Spring is coming! (Closed)

[Aren]

79th of Winter, 511 AV - Dusk Northeast of Riverfall, Sea of Grass Aren was acting as point man for the trio, who had been making their way back to Riverfall since yesterday. It was getting dark now, but there remained one last sliver of fading light before the darkness truly engulfed the plains of Cyphrus. The blue akalak, who was ahead of his two traveling companions, suddenly darted into a crouch. He could have sworn he'd seen something moving off in the distance, disturbing the grass, but an instinctual shift to infravision did not reveal anything. "We should make camp here," Aren advised, signaling a halt to their march through the grasslands. The plains would become more lively as Spring approached, and it's denizens sought to embrace the new year. Every day was getting warmer now, and soon every beast that dwelled in the Sea of Grass would be out in force, hungry for a meal. The akalak did not fancy another two or three more days of this reckless traipsing through the grass, but he wondered just how far the Kabrin road was. If he recalled correctly, which he might not, it followed the coastline, and they... had not. Aren and Meera had crossed the grasslands heading straight for Kenash, which meant the road was westward of their current position. If so, trying to find it would actually get them further away from Riverfall. It was a risk, either way, and the decision was not his alone. He would broach the subject once the camp was made, and the trio would decide the best course of action together.

[Tahl'dhon Rashaud]

The pale yellow stalks of grass bent underfoot of the weathered leather boot of Tahl, as he walked alongside the horse "Black-and-tan" as Meera had called him, and Tahl had dubbed him. His ragged linen cloak flapping behind him in the freezing winter breeze, his leather breeches held up by a well-worn leather belt with a tarnished brass buckle. His cotton shirt stuck to his skin from sweat, having walked all day. His hands where in his leather gloves one resting on the horses neck, the other hanging at his side. Tahl glanced around, the grass waved in the wind, the clouds scuttled across the sky, and the sun was setting giving the sky the colors of red, pink, yellow, orange, and purple in all tones. Tahl had been walking on the right side of the horse for most of the day, keeping a constant stream of conversation with all who would talk with him. When the others would not talk Tahl will simply talk to Darksand and himself, the horse seemed to like him even nibbling on his hand, when this had happened Tahl had frozen thinking the horse was going to try to eat his hand, but it had just gummed him slightly, Tahl had taken it as affection it may or may not have been. "Black-and-Tan" had also butted its head against Tahl’s shoulder and pushed his head under the akalaks arm letting him drape his arm over the horses neck. Tahl had smiled at that, taking this as a sign of friendship. After he had believed he had gained the horses trust he had hoisted his pack up and tied it to the saddle so the horse could carry it, it didn't even occur to him to ask. Tahl now stood next to the horse speaking directly to him, “…What is it like to have a body like yours, Black-and-tan? I bet it must be fun to run if you have a body built for …” Tahl trailed off as Aren crouched, his eyes narrowed and he froze, his left hand balling into a fist, his right resting on the horses neck. Tahl heard Aren, call for setting camp and he raised a brow puzzled, but shrugged. “Sounds good to me. How about you Black-and-Tan?” he smirked at the horse, grabbing his pack of the horses saddle he untied it and slung it over his shoulder. The leather backpack jiggled as he slung it on the things in side clacking together in a cacophony in the silent plain. Tahl winced, but winked at the horse, striding over towards blue akalak he smiled, glancing around he smiled. Most of the grass was still standing up, placing his pack on the ground he laid down and rolled in the grass flattening an area for camp. Once he was done he jumped up smirking and at the obviously confused or quizzical looks he was bound to receive from the others he just shrugged a smile on his face, his hand motioning towards the flattened area. “We needed a flat area.” He stated matter-of-factly. Leaving his pack he would glance around and sight some brush and a few wizened trees scattered around the plain, he would say “Someone needs to get firewood, someone and the other two needs to set up camp. Do you want me to get the firewood?”

[Meera]

Meera was lagging behind. She was a rider, not a walker like these two, and because of that they made poor time. The blonde kept an ever-watchful eye on the red warrior and her horse. Regardless of how much her black and tan liked him, which was not to the extent that the red man would have liked, Meera did not believe her horse's responses to him.

He had tied his pack to the horse for the stallion to carry, not even asking if it was okay. Meera was furious, and her horse fared not much better. He had shaken his head and neighed loudly before stomping into the cold ground his displeasure. His long mane swayed as he looked for Meera behind him, and to his left.

She soothed him by patting his neck, her breath coming out in panted clouds. Sweat dropped from her brow and onto her cloaked shoulder.

Aren had suddenly crouched in a flight of adrenaline. Her heavy wool cloak billowed around her as she dropped to her knees as well, frantically starting to untie Darksand's packs. At Aren's advice to make camp, Meera stood to continue her work.
Tahl's pack was the first to drop, then hers, and soon Darksand was relieved of all weight including his yvas.

"Yes, you go," She told Tahl, wanting him far away from her. Meera unrolled her tent and looked to Aren long after Tahl had left.

"Who kiss me?" It was a question that nagged at her to be answered since she had heard him speak of his split personality. "Who bought me sweets?" She asked.

"Most important, who lie to me?"

[Aren]

Aren nodded as Tahl offered to go get firewood, remaining vigilant for trouble as they prepared to make camp. Of course, had he known about the drykas' inconvenient discovery of that most problematic of akalak traits, he would have told her to gather the firewood. At this point Aren didn't know if she had deduced the truth, or if she was simply guessing, but it didn't matter, because the outcome was the same. Meera had called him out on what was pretty much the most secrety secret his kind possessed, and he simply wasn't prepared to be upfront about what he considered a disease. Not the fact that he had a split personality, mind you, but the fact that said personality was a complete and unrepentant psychopath. "Who else would it have been?" Aren asked, smiling nervously, while trying to do his best (which wasn't much) to play dumb. The akalak desperately avoided Meera's gaze, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep the lie up if their eyes met. He wanted to tell her. He really did, but how did you tell someone you cared about that there's another person living inside of you? How did you tell them that this person is more dangerous than they could ever imagine, and that there's practically no way for an outside observer to know when he's loose? How did you tell them that the person standing right in front of them at this very moment could be a brutal killer who's just waiting for his chance? Aren cursed himself for the fool for having told Tahl what he did, when he did. He would not be able to blame Meera if she wanted to run from him again, even knowing what little she did. At least this time she would have a reason, and a damn good one at that.

[Tahl'dhon Rashaud]

Tahl shrugged moving off. He wondered through the pale yellow grass ripping up grisly bushes with little wood out of the ground, heading for the nearest tree. Once there he looked over the spindly and twisted thing a grimace on his face. Dropping his measly load he reached his hands around the “trunk” and heaved, ripping the very tree out of the ground even the roots. Tahl grabbed the other brush, tucked it under one arm as he laid the tree across his shoulders heading back to what would be camp for the night. Strolling back into camp he had no clue of the situation, but without even looking at them he walked into camp throwing down his wood. Blinking at the two of them just standing there he frowned, “You two both know that a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two different things, don’t you?" Shaking his head he knelt on the ground pushing the wood into one side of the flat ground, and started to dig out the fire-pit, grumbling about slackers.

[Meera]

Her mouth was opened to speak to Aren, whose golden gaze refused to look at her, as though he knew he had betrayed her.

And why should she feel so upset? Aren held no responsibility to her, no sentiment. Aren owed her nothing, and yet she felt lied to.

"May be it Seros who talks to me now. Why you no tell me before?" Meera had already unrolled her tent and so she began to construct it with its spines and pop it into life. It took little time to step the secure pikes into the frozen ground. Now that it was constructed, Meera entered the tent to unroll the bedroll.

Meera scoffed at the return of the red man. Lazy? She thought. She constructed a tent the entire time he had been gone, and she had likely done more in her life than Tahl had as a slave.

[Aren]

He shot Tahl a sharp look as the red akalak made preparations for getting a fire going. His comments certainly weren't making Aren's life any easier by annoying Meera, who was already of a mood because of Tah's earlier question, and the foolish reply it begot. Following the drykas into the tent, the blue akalak was trying to find some way to broach the subject, to explain that it had simply been a lie of omission. He babbled incoherently as he attempted to find some combination of words that would make it all better, but when she insinuated that it could be Seros who stood before her now, that all stopped. Aren simply stood there, in silence, for a few moments, his gaze frozen over her fragile body. "You're right to suspect anything I say, or do," he whispered, a sense of self inflicted guilt heavy in his voice. "But... if you never believe anything I ever say again, believe this: I was always me, when I was with you," Aren declared, with absolute conviction. As he turned around, he smiled privately, thankful that she had given him the chance to say that, at least. Still, the moment was bitter-sweet. Aren felt better, finally admitting the truth of it to her, but he realized that he might have lost her for it. As he stepped outside the tent, the akalak took a deep breath, and approached Tahl, who was still busy with his fire pit. "Tell me when it's ready... I think I need to light something on fire," he growled, a growing ember beginning to come to life just a few inches above his outstretched palm.

[Tahl'dhon Rashaud]

Tahl had dug out the fire pit and had started to layer the fire when Aren walked up, when Tahl glanced up he saw the ember, his mouth opening slightly, he spoke without thinking, "Its ready." Thinking about what was just going to happen he scooted back afraid that the fire would burst or something. He wasn't sure what Aren was able to do, but he didn't want to find out the hard way.

[Meera]

Meera couldn't help but smile when he followed her into the tent, and her smile grew wider as he soothed her doubts. Her back had been kept to him while she fixed up the interior of the tent with the bedroll, and only once she was done did she turn around to see him exit again.

"I believe you," She all but whispered across their distance, happy that he was him, whatever that really meant. "And am glad you kissed me." It was true, she was happy. Meera had met him a week ago and somehow he had wormed his way into her head and she couldn't clear him out. She didn't trust this vulnerability yet. She didn't trust how he made her feel slightly nauseous and nervous, but it was tolerable for now.

Nevertheless, Meera closed the distance and wrapped her arms around his rib cage.

[Aren]

Aren waited a few moments for Tahl to finish the pit, the ember in his palm having evolved into an all out flame in the interim. Only the core was maintained as untransmuted res, to allow some degree of control over the volatile creation. As the akalak saw his brethren scramble out of the way, he couldn't help but grin devilishly at the respect magic tended to command, especially amongst those that didn't know anything about it. "Don't worry Tahl, my aim is usually very good," Aren joked mischievously, as he was about release the attack, and all his frustrations along with it. Just before he could, however, he felt Meera's arms wrap around him, her head pressed against his back. At this, the hard, terse grin on his face unwittingly softened into one of genuine contentment. The akalak placed his free hand on hers', which were on his waist, almost like he was afraid the drykas would run away again if he didn't keep hold of her. Meanwhile, his other hand gestured towards the kindling in the fire pit, and the flame launched itself towards it's intended destination. The camp suddenly came to life in a burning flash, as the wood was engulfed in fire, lighting up the vicinity.