StarfrostedFox

The Destined Ones

Aww!! ❤️ You're so sweet! Finding this message made my night. Thank you. I am really happy that you like my writing style so much. I rather fancy yours as well. I'm always happy to see a post from you. :D

I'm just fine if you convert your first post into a terminology list. It doesn't bother me, and it's interesting.

The Destined Ones

Fresh powdery snow was beginning to drift in fat flakes from the underside of thick iron grey clouds hanging low in the sky, Coding the already snowy landscape with an unblemished layer of white. Between the snow, the frosty temperatures, and the way that each breath fogged in the air in front of mouths and noses, mother nature was giving the impression that winter was arriving early, though autumn's glory and warmer temperatures were still clinging desperately on the valley floor. Yet higher on the mountain's shoulders and head, winter was beginning to cling unforgivingly to the landscape.

Though it was only the middle of the day, everything seemed to be suspended in an early evening glow. Far below the looming clouds, two wolves threaded their way across the fresh powder in a winding line that threaded through the trees of the mountain forest, their lithe figures expertly maneuvering around snow laden bushes and frosty trunks, ears perked as they both seemed to be listening to a group of younger wolves farther ahead of them. Puffs of white fog erupted from their open muzzles as They kept up a steady ground eating lope, pink tongues lolling out as they panted With the exertion.

The Larger leading wolf Was a shaggy thick coated male, his fur as blindingly white as the surrounding snow, but changed abruptly to black along each of his legs from shoulder and hip down to his toes and the majority of his face, save for the fringes of his cheeks and the top of his forehead, the color fading slightly closer to the edges, becoming a dark grey. A pale grey stripe also ran from the base of his skull to the middle of his tail, this raised high in the air behind him.

His companion Was a smaller and lithly Built creature, with ample Amounts of fluffy white fur That made her appear bigger then she actually was. But splashed unevenly across her back in a saddle pattern, tipping her bushy tail, And splashed onto each of her paws and ears As well as a streak above her pink nose were spots of reddish brown. Then, As if this hadn't been enough, it appeared as if someone had taken paint the exact same shades Of her coat And randomly splattered the opposite color with speckles, creating a multitude of rusty speckles in her white areas and a handful of white within the red. If the way her tail kept waving In the air behind her was any indication, her personality was as sweet as the powdered sugar her fur resembled. At least, she was as much as she could, despite being a werewolf. Vivid gold eyes Sparkling with bright excitement, She somehow managed to bounce Forward and playfully nip at the end of The tail in front of her, erupting Into mental giggles as it brought her companion to an abrupt halt, his icy blue gaze falling on her And staring disapprovingly.

"Cassidy," he projected his thoughts sharply into her mind, releasing a loud huff, "This is no time to be playing games. You're old enough to know that, especially-" His ears turned back against his head as this resulted in further giggles that interrupted him, definitely not the result he had been hoping for. A small crease formed along his forehead, Making him look more worried than anything, especially not the anger that he felt bubbling up.

Briefly baring her white teeth in a wolfish Version of a grin, Cassidy seemed thoroughly unfazed as she bounced forward once again and swiped her tongue across the puckering in his forehead, probably because she knew she could out run the larger male if she needed to, The idea making her tail wiggle happily. "Aw, my dear brother Hutch," she chirped as she plopped her rump in the snow And began to create her own version of a snow angel with her bushy Appendage., "You're just grumpy because we have to plow through fresh snow." Her fur puffed up a little as she saw him open his mouth to refute her statement and she quickly added, "and the fact that no fresh game has shown up for the youngsters to prove themselves with." At this, she tilted her head in the direction of the three younger wolves, freshly turned and looking to prove themselves on a first hunt.

Hutch shut his muzzle With a soft click of his teeth, ears lifting Slowly as he regarded his Younger sister. She may not have been his full sibling, his father having found a new mate after his own mother had died, but she somehow had a softening effect On him that couldn't deny his fondness for her. Her near perpetual sphere of happiness was just a bonus he was going to have to live with. At least, that was her opinion. Despite this, it didn't stop the small snort that escaped him in a cloud Of white. "I'm just... worried... What if I completely mess up this whole hunting assessment? I don't understand why our father asked the Alpha to give me this sort of assignment. I don't really... Connect with anyone else. ."

Cassidy's eyes lit up as if she had just accomplished something very difficult. Her brother didn't normally come out of his shell and admit so readily that he was worried, not even to her. "Exactly! You're so down and stressed that I can't help it. You should be happy that Father has spoken so highly of you to Thatcher. The Alpha is showing trust in the opinion of his second and in turn is trusting you with something very important. He would never trust me with something as major as testing young werewolves... Maybe he is trying to give you confidence to try and move up in the ranks." Cassidy piped cheerfully, Jumping up to her paws and shaking out her coat vigorously, dislodging any snow that had had the thought to hitchhike. "Why deny a bit of sunshine?" She asked brightly, once again turning towards the distant recruits and starting off at a trot, her tail held high.

After a moment, Hutch bounded After her retreating figure, gently biting at her neck as he passed by, prompting them into both running again. "The sun is covered up today Cass." He said with one of his rare chuckles.

"Exactly why it is called for!" The she wolf said in a matter of fact tone. "There's nothing quite like the happiness you get from making your brother forget his worries momentarily." Her head tilted back slightly, her mental laughter strong enough that a barking version of the noise escaped her maw, bubbling up towards the sky.

"well if you want that happiness to continue, you better shut your mouth before you scare off all the prey on the entire mountain." Hutch growled over his shoulder, receiving a cheeky and completely silent grin in return that made him shake his head ruefully, but smile softly when he was sure his sister couldn't see him doing so. Unbeknownst to him, she did see it, and it made her tail wag.

But soon, sooner than she would have liked, Cassidy found Hutch sinking back into his surly mood from earlier, his thoughts drifting back into all of his concerns. She caught the hint of his thoughts in her mind through the connection with the pack, worrying that if Cassidy was right and their father was trying to push him into challenging for a higher rank, a fight between them would break out inevitably. He wasn't concerned with rising in the pack hierarchy, content with living his life in the middle, showing his dominance just enough to not attract an endless amount of fights, but not giving into the pressure of becoming submissive and sinking to the bottom of the pack where he would be guaranteed to end up The target of someone else's frustration. This thread of thoughts, impressions, and observations she herself had made was enough to put a slight damper on Cassidy's good mood. Growl rumbling silently in her throat, the white and rust werewolf pushed herself up onto the crest of a low hill after her brother, coming to a slow stop as the land fell away before them in a sheer cliff that looked out over an indentation within the side of the mountain. Releasing a slow controlled sigh, Cassidy flickered her thoughts towards the new wolves, tasting some of the disappointment and anticipation from the emotions that they had yet to learn to keep from leaking over their thoughts with every connection. With that touch, she was reminded of her task to help her brother make sure the first hunt went smoothly and keep his spirits up. With a renewed hopefulness, she gave her tail a brief wag, body turning away from the cliff and plunging back into the forest after her brother.

Hours had seemed to drag by as the wolves had steadily threaded their way down the mountain side, searching for prey that had fled from the storm. It wasn't until they were nearly to the ground level when they discovered a herd of deer grazing on tender shoots of grass, The younger wolves excitedly working together haphazardly to separate a large buck from the others, Hutch doing his best to guide their actions with comments and images, gaining additional insights after prompting Cassidy to do so. Finally, as the clouds in the sky were beginning to Break apart and lighten to a pale grey tinged with gold, Cassidy felt a surge of pride from her brother as they watched the trio of newcomers overcome the struggling deer, The animal sinking to the ground amidst a mass of grey and brown fur.

Unexpectedly, the Black and white werewolf turned his head to look down at her, shuffling his paws. "can I trust you to watch them until I return?" He asked her, an expression of surprise crossing her face at the sudden request before she nodded once.

"where are you going?" Cassidy queried curiously, tilting her head to one side.

Hutch seemed to be thinking quickly, shutting down his mental connection tightly so that only his words were able to come across, already turning towards the forest. "I am going to check the border while we're here, give the young ones a chance to enjoy their first kill without me watching over their shoulders.

Cassidy forced the look of confusion that had been coloring her expression to fade away at his words, giving the impression that she had completely bot his excuse. She blinked her golden eyes at him once before she sank to her haunches in the snow free grass, turning her attention back to the feast. One last thought was sent his way as Hutch vanished into the trees. "be safe. Then Hutch tightly closed off even words from his thoughts and she was left alone with the three new wolves happily gorging themselves on their fresh kill.

With her brother gone, Cassidy was no longer able to divert all of her attention to making sure he was relatively happy. And with the hunt completed, she also couldn't focus on making sure that the task from the Alpha was being pursued either. As a result, she was left to gradually return to an awareness of a distinctly unsettled feeling turning within her stomach, making her feel uncomfortable, nervous, and somewhat nauseous all at the same time. It was as if her subconscious was trying to tell her something, warn her of something that was wrong, but she couldn't quite place her finger, or toe, on The particular dilemma. Heaving a deep sigh, Cassidy had just begun to consider spreading out on her belly when the ground beneath her paws began to tremble and shake.

'Not another one! There aren't even any fault lines here!' Cassidy thought frantically, digging her partially retractable claws into the ground for stabilization.

" Cassidy! Are you all right?" Hutch's Voice suddenly flooded back into her mind, worry coloring his tones.

"I... I'm fine. Are you all right?" she responded quickly.

"All in one piece. And the others?"

"We're fine. Scott hit his nose on the ground and Jared and I fell over. But nothings broken." One of the new wolves spoke up, A large chocolatey brown male with a cream colored patch over one eye. If her memory served her right, Cassidy thought his name was Luke.

..."Good. Go with Cassidy and start heading back to the truck... Will head back for the house to make sure that none of the rest of the pack have been injured." Hutch instructed, each of the wolves besides Cassidy dipping their heads in acknowledgment and turning towards her.

The She wolf nodded her head once sharply before taking point and beginning the run back towards Cottonwood Canyon her thoughts turning towards her mother and father, her pack and her friends. 'Please let everyone be safe.' she thought silently as she and the other wolves ran hard through the snow.

Shadows of the Dark Forest (TheElvenqueen x AutumnFrost)

No rush! Whenever you get around to it. :3

I should read the first handful of stories. I've only been through the Omen of the Stars. But even then, they don't have the last two books in audio format. I had to go through them with my iPad reading them. It was rather hard to understand some of the cats names. Ha ha! I don't think they had any of the other books on audio, but I might have to check again. If nothing else, I can always look in iBooks. It's good to know that the later Siri's weren't all that great. Thanks for the heads up.

Shadows of the Dark Forest (TheElvenqueen x AutumnFrost)

Finally got my post up! Hooray! Sorry that took me so long. I have been getting things ready for my husband to be out of town for the rest of the week. I've just had a lot on my plate the last several days. But I really enjoyed writing my introduction. I even started listening to the first book in the omen of the stars series again, Just to brush up on warrior cat terminology. Ha ha! :3

Shadows of the Dark Forest (TheElvenqueen x AutumnFrost)

A new day was dawning brilliantly in the eastern sky, coloring the normally blue canvas with splashes of pink and orange. The first hints of golden light had just begun to spill over into what cats called the main camp and home of Dawn Clan when their current leader, Ashstar, stepped out of his den in the leader's tree, The larger of two such trees in the mountain clearing. He rubbed his lanky body against The edge of the opening that had been formed generations ago, scratching an itch beneath is tawny pelt before enjoying a limb shaking stretch, briefly digging his front claws into the wood of the tree limb beneath him. Yawn splitting his muzzle for a moment before the Tom shook out his fur, Ashstar slid into a seated position as his golden gaze swept over camp, watching the first of his clan mates stir.

A tiny spot of orange and white was streaking across the open space in front of the nursery cave, obviously attempting to make a break for a bit of adventure, but A beautiful black and silver she cat was in hot pursuit of the escapee. Ashstar released a mmrow of amusement at the sight of his mate Eagleleap chasing down the excitable, and rather slippery, kit Poppykit. Nearby, a sleek light brown and white tom was just stepping out of the warrior's den, releasing a wide yawn before going after an itch behind one of his ears. Poppykit streaked beneath Sandpelt's Front legs as the deputy of the clan was doing this, startling him to release a soft yowl.

"oh, sorry Sandpelt! Poppykit! Get back here you naughty kit!" Eagleleap's clear voice rang out, Clearly exasperated.

Another warrior, clearly having just been woken up, poked her head out of the den next to Sandpelt, Obviously curious and a little annoyed. When she spotted the bicolored kit scampering away with her leader's mate right on her tail, Sunspot couldn't help but give a heavy sigh before joining in the Chase, her long fur streaming out behind her.

Giving his head a brief shake, whiskers twitching with amusement, Ashstar maneuvered his way down from the leader's tree, landing nimbly on the ground before making his way over to his deputy. "that kit is going to make an excellent warrior one day." He meowed, drawing the attention of the light brown tom.

"She most certainly has the energy for it." Sandpelt sighed, giving his long tail several flicks.

"have you organized a Don patrol yet?" Ashstar then went on to ask, sliding into a seated position and curling his tail around his paws.

"no, not yet. I was just about to win Poppykit... Well, you saw." The deputy responded, giving his chest fur a few quick licks with his embarrassment at having reacted so strongly.

Ashstar tilted his head dismissively, excepting the fact that every cat got startled at one point or another. That was just how life was. "I'd like to join in on the patrol today. I could use the walk."

"Count me in then too." A slightly tired voice chimed in, Eagleleap trotting around the edge of the warrior's den A moment later. Behind her, Sunspot appeared, a resigned looking Poppykit dangling from her jaws. "I could use the time away from camp so that I'm not tempted to take this little scoundrel backwards through the barrier." She continued, giving the little kit in question a sharp look.

"That should be just fine. I was going to ask you to come on patrol anyway." Sandpelt responded, nodding his head at Eagleleap. "I'll just round up a few more cats and we can head out." He then said, looking back into the warrior's den before ducking back inside.

~|*|~

Paws Quickly flitting Around the stock shelves at the back of the medicine cat's tree, Dapplefern Happily sorted through the herbs, Making mental notes of which needed to be replenished soon. Flicking Her long tail, The medicine cat apprentice Scooped out a few dead leaves And added them to the small pile that she would throw out when she was finished. She hadn't been sleeping well lately, troubled by disturbing dreams, and cleaning and organizing the medicine cat Hollow was something that she instinctively started attending too. Another night of waking up well before dawn saw her cleaning once again, paws always moving.

Dapplefern had known from a young age that she wanted to be a medicine cat and had been absolutely thrilled when she had been chosen to become an apprentice to Icerain. She hadn't been under her tutelage for long, but had learned so much already. She highly respected the older medicine cat, Working very hard to prove herself worthy of becoming a medicine cat herself.

The sound of some cat yowling floated to her only a minute later, causing the she cat's ears to instinctively perk up.She left her work reluctantly, Quickly trotting over to the opening in the tree and looked out, surprised to see the clearing outside already awash in early morning sunlight. Blinking her light blue eyes a few times, she hunted around for the cause of the disturbance and spotted the clan deputy talking with The leader, a couple of other cats chasing after a kit that had obviously escaped from the nursery. Poppykit, If she wasn't mistaken. The Little she cat had been quite the pawful since she had recovered from being abandoned in the forest. No one knew who her mother was or what clan she might have come from, but had been discovered by one of the warrior patrols hidden in a cluster of poppy flowers on the edge of the territory. It had already been a half moon since then...

How Time flies... dapplefern thought quietly to herself as she watched Sunspot manage to catch the runaway in her jaws, the little kit meowing in protest. Her gaze then shifted back to Ashstar and Sandpelt. I wonder if the Don patrol has been put together yet... It would be a marvelous opportunity to get some new herbs... she noted as she looked back over at the pile of dead leaves she had swept together. Deciding that it probably would be a better idea to ask her mentor if she could go rather than volunteering herself, Dapplefern began climbing up the side of the tree, heading for the next branch up where her and Icerain's nests were.

"Icerain? Are you awake yet?"she called out softly as she got to the opening, poking her head inside.

Blood in the Moonlight (Apple Jax x AutumnFrost)

In response to him finally declining the offer of the dagger she held out, Celinny outwardly gave her shoulders a shrug before she slipped The small blade back into place. "Suture self." She murmured. Inwardly, she was intrigued. She had grown up with and had been raised by people who had had such opposite standards from Jax, She was staggered by such a concentration of goodness in one person... Not that she was openly going to admit that to him. Not unless she got to know him better. And the chances of them getting the opportunity to know one another better was slim.

Again, she found herself quietly, but intently, listening to Jax begin to lay out and even strategize a little with important information, detailing information about the stables, the people who worked in them, and the security of the gates. Tilting her head slightly as she listened, picturing herself heading back to the guard at the foot of the stairs before she and the former captain worked on securing themselves a pair of horses. She wanted to snort Saufley at the idea that she wouldn't be able to handle the stable Master alone, but quickly dismissed the instinctive reaction. She would just have to show Jax that it wouldn't be a problem.

Quirking up her lips in a smile as he then asked her if she had any ideas on opening the gate without alerting the guards, Celinny gave her head a brief nod. "I think I've got just the thing to get that gate open. No offense, but I don't trust you enough to detail that exact plan. Perhaps if we can get out of here safely and you don't betray me at the next opportunity, I'll let you in on that particular secret." She explained, not unkindly. Mist was her ace, More than capable of getting into the guard house and pressing the switch before the guards could react. But he was her best kept secret, she didn't want to risk his identity being divulged by preemptively telling Jax about him.

Giving one last cursory glance over his appearance, Celinny then opened the door once again, peeking out and glancing down the hallway. "wait here. I'll go take care of that guard and then whistle for you when we are in the clear." She said back over her shoulder before slipping out of the room and jogging down the Corredor, fingers already reaching into her belt for the necessary vial.

She paused for a moment as she reached the door to the staircase, rearranging her expression into one of sheepishness, before cracking open the door and peering timidly through the gap. As she expected, the guard immediately turned his head in her direction, though his expression was somewhat bored. She ducked her head, as if embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She mumbled at the ground. "I am supposed to go and get some more water..." She explained in an uncertain voice, casting a quick look up at the guard from beneath her lashes

"is that all? That's fine lass. Hurry up, will you?" The guard responded, relaxing back against the wall where he had been leaning, lifting up a piece of parchment he had in one hand to return to his reading.

Celinny gave an awkward curtsy before starting forward with her head down, watching the guard out of the corner of her eye. At the last moment, she pretended to trip over her own feet, stumbling forward with a squeak of alarm. As she had hoped, the guard reached out instinctively to steady her, catching her around one arm. At the last moment, Celinny righted herself, moving quickly in close to the man and suddenly snatched out her hand, completely covering his mouth and stifling any noise he might've made, her other hand reaching up to prick a needle coded in her sleeping solution into the soft skin at the side of his neck. After only a moment, the man's eyelids fluttered, Dropping closed sleepily. She carefully levered his body weight to allow her to quietly lower him to the floor before she stepped back to the prison door. Poking her head inside, she gave a short whistle to alert Jax of her success.

Of Men and Elves (Siaya-Dragalorn x AutumnFrost)

A deep breath through her nose as the sounds of the human walking away finally faded saw a mild cooling of Aeylisia's temper and she took A moment to rub her fingers against her temples as her headache throbbed within her skull. She then sighed heavily through her nose, pursing her lips as she looked over what materials she had already gathered. Casting one more quick glance in the direction that Shade had gone, the elf finally continued with her task of starting a fire.

Dry wood sorted out from the damp or green, A handful of kindling placed within a tent like structure of some of the sticks, and a ring of stones encircling both of them, Aeylisia finally sat back down with a huff, thoroughly exhausted and ready for the day to be over. Stifling a sudden yawn, the elf concentrated on using the least amount of magic and effort to call forth a small spark that leapt from her palm and into the kindling, coaxed into a small flame by a few gentle puffs of air. Breaking into a smile, Aeylisia worked on feeding sticks into the ever increasing flames until she had A decent enough fire going, the clearing illuminated by the flickering light and chasing away the chill that had begun to settle over her.

Releasing a second longer yawn, Aeylisia finally laid down on her side, curling one of her arms under her head as she watched the firelight dance. What a mess she had gotten herself into. The day had started out pleasant enough, time on her own to enjoy the quiet of the forest and the melody of bird song... But then the humans had gotten involved, had set her forest aflame. And now she was here with Shade, Her leg torn by the claws of a manticore and her Energy and magic spent... And now the fire was in the forest around her once again, her body naked and ravaged by cuts and slashes, shivering uncontrollably while tears streamed down her cheeks. A half consumed branch fell off a nearby tree, slamming into the ground Close to her, sending up a shower of sparks that bit and stung at her exposed skin. Aeylisia sobbed as she heard the heavy footfalls of an approaching monster, her heart slamming into her chest at the inevitability of her demise. With a roar, A creature that was half man and half manticore burst free of a burning bush, grinning wickedly as it spotted her shivering in the middle of the clearing. With triumph on its face and murder in its eyes, the creature leapt upon her...

A stick suddenly popping loudly in the fire startled Aeylisia to wakefulness, A half strangled gasp escaping her lips. Her entire body seized with panic as her heartbeat erratic against the inside of her ribs. Hot tears leaked from her eyes as she panted into the quiet of the night, expecting every moment to feel the ripping of claws into her flesh... But no... The manticore was dead. She had shot it with an Arrow in the face, had seen the sword sticking out of its neck... With a quiet sob, The Elven woman pushed herself up into a sitting position, her feet on the forest floor, hugging her knees close to her body. She put her head down upon her knees and began to cry in earnest. What am I going to do?

She wasn't entirely sure how long she had been sitting there, cheeks and knees wet with her tears, but she felt her stomach flutter with panic as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Head jerking up, Aeylisia stared into the forest with wide Red rimmed eyes, terror freezing her joints. But then an unfortunately familiar figure stepped into the light cast by the fire and then her fear melted away into inevitability and embarrassment. Hoping that Shade hadn't glimpsed her tear stained face, Aeylisia dropped her head onto one of her arms, using the motion to wipe at her cheeks with a sleeve.

She listened as the human settled down onto the ground, giving quite the show of yawning, and then asked her who was going to take first watch, adding in the irritating nickname he had adopted for her. She sighed, Not really in the mood to have another argument, and lifted her head to place her chin on her arm. "I am willing to take the first watch of the night..." She mumbled, her voice sounding as if she had a bad head cold, which only added to her embarrassment.

Blood in the Moonlight (Apple Jax x AutumnFrost)

Celinny Windwood

Nickname: Lin or Linny

Age: 24

Race: Human

Appearance: She is a long lithe woman, with wiry muscles and a caramel complexion. Her hair is a deep black in color and usually hangs to just between her shoulder blades in loose curls. Her cheekbones are high and proud, but are gentled and softened by rounded edges, as is her chin, complementing her heart shaped face and full lips. Set above a long nose that turns up very slightly at the end and below a set of slender arching eyebrows are a pair of almond shaped light blue eyes, a starburst of gold around the right pupil.

Clothes Wear: When on assignment, Celinny prefers wearing all black attire. A longsleeved tunic tucked into a pair of cloth pants, with the sleeves then tucked into elbow length black leather gloves. Soft soled mid calf leather boots adorn her feet, while a belt with a multitude of pouches and loops is tied at her waist. A cloth mask that can be pulled up to cover the bottom half of her face is left hanging around her neck for easy access.

When she's not working, she is more often than not seen in a simple pair of breeches, A darkly colored short sleeve tunic with a white longsleeved undershirt beneath, and a pair of sturdy mid calf boots that lace up in the front and fold over at the top.

Weapons: She owns a myriad of small daggers and usually has at least five on her person at any given time. Various vials of poisons, sleeping drafts, and paralytic Solutions are kept in her belt, along with needles to administer these liquids. She has a long bow and quiver that are matched silver and black. Finally, she has a rapier that she keeps in a dark red sheath, a figure of a running wolf engraved on the pommel.

Personality: She is fairly easy-going and laid-back, personable and cheerful, prone to sarcasm And jokes. She loves to laugh and strives to keep a positive outlook on life. She has a determined and rather stubborn streak to her and doesn't easily give up. When the situation calls for it, she can be levelheaded and very serious. If offended or angered, she becomes somewhat aloof and cold, distancing herself from the individual or situation that affected her until forgiveness is extended or amends made to rectify the situation. In cases where she is the problem, she persistently apologizes until she receives forgiveness. When it comes down to it and there isn't an opportunity to escape, she is a fierce warrior And protects those she considers friends.

Distinguishing Marks: On the back of her left shoulder, she has been burned with a branding iron, leaving a mark of an intricate "S" encompassed in a circle. Accompanying this Mark is a long thin white scar that stretches at a slight diagonal from just below the right side of her neck to the opposite hip.

Other: She has The fortunate companionship and trust of an endangered shape shifter believed to be of fae origin named, formally, as "Silvered Mist of Changing Form" for the silvery mist that surrounds his shape when he changes, but is in formally known simply as Mist. Celinny has limited mental communication with him and can share a portion of his magic, giving her The ability to make small physical changes to her appearance.

Shadows of the Dark Forest (TheElvenqueen x AutumnFrost)

Oh, no worries. I had seen it, it just seems like I forgot to post my reply. Or my post didn't go through. One or the other. I am loving the characters that you have so far! I've enjoyed reading about them.

I hope your laptop is fixed soon! That would be so exciting! :D

Where would we like to start the story? With the patrol attacking the rogues? I can start work writing a post that gets a patrol together.

Blood in the Moonlight (Apple Jax x AutumnFrost)

Pushing lightly against the door until it clicked into place, Celinny focused determinedly on the grains running through the heavy wood, tracing one of her fingertips along a few of the veins as she focused her thoughts on the guard she was about to be dealing with instead of the state of undress of the men behind her. Her not looking was not due to any shyness or lack of curiosity, she was itching to catch a glimpse of Jax in such a vulnerable situation, but she wasn't entirely sure how the Captain would react to her sneaking a peek. So instead she studied wood grains and planned the next step in their escape.

When the rustling of fabric finally quieted down, Celinny glanced back quickly over her shoulder once before turning around and leaning her back against the door, hand surreptitiously falling to the hilt of a dagger tied to her belt. She gave Jax and his skin tight clothing a scrutinizing look from head to toe before being unable to restrain a soft bubble of laughter, a grin splitting across her face. "You... You look ridiculous." She just managed to get out before allowing herself to be momentarily overcome by silent laughter that shook her slender shoulders. Catching her breath, she was just on the point of committing to a concerted effort in finding a set of larger clothing when Jax dropped an unforeseen problem into her lap. Her laughter cut off abruptly, light brown eyes blinking twice quickly as her brain caught up with the situation.

"You can't climb the wall?" Celinny looked slightly aghast at this revelation, a completely silent explosion going on inside her head and destroying the careful plans she had already set in place. The rope coiled at the top of the wall now seemed like a pointless effort... Slowly closing her mouth that had fallen open, the young woman bit briefly at her lower lip as she quickly reorganized her plans.

"Well, I'm not going to abandon you now just because of a detour..." Grimacing playfully, Celinny pulled up the edge of her tunic and unbuttoned a pouch on her belt, withdrawing a dark folded piece of fabric from within and holding it out. "take this and tie it around your face." She said softly, shaking out the cloth to reveal a woven dark grey scarf. "Since we can't let anyone get a good look at your face, covering up the majority of it is essential. What is left exposed, I'm going to ask you to wrinkle up as much as possible, appear as much in pain as you can. You are going to pretend to be my very ill brother, coughing will help this appearance, and I will be taking you to see our equally ill and perhaps dying mother in the village across the river on the north side of the castle."

She was going to have to be especially convincing if they were going to get past the guards at the front gate unscathed. The idea made her want to sigh, But she held the temptation back and instead made herself smile, a simple quirking up of the corners of her mouth. "where would the stables be located?" She asked, reflecting on the scant calculations in her mind of the distances she had been able to map out of the building earlier. It would take them out of the way in escaping, put them at risk, but they needed an easy way out. "We're going to need horses if we're going to look convincing. Their size will be useful if we end up needing to force our way through the gate." Reaching to the middle of her lower back, she slipped free an extra dagger, holding it out hilt first. "But just in case things take a turn for the worst..." Her expression clearly stated that she sincerely hope that bloodshed would not end up being necessary, but if it came down to his and her life at the cost of another's, she would fight.