Celtic way.

[WhiteLily]

No, everything's taken care of, thanks Rus

 

[Shadowseldil]

"Good, I'll be back by then." Rus unhoisered his axe and ran in the direction of the troll tracks.
"This should be easy enough," Rus said to himself. "The tracks are fresh enough to follow. Good thing Ronija taught me a couple of things about tracking."
He ran across the plains, being careful not to disturb the tracks. It was a hot day, and the sun beat down on the plains. And on Rus. The trek alternated between jogging and walking. After about two hours, Rus halted for a break. He knelt by the tracks.
Hmm...the tracks are muttled, Rus thought. There were probably about five to ten of them. They were in a hurry. He looked over the plains; there was good visibility, but there was nothing within sight.

 

[shadowed_eyes]

Maelui nodded a reply that she would follow, curiosity had gotten the better of her and she well and truly she hoped she didnt go the same way as her cat when she decided to follow the horses when they broke free of their paddock back home. She watched Rus dart off into the sun and she kicked her feet across the earth underneath her... she needed to take care of something, but the sun was too strong, where had her cape got to? She started looking around and eventually found it underneath the rock in the celler, she moved the rock with a remarkable amount of ease and wrapped herself in the light but dense fabric of her coat, putting the hood up, she stepped out from the shade and turned to face the remainding two, "I shall see you here at dusk then? I too have some, er, business to take care of... "

Maelui then wandered off in the direction of the forests a few miles away, looking at the shadows around her, she judged a good six hours before she should return, plenty of time to feed and restock for the journey ahead, and if they were ot be fighting trolls, there would be certain... unique... provisions she would need to dig up from her many burrows in the forests.

 

[Shadowseldil]

As dusk began to fall, Rus was no closer to finding anything that he had been hours earlier. He had sat down for another break as the sun began to set.
"Already I have traveled many miles, and I have seen nothing. I can venture no further without risking getting lost or being late. If I try to follow the trail at night, I may get lost, and if I continue further in the morning, I may not get back by dusk."
Rus looked around. There was no sign of any sort of encampment, nor of any ultimate destination. He decided that he would spend the night at that very spot. He stood to gather a few brush to try to start a fire. As he was gathering he made a very important discovery: the tracks began to veer off to the left of the direction they had been traveling. This still pointed to no real destination, but it was good to know. Also, it seemed that they had slowed down a bit, traveling at a more relaxed pace, but Rus knew only a little of tracking and could not positively tell.
He made a camp by trampling down a bit of the flora, as the plants grew a bit taller here. There were no rocks, so he hollowed out a pit in the soil to make a fire. Not that it would be needed, the warmth spoke of early summertime. As dusk grew darker and the shadows extended their reach, Rus began to feel very hungry; he realized it had been a long while since he had eaten. His long day's hike had not helped any either. He looked around, but nary a cony nor a pheasant could be seen. Come to think of it, Rus could not recall seeing a single animal on his journey. But, he was ponderous, and not exactly good at sneaking up on animals, so it did not come as any real surprise to him.
Rus sighed. Loneliness was not something that effected him often, but the silence of the plain, as well as being in a foreign land, without his wolf, made Rus feel alone. The breeze blow lightly over him as he looked to the southern skies. They were cloudy; dark clouds. "Feels like rain," he muttered.

 

[shadowed_eyes]

Maelui burst through the undergrowth of the edge of the forest, frantic and weakened greatly by the sun that she had travelled under.She walked, calmer now under the great canopy of oak and birch, and began spinning and knocking some trees to hear their sound. All this looked very strange to a pair of eyes watching her from within a nearby thicket, and as the body they belonged to stepped out from its camoflauge, it began to laugh. Maelui spinned around at the familier laughter and saw before her an old friend, the Shaman of the woods. She bowed low to greet her and she in turn, bowed to. A quick exchange of pleasantries and a brief conversation about the plight of the forest under the troll's new desire to explore later, the Shaman was leading he deeper into the forest until they suddenly stopped at a seemingly random place guarded by thick undergrowth, massive roots and many thickets where the Shaman's tribe lived in.
Maelui nodded and thanked the Shaman who took interest in the blue gem she wore around her neck and blessed it with five more withdrawals, the shaman then made an offering to her of a tree to the far right and withdrew, almost disappeared to her village. Maelui turned her back to the thickets and began to dig furiously with her hands until she came across a large wooden chest. She dragged it out of the hole and opened it. Inside was her family's precious blades, ornate silver and the strongest of metals with gold inlaid in runic down the blade. She removed all four and attached them to her armour belt. She lifted out a worn sackcloth bag, slung it over her shoulder and buried the chest.
Glancing at the tree, she walked over and placed her hands on it, saying a quick shamanic prayer, the tree began to wither and die, the energy flowed into herbody and rejuvinated her, and since the energy came form the very temple of the shaman, she was embued with a knowledge of healing and other such shamanic tools.

She shouted a farewell to the forest and its secret inhabitants and set off at a brisk walk into the darkened plains as dusk fell. She hurried along, although she wanted to dawdle and sit, listen to the night she loves so much and stare at the moon, she briskly walked towards the little troll-ravaged village, now intent on enslaving or killing the trolls who had targeted her beautiful forest as their next conquest. Two now had revenge to wreak on these beasts... and Maelui was certain she would exact it.

 

[Unity of the brethren]

"Well it looks like one of our party has pre-survyed the path before us. We best get going if we are to catch him, for we don't want his assistance to be a wasted ventue." Strikes the ground three times with my staff whilest pouring three vials of different coloured fliuds out onto the floor, i strike the newly formed puddle with my staff drawing the waters into the pourous tip of it. I say a quick inchantment.
"I call to the Heavens, I call out for aid on this journey and I offer the waters of sacrifice as attonment for what I ask. I beseech you the waters that course through this earth as the lifeblood of matter, may the wellsprings of life never dry. To you the elemental spirit of that life, thar breath of life that started it all i offer the waters of the holy spring at the temple of trials. I know that thaqt offering is little but my request is small too, i ask that you bless me once more with my sea dragon that once wandered this plane as my friend."
As the request is finished my staff is lifted into the air and the three waters are removed and the settle as a fine mist infront of me, the mists light up and a adollestant sea dragon walks out.

 

[WhiteLily]

Interesting, and stange at the same time, *picks up the pack and her weapons*

 

[shadowed_eyes]

Maelui watches the incantation from afar and nods an approving head, so the mage was experienced... surely a great sorcerer or conjourer to summon a high-ranking elemental such as a sea dragon, but her Shamanic friends had taught her the ways of the earth, and as she listened to its steady pulse, she walked back up to her new companions and bowed low in courtesy to the dragon and then to her friends. She was always taught to respect conjourlings, even if they are not your own. "I see i didn't miss much then.." she said with a hint of sarcasm. "Shall we be going on foot, or have you any more tricks to pull out of your sleeve sorcerer?"

Maelui eyed him with friendly suspicion - the amount which anybody would in this situation and smiled ot let him know she meant no disrespect by her comment. She whistled and felt the wind rise slightly higher to gently cool her skin in the warm night and she rested her hand on her bag and the other on the hilt of one of her daggers, ready to go in whatever fashion they were to go in.

 

[Unity of the brethren]

"I didn't do this to show off, so there is know need to be awe struck. This is my friend and mentor of old Arathwa. He is of an old line of dragons and was born into the care of my forebares we nuture him through his youth and when he gains use of his wings and his claws he protects us, I as the first born of my line can summon him to aid my journey, in the many meanings of that word." Turns to the dragon, and gently strokes his snout.

(The dragon is 2 or 3 time larger than a horse but is in no means fully grown, his wings are strong enough to carry one or two people. His main weapons on land are his teeth and claws but when near a a body of water he can untilise the powers of the water, and harness them in many ways. He is a usually slow runner and walker but can sprint if needed. He is highly inteligent and deffinantly sentient. He has been known to leave without notice to aid a person in greater need.)

 

[Unity of the brethren]

"If it is needed then I'm sure that Arathwa would carry another, but the reason i summoned him here is so that all of our eqiupment would have and place to be held safely," *indicates the pouch on Arathwa's underside.* "he will fly our suplies overhead til needed and will will walk or ride horses underneath them."

(unless of course someone else has a good idea on how to get from A to B)

 

[shadowed_eyes]

(that seems like an interesting idea...)

Maelui nodded slightly, "Awe-struck, mon cherie? not quite. More surprised that one such as yourself was able to conjure such a respected creature." Maelui knelt in fron of the dragon and whispered something to the ground, using the shamanic magic she had takin in from the temple offering, she called forth a small rose, picked it from the ground and offered it to the dragon as she spoke in a deep melodic language that the shamans had taught her many years ago. She then turned to the Mage, "Do not worry, i only introduced myself to your friend in a ancient tongue as something he would surely recognise. The Rose is to symbolise my 'clan'. now, are we to depart and catc up with Rus? If he has come closer to the troll base, i would hate for him to have all the fun..."

Maelui held tight to her bag, she would need it beside her at all times, just as she would the blades that hung at her hips. As nice as it would be for the weight to be lifted form her shoulders, she coulndt give this to a water-elemental creature to bare. It wouldnt be right.

 

[WhiteLily]

Well, there's an elfish forest not far from here, I'm sure they would give us so of their horses, We'd be able to keep up with the dragon on them

 

[Unity of the brethren]

"well i would like to easy my burden," *takes my staff and robes leaving a thick cotton robe on, and puts them in the dragons pouch.*

 

[WhiteLily]

*puts her sack in but keeps her weapons*

 

[Shadowseldil]

The darkness brought a bit of relief to Rus, or rather, the chirping of crickets brought him comfort. The familiar sound made him feel a little bit of home. He reached for his tinder box, only to find that it was gone.
"Hmm..." he grunted, "must have lost it. *Grrr* My sharpening stone is gone, too. In fact, my entire pouch is empty. Great. At least I still have my mortar and pestle."
He sat and listened to the crickets for a while. He was not very tired yet, but without a fire, there was nothing he could do. He lay back and hoped that sleep would come to him. But it did not.
The stars however, kept his interest. The constellations were so different from the sky with which he was familiar. Stars were also an area of intrest to him. He began to make out a few constellations of his own to help him stay oriented. A bear, a sword, a whipperwill...
What was that sound? It had been growing steadily for some time, but it was nothing that Rus could place. He hadn't noticed it until now because it started so softly, but now the sound was loud, and it was growing louder. It was like a hush, or wind rustling through the trees, but, also like the sound of running horses.

(((Could it rain?)))

 

[Unity of the brethren]

(if you think it should then go for it.)

 

[dcrowther3]

Bizarre!

 

[Shadowseldil]

Rus sat up as the noise became deafening. At the exact moment he sat up, he was blasted with a wall of rain. It was so sudden, it knocked the wind out of him. He sheltered himself under his cloak, which luckily was waterproofed. The torrent was relentless, and Rus could only crouch and wait it out. There was no cover to run to, even if the rain were not beating down on him. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed immediately by an explosion of thunder. The storm must be right over head.
After five minutes of a merciless downpour, the rain ceased just as suddenly as it had come. The sound was still present, but fading toward the direction of the city, or so Rus thought; his directions were a bit confused since the rain.
He stood, panting. The cloak had held well and he was only wet instead of drowned. He shook himself off, but his cloths remained soggy. He sighed heavily and looked up. He could see lightning flashing to his left, yet the sky in every other direction was clear. He could see the constellations he had made earlier, and re-oriented himself. Indeed, the storm was headed toward the village.
"Strange weather they have here," Rus grumbled as he took off his cloak.

 

[WhiteLily]

*Zita growled as she wrang out her hair emptied her boots of the water that had collected in them,* I hope Rus faired better than us

 

[shadowed_eyes]

Maelui raised her head to the rain and let it drip down around her, when it came down in buckets, she twirled around with her arms outstretched singing something the Shamans had taught her. Why some people didnt like the cool refreshing water, she didnt know, Earth, Air, Fire Water, they are all apart fo the same circle of life she mused as she got thoroughly drenched in the night storm. The thunder began its low grumble and as the lightning streaked across the sky, a wry smile spread across her lips and she spoke out in the same ancient shamanic language a command that reverberated around the plains. The lightning holted, veered towards her and struck her. The enrgy passed through her like a tidal wave, and as the storm blew over, she stood, unmarked by the electricity, but glowing and with a certain look in her eye that incited a mix of pure terror and awe in most her caught the glance. She fell into step with Zite who was in the attempt of drying herself out, and smiled coyly at the Mage... the power of the storm flowed through her veins and she wondered quietly as to the effect it had had on him... and then her thoughts turned to Rus, and whether he was safe.. "Do not worry about Rus, Zita, I am sure he faired well. He strikes me as something of a ranger... i doubt he would venture out into the plains alone without knowing how to combat a storm..."