Into the Rabbit Hole (Aello)

[Gunho Ma]

Winter 10, 511 AV Location: Somewhere in the Wildlands Gunho's feet stopped for a moment as he listened wordlessly to the howling wind that raced through the forest. It was no stronger than the last, no louder and there were no other sounds that accompanied it. A good sign. He was ill prepared to deal with more than the wind, he could only tolerate one mistress and Morwen was sufficient to bring him to the edge of his endurance. As he walked the lonely path back to his camp he saw them dancing before him again, dark and lean figures playing in the snow were at it again, the wind breathing life into them. He thought it scary at first, but now he didn't mind them at all, the tall shadows of the snow-capped pine that endured the weather offered the monk some small comfort from the bitter embrace of Morwen. This was Gunho's first time alone in the wilderness and he was fortunate that he was traveling with everything he possessed. Without the cloak, the layers of clothing atop each other and his supplies and foodstuffs he knew he would have died days ago. Strange how it took something so solemn to give him renewed respect and fear of nature. Gunho clutched the last pile of dead branches he had gathered nearby abreast. He would need to get a fire going before long, nightfall was not far along now. He flexed his fingers, trying to improve bloodflow and increase body heat. He still had his digits, perhaps he should have been counting his blessings rather than cursing his fortune. The mittens and the leather gloves over it did little to ward away the cold but they spared him from frostbite. He looked at the white sky, that dreadful white sky that continued to weep snow above and noticed it's diminished brilliance. Soon Syna would surrender her place to Akajia and swiftly behind the night, the threat of Dira's kiss would visit him again. He didn't know which day this was anymore, his lips were pale and bereft of it's healthy shade of rose and he could barely feel his nose. But the stars were his guide, when darkness came so too would that map of stars. He had been staring at the beautiful night sky since the first leg of his journey to Syliras and that curious idle wonder became to be his single hope of survival. He knew the way he must travel, knowing that there was a destination and an end to this torment could keep his spirits from failing. He drew his cloak tighter around him and trudged through the snow, the soft layer of ice parting in his wake. After several minutes he arrived at camp. It wasn't much, a small tent meant to house one, maybe two people. The thing was flimsy but it did hold off the worst of the cold at bay. Beside it, someone had piled together rocks and secured them into an concave form, it shielded something... a small fireplace. The monk stacked the firewood in a square pattern to maximize air circulation and heat generated, it was a pity that all he had to cook was potatoes and tomatoes... Gunho would have wanted to try meat just once. He started a fire and hurried outside to fill his pot with snow to be melted and boiled. A poor man's comfort, but anything warm was comparable to ambrosia when you were hungry and cold to the bone.

[Aello]

Aello glanced down at the ground. The cold earth, past the leaves which were scattered here and there. She stared at the small indentations that had been made by those who bore enough weight. By woodland creatures both larger than she, and far smaller. She figured the animal tracks she had seen in the area were from a tinier animal. They were small footprints, about the length of her palm, if even that. A small oval, with two larger ovals placed on either side above it. Aello guessed that it was a beaver or something, she was following, but she wasn't sure. She didn't want to cheat and use her magic. She wanted to learn how to follow and distinguish tracks on her own, as Jaeden had taught her how to do. Not that she was particularly good at it. Not only hadn't she spent a good deal of time with him, but Aello hadn't truly been listening too well. Which was probably why she had followed so many old tracks earlier. Of animals long gone. Of why she thought she was following a beaver, when in reality, it was a rabbit who had torn through a day or so before. Aello sighed as she lost sight of the tracks once more. You suck at this, Aello's mind groaned as she glanced up from the ground, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her free hand. Her left tightened around her bow as she looked out across the forest. Her stomach was rumbling. It was getting late, and she had found nothing. Aello pat her grumbling stomach. Another night without anything substantial. More scrounging around for plants, and living off whatever she had left in her bag, which wasn't much. Inwardly, the aurist groaned as her nostrils began to flare. She could feel them burning as the smell of smoke filled them. That's strange, Aello thought, having not seen anyone for awhile. Having not started a fire yet herself, or set up camp for the night. "Maybe it's just a simple hallucination, but... I haven't used magic all day," she whispered, as she followed the scent. Figuring there was only one way to find out if she was imagining things or not. Aello did not walk for long, for within a few minutes, she had reached Gunho Ma's camp. She could see the fire blazing. Hear it crackling. See it cast shadows across the length of his canvas tent. She knew then that she was no longer alone. "Hello?" she called into the darkness, as she took a few steps closer to the fire, hoping to feel its warmth. OOCI know it's not on the CS now, since the thread is still in progress, but Aello would have some knowledge of tracking at this point. Acquired from her thread with Jaeden last season.

[Gunho Ma]

Gunho didn't hear the girl's approach, his mind was still occupied with too many things that Aello had gone completely undetected until she made her presence known with a greeting. That polite call made the monk drop his snow-filled pot in the ground and slip on his ass. Gunho looked up at this small girl in the distance, and he sighed drawing up a palm over his racing heart. It was just a girl, he thought. Not a huge wolf or a bandit armed to the teeth. He was oblivious to the fact that the woman before him was far more dangerous than the two combined. Gunho inspected his pot and got on his feet, he wore a silly smile and his black hair poked out from underneath the hood over his face. "Sorry about that, you scared me for a moment there." he explained himself warmly. "Thought you were one of those bandits that attacked my caravan." So what would be wise here? To ask the girl to leave him alone? Perhaps that was the logical choice but Gunho was not so hard-hearted that he couldn't share his fire with the girl. It wasn't going to get any warmer even if he hogged it all to himself. "I'm just about to cook dinner, if you don't have problems sitting beside a stranger we can share the fire, maybe the potatoes.. bland as they are." he pointed towards the fire with his chin and strode over there to place the pot atop the stone he'd arranged to support it. "I apologize about my poor hospitality, had I had meat I could provide a better meal but my options are... limited." the monk would take out potatoes one a time from a brown sack, washing their surface with a damp cloth before soaking them into the water. "Use one of the logs nearby for a seat and take one of my tunics from inside the tent to cushion your rear. The wood is surprisingly colder than you might expect." "My brothers call me Gunho," he bowed, holding a palm over his sternum and dipped his head low. "I am... was... an Acolyte from Lhavit." "You may hold your silence. People tell me I am too talkative sometimes."

[Aello]

Aello's eyes sparkled as a deep chuckle escaped her lips. Why do men always make total and complete fools of themselves? she wondered, as she took several steps closer to Gunho. When she was standing directly over him, she extended her right hand to him, palm facing up. "Need a hand?" Aello asked, as she waited but a moment, before retracting it, should he fail to take it. The aurist's smile widened as Gunho tried to explain himself. Nope, not a bandit. Some scary slaver or perhaps a killer rabbit come to rip his throat out, Aello thought, as she listened in silence. "Sorry to disappoint you," she finally muttered. "But I'm just traveling through, and dinner would be lovely. I haven't had anything to eat all day." Aello paused, "do not fear its simplicity, anything would taste wonderful right now." The girl's smile widened then, simply to prove the genuine nature of her words. How happy she was to finally see someone. "Although, if it'd help at all, I can try and find something to make our dinner slightly more flavorful, if you had anything in mind," Aello added as she took a seat directly on one of the logs, and leaned her bow up against its side. She didn't much care about the cold. For soon enough, she knew that her backside and the fire would warm it. "I'm Aello," the aurist explained as she made herself comfortable. "It's nice to meet you Gunho. It's a bit odd, though, to find someone this far out, and away from a place which must have been so pivotal to their past." Aello paused. "You said you were once one of the Shinya, why is that? Did you lose your fondness for the calling? Or did you leave for another reason?" Aello paused, taking a moment to gaze deeply into the fire. The dancing flames, as she recalled the Lhavitian night sky. Littered with sparkling stars. "You must miss it there, at least every now and then. No sunset, and no night has ever been the same as it was there. The stars never seem to shine so bright..." OOCI am sorry this is rubbish.

[Gunho Ma]

"Only the foolish would deny charity." Gunho took her hand and heaved himself up with her assistance. "Thank you." "Travelling through... alone." Gunho almost laughed but the girl was armed. She was probably very good with her weapon if she had the courage to tackle these wildlands on her own. He wouldn't have, not yet anyway. "Either you are a very brave girl or very reckless one." "But the way you carry yourself and manner of your speech is enough for me to glimpse the steel in your character. I am fortunate to share my camp fire with someone like you." "I spotted a rather fat brown hare around here while I was collecting firewood an hour or two ago. It may still be around but... the sunlight is fading fast. You would have to act swiftly unless you are blessed with extraordinary eyesight like those touched by the gods." he did not know if she would have to leave to set about to hunt, but if she did return he would pick off their conversation where it left off. The only difference now was that he had a couple of potatoes for each of them to dine on. "The skin is still hot to touch... don't hurry eating, you'll upset your stomach. I learned that a couple of days ago." Gunho sighed when he thought of her question, the one about his withdrawal from the ranks of the Shinya. "Not quite Aello, I was going to become one but something unexpected happened that prevented me from following that destiny. I killed a man, a fellow acolyte in self defense..." his face looked pained, but he shrugged the anger off. He was going to accept his fate and move on. "The man was at fault, my superiors knew this but there was a bereaved family and someone had to answer for his death." "My punishment, if I had taken it on was to serve as a viraya, the lowest ranking Shinya for the rest of my days. They would cease to train me and I would become little more than a man servant for my equals." and that, that was not a punishment the half-vantha was ever going to accept. He could never lower himself in pointless servitude. He believed he was innocent and he was never going to atone for an offense he was not guilty for. "Instead I took the other option and went into voluntary exile." "Some would call me selfish but the truth is I am not as devout as many of the people of Lhavit. I respect Zintila, my people owe much to the goddess but I am... pragmatic. My interests come first, before my family or my deity... my heart makes my decisions for me. I thrive on challenge and I cannot live a life where my boundaries have been set for me. I can accept failure, but being forbidden to even try and reach my potential is the same as death to me." Aello spoke of Lhavit with familiarity. So she had been there once? It was a truly beautiful city but such radiance could grow pale when exposed to it everyday. Even a less splendor-filled sky could be beautiful under the right circumstances. "The stars shine brighter here than it does there in my eyes... water, it's safe I boiled it." he handed her a jug from which he allowed a few drops to fall upon his tongue to prove that it wasn't laced with anything dangerous. "Here I am my own master and if I have my way things will remain that way. I will only allow myself to be used if the relationship is mutual, an eye for an eye, so to speak." "What of you Aello, what brings you to these parts of the wilds? You tell me you a travelling, but from where and to where you did not say. If you are forbidden by contract or common sense to tell me then I shall not press for more than you can offer."

OOCI think your reply was great. Merry Christmas.

[Aello]

So those were rabbit tracks, Aello thought, as she listened to Gunho's story, her lips curled into a smile. "It sounds like we have a few things in common Gunho," Aello commented when he finished saying everything he felt an urge to. Somewhat surprised that he had been so honest and open with her. "We both had to leave a place we once called home because of a fight. Although, you were the only one to kill your opponent. It was a shame really, that I didn't get to finish mine. He didn't deserve it." Aello's eyes sparkled mischievously as her grip tightened around her bow, causing her knuckles to grow white. "You probably don't know of them, but there are two groups in Ravok, who serve the god Rhysol. Both corrupt in their own ways, puppets to their master, if you truly stop to think about it for yourself. The Black Sun is the first group. They serve him as religious zealots, spreading his word wherever they go. The Ebonstryfe is his militant arm, constantly backing the work of the suns. The politics involving the function of the city as a whole is a bit more complex for that, but, that's hardly something that could be explained over dinner." "Anyway," Aello went on after a slight pause. "I attacked one of their apprentices last season. Bloodied him up well enough. He needed it, a taste of that which he thought he could spill." Aello chuckled. "Such a crime is punishable by what is considered law, within the city. Even if you attack one of them in self-defense, you're going to jail. Although death is all the more likely. It's no wonder to you then why I left," Aello finished with a small smile, as she glanced at the potatoes. She thought she could see them steaming, or perhaps, she just imagined the heat Gunho Ma said they were giving off. "That's enough story-telling for a night. What do you say we simply eat?" Aello asked. "Although you did mention a rabbit, and the potatoes being quite hot. Perhaps I could help you then, since your heart seems set on some meat. I used to hunt for the people of Ravok before leaving. I became quite skilled in finding things in the dark... it must have something to do with living in a city doused by it for so long." Aello paused, "I will go and try to find the rabbit, quickly, or something else for you to eat. In exchange for your hospitality." Aello's eyes sparkled. "Be back before these have had enough time to cool." As soon as the words had left her lips, Aello turned, and darted off into the forest. As she moved as silently as she could through the trees, her magic came to her. Illuminating her surroundings wherever the moon's light could or would not. She forced the auras further away from her as she moved. Into the distance, the dark, willing them to do some scout work for her, as she searched for something to shoot. For several chimes, Aello could find nothing, causing her to keep on running, to keep on searching, until her chest began to rise much more quickly. Until a slender silver cloud surrounded her lips, and her muscles began to ache. Until her heart was pounding in her chest. Finally, however, the girl caught sight of an animal's aura. A pale red, on one of the lower branches of a nearby tree. It was the aura of a squirrel, munching merrily on an acorn it had dug up, for a pre-bed snack. Aello knew it wasn't much, but, she felt it would do. Especially given her time constraints. Without truly thinking through the action, Aello pulled an arrow from her quiver and laced it onto her bow. When she heard a click, she knew the nock had taken to the serving and raised it. She closed her left eye to help aim, as she lifted it higher. Staring down the shadow the arrow's point cast, as she pulled back on the string. It creaked, causing the squirrel to look up from its meal for a moment, to look around, before resuming its consumption. Its tiny nibbling. Aello pushed her bow to the right, and inched the string back further, past her right ear. A second later, she had let go, sending the arrow flying through the air, in a high arc, towards the unsuspecting squirrel. As it flew, and the string vibrated, Aello pushed forward, her eyes fixated on the red aura. It was only a few seconds before she heard a startled chip, and then a few more before she heard a muffled thud, as the squirrel fell to the ground by the tree's base. Aello smiled weakly as she happened upon the downed squirrel, bent down, and pulled her arrow out. She wiped its point on the ground, cleaning the blood off, before putting it back in the quiver with the others, and reaching for the squirrel's bushy tail with her right hand. She wound her fingers around it, pulling it off the ground, as she eased herself back up, and ran off in the direction she had come. As she moved, Aello let the colors guide her back to him. She ignored the cold, the heat she had built up in her body. The ache in her bones. As she ran, she could hear howling off in the distance, but she didn't stop to think where it was coming from. Her mind had become a one-track entity, bent on sending her to her home for the night. It felt like an eternity, before Aello crashed through the line of trees, and saw him again. The fire crackling. Roaring with life. "Back!" Aello called merrily towards the fire. "And I brought a squirrel!" OOCSorry this is like a novel, and ends on a bit of an open patch. Figured it would offer you more to work with.

[Gunho Ma]

So the girl was from Ravok... He had heard rumors about it. Rhysol's city, a beautiful place that pretended to be Syliras. It had civilization, culture, but life under the god of evil could not possibly be good. It was probably a twisted version of life in the city he'd grown up in. If Aello left it and harmed one of their own... she had probably turned herself into an enemy of Rhysol or his men which was all the same to Gunho. Her being here also meant that she was probably a strong or resourceful person to evade the law of a city that was so strict in enforcing their laws. He didn't expect Aello back so soon, but when she actually returned with something Gunho was both surprised and pleased. The girl had to be an expert marksman... it probably contributed to her continued survival here in the wilderness somehow. "Great." he bade her to sit and handed her a bowl and knife for her potatoes. "I've never tried cooking those but they cant be worse than rabbits." He looked at the meat, carefully inspected it and deemed it edible. He was going to have to skin it though, he'd never skinned squirrel before. Yet it couldn't be different from rabbits so much, he took a torch lit it on the camp fire and looked into the wilderness. It was hit turn to head out into the darkness, but he was far enough away that he could see the fire. He had to be quick though, the moon could shed enough light for him to make things out but nature was a fickle thing, clouds could easily obscure his vision of things anytime. "Help yourself to the potatoes, I'll clean this at the creek nearby and come back. Can't be too sure about meat and I have to get rid of the intestines." The monk left Aello with her game and went to the creek side to skin it. He was hasty about the process, less meticulous than he wanted to be but it was going to be dangerous away from the flame. He set his torch up on the ground and prepared the meat. When he sliced the thing open, he allowed the blood to fall in a pit he hastily dug with his boots while he was working. That was where he deposited everything that couldn't be used, innards... this he had to take extra care in because he didn't want to rupture them and soil the meat, the head, even the skin of the squirrel. It was a lot like what he did with chicken he noted silently. After squeezing away the blood into the freshly dug pit he went to the creek to clean it. Gunho wanted it thoroughly soaked, that would help rid of the last remaining ounces of blood and thoroughly soaked things tended to be easier to cook... washing it was harder than it seemed. Even running water was cold and he alternated warming his hands near the torch and cleaning... eventually he finished. He covered the pit he'd dug and he went back to camp carrying the thing by it's legs. He just hated that he had to hurry doing this, he could've learned the finer points of cooking squirrel if he had more light and time. "Its clean, it'll be half and hour but this'll be worth it. I swear." Gunho was clearly excited, his smile was sincere and wide. He seemed to really enjoy cooking and he was quick in his actions. He dumped the water away from the camp, poured a bit of oil into the pot and then dumped the squirrel meat there. While he allowed it to cook and it's flesh to turn from pale to golden brown he chopped up spices that he had collected on his journey through the forest earlier as well as the tomatoes which had become very hard to cut through. He'd used mushrooms too, rosemary, garlic... but alternated between turning the squirrel in the pot and cutting the flavorings. Then when that was done he placed his herbs, tomatoes and spices, poured a third of the wine bottle he was saving for his arrival in Syliras into the pot and stirred. It sizzled for awhile producing a lot of smoke but slowly, the smoke vanished and a really appetizing smell filled the air. Whatever Gunho was cooking, it had the scent of something one would find in an upscale tavern, not a camp. He had talent for this, a talent to please and he clearly truly loved creating something to pamper hunger. "We're done!" he declared after he sliced through the meat and confirmed that it was cooked all the way through. He placed a little more than half of the food on Aello's bowl and gave her a generous serving of the sauce. The remainder he dumped into his bowl. "I was saving this wine for Syliras but now that I have company it seems silly to do that." he brought out two wooden cups, placed them near the bottle of wine and jug of water and filled both their cups with wine halfway full. "Since we're both starting anew I say we should toast. Here's to new adventures and new friends." he held his cup up smiling broadly. Regardless if Aello knocked cups together he would enjoy his meal. It was a little slightly overcooked, but that was always safer than raw meat. The sauce, he found it great save for some slight excess in herbs but all in all, the wine helped bring out the flavor of the meat. "This tastes a lot like rabbit... but I never thought the meat would be tender. I was expecting it to be... tougher." "How's yours?" Once they were feasting and they were in the middle of their meal Gunho would look up at Aello and look as if he'd remembered something. "You seem better traveled than me... Do you mind if I ask you a question? Its a little weird though." With her consent he would continue. "Do you know any places that offer masseuse training in Syliras?" he played with his food, turning the meat and scraping it away from bone. "The reason I'm asking is because I formally trained to perform therapeutic massage in Lhavit. I suppose I should explain, Shinya in training are made to do chores you see... when I was young the people who had me do chores realized that I was a quick learner in the kitchen and that I was good as massaging people. My grandmother, bless her soul, she had this condition that required someone to give her daily massages. My superiors learned about that... and my skill with my hands and I received formal training sponsored by the Shinya to help relieve muscle sprain. Happens often since some trainees always spar more seriously than others and... oh... sorry, was I saying too much?" Gunho felt ashamed, he was probably really lonely but it was no reason to be this open to someone else. It was probably the effect of having spent days without seeing another place. This had probably been the first week he'd seen nobody and Aello was like a breath of fresh air for him.

OOCSorry if Gunho is talkative, I don't think your post was too long. Its nice.

[Aello]

Aello smiled, "all you need to know is that they cook a lot faster," she commented, as she exchanged the squirrel carcass for what Gunho Ma had to offer. When she had the lukewarm bowl in her hands, Aello nodded her thanks and sat down on one of the logs by the fireside. Listening to it crackle, and watching it dance as she dipped her fork into the bowl, and pressed it against a fat potato, pushing the meat apart. "Alright, but do be careful, it's rather dark and the moon doesn't always make its way through the trees." Her smile widened as she pushed her fork into the potato's meat, tearing some away from the potato's lips. Aello took her first bite of the potato, just as Gunho was leaving. She followed his shadow with her eyes, until he had gone too far to be picked out of the line of trees. Whilst he was away, she kept on eating, thinking about how great the food was, how long it had been since she had had a meal such as this. Something other than meat, and whatever fruit she could harvest while moving through the forest. Mind you, the food was a bit bland, but the aurist cherished the slight diversion from the routine more than anything else in the entire world right then and there. It felt like an eternity before Gunho returned, and began to cook her catch. "It smells good," Aello commented absently, as she finished off her meal, long before the meat was ready. She figured with the squirrel being so small, it would only be enough for Gunho to have, but she didn't truly mind. She had had meat so often of late, she wouldn't mind the day off from her daily eating regimen. It surprised her then, that she was given any, but she took it gratefully, not wanting to appear rude, and forced herself through a few more bites, after having set her empty bowl of potatoes down. "Thanks," she commented, as she kept on eating. "And wine won't really be..." Aello watched him pour the wine. She could hear the bottle making that strange chugging sound, she so often had heard in the tavern. She smiled weakly, accepting the glass he offered, before chinking it against his own. She felt so strange and uncomfortable then. She rarely drank, knowing it affected her sight, that it weakened her. Knots seemed to form and expand in her stomach as she lifted the glass to her lips, and tipped it back, faking a small sip. She could feel the red liquid against her lips, but refused to swallow it. Perhaps her companion would not notice. It was awhile before she spoke again. "Everything is lovely, thank you," she commented, as she finished off the squirrel meat. Simply listening to him speak to her. Aello shook her head. "No, I've never bothered to venture there. I wouldn't know a thing about what goes on inside that castle, although, from what I've heard, I'm sure it has something." Aello paused, "however, if you are interested and don't mind the cold too much, there is a woman up in Avanthal who could not only offer you her services as a masseuse, but I'm told she is a fine teacher. I think she was a member of the Whitevine Hold, if I'm not mistaken, although her name seems like a distant memory..." Aello's voice trailed off for awhile. "You're not talking too much, and you sure do make for a better conversation than Yune." Aello smiled weakly. "When I was little, I always wanted to be an archery instructor. Now that I've grown older, wiser and more skilled, the dream still holds. It withstood the test of time. Although, with everything that has happened, it still has yet to become reality. There is simply too much to take care of it seems, before we can truly settle down, and do whatever it is we want." The girl's eyes shone in the light of the fire. They seemed so very distant then, as though she were lost in the past, and no longer in the present.

[Gunho Ma]

Aello's wisdom was much appreciated but Avanthal was a journey he could not make. He had many things to learn and Syliras seemed to offer educational opportunities aplenty. "I can tolerate the cold but I would rather avoid it if I can, I will have to pass on lessons from this person you speak of." he drank from his cup and chewed into his potato. "I do have family in Avanthal, on my mother's side. But the journey there would be perilous in winter. Syliras is supposed to have tolerable weather even in winter and it is already testing my endurance. I'll settle for what education I can pick up from Syliras. With the sheer volume of people who are said to pass through her gates, there must be a few who can teach me." "Yune?" the monk looked confused. "A friend of yours?" The archer's mention of her dreams and her desires to fulfill them reminded the monk of his own ambitions. This world was cruel in how it frequently made such dreams harder to achieve... but then something easily obtained was not as desirable. "So your past haunts you?" he remembered her story earlier, of her grand escape. "Those people in Ravok must really hold their grudges." "You injured their pride and they can't let that pass, the Ebonstryfe and Black Sun... they seem to me a little more than bullies... but their power makes them something to be concerned about." it was shallow and stupid to the monk. Why would an organization led by a god that represented all evil want to punish those that harmed its own. If a man could not defend himself then one should allow nature to take it's course. A cold thought coming from a monk, but he had lost his religion and faith. He was permitted a certain allowance for blasphemy now. "Perhaps they will grow weary of the chase, they cannot send forth that many men to pursue one person. This world is still on the mend and resources aren't in abundance. Even a powerful organization cannot afford to waste so much resources for a mere matter of pride." After Gunho had finished his drink he noticed the state of his companion's cup and few looked slightly alamred."You don't like wine...?" he swiftly bowed, it was a matter of habit that was hard to curb. "I'm sorry... I didn't ask. I didn't know you didn't drink wine. I thought it would help you warm up..." Gunho was slow to realize the ensemble of the girl before him. He in his multiple layers of clothing was comfortable but she didn't wear so much. He didn't know what her tolerance was against the cold but an extra layer of clothing never hurt anyone. "It must be cold... I'm sorry. Forgive my poor hospitality again." he removed his wool jacket and presented it to the girl. "I still have a leather jacket inside the tent, I'll go fetch it. Please wear that, I would put it over your shoulders but I am no friend and that would be an invasion of personal space without your consent." A little too formal and rigid perhaps, but he had been raised to become a monk. Such excessive attention to manners should be common sense for him and his failure left a deep feeling of inadequacy bearing down on his shoulders.

[Aello]

Aello nodded, knowing well enough the sense in Gunho's words, and the brutality of Avanthal. Its unending cool weather. The blanket of snow that always covered the ground, no matter the season or time of year. The weather which was only all that much more brutal in the winter time. Not that he'd reach the area this season, or come close, but it didn't really matter. If he didn't want to go, he didn't want to go, and Aello would not push the matter. "Yune is a sparrow, who travels along with us. There are a few others who come along- Nex and Alenias, although, they're all among the missing right now," Aello explained. "Probably out hunting. Or perhaps they're up to something," she shrugged, before falling silent once more. Taking on the role of the listener as Gunho commented on everything she had said. "You'd think that may be the case. That they would grow tired of looking, of finding that everyone they sent in pursuit of us had failed. But, you'd be mistaken. The reach of those people is far beyond anything either of us can imagine. Think of them as the dark counter of the knights in Syliras. Their reach is great. Their resources are abundant, as is their wealth. Should they fail to come for us themselves, they could pay others to come. They already have." Aello's eyes sparkled. "Not that it mattered. They all wound up dead in a ditch." She smiled weakly. "There should be more where they came from. For all we know, killing us could be one of the easiest ways to gain rank within their order now. Since we have proven ourselves. Alenias having broken me out of prison a few seasons past. All three of us having escaped after I attacked one of them. All three of us having survived their sad excuse for an ambush, a raid, a hunting party. Whatever you'd like to call the display." Aello paused. "For all any of us know, they may be considering us as recruits, for our display of power. For bringing chaos to this world. Rhysol may be smiling upon us, and frowning in displeasure at the ones he had once chosen to serve him. Thinking them as weak and pitiful as we do." Aello shrugged. "Who is to say what is the way of the gods? Or even, of the mortals who serve under them?" With that Aello fell silent, simply staring into her glass of wine. "It's not so much the taste as what it does. One needs to be alert in order to access their skills properly, and utilize them to their fullest extent. Wine dulls the mind, and makes that difficult. I wouldn't want to lose a hand just because I wanted to know a bit of pleasure and civilization, offering our enemies the time they needed to ambush us both in my weakened state." Aello set the glass down as Gunho offered her his jacket. "That's not really necessary, but if you insist..." Her voice trailed off as she reached for it and wrapped it around her. "You know, if it's not too bold for me to say so, we'd be better off pulling your tent closer to the fire, and sitting inside the flaps. The sides should protect us from most of the wind, and any other element which should choose to rain from the sky." She paused. "We don't have to sit close, if you're worried about that. About boundaries. Just inside. We'll both be warmer, I think, if we can stretch our hands to the fire, and have less of the cool wind caressing our skin." Aello paused, allowing her offer to settle in the air. "What do you have to say to that?" she finally asked.