Quest War

[Clyde Sullins]

Lake Ravok was a forgotten memory in the distance, long since out of sight. Which for Clyde was a bit unpleasant... It simply proved to remind him were he was going... A place he had long ago left, and still till this day hated and wanted to see as a smoldering crater, preferably at his own hand. But it was not good to dwell on such things, better to pour his anger into his magic, let the djed be woven into a form, that would end with a strike against Syliras, and its knights who thought so highly of themselves. But that was not know, that was for later. For know, they were camping for the night, and he and others had been tasked with setting up defenses. Clyde took a moment to think on this... Really, most attacking spells he could do would require his supervision, and a direct target... And though he could store spells, just setting them up randomly would be a waste... And any traps or pitfalls he could make using earth reimancy would also be a waste, to unlikely to be triggered and bypassed. So really, any offensive spell would be done by himself, against a foe in sight... All that left was defensive spells... But how could he use a offensive spell, in a defensive manner, he puzzled to himself... Not to directly attack... Then it hit him... The important thing was not that the attack hit... But that it alert them to intruders, so that he and the other people could bring to bear the full force of there might at there enemy... Not to mention a rather easy application. Something he had heard before, though he forget were... It was better to fight and work smarter, instead of harder... Taking out a piece of parchment, along with his ink and quill, he set to work, drawing out a simple focus, a small ball with wavy lines emanating, rather like a depiction of a sun... In black ink... Around it he curved wavy lines, making a dot in the inside of each curve, all around the focus, enforcing it past a simple single line, the dots deepening the glyphs and meaning... After that he attached a simple triangle trigger, and began work on the words for it... He needed to word it right, so it only went off when he needed it to... 'Release the magic within this sigil, when an enemy of Ravok or Rhysol, or someone who wishes to harm our camp, passes it.' Simple enough really, to do as was needed. That done, he began to generate res, letting it billow forth from his hands as a gas, collecting it into a globe in front of him... Feeling the sweat taste of magic in his mouth, that joyous feeling no mundane pleasure could ever bring him... With a twitch of a finger, he set the outside aflame, and began to rise it higher in the air... The fireball gaining height... Then all at once, he brought it down fiercely, crashing as hard and fast as he could into the focus, using a last spurt of res to push harder before he fully transmuted it and it struck the focus, to vanish within... Now, when the spell was released, it would shoot out a fireball up into the air at high speed, alerting anyone watching that an enemy was coming from that way. That done, he set about making a second and third one, and filling them the same way as the others... Perhaps another mage would see what he had done, and decide to do the same as him. Regardless if anyone else decided to do the same, he set out after a decent number were done, to space them out all around the campsite, making a ring within which if anyone against them approached, the magic would be set off within the nearest scroll.

[Clandestine Duplais]

Gallo watched the magnificent flames conjured by his powerful teacher. It was a reminder to the young man just how powerful Clyde was, not to mention how fortunate it was that he was his mentor. He followed Clyde loyally throughout the process all the while he studied the process closely, Gallo never knew when he may re-learn something he had forgotten. But as Clyde neared his completion of the initial barrier Gallo wondered to himself if it really would be enough. "Teacher," he turned to Clyde, "what if we are attacked by a party in greater number than ourselves?" Gallo wandered away from Clyde some feet and looked at the ground around them. "Wouldn't it be of benefit to set some traps as well as signals?" Gallo was as polite as he could be as he thought of creative but not so practical ways to set up traps. "Perhaps something simple like a shallow hole. They could break their ankle in it if they are running." Gallo paused as another thought occurred to him, "Maybe fill the hole with short, spikes from these branches to help trap a foot. Then add something like your fire to set them ablaze before they can escape." Gallo looked at the leaves that surrounded them, "it would be easy to cover them up and protect scrolls from the elements, there is plenty of leaf cover to help conceal them." Gallo stopped in thought after a long moment, "wait a minute, you could use other elements right? Could one of them be used to set up barriers of rock maybe? Or perhaps rain rock down onto those who trigger them. Or even drown them." Gallo didn't really see the traps as vicious, they were only for the greater safety and security. Those that sought to harm them deserved to suffer before they died. "Perhaps if one were to fall in such a trap, they would call to their god and find that no answer will come. Only one true lord will help them see the light." He smiled and waited for Clydes reply.

[Kyra]

Kyra moved cautiously through the forest, eyes of golden embers searched the trees and grass around her, watching for any movement. Scouting the area and bring back food for the group, that was her task. Easy enough for the kelvic to complete possibly even on her own. As she had pointed out herself, she was a hunter and was used to fetching game. Kyra was also a thief in her own right, a novice, but a thief none the less. Scouting, as it was called wasn't alien to her, and while her methods were more then likely very different from what Samara was used to, it worked well enough.

She found it interesting however, that the speaker did not explain exactly how far she wanted them to scout. She pondered this curiously as she continued on, and finally came to the conclusion that she would scout for as long and as far as it took for her to find food. Once she had caught enough game, she would simply head back to the camp. There were others who had been sent out as well, and none seemed to have come with her either. She could only imagine that each had went out on their own and searched a different area, in short each scout was on his or her own.

The thought crossed her mind, though Kyra wasn't intimidated at all, she was inspired. It was a good way to prove her skills to Samara and her worth as a scout, hunter, or whatever rank she was listed under. If she could bring back a lot of game, possibly more than the others, then she would have proven herself. Kyra would be important...not as much as others ranked higher than herself, but perhaps enough that Samara would take notice. Kyra could only wonder about such things, having no idea how it would turn out once the events unfolded. She moved forward, further into the brush, and took note of her surroundings and even the darken sky above.

Crack..

The sound was noticed quickly as she paused, her lean body enveloped, hidden under the droping branches of a somewhat willowed tree. In the short distance ahead stood an elk, full muscular body standing tall, bulking neck stretched upward causing the large, sharp antlers to crane back at an angle. Eyes of black, colorless orbs peered out into the night. The animal leaned it's head back more, it's mouth gaping open as a bugling sound erupted from within. The elk paused for a tick, without moving an inch from the spot that it stood, before calling out again.

Kyra moved forward a step and pulled the hood from her head. Loose strains of pale, blonde hair tumbled free and fell against her cheeks. She silently removed the bow from her shoulder and pulled an arrow from the quiver still resting on her back. Raising her bow, she aimed the head of the arrow on the elk's body and fired. She didn't wait to see if it hit before taking another arrow out to fire. It was best to shoot fast and fire more arrows, which increased her chances of hitting her target.

The first arrow soared true and pierced the elk's side. The animal cried out and jumped, causing the second arrow to slip just over it's raised back. Kyra pulled a third arrow free of the quiver and readied it against the bow to fire just as the elk took off into the brush. She didn't hesitate, and fired her arrow while her prey was still in sight. The arrow spun out of the bow, and slipped through the air, making it's bed in the elk's rear. Lowering her bow, the kelvic quickly raced after the animal and disappeared into the brush behind it.

Kyra forced her way through the bushes and tangles of grass and twigs in pursuit of the elk. The area before her was heavy with more bushes and trees with low hanging branches and high grass, leaving no visible trail or walking path. She paused, her arms tight, stretched out while holding her bow at her thighs. The arrow she retrieved made a soft almost inaudible click as it pushed against the bow. Scanning the trees in front of her, Kyra noticed subtle movement, her gaze fixing on an obscure furred bulge in the tree ahead.

She raised her bow and fired, the arrow lifted off and pierced the elk in it's side. The animal groaned and bucked, before turned to run off again. As the elk move violently against the trees, it's antlers were suddenly caught in the low hanging branches, which slowed it's escape. Seeing her opportunity, Kyra slipped another arrow into her bow, moving out and closer to her target before she fired. She needed a clear shot, and one that would wound the beast enough so that she could take it down.

The arrow she launched tore through the silent winds and through the neck of the elk as well. An almost hollow shrill echoed from the elk's mouth, as it broke free of the tree branch and stumbled forward. It was dazed, and found breathing to be hard and walking slow. The wound in it's side was also wearing on it, all in all bringing the animal closer to it's death. Through glazed eyes the elk watched, as Kyra, almost seeming to come from the night's sky barrowed down upon it. With the animal finally on the ground, she quickly reached for her dagger and used it to slit the elk's throat.

The trek back to the camp was longer than she had imagined, as she had to drag the hulking create the whole way. Normally towing the weight of animals, even at this size wasn't a problem for the kelvic. However before she had only dragged them a short distance before pulling them into a tree. She had wondered far from the camp, and in her race to catch her meal, she had traveled even further. Kyra would stop and rest for a few ticks when she needed to, and continue on her way, while dragging the dead animal behind her.

When she finally made it back to the camping site, Kyra released her grip on the antlers of the elk and stood up. Most of the people were busy, but there were some who saw her come back, their eyes widen in surprise. Most likely they were wondering how a girl so small had dragged a full elk back to the camp on her own. Surly it was nothing that a mere human could do. Kyra tilted her head, an aggressive yet playful look glowing in her golden eyes. It would seem that her secret was out...

[Iskessah]

Iskessah almost didn't sleep the first night they camped in the wilds. Despite Samara's promises, she could not believe that she would be safe from the fates that usually befell non-humans in Ravok. Not until she had proven herself too valuable or dangerous to cross. Sleeping on the cold, bumpy ground was so different from the bed she was used to, and she awoke several times in the night. Each time it took her a few moments to remember where she was, and to check that she was still in human form. Outside the safehaven that was Ravok, the autumn air chilled her to the point that she almost considered turning around and going back to her warm bed. She could only stand the prospect of being parted from it for so long by not thinking about it. Over the next few days, she slowly got used to sleeping outdoors. She still woke up a couple of times a night to pull the bedroll more tightly around herself, but she managed to fall back to sleep more quickly. As they traveled during the days, she tried to spend most of the time walking in the sun, soaking its warmth into her skin. Being sent to hunt on the fifteenth day (few enough that she was still keeping track, but just barely), was the first chance she had to really get away from the group. She set out deliberately in the opposite direction from the other girl who had been sent to hunt. She was not in the mood to try and fail to make friends. Besides, this way she'd be able to stretch her not-legs without the whole group learning what she was. When she was out of sight of the camp, she removed her clothes and stashed them at the base of a tree where she'd be able to find them later. A few dozen yards farther from the camp, she stretched into her snake form. She hadn't shifted forms since they'd left Ravok, and she had almost forgotten just how good it felt! It was like scratching an itch she hadn't noticed until it was gone. And the senses! She could actually use more than her eyes to discover what was happening around her. It was more than amazing...it was a relief. She slithered across the forest floor, for a time just enjoying the scents and sights of the warm bodies all around. They seemed much smaller than she remembered. She wondered if she had really grown so large in her captivity that the wild beasts of the forest no longer seemed significant. She hoped that was not the case, for it seemed such a sad thing to have no prey large enough to fill her stomach all at once. True she had been getting used to filling herself several times a day as humans did, but she remembered what it was like to not have to eat for days at a time, and she sorely missed the feeling of being truly full. Ignoring the smaller rodents, she slithered straight for the largest creature she could sense: a small deer. What she didn't expect was for the deer to instantly hear her coming, and bound away at surprising speed. She paused in confusion. Wasn't she supposed to be fast? Wasn't that how she hunted? It occured to her that it had been decades since she'd last tried to catch her own meal. How much of her natural skills has she lost? What had Ravok done to her? Humans and their machinations had no business in the forest, and for a moment it seemed to Iskessah that she didn't either. Then she remembered why she had come on this trip in the first place. To regain that part of herself that she had lost. How did she used to hunt? From what she could recall, it seemed that she tended to lie in wait for prey to pass her by, and then strike before they had time to react. But she could not just wait anywhere and expect prey to find her. She put her nose into the air, flicking her tounge in and out, trying to find a trail that the prey commonly used. She slithered into a coil on a sunny spot in the middle of what seemed to be such a trail, as far as she could tell. Then, she waited, passing the time by taking a relaxing snooze. After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, she was woken by a sound. She tried not to move as she determined what it was. From the smell it seemed to be another deer, though this one was slightly larger and had antlers. Iskessah watched as it picked its way carefully along the trail, alter for any danger. She waited for it to notice her, but either luck was with her or she was better at keeping still than she thought, because it kept coming slowly toward her. When it was in range, she bared her fangs and struck! Unfortunately, she was either too slow or too clumsy, and she missed the buck's leg. Even worse, the buck was now alerted to her presence. With an aggressive sound, he reared up and stomped at the space where Iskessah's head had been a few moments more. Unaccustomed to fighting in her snake form, she was moving slower than usual, but she was still more agile than the buck. Still, she did not want to risk getting her valuable brains anywhere near those hooves, which meant biting him was out of the question. She had only one other defense, so she raised her tail, ready to bludgeon him with her rattle. She swung her tail wildly, feeling it connect but not being sure with what. She was too focused on offense, and still possessed the arrogance to believe she was more powerful than this beast and therefore could not be threatened, so she was not taking very good care to avoid his hooves. As a result, the buck managed to stomp hard on her midsection. Her pain and rage lent a fury to the blows of her tail that she had not realized was possible, and that combined with an incredibly lucky shot to the head allowed her to brain the beast. As the buck fell to the forest floor, Iskessah's adrenaline faded and the full pain of her midsection hit her. If she had been in human form she would have cried out. As it was, she writhed, trying to assess the damage to her organs. After some time, the immediacy of the agony faded, and she suspected that she had been badly bruised, but would proably recover. She now need only get the accursed plant-eater back to the camp. Surely this would be enough to appease the humans, and she could recover from her injury. Having no other way to carry the large meatsack, she shifted gingerly into her Dhani form, trying not to hurt herself worse by recklessly moving her organs about. It hurt, but ultimately did not seem to do further harm. She carried the buck back toward camp, making sure to shift back to human (her injury now positioned somewhere around her kidney) and dress before dragging the carcass the rest of the way. She dropped it in front of whoever she assumed would cook it, then limped off to her bedroll to rest.

[Verilian]

Aello Aello could certainly hear the beast rumbling behind her, tearing through the trees. Though they did slow it, they did not stop it, and the creature kept up its pursuit. Aello's arrow had drawn its attention, and it was after her specifically, but it slowed when it spotted one of the other assassins, the one Aello called Red. The man was standing some distance away, facing the beast, and waving his hands as he extruded djed from his pores and began to shape it into a deadly spear-like shape. The creature turned toward him and Red released his magic, hurling it in the monster's direction. As it flew toward the beast it began to harden, taking the form of ice, and the creature didn't even try to dodge as it was caught in the shoulder by the lance. It roared in pain, and Red was already beginning to form another lance of ice, then the beast narrowed its eyes and unleashed a wave of force from its mouth. What Red saw caused his eyes to widen and give up his casting in an instance, turning and diving to the side as the very ground beneath him began to warp and twist. In a path, straight from the creatures mouth to beyond where Red had once stood, the very fabric that held the trees and ground together had been rent by pure chaos, twisted and torn. The mage quickly climbed to his feet and began to run, heading for the sound of Aello's voice, and glad that he managed to dodge the attack before the rending effect hit him as well. Red and one of the other assassins, an archer much like herself, managed to catch up to Aello just as they exited the tree-line, finding themselves coming to an abrupt halt as they reached a cliff. All of them were out of breath, and they could hear the beast not far behind them. There was still one assassin missing, but they didn't really have time to search for it. The monster was almost upon them. Everyone Else As Clyde, Gallo, and the other mages set to work putting up the camp defenses, Samara watched from a distance. Clyde was one of her newest initiates, but Gallo was somebody she was unfamiliar with. She found it curious that Clyde would take him on as an apprentice. What was so special about the man, that would pique the interest of a powerful mage like Clyde, when all mages were so protective of their secrets? She also knew that Clyde was not overly fond of her, and knowing he had an apprentice was a fact she could use to her amusement later on. Samara watched as the other mages snickered at Gallo for his drawings, and took note when he began to suggest more mundane traps. In truth it was a good idea, though likely not necessary, and in fact the entire process of setting up the camp's defenses weren't really necessary. It was more just to give the mages something to do. But Gallo's suggestion made Samara smile, not for its ingenuity, but because she could use it to screw with her newest initiate. "That's a good idea," Samara said as she stepped out of the shadows, "You mages should listen to this man here, he is smarter than you think. With all the wild djed still in the air, mundane traps could be the extra edge we need if something goes wrong. Clyde, do please help... Gallo? Do please help Gallo to set up some mundane traps, that is, when you have finished with your drawings, of course." Samara grinned as she walked away, leaving them to it. Perhaps it was cruel to use Gallo as a pawn in her game of picking on Clyde, but it was going to be a long trip, and the Paladin needed something to entertain herself with along the way. As for the hunters, Kyra and Iskessah were by far the most impressive of those who were sent out. Kyra returning with a large elk, and Iskessah with her buck, far outshined the rabbits and birds the other hunters and scouts managed to snag. But there was little praise to be had, and while many were surprised by their success, nobody spoke out. Not even Samara seemed to care, though it was hard to tell because she hadn't been there to see them arrive. The game was well on its way to being processed before the Paladin ever found out about it, and even then, nobody told her who had provided it. She was merely pleased with the meal that was to come. Their night to be noticed was not far away, though, and when the time came, they might have wished they never found their fame. All in all, the night passed in peace, and for the fifteenth night, they slept undisturbed. Everyone save for Iskessah, perhaps, who would be feeling the very first of the mountain breezes. The cool wind was especially chilling for her, and was only a taste of what she would feel further up into the mountains. It might be time for the snake to search for warmer clothing. As for the rest of the camp, the night passed by in peace, and in the morning, they packed up and moved on. Moving forward again... Timestamp: 35th of Fall Location: Somewhere in the Cobalt Mountains, traveling slowly Travel through the mountains was slow, they were not following any set path, and often the way was treacherous. The scouts were particularly important at this part of the journey, both because they were entering Syliran territory, and in order to search out the safest routes. They knew what direction they needed to go, but the map didn't show them the safest way to get there. During the journey Samara had taken a particular interest in Gallo, or rather, she was interested in using Gallo to annoy Clyde. She would often praise him over the smallest things, speaking highly of his intelligence and skill, while ignoring Clyde or flashing him mischievous smiles. There were times when Samara would invite Gallo to walk with her, though they chatted little on these walks, but she did it solely because she wanted to see Clyde's reaction. "I am thirsty," Samara announced as the unit came to a halt, waiting for the scouts to figure out the best way down a cliff. "Gallo, go tell Clyde to fetch me some water. I saw a stream when we were climbing that hill a few chimes back, I would love some fresh mountain water." While Gallo busied himself carrying out the task Samara had given him, Iskessah and Kyra were once again part of the scouting party. Their current task was to find the best way down, or around, a cliff, which wouldn't be easy considering the supplies they were transporting. Luckily the sun was shining brightly, and Iskessah wasn't feeling sluggish that day. Despite their altitude, she would find that as long as she stayed out of the shadows, it wasn't too bad. Neither of the pair likely had any experience dealing with getting large groups of people and their supplies down a cliff, but after their success with the hunt, people seemed to think they were the ones with the answers, and all eyes turned to them. OOC : Okay, so you guys feel free to just kind of make stuff up here. Something interesting will happen in the next post. Also, everyone feel free to post at the Ravok Basecamp if you want extra missions. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[Aello]

Muddied irises widened as breath caught in the back of the throat. Forming a ball like enclosed fist, which trapped all incoming air. Near gargling, the startled huntress pressed her heels into the parched soil. Bringing her form to grinding halt. Pebbles screeched as they slid against the ground ahead of her. Cascading over the edge, lending final choke to neck, as she watched them bounce towards the ground. Another canopy of dense foliage. She listened to their clicks as she turned from left to right, taking note of her remaining companions. "Where's uh... what's his face?" Aello asked as she struggled to catch her breath. She thought she saw Red offer her a shrug in answer, as her ears prickled, and the tiny hairs that lined the back of her neck stood at attention. She could hear branches breaking, feel the ground trembling, beneath her feet, and knew that the horrid creature was getting closer. "Well, there's no time to look for him, and we're all getting tired. So let us be the place to make our final stand. To end that... thing." Her thumb brushed over the supple curve of her father's old bow, as her fist tightened around it. "Alright, this is what we're going to do. Red you stand with him towards the left side, nearing the edge of the cliff. I will stand opposite," Aello began. "Start compiling your magic Red, for when the thing nears, you are to give him a little push towards the edge. It should be weakened now, from chasing us, so you need not expend all your energy, as you may have to defeat it before." The girl paused, to catch her breath. Swallow her saliva to wet her throat. "As your wind hits its back, lift the ground from beneath its feet, helping to propel it over the edge. While that is happening, the two of us shall rain arrows upon its legs, each archer taking the limb closest to them, serving to halt it. Bring it into the eye of your tornado Red, the center of our trap. If not that, at least we could weaken it enough where it should help you do your job. Got it you two?" she asked, as she backed away from them, moving towards her end of the arena. The huntress thought she had seen both men nod as they readied themselves, and she too, pulled two raven feather fletched arrows from her quiver, and nocked them onto the serving of her bow. Swiftly, she took position, as she pulled the string back with her right hand, closed her left eye, and forced her breath to halt. As the string grew taut, as she held it behind her right ear, she could scarcely hear the creature's cries above the thundering of her own heart. This better petching work, she thought as the gravel rattled against the earth with its approach. It will, another portion of her mind insisted. It has to. "If only we strike at the proper time," Aello whispered into the stilled winds. "Lady time, goddess Tanroa, please, please let us do that," she finished, near pleading. Her voice weak, trembling. "Dira, don't let us die..." OOCV, I hope you don't mind my bossing 'em. Feel free to holler if it's a problem.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde just looked at Gallo, and shook his head. Though he gave him a small smirk. At least he was trying, even if he had no clue what he was talking about, and was unoriginal. "If you want to exhaust yourself on traps that are more than likely going to miss, or get set off by something else, or never be activated, go ahead. I prefer to put things to use. And if I need to use reimancy, I don't want to be exhausted form a bunch of hit and miss attempts." Looking down at his latest creation, he smiled once more, turning back to Gallo. "And if we do get attacked by a great number, I especially need to be at full strength. Magic is a great force multiplier, and I can take on a great many mundane foes with it, with little help." He listened to Gallo's ideas, and one clear thing came to mind. They did not really require magic. All he was saying could be done mundanely, with physically digging a hole, and such. It would be a waste of energy to use magic to do it. If it had to be done, it could be done mundanely, without him. He was probably one of the strongest mages in this group, if not the strongest. He was about to set off to place his newest scroll, when who but Samara should appear. His eyes focused on her, seeing her, as he listened to what she had to say... He doubted it would be anything to his liking... He still recalled the previous times they had met... And recalled her enjoyment with messing with him, and doing whatever she could to pester him. He refused to fall to her game, and let her get to him. He should have known... Should have realized she would try to take advantage of Gallo, to mess with Clyde... He didn't bother telling him why she was being so nice, or so friendly. Let him think what he would. Clyde knew she was just using him as one might use a axe or a shovel or some other tool. For a moment his anger almost got the better of him, voicing his fury at being used as common labor, when he had the power of the elements at his disposal. But though the fury raged in his eyes, he kept his mouth and face neutral, and simply nodded... Heading off and grabbing a shovel to help Gallo with one of his mundane traps... ------- 35 Fall 512 Clyde had been relying heavily on his staff. He always carried it around, but now it was getting a lot of use, to keep him from falling on his face, and while he was going up and down the mountainous region. Apparently taking it with him had paid off. Samara was really starting to get to him. Even though he had long since figured out her game, it was still annoying him. It would only be a matter of time till she pushed it to far, and used up all of his reserve of paitence, and he flipped out and attacked her. Thankfully that time had not occurred yet, and he still had some left... What he really needed was some time alone... Some time to himself to collect himself, and away from anyone pestering him. Really at this point, everyone was grating on his nerves. Clyde was a solitary creature, he preferred to work alone and be alone most of the time... Luckily Samara had not picked up on that, or she would probably use it to her advantage to, and constantly have him surrounded by others. Funnily enough, Samara's request was exactly the sort of task he would love nothing better than to do. A trek away from the main group, by himself, to fetch some water. Splendid! It was certainly better than anything else she might send him for. A walk alone would do wonders for his nerves. He did his best to not let his satisfaction show, especially to Samara, as he took the waterskin from Gallo, and set off alone with his staff in one hand, and the waterskin in the other. He moved quickly to get away from the others, only slowing down once he was out of earshot of the rest. Taking in a deep breath, he felt calmer already being by himself. He headed off back the way they had come, to get some water from the stream, a small smile twitching on his face, taking in his surroundings the best he could with his dull senses.

[Clandestine Duplais]

"Hmm things seem to be going quite nicely," Gallo thought to himself, "Samara seemed to have taken a liking to me. Hello Clyde even helped me. Perhaps maybe I am worth at least something." Lost in his own daydream, Gallo stumbled on the stone but caught himself before he could fall. "I really hope no one saw that." Gallo kept up with Clyde as much as he could as he trailed behind him. "Hmm, seems Samara wants me to come over again. Lord, I hope she didn't see." Gallo speed up his step and caught up with Samara. Very little was said between the two, however Gallo felt it was still an honor to be around a paladin. Hours passed and time moved slowly as they traveled through the mountains. Inevitably, the party soon came to a halt. Gallo still by Samara's side, "hmm, she wants me to tell Clyde to get water for her? I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself." Gallo pondered for a moment. He began to move toward Clyde while he continued to back track what he was naive to see before. "Hmm, first the traps, then the bouts of travel with her, this?" Gallo pondered for a long moment before, "Ahh I get it now! She thinks Clyde is inadequate." He handed the water skin to his apprentice, who seemed unusually fond of the idea of fetching water. "Hey Clyde I--" Gallo began to speak but was cut off as Clyde turned around and left. Gallo crooked his face, "perhaps he is mad with himself? I'd like to find out." As Clyde's form vanished into the distance, Gallo soon followed behind as well. Gallo followed at a distance as the sound of water grew louder and louder. Soon Gallo could see Clyde as he filled the water skin. Clyde seemed to be at peace alone. "Hmm maybe he wants to be alone. But then, I have something to ask him anyway. Keeps echoing in my ear." Gallo only paused for a moment before he continued toward Clyde. "Hello!" Gallo called to Clyde to announce his presence and not surprise him. "Sorry about Samara, I don't think she thinks highly of you." Gallo spoke with innocence in his tone. Gallo remained silent and tuned out any protests that Clyde might have as he figured them to be nothing but denial. However, if he began to give a brief history between the two he may take it as truth. But that wasn't really what he wanted to ask Clyde in private. "Clyde, I have something important to ask you." Gallo rubbed his head and fidgeted with his hands, "I'm not sure if this is of any importance or even any of my business but do you owe someone something?" Gallo paused, "I mean the guy seemed to be a bit strange, he might have been just a broken wanderer. But he threatened you, said your life was in danger. I sort of felt it was important to tell you," Gallo looked away from Clyde for a bit, "because I guess I consider you a friend?" "Is this what a friendship is like?" Gallo wondered to himself, he hadn't really had a friendship before. Though the weight of that abnormality hadn't graced his mind, ignorance proved to be bliss. "Are you hiding something from me?" Gallo asked with a bit of a grin. A playful tone, he asked the question almost dismissively or even half hearted.

[Kyra]

Kyra had been surprised that no one had anything to say about her return to the campsite with an elk, and all by herself as well. Perhaps they were used to kelvics and had already known what she was, or maybe those dainty humans she saw in the city really could pull such weight alone. After all, ants and other animals such as leopards were able to pull more than their weight, so why was it not possible for the humans? She wasn't sure of this, nor did she really believe that it was possible. Still, for whatever reason no one said anything which meant that her secret was safe, though as her confidence grew the more time she spent living alone and caring for herself, she didn't feel the need as much to hide it.

During the meal, Kyra devoured as much of the meat as she could take in. She didn't care if anyone saw the way she tore through the meat as if it were her first meal in ages.
Everyone seemed off in their on, which was good for them because Kyra became very aggressive when eating and would likely had taken off an arm if anyone reached near or for her. Once she was done eating, she settled in close to the fire pit. Watching the flames dancing about calmed her and allowed her to drift off into another time. Back when she used to lie on the floor at her home and watch the fire place there.

She didn't sleep long that night, a few chimes passing before she was up and walking the camp ground again. It was a different forest than she was used to, but still a forest, a place of the wilds outside of the city. There was a kind of freedom she felt whenever she left the city for a time and sometimes she wondered if she would even go back. Perhaps once this was all over, and she had taken care her those who had wronged her, she would disappear back into the forest, but that was yet to be seen.

35th of Fall

The full meal that she had taken in would serve her well on this day. Being a part of the scouting team meant that she was up and moving before most of the others in order to search the area before the group moved into it. This was fine with her and since she had already been awake for some time and gotten very bored, a trip into the mountains was just what she needed. Kyra was good at finding her way around, and never had to wonder far before she found a route that would take her to her destination. This however, was quite different. There was an army behind her, carrying a lot of supplies.

It wouldn't be possible for the large group to move themselves through the narrow and uneven slopes that the nimble kelvic could do alone. There had to be another way, a larger area they could all travel. Kyra continued to look around, making light steps in a single row as she balanced herself on the rocky edges and peered down the mountain side. She saw different places in which the group could climb down, but the supplies remained a problem.

Finding a large rock shaped curved on the side of the mountain, Kyra pushed her body against the surface and started to climb up. She moved her finger tips into the ridges in the rock and pulled herself up while pushing against the lower half of the wall with her boots. Once she was far enough up to see over and below, she keeled on the perch and stared out into the open terrain. There were many paths carved out into the mountain side over the years, and while some would lead to lower ground, others were dead ends leading to more rock that judged out from the mountain side.

As she continued to scan the area, her golden eyes brightened, as she focused on a path that seem to almost circle around to the very bottom of the mountain. It was possible that the path would only lead part of the way, but it was the only one that she saw that was large enough for the group to travel upon together. Figuring that it was a good shot, Kyra turned and slowly made her way back down and headed back to the camp to inform Samara.

[Iskessah]

Normally Iskessah would have resented the impossibility of the task she had been assigned, but she was in a good mood today. The sun was bathing her in warmth, and she felt almost energetic. Certainly, clambering around rock-faces would keep her active enough to prevent her getting cold. She took a moment to consider her strategy; she might be more mobile in her other forms, but even if she weren't still worried about discovery, the point was to find a path the whole group could take. She might as well search in her human form then, since few would be able to follow her as Dhani. She decided to search in a logical pattern. She started along the edge of the cliff toward the east, looking for paths wide enough that a wagon could conceivably find its way down. she was pleased when she found a shallow, downward-sloping path almost immediately. What she didn't realize was that the ledge she walked on was hollow underneath, and so when she stepped on it, it crumbled beneath her. She grabbed for something to hold onto, but the rock was too smooth and she couldn't grasp the ledge in time before she tumbled down to another ledge below. This time, she barely managed to grab hold before she fell even further down the ravine. With some grunt of effort, she hauled her body up onto the ledge, her legs scrambling at the rock face in an attempt to boost her up. Breathing hard, she looked up at the path above. She must have fallen at least ten feet. A cursory attempt at scaling the wall proved that it was much too smooth for that to be effective, especially since she wasn't sure what she was doing. There really was only one way out. She would risk being seen... it was possible that Kyra girl would come this way as well.... "Petch thissss," she muttered, and began removing her clothes. She didn't care who saw at this point; running around the mountains in her short, senseless human form was ridiculous. Once her clothes were folded into a neat bundle, she began the transformation into her Dhani form. She had to be careful on the narrow ledge, but when she felt like she might tip over from her legs melting into a tail, she crouched lower to the ground and the cliff face. Her Dhani form was fifteen and a half feet long, plenty long enough to reach the path above. She tied her clothing around one arm so she wouldn't lose it, then stretched herself up. It turned out to be a bit awkward to lift even half of her length off of the ground, and so she tried to find hand-holds she could use to give her a bit more support on her way up. Eventually, she managed to grip the ledge above, and from there it was a relatively simple matter to pull her torso up and then slither the rest of the way onto the path. Having survived one adventure, she promptly set off to complete her task. The next path she found looked as promising as the first had, but her nose warned her of danger. This area had been marked heavily by some sort of predator. Iskessah did not want to mess with whatever it was herself, and she doubted the caravan would appreciate being led down such a path. She slithered on. The next path led a short way into a cave before stopping abruptly just as it emerged into sunlight. In her Dhani form she might have been able to slither down onto the path below, but certainly no human would make it safely, much less their supplies. With a patient sigh, Iskessah turned back, and continued searching. She seemed to have a spot of better luck after that. A shallowly descending trail, with sharp turns going back and forth led down a significant part of the cliff-face. At one point, there was a trail leading away from the switchbacks, but her search pattern determined that she should continue as she had been. If this turned out to be fruitless, she could always explore that other path on her way back up. When the switchbacks came to an end, there were several directions the trail led. The one to the right, she soon learned, traveled for a fair distance along the side of the cliff, before tapering off into almost nothing. She backtracked and chose the next path. This passed through a narrow space between two very large rocks, but Iskessah thought they might be able to manage the supplies. They might have to Unpack a few of them and carry them through a bit at a time, but that would still be faster than searching all over the mountains for a convenient path. She found two more dead ends, another cliff that crumbles beneath her (which did NOT cause her to fall, since most of her weight was still up the trail), and a path which seemed to have been taken over by some sort of hostile-looking stinging insects. Finally, after she was beginning to feel exasperated, she found a trail that led steeply downward. Before too terribly much longer, she realized that the landscape had flattened out considerably, and with some small surprise, it occurred to her that she had indeed found a path down the cliff. She was immensely relieved that the hard part was over, but she still had the climb back up to, er, look forward to. She wasn't convinced she'd be able to remember the exact way back down again though, so as she came back up, any time the paths diverged, she took some sturdy rocks, or branches that wouldn't roll away, and laid them off to the side of the trail in the shape of an arrow pointing the right way to go. By the time she reached the top, she was exhausted. She didn't know how many bells her search had taken, but she was sure it was more than a few. She was so tired she almost forgot to turn back to human before entering the camp (fortunately, she remembered with a start, and shifted and dressed immediately). She reported her finding to Samara in as few words as possible while still giving all the details, taking large gulps from a waterskin as she recovered from her task, and hoping that drinking while talking would mask any hissing sounds that escaped while she spoke. She wondered briefly if the other girl had fared as well, but decided she didn't care. She just wanted to rest, and maybe sleep for a week.