Quentan sat causually in his chair in the corner, a dark hood pulled up around his face. He listened intently to what was going around him, but, all audible noises seemed to bled together in a mess of bass and treble.

Curse his hearing. Of all elvish traits to not inherit, of course, hearing was one of them. Normally, he would use his self-taught skill of lip reading to suffice, but most of the men in this particular inn had beards, making this difficult.

Quen sighed, and idly tapped his foot to the soft 'drip drop' rythm of the rain. His emerald eyes scanned the other around him, seaching for something to hold his interest.

He didn't want to be here. He hadn't wished to end up in a herd of druken, dirty men in some run-down, leaky tavern. But apparently, the gods had a cruel sense of humor, for here he sat, waiting for the cascade of cold water to ceace falling from the dark sky.

Slowly, with much bordem, he lazily lifted his eyes. His head perked up. Off by the fire near the oppisite wall, sat a woman, who was speaking with a stranger. Her face was toward him. Thank the heavens! Someone without a beard!

Contentedly, he sat back in his seat, reading her lips. Oh, bother. he thought. Women speak of such borish subjects... Giving directions. What, had this man lost his map? Quen refrained from snorting. Either that, or he simply wanted to socialize...

Quen's smile faded. His brow came together in a shadowed frown as he studied the woman closer. He spotted her gracefully pointed ears. What in the heavens above is an elf doing here? he wondered. Especially an elf maiden? Dispite his own pointed elf ears, he was still curious.

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

"Enlightened, you say?" Tone deceptively calm, Eryn leaned back idly in her seat, lightly tracing the curved vines that wound their way around the hilt of her hunting dagger. The only weapon visible, it was deceptively small..yet deadly, if used correctly. Any of several points of entry would cause paralysis. Several more of the same number? Death. Why was all of this running through the elf's head? Well..this topic was intruding on her own status. And if this man found out what she was..or if anyone else found out...

"I must say, that is..terrible." Tone still carefully modulated, she went on in a lower voice. Best to head this off before anything ugly developed. "What those envairem were thinking, I don't know." That alone was a self-insult..a common elven curse used for Enlightened. Usurpers, loosely translated. Odd to say for Eryn..but necessary to cover her own safety. Except for the fact that her expression gave away distaste at the term. She didn't realize this. Talk about a compromise..

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Quenlan froze where he sat as he caught the word 'Enlightened' pass from the other elf's lips. He quickly resolved with himself that he would have to leave this place as soon as the weather cleared. Things did not bode well. Not at all. He kept his gaze locked on the woman, however, waiting to see what she would say next. Absent mindedly, he put his hand to where one of his hooked weapons hung from his waist.

Suddenly, a cascade of liquid came pouring down from above, right atop the once serene looking Quenlan. Startled, to say the least, he opened his mouth in shock. A few drips of the liquid spilled into his mouth. He cursed. An appologizing watress appologized only once as she picked up the wooden mugs on the floor. The now mead-covered elf simply gave her a dangerous glare. Clumsy woman.

Grumbling to himself, he rose from his drenched seat. With a 'squish' under each step, he made his way over to the hearth at the end of the room. He took of his cloak, and hung it by the fire to dry. Grudgingly, he sat down with a put-off look on his face. His previous interest in the elf maiden, whom he was now sitting next to, was forgotten.

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

With Raven's permission, I have joined.

ENLIGHTENED
Name: Somni Rae Marath
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Race: Dark Elf
Enlightened: Yes
Abilities: Can control shadows, plants, and some insects (mostly of the creepy variety, butterflies and luna moths are an exceptions as she can control these as well) . Can also summon fire if need exists.
Appearance: Tall and slim, black eyes, black hair, pointed ears.
Attire: Somni wears a gleaming white dress, hidden under a cloak as black as night. She carries a white staff covered in silver runes.
Personality: leans to the over-dramatic and the conceted sometimes, but for the most part is withdrawn.
Weapons: Harthing, her sword, and her staff
History: Born an Enlightened, Somni was outcast in her teens, she has wandered ever since. Her day vision is poor due to her dark elf nature, but she can see best at night.

ANTAGONIST
Name: Riun Sirien
Gender: Male
Age: 38
Race: Human
Appearance: Tall and forboding, snow white hair due to a childhood illness
Attire: all in brown leather
Personality: undiniably evil
Weapons: A bow and arrows, a broadsword
History: Hates the Enlightened with passion bordering on obsession, thinks they caused his childhood illness.

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Married Artemis Fowl on July 16, 2007
[!+^$%=#?&]
The Seemingly Nice But Actually Really Nasty Nazgul
School ate my life. *sigh*

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Well well, wasn't this getting to be quite a party. Mikol could sow seeds, but more people needed more caution. There was already someone in the corner listening to them, and now this other elf. Mikol's mouth twitched at the look on the other one's face. He apparently didn't like getting ale dumped over his head. Envairem. Interesting. His companion didn't seem to like the word, for all she used it. He supposed the fact that it was elven caused the distaste.

"Perhaps they weren't thinking," he offered casually. "After all, a few mugs of ale and a few boasts might easily set off a spark that could be regretted later. Such powers are....dangerous... when unchecked." He looked over the rim of his mug to see a slight twitch on the female's face. Eyes widening, he saw the woman newcomer glancing at their table with interest.

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going on a journey through my old claims

Lightning tears through the heavens and lights the surrounding darkness. It is in that moment that he could see the silhouette of a cloaked man coming toward him. He could see that the man seemed to be bending forward as he came closer. Whether this had been because of the torrential weather or from the age of the man, he could not tell nor did this matter. He would take his chances.

With blade in hand, he waited for the man to come closer and as the man does so, he steps from the shadows… Or thought that he had, but he had not moved. It seemed to him that he had this sensation to stop and despite himself he did so from the moment that the he had intended to step out of the shadows to the moment that the man could no longer be seen. He would have thought that he had been afraid had he never known the feeling of fear. But he had and that had not been fear. He had never had that feeling before. Shrugging to himself he slipped back into the shadows.

Murmuring beneath his breath, Avond approached the inn that he had been looking for. He hoped that the man back there had not been bright enough to have thought him to be one of the Enlightened, but he really could not be bothered by him. Entering the inn, he decided to take one of the beds for the night and then headed toward the hearth in an attempt to dry himself.

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Somni Rae Marath glided, under cover of shadow, toward the ramshackle inn. Her black cloak made it easy for her to slip in undetected, it also shaded her eyes from the blinding light inside the building. Though her strange staff brought some stares, she ignored them all, carrying herself with all the dignity she could muster.

The dark elf soon procured a room, then went to sit by the fireplace to dry off and listen to conversations around her.

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Married Artemis Fowl on July 16, 2007
[!+^$%=#?&]
The Seemingly Nice But Actually Really Nasty Nazgul
School ate my life. *sigh*

Things were starting to get out of hand. Not that pleasant, brawling, knock-em-down and fist-in-your-face out of hand, but a rather eerie gathering. Mikol was beginning to feel uncomfortable under the scrutiny of so many eyes -- some possibly Enlightened eyes. And too many elves. He didn't trust elves. They were too smug and wrapped up in themselves, never giving a care for other races. Too many were Enlightened, as well. The large amount of people conveniently placed by the fire was starting to worry him. He worked best in the shadows, not out in the open. Two or three people he could take care of, but this....too many for comfort.

Setting the legs of his chair back on the floor and bringing his boots down with a thud, Mikol handed some coins to the innkeeper and headed up the rickety stairs. He paused in the shadows at the top to see all the others look around themselves. Wondering who he was, perhaps? Or maybe he was too paranoid. Or too egotistical, he thought with a dry smile, to think any of these people cared about a lone traveler. The smiled faded as he stepped into his little cubbyhole of a room. He had a mission to do, but how was he to go about doing it if everyone stayed so closemouthed? People love to talk, everyone knew that. So why did the one time he wanted them to, they shut their mouths as tight as crayloons? Rumors can't get started that way.

Easing himself onto his bed, which might have collapsed beneath him, he rested his head on his hands. Mikol Roviny, he told himself, you have some work to do. Start thinking.

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going on a journey through my old claims

((some conversation would be much appreciated by people besides myself. ))

Dim sunlight filtered through the dirty window. Groggily, Mikol rubbed his eyes and yawned. Confound it all, he had fallen asleep sitting up again. That made thrice in the past four days. He stretched and worked his neck, trying to loosen the stiff muscles. Splashing cold water on his face, he gathered up his weapons and cloak and headed downstairs. A hot bite to eat would be the perfect thing to start the day on, and perhaps the other patrons would be more willing to talk in the morning. Dawn usually brought out the voice in some.

Placing a few coins on the table and motioning for food, he looked around the empty common room. All traces of the night before were gone, down to the nicely swept floors. While still not up to the standards of a true city, Mikol had to say that the place wasn't that bad.

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going on a journey through my old claims

Eledhe twiddled her thumbs, somewhat aimlessly for one of her temperament, and shifted the position of her boots on the table. She'd been persuaded to refrain from toying with the many sharp edges on her person by the belligerent innkeeper the night before - and the offer of a few free ales, once he was desperate - but he'd been unable to coerce her into removing her footwear from the tabletop. She had her limits. Indeed, the only reason she wasn't gone was that rain was still resolutely pelting down from a pale overcast sky, and - as she frequently had opportunity to realize in this cursed place - Eledhe hated rain.

Sighing, she eyed the empty counter, and eyed her belt pouch, and eyed the drab sky. Perhaps after breakfast the weather would have decided to abate.

Rising, she sauntered over to the row of stools lining the long counter, with the air of one who isn't sure about the quality of nourishment available, but is rather bored enough to give it a try. The innkeeper, however, who was a useful person to have around when one wanted to order food, seemed to have disappeared somewhere.

She fiddled pointedly and noisily with her coins for a minute or two, and then sighed and swiveled to lean her elbows on the counter with an expressive roll of her eyes. Dark gods, she couldn't wait to quit this place. Rainy, boring, full of unhelpful people who weren't about when one wanted breakfast...

Eledhe eyed the only other occupant of the common room, wondering out of sheer boredom if it were self-defeating to attempt conversation. He didn't look like an especially interesting type. When there was no sign of anything edible appearing anytime soon, she cast a sidelong glance down the counter a few stools, to where he sat. Right. Conversation. Hopefully this wasn't more boring.

"You live here?"

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Mikol looked at the woman. Her total disdain for anything and everything around her immediately recommended her favorably to him. He noticed her interest with various pointy objects on her person, and decided to massage his dagger handle just in case. Not that he would stab without warning, of course, just that he might stab without any other warning than showing his blade. Her entire manner, though, seemed too similar to his own for him to completely overlook her.

"Do I live here? Underworld be cursed, I certainly hope not." He hoped civilized conversation wasn't too much to ask for. "I'm on my way South to Carithas. Do you know of any goings-on down there?" Mikol stopped as a small bird flew through an open window to land in front of him. Ruffling it's pearly grey plumage, Mikol removed a slip of parchment and sent the bird back outside.

Important. The note was scrawled hastily and with little attempt to mince words. New information. Yasmir's Tavern, Lake Town. Mikol frowned at the thought. Lake Town was out of his way, but....usually Reina was reliable. Out of the corner of his eye, Mikol saw the woman staring curiously at the note. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that she was on his side. And besides, he was skilled enough in weapons to be able to get away in need.

"If you would be interested in heading the direction of Lake Town, I could appreciate some company. There may be....benefits to the trip." He looked questioningly at the other.

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going on a journey through my old claims

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Dratted cat. Cursed underworld, but it was a nosy beast, and more than likely to crop up when he least wanted it to. Mikol reached to swipe it off the table, but thought better of it. If, as he suspected, the cat was more than just a mere rat-catcher, doing it harm could end up with more trouble than he wanted. He turned the motion instead into a hail to the innkeeper, who finally had showed his face.

"Oy, you! I wish some breakfast. Preferably hot with a nice pint of ale." The keeper nodded sullenly and plodded over to stir up the fire. Mikol ostentatiously jingled a few coins together and looked meaningfully at the man. With astonishing speed, he was in and out of the back room. Mikol looked at the steaming mass of food. It didn't appear to be horrible, and the smell was pleasant, so he handed a coin to the innkeeper.

"Perhaps the lady would like food as well." The "lady" gave him a look, but the keeper brought her a plate as well.

"Do you have an answer?" He asked after a silence in which he consumed about half of his breakfast. Half was about all he could stomach, perhaps the innkeeper had some decent bread tucked away somewhere.

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going on a journey through my old claims

"One wonders, upon receiving such a proposition, about such things as personal motive," said Eledhe lightly, tossed her braid back over her shoulder and giving Mikol a penetrating look. "You'll forgive me if I inquire as to why you're inviting me along? I certainly don't trust you much further than I could toss you - which wouldn't be far - and you'd quite frankly you'd do well not to trust me either."

She propped her chin on her hand, toying with a fork, and smiled at him in a rather catlike manner. "All that to say, many thanks, and I do rather happen to be proceeding in that general direction. Consider the invitation accepted. Describe these benefits you speak of."

All this was delivered airily, with speed and confidence of diction, and a somewhat disconcerting intense blue-eyed scrutiny. Eledhe twirled the fork in her fingers contemplatively, wearing an expression that managed to be entirely neutral as well as loftily confident, and stabbed it into the baked potato that was steaming slightly on her plate.

This cat was a pretty piece of work, she reflected. Assuming an expression of thoughtfulness, as though she were trying to recall a date that escaped her, she flicked her fingers at it. The sensation might have twinged a little, but Eledhe would freely admit she didn't care in the slightest. In any case, she could now perceive it glowing bright blue to her vision, which meant that it was no more a cat than she was a princess. And she wasn't.

"Having fun?" she inquired of it, smiling sardonically.

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"It is exactly because I don't trust you that I'm inviting you along," Mikol said cheerfully. "You'd as soon stab me as look at me if I said the wrong thing, and I'm not too far off the other side. But," his tone turned more serious and he lowered his voice, "I can see that you are of my thinking. As few of us as there are, we can use each other."

"As for benefits," Mikol grinned again, "what more benefit do you need than getting to travel in my company for a few days? There is also the possibility of useful information, perhaps information that could change some things in Jharani." He gave her a meaningful look as he gathered up his cloak.

"Oy, innkeeper!" The man scurried over, hoping for another coin. "If you happen to have any fresh, good bread, I wish to purchase it." He flipped the man a coin and turned back to Eledhe. "If you've finished with that thing that isn't quite a cat, I suggest we head out."

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going on a journey through my old claims