--Vordan stepped right up towards a tree and leaned on it for a moment to turn back towards Aaerynn. She didn’t seem to take him seriously, but then again, it could sound quite ridiculous. Vordan knew how to keep himself busy, that was for sure. He laughed again, looking in front of him. [b]”I probably shouldn’t, but what I’m going to show you a few things that are just… Inventions and tricks of mine that are effortless. We can wait for the mixtures.”[/b]

Vordan motion her to follow up, taking his time to go back towards the group.--

The wood elf couldn't help feeling a sensation of relief. She didn't know where it was coming from but she felt...good. It had even felt nice to open up to someone, and have them understand. He didn't mock her, nor did he seem to judge her. Instead he offered her something to do to keep her mind off her troubles. Aaerynn couldn't help feeling slightly glad that she had met him, which was frightening for her. But she couldn't ignore the fact that her body seemed to be in less pain than before. She was taking uncertain baby steps towards change, and she felt as if she could be proud of herself, even a little.

She picked up her pace, coming to Vordan's side and she offered her arm. "Would you like some help?"

Vordan turned to the elf that had offered to help him and the mercenary simply shook his head in response. “I’ll be alright… You are not in the greatest shape either, I noticed.” He said gently, looking back forward. Yes, he would have appreciated the help right now, but Aaerynn had her own issues he didn’t want to impede on. 

[b]“Thanks for the offer… Remember when I said I wish someone would try to steal my coins?”[/b] He said, going to his belt and pulled off the pouch that had his coins. With two fingers, he reached in slowly, looking for something… It took him a moment, but he finally pulled out two things. The first resembled a coin, but with an edge, the second like a tiny caltrop with barded points. He kept it in his hands to show her. [b]“If they would have reached into my pouch at any time, they would have cut themselves and probably make a sound from the pain. For the pouch itself… Well, haven’t figured that out yet.”[/b] If someone would cut the pouch off his belt, he would lose his money, but a nasty surprise would wait for those who peeked inside.

[b]“One of my many tricks.”[/b] He said with a smile. [b]“My chain also typically pulls me out of tight situations.''[/b]

Aaerynn looked into his palm with curiosity. Carefully she picked up the edged coin, careful not to prick her fingers. She held it up to observe it before placing it gently back into his palm. "Well done."

She certainly would have never thought of that. The scribbler had proven himself, once again, to be quite clever. She was surprised she hadn't figured out his origin and talents beforehand, since being a Maker certainly suited him. Although he had politely refused her help, Aaerynn stuck by him just in case he stumbled or his body failed him. At the mention of his pouch, the wood elf pursed her lips in thought. Then he mentioned his use of chains and she nodded, she had seen him use it within the bar against the Syndarean. She supposed they were incredibly handy. But finally she spoke, "With the pouch, did you mean if someone were to cut it off you? Have you thought of something more sturdy? Perhaps some type of chain to tie it to you. Chains can be cut through, but it takes more effort and would be more noticeable then a typical leather draw string... As I'm sure you know with your own." 

She shrugged slightly, feeling awkward about her proposal. So she supplied some more information. "I know some elves were able to create thin cords of metal that were practically impossible to cut through, and acted a lot like thread. They used them in multiple ways... belts, drawstrings, straps." 

Aaerynn shrugged again.

-Aaerynn had made a simple suggestion, one he had considered many times, but never really put his mind around how to make it work. Vordan scratched his chin at the thought of chain being a good substitute to a simple cord, but it was too clunky and uncomfortable at the waist. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but with everything he already had on him, adding some unnecessary discomfort wasn’t great. And so he simply nodded to respond to her first part of the suggestion.

She continued forth with something that actually sparked his creative juices and his curiosity… The elves had discovered something like that? His eyes turned to her, his eye lit up as things started to ramble in his mind. The mention of straps, strings and belts meant it was a versatile material. So Vordan spoke eagerly. [b]“Steel threading? You know how amazing that would be for… Everything. Hmm… I bet I could do that, given some time and the proper materials…”[/b] Vordan was definitely showing a different side of him. He seemed to have a sudden rush of energy. [b]“… But I already have to finish my two main projects… That will be the third one.”[/b] He said, almost talking to himself.

The two eventually came back near the camp, although Vordan seemed to have lost his sickness altogether right now.

Aaerynn's eyes widened slightly in surprise as Vordan seemed to light up at her information. His eyes were sparked with a sudden rush of energy, and his frailty from before seemed to be gone completely. He was practically talking to himself now, wrapped up in his thought process. It was almost like he forgot she was beside him. That's when she heard his last mumble. Main projects?

The wood elf thought back to the glimpse of his notebook, the language she didn't understand. It had been filled with pages upon pages of notes. She hadn't thought that he was working toward a singular goal. The wood elf looked at him and repeated what he had said, "Two main projects?"

She murmured it as they walked into camp, she had enough self-awareness to not announce it.

-The murmur of the wood elf had pulled Vordan away from his thoughts. Yes, there were projects he needed to finish before anything else, but he couldn’t help but stack up multiple small inventions and potions in his books to satisfy himself. He turned his head towards Aaerynn with a smile, going back to a calmer, relaxed self, though the sickness he previously had seemed gone. [b]“I’ve been working on two main inventions for over ten years now without really any possibly solution that didn’t involve stealing someone’s soul or kill someone.”[/b] It sounded very cruel and direct, but Vordan wasn’t afraid to tell her… Plus, most of the others were busy.

Vordan reached on of the carts where he had his things and pulled the books from the ground. [b]“What do you like to do on your spare time? Singing? Horse riding? Stealing from poor bastards?...”[/b] He couldn’t help but chuckle before he moved on. [b]“… Anything that takes your time and makes you happy?”[/b] He said, now undoing the padlocks with two keys on a necklace. With a feather and ink, he leaned against the cart and listened to her.

Aaerynn blinked in subtle surprise as he explained it to her. Solutions that involved killing or stealing souls? The wood elf frowned slightly and thought over the fact he said he could speak the language of demons. How deep was Vordan willing to go for the sake of his inventions? She supposed it was a hard question to answer. She didn’t know what he was working towards, what he wanted to do. She silently wondered what it felt like, to be the only Maker left in a world where even your homeland wanted its magic gone.

She had been lost in thought when suddenly Vordan spoke up with questions about herself. Aaerynn looked up, not knowing what to say. She paused, turning to look at the campfire and then her gaze drifted towards Kai and where she had left her things. What made her happy? Hell if she knew. Happiness wasn’t really known to her anymore. But she supposed she had some things that she enjoyed. 

She finally answered. “I like reading.”

It was a surprising confession, but it was something she definitely missed. She used to have books upon books in her possession, but had to sell or leave all of them in order to take this journey. It didn’t really matter anyway, with her Elvish memory she could easily recall her favorite passages and recite them word for word. Learning how to read human word had been a gift from him and the only part of the relationship she would always be grateful for. Especially because human writers were far more creative than the drab Elvish writings.

“I also like making medicine, and trying to find new formulas or figuring out what works more efficiently. Most of the time the things I make by accident turn out better than what I attempt to do intentionally.” Aaerynn turned to look at Vordan, watching him write with a feather. It was a bit nostalgic and the wood elf had to fight off a feeling of melancholy.

She continued to speak anyway. “Then I usually con and pawn off the flops to naïve people with a bit too much money. I suppose I enjoy that too. ”

The wood elf shrugged, obviously not feeling guilty or ashamed of it at all. "What about you? Is that all you enjoy, just scribbling?" She teased him.

-His eyes stayed set on the elven lady before him, waiting for her answer to the questions… It was quite odd that she didn’t just say anything out of her mind right away. Instead, there was a short pause and her eyes set away for the fire. The feather wasn’t moving for the moment; his hand and playing with it a moment. The mercenary was wondering what was crossing her mind as she looked over the camp. The wolf? The others? He wanted to get inside her head, to understand her if he was really going to help her.

Eventually, she came back with an answer that was a little surprising. Reading? That was odd… Of all the things present in this world, reading? Vordan wasn’t judging; he did enjoy seeing the sunrise when he could. It simply was fascinating that such a simple thing is something that made her happy. The feather started moving, Vordan’s eyes still on Aaerynn. There was a start. She proceeded with the medicine and there, a wide smile ran across his face. That, he could totally understand. The thrill and the joys of it. It was amazing.

A laugh even followed when she mentioned the naïve people who bought her overpriced things. If they knew anything, they would have better deals, but they didn’t. Besides, it wasn’t like they needed all of that money. The tip of his feather eventually stopped when she asked the question back to him. He took his eyes away and looked to the sky, his smile becoming smaller, but still warm.

[b]“Music…”[/b] He said softly. [b]“… I love inventing, creating and otherwise research in rare knowledge… But music takes me off all of it… Hearing elven harpist pull the strings, the lute of a traveling bard… The melodies of a mermaid… I was lucky to be graced by that voice…”[/b] Vordan brought his eyes back down. [b]“And sunsets and sunrises… I have a few other things, but it’s typical of a mercenary like me.”[/b] He said, his feather going on for a few seconds. [b]“So, reading… Legends? Stories of history? Of anything?”[/b] He asked, ready to listen.

Aaerynn's face softened as she listened to him. Music, huh? He did indeed seem the type. In fact if she remembered correctly, he seemed the one to be the most content when the halfling was still with them, singing her songs. Still, it almost seemed strange, a man so technical liking something so passionate. But perhaps she was reading into it too much. Besides she definitely had her own quirks. She'd keep this detail of Vordan's, in mind though. If he liked music, he would be sure to enjoy the dwarvish parties, and knowing Rudolf, there was certainly going to be a party once they reached the Dwarvish capital. Although she wasn't too sure if the rowdiness might put him off. 

The wood elf suddenly focused as he asked her another question. Aaerynn seemed to contemplate it for a moment before answering, "Well there's the typical medical books since I do my own research. But, if we're getting into the nitty gritty of our souls..." Her face seemed to warm then as she continued. "I have a soft spot for poetry."

There was a slight sadness there as she closed her eyes, but her face continued to hold that soft look. "Let's see if I can remember one..." She mumbled as she thought back.

Aaerynn finally opened her eyes as she spoke, her voice soft and warm as she looked at the fire.

[i]"His hands are full of brambles, and the woman
in that tower a bit more feral than anticipated;
it turns out she had a bone collection
and a habit of turning princes into toads.
With her hair cut short, sometimes her eyes
and cheekbones look so sharp she reminds him
of some forest creature gone astray in a floating green dress.
He makes dinner for the two of them,
gently snapping asparagus in two, cutting
the fascia away from a chicken breast with a sigh.
A backfire, a black spire, a fear ark, a fae bicker:
a creature with a beautiful song and sharp claws.
Nothing the way he'd pictured it.

(The Knight Wonders What, Exactly, He rescued. Jeannine Gailey.)"[/i]

The wood elf looked up at the mercenary for a second, before becoming noticeably embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. It's been awhile since I got to think about it."

She stood a bit straighter, and wiped off imaginary dirt from her trousers. The wood elf looked down before gazing up at him. "I think I've taken enough of your time for today." She turned silent before looking away. "Thank you for talking with me. I enjoy this too, I suppose."

-Raising a single brow to the answer of the wood elf, he wondered why she spoke of medical books. Clearly, it wasn’t something of enjoyment, but more a study and a chore. It possibly wasn’t so for Aaerynn, but Vordan had a hard time believing it. And so he let her continue, his hands writing a little slower. To the nitty gritty of the soul… He stopped writing, surprised at the change in her face again. She had lightened up and showed something different again, only this time, it was warmth. Poetry? Yes, that was a beautiful art indeed. 

Putting his feather down, he listened to her words, astonished she seemed to remember it purely from old memories. The story she evoked was one that actually stung the mercenary to the heart. It reminded him of a past… Unfortunate event. A contract that had cost him part of his sanity, per say. His expression had been lost in this gaze, like he was looking at a ghost. Of course, he quickly snapped out of it and picked up the feather, writing a few things down, his smile raised once more.

He lifted his eyes from the book this time, closing it. [b]“Please, don’t be sorry, that was great to hear.”[/b] He simply said, letting her go on. He laughed. [b]“I have plenty of time on my hands, it’s not taking a little of my time that will be a loss. In fact, it helps me.”[/b] He wouldn’t say why for now, but he knew he needed rest. [b]“Until you enjoyed it, that’s all that matters.”[/b] He said gently, locking the book and putting it down, grabbing his two older ones. He found something to lean on that was near the fire, sat down and flipped through the pages of these old books.

Aaerynn nodded lightly, feeling better that she hadn’t overstayed her welcome beside Vordan. She bowed her head slightly for a goodnight though, and returned to her things, knowing that she and the mercenary needed the rest anyway.

--------- 

Setna had watched his sister run off to train with Tirian and he couldn't help his chest filling with pride. Serna seemed a lot more confident now. He had been scared at first, especially after the run in with the executioners that it would be too much for her. But she was proving that she could take it in stride. She was growing in strength and confidence, and it made Setna feel better for stealing her away from her fate. 

But he couldn't let her be the only one getting stronger.

The teenager finished his meal and jumped to his feet. He stretched his arms, warming up his muscles before eagerly coming over to Elrithos. "What are we going to do first?" He grinned happily.

Elrithos wasn’t half-way past his bowl of food when the young man presented himself to continue training. The desert elf raised his head and smile warmly, taking a few spoonful of his meal. [b]“Eager Setna?”[/b] He laughed lightly, setting the bowl aside for a moment and going to his feet. [b]“Well, I guess the training could continue with some weapons training.”[/b] Elrithos winked and walked over to the cart that held all the weapons eh had gathered and purchased, untying the rope. He reached for a long wooden shaft, pulling out a spear that he then brought back in front of the man.

[b]“Have you ever thought against trained with a skilled spearman? You’ll see this weapon commonly amongst warriors of skill. I find it to be a particularly weak choice against a shield, but I am creative with it. Think you can handle a little sparring?”[/b] Elrithos said, starting to go somewhere where the isn’t anyone but still visible to the camp.

Setna rubbed the back of his head, noticing he had interrupted Elrithos in his meal. "Sorry, if you want to finish eating I can just do some reps!"

But the boy followed the desert elf eagerly and lit up in both curiosity and slight concern at the spear and the possibility of sparring. "Uh, sure." Setna responded to Elrithos' question although he wasn't entirely sure what to do. He picked up his sword and shield though, and hurried behind the tan elf into the open space.

"How exactly do I defend against a spear?" Setna asked looking from the weapon to Elrithos. He had done some spear training himself, but he never actually sparred against someone using one.

Elrithos grabbed his spear with two hands and pointed the tip forward. Elrithos poked his shield with the tip, smiling lightly. [b]“What you want to do is clothes the gap. Until I have a small gap between us, I will keep the distance and try to jab at you. Your shield is going to act as my direction for my spear.”[/b] With that, he shows a simple example on how a spear tip slides along the shield, not stopping and following the angle of the shield. After that, he took a couple of steps back.

[b]“Now, I want to see how you’ll defend yourself for now and readjust as I see fit.”[/b] Elrithos takes up a battle stance, taking the spear from the mid-section. [b]“Are you ready?”[/b]

"Right." Setna took in the information, but it was obvious he was still unsure of himself. He had to be wary of the way the spear could slide against the shield, if he didn't protect his head it could very well slide straight at his face. 

The boy took a deep breath, and still took his stance. All he had to do was close the gap. It sounded simple, but the teenager could already tell that it wouldn't be as easy as it sounded. His eyes met Elrithos' and he nodded, his shield up. "Ready!"

Elrithos winked at him and stepped forth and feinted his first few strikes, backing as he stepped forward. There was no strike from Elrithos initially, although he kept his feints at a constant pace. Setna would hesitate and he would use it against him. [b]“If you are going forth, commit Setna. The longer YOU fight, the more time you let me to defeat you.”[/b] Elrithos said quite seriously, and then pulled his one move. Elrithos aimed low and missed, knowing this time Setna would go… But he then pulled to one side, hitting up his shins and tripping him up.

Elrithos took a step forward and offered the young man a hand. [b]“You hesitate Setna. You could have had me a couple of times. You have the speed. You close the gap and render my spear useless. I know techniques for close combat with spears, but very few actually know. Though, you know how to use your shield adequately.”[/b]

The sudden feint and the swipe to his shins sent the boy onto his back. He lost his breath for a second before groaning at his mistakes. He immediately took the hand of Elrithos who helped him up and the boy wiped the dirt off his pants as he listened to his teacher. The boy’s shoulders slumped for a moment before they picked up with his reignited determination. 

“Right. Don’t hesitate. Move in fast.” He mumbled to himself as he picked up his shield and then looked back to the desert elf. “Can we go again? I’ll do it better.”

The boy set himself up one more time, unwilling to disappoint himself or Elrithos. He had to swallow his fear down. All he needed to do was remember his sister, he was fighting for her after all. It didn’t matter if he got hurt, as long as she was safe. 

The boy seemed to buck up again in preparation, his hesitation seemed to ease. He had been through it once, he could do it again. Be fast. Move in. Press him. Close the gap. Learn from last time.

This time Elrithos would be sure to see some better improvement.

The young man wanted to go again. Elrithos looked at him blankly for a moment, seemingly thinking about something. Then, that small smile of his rose to his lips and took a few steps back to a battle stance, slightly different this time. [b]“Don’t tell me Setna. Show me.”[/b] His smile grew a little wider as he took the offensive this time, pushing forth while keeping his distance. It was very different yes, but Setna had his determination.

The young man, this time, did not flinch or hesitate. He stood his ground and Elrithos was pleased as he wasn’t able to push him back easily. Elrithos had to eventually open himself to get somewhere without pulling out all his skill and, fortunately, Setna stepped forward and committed to his gap closing move… Elrithos tried to back up, but spears of this length were awkward in close quarters. So Elrithos tried to trip him up again, but this time, Setna moved aside the shaft with his blade. Smart move. Elrithos was rendered unarmed… And Elrithos was pleased. Elrithos backed up, hands in the air to sign his defeat… He could have really changed it around, but this would be what a typical armed man could do.

[b]“There we go.”[/b]

Setna grinned so wide at his accomplishment that his eyes were forced to close. He punched his arm into the air in a celebratory fashion before plopping down on his butt. He took a few deep breaths with sweat still streaming down his face, more because he had been nervous than anything else. The boy wiped his forehead with his sleeve, before looking up at Elrithos. "That was it, right?" He grinned again and got back up to his feet.

He stretched his arms a bit, feeling sore after such a long day. But he was still excited about the spar. "Couldn't trip me up again!" He couldn't stop grinning but he finally seemed to calm down, reflecting over the match as a whole. "I'll have to keep practicing that though. It's a lot different than going up against someone with a sword."

Setna sighed a bit, and cracked his neck before looking back at Elrithos with a smile. "What else?"

Elrithos laughed a little as the young man pumped his fist into the air. Confidence; that is what he needed to gain. He was a capable warrior, but he wasn’t taught how to stand up and stay straight. He could a very capable warrior with the assets he had. Elrithos reached down to pick up the spear and came closer to the young warrior. 

[b]“Yes, you got it right. See what happens when you don’t hesitate? It makes good use of your energy allows you to readjust more confidently.”[/b] He said simply, another laugh escaping him as he talked about not tripping him up again. He nodded at his statement. [b]“Every weapon is a different style of combat. I’ll teach you to defend yourself against those I know are commonly used or I have seen before. Axes are going to be a nightmare for you.”[/b] It sounded wrong really, axes being very inconvenient in a fight… But Elrithos has seen it come to use. 

Elrithos walked towards the cart. [b]“Go join your sister for now. We’ll continue training after you are done with her and Tirian.”[/b] He said simply.

---------

Setna stretched his tired body as he entered the forest to go check on his sister and the Durandal warrior. He stepped through the grass and bushes in the same direction he had seen Serna run off into and as he entered a clearing he was surprised to find both Serna and Tirian fast asleep. Serna's head was positioned against Tirian's shoulder and his head was on her's. Setna raised his eyebrow and smiled. So much for a real training session, or maybe they had both tired themselves out. The boy approached them and leaned down next to his sister, he reached out and gently shook her shoulder. "Oi, you two, time to head back to camp." 

Setna frowned as his sister remained unresponsive and he shook her a little harder. "Serie, c'mon, get up." 

Finally the girl's eyes fluttered open, and then they immediately widened in fear as they took in Setna's face. "Setna!!" 

Serna suddenly flung her body into Setna's chest, taking him by surprise as he fell back from the force. He hit the ground and groaned. "Gods, Serie. What the hell? What's wrong?" 

The boy's eyes widened as he felt his sister tremble in his arms, and he immediately embraced her. Serna slowly looked up, her eyes in tears as her hand reached up to touch his face. "A-A-Are you r-r-real?" 

Setna looked confused as he tried to soothe his sister and rub her back. "Of course I'm real. What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare or something?" 

Serna didn't seem to be able to take in the answer as she continued to touch her brother's face, tears slipping down her cheeks. Eventually she seemed to accept that he was in fact physical and in front of her. She buried her face in her brother's chest, hugging him tightly as she breathed him in. "Thank the gods...thank the gods..." 

Her twin was still left bewildered as he simply rubbed her back, hoping it was helping. But then the girl suddenly sprang up in a sudden realization, which led into an accidental head-butt into her brother's chin. Setna held his jaw and cried out in both surprise and pain as Serna fled toward the tree and an unconscious Tirian. The girl began shaking the warrior with all her might, trying to get him to awaken. "T-Tirian! T-Tirian!! W-Wake up!!"

Tirian’s body remained limp and lifeless until those words finally reach listening ears. Tirian woke up with a quick spring in his step as his hand reached for the blade at his side. Azure eyes focused in on the surroundings before them and finally the prince settled into a calmer state. The soldier slumped his shoulders and finally turned his attention to Serna, unaware of the fact her twin had been the one to break them of that nightmarish dream world they have been cast into. His eyes wondered for a moment, if perhaps it was all just a dream and maybe it would be better to not talk about it. However, the Durandal warrior gave Serna a simple inquiring look, checking if she had experienced what he had in the past few hours.

Serna calmed after seeing the red head immediately wake up and launch himself forward. She watched as he seemed to calm himself down and then looked back at her. The Syndarean girl returned his gaze with one of her own. She was still shaking from whatever they had experienced, and as she looked at Tirian's face she could tell...it had been a shared experience. But what had happened to them? Was it just a nightmare? Had it been unreal the entire time?

The young girl trembled and looked at her hands, feeling the ground underneath her. It was no longer covered in ash, instead the grass was green and full of life. The tension and pressure of that place was gone as well, as Serna took in the cool night air and the sound of insects buzzing throughout the wood. What had happened?

Setna slowly stood up, still rubbing his chin as he looked from his sister to Tirian and back again. "Uh...are you two alright?"

The boy couldn't help feeling that he had missed something large.

Tirian returned his look to Setna, a small smile coming to his face as the world around him began to settle.

“Just a bad dream, let’s get back to camp before nightfall.”

Setna took in the man's expression before shrugging and going over to help his sister back up. The trio finally returned to camp and Setna stretched his body out before returning over to Elrithos in order to finish their training for the night. Serna however, idled a bit and she gently reached for Tirian's hand, squeezing it lightly. She looked up at him with large eyes, unsure as to what she should say. What could she say? How exactly should they move on from here?

She wanted to ask him if he remembered too. She wanted to ask if they should tell the others, and if they could possibly know what had happened to them. But instead she remained silent and immobile. Serna ducked her head as her brows knitted together with thought and concern. She shook her head before finally looking up at him again. "Are y-you ok?" The Syndarean whispered.

-The walk back remained silent, and awkward. Upon returned to the camp itself, Serna who would normally retreat to Setna’s side, opted to instead squeeze the soldiers hand and stay by his side for the moment. Tirian’s face warmed up to a dull shade of maroon with the soft touch of the Syndareans hand in his own, until her words entered his ears. Blue orbs looked down to larger, darker eyes knowing what her thoughts were in the moment. Tirian turned his eyes forward with a heavy sigh and returned the gentle squeeze to Serna’s hand before returning words of his own.

“It was just an odd dream. Let’s just keep this between us and pretend it never happened. Okay?”

Serna nodded in agreement, and slowly slipped her hand out of his. She quietly returned to her brother, but her thoughts refused to let go of what had happened. She laid down beside Setna, who had already conked out, exhausted from a day of training and traveling. Serna curled up beside him, using her cloak as a blanket. Even though she tried to get herself to fall asleep she couldn't. She kept opening her eyes, making sure she was still in reality, making sure that her brother was indeed beside her. The teenager curled into herself a bit more, her ears open for the sounds of the monsters that had invaded her dreams and of the silence of the ash that smothered everything beneath it. 

As much as she wanted to pretend it never happened, it was haunting her. The young girl was in for a long night of restless sleep.

Tirian frowned ever so slightly as the hand in his own slipped and seemed to pass over him, as Serna returned to her brother and attempted to sleep. Tirian took place against one of the far away carts and did his best to quell the uneasiness of his mind. The fear of falling asleep and once more being thrown into a hellish nightmare caused the soldier to feel human for the first time in ages. A very mortal shiver crawled down the Durandal warrior’s back but just as the fear had come, it dispersed and the soldier found himself in an uncomfortable and very light sleep. His dreams were of nothingness, a dark black background but the soldier felt in control and lucid. 

------------

Morning came quickly upon the group. After a restless night, Serna got up early, trying to put the day to good use instead of wasting it on sleep that wasn't going to come. Setna also woke up rather bright and early, already stretching his body and prepping it for the training that Elrithos decided for the day. He watched as his sister put together a simple breakfast for the group, wary of the fact that it was noticeable that she hadn't slept well. Hopefully he'd be able to convince her to rest on a cart when the caravan picked up for the day.

Aaerynn was also up at day break. Having sedated herself for the night, she woke up with little pain, although she couldn't tell if it was from her own medicine or the conversation she had with Vordan the night before. She felt better though, the pain had reduced to a minor thrum. It was there and prevalent, but it didn't take over to the point where she had to physically stop what she was doing in order to bear it. She was getting better, and actually producing results. The wood elf rolled her shoulders as she stood up and gave a soft pat to Kai's head who whined about being woken up. 

Gazing over at the young Syndarean boy, Aaerynn couldn't help feeling a little motivated to undergo her own workout. It had been a long time since she had practiced her stances, and perhaps working out her body would help loosen up her muscles and the tenseness in her joints. The question was, who to practice with? Eventually her eyes landed on Tirian, who seemed awake like the rest of the rising party. Her thoughts drifted back to his confession of his heritage, and Aaerynn found herself wondering what he was taught in elvish culture. She slowly approached him, and offered a greeting. "Morning." The wood elf tried to hold down her awkwardness as she stood in front of the red head. "Mind if I ask you for a favor?"