[center][h1][color=gold]Ava Chaelamin[/color][/h1][/center]

Ava shifted restlessly in her sleep as images flash in her head, some of her running, then hiding in her home, then that of soldiers trying to barge into her home, [i]Ava...run![/i] A woman’s voice shouted to her and then more sounds of fighting and screaming, [color=gold]“No!”[/color] She shouted, sitting up from where she was sleeping, sweat drenching her face as she panted heavily.

She lowered head into her palm, [color=gold]“That same dream again...”[/color]

Ava glanced over to her companion, seemingly still asleep and she let out a sigh of relief, [color=gold]“At least I didn't wake him,”[/color] she glanced over at the cave exit, seeing the early morning sun appear, [color=gold]“I should get some breakfast for us, it’ll at least be start in paying him back.”[/color]

She soon got up, brushing some of the dirt on her off and then headed towards the cave exit. Her first step out she felt her bare feet sink into the wet dirt, [color=gold]“Ah, darn it, I forgot the rain from last night made the ground wet,”[/color] Ava exhaled as she looked around the area, there were patches of ground that were still dry, she might be able to hop from one patch of land to the next, she didn’t want to get any dirtier.

Once Ava made it through the muddy terrain, she went about gathering small fruits and berries, she knew that Terrin would probably want some meat, but she couldn’t bring herself to kill an animal, even for food, plus she had forgotten to bring the dagger given by him, so she couldn’t hunt an animal, even if she wanted too.

[color=gold]“Alright, that should be enough for at least the morning,”[/color] she began speaking to herself aloud, before glancing down at her feet, some of the mud that was still on there had managed to harden, [color=gold]“now to find a place to clean my feet.”[/color] Ava preferred to keep her self clean whenever possible, she didn’t mind a little dirt, but mud and such, she couldn’t stand having it on her; she carried  the fruits and berries she collected in the cloak she had on her, it wasn’t a lot, but there was more than her arms could hold.

She happen to come across a small stream and her face lit up instantly as she rushed over to the running water. She hastily set her food aside and then dipped her hands in the water, the coldness of it startling her a bit, but was quick to ignore it as she splashed the cool, refreshing water on her face, cleaning off some of the sweat and making her more awake before moving on to clean off the caked on mud, [color=gold]“I’m glad I found this water, though I wish it was a little deeper, I’d be able to bathe then, I probably smell terrible right now,”[/color] she sighed as she finished cleaning off the last of the mud.

Ava went to grab her food when she finished only to suddenly retreat her hand when an arrow landed near it, quickly taking cover behind a tree, she asked herself aloud, [color=gold]“Seriously? Why am I suddenly being attacked all the time?”[/color]

Another arrow struck the bark near her face as she tried to peak out and see where the archer was, forcing her to hide behind the tree again, damn it, she needed to move, or she’d be dead. She took a breath and then bolted from her cover, lifting the cloak full of fruit and then ran through the small forest she was in, weaving through the trees to avoid being hit, though something was feeling off to her.

She thought it odd that the archer after her was missing so much, the first time, sure, but there were arrows flying past her head and striking trees in front of her, it must have just been her imagination, right now she needed to get away and then head back to Terrin. She went through some thick bushes and then hid behind a nearby tree, hoping that she wasn’t seen; Ava peaked her head out from the cover when she didn’t hear anything and no more arrows were flying at her, seeing nothing, she let out a sight of relief, looked like she lost them.

Turning back around to head towards the cave, there was someone in front of her, a hooded woman with her bow drawn ready to fire at Ava. She slowly put her hands up, her heartbeat racing like crazy as she looked between the tip of the arrow and the woman hold the bow, [color=gold]“Look, I don’t have anything other than this fruit, you can have it,”[/color] Ava spoke nervously as she tossed the fruit tied up in the cloak.

The woman looked down at the food and then back at Ava, a smirk appearing on her face as she got closer with the pulled bow, it only a few inches away from her face; Ava shut her eyes, preparing for the worst.

“This was your idea of saying ‘hi’?” A male voice came from behind Ava.

Ava opened her eyes when she heard him, slowly turning her head, her eyes widened when she saw who it was, [color=add8e6]“Oh I was just having a little fun, I wasn’t actually going to hit her.”[/color] The woman responded, easing the tension on the bow and then put the arrow in her quiver and the bow on her back.

“That’s besides the point, you don’t say hello to someone by shooting arrows at them,” the man responded, Ava looking between the two of them, realizing who the two of them were.

[color=gold]“Orym...Lyra?”[/color] She asked in disbelief.

The tall, light brown haired elf took his attention away from the woman he was talking too, looking at Ava he smiled to her, “Long time no see, red,” giving her a lazy two finger salute.

[color=add8e6]“Yeah, you’ve certainly grown up [i]princess[/i],”[/color] the woman responded teasingly, pulling down her hood to reveal her long white hair, giving a cocked grin to Ava.

Orym made his way over to the two of them, scratching the back of his head, “Sorry about Lyra, we spotted you whilst we were hunting and she wanted to say hi whilst I was collecting our catch, though I should have known this would have been how she went about it.”

[color=add8e6]“She was never in any danger, I was just playing like when we were kids, right princess?”[/color] Lyra responded.

When the shock finally subsided a bit, Ava shook her head and embraced the two of them in a hug, then playfully shoved Lyra, [color=gold]“You jerk, you scared me half to death and stop calling me that, jeez, even grown up I can’t escape that stupid nickname,”[/color] she chuckled in response.

[color=add8e6]“Well I didn’t expect a hug from you princess. And I wouldn’t still have to call you that if you could handle getting a little dirty,”[/color] Lyra laughed back, [color=add8e6]“Although you have changed, that I can tell,”[/color] she added, eying Ava up and down, trying to assess what it was.

[color=gold]“Changed? What do you mean?”[/color]

[color=add8e6]“Well the Ava I remember was a bit tougher than the one before me, she would have at least put up some sort of fight,”[/color] Lyra smirked to her.

“Just leave her alone Lyra, I swear, first thing you try to do when seeing her is restart your old rivalry,” Orym sighed as he shook his head.

[color=add8e6]“Well she did make things a lot more fun when we were younger.”[/color]

Orym was about to respond when Ava spoke up, [color=gold]“Yeah, I guess I have changed some, believe it or not, I really don’t like to fight anymore,[/color] she gave a slight smile, a tint of pink hitting her cheeks.

[color=add8e6]“No way, seriously!? But you loved it whenever we would butt heads or play those war games,”[/color] Lyra responded in astonishment.

[color=gold]“Yeah, well some things happened and it changed me, ever since I’ve tried to not fight with anyone, I guess it has made me a little weaker.”[/color]

Lyra rested her hand on Ava’s head, rubbing it, [color=add8e6]“I guess that really does make you a princess now, all delicate and polite, would have been more fun if you were like this from the start,”[/color] Lyra teased once more.

[color=gold]“Yeah, you would’ve picked on the others twice as much if I didn’t stand up to you,”[/color] Ava responded with a smirk, part of her old self flaring up.

“So what are you doing out here? Would’ve expected you to be back home,” Orym interjected.

[color=gold]“Oh...well I was looking for some food is all...”[/color] Ava trailed off, not sure if she should say anything about her new friend.

“All the way out here? Surely you could have found some closer to home,” he responded with a quirked eyebrow.

[color=gold]“Right, well...I’m on a quest of sorts...to find my parents, that’s why I’m all the way out here, I just needed to get some food whilst I was here.”[/color]

[color=add8e6]“Your folks are missing? When did this happen?”[/color] Lyra asked in surprise.

[color=gold]“It was that evening after you two moved away, some soldiers saw me and my mark, I ran back home and my parents tried to hide me, but the soldiers wouldn't go away, so my parents fought them, allowing me enough time to escape, since I couldn’t be found, my parents were arrested and taken somewhere,”[/color] Ava lowered her head slightly, still feeling guilty about what happened.

“I’m so sorry about that Ava,” Orym said as he embraced her in a hug.

[color=gold]“It’s okay, wasn’t your fault, besides I can’t sit around any longer and wish for them to come back, I have to find them,”[/color] Ava gave a more cheerful expression.

“So you just decided all of a sudden to set out for them?” Orym inquired curiously.

[color=gold]“Sort of, I met this person yesterday that was hunting, they couldn’t find anything so I helped them out and whilst we were talking, my parents came up and they offered to help me find them.”[/color]

[color=add8e6]“And you just went with this stranger you met a day ago?”[/color] Lyra couldn’t help but ask.

[color=gold]“Well- I mean...”[/color] Ava struggled to find the right words, seeing how from their perspective going off with a stranger without really knowing them was rather foolish.

Lyra let out a chuckle, [color=add8e6]“I see that change of yours has made you naive, but I guess they have to be okay or we wouldn’t be talking right now, would we?”[/color]

[color=gold]“Oh yeah, he’s real nice an-”[/color]

[color=add8e6]“[i]He[/i] huh? So you went out and got yourself a boyfriend in a single day?” [/color] She couldn’t help but burst out in laughter.

[color=gold]“W-What? No I didn’t, he’s just helping me is all!”[/color] Ava responded flustered, a pink tint hitting her face.

[color=add8e6]“Oh really? Then why are you blushing so much?”[/color]

Ava folded her arm, her cheeks slightly puffed out, [color=add8e6]“Oh I’m just kidding, no need to get sour about it. Look to make up for scaring you, Orym and I will help you get back to this person, these woods can be dangerous and since you don’t like to fight anymore, I don’t think you could handle the animals out here.”[/color]

Lyra went over to fruit in the cloak, picking it up and then handed it to Ava, then the three of them headed out and towards the cave that Ava and Terrin had found shelter in the previous night, all the while chatting and catching up on what all of them had been doing since they last saw one another. It didn’t take long for them to come across the cave Ava told them about, the morning sun was much higher in the sky now and had dried the mud that was just outside the cave, [color=gold]“Hey, I’m back, I got us some breakfast!”[/color] Ava shouted as she got inside, figuring that Terrin was awake by now and hopefully hadn’t been too worried that she left without saying anything to him first.