[IC] Cinder Sickness - A DnD style classic RP

[TheWizardLizard]

Tobias picked up the group's outward momentum rather quickly, it seemed it was time to get this doomed show on the road. Orphans and gold, Tobias. Orphans and gold.

The rogue went upstairs took little time packing his belongings (and a few of other people's - old habits died hard). It came down to a few trinkets, a few extra changes of clothes, road supplies... nothing extravagant.

Tobias slung his pack over his shoulder and proceeded outside, where the rest of the group was making ready their horses. It seemed that someone had been kind enough to donate to the cause - a few more horses and a wagon were available for their use.

Immediately, the thief hopped up into the wagon and wasted no time making himself comfortable, laying back and resting his head on his pack. "For me, guys? I'm flattered, you shouldn't have. I guess saving the day is mighty tiring work..." the rogue closed his eyes and began to fake snoring loudly.

[Melkor]

Long nights with little to no sleep... They are not they best, they could be the best but they lose any real potential to be the best by dint of them being sleepless - many people just love sleep. Melvus rather enjoys sleep, he tries to as often as he can, but that doesn't seem to be as often as he'd like it to be. Melvus was already awake when the sun rose - more like stabbed his eyes with its glare - he hadn't really slept, if that hadn't been obvious by the bags underneath his eyes or how he slumped over in the chair in his room.

The wizard stood up, gathered his possessions and left, it had been a while since the sun rose but Melvus hadn't really taken notice. As he opened the door he noticed that his cloak was hung on a hook, near the door, usually reserved for keys, it held the cloak just find. It had been completely cleaned of all of the blood and stitched where it had torn. He grabbed it and slid his arms into their respective sleeves and made his way downstairs. He took a seat and ate his breakfast quietly, taking no notice of what, if anything, was happening around him.

[Afina]

Sana looked towards the dusty ground as she trudged towards the group that had gathered, ready to leave. Her eyes seemed hollow as a hand came to her temples, rubbing gently as she brushed past them to the stables needing to ready Epona for the journey ahead. Her mind was swimming in thoughts of yesterday and today, what all she had gone through, all she had learned, all she had witnessed. The usually bright eyed and boisterous woman stood there moving in a mechanical fashion as she placed the saddle on her horse and secured her bags.

Everything swirling through her mind seemed to cause a buzzing sound in her ears that drowned out what others were saying and the noise of the village bustling around her. Slow breaths caused slumped shoulders to rise and fall as her movements stopped and she drifted away in thought; trying to focus on a single fleeting and yet ever swirling memory. Newly created memories were like wet paint on canvas, moving quickly and blending together. Shaking her head vigorously as if to try to brush the thoughts aside Sana went back to what she was doing and finally lead Epona by the reins out of the stable and towards the group.

A boot placed in the stirrup and a hand on the saddle, Sana glanced up at the clouds rolling in; grey and ominous. She could feel the chill in the air as the wind whipped through the town and smell the incoming storm that approached as she breathed in. The gentle rustle of leaves finally came to her ears as the sudden cold seemed to bring a clarity of mind through the fog. Taking another breath she pushed off the ground and swung her leg over before settling in her saddle and trotting over towards Fiona and the others.

Seeing Tobias flop into the wagon she thought back to the words they both exchanged yesterday after the first battle and sighed inwardly. They would have to work together, not for their own sake but for the orphans. It may have been cold but the orphans were no longer her biggest concern, she wanted to make this fast and get back to Ariana as quickly as possible. If she had not already given her word to help she might have just walked away from the entire endeavour but in her mind that was not an option at this point.

Reaching into her pouch she pulled out the Ring Of Chameleon Power that she had retrieved from the ashes of the fallen and tossed it over to him without a word, it landing gently on his chest with a slight thump. Looking over towards Fiona she noticed the parchment that the fiery haired woman had been going over and perked a brow.

"What's that?" she inquired at the pointed to what Fiona had been perusing.

[Luminosity]

Fiona smiled to herself while she continued to look over the map, the expression brought on by Tobias's arrival at the wagon. He certainly didn't need any more encouragement from her to keep acting that way. Honestly, she felt a little juvenile from finding some of the things he did funny, but then, he seemed to have that effect on her.

Her attention was pulled away when Sana came up beside her on her own horse, pointing at what Fiona had in her hands. "Oh, it's a map the slavers made. Found it under the bench. Some useful markings here about dangerous areas we might want to avoid. Here, have a look." She turned her horse slightly, before holding out the map for Sana to take. She noticed that the woman's demeanor was still a little sluggish. Before, she'd seemed refreshed, maybe even a little upbeat, despite all that had happened.

"Everything all right?" she asked, gently. They'd only known each other a very short time, after all, and while fighting together tended to bond people quickly, it was difficult to call them close just yet. "If it's none of my business, just say the word. I don't intend to pry."

[Afina]

Sana perked a slender brow at Fionas description of what she held in her hand, perhaps it would prove useful. Listening, she reached over and took the worn parchment from Fiona as it was offered to her and looked it over slowly; her eyes drifting over the markings and taking in what paths and routes were laid out. As she saw one area on the map she pulled out the piece of paper that Wylsen had given some members of the group the day before and looked over the list of ingredients.

At Fionas question about her well being her eyes slowly lifted from their focus and sought out the fighters eyes. "Not really," she said in a hollow voice before averting her eyes and taking their attention back to where they had been. "And it's okay, you're not prying," she said as she folded the ingredient list up and tucked it back away.

Changing the subject back to the map she pointed out the cave beyond the next village. "Looks like this is our next destination," she said as her finger pointed to the Eye Wing note on the map. "From the looks of things it should take a couple of days to reach the next village and then another day to reach the cave," she said handing the map back to Fiona. "Good a place to start as any."

Resting back in her saddle she glanced around and took a quick count of who was there and who wasn't. Hugh being one of the ones that were not out there yet she felt both relieved and worried. She needed to speak to him and him not keeping near her was odd but then again she wasn't exactly acting like her usual self either. "So, who's going to drive that thing?" she asked around in general. Three of them already had their own personal mounts, at least one more would if not more, and someone had to take control of the wagon.

[TheWizardLizard]

Tobias opened his eyes when he felt something soft bump into his chest. He looked down and saw a small, unadorned ring. The rogue raised an eyebrow as he inspected it - was it a trick ring? Trapped somehow? No, physically, it seemed to be what it appeared - just a ring. He looked around for who'd thrown it and put on an expression of mock joy when he saw her.

"Sana?" He said, bringing a hand up to his mouth. "For me? W-why, this is so unexpected! I don't know what to say. I mean, I was always hoping, but I never dared to dream..." he trailed off. "Yeah, that joke's run its course." The rogue rose and hopped down, moving around the cart. "Artful dodger to the rescue - I'll take the driver's seat. Don't worry, I know how - pretending to be a carriage driver is a really good way of breaking into places."

As he walked past Sana, he leaned in to whisper. "You and I need to talk. Alone. Not a fight, an... accord."

He kept walking as though nothing had been said, clambering up into the driver's seat. "To high adventure! Let all tremble at the passing of... Tobias's Terrors! No? Fiona's Furies? Hugh's Heroes? Vaeri's Vipers? Hanzo's Helions? Sana's Skullfuckers? We can workshop it."

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Hugh's gaze went up to Sana as he smiled to her cheerfully, waving without a care in the world. Everything seemed peachy to him. He didn't notice at first that Sana had blown by without a word, as the little one had come to him filled with excitement and joy at her new clothing, successfully diverting his attention before he could discern anything negative from Sana.

Hugh could only greet Arianna with glee, as he was more than happy to see her smiling face and her showing off the dress and shoes to him. It made him remarkably happy, and he wasn't one to let that go for the time being. He laughed and even clapped for her, the smile glued on his face.

It didn't begin to show wear, until he heard Sana mention to the sister that the little one would be staying with the nun. His smile almost completely faded, as his eyes wandered to the floor, staring blankly.

His moment was interrupted by a hand falling on his shoulder and his attention went upwards to the newcomer. It was, in fact, the nun.

"I think you two need to talk."

Her words were meant with a very quizzical expression from Hugh. "Okaaaay." To say he was confused was an understatement.

Of course, Hugh began to understand a little as Sana blew past him again without any recognition. He looked at her in awe, just wondering. He was perplexed.

He stood up, took a few steps before ending up standing in front of Arianna, and squatted down in front of her. "Hey, my little princess." He picked up one of her tiny hands with his fingers, "We won't be long. We'll be back. I promise." He said.

With that, he let go of her hand, and ran upstairs. Moments later he came down with a rucksack slung over his back. Taking quick steps towards the table he was previously on, he swept up his saddlebag in hand, and placed his pipe in his mouth.

Before exiting the room, he lit the pipe, and waved to the little one, giving one last goodbye before he headed off to do something strictly for the money and the orphans.

He slipped outside, making his way towards the stables. There he found his most fondest friend, Rodger. The horse greeted him by throwing back his head and snorting in acknowledgement. Hugh grinned happily at the sight of his old friend, and started leading him from the stables.

With his horse out in the open, he acquired the saddle and threw it over Rodger's back. Fastening it tightly to him, he threw the reins on him, arranging them methodically.

Then Hugh attached his saddle bags to the back of his horse, and swung himself up into the saddle, his feet firmly placed in the stirrups.

Hugh felt proud as he rode his horse out into the street from the stables. A smile seemed to be fixed on his face, as he emerged.

Before long, Hugh and Rodger were standing next to the wagon, ready to leave and head to fairer pastures, along with adventure and danger.

[Afina]

Wylsen finally emerged from his apothecary shop, carrying a rather large crate of bottled and vials. Walking over to the group, his old features looked tired but happy. He had finished what he was trying to do and then some and felt good that he was going to be able to provide some more items that would help the group that had already helped his village so much. Strolling over to the back of the wagon he placed the craft down and took a long breath.

“Alright, I have somethings for you all,” he said proudly as he began to lift up various potions that were labeled and could have been easily read for people to see what they were but he wanted to give them a quick rundown of everything anyways. First he held up a dark crimson set of potions, there were four total. “Alright, these were made from the blood of the hell hound. If placed on an item of clothing it will help resist fire damage; magical or natural in nature,” he said before lowering it and placing it safely back in the box. From there he continued as he showed various healing potions of different strengths, potions that would remove poison, ones that would rejuvenate the sense as if they had slept all night, and a couple of sight potions that would help people see in various situations. There was one other that seemed to be a bit ominous in nature but Wylsen assured them it was harmless.

“Now, this one, is a last resort potion. If you come to a point where you get lost and have nowhere to turn, someone needs to drink this. It is a vision potion. It won’t hurt and it won’t make your path clear as day but it may give you a hint. Be warned though, the visions can be brutal, a real mind scramble and they tend to take the energy of the person who is having them and drain them nearly completely. So be prepared that whoever drinks this will most likely need to be tended to for several hours afterwards and sadly the rejuvenation potions don’t counter the fatigue,” he said before sliding it back into the craft and biding everyone farewell. He would have liked to see them off but he had been up over twenty-four hours at that point and barely made it back to the cot he had set up in the back of his shop before he passed out into a deep slumber.

In the Inn, Ariana smiled at Hugh and gave him a big hug before she let him escape to leave. Sister Agnes bid him farewell and good luck before taking the little one by the hand and leading her over to the table where Sana had placed the packages down. Diverting the childs attention while the group left by opening the packages and having Ariana tell her about each item Sana had purchased for her. The inn keeper smiled at them as he walked by with several large satchels full as he headed for the front door. Looking around he waved over to the group as they were preparing to leave, scurrying over to them as quickly as he could.

“Just a moment,” he called out before tossing the bags into the back of the wagon. “You’ll need these,” he said as he slapped one of the bags. “We have water skins full, meats, fruits, cheeses, breads, everything a group such as yourselves will need to keep up your strength on the road ahead. Compliments of the village for everything you have already done for us. Safe travels and I promise a feast when you return!” he said happily as he walked around to each member and shook their hand, a grateful smile on his features before he scurried back into the Inn to help take care of the people that were there.

Sana shook the mans hand and then glanced at the rest of the group, about to suggest they go ahead and leave but was cut off as a woman came out of the general store with one of her clerks carrying several brown paper wrapped packages. “Some blankets, fire starters and other odds and ends you all may need. Thank you so much for what you have done,” the woman said as her clerk loaded up the wagon. It was another few minutes before everything was arranged in the wagon and the rest of the group was readied to go. Sana sat there on Epona silent, not really wanting to speak to everyone that was coming by. “Maybe we should have headed out under the cover of darkness,” she whispered to Fiona, her words may have seemed cold but at least there was some lilt to her voice that showed she was in a more chipper mood than she had been in when she exited the inn earlier.

Once the entire group was together, either on their own steeds or loaded up into the wagon, Sana glanced around and nodded. “Alright, need one volunteer who has their own steed and is an accomplished rider to go with me ahead a few miles to scout ahead to make sure the path stays safe and to provide warning if need be. We will stay ahead until dusk starts setting in and then find a camp site for the group and wait for you all. Any takers?”

[Goldeagle1221]

Derrix raised his shielded in recognition of Sana’s words.

“I will ride ahead,” He volunteered, eager to be of use rather than a stagnant man covered in metal. He dug a heel into Charroux and the mighty warhorse silently trotted up to Sana's mount. Derrix's golden gaze glew like a flickering candle past his helmet as he took in the sight of who will be leading the quest, this being the first time he truly got the chance to observe her. After his quick and discreet helmet hidden scaling, he nodded shortly, "ready when you are."

[Dragoknighte]

Vaeri jumped up, grabbing the side and climbing into the spot next to the driver's spot, right next to Tobias.

"I hope my presence does not bother you, Sir Tobias." Here she would have the best view of the road ahead and she wouldn't have to be near all the supplies they had just loaded onto the wagon. She would prefer traveling on foot, but this would not be so bad. Considering the luck this group seemed to have, this air of joy and relaxation would not last long. After all, adventures were not all pony rides in May sunshine.

[Afina]

Sanas brow rose slightly as she heard Derrix speak up and volunteer for the job of accompanying her to scout ahead; she hadn’t expected him to be the one to step forward but then again she was not sure what to expect from the groups newest arrival. Her head turned slowly as she looked over in his direction and looked him over for a moment, thinking back to the night before when he had charged the Anti-Paladin. He was obviously an accomplished rider, so she wouldn’t have to worry about him not keeping up; which was a good thing because she already seemed to have enough on her mind to worry about currently.

Glancing over towards Hugh, she wondered if he would be okay with this set up; him staying with the group proper while she rode ahead with someone they knew nothing about. Inwardly she groaned because it may cause issues but right then the thought of being away from him to be able to think was appealing. Perhaps this was for the best right now. It would give her a day away so she could sort out her thoughts on the matter and then approach Hugh. Though in all honesty the way she was feeling when the thought of speaking to him crossed her mind made her want to just fight the Anti-Paladin again instead of dealing with it. It would be a bridge that would have to be crossed at one point but right now was not that time. She knew if she was to open her mouth it would either turn into one of her rants or just be a jumbled mess of emotions she was not sure how to deal with.

Righting herself in her saddle, she held perfect posture as she pulled the hood of her mantle up and let her cloak drape across the back of Epona. Looking very much like someone that had crossed paths with Derrix in the past, Sana nodded to his volunteering. “Very well,” she said in a rather stoic tone before looking over at Fiona. “We will find a camp site by dusk and wait for you all there unless something comes up,” she said before glancing over towards Tobias out of the corner of her eyes. “Stay alive and we will speak tonight,” she said as a smirk came across her lips before nudging Epona forward. Coming up next to Hugh she looked at him, it was apparent that she was trying to hold her composure together, looking so much more like the woman that had first walked into an Oasis Tavern so long ago, distant and stand offish than the warmer woman she had become over their time together. She sat there for a short time, simply looking at him before her lips thinned in a forced smile.

“Alright, let’s go,” she said to Derrix as her attention broke from Hugh, her heels digging into the flanks of her steed and tearing off towards the next destination; leaving the rest of the group to head out on their own when they were ready. Tightening her grip on the reins she leaned forward and let the chilled air cut through her as Eponas hooves pounded into the dusty trail that lead out of the village and to the north. She knew that Derrix and her needed to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the group for now so they could take care of the scouting aspect of the journey. She figured she could slow down the pace she had set after a while but for now the need for haste for great. Both for the groups safety and for her own mind. Everything would come to a head at one point but for now she only concentrated on the path before her and the sounds of the forest on either side of the trail that would take them to the next village.

[Luminosity]

Fiona nodded to confirm she understood Sana, then watched as she and Derrix rode off to scout ahead. She would have volunteered herself, but Derrix had beaten her to it. Regardless, she imagined they would need to trade off duties regularly; she'd take up scouting duties when she needed to. For now, the rest of the group needed to get moving. Gently she urged her horse forward to the front, glancing back at Tobias, who had the reins of the horses pulling the wagon.

"We'd best get moving. I'll take the lead." Coming into all of this Fiona hadn't imagined herself as much of a leader, and while she still didn't, she was becoming at least a little more comfortable with the group. It was a rather great departure from working alone as she was more accustomed to, but so far she didn't mind.

Fiona led them at a steady pace out of the village and along the road, keeping a speed that wasn't exactly rushed, but still making good time all the same. The wind was cold and biting at times, but Fiona had dressed warmly enough to tolerate it, and she was a northern girl besides, used to conditions such as this. She occupied herself mostly by absently sharpening her blade with a whetstone, the motion nearly subconscious for her as her eyes stayed up, watching their surroundings. Her newly acquired blade, from the Anti-Paladin, required no sharpening as far as she could tell, and it stayed strapped to her saddlebags in a makeshift sheathe, but her lighter sword had seen a fair amount of use, and wore down like any other common blade. Considering the amount of danger she'd faced the day before, it seemed wise to be as prepared as possible.

[Warrior in the Shadows]

Hugh raised an eyebrow and gave a quizzical expression towards Sana as she took up the knight as her scout after he had volunteered. He was aware that the man was an excellent rider, and had no ill opinions of him as of yet. Aside from that, he felt some strange ire rising up inside of him. It seemed as though jealous thoughts were perverting his mind, filling him with ire.

That wasn't even the half of it. She mentioned to the thief how they would speak tonight. His reaction to that was confused, to say the least.

He looked to Sana upon her passing by him and made eye contact. He didn't even attempt a smile. He kept an odd quizzical expression on his face as she passed him. When she appeared to smile, Hugh's eyes drifted away off past her. It was more than obvious how forced the smile was and he wasn't inclined to acknowledge it, letting his face become straight and emotionless.

Hugh seemed to stare off for awhile, confusion, sadness, anger, and jealousy filling him. The only way he could react was sitting in his saddle completely calm, with bleak eyes. Why had she given such a natural smile to everyone else? Why was it so forced towards him? What was this bitter feeling building inside him?

His focus was completely off as he let the horse lead him along with the wagon after Fiona confirming they had gone far enough ahead of them and had taken the lead.

"Off we gooo." He muttered. He wasn't all to enthusiastic, almost feeling like turning his horse around right then and there and going back to the Inn. Maybe he could take care of Arianna himself, but what would he do? A father figure and no mother figure? He dismissed the thought and maintained his trajectory, riding along next to the wagon.

He kicked Rodger's sides just a little bit and caught up with the horses leading the wagon, staying beside them and within earshot of Fionna and Tobias. He hadn't much to say, his head filled with too much to handle as it was.

[Afina]

Sana kept pushing forward, driving her horse further and further down the path; her cloak whipping in the wind as the chill in the air stung her exposed skin but she didn't care. She was too lost in thought for the elements to register to her senses. The last twenty-four hours had sent her world spinning out of control and she was unable to grasp on how to handle the emotions that were swirling through her. It seemed to drag back to a place she had thought long put behind her, that same feeling of helplessness that had driven her away from the family she had known so very long ago.

Watching Hugh nearly bleed out the previous morning had brought out a wrath in her that she had never thought possible. A brutality that scared her as much as the thought of losing him did. Her mind flashed with the memory of the rage that boiled in her blood when she stared down those that had hurt him and it sent a chill down her spine. She never wanted to feel that type of desperation again and though she felt remorse for the harsh death she had caused by her bare hands, she knew that if any where to harm him in such a manner again she would not hesitate to repeat such again.

That alone would have driven her into cold demeanour she was in but the days harshness had not ended there. At the slavers encampment she had found her father there, tied to a post and his back split open again and again by the whip of the slaver she had fought. His words rang still in her ears that her family was gone, echoed by his last breath before his eyes closed to never open again. The loss stung in a way she had never imagined and there was no condolences for the daughter of a gypsy.

Finding sweet Ariana had helped to break the darkness that was beginning to consume her, yet it was only for a short time. The seeming peace broken by the filth that chased them down on his hound of hell. Sana had lost so much in a single moment she had foolishly stood her ground alone against such a foe and nearly lost her own life in the process. Her body still ached from the night before, her chest being crushed and her back breaking. She had been healed but remnants of the damaged nerves remained, perhaps they always would.

Her world had spun and turned out of control, flipped upside down and she had been left on the sidelines to watch the man she adored face the Anti-Paladin with the others, fear welling back up within her that the same would happen to them that happened to her. Coaxing from one she did not know gave her enough willpower to sing. She had thought nothing would come from it but something had changed and an ability that had laid dormant for her entire life broke free and came to fruition.

Her mind flashed to Hugh after the battle and though he did not know the details of her father's death, no condolence came from him for her loss. No acknowledgement came from his lips of her change. He knew her songs well and knew she could not cast and yet not a word was spoken. Both she had chalked up to the excitement of battle and the late hour of the day but it still stung that she had gone through so much and not a word was whispered.

Adding to all this was not so much Ariana, because the child brought a smile to her features and warmed her heart, but the implications of her presence complicated matters. Hugh had been happier than Sana had ever remembered seeing him since the appearance of the little one and that brought joy to Sanas heart but it also scared her. Her single biggest fear since she had learned of Hughs loss had been that she would end up being nothing more than a replacement wife and mother; it was a concern Hugh had been made aware of so long ago and one he promised that would never occur. Yet to Sana it felt as if it could very well happen now.

Ariana was a Rawn, so no matter what happened Sana felt the child was her responsibility but what would happen between her and Hugh because of the entire situation? They had never spoken of marriage nor children, only enjoying each other presence and living life as much as they could. Sana cared deeply for Hugh, he was her only love though she had never spoken the words, and though she thought Hugh felt the same of her he had never spoken the words either. Sana had wanted to tell him for sometime but had never wanted to push him to feel he needed to say them just because she had so she had waited. Perhaps she had waited too long?

Sighing deeply she pulled back on the reins and brought Epona to a steady trot. She knew Hugh did not know what was going through her mind but it stung that she had been through so much that he did know of and her emotional change was so obvious; yet he still offered no comfort when she was around him or even a single question. Those that had just met her, who knew nothing about her, knew something was off about her. The man that adored her did not? Where did that leave her?

Taking a deep breath she pulled the hood of her mantle down further to cover her melancholy expression and continued on, trying to focus on her surroundings and the path that lay before her. Attempting to push the turmoil swirling through her out of her mind or at least burying it deep within but it was difficult. How could she speak to Hugh about these feelings if he didn't seem to even acknowledge the change. The look on his face when she left hurt, she had wished he had spoken up, said anything but he looked away from her. Perhaps he was just clueless to the entire situation but if that was the case, what then? She did not know and it caused dread to knot up in the pit of her stomach for when dusk approached. Would it be another evening of silence?

Groaning slightly, she glanced over towards her travel companion for this part of the journey before looking away and back towards the road. Perhaps she should say something, try to be polite but she didn't seem to be able to muster such pleasantries right then.

[Goldeagle1221]

Derrix’s eyes darted from tree to rock to shrub. He cocked his head like an owl’s, making sure to study every inch of the surrounding. Even as his mighty war horse slowed to match Sana’s, his bouncing golden gaze did not cease.

His mind was blank, and it was cool and refreshing. The cold embrace of work took over, and sent a fresh chill throughout his body, like iced water on a hot day. The busy body after all, kept a clear mind. Then a groan clattered into his helmet’s ear holes and bounced around until it perked his ears.

He turned his head over to Sana, just in time to catch a glance in his direction from her. The warmth of thought started to leak into his cold calculated mind set on work, and it nearly brought a frown to his mouth.

“The sighing breath whispers a full mind,” Derrix stated simply, as if ripping his phrase from an old book, “a full mind has no room for new observations, are you having any trouble?”

[Afina]

Sana pursed her lips slightly as she sat there, her back straight and her expression stoic at best; Derrix words coming to her ears and causing a tug in her heart. Even one who nothing of her could tell her mind was swarming with issue and yet Hugh seemed obvious. It caused the pain to sting like salt in an open wound.

"Yes," Sana replied in a morose tone as they continued down the path. She was not sure what to say, she did not know the man so why would she open up to him? Even though she did not know the rest of the group well she half wished that either Fiona or Vaeri were there with her; they at least knew of her father's passing, so she would have something to open up about.

Saunas thoughts drifted to her father and what he had said, about the rest of her family being gone. To her that meant her mother and her sister Ramara had also perished. This added to the turmoil going through her heart. Especially the thought of Ramara, someone she had loved so deeply and cherished; one she would never see again. Sighing as they road she managed to nod slightly through the pain, steeling her features and her emotions before she attempted to speak.

"Thinking of ones I have lost recently, among other things," she managed to say before going silent once again.

[Goldeagle1221]

“Loss is never easy to cope with,” Derrix said dryly, looking back at the surrounding environment and sucking in a deep breath, as if it wasn’t going to be just a puff of lavender.

“Learn from the flower,” Derrix sighed, pulling old sayings into his mind wishing his books were at his nose as he spoke, “we enjoy its sight, but mourn its withers. However, should we feed the thought of it’s passing, we might forget its living. Focus on the having, not the losing, even if the flower is no longer. And remember that we should remember the pink of the pedals in spring and not the brown of the stem in winter.”

Derrix nearly crossed his eyes at his words, not knowing if the old proverbs were really helping. He coughed and nodded to himself, “you’re smart, I think you know what I’m getting at.”

He closed his mouth and refocused on his surroundings, making sure not a rustle or twitch missed his scouting gaze.

[Afina]

Sana rose a slender brow as the man began to speak, he seemed to like to speak with a flowery way. She sat there as they cantered along the path, keeping an eye out on their surroundings but taking in what he said and thinking about it for a moment before she decided to speak once again.

"Loss in the winter is expected, it is prepared for, braced for and for some even longed for." she asked as she pulled the hood of her mantle back and let it fall around her shoulders. Turning to look at him and only seeing his eyes through the slit of the helmet.

"And what does one do when the flower is burnt to ash in the Summer of its life?" she asked before looking away once again. She wasn't really expecting an answer nor was she wanting one if she was truthful with herself. Death happened, she knew that and in time the pain lessened either from the simple dullness that time brought about or from finding something that helped to heal the wounds of loss. Fresh wounds though needed to be open to breath otherwise they would never heal, though sadly it was not a way that she practiced.

[Goldeagle1221]

“Remember the pink,” Derrix reiterated. He looked over to his scouting partner. Her covered appearance made him sorta feel he was talking to a forest monk or some pilgrim of sorts, which never was a bad way to spend time. She reminded him of someone he once knew, an old fellow who used to walk the many woods surrounding his home town. The two would ask questions to each other, and sometimes spend days meditating on the meaning of the answer or even question, and other days they would never even answer the question. Sometimes bliss was enough.

Derrix smiled behind his helmet at the memories and turned his head away from Sana.

[Afina]

Sana pulled the hood of her mantle up slowly, tucking back her hair as she did; the wind and chill in the air had become noticeable when she pulled her hood back and with everything else swirling through her mind it was taking what was normally a very pleasant experience for her and making it less than so. Glancing over towards Derrix out of the corner of eyes she allowed a thin lined smirk form on her lips.

"One who is colorblind cannot enjoy the pink," she retorted with a slight upswing to her voice before looking away once again. Though the tit for tat that they seemed to be having was not giving her any true answers to what to do it was at least pushing her problems to the back of her mind and giving her something else to focus on. Sometimes that was all it took to come up with a solution. The solution had not presented itself as of yet but for the time being a cleared mind was a much needed improvement to the turmoil she was currently being plagued with.