved- breaking branches, and crushing everything beneath her step, it was unlikely anyone should fail to follow her, should it fail to rain anytime soon. Should any element aid her in her escape from the city. No! There is no time for that! Another portion of Aello's mind screamed. We must keep moving. Put as much distance between us and the city as possible, so Rhysol's mindless minions are all the less likely to catch up and skin us! The other side of the girl's head groaned, as Aello curled her arms, so that they bent at the elbows even more strictly than before. She was pushing them forward with her step, the right arm with the left foot, and the left arm with her right foot. Hoping, silently praying, that it would propel her towards her unnamed destination a little faster. For although the girl had not yet decided where she would go, she knew she could no longer stay where she was. Not after what she would done. The whole city... well anyone aligned with the patron god of the place, would be after her soon enough. But we need to rest! Her muscles are getting sore. Her heart rate too fast, her breath too shallow, her throat too dry. Pretty soon, she will keel over with exhaustion, and then anyone that is indeed going after her to extract any sort of revenge for her actions, will be upon her! The first portion of the girl's brain argued. Well we bloody well should have thought of that before we decided to try and skin Rhysol's lapdog! The second shouted back. Because maybe, we wouldn't have wound up in this situation! You know damn well that Aello would never stop to think. Not when the dagger is calling for blood... not when she has been insulted. Not when one of those dogs is standing before her, threatening her, and pretending his life is all the more worthwhile. Simply because he serves a heathen god who knows not of the pleasures of life... and death. So her's is all the more worthwhile, since she serves the lady of death? Yes! It's an honorable cause, helping ghosts and the weak, and generally doing whatever the heck suits you at the time... The other portion of the girl's brain laughed as Aello began to slow. She simply could not keep up the same pace anymore. She moved into a jog, stepping over twisted tree trunks, and gnarled roots which tried to trip her. To slow her. To hand her over to them. Her imaginary pursuers... or perhaps they weren't truly imaginary. Just well hidden, or even, rather far behind.

[Aello]

And why are you laughing? The first portion of Aello's mind hollered as the girl continued to jog through the line of trees. Oh nothing, the second portion replied. The first portion growled, and then fell silent. Both sides of Aello's brain fell silent as Aello slowed to a walk, and although exhausted, forced herself to keep moving. As she did so, however, she inched her bag forward, and pulled her waterskin away from it. She bit the lid open and took a small swig. Allowing the cool water to trickle down the length of her throat, and help her cool down. That feels so much better, Aello thought, as she pushed the cap back on with the side of her cheek, and returned the waterskin to its proper place. It does indeed... now she may last the night before she falls flat on her face. Aello scowled. She wished her mind would shut up sometimes, and learn how to quit fighting itself. It got so very tiring sometimes, to listen to their petty arguments. To the voices shouting so loud it gave her a headache. Sometimes, she simply wanted to be alone in her thoughts. As alone as she was in person. Aello sighed, as she continued through the forest. She knew she was heading deeper and deeper into the woods, and farther and farther from the city. For she had gone out this far before, and gotten lost time and again. Even so, she knew her way now, but knew that soon enough, she would have ventured farther than her memory, and would have to rely solely on her instinct in order to reach another portion of the world which was actually inhabited by man, or one of Mizahar's other races for that matter. The girl's sigh deepened as her grip tightened around her father's old bow. Sometimes, there was a small part of her that regretted her actions. The things the dagger seemed to make her do. The things she had been forced to do given her profession- as both a huntress, and an aid to those who had died, but been forced to linger on this plane, for one reason or another. She shook her head lightly. Why must it be so tempting to taunt those who are obviously slaves? Aello asked herself. Little more than pawns, puppets, in the hands of a god who would rather see the world thrown into a state of utter chaos, than thrown into a state of both prosperity, peace and harmony? Aello's mind paused. Why must the 'stryfe tempt me with their weakness? Their poor choice in weapons, their poor choice in a god? Someone to willingly serve? Why must they be so pathetic? Why must the dagger want? Lust for blood much as the recipe for soulmist longs for the blood of its maker? Aello sighed. Would we have been any less likely to attack that man had he wielded something other than a warhammer? Something which an Isur might carry along with them to work? The girl shook her head. The answer was no. She hated the 'stryfe. What they represented- their servitude. Chaotic nature. Weakness. A set of beings who thought so highly of themselves and their god, that they could not be touched, even in the name of self-defense. Aello spat at the ground. As far as she was concerned, their existence was pitiful. For as she saw it, if you weren't fit to live on your own, to defend yourself from those who wished you dead, then you didn't deserve life. You deserved, simply, to meet with Dira. Sooner, rather than later, to make way for the strong.

[Aello]

The ones who may actually survive the test of time. Continual battles with the elements, and dangerous creatures which inhabited the lands. The areas of the map not yet populated. Not yet tamed. Not yet paved over by roads, or littered with various buildings. Aello sighed, as she forced herself into another jog. Growing wary of her having taken a slower pace for so long. Growing anxious at the thought that each time she slowed or came to a complete halt, the 'stryfe had more time to catch up. To surround her, and take her down, much as she and her Kelvic companions had done in a few of their journeys into the wilderness. Aello forced herself to run. Swinging her arms and raising her legs high with each of her steps, to help propel her forward at a faster rate, and keep her from tripping over anything that was strewn across the ground. She was heading into a section of the forest she rarely traveled, and knew, that if she kept up with the same pace, she would be lost in a new area of the forest, within a matter of a few minutes. Why must we always force ourselves into these situations? Aello asked herself Why can't you learn to control your desires? Your hatred? Your instincts? Your skill with the dagger, and keep it from hurting those who should not be touched... for now they all must be after you. Hunting you. Searching for you as you have often searched for worthy prey within this forest... something to kill before it becomes so strong, that you may not overcome it, on your own. Um... hello, we hate the 'stryfe and everything they stand for, the other portion of Aello's brain piped in. Besides, as we have already stated, the moron had it coming. He threatened us, and failed to back up his words. He should have watched his mouth if he didn't want to tempt us, and take a beating. Yes, but now we are being forced to run for our lives. To flee from a city we had grown to know. A place where we found reasonable employment... and a few friends. Acquaintances. A place where we had many adventures. Yes, but on those same adventures, we made a lot of enemies too. Wound up in jail... had to break out of that shit hole. Aello nodded lightly as she forced herself to pick up the pace, to keep going, even though her boots seemed to be growing heavier by the minute, and all the more difficult to lift. It felt as though they were heavy weights, which could serve to do nothing other than drag her into the center of the planet. You don't want to go back to that pile of shyke do you? Aello asked herself, before shaking her head lightly. No, especially when one considers how unlikely it is that we will escape that prison a second time... alive. Aello paused, and although we know an escape route through a large hole lined with poop, and although we have the dagger and Alenias and Nex at our side... it just... they would know how we managed last time. They must have figured out how we have done it by now... we couldn't do it again. Aello sighed. So we must run with our tail between our legs. Defeated, we must run for our lives. To someplace new, where no one will know us, and we can start over. If we want to have the best chance at survival, then yes, we need to run. As fast, and as far as we can. Aello was practically panting now, her heart beating so quickly, she was certain it would escape the confines of her bony rib cage. She had to stop, at least for a little. Finally, she slowed, her legs aching. Her muscles sore, Aello's body curled forward, as she dropped her pack onto the ground. "This... is... ridiculous..." Aello gasped. "How... are... they... ever... going... to... find... me... here... now... he would have to speak... yes, he would... but who would care?" Aello knelt down beside her bag, and pulled her waterskin out. She lifted the cap off with her teeth, and took a long swig before replacing the cap, and putting the waterskin away. Her throat was dry now, worse than before, and her eyes felt heavy. As though her eyelids were lined with sweat, much like the rest of her face, making it nearly impossible to keep them open. She had to rest. She couldn't keep going... not now. Not in this state. The girl grit her teeth, angry with herself. Her weakness. She was turning into one of them, and she knew it. A frightened puppet, so worried of his whim, his mood swings, that she had to run in an effort to free herself of her strings. "Only a few minutes, of shutting my eyes, and then I must be off," Aello whispered, as she leaned up against a tree trunk. Pulling her bag onto her lap, and leaning the bow against it, she curled her back into the brown bark. "Just a few minutes..." she whispered, as she closed her eyes lightly, and blocked out the sight of the forest. "No more..."

[Aello]

Nysel's webs sprouted out of the forest floor, out of the tree Aello rested her back upon. His black spiders crept across her slender form, her things, as she lay on the ground, propped up against the tree. The spiders continued to spin their webs, their trap. Winding her in their sticky, silken embrace. Pulling her under into a place between worlds. A place between life and death. A place where the illusory became reality. Where dreams were reality, and the tangible, in and of itself, ceased to exist. The webs tugged at Aello's limbs. Dragging her further and further into a state of relaxed slumber, making her body grow heavy. Making her eyelids shut all the more tightly, twitch a little, as her eyelashes ruffled in the slight breeze which swept through the trees from time to time. Aello had finally emerged in the realm of dreams. Woken into a state of slumber. Delved into Nysel's realm, a place where Rhysol nor Dira could reach her, it seemed, for Nysel, seemed the only one capable of pulling the proper strings. Aello stood alone in the center of a ring of trees. A familiar bed of forest. Of green. She was dressed as she was now- in her blue dress, and black cloak, but she had none of her things, with the exception of her dagger, which refused to leave her. She was stepping as silently as she could through the forest, since darkness had fallen, and she didn't want to alert any of the prowling night creatures to her presence. Especially when she was so exposed, with none of her security blankets being in sight. Aello wondered where Yune, Nex and Alenias had gone, and if they knew where her things had gotten to. She walked along slowly, thinking the night a silent and still one for the forest. Not a single sound reaching her ears, save for the sound of her footsteps across the uneven terrain. It's so very, out of place... Aello thought, as the smell of smoke reached her nostrils. The edges turned a bright red as they began to flare. "Smoke?" she whispered, "perhaps I am not the only one here after all." Aello stopped dead in her tracks, and took a moment to sniff the air before she realized that the smoke was coming from some place to her right. Better go investigate, she thought, as she headed in that direction. Soon, a crackling sound reached her ears, and then the sound of tree branches falling down towards the earth. Leaves being engulfed in flame, "oh Dira, what happened here?" Aello whispered, as she stared up at a long spiral of smoke. "The forest is on fire," she went on, as she simply stared in silence a moment, as an eerie orange glow became more and more prominent. It cast her skin in a warm glow, making her seem just as out of place in the forest as the fire was, if not more so. "And it is coming this way." Run! Aello's brain yelled, unless you want to be burnt to a crisp! The girl nodded as her heart began to pick up the pace. She could hear it drumming against her tiny rib cage as she turned on her tail and fled. She ran for as long as she could. As fast as she could, and as far as she could, until sweat had appeared on her brow, and begun to make its way down the length of her cheeks. Her skin seemed to glow, as she finally took a moment to rest. To breathe. Her body curled so her hands were on her knees, and she glanced down at the ground. Oh thank goodness, that fire must be far, far behind me by now, Aello thought, as she looked up again. Aello was surrounded by a ring of orange. Ash, and burning earth. Everything seemed to tumble to the ground, as she stood herself back up and looked in every which way. "Alenias! Nex! Where are you?" Aello tried to scream over the smoke, as she looked around frantically, trying to look for a way out. But there was an endless wall of fire; of thick black smoke, and ever so slowly, it was choking her. Aello began to cough, her lungs growing tight. There is no where to run. You cannot escape the inevitable... OOCThe stuff in blue is a dream... welcome to the recurring dream...

[Aello]

Aello's eyes burst open. Even though she had stripped Nysel's web from her slender form, she could not keep from coughing a few times, certain that the smoke still lingered in her lungs. Her throat felt dry, scratchy, like the light grey mist was spiraling down its length as her heart skipped a few beats, here and there, and continued to hammer in her chest. Aello pushed her bag and her bow off her chest, and wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. "Why does that bloody dream keep coming back?" she whispered. Because the fire can stand for more than an actual fire... Because there are many things in this world which could cause you to burn... Which are coming after you, and would love to see you suffer... Which would love to see you dead... "Not helping," Aello growled through grit teeth, as she glanced up at the sky. The sun had risen to a position directly overhead, signaling to her that it was around midday. That she would only have the way of light a little longer, and would have to keep going if she intended on making good time for the day. If she intended to put the optimal distance between her and the city, in a safe manner. For, it wasn't until she had gone as far as she could bare to go, that she could allow herself to truly stop for more than a bit of rest. Gently, Aello eased herself onto her feet, and pulled her bag back onto the center of her back, before reaching for her father's old bow with her left hand. She wound her fingers around the length of the wooden grip, and glanced all around her, before heading in the direction she had been traveling earlier in the day- away from Ravok. How far do you think we have traveled? Not nearly far enough... according to you. What's that supposed to mean? Simply, that you are the only one, out of the two of us, who believes we still need to travel, to keep moving, in order to outrun Rhysol's puppets. That you are the one who insists we exert ourself for no reason. You know well enough that they're after us! Well, do you see them coming? Well... no... Precisely! Hence why I wonder why you feel such a great need to keep on going... they obviously haven't caught up... for all we know, they may not even be looking! Yet... Aello rolled her eyes. She wished her mind would quiet itself. If they haven't come yet, then they're probably not coming after you at all... as you said, he was only a lapdog. Not at all important. No need to worry about them coming after you. Surely, simply wounding him would not cause a need to flee... it's not like you killed him. And even if you had, it shouldn't matter. There would be plenty more young men to come replace him soon enough. We don't know that! Aello paused. Not for certain! But you said yourself we can't see them coming after us! You know well enough that such a thing does not mean that they're not coming! For all you know they could be hiding in the trees, waiting for the proper moment to strike... the cover of the night perhaps. Aello rolled her eyes. It seems unlikely. The girl growled, and quickened her pace through the line of trees. Her grip was tightening around her father's old bow. Her face had turned red. She was angry, sick of the voices. Sick of running, but somewhere, inside herself, she knew she had too. She knew that the slime-ball would squeal, and someone would be coming after her. If not a whole lot of someones.

[Aello]

Aello continued on in silence for a long time. The voices that lingered within the confines of her mind seemingly taking the hint that she wanted nothing more than quiet, at least for a little while. The time being. As she darted through the forest, Aello wove her way around trees, which stretched towards the sky. She swirled between low-lying shrubberies, and leapt over low-lying branches and tree trunks. Their tops long fallen onto the floor. The rest of them long having rotten, and sunk into the earth. Its final resting place. Aello's chest rose and fell rhythmically as her feet pounded against the terrain, pushed against it, urging her body forward. Just a bit longer, and we can finally rest, at least for a little while. We can rest now, and she will be fine. We don't know that for sure! No, but it's best not to be completely spent if those petching idiots decide to show their faces anytime soon. Well, they won't have the chance to do so if we get far enough away! Aello sighed. Her muscles ached. She was tired, and to be quite frank, the portion of her brain which longed for Aello to rest was sounding all the more friendly with each passing moment. All the more tempting. Aello eased her body back into a walk, and had soon, stopped moving completely. She was simply standing, next to an old oak tree. Its acorns scattered about her feet, and the base of the tree. "Here's as good a place as any," Aello whispered, as she dropped her bag onto the ground, and pulled her waterskin out. She opened the lid and took several long sips, before returning it to her bag. She wiped the sweat from her brow, and then bent down. She leaned her bow against her bag, and rummaged around in it, until she had found a few strips of dried meat she had prepared a few days before. She pulled the meat out, and ate it hurriedly, before washing it down with another sip of water. "That should do for now," Aello whispered, as she put everything away, and sat back on her knees, her feet curling beneath her, to help support her weight. The girl stayed like that for awhile, allowing herself to catch her breath. For her heart to regain a more natural pattern. For her chest to rise and fall less, and less frequently, as her body calmed. As her salty sweat ceased to trickle down the length of her slender face. "That should do..." Aello whispered as she glanced all around. Her eyes watching the nearby bushes, their leaves, as they swayed in the subtle breeze which swept through the forest. Her ears prickled at the sound of its whistling, a noise which she could barely make out. Something which seemed to be growing all the more audible; louder. Aello sat still, hardly allowing breath to fill her lungs. Hardly allowing her heart to beat, lest it give her away before she identified the mysterious sound. Aello's brown eyes scanned the terrain frantically, as the sound inched closer and closer. It sounded like leaves crunching, tree branches snapping in two. Something, or someone, was coming. Aello was sure of it. Instantly, Aello took a deep breath, in through the nose, and out through the mouth, calming herself the best she could, as she called her magic to her, so that she may truly see. The forest seemed to light up in an instant. The trees glowing a pale green, same as the forest floor. A squirrel to the one on her right a light brown. Everything was shrouded in a mist which danced. Swayed with the breeze. Beat with her heart. Aello pulled her bag off the ground, and onto her shoulders. She picked up her bow. She was certain, that soon enough, the magic would reveal someone coming for her. Within a heartbeat, a new cycle of breath, Aello was on her feet, and speeding through the forest, recklessly, as the colors swirled around her. Called to her. As the wispy green tendrils of the trees reached for her legs. Trying to grab her and pull her into them. To take her for them. To keep her in their embrace until they could collect her. Aello nearly screamed. It seemed as though the whole forest was out to get her. As though the 'stryfe had sent a mage far more powerful than she to draw her out with an earthly magic, which seemed rather otherworldly. Aello could sense the man's arms reaching for her, through the trees. The roots trying to snag her. Each leaf she stepped on, crunched into oblivion, a single bone of hers that he wanted a snap. A bone of his that she could snap if only he were here. In sight. Aello was huffing and puffing as she came to a halt in the center of a clearing. Her eyes darting all around her as she tightened her grip upon her father's old bow. She thought she could hear the trees laughing. The forest laughing. Each bug that crawled in the spaces between the bark. Each bird which perched upon a branch. Each squirrel or chipmunk which scurried up a tree's length. Even the sun, seemed to be laughing as they all closed in on her. Aello shut her eyes tightly. "Where are you?" she whispered. "Show yourself!" Aello screamed, scattering the birds in the nearby trees. Sending them into the skies that stretched onwards until the ends of the earth. "Come out and fight me!" Aello yelled. But there was no answer.

[Aello]

Aello's voice simply rang into the forest, and then was swept away by the winds. Carried into another portion of the world, and then nothingness. Why won't that bastard simply show himself, and fight like a man? Because there is no one here! You are simply inventing trouble where it does not exist! That's not true, we heard something before! Ahh, but did you see it? Even with the use of the magic? Aello's pupils dilated, as she listened to her mind screaming. Arguing... AGAIN. No, but that doesn't mean that there isn't someone. Not when we can feel it. Sense the presence of another. Can you now? Yes! You are simply inventing shadows where there are none. You know there are those who can create elaborate illusions... like the assassin those hypnotists sent to kills us. Those who can even, alter the state of their aura, hide completely... And how many of the 'stryfe do you honestly believe are that powerful? Surely they wouldn't send someone that strong, if they send anyone, after someone who merely beat up an apprentice. A bloody lapdog. The other portion of the girl's mind sighed, as Aello began to move away from the city once more, at little more than a walk. The colors were still streaming by. A sea of green, brown and blue, intermixed. Swirling around her at a dizzying pace. Although it sickened her to look at, Aello did not dare shut herself off from her magic. It was her only lifeline now. Her only defense against an imaginary foe.

[Aello]

Aello kept on walking in silence. Watching every corner of the forest, lest someone should spring out of the line of trees, and try to kill her. Lest someone should try to shoot her with an arrow, or bind her to a tree by way of a spear or two. Watching just in case an animal she could swiftly kill and gut should present itself, so she would have something substantial to eat that night, once she truly allowed herself to stop for the day. But as she kept on moving, Aello saw nothing. She heard nothing. There was only the forest, devoid of all life, save for herself, it seemed. Or rather, any life that had the ability to move from one spot to another. The girl sighed, as the misty auras of the wilderness circled her hungrily. A pack of wolves following its prey at length. Stalking it, taunting it, staring it down, and sizing it up, before they went in for the kill. Before they all darted for their meal at once, and ripped at limbs. Tugged at flesh and bone, spilling blood. Ripping off chunks of meat until each of their bellies was satisfied. Nipping each other so they'd give way, so that they would have more for themselves. Aello hated the auras. The way they seemed to tease her, but she knew she was not out of the clear yet. She had to keep it within her grasp, her magic within use, until later that day. Just to be as certain as she could be, in the wake of Ravok, that she was safe from her enemy's clutches. "It will be nice when we finally have a chance to rest," Aello whispered, as she allowed the auras to tug her along. To lead her blindly through a portion of the world which she could not remember ever having traveled to, or through. Aello sighed, as she looked up at the sky, through the transparent sea of sparkling colors. Up at a light blue expanse, devoid of fluffy white clouds, wispy ones, or the large, ominous greys. Sheep without the rest of their bodies. She stared up at the sun, where it rested in the sky, as compared to earlier in the day. "Only a few more hours left, at best, before it makes way for the moon," she whispered to herself, as she glanced back down, ahead of her. "Which means, if I intend to set up a fire, I should stop soon for the day," Aello added. The next clearing should do. Aello kept on walking alongside the colors in silence, until the sun was nearly behind the line of trees. She had yet to find a clearing though, and hoped to find something soon, or else, she'd have to settle for another area of forest. Something that may be so closely packed with foliage, that she could not safely light a fire, which could only serve to cause her to struggle to stay warm for the night. Finally, after several more minutes of walking, Aello came to a small clearing. The bottom of it was lined with mud, and an old maple had fallen across its left side. Cutting it off from the right. Exhausted, Aello dropped her bag, and then rested her bow on top. She let her body sag, and then sink to the ground. Relieved that the weight of her things had left her shoulders. Relieved that she wouldn't have to force herself to do all that much more. Aello rummaged through her pack, and drank a sip of water, and then sucked at air. "Bloody empty," she grumbled, as she flipped the skin over, and watched a single droplet of clear water spill out. Aello sighed. We'll have to refill that soon, lest we bloody well lose it with thirst. Aello closed the lid to her empty waterskin, and put it back in her bag. She leaned up against it, and allowed herself a moment to simply rest. To gather herself. She would be stuck in this place for the night. With the colors, for a time, and would simply, have to make due with what she had. The girl sat in silence, until the colors faded away on their own, she was simply too tired to maintain their continual presence. Although the colors had made her uneasy, their absence scared her. For now, she truly was all alone. With nothing, but the dead of what would soon be night.

[Aello]

Aello remained in a position which would allow for rest until a time in which her body began to feel at rest. A time in which her heart had returned to a more natural pace, her throat didn't feel quite so dry, her chest rose and fell all the less often, and sweat had disappeared from her brow. Best get some wood and kindling for a fire, Aello thought, as she eased herself up, and onto her feet. She stretched her sore limbs out, by first reaching for her toes, and then the sky, before taking on a more natural stance. Hockay, here goes, she told herself, as she walked out of the clearing, and into the line of trees directly surrounding it. The girl wove her way around, bending to pluck large sticks off the ground whenever she found one. As her pile grew larger and larger, Aello's arms sank beneath the weight of the wood. The small chips and splinters that clung to her clothing. Deciding it best to take what she had back to camp, before going out for another load, Aello returned and dropped everything off in the center of the clearing, before going out again. When she had built another stack of heavy wood, and her arms began to ache, Aello returned to the clearing, and added what she had to the pile of firewood. She sighed heavily as the wood tumbled against the rest, and her arms ceased to feel quite so heavy. "Just one more trip for some kindling, and we'll be golden," Aello whispered, as she made her way back into the line of trees, and planted her gaze upon the uneven terrain. She let her eyes dart back and forth, from left to right, as though she were reading a book. Each time she saw a brown leaf, or twig, she'd bend to pluck it off the ground, and add it to the pile of kindling she was collecting. When she had gathered so much that some of the leaves were beginning to slip through her fingers, and flutter to the ground, Aello returned to the clearing, and put her pile down next to the firewood. Aello took a deep breath, grasping for air as she placed her hands on her hips. Hockay, now to light this sucker, Aello thought, as she quickly sorted through the wood, organizing them based off their relative size. When she was done, she picked up some of the wood in the largest stack, and leaned them up against each other, so that they made a teepee. The structure was somewhat lopsided, but the girl knew it would do. The girl strode over to her bag, and rummaged through it, until she had found her tindertwig. She pulled it out, and placed it in her pocket. She then walked over to the kindling, and picked up two handfuls- one for each of her hands. She went back to the site of the fire then, and placed the kindling into the center of the teepee. "Alright, now to light this now that everything is in place," Aello whispered, as she pulled the tindertwig out of her pocket, and knelt by the side of the fire. She extended her hand, and brushed the tindertwig against the nearest bit of wood until it began to spark. She smiled weakly as the twig kept on sparking, and then finally, the kindling took. A small, slender orange flame engulfing a few leaves. Causing them to curl and crackle alongside the heat. Aello pulled her body away from the fire a bit, so that the flames would not jump out and lick her knees. She could feel its warmth building, alongside its glow, as the orange light crept across the back side of each of the logs which comprised the wooden teepee. She lowered her head, and blew gently on the fire, fanning the flames, allowing it to grow. To send stronger tendrils of grey smoke spiraling into the air. Finally, the girl pulled her head away, and sat next to the fire, pulling her bag up against her and putting the tindertwig back. Aello's stomach growled. Causing her to groan as she reached into her bag for the rest of the jerky she had stored. She ate it hurriedly, and licked her lips clean when she was done. She drew her legs into her chest, and held her hands out to the fire, simply to keep them warm. She knew, as the sun sank from the sky, that the fire was a danger. It would alert people to her presence, and animals too. Although, it may scare some of the animals away. But it was a risk she would have to take, in order to keep herself warm. Aello shivered. It's going to be a long night. OOCSorry this post gets rather dry.

[Aello]

Aello sat by the fire for what felt like an eternity. Her body trembling through most of it, her teeth chattering as the sky was overcome by night's dark blanket. As the moon replaced the sun, causing the temperature to drop. As the wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves that still clung to their branches, Aello's long brown hair. Why must this time of year always be so cold? Aello wondered, as she pulled her legs against her chest, even further than before, to help lock in the heat that radiated off the crackling fire. As she pulled her cloak about her all the more tightly, and covered her features with her hood. The girl shivered again. Because it's the middle of the fall season, and will soon be winter. Well thank you for stating the obvious... Aello rolled her eyes. You asked and I told you. If you don't want a bloody answer, than don't ask. Fine! Hmph! Aello folded her arms over her chest, and scooted closer to the fire. She could feel it warming her feet to the best of its ability, and her legs, but she could hardly feel its warmth against her face. She inched even closer, just out of reach of the flames that leapt from the fire from time to time, and threatened to taste her skin. To burn her. Aello continued to sit in silence. Listening to the sounds of the night- birds flapping their wings overhead, the crackling of her fire, her chattering teeth, the whistling of the wind, the sound of tiny feet scurrying across the forest floor, leaves swaying in the wind, the howling of wolves off in the distance. The girl sighed. "It is going to be a very, very, long, cold night," Aello whispered to herself as she watched the flame. Jumping up towards the sky, reaching for it, as it sent smoke spiraling into the air. She shivered. Perhaps there is some way for you to warm yourself up. Something in the forest, other than the fire, that you may use in order to keep yourself alive, to face yet another day, come morning. Aello nodded, and glanced around the clearing. All there was was the fire, her things, and the tree strewn across the place. The tree! Aello leapt to her feet, and immediately, strode over to her wood pile. She picked the tallest branches up, and walked over to the fallen tree. She lay the sticks up against the side of the tree, in a straight line. Fitting them as closely together as she could manage. When she had used up all the sticks she had gathered in her hands, Aello went back to her pile, and repeated the process with another load. When she was done, Aello stood back and surveyed her work. It looked like she had created a small, wooden tent, alongside the fallen tree. She smiled weakly, her eyes sparkling in the light of the stars. That should do, she told herself, as she got onto her hands and knees, and crawled into the structure she had crafted. Aello lay on her stomach, trying to rest. She could feel the wind sweeping through the spaces between the wood. The sticks rattling against each other each time it blew. No, this is no better than sitting next to the fire... in fact, it may be even worse. Perhaps, there is something to be done, about this shelter, so we can survive in the wilderness this night. OOCI know Aello built a sort of structure, but I don't want construction exp for this post. Just wilderness survival, since it is something she made out of the things around her, with her bare hands, to survive in the forest. >.<