Exploring [open]

[Ember Watergrove]

Ember laughed and replied, "Most women of sixtenn except me." She then shook her head and explained, "I don't want to have to depend on a man to do everything for me. I want to be a warrior myself, and I certainly don't see why not." Ember heard a low growl from behind her and Ember jumped into action: standing perfectly still and holding her bow and arrow as if her life depended on it.

"I think we should get back, don't you think, Mealla?" Ember asked, her eyes squinting to see if she could find the source of the growl. Her blonde hair swung to the side, and she stood in a ready stance.

[Mealla Stormsong]

Mealla did not react, did not so much as move or blink. She continued to simply stand there, utterly relaxed, her bow still tied to Andraste’s Yvas, untouched. The horse carried on cropping at the grass. Whatever had growled was of no threat, ‘else Andraste would have reacted; moved to protect her. And the breezes had sent no warning. She had managed to befriend some of them, and they spoke to her, talked to her, whispered to her, telling her when there was danger. And they remained silent. “You’re going to shoot someone’s eye out if you continue with that,” she said, arching one eyebrow as she dropped her hand from Andraste’s neck and took a step forward. “And I would rather it not be mine, so please lower your bow. It’s not going to hurt us, whatever it is - we’re far too big, but we can head back if you like.” She focused on the grass beyond, her brow knitting as she concentrated, and slowly, ever so slowly, the grass parted, pushed by the gentle breezes at her command, revealing the creature. “It’s just a cat. Nothing to worry about.” She smiled, still calm and relaxed. "Lower your bow, please."

[Ember Watergrove]

Ember reluctantly lowered her bow and snarled at the cat. Shouldn't this cat know better than to go out in the Sea of Grass? Her hair fell in front of her face as if to emphasize her embarassment and frustration. Ember put her arrow back in the quiver that was on her back and brushed her hair back behind her shoulders. Ember sighed and claimed, "Well, you can never be too sure out here."

Ember then went to the cat and reached down to pet it. "I wonder what this little one is doing out here all alone," Ember said questioningly.

[Mealla Stormsong]

“No,” Mealla replied distractedly, her attention elsewhere. The breezes had shifted; they were no longer calm and gentle, their whisperings changing in tone, becoming more and more urgent and alarmed. Something was coming. Something bad. Something dangerous. She took a step back, just as Andraste lifted her head, her ears flattened, gaze on the distant grass. Mealla followed that gaze as she reached for the bow and arrows strapped to the Yvas. Her whole body was tense, alert, matching the whisperings of the breezes. She squinted, trying to see, until finally she made out a shape at the same moment the breezes gave it a name. Glassbeaks. Running towards them. “I think we know why the cat’s here,” she muttered, stringing her bow, her heart pounding, becoming faster and faster. Glassbeaks. Three of them. They were as good as dead.

[Ember Watergrove]

Ember saw the Strider start looking uncomfortable and she knew that something was wrong. She turned to see that, indeed, Mealla was right. Glassbeaks were coming this way. "Great. Glassbeaks," Ember muttered, "Coming towards us, and fast. I wonder why..." But Ember didn't let that bother her. She nocked her first arrow and aimed at one of the Glassbeaks. She knew that they were running at about 60 miles per hour, so the chances of her hitting one are very slim, but she has to try. If she doesn't, she and Mealla are dead.

The cat, by now, had started running for its life. Ember should too, but Glassbeaks would catch her within a minute. Concentrating hard, Ember fired her first arrow, but it missed. Ember nocked her second arrow. The Glassbeaks were coming faster now. Ember fired the second arrow, and luckily, it hit one Glassbeak on the shoulder, but it hardly made a mark. "Great, now what?!" Ember asked the older Drykan, while nocking her third arrow.

[Scarlett Windsearcher]

Being back in the Sea of Grass was great. Riverfall was amazing bu her vacation was over and she needed to concentrate on her life now. With no one left besides Rocky she needed to protect herself and keep the name going now that she was the only one to carry it. Sitting a top of Rocky she slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath of he fresh air the grass provided. She was relaxed, at peace, and at home once again. She gently raised her hands to her waist then felt the wind flow through her fingers and hair then pass by her body making her purple sash bellow in the wind much like a banner showing her pride of the Amethyst Clan. Hearing scampering, she quickly became more alert. Her eyes widened, she quickly withdrew her bow then aimed it at whatever it was. Rocky was very alert and grew defensive at the sound to, ready to flee at the first sign of danger. Scarlett quickly relaxed and put her bow around her back once she saw it was just a scared and startled cat. The rays of the sun reflected glints of light of it's coat as it quickly redirected it's path at the sight of Scarlett and Rocky. "Obviously feral." she thought. Patting the horse on the neck lightly she smiled "Come on, Rocky. Only a cat, continue on." she encouraged. The Strider's head and ears shot up at some sound off in the distance. Rocky snorted then began to toss his head while hitting the ground with his hoof. He snorted then whinnied, a sign Scarlett had learnt was what he did when he was nervous or scared. Politely shushing him, his ears were flicking every which of way. If Scarlett listened close she could hear it too. Glassbeaks that were on the move. Like what they did when they were hunting something. There were several of them which usually didn't happen if they were taking down a small deer. The thought struck her once she thought more into Glassbeaks, the creatures that had taken her parent's lives. "Go Rocky! Now! Hiya!" Nudging the horse with her boots, he quickly entered full sprint going around the path of the Glassbeaks to their source. It had to be a group of humans or something of the kind. They never needed several to take down a deer. Plus, she hadn't seen many in the Sea of Grass that day at all. Holding onto the reins tightly, her knees grasped the sides of Rocky like she had done many times. She suspected they were moving faster than the Glassbeaks before they struck by the progress they were making and the sound of the moving Glassbeaks. Once she got to where she could see the three in sight she clicked her tongue and urged Rocky to speed up simply saying "Once we get close enough slow down to where I can grab the one with no horse. Then once she's safely on, speed back up and get us to safety!" With that, the horse did as told. The Glassbeaks were now nearing quicker than they were earlier which urged the horse to pick up his pace until they neared the three."Get on your horse and run! As for you-"" Unaware if the girl had her bow drawn or not, Scarlett held on tightly with her knees, one hand grasping the reins for dear life, she outstretched her arm ready to grab and pull the fellow female Drykas up onto Rocky. Hopefully, if all went well they would all be safe if the other girl got on her horse and ran.

[Ember Watergrove]

Ember, by now, had run out of bows. Panicked, she heard another female voice from behind. She turned to see another female Drykan riding faster than the Glassbeaks, her arm outstretched for Ember. Thanking whoever might have been watching over her, Ember grabbed onto the gir's arm, swung herself around, and landed almost perfectly on the back of the horse. She looked back and screamed, "Mealla! Get out of here!" With that, she 'borrowed' one of the girl's arrows. She nocked it, aimed, and fired at one of the Glassbeaks, hoping that she at least made a mark.

This time, it seemed that luck was on her side, just this once. That arrow flew true and hit a Glassbeak in the shoulder, wedged deep just under the shoulder blade. Howling in frustration, the Glassbeak started running to Ember and the other Drykas, its eyes burning with anger. Maybe firing arrows at Glassbeaks isn't such a good idea after all, thought Ember and she took her bow and held it like a sword, as if daring the Glassbeak to come closer. "So, how long do you gather these Glassbeaks will continue to hunt us?" she asked the girl who temporairily saved her life.

[Scarlett Windsearcher]

OOCSorry had to reply. I won't be on much this week at all. "Come on, Rocky! Faster boy! Faster!" Scarlett looked back for a split second to see the girl fire one of her arrows at the Glassbeak "Don't do that! You'll make them even more angry and give them a better reason to chase you! There's no way our low powered bows could take them out!" she hissed. Scarlett usually wasn't as ornery like she was right now but in the case scenario a high speed chase was definitely something to get her blood boiling. "Just hold on! Those birds are built for long distant racing and Rocky can't go on forever! Especially with two people on his back! With them going at about 60 using every ounce in his body he might could match it but he'd have to tire himself to exhaustion! We've got to obstruct their path every way we can and if it gets too rough they'll give up the chase!" She wouldn't let Rocky die like that. Not trying to save her. If he was going down she was going down with him. She withdrew the sword at her belt all the while hanging on. She estimated that one of the three glassbeaks had fallen off on the chase but the others were speeding up. Taking her sword, they swooped by a thin tree. She swiped at it which caused it to crash behind them. The glassbeaks were so close the tree had actually stopped them for a bit by causing the glassbeaks to dart out of the way to keep it from crashing on them, letting the Drykas and horse gain an advantage."We've got to head to town! I'm not sure this is gonna-" she took her sword then slashed down another small tree but this time the glassbeaks were learning and they jumped over it."-work! There already learning!" The tents were now in visible sight but were still far off in the distance. It would take a few minutes to get there, but right now a few minutes would probably be an eternity. Rocky snorted and neighed brightly; Scarlett could tell that he had picked up the pace. The Amethyst Tents were now nearing into view "I hope your friend is alright! I made Rocky do a maneuver to where they would chase us rather than her!" She hoped her blonde locks weren't whipping the other Drykas in the face. She had gotten complaints on that when riding two person with her aunt. The thought made her smile then made her face turn into a sight one wouldn't particularly call 'lady-like'. Her face showed disgust and hatred in a manner that showed she meant business. The very creatures chasing her, the other Drykas, and Rocky were the same ones that killed her parents and supposedly her aunt. "By the way, I never caught your name! Scarlett!"

[Ember Watergrove]

The girl Scarlett kept encouraging her horse Rocky to go faster. The Glassbeaks were getting too close for comfort now: one was right behind Rocky and was snipping at his tail. Thinking fast, Ember took her bow, swung it, and hit the Glassbeak right in the face, slowing him down a little and buying the Drykans more time. However, Ember looked to see that her bow was broken. Who cares at the moment when they're about to die?!

Ember turned back to Scarlett and reported, "They're really gaining on us fast. Do you have anything else that I can smack them with, like maybe a club?" Ember saw the purple tents in the distance. Oh great, the Amethyst Clan!Ember thought to herself. We'll be safe there. Just remembering that Scarlett asked for her name, Ember replied in the formal fashion:

"Ember Watergrove of the Sapphire Clan."

[Mealla Stormsong]

OOCApologies for my absence these last couple of weeks (holiday), but could we post in (an) order? Generally that just makes it easier and less confusing, and doesn’t leave a person behind and left out. Sorry to be a pain.

Everything happened so fast. One moment she was standing there with Ember, watching as the Glassbeaks approached, and wondering what it would be like to die as her bow trembled slightly in her hand, her palms sweaty, heart pounding, breaths coming more and more quickly, and, in the next, another rider, another horse, speeding towards them, and suddenly Ember was no longer there and Mealla was standing alone, and... and... Panicked, bow still shaking slightly in her hand, she sent an arrow flying towards the Glassbeaks. It missed by miles, but she didn’t see; she was already turned, already running, and she leaped onto Andraste’s back. It wasn’t a graceful move – she remembered Sama’el’s grace when he'd jumped from his horse that first time they'd met, and laughed at the absurdity of the thought. She was going to die and she was thinking of him-, and she almost slid, but she gripped hold of the Yvas, bow still in one hand, and held on tight. Andraste didn’t need any guidance and was already running, her ears flattened back against her head, her neck low. She followed after the other horse, drew level -but to the side some distance away - so that the Glassbeaks were now behind, though rapidly gaining with each step. Mealla got her balance, sat up straight, nocked her bow, and sent yet another arrow whipping towards the Glassbeaks, though it missed again, but she didn't noticed that one either as she let out a slight cry of pain as the string of the bow whipped against her delicate skin, tearing it. At the sight of the tents, she drew Andraste to a halt just in time to hear the introductions. The mare skidded, dust and dirt flying, and tossed her head, still panicked, unhappy about being stopped, wanting nothing more than to go, to keep running. “Are you stupid?” Mealla snapped at the other girl, clutching a hand to her wrist where blood flowed. Andraste reacted to her nerves, her anger and her unease, and danced on the spot, eyes rolling. “Are you out of your petching mind? Did you not even think? Are these people even prepared? Are they even ready? Do they know what's coming? You’ve just led Glassbeaks straight to their homes. Well done! Congratulations! There might be children in there!” She’d seen the damage that Glassbeaks could do. And the breezes continued to call out in warning.