[they're in a warehouse right now. sorry for the confusion]

Orindil glanced back sharply at the snorting and stamping horses. He'd already told them horses could be arranged yet, in his cynical mind, how could he blame them for not trusting him?

The brick suddenly fell loose from the masonry, and the entire wall silently swung open to reveal a dark passageway that lead down, under the city wall. Orindil struck a torch and beckoned them follow.

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Nakaida blinked, not entirely believing what she saw, and hesitantly put out a hand. The air seemed fine, as she had expected - but one should always test. Things lurked in underground passageways. With a glance at Orindil she stepped forward to follow. "Thank you," she added, breaking the silence. "I knew few others who would go to such lengths for a couple of strangers."

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Firelight flickered in her eyes, and it was only then that Orindil noticed their cobalt clarity - a rare shade in humans. He nodded wordlessly and found himself thinking with fine irony, Good question. Why am I helping them again?

The answer came soon enough.

A common cause. A common enemy. Okandar would pay for his daring.

"You are a far way from home," he noted conversationally.

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A pause before she answered. Nakaida wondered suddenly how much he knew. "Ah - yes," she replied, as they proceeded down the passage. "Quite - quite far, indeed." For some reason this unsettled her, a vaguely disturbing sensation, as Nakaida was rarely unsettled. But nevertheless she proceeded tentatively, "it was a long journey."

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Orindil raised a feathery eyebrow, wondering what she was connoting at. Her expression remained unreadable in the lambent torchlight. She seemed so diminutive, so unassuming and unworldly, like a newborn dove thrust into an eagle's nest. For the fifth time that day, he wondered...

"Where are you from?" he asked lightly.

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But this, Nakaida knew, she could not reveal - not to someone she'd known for barely hours. "I - I regret I cannot say," she stammered, with a glance at Naidele, and went rather red. Nakaida! she chided herself. What are you doing? You're going to give it all away!

The other, more trusting side of her repled, but he's helping us! It would be churlish not to reward him with some tidbit of information, if not much...he's certainly very polite and means well...

No. The stubborn side replied, and both lapsed into silence. "I do not believe we have introduced ourselves properly," she said, a desperate attempt to mitigate her rudeness - or so she perceived it. "This - this is Naidele, my sister," continued Nakaida, with a smile at Naidele.

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(are we still with them????)

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

((Yes. Now we're walking down an underground passageway that gets us under the city wall and out of the city. Confusion is okay, I do it a lot ))

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((yay! i mean yay about being with you guys still...and thanks, i am very confused a lot... i think i was born that way ))

Aeryn followed behind Khienro, bringing up the rear of the group.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele didn't blame her sister for acting awkward when it came to their secret. She too found it very hard to hide who she was. She wished that there was some way they didn't have to lie to Khienro, Aeryn, and Orindil. They were all three being so kind and helping them, but as of yet they couldn't give themselves away. She returned Nakaida's smile and then gave one to Orindil. "We cannot thank you enough for helping us," she said. Then she turned to Khienro and Aeryn. "You too. It is so good to have help.... especially since we don't know where our other sisters are." She elapsed into sad silence. Once again worrying over her other sisters' safety.

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I'm back!

Aeryn smiled and said, "It's much better than getting myself sent to the gallows, anyway." He grinned and added, "By my life, Ladies, I will help you find your sisters."

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Khienro nodded his agreement.

"Aye. I will do what I can. I don't really know what that would be though, a blacksmith's apprentice really isn't something to be proud of." He smiled faintly, and looked around the group, his eyes lastly falling on Naidele, before suddenly fixing upon a leaf that sat on the ground.

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

"You are probably better than a street rat, mate." Aeryn said, smiling.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

For a reason she couldn't explain, Naidele blushed when Khienro's eyes fell on her. She moved a little closer to him and said, "Your occupation doesn't make you who you are. It is what is in your heart that defines you."

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I'm back!

"Mmm," agreed Nakaida, not really listening. She drew her cloak closer about her shoulders as the passage sloped down and it grew noticeably cooler; and felt the cold, hard hilt of her dagger, back in her belt now.

Turning, she glanced behind them, eyes sweeping the passage. Where the circle of flickering torchlight ended there was only blackness. Hastily Nakaida shifted her vision ahead of the group again.

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Khienro cast a grateful, sry glance at Aeryn, and then turned to Naidele,

"Thanks..... He blushed slightly, and then a thought came to him.

"Have you ladies any skill with weapons?"

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen