[IC] Flames of War ( Rystelle x Ragnarok)

[Ragnarok]

Ranga half raised an eyebrow when Lydianna shoved her gear into his arms and even saying please. He was slightly taken aback and merely shrugged it off like he would have done it anyway. " I don't mean to cancel your bravado. But wouldn't we...nevermind...." He cut himself off and stood with his sword already slung over his back and her bow and quiver tucked under his left shoulder. He stood silently behind her as she struggled to get the human girl in a comfortable yet practical position for carrying the better part of 6 to ten miles.

Before he could get another word in the wind picked up that could have come from the frozen plains, completely wiping out the fire. Then afterward he felt the fleeting tingle of magic. 'This girl is just a fountain full of surprises.' With a quick shake of his head he focused on the road in front of them, his eyes peering out into the darkness behind them where the sky was lit with an unnatural glow of torches and campfires.

Ragna returned the smirk with a simple smile. " I think we are lucky on that part. They raided Termina so they are tired and are now camping out. We actually may get a day to relax before they are up and moving. Demons tend to be notoriously lazy after successful raids. Some about spending what was earned. But I digress and completely agree with you. We should go now." He nodded in agreement before picking up one of the cloaks that were on the ground and wrapping around him.

He thought it best to remain in silence during the travel so that is exactly what he did, and lucky just as he estimated an hour or two before sunrise the torches up on the ramparts of the Dwarven fort could be seen. As well as the short halflings waddling around in their expertly crafted armor that glistened in the torchlight. Their weapons just as sharp as the day they came out of the forge. " I hate dwarves." He mumbled under his breath before announcing their presence. " HELLO! We are travellers who ran into some demons that assaulted Termina. They are on their way here as we speak. One of our part got injured." His voice echoed slightly as several eyes trained on him. A minute of silence. Two minutes. Ragna was starting to get worried that they planned on killing them. Luckily the fear got abated as the creaking of the massive ( to the dwarves anyway, still small to Ragnarok.) Wooden door swung out allowing access to the fort. On the inside several Dwarves waited with their weapons brandished. " Well come along then. If they don't like us they will just kill us and bury us." Ragna said cheerfully and stepped into the safe arms of the keep.

[Rystelle]

Lydia followed behind Ragna and heard the wooden gates of the dwarven fortress closing behind them. She wasn't worried, however, as she was friends with the dwarves and many of them knew of her, even if they didn't know her, due to the fact that she often gave them hand in protecting their borders from thieves and monsters. Shifting the girl a bit Lydia looked around to see if there were any dwarves she knew in the group that surrounded them. She spotted one at the end of the line.

"Ah! Blathir!" Lydia called, a genuine smile breaking out over her face. "How are you this eve of morning, my friend?"

Blathir the dwarf squinted in the light a bit, then exclaimed, "By the King's beard, if it isn't the good Lady Lydianna! Men, stand down. We have a friend amongst us!" The dwarves hesitated for a moment, their eyes and weapons now almost exclusively trained on Ragna.

"He's with me," Lydia said, causing the dwarves to finally relax.

Blathir, who was a dark haired dwarf with a merry face, standing about half her size, had two dwarves named Roric and Hurth take the unconscious girl to a medic. Then he waved to Lydia and Ragnarok, saying, "Come, come. We will get you some food and a bed. Tell me, my dear Lydianna, what brings your and your companion here at the wee hours of the morn?"

"A matter that I would speak to you of first in private," she retorted, her expression serious. "Oh, and Blathir, this is Ragnarok, or Ragna for short. Ragna, this is my friend Blathir." Simple pleasantries were exchanged between the two as they walked down the halls of the fortress until they came to a kitchen where they stopped for food, before continuing on to somewhere private. Then Lydia was able to divulge Blathir of the matter at hand: the possible state of Termina, Ragna's demonic family after them, her being mysteriously summoned by a demon, mentioning the group of demons they had come across in the woods and the girl they had saved from them.

At the end of it all Blathir sat back and let out a low whistle. He opened his mouth to say something, closed it, then opened it again. "Well, Lydia," he said, "that seems like quite some trouble you have there. And you say you don't know why you're being summoned?" Lydia shook her head. Leaning back in his chair Blathir stroked his beard and seemed to think for a time. Eventually he sat back up, his decision made. "We'll supply you with whatever you should need, Lydia. Pass where you need to. And if you're ever in any trouble that you can't handle, just call us and we will come to your aid. Earth knows what you've done for us over the years."

Lydia bowed her head, giving her friend a slight smile. "Thank you, Blathir. Now, if you don't mind I think it's time we slept a little." Blathir agreed but had to pause for a moment as he evaluated Ragna's size. There were no beds in the fortress fit for him--none really even fit for her. Ragna had had enough trouble just moving around the dwarven fortress. He would have to sleep in the great hall, Blathir declared, which was the only room that could really fit someone of his size. Lydia said she would sleep there as well and Blathir was wise enough not to dispute with her.

Soon the half-elf and half-demon found themselves bedded down in the fortresses' great hall. "Good night," Lydia said to Ragna, turning to face the wall and pulling the blanket over her head even as the sun was coming up.