Blackfridayrule

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

The Azurei lad--for he was considered on the older side of adolescent among his people--blinked and was visibly surprised to hear Darin speak even halfway decent Azurian. It was a complex language, as complex and difficult as the people who spoke it. Few bothered to learn it unless they themselves were elves and often had business with their desert kin. Eluri was a little easier in structure and to get the accent right, and the Orosi often talked with their hands as much as their lips, so they were a bit easier to follow. Yet here was a human who could hold conversation with him. "You speak like a...long-time-visitor." A rough translation maybe, but he thought it would do. "I have heard of Rah-Elaitih that would not teach the blade until their student learned the speech of Azurei. But I have never seen someone do it so well." A Rah-Elaitih was a blade master, though it more commonly referred to specifically those that traveled Astra and took apprentices to teach their art to. He had either heard their cover story, or simply assumed it on his own.

The eija-in-training looked somewhat...disappointed? It was like he'd expected to finally learn the exotic truth of how humans did their death rites, and it turned out they were no different than Azurei's. He nodded. "Ah, to dust, then. Yes." The lad continued to clean Ridahne's blades in silence. The human did the same with her own blade and he found it to be very strange. It was oddly curved and not optimal for combat. He tried desperately to apply what he knew of his own blade training to the odd weapon, but nothing seemed to really fit. He would most certainly report that back to his master. There were some details about the whole situation that made the three of them begin to wonder who these two strangers were, how they both found and bested the Red Hand agents, and what they were doing out there to begin with. Jinh, the seasoned male eija, seemed to have a clue as to who they were, or at least who the elf was, and the other two quickly understood his guess.

There was a lot he didn't know, but he had seen the sigil carved in silver on the horse's tack. While he himself could not identify it, he thought perhaps either of his companions might.

--

Ridahne drank a lot of water, and that was encouraging at least to Talyn. But he could still see her amber eyes glazing over every now and then as they stared into a wooden plank without really seeing it. Even she'd catch herself doing this and would blink rapidly and refocus her eyes and become a little more alert, but Talyn caught it all the same.

Finally Ridahne sighed as if in defeat. "I'm very tired. But I have something to ask of you before I rest again."
Talyn inclined his head. "Mm?"
"I need a piece of paper and some charcoal, or even ink if you have it. I'd like to send a message."
"To?" Talyn asked as he opened up a small drawer and fished for a stick of charcoal and a little piece of paper.
Ridahne took the materials, smiled, and said, "His name is Taja-Ajoran. A message sent to the palace and addressed to him will find its mark." Ridahne carefully propped up her good leg and used it as a writing surface. She wrote with care, and the one single word was scribed with as much precision as could be managed with a piece of charcoal. Ridahne wanted to tell him everything, to tell him she'd found Darin and was on a road that would eventually lead her back to Azurei. To him. But she knew that messages often were intercepted, and secrecy was their best ally, especially after last night's experience. So she trusted to Ajoran's thoughtfulness and knowledge of her and simply wrote:

Soon.

It said everything she needed it to. 'I'm alive and I'm coming home one day.' And instead of addressing it with her name, she simply drew a rough version of her sigil--a seahorse. She handed it back to Talyn and eased herself back down onto her back with a lot of grimacing and some amount of dizziness.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

If the noise Mitaja made could be considered a meow, then it was deep, and not at all the cute mew of barnyard tabbies. It could be a very menacing MOW sound, but to the two women who knew her and at the current moment, it was a very pleased noise. The dun colored cat hooked one big, black-ringed paw around Ridahne's nearest arm and pulled, while at the same time butting her head into the elf's shoulder.
"Ai! Alright, alright," she mock-grumbled, and scratched the velvety spot between the cat's eyes. Watching Darin get up, she added in the same sort of falsely miffed tone, "Good morning to you too, Darin." Honestly though, it was just good to see her in one piece. Mostly one piece anyway, she noted from all the blood on her shirt. She looked down at her own and realized that she must have bled more than she initially guessed, because she was dressed in her very simple underclothes and even those were stained red. Maybe at some point she'd ask to borrow a robe or something and get all her clothes washed--goodness knows they needed it, even the ones that weren't bloodied.

Talyn called after Darin as she left, "Don't be gone too long. I'll be making breakfast soon."
"Don't hold your breath," Ridahne said with a tired smile. "She does what she pleases." She said this with pride, not with disdain. "Ought to name her Isfahan too."
"That means erm...fireheart, right?"
"Aye."
"Have you known each other long?"
Ridahne very slowly and gently shook her head. "No, only...ah..." She frowned. She knew how long, but the exact figure seemed just out of reach. Maybe she wasn't as clear headed as she thought she was. "Well, not long."
Talyn caught the stumble and studied her with a trained eye. "You really ought to rest more. We'll get some food in you, and more water, and then its back to bed with you. I mean it."
Ridahne gave a mock-salute--a turned-out fist to her chest. "Yes sir."

--

In the stables, two hands were already going about the daily chores, including feeding and watering the animals. Tsura was behaved, but a little on edge and the reason why became quickly apparent. The younger Azurei, the apprentice, was already at Tsura's stall, seated on an upturned bucket holding Ridahne's sword in both hands. Her knives were beside him. He saw Darin and seemed to know who she was immediately, or at least guessed. At first, he was obviously startled, but seemed to remember his training and sat firm with his chin up. He did hold out one hand in a placating gesture, and pinched between two knuckles was a polishing cloth, stained pinkish red.

"My master asked me to inspect the Azurei traveler's horse since we were told not to bother the rider. But we have many questions. So she sent me here, and I saw that her blades were still bloody from the fight. Blades of quality should not lie soiled, and especially not ones that belong to one of our order. So I am cleaning them. I will put them back in the saddlebags when I am finished, you have my word." He bowed slightly. It was unclear exactly how he knew Ridahne was eija, but he seemed to count her among himself and his companions. He was silent for a moment before he added, "We found the bodies last night. The last of them, the one with no hand, he is dead also. We did not get to interrogate him. Do you...have rituals you would perform on the dead?" He seemed unsure of this question, as if he had heard strange and possibly untrue rumors of human customs but had never really encountered them for himself.

He was young, easily half Ridahne's age or less, and though he did not have the keen awareness of Ridahne or his master, his light brown eyes were sharp and attentive, and always reading her as best he could. His common Astran was a little halting, and his accent was extremely thick. In his right ear was a large stone earring with a symbol carved in it like Ridahne's bone one, except his ku'o was a flat disc that sat in his earlobe rather than something that hooked through it and dangled, and it was made from what looked like white marble or howlite.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Konie cleaned up, and after a quick conversation with Talyn about how to handle the situation, they both dimmed the lamps on their way to bed. Except Talyn saw a pair of greenish eyes reflecting back at him from the one little window after he doused the last one, and even with his cool temperament he jumped a little. It was the Azurei's cat, looking mournfully at him through the window. He'd seen them before, but never so suddenly and in the dark like that. Once he'd gotten over his shock, he went to the window. "Looks like we've got a beggar at the door, Konie..." he did allow a soft smile, though he darkly suspected that if he didn't let this cat in, she might break their little window and let herself in. Begrudgingly, he unlocked the door and let her in.

Mitaja passed the elf, though not without rubbing up against his thigh as she did. Purring deeply like soft drums rolling in the distance, the cat picked her way through limbs and blankets and mats to find a spot nestled up against Ridahne. When she'd settled, she looked back at Talyn with an expression that said, "I've got it from here." He smiled and went off to bed.

---

The little tavern was almost empty except for a few weary souls that sat in small clumps without mirth or joy among them. She found Hadian alone at the bar, slumped in his chear.
"Hadian!" She said, beaming. "I didn't know you were going to be back so soon. I saw the ship, someone said you'd be here. You should have come to--" She took stock of the look on his face, and at the other patrons in the bar. They were all his shipmates, and they all looked glum. But none worse than her brother. "...Hadi? Bad...harvest...?" Even as it came out of her mouth, she knew it was a poor guess. And some horrible sense awakened within her heart. She felt it quicken. "Hadi, what happened?"
The sailor turned his head towards her in a heavy, clumsy rolling motion. Drunk. Very drunk. "We...lost two men to the ocean yesterday. That storm...we knew it was..but...we didn't think it'd be so...big. Wave took Jirnan right over the gunnel, and Da..." Hadian paused to take a long gulp from his mug.
"No..."
"Jaisih, he took a rope in one hand and went right after him. We all held onto that rope but the waves were too strong and tore him from the rope."
Ridahne felt sick. "Wait, wait, but--no! He--"
"--knew the risks when he jumped into that water. He knew the risks when he boarded that cursed ship. We all did. Jirnan too. We tried to get them, Ridahne. We tried. Da's gone."
Ridahne's breath caught in her throat as she forced out a detached, "What's done is done." And she turned on her heels and swept out of the tavern. She needed to be alone.

Hadian did not call after her or follow. He simply emptied his mug and repeated, "What's done is done." And he shivered as his shipmates took up the ritual and repeated the phrase in unison.

"What's done is done."

---

Ridahne awoke to a darkness that was just beginning to give way to early morning. Everything hurt. Mitaja was stretched beside her with her back pressed against Ridahne's side, but she did not recognize anything else. Where was this? One hand explored the mat she lay on; she was in an Eluri town, as the low mats were distinctly one of their customs. She relaxed a little, but she struggled to remember the events of the night before. There had been a man and a woman at some point. She remembered the quiet of the forest, the unnatural quiet. Faces in lantern light. The fight. Darin. DARIN! Her eyes scanned the room wildly and she tried to sit up but immediately regretted the sudden movement. Darin was there beside her, asleep.

Ridahne released the breath she'd sucked in so sharply and lowered herself back down onto the mat. Right now, they were safe. So she had time to consider last night's events, and the bitter struggle between her and the Red Hand. Ridahne had been attacked before, but never quite like that. Never overpowered. As that man's hands squeezed around her neck she could feel the very life in her body leeching out, fading, like he was a vampire that was sucking it from her, consuming it...

Ridahne burst into tears. They were nearly silent, and she held her breath to keep from sobbing and wheezing. She needed this moment, this moment alone to feel that fear and release it. For someone who had spent so long bringing death to others, it felt strange to finally have it come for her. Strange and utterly terrifying. Had her partner felt this way when she'd slit his throat? Did he feel that same panic as the blood, and his life, spilled out of him? Had her father felt this way when the sea finally took him, when he took his last breath and tasted saltwater instead of air?

It took a while, but she finally cooled down a little. It felt better having that out, like finally letting go of a thorn that had been gripped too tightly for too long. Mitaja stirred as Ridahne tried much more slowly and carefully to sit up again. She could feel bruises all over, but there was a deep ache in her side and her head felt like it was going to explode. But she was powerfully thirsty, and deeply determined to carefully get up and just--

Oh, she'd forgotten about her leg. She tried to be quiet--she didn't want to disturb Darin--but the unexpected sharpness of that pain made her involuntarily yelp as she cringed. Mitaja made a deep noise of disapproval and licked at Ridahne's arm. At the noise, a male elf came into the room, squinting at her through the fading darkness. He muttered something under his breath, sounding a bit alarmed as he hastily lit a candle on a nearby table and came to her. "Easy, Azurei. You and your friend are safe. You shouldn't be up."
"Give me water." Her voice was hoarse, like she'd been shouting for hours. He at least had the good sense not to argue with her, because he got a large cup and handed it to her; she practically chugged it all down. But when she lowered the cup, she saw his face in the candlelight and paused. "I know you...but is this...real? Am I dreaming? I feel I've done a lot of that lately."
"It's funny," the man said. "I thought the same thing about you for many years. I'm Talyn. I'm the assistant to Elder Konie, the town medic. I have always wondered, who are you?"
Ridahne dragged herself backwards a little so she could lean her back against the wall, but she grimaced the whole way. "Not a Ghost, but I feel like one now. I'm Ridahne Torzinei. And for the record, I'm exactly who you think I am." She said this a little derisively, but she decided he didn't deserve the edge in her tone and added, "I imagine news has reached you of the events in Azurei. I killed the Sol. Not who you expected I'd be, mm?"
Talyn shook his head. "No." After a pause he asked, "Why'd you do it? I just...I know I don't know you, not really. But I never thought you a killer."
Ridahne gave him a pitied look and said, "You didn't think me real, either." A long, heavy pause, then, "Why'd I do it? An eija-alihn serves Azurei. We have no other master." It was something said upon initiation, but Ridahne thought it explained enough without explaining much in the way of details.

Talyn didn't press, but the knowledge that she was not just a former eija but an eija-alihn obviously shocked him by the look on his face. He'd heard rumors about the eija-alihn, and looking at her now, he wondered which of those were true. "I'll get breakfast going. Remember that you're supposed to be resting. You're...going to be a difficult one to keep down, aren't you?" Talyn sighed resignedly, but he smiled and so did Ridahne.
"Always," she answered.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

The three Azurei warriors grouped around Talyn with interest. They'd heard of some commotion but hadn't gone to investigate. They wished they had. The most experienced of them was a broad-shouldered man with a storied ojih, and he acted as the little band's leader. The other was a woman, shorter and more stout than Ridahne and with slightly darker skin. The third was her apprentice, who was clearly quite young for an elf and his ojih was very simple.

"They've been found?"
"Yes." Talyn spoke decent Azurian, though he'd been told his accent was poor. "Seems most of them are dead, but reportedly, one is tied to a tree with a severe injury. On the off chance he's alive, you might want him."
"Aye," the older man said. "We do. But we can learn a fair bit even if he's dead. Where'd they come from?"
Talyn gave a wobbly shrug. "North I think?"
"Forgive my boldness," the apprentice said quietly, obviously half expecting to be barked at by his master. Her gaze was sharp, as if to warn him that whatever he had to say better be worthwhile, but he was allowed to speak. "But you said the rest were dead? Those travelers killed them? Who are they? Can we speak to them after we're done searching for the one?"
Talyn frowned. "Er, no, I don't think that's wise. The younger of the two is wary of strangers and needs to rest. The other was...very seriously wounded. She was dangerously close to bleeding out, I doubt she'll be up for being interrogated."

The woman's slim brows furrowed slightly. "An elf then. Human women do not fight, and they do not kill multiple bandits. Not the Red Hand. She is Azurei, isn't she?"
Talyn hoped they wouldn't come to that conclusion, but lying would make things worse. Figures--eija were sharp like broken glass. "Yes. She's a Sea guide I believe, but a well trained one. And a spent one. As a physician, I ask you leave her be. She'll come to you when she's able and if she's inclined."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's her name?"
Talyn's cool nature served him as he shook his head calmly and said, "I don't know, it's hard to make introductions with an unconscious woman. And I have no experience reading the ku'o, so I don't know her family name. Besides, I had work to do."
"Hm." The man went stony and distant and Talyn knew the man was thinking behind that stoicism. "We should go." And in a moment they were mounted and melted into the night darkness. Talyn released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and returned to the hut.

Mitaja was pleased to see Darin, though when the human entered the stables, the cat had been sitting poised and elegant but looming near the horses, and her green eyes tracked the stablehands with sharp accuracy. She'd been trained to protect Tsura as well as her handler, and she growled at anyone who got too close to their two horses. Tsura, meanwhile, tossed his head and bit at anyone that tried to take his tack off, though he bumped Darin's back with a soft nose when she came.

The cat dutifully slunk away to pounce on a sizable rat that she presented to Darin. She could smell more but she'd get them later. Where was her handler? Mitaja knew her role was to stay with the horses while Ridahne was away, but as Darin left the animals the cat yowled loudly. She'd stay here now, but there was no promise that she wouldn't find her way into the hut in the middle of the night.

Konie saw Darin shuffling towards the hut and she scuttled out to meet her, putting an arm around her as support as the elderly woman ushered the human back inside. "Sit now, dear." She was gentle, but that was a very soft command. "You got no more business running around. Come here, child, I'll have a look at you."

Talyn entered then, and locked the door behind him. It wasn't highly unusual--he did that whenever they had patients in need of rest or space and when they did not want to be disturbed. He went over to check on Ridahne. The soft rasping of her breath was quiet, but even, and that was something. A dark bruise had developed over her throat, and Talyn could just make out the impression of fingers. He got something from a cabinet, a dark bottle, and poured a little bit of its contents into a little cup of water, swished it around, and then began pouring it into her mouth slowly. "A bit of medicine, and a bit of cool water to soothe her throat," he explained to Darin. He didn't want to alarm her. After covering the elf with a blanket, he sat on a cushion with his back against the wall. He was very tired.

"I think the eija here are a bit suspicious. They're hard to sneak things past, as I'm sure you know, and they asked a lot of questions. I said that she was a Sea guide. Not untrue, I guess. But I sense they know I'm not telling the whole story. The good news is they don't--er...didn't belong to Khaltira-Sol. They're under Hjendi-Sol's rule I believe, so the situation is a little less...close. Konie, I'll let you handle the other Elders. There's mutterings among some that the presence of the Red Hand here recently is due to our guests, and they're not happy." Talyn sighed.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

sorry if my post is a bit of a mess, I had surgery 2 weeks ago and am in a difficult phase of recovery--needing to rehab and use it but not too much lol. But thankfully I can type. not well, but if I'm slow I can do it without strain. its just a bit awkward. nice to have something to do though, I don't take sitting still very well lol.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Talyn studied darin carefully, but he had a slow, patient way about him that made it clear he wasn't grilling her. He sat and listened and tried to process what he heard. He looked back at his patient on the table with a small, somewhat sad smile. "No, I can't imagine any would. I'll see to it someone looks in on the one you left behind." For a moment it looked like that was all talyn had to say, for he fell silent. But his face turned mildly sour, and in a troubled tone he added, "We've had some issues here lately with bandits. They've been harassing our roads and made getting supplies and news difficult. Its good news that they are dead, if indeed you met all of them. We have actually sent for some Azurei eija to help us track them down, but they've been unable to find more than one or two. None have talked." A thought occurred to him and he said with a small cringe, "Some secrecy for your friend might be prudent, then...I don't personally deal with Azurei politics, and I owe her my life so it makes no difference to me but...your friend is not loved among her own. Not anymore. Words have reached my ears of the infamous assassin and the talk isn't good, young human. I will keep her identity secret as best I can. Speaking of identities..." he spoke very softly and gently. "I have a guess as to who you are. Call it a...gut feeling, as you humans say. There's something about you, a nurturing spirit, perhaps. I don't know. And I don't need to." He smiled. "My name is Talyn, I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

Talyn refilled his cup and Konie's, and offered to refill Darin's too. "Your friend will be alright. Her wounds were serious, but not mortal, and she will heal well enough in time. She's lost a lot of blood, so she might be unsteady when she wakes up. But she will wake up. She did have a grievous head wound, so we'll need to watch that. I don't doubt she has a concussion." He stood. "Excuse me, I'm going to go have a word with our Azurei guests so they can find this bandit of yours. And to inform the elders that at least some of them have been...eliminated." Talyn was a gentle soul and did not like the idea of killing, however justified, but there were times when he bit his tongue for the greater good. As a man of medicine, he knew all too well what violence wrought. but if one had to die to save countless others from harm...well, it was a bit like removing an infected limb. Unpleasant, but too necessary. "I will tell no one of her identity, nor will I make guesses at yours. I suspect some of the elders already know anyway, they are strong with the Sight. Get some rest. And now that we've all had a moment to breathe, Konie can take a look at your own injuries and hurts." He gave a shallow bow and left.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

"Ridahne, I need you to stay here until tomorrow," Jaisih, Ridahne's father spoke softly. There was a tired note to his voice.
"But da! Hadian gets to go! How come it's always Hadian who--"
Jaisih cut her off by firmly but not unkindly grabbing her chin with one hand. She held it high, as if to pull free from his grasp, but she otherwise did not struggle or look away. And though his hand was firm, his eyes were soft, pleading. She had to understand, he had to make her understand. "Enough." Spoken softly, it was a command. Jaisih was a good man, but he had a will of iron, and his daughter inherited that from him. He sighed. "I need Hadian to come with me. We can't sail the boat without ten hands, Ridahne. I know you don't want to be bound to the house, and believe me Ridahne, it hurts me to see a wild thing caged."

This admission softened young Ridahne's disposition. Her father did understand her, better than most. "But Da, I could help make some money. I...I could...uh, I could dive for shellfish and seahorses, or I could borrow Hili's horse and go out to--"
"Ridahne, I know you would. I know you could. And I hate that I've ever had to ask you to go out into the Dust Sea, however willing you might be. But this isn't about making ends meet, Ridahne. Yes, we're not doing well financially. But there's a more important task I need you to do."

Suddenly it felt less like a prison sentence to be cooped up for so long. "A task?"
"Yes." Jaisih swallowed, and Ridahne watched something in him, some kind of light slip away from his eyes. She watched him turn to stone before her very eyes and knew that something was very wrong. Because when things were hard, she did the exact same thing. "Your mother is...not doing well," he finally said.
Ridahne shook her head. "Well no, she's been sick. But the healer is doing everything he can...Right?" Silence. "Jaisih?" A panic crept into her chest. "He's doing everything he can, right Da?"
"He...is. Yes. He will probably be by this evening. You must thank him for all his work and assist him where you can. But my dear...sometimes things don't work out like you want them to."
Ridahne gasped, but she could already feel the lump in her throat. "Are you saying--"
"I'm saying I'd like you to stick around here until we get back, Ridahne. For me."

A painful fear like she'd never felt touched her young heart. At first it felt like she couldn't breathe, but by force of will she finally took a breath and nodded. She caught Hadian's eyes as the two turned and walked out into the still dark morning, and she found there a look of understanding. Hadian knew. Their mother was dying and Hadian knew and didn't tell her. Ridahne had never felt more betrayed. So she waited for Hadian and Jaisih to walk out of sight, and with her mother asleep in the other room, Ridahne dropped to her knees and wept.

---

"Ikali.." Ridahne had gone very still and very silent for a stretch of time and when she eventually did stir, that was the one conscious thought she could express. It was a female name, though who exactly she was referring to was unclear. It was her mother's name of course, but Darin didn't know that. She felt the undulation of Tsura underneath her and knew for the moment she was safe, so she didn't fight the wave of dizziness that came over her again.

Ridahne could sort of make out voices. They didn't sound entirely friendly by their tone, but she had little comprehension of words. Were they there already? How long had she been unconscious? Just how bad was she? More movement, some voices again. A tall man came from the house, took a second to assess the situation, and went to help Darin get Ridahne off Tsura. He had blonde hair and gray eyes, but a cool composition dosed with the right amount of urgency after seeing all that blood. It was hard to tell with elves, but he seemed to be older than Ridahne, but much younger than the village doctor. "Got yourselves in some trouble, didn't you?" He had a soft voice, cool and contemplative like water.

Ridahne felt hands on her, ones she assumed were Darin's because of what felt like callouses. She moaned softly, but otherwise didn't resist until she felt the second pair of hands on her and heard a male voice distinctly say the word 'trouble'. It was like a part of her barely conscious brain was still back on the road fighting the Red Hand, with that man's hands around her neck, squeezing, strangling her, his weight pinning her down as she was robbed of her right of breath. Not again not again not again no no no no NO NO!

She tried to scream but it came out a sort of raspy keen, and a sliver of life came back into her limbs. Not nearly as vibrantly as when Darin first tried to move her earlier, but she managed to latch on to one of his hands and tried to peel it away. He was too strong for her. She tried a kick but between him and Darin, she was held firm.
"Ah, we've got a dangerous one, Konie." The way he said this was almost endearing, like he wasn't really worried about her being a threat but he knew they needed to be careful all the same. "Easy, Azurei," he said softly. "We're here to help. You're alright." He and Darin laid her down on a table and Ridahne gave in, going limp but with vacant eyes half open. The man, obviously Konie's assistant, began washing Ridahne's wounds to get a better idea of how badly and where she was hurt. He wiped her face clean with a cool, wet rag and stopped short as he got a good look at her face.

"Talyn?" Konie asked.
"I know her." His voice was so, so soft. He looked stunned. "The last time I went to Azurei, I was in terrible haste. And I thought I could go through the Dust Sea, I thought I'd prepared enough. I didn't. I came close to dying out there, and then someone came and found me. And I thought for all these years that she was a Ghost of the Sands, an apparition of the Dust or perhaps just my delirium, because one moment she was speaking to me and the next, I was in a large hut with a doctor, but she was gone. But I know something of Azurei Ojih, and that's definitely her. She's...real." He touched the black mark on her forehead, her most recent mark, with a gentle fingertip. "And not at all who I'd expect..." He turned to Darin. "She saved my life once. I'll see to it we return the favor."

The two worked tirelessly, cleaning the wounds, stitching up the arrow wound and the deep cut on her side, bandaging up her head. They could do little for the bruising on her throat, but that would fade in time. Once they had her cleaned, stitched, and bandaged, they moved her to a low mattress that was very nearly on the floor, as was the Elurian custom. Talyn had cleaned himself up and, after serving Konie with a steaming mug, came to sit on a cushion beside Darin. He offered her a small cup of a hot, milky drink that smelled slightly sweet. A mild flavored milk-tea that was a staple in these parts. He sipped his own cup and asked softly but straightforwardly, "What happened?"

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Yeah no worries! Pretty soon I might not be replying much (or well) so like seriously no rush.

Into the Dark

Ceylor

Ceylor are a breed of dragon that are found primarily on cliffsides or in high-elevation mountain peaks. They live in very small groups of maybe 2-3 and are rarely seen by people due to their remote habitats and the fact that they are nocturnal. Typical prey is usually mountain dwelling creatures (goats, mountain lions, large game) and oceanside ones tend to feed on aquatic life.

Ceylor are much much smaller than other breeds of dragon. Their full grown size is close to the size of an adult moose and have a slim, sleek, agile build. Unlike larger dragons, they are not heavily "armored" and their scales are matte and smooth. Their bodies are lithe, muscular, and they are not very 'spiky', except a few small spines around the head. The scales are black and because they are matte and close fitted they tend not to reflect light, which makes Ceylor excellent night-stealth hunters. Their claws and teeth are dark, not white/ivory, and their eyes are deep orange. They do have small, thin, bioluminescent stripes along their body/face. They don't glow very brightly and in the daytime it looks almost more like a reflection than light produced. It's something that can be turned 'on and off' so to speak, and they use it to communicate amongst themselves. The stripes are red.

Being smaller and 'unarmored', Ceylor are more vulnerable and less intimidating than larger breeds. However, as a tradeoff, they are extremely fast, agile, and almost fluid in the air. Their roar is has a dual tone, as if two voices are crying out at once in harmony, one deeper and one shrill and sharp; the sound tends to trend more towards sharp than deep. Ceylor do breathe fire, but they can't paint a target with a continuous stream, rather, they spit a little singular jet or fireball.

Into the Dark

Rohaan didn't spend a whole lot of time walking, despite spending most of his life on the move. Or at least, he did walk, but not often on two legs. Horses were a luxury he learned to live without, as they all sensed something dangerous and predatory in him. After all, his Ilun-tai, his 'true alternate' form was indeed a predator. And they knew it. Horses screamed and reared, sidled away from him, or just tried to bolt whenever he tried to get too close. It was possible for him to master a poor beast anyway, but neither he nor the animal were ever happy about the endeavor, so he usually avoided it when he could. But this didn't mean Rohaan was a stranger to fast travel. He could cover a lot of ground as a wolf or a bird, or a fish if he was near a body of water. Walking for hours on his own two legs just felt arduous. Technically he could have changed shape into something that could carry Xander and himself across the land much faster, but that would be exhausting, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to get into that with the kid just yet. He didn't fully trust him, which Rohaan noted with some approval; he shouldn't trust anyone on the road who said they were nice. And watching a man morph his body into something else for the first time was enough of a shock by itself without having to then ride said beast.

Rohaan yawned widely; the sun was making him sleepy. He liked hot weather more than cold, but after several hours under the sun even he was sweating. Xander suggested setting up camp and he nodded. "Aye, wouldn't be the worst idea. If you're in a terrible rush, we can continue on by night and sleep in the afternoons when it's hottest. Or if you ain't in no rush, then we'll sleep like stones until daybreak tomorrow." He smiled. It wasn't really of any consequence to him how quickly they got there. He didn't really have much personal stake in the mission besides having some compassion for the lad, and he spent his life wandering from place to place anyway. It felt like any other day except he was walking, and he wasn't alone. That last part was strange; Rohaan was not used to company, but he did like it.

Rohaan studied the area around them for a moment, and then marched across the river. It was unusually low, even for summer. Maybe there were beavers that had moved in this year? "It'll be nice and cool on this side. Plus if anyone decides to get nasty with us, they'll have to slosh through the water and wake us up in order to get to us. Get comfortable, and then we should gather wood for a fire. Not a large one mind you, but enough to see by and maybe cook by. I'm going to see what I can find us to eat tonight. Might as well save our rations for when there's no other choice."

Rohaan spent most of his days hunting or foraging, and he was very good at it considering he had the whole animal kingdom and all of its noses, ears, and eyes at his disposal. He dropped his small satchel that slung diagonally across his chest on the ground and was about to shift without any warning when he remembered again that Xander had not seen him do this yet.

"Xander, lad, I'm going to change shape. I'm warning you now so you can be ready for it--I don't want to spook you. See, I don't hunt with a bow, or with traps. You'll get used to it eventually but...I thought for your first time I'd give you some warning." Rohaan's body changed very quickly into a furry, four legged shape instead of a man shape. The shift was quick, fluid, and it looked effortless. It might have been some kind of parlor trick, except the sable wolf that looked back at Xander had the same black-ringed lapis eyes. He stayed there a moment, studying Xander's reaction before Rohaan trotted away deeper into the woods in search of prey, but also to scout out the area for any signs of potential trouble.

After a while, the wolf with blue eyes trotted back with a small, limp rabbit in his jaws. It wasn't much of a prize, but it was something. If it were just him, Rohaan would have stayed in wolf form and just eaten the thing raw, but he guessed Xander wouldn't enjoy raw rabbit. Rohaan shifted back to his own humanoid shape as he set his catch down. There was blood on his face and staining his teeth; he gave his mouth a quick swish and spat, wiping his face with the back of his hand. He didn't speak yet. Rohaan figured after what he'd just shown a once doubtful Xander, he needed to give the boy time to process what he'd just seen. So he silently began skinning and cleaning the rabbit with a very utilitarian knife he'd produced from his belt.