Beneath the stars (closed)

[Akiva Korvashi]

Akiva jumped up from her position on the ground, grabbing her bow and quickly slinging the quiver over her shoulder. She pulled an arrow out and put it to the bow. "Where is it?!" she called to him, ready to fire if it came running at them. "I'll have him." She noticed Keorvic was wounded and became sad, she hoped with intensity that he had not been inffected by this rabid animal, that she would have to shoot him down like she was going to do with this wolf. Looking around briefly for Kipps, she spotted him running toward their camp from the opposite direction, having sensed the panic that she was feeling now. He stopped a good thirty feet away, seeing the wolf run out of the forest. It ran jaggedly, not able to follow a straight path. She had never tried hitting a moving target, but today was the day she would do it, practice or no practice. She aimed and fired. the arrow strayed to the left, barely missing the wolf. She cursed and grabbed another one. Careful not to hit Keorvic as he ran, she shot another arrow off. It lodged itself in its left flank. It yelped and continued to run toward the camp, limping as it went. She grabbed another arrow and fired. It hit just above his front right leg, making him collapse. He stayed there, alive and wounded. He would surely die soon, but it was best to finish him off. Kipps walked up to her now, sitting behind her to use her as a guard. "He's not dead yet Kipps," she said, watching as the wolf slowly stood up, limping over to the camp at a much slower pace.

[Azerix]

Azerix had found the Vegetables he was looking for and was now stirring the pot with his cooking knife when Keorvic stormed into the camp and watched the scene unfold with Akiva and her bow "so you have taken lessons" he stated believing the beast was dead. When Azerix looked over at it and realized it was still breathing he honestly felt Sympathy for the beast it looked scared and in pain azerix walked over to it silently and placed his hand over its eyes watching the beasts mouth as not to be bitten "it is time for you to be put down my friend" Azerix opened his mouth and a stream of Res began to leave and touch the wolf on command the Res caught fire and a yelp left the wolf before it lay Motionless and burnt Azerix stood up "i hate the smell of burnt fur...but hey the soup is done!" he smiled looking back at the wolf "what a way to start a journey..."

[Keorvic]

Keorvic stumbled, blood falling in a steady stream from the gouge in his arm. he clenched his fist around the wound, trying to staunch the flow. It didn't seem deep, just messy. He stood up and looked behind him, noting the fall of the beast. surely with the wounds he had already inflicted, his companions should be able to take care of it. He managed to walk steadily to his pack, and looked back as Azerix suddenly torched the pathetic creature. "Rest easy." he intoned, relaxing and reaching for his bandages that he kept in the pack. He knew he had to clean out the wound, but first he needed to stop the bleeding. After several minutes, the camp had settled back down again, and he had managed to clean out his wound and bandage it to his satisfaction. "Thank you both for your assistance in taking down that beast. poor thing must have run afoul of a larger beast or a Knight to have received a wound like that." He said, handing back the waterskin he had managed to refill. He leaned forward and pulled out his all purpose bowl for meals and moved to dip out some of the soup. glancing at Azerix, he nodded his thanks, both at making the meal and finishing off the poor creature quickly. "What a way to start a journey indeed. Hopefully that will be the last of the excitement for a while, but somehow I doubt that." he said. To be perfectly honest with himself, he was somewhat exhilarated with his own performance regarding the encounter, and was similarly impressed both with Akiva's archery and Azerix's magic, though secretly he felt he had done most of the work. "I would have been in trouble were they not here though." he reminded himself, trying not to let hubris get in the way of his gratefulness. He finished his bowl of soup and took out the skull of the knucklebone trout he had managed to catch a few days before. it was already taking the shape of a swimming turtle, and with an hour or two of work he would have a finished product and be ready to start on something new. he had only managed to catch one other suitably large fish though, and would need to think carefully about what shape he would pull out of the bone.

[Akiva Korvashi]

She watched as Azerix toasted the wolf and shivered. She hoped she's never be on his bad side. She walked over, getting a bowl of soup, and sat next to Keorvic. It was nice of Azerix to make dinner for them without asking. She had expected to have to eat the last of the food she had packed tonight. Oh well, it was always nice to have backup when she needed it. "Thank you Azerix, this is delicious." She slurped down the rest of the soup and turned to Keorvic. "Are you okay? You didn't look too good when you came out of that forest," she was genuinely worried about him. He appeared to be okay now that he had bandaged himself, but she couldn't be sure. She touched the bandage lightly and leaned against his shoulder. "Next time I'll kill anything that wants to hurt you before it can get to you." She had hoped that she and Keorvic could play tonight, practice fighting or some such. That was out of the question now she supposed.

[Keorvic]

"Yes, I think from now on I'll not be wandering without my gauntlets." He said, wincing and recoiling slightly as the Kelvic prodded his bandaged forearm. He started to tell her to leave it alone, when she stopped and leaned against him. Akiva's concern was evident on her face, and he put his arms around her. "Next time something wants to hurt me i'll make sure you are much closer." he joked. He didn't want anyone to know just how shaken he was. It was strange, scary thinking about how close he had come to death. Had he been slightly slower the wolf would have had him by the neck. similarly, if he had stumbled and fallen running through the forest, the wolf would have caught up with him, and with how much blood he had been losing so quickly, who knows what might have happened. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night. things like being attacked by a rabid wolf tend to take it out of me. I'll take third watch unless anyone has any objections? Fantastic. Goodnight!" he said, not waiting for any answers and quickly shutting himself into his personal shelter.

[Akiva Korvashi]

"Well I guess that just leaves the two of us," she said to Azerix, helping him clean up after dinner. "I'll take first watch." It was still relatively early in the evening. The sun had set not long ago and the night air was cooling off. She smell of rabid wolf wafted over the campsite in the breeze. She cringed her nose and went to patrol the edges of the camp. Kipps curled up inside her tent, making use of the soft covering of her bedroll. "Thanks," she said blandly, "you're such a help." The grass was short for this time of year, and the earth was barren where they had made camp. She heard usual night sounds as she watched the trees, owls hunting for mice and such, other small animals scurrying about. She saw a deer or two run through the trees, wanting to shoot it, but she figured she should wait until tomorrow when it was daylight and she was able to save the meat. Bow in hand, she made a round or two, waiting for her turn to be over.

[Azerix]

Azerix watched the scene unfold in front him and didn't say anything until he was addressed directly by Akiva "i guess it does just leave us." he responded placing his untouched bowl of soup on the ground and watched Keorvic and Kipps settle into there tents. He yawned and laid back on his bag watching the stars, he hated killing animals and it made him sick to his stomach not to mention being so close to his home left a pit in stomach he rolled over to his side and watched Akiva pace around the camp, watched the way her body moved mesmerized by her. Azerix couldn't sleep so he sat back up and approached the Kelvic on guard gently touching her shoulder so she wouldn't attack him "So...how did you Keorvic meet?...you guys are really close i assume? then again it's not my business so you don't have to answer" he sat there uncomfortable he always becomes nervous around Beautiful woman and had a feeling he wasn't very good at small talk either. His eyes drifted through the trees to the hill not able to clear his mind of his past Azerix slipped off his robe "it is way to hot out here" underneath he wore a black shirt with loose black pants. on his left arm between the shoulder and elbow was a Scar of a flame. A Gnossis mark by no means but a self made reminder of how dangerous his magic can be. he sighed and looked up at the sky again.

[Akiva Korvashi]

She looked back as Azerix touched her, "Huh? Oh..we met at the Rearing Stallion, same day I met you." She looked back to the forest line, seeing him strip from the corner of her eye. Strange man...you'd think he would be more shy about that she turned back to him. Oh, he only took off his robe. "It's not too bad. The air's cooling down at least with the sun down." She scanned the treeline again, checking for danger. "Why don't you go to bed? You can sleep in my tent until your turn to watch is here, then I'll wake you up. I'm going over there," she said, pointing to a spot where she thought she had seen movement. She approached the area cautiously, it could be another rabid animal for all she knew. A rabbit jumped out of the forest, startling her. She made no noise though, there had to be something else. A rabbit couldn't have caused that big of a disturbance. She heard a rustle of leaves not more than 15 feet away. "Are you sure? I didn't see no adventurers around here." Said one man, obvioiusly not well educated and slurring his words as if he may have been drunk. "Of course, I saw'r em when we's goin to the city. There's three o' em and one a pretty lass at that. Prettier'n old Marla that's for sure. We snag her and take all their money and we got us a new setup." said another. his voice was much smaller and higher pitched. She figured he was the mastermind of the pair. She leaned over and picked up a rock, they were straight ahead of her and headed along the tree line closer to the camp. She threw the rock in the opposite direction. "What was that? That musta been them," said the one with the smaller voice, "Let's go get em." She heard the footsteps fading off into the forest before her. That was close, she thought as she ran back to camp to warn the others.

[Azerix]

Azerix looked back at Akiva "no thank you...i couln't possibly sleep in your tent...besides i have far to much on my mind to sleep" He tossed the robe on his Bag "i am getting sick of wearing those...i may just continue to wear this light clothing" he said not realizing that Akiva was already out of earshot. He had already had a feeling of being watched but decided not to say anything to Akiva he kept his eyes open and listened to the sounds around him watching, waiting for a sign of trouble or to see her come back from the Forrest. a few minutes passed by without any sign and Azerix began to worry "she is most likely just hunting a rabbit or something...you know cats do that...but she isn't a cat...i don't like these woods never did...never will" he climbed a tree hoping to get a view and spot her but all he could see was the trees and Darkness "damn it...why can't i have eyes like hers..." He sat in the tree longer until he heard the sound of footsteps through the brush "could that be her...or could it be another beast?" he let the Res flow out of his body forming into small balls in his hands he kept his eyes on the area the sound was resonating from it wasn't until he saw Akiva that he relaxed and drew back in the magic "hey...you okay?" he asked from his perch in the tree " i thought i heard voices is someone else here?" he looked back at the blackness that Akiva appeared from waiting for some angry beast or a band of Bandits to follow her footsteps.

[Akiva Korvashi]

"Bandits, I think. They were looking for us, me in particular. Don't worry though, I lead them off." She had been running toward the camp, but slowed now. "I suppose we should wake Keorvic, or not. Whatever you think is best, just stay here." She walked over to her tent, shedding first her bow and arrows, then her belt, boots, shirt, and breeches. "I'm going to follow them, make sure they don't ocme back this way. I'll be back before dawn." One second she was her human self, and the next she was less than a foot tall as her cat self. She meowed a "stay safe" to Azerix, forgetting he couldn't understand her like this. She turned to run after the bandits but found herself stopped by none other than Kipps. "Where are you going?" he said, circling her. "You can't go to wooded sea like that, not without me." "Fine, have it your way, but don't wander. They could be anywhere out here. I have to find the bandits, you'll hear them. They're loud and stupid." She ran past him and towards the edge of the forest, darting among the trees with an ease she had missed since arriving in the city. She hadn't had much time for cat-fun in Syliras. They caught up to the bandits within fifteen minutes, following from a safe distance. She heard them tramping across the fallen sticks and leaves, not skilled enough to be stealthy. One of them was mumbling, and the other spoke plainly, not trying to whisper or anything. "I think we lost em, boss. I don't see em anywheres. But that girl, she sure was pretty." "Shut it you fool, if they hear you like that they'll surely know wer're around, they're probably hiding behind one of these trees or something," said the other, just as loud. "Kipps, run west, towards the camp. I'll go east. Circle around them, it should confuse them. Make as much noise as you can. When I give the signal, jump up into a tree and stay there until they leave." She gave him directions and waited for him to run the opposite direction of her. Taking off herself she ran in a wide circle around the two men, passing Kipps. She made sure to step on all the twigs and leaves she could, noting that Kipps was doing the same. "Who's there!?" Yelled the smaller man. "It's got to be them, that way! They're going that way!" He ran off to the east. "Now Kipps!" she said, and jumped into the nearest tree, now trying to be stealthy. He followed her. They had stopped to the east of the men, and waited for them to pass under the tree. "Can I attack them?" Kipps asked, sharpening his claws on the bark. "No, we'll do that if they bother us during the day, but not at night. men like this are more used to fighting in the dark than we are. Now run, back to camp. They shouldn't bother us anymore, or at least not tonight." She jumped down from the tree after the men were out of sight and lead the way back. As soon as they stepped back into the camp she changed back to her human form forgetting to put her clothes back on. Keorvic wouldn't care in the least, but she didn't think he was awake still. Their activities had taken less than an hour or so in total, much faster than she expected. "All's well for now," she said to Azerix and sat down next to the fire.