Completed Alone?

[Penn Zay]

Fall 52, 512 Penn held the rucksack in her mouth as her large white paws quietly hit the ground... The wilderness seemed so empty and quiet right now! Then she heard something, a flutter of feathers as she saw a small feathered creature running away from, and she started chasing it, the primal instincts of the snow tiger controlling her every movement! She growled slightly as she gained on the creature and pounced, catching it in her giant paws as she killed it swiftly! Then she laid the creature's carcass on the ground, her teeth ripping into it as she slowly devoured the small creature! The measley creature was barely enough to satisfy her hunger, but it would have to make do until she managed to find another creature to kill and eat! As she continued roaming the land, she kept hearing creatures, but she was never quiet enough to get near them... Near enough to catch them anyway! They always started running before she had any chance to catch them! And many times she ended up stumbling over loose rocks in the ground! As night drew near, she found something she'd never seen before, a series of stones known as the Caern! It seemed like the only place for miles that would provide any shelter! So she stalked over to it, stopping at the Caern and allowing her body to dissolve into light, reforming into her naked human form as she inhaled the sunset air, as the last remaining rays of light dwindled away to nothingness... She carefully reached into her bag and pulled out her clothes, changing into them, unused to the feeling of being in her human form! She'd been a Snow Tiger for a long time, without taking even a few minutes to change into this smaller form... A form that she would take if she ever went to one of the many cities! As she sat on the cold ground, she pulled something else out of her bag... An old book that had belonged to her mother, with the word 'Diary' printed on the front in dark green letters, clashing with the faded red cover of the book! Inside it, were things her mother had never told her! Her mother's true feelings about everything! And information on emotions she'd never experienced before! Love and care being among them... It always made her wonder, what did it feel like to love?

[Maedoc]

Maedoc groaned as his hammer caught in the thin branch of a tree whilst he trudged through the forest. He had lit up his pipe again for lack of something better to do. The flare of the pipe has beginning to become the only light he had, he would need to find a place to sleep soon enough. He pulled his hood down and let his light blonde hair lose. It stuck at odd angled from a lack of wash for the past two days, and his beard was coming in. He hefted his hammer once again, wondering ruefully why he chose such a cumbersome weapon in the first place. The Caern of rocks crept up on his vision like a stealth doe, silent and barely visible in the twilit hours. He inwardly rejoiced at his own luck, such shelter had not been the norm for weeks, instead Mizahar had left the traveler to his small tent. He decided to make his way to the stones, guard down and tired from a day’s walk through the forest. “Thank the gods and their spawn for not throwing me to the beasts today.” He muttered under his breath, and chuckled softly. Such lonesome conversations happened when one had been alone for weeks. He almost missed the shady corners and corrupt citizens of Sunberth! He slipped behind a rock and failed to notice the woman pouring over her tome. He was too busy with leaning his hammer upon the stone’s face and dropping his pack to see the silent woman across from him. “Shyking boots are wearing through…” He muttered to himself, taking a long pull from his pipe. He looked up and started, staring.

[Penn Zay]

Penn had been deeply engrossed in her mothers diary when she heard someone encroaching upon the territory she had claimed! She looked up and saw the man, allowing a low pitched growl to escape the corner of her mouth... How very dare this man come into her territory without even asking her! Then again, he did look like he would make a very tasty meal! "What are you doing here?" she demanded, before her tongue ran over her lips. "You haven't even asked if you can be here!" the last sentences emerged from her lips as a menacing growl! If he insulted her in any way, Penn would let her body revert back to the tiger form, then she would eat him! Why waste such a lot of delicious, tender meat, when she hadn't eaten properly for days?

[Maedoc]

Maedoc glanced up at the sound of the woman’s fierce words. She was a pale thing with hair darker than the night and anger splayed upon her face like an intimidation mask. “What are you doing here? You haven’t been asked if you can be here!” The animalistic rumble that came from her mouth was off putting to say the least. Maedoc eyed his hammer, he could definitely reach it. He had not intended to end any lives today, save perhaps a rabbit if he got uncharacteristically lucky in his foraging. “I did not know these rocks were yours, woman. They seemed to be property of any traveler seeking shelter. Which is all I wanted when I came here.” Maedoc said slowly. Though she wore no obvious weapons her sheer ferocity set him on edge. As night drew nearer Maedoc began to worry on his predicament. A fight in the dark was not what he needed now. And this she-devil may know the area far better than he did, which was bad. He was not exactly a stealthy opponent as well. Equally as bad. But he did have his hammer. Hopefully he would not have to raise it. Come now, Maedoc, you have talked your way out of your share of similar situations with similarly enraged women. Although in those past occasions he was more deserving of that rage than now. “I am Maedoc,” He said helpfully. "and I have food."

[Penn Zay]

Penn eyed the man carefully... He didn't look to suspicious, but the hammer seemed rather threatening... She narrowed her eyes slightly, then let them widen at the mention of the man's name and food... "I'm Penn..." she said cautiously, before looking at him again... "And I have very little of anything!" she couldn't stop a small grin from finding it's way onto her lips... The man, Maedoc, may have encroached upon her recently claimed territory, but at least she'd have some company, and a large meal if he proved to be annoying or insult! "Where are you headed?" she asked, wanting to fill the silence and remove the awkwardness... After, if he was staying here for the night, she didn't want things getting violent,. And she didn't want to get into any arguments... Arguments were apparently wrong, according to everything her mother had taught her! But she didn't really understand the things that her mother taught her! No-one had ever explained any of it to her!

[Maedoc]

He was glad she seemed to visibly relax. The food bit had been a gamble won, apparently. The girl, Penn she had claimed, was no longer snarling, which meant he no longer needed his hammer. Maedoc neither smiled nor displayed any aggression. He was not in the habit of making friends with those who threaten his person, but she had been startled so he would give her the benefit of the doubt. At least she wasn’t stupid, caution was wise out here. He decided to answer her rather forward query into his destination. After all, she did not seem to be much of a threat with no weapons and there was no reason that particular information should be guarded, here. “I make my way to Ravok, the city on the lake. Where do you go?” He flipped through his pack, searching for the jerked deer and stale bread he had kept dry from the weather for a few weeks now. He noticed the book in Penn’s hand and was inwardly impressed. She knew how to read. He himself only had a passing knowledge of the written word, having trouble with some lengthy writings. Sitting down and setting the meat and bread before him he finally glanced around them. The stones were now inky black spots on a dark blue landscape. “What is this place?” His curiosity pushed him to ask the girl. The grimy traveler indicated Penn could take some meat and bread if she wished, gesturing with one callused hand.

[Penn Zay]

Penn listened to the man intently... She'd never heard of this 'Ravok' place before! It sounded kind of cool! Then when her asked her the same, she thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders! Where was she going? "Probably to Nyka, but I'll probably end up sticking here for a while first... It's not like there's any rush or anything!" she said, smiling slightly before taking a small piece of bread to nibble on. "This... This is the Caern I think! All I actually know is that we are in the wildlands, which is usually very dangerous! Although, I doubt it would be that dangerous to you the man with that!" she grinned as she pointed at Maedoc's hammer... "What's Ravok supposed to be like?" she asked, tilting her head as she watched the man... She was curious as to why he was going there, but those questions would come later! For now she just wanted to learn!

[Maedoc]

Maedoc grunted, he was not so sure his hammer would be enough to save him from this place. The girl had not heard of Ravok, that seemed entirely possible. He knew very little of Nyka and was not entirely sure what would propel such a woman through the treacherous wilds to that place on foot. Come to think of it he wasn’t entirely sure what was making him venture on to Ravok. He certainly was in a rush to get through the thick of the wilds and back into a relatively safer area. Wild beasts and wilder magic ran amok here. And he wasn’t entirely sure these ominous stones were entirely safe either. It was hard for Maedoc to relax here. Something felt… off. “Ravok, the city of the Dark God. Supposedly it floats on a lake, and people ride boats through streets of water. The god who claims it as his place, Rhysol, is accepting of many walks of life.” Maedoc indulged Penn. “What you not hungry all of a sudden? You can eat more if you wish.” He was off put by the girl’s slow pace with her food. Anyone out in the wilds should be as hungry as he was. He bit into a slip of meat viciously and chewed a healthy mouthful while staring at the girl. “So wha’s a girl like you doin’ out here by yourself?” Maedoc spoke through a mouthful of food. His hand found his long pipe and placed it between his dry lips before he noticed. Smoke slid easily from his mouth a few seconds later and he sighed. “Nyka seems a far trot.” He glanced at the slip of a girl, judging her. She did not seem to have any manner of self defense. And she could not have made it this far on dumb luck. Perhaps she had mastered some hidden magic? A sudden image of a blind woman screaming for her husband flashed, unbidden, through his mind and he shuddered visibly. Damn those memories and twice damn his past.

[Penn Zay]

Penn watched the man as he spoke and ate... Ravok sounded like quite the interesting place... Then when he spoke about the food she smiled slightly... "I've trained myself to live off as little food as possible, if I eat too much then all that hard work will be undone!" she explained quietly, before the man asked another question... "I left my mother a year ago, and since then I've been roaming the lands... Mainly in Taldera... But I got bored and decided to explore this region, and Nyka sounded interesting!" Penn grinned slightly as she spoke. "It isn't that far to me, I do have ways of travelling much quicker than other people!" Then a noise alerted her senses... There was something coming towards them! She scanned the area around them and growled... "Something nearby is coming towards us..." she whispered as she stood up and lowered her stance, ready for a fight!

[Maedoc]

Maedoc listened to her words with ease. Hearing another’s voice after weeks alone was more pleasant than he cared to admit, especially a female’s words. He was genuinely content when it was shattered by Penn’s sudden leap to her feet. She said he had heard something and crouched low. The girl seemed completely on edge again. Maedoc hoisted himself up quickly, slipping his fingers around the long handle of his hammer in an easy, practiced manner. Damn these rocks, he knew they would bring trouble! The night around them was black now, barely any light gave clue to what lay outside their Cairn of rocks. Smoke furled up from his pipe as he took a few furtive drags of the tobacco. “What did you hear? Man or beast?” He asked quickly, glancing over his shoulder at Penn. She seemed to have no weapons, yet still be ready for a fight. At least she had some spine in her, he thought ruefully. If he was to die today, it would not be back to back with a coward. “Use the rocks, girl. You face that way and I’ll face this. We don’t let whatever it is draw us out.” He said quickly. His days with the Myrian, Tulk, were trickling back now. Let them come and give his hammer a good meal!