Each character nominated has up to three sample posts. Happy voting!

Comments are MOST welcome.

Adeila - Star Crystal (pirateoftherings)
3 posts

[Post #1]
Adeila sat on the stone floor some distance from the others, uncharacteristically silent. The last test, more than any of the others, had unsettled her. All of the previous tests, she had been able to endure because they had not been real. No matter how convincing the illusion, how potent the memory, some part of her mind had always known that the mountain could be climbed, that her husband was not truly standing before her, that the portal would not take her home, and that the illusions would continue to pass as long as she kept reminding herself that they were just that.

But the last test....It had been real. Perhaps not real in a literal sense, but there had been far more truth to it than Adeila would have liked. Somewhere, the people with whom she had spent her entire life were leaving behind all that they knew, fully aware that not only would they most likely never again see their fathers, husbands, sons in this life, but that they themselves would soon join the deceased if the Meiltha chose to pursue. Somewhere, the children whom she had treated for everything from a bruised knee to a life-threatening fever huddled against their mothers whom she had likely treated for the very same things, wondering why they could not go home. Somewhere, her loved ones were in pain.

And for the first time in decades, she could do absolutely nothing about it.

There was the sound of small feet skittering across stone, and then Svit was in her lap once more, returned from his exploring of the strange room. He cocked his head at her and flicked out his tongue inquiringly, prompting a small smile in return. "We'll be alright, sweet, won't we?" she murmured, stroking his head gently. "We'll be alright."

Taking a deep breath, Adeila turned to have a better look around. They were in a tomb, quite obviously. She had known that before even opening her eyes. Death hung heavily in the air, stagnant and suffocating. Beyond that, however, Adeila found that she was not sure. When she had decided to join these people, she had known only that their quest was of the utmost importance, and that she was supposed to go. There had been very little discussion of specifics, she now realized.

"They require far more than a night's sleep," Adeila said quietly, slowly getting to her feet. She was not familiar with the man who now crouched beside Merrin, but the others seemed to trust him, and that was sufficient for her. "Food and water being most crucial. Though," she added as an afterthought, looking around, "I suppose there is little of that to be had here."


[Post #2]
Adeila had meant to follow closely; she truly had. And at first, she'd done a decent job of it. But as they progressed into the temple itself, she found herself more and moer awestruck by their surroundings. Even in a state of obvious devastation, it was far grander than anything she had ever seen. The stone path was not so remarkable - a pretty enough landscape, but nothing too out of the ordinary. But the temple....Nearly all in her home village professed to serve the gods in some manner, and they certainly had a place of worship, but nothing of this magnitude. Stone arches drew her gaze upward to an equally magnificent ceiling, until a pain in her neck forced her to look down.

And then she saw them. Standing tall, their splendor unmarred by the scars that they bore, were her gods. Not literally her gods, of course, but the most tangible expression of their majesty that Adeila had viewed in her lifetime. She simply stood there, even long after Merrin had risen, staring up at each one with equal wonder. Indeed, it was not until she noticed the absence of both Merrin and Garthag that she reluctantly tore her gaze away and made to follow.

She caught up easily enough and arrived only shortly before Merrin turned around to inform them that they could stay behind, if they wished. Stay behind? Adeila frowned slightly in consternation. Why in the world would they stay behind? Had they not come for the very purpose of moving on? It seemed rather pointless to come so far, only to turn around and leave. Though, when faced with the prospect of passing through an unfamiliar portal to an unknown dimension to encounter an unknown foe, Adeila could not deny that she was afraid.

Not for the first time, she wondered why she was even there. She was a healer - she was supposed to fix up the heroes after they'd gone on their grand adventure, not go on the adventure with them. True, she was skilled enough with magic, but she strongly suspected that if it came to a serious battle, her offensive would prove to be sorely lacking. This was not because she lacked self-confidence, but because she believed in an honest and straightforward appraisal of her own abilities, and she honestly felt that she was not equal to the task.

Beyond actual battle, there was always emotional support, but of how much use would that truly be in this realm? Would it be like the tests, in which one's companions might as well have not been there, most of the time? Or would she actually be able to help Merrin this time? The girl clearly hadn't wanted to go alone, though she had done a commendable job of concealing it. Would Adeila be able to ease that burden, if she went?

Adeila looked from the portal, through which Merrin had just recently disappeared, to Garthag, then from Garthag back to the portal again. The smooth black surface seemed at once inviting and foreboding, doing nothing to abate the conflict within her mind. Go, or stay? Unthinkingly, she cast a glance over her shoulder in the direction of the stone gods, then turned to face the portal, her mind made up. Merrin had already lost one companion - Adeila would not deny her another.

She went through.


[Post #3]
Adeila glanced uneasily over at Kendath. Regrets? She had long ago convinced herself that regrets were a waste of time and energy. The past could not be changed, and there was little sense in wishing that it could. But there were quite a few things that she admittedly might have done differently, had she known all that she knew now. Learning more combat-related spells came most readily to mind. "A few."

Any further response was cut off by one of the advancing undead suddenly making a lunge for her. Almost instinctively, Adeila hastily uttered a spell, and the corpse before her burst into flame, emitting an odor even more overwhelmingly nauseating than before. What little organic matter still clung its frame burned away...and the being continued to advance. Desperately, she summoned another shield like the one before, and just like before, the nearest line of undead toppled over. Only this time, they had barely even hit the ground before they were trampled under the seemingly endless onslaught. It was useless - all of her life had been spent working with the living. She knew how to sustain life, and how to end it. But how did one combat those who were already dead?

"A weapon!" she shouted urgently to Kendath. Anything was better than her bare hands, at the present. "I don't much care what kind!"


Jateyani Ralkaien - Phantom Grey (Nurrantiel Mashiara)
2 posts

[Post #1]
Oh. Lovely. It had started to drizzle. As if the path wasn't small enough and slippery enough already. Jate had had enough trouble trying to navigate the small stones that sprang in his way, and now he had to balance as well as not slip on them. Tripping over a new boulder that grew up before his eyes (he swore it was laughing at him) Jate steadied himself on the rock wall nearby. And cut his thumb. "Oh bloody levels of the-" he muttered, then stuck his finger in his mouth and continued to think up some nice curses. He was so intent on the path that he nearly missed Ash's question.

"I would guess that you're regretting ever having laid eyes on us." he said in a dismal tone.

Jate opened his mouth. "Gee, what would've given you that idea," popped into his head, but he hesitated. True, he was a captive. True, nearly dying of cold or drowning in a river wasn't exactly his idea of fun. True, he was in the company of the most dangerous man in the kingdom. And yet...Jate couldn't help but think of his conversations with the Phantom and his followers. They all seemed so....passionate. They really believed that they were right. Jate had always heard only the nobles side --could the peasant's actually want the Regent gone? He realized Ash was still waiting for an answer.

"Well...it has been an interesing time."


[Post #2]
Jate couldn't supress a slight chill at the words. Blind leading the blind? That was great, just great. With luck, that wouldn't become a literal saying. What's out there? The thought came unbidden. Some menace that doesn't want us around? He rubbed his arms, willing away goosebumps.

"What if we don't make it to the Heartshard in time? There's more than just us now. Those elves. They want to take over Kytana. All the poor folk on the outskirts of villages will have no chance. And the Regent won't do anything. For all we know, he may even be in league with them, or duped into helping them. There are people out there. Doesn't he realize that?" The words came unbidden, directed into the air. All of Jate's frustrations and doubts suddenly spilled out, perhaps helped by the concealing fog.

"Finding the Heartshard. That was always the idea, right? We find it, the Princess uses it, and everything's all good. But it's all gone wrong. Kidnapped, then brought back, then snatched away again. And me...." He paused. "What can I do? All my life I've lived on the outside, just watching court drama but being sickened by it. People playing each other for fools, always struggling for the smallest of advantages. And being told to head it all? It's like telling the rabbit to command the hunt. I'll foul thing up, do the wrong thing. I always manage to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I don't know how to deal with murderous dominating elves at all. Let alone how to protect a country from them."

He fell silent as he wondered where his newfound talkativeness came from. He almost wished he could reach out into the fog and pull the words back in, shove them safely back down his throat where they could stay safe. Now, ringing in the sudden silence, they magnified and sounded ridiculous. Jate concentrated on his feet, his face flaming.

"I miss it." Why was he talking again? Yet they tumbled out, building upon the former, filling the silent group. "Even with as much as I hated it, I miss it. Mainly I miss our estate. The tenant's kids would be wandering the halls, perhaps playing hide and seek. They'd run up to me crying 'Mister Lord, will you help open this door? It's stuck.' And I'd join the game. They accepted me, like no others did."


Dante Salone - Phantom Grey (Fencing Maiden)
2 posts

[Post #1]
Before that recreant whelp had only halfway finished defending himself, Dante had already started stumbling, wrathfully blind, to get his hands around that all-too-deserving neck. He stopped, almost more in shock than anything, when he thought he caught a vague glimpse of a man standing in between him and that bloody Kjan, but his eyes were still glaring holes - numerous ones in fact, - in the back of Kjan's greasy head.

In a matter of seconds however, his rage had returned full force; and using a few choice words that would have made said girl in question wince, he clambered onto the rope after him.

"You aren't going to run away from me this time, you ba-"

Not exactly as thin a man as the wiry Kjan, the twine strained beneath his weight, and gave one last discontented wheeze.

Snap!

A powerful current, which made the cold wind above feel like the seaside, greeted him. All at once Dante remembered why he hadn't wanted to cross the river, and also why he'd stopped chasing the squirt Kjan around everytime he ruined yet another perfect day for him.

It just wasn't beneficial.


[Post #2]
The dwarven market buzzed with rough sarcasm, haggling women, and the not-so-rare pick-pocket. Shoving his way through, he followed closely behind Kjan, scowling angrily at anyone who glanced with mild curiosity at their odd group. The air swam with a hundred scents, some violently strong, some elusively seductive. Dante coughed loudly and grumbled under his breath.

"It's gonna give me a bloody headache. Mind you, I've got no complaint against being drug around in a crazy dwarven city... but can't Pha- The Phantom send you to do it and let us have a rest?" His head was turned and attention diverted for a moment by a grisly old dwarf with a beard that might have passed for a fowl nest. He had kegs of strong liquor sitting out on his booth, and was grunting out their attractiveness. Though he'd never been a particular one to consume a lot of it, Dante felt as though it might be a good time to start now. On this fool mission to get the - what was the thing called? Heartshard?

Kjan's attention, however, was elsewhere. Dante trotted after him, and another long stream of complaints began to formulate themselves under his breath.

"We're all going to die. Either the dwarves'll through us back in that stinkin' hole and let us rot, or we'll freeze to death, or get ambushed by one of 90.5% enemies that you have out there in the world. Oh yes, and now we can all look forward to exploding on some glorious relic legend. And I'm hungry. Don't you people ever think about eating?"


Sam Selby - Keep A Weather Eye On The Horizon (Will)
3 posts

[Post #1]
Sam slowed down and looked -although she herself didn't want to admit it, but with admiration- at the large mansion of the Applegates. Everything within her screamed not to go in there, not to be foolish but her feet remained where they were. "Now what?" she whispered and she looked at Edward, as he was the leader of their little operation. She wanted to read his mind: what was his plan..? how sure was he that Cole was in fact a friend? What had happened after the time she left him and Vari?
She forced herself to look at the house again: it was classy, large windows, probably abnormal sizes of rooms, the white plastered walls covered with ivy. Ivy! Sam thought.
"Do ye know which room is Cole's?" she said "I could clim up there.. I'm a good climber ye know.."
As Edward started to protest against her plan Sam interrupted decidedly "We did a hell of a lot more dangerous things" She forced herself not to drown in his green eyes and risk that her shield of courage crumbled. "No.." she whispered and she bit her lip as the took a few paces back. "I'm not waitin' here.." she shook her head. "Ye know, over there" and she nodded to her left. "There's the Commodore's house and over there.." she pointed to her right. "There's the fort. It will be swirmin' with soldiers here soon savy?" Sam placed her hands on her hips and her face was determined: she couldn't be convinced otherwise anymore.
"Ye told me to trust Cole, now I want ye to trust me.."
And she already sprinted off at the moment the Commodore appeared outside. Cole or no Cole, she wasn't going to wait until Norrington would come and arrest them personally. She ran over the lane through the garden like a shadow to the right-side of the house. Sam didn't stop to rest or wait for the others. If she would be caught now.. Sam shivered and tried not to think of this. Placing her feet on the branches it seemed almost too easy to climb up.. Now she'd only had to hope that it was the right room..


[Post #2]
Sam, more curious than ever, got on her feet and wanted to listen as well to the conversation downstairs as she wondered how Vari was managing as a lady. But before she could sink on her knees she stumbled over Edward's feet, as she was floating in the air for a few seconds she had a nauseating feeling because she knew what would come next. With a loud blow she crashed on the wooden floor. Sam curled up, keeping her eyes shut as everything became silent again. Her head hurt alot, her heart was racing like crazy and she *beep* herself to hell for what for trouble she might have caused for her friends. "Au" Sam whispered. She bit her lip until it almost started to bleed: her head seemed to burst with pain. She still didn't dare to move, not sure whether the noise had been heard down stairs. As Edward lay his hand on her shoulder she shivered and she finally looked up at Em: "I'm alright. You may all hit me now."
She slowly sat up and listened to Edward who said they had to get out as soon as possible to find Cole. Sam opened her mouth to reply to Edward's remark. Why couldn't he have come up with that before they were trapped in the big house of the wealthy creep. But then she heard the creaking of the stairs and looked in bewilderment at the others. She remained silent as she decided that their safety was somewhat more important than scolding on Edward and quickly Sam grabbed Emma's hand and threw herself beneath the four-posted bed. It smelled like dust and dirt but all those side issues were forgotten when the door opened. Quietly Sam loaded her pistol and aimed from beneath the bed at whoever was entering.
“Bloody… where’d they go?”
Sam sighed with relief as she recognised the familiar voice of Vari.
"Alrighty then" Sam called out when she rolled from her hiding place, looking like a dust monster, her pistol still prepared to shoot. "Vari, I've had enough of this game. Get out these clothes.. we're leavin'.


[Post #3]
Sam followed hastily when Carmon showed them the backdoor. Only a moment before she left the hall she turned and looked back: the Commodore still lay motionless on the floor, the smook was clearing and there was no sign of Vari or Em.
She turned her back at the hall and muttered: "hold on Ed" while she helped to lift Edward.

It was a relief when they left the mansion. Although the air was warm and moist, Sam breathed in deeply. "If ye're lookin' for a place to hide I can help. Closeby is a place I used to stay to escape Redcoats. It's somewhat further down the street."

"Right lets go then." she said and she gestured to the trees where they could walk covered from unwanted eyes.

At the end of the street the road became more narrow and it was hard for chariots to ride there because it ascended a high hill. The residents of Port Royal prefered the centre of town where their charoits could ride easily and it was said among the rich that in the woods over the hills pirates and bandits hid. The poor called the place maldito.. cursed so neither poor or rich set a foot there. Occasionally the soldiers of Norrington made a round there for Norrington didn't believe in these fairytales and pirates he didn't fear. An order of their suprerior couldn't be ignored but the soldiers always came back with strange stories from that place which fuelled the talk gossip ladies in Port Royal. No.. it was only the presence of the Mansion of Commodore Norrington that the residents of this street in the outskirt of Port Royal slept well.

As they started to climb up the hill and enter the forest the light became dimm and Sam gestured the others to be silent and walk on for a bit more. She worried herself sick over Edward but could only just manage to stay strong. When they had walked another 20 minutes she held up her arm and pointed to a kind of cave or hole in the slope of the hill. "Lay him down here.." she whispered, relieved that they had met no one on their road.


Kjan Armadur - Phantom Grey (pirateoftherings)
3 posts

[Post #1]
"Oh, I have songs," Kjan replied through a mouthful of bread, waving a hand expressively. He washed it down with a gulp of ale before continuing. "Lots of songs. I'm just typically the only one who sings them." Nodding with an air of finality, he dug back into his meal with great fervor. Sure, the bread was slightly burnt, and the meat too heavily salted, and the ale obviously watered a bit, but when one's past meals had consisted of dry bread, nothing, cold stolen rations, and burnt rabbit, one could hardly be particular about that sort of thing. He imagined his former cook was turning in his grave about right now.

"Anyway," he commented with a discreet glance in the Phantom's direction, "I think I much prefer general anonymity. Means I can at least sit somewhat out in the open. And I have more original material for dazzling young maidens with tales of my death-defying feats."


[Post #2]
Kjan wasn't having fun. He'd experienced uncooperative weather on a journey before, but this was bordering on malevolent. It was as though the very forces of nature were determined to make this trip as miserable and difficult as possible. Despite never being the particularly superstitious sort, he was also beginning to strongly suspect that this mission was cursed.

He considered pointing out that they hadn't encountered anything remotely like shelter in the past two hours and likely wouldn't until they reached their destination, but the Phantom probably knew that. So, instead, Kjan simply yanked his hood up further, drew his cloak closer, and muttered something about the cursed cold.

A patch of unseen ice on the path gracefully removed one of his legs from under him and forced him to catch himself on the rough stone wall to their left. Injury was then added to insult as a few tiny stones rained down on his head. Kjan glanced up to determine the cause and received a pebble in his eye for his efforts, though he could have sworn that he also glimpsed a flash of movement at the top of the wall.

"Erdhod!" he called out. The ensuing noncommittal grunt was close enough to acknowledgement for Kjan. "Anything besides dwarves live in this area?"

"Would anythin' in its right mind?" the dwarf shot back.

Kjan didn't consider that to be much of an answer, as he happened to have encountered quite a few individuals who were decidedly not in their right minds (the Phantom included, on occasion), but he also doubted that he'd get anything more specific out of their uncommunicative guide. That had only been the dwarf's second complete sentence in as many hours, and the first had been to inform Kjan exactly what would happen if he asked again about the distance or time required for this little jaunt through the mountains.

Uttering a few more curses under his breath, Kjan pulled his cloak even closer and resumed walking.


[Post #3]
Kjan was getting rather tired of having his posterior kicked by pint-sized opponents who had no right doing so. At least when he was soundly beaten by a great ox of a man, he could keep his pride from falling apart entirely by constantly reminding himself (and others) that he had been at a natural disadvantage in the fight and was thus doing well to be alive at all. No such excuse existed when the foe came up to your chest (or knees, in the case of the gnomes).

At least he wasn't being sat on like the Phantom was. He wasn't entirely certain that the past few days' events had left all of his ribs intact to begin with, and the additional weight of a dwarf (who, despite the lack of height, likely weighed as much or more than Kjan) would only result in suffocation on Kjan's part. As it was, he had simply had his arms deftly pinned behind his back by one dwarf while others angled their sharp, pointy objects - otherwise known as spears - toward regions that he wasn't particularly comfortable having pointy objects directed toward.

"'Dhiraen Jewelsbane' isn't what ye'd call a friendly name, hereabouts," the head dwarf expounded with a scowl. "Any friend o' his is an enemy o' ours...unless ye have information concernin' him."

Kjan looked over toward the Phantom in surprise, but the thirty-five percent of the man's face that wasn't pressed against the hard stone looked just as bemused as he was. They had both been under the impression that Dhiraen was on the right side; he'd been helpful enough, anyway. There hadn't been any apparent reason to think otherwise.

"Are ye goin' to remove yer weapons, or am I goin' to have t' search ye?" the dwarf nearest Kjan demanded, tapping his foot impatiently.

Kjan hesitated, glanced one more in the Phantom's direction, then reluctantly removed his weapons belt and laid the two sheathed knives in the waiting hands of the dwarf with the mien of one parting with a most treasured possession. He started to walk away, only to stop as though abruptly remembering something. He knelt down and removed a sheathed dagger from his boot, then rolled up one sleeve and produced another small, slender blade. There was a third one hidden on his person somewhere, but the dwarves couldn't see it, and Kjan wasn't overly interested in leaving himself completely unarmed. With an air of further resignation, he relinquished the new additions to the dwarf as well, muttering something not-so-friendly about dwarves under his breath.

Two-and-a-half seconds later, Kjan found out just how keen dwarven hearing was, just how quickly they could move, and exactly what the stone floor looked like when examined from a distance of roughly half an inch.

Bloody dwarves.


Vondell Corell - Sacred Realm & Wolfen Blood (Eruraina)
3 posts

[Post #1]
Vondell sat on a stool by the fire. He was in a corner, but was in plain sight of all. In his lap sat his harp, on side leaning against his shoulder, and another corner rested in his lap. He strumbed the cords, producing a beautiful calming sound. Vondell squared his shoulders and started to sing with a treble voice.
"I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in Summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things
that I have never seen.
In every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door..."

The last note was long and eventually faded away. Just then a woman walked in with a scar on her cheek. Von thought nothing of it because, being a traveling Bard and playing at many Inns, he had seen many colorful characters. Von started on just a song for the harp that had no word. His fire lizard, that had been sitting on his shoulder, it's tail around Von's neck, had been hiding behind his head. It now peaked around the head to look at the newest arrival. It gave a chirp, and started to sing along with the music. Von smiled as his fire lizard, Nelnya, started to sing along with his playing. It's high voice added a beautiful harmony to the harp's melody...


[Post #2]
Vondell, after finnishing the song with just the harp, sang a lively drinking son on request by the drunks. That song went by quickly, or at least it did to him to Vondell's relief. They were requesting another lively drinking song, but he shook his head.
"Let me get a drink before I sing another song," he said, and made his way to the bar, harp still in hand. He ordered a simple glass of water, and took his back to his stool by the hearth. Vondell prefered the warmth, being born and raised in the warmer southern climate. The bard took a few sips, set the cup down, and set his harp back in playing possision. He strummed it one then started playing a slower song, which was chorused with groans from the happy drunks. Vondell stopped mid-song with a sad sigh(that was one of his favorite songs), and started on another fast beat song that was well-known so much that more than half the tavern started singing along.
This is the down part to this job, Vondell though to himself, trying to ignore the out-of-tune voices of other singers.
Yet you love music, and barding is pretty much the only good-paying job these days that include music, he heard Nelnya's voice in his head.
I know, I know, Nelly. I guess every job has it's downside. He inwardly sighed, and stopped singing himself, but kept playing for the men who were singing...


[Post #3]
Vondell turned and led the group away, towards the clearing that he had found. The yards that lay between the group and the camp site were quickly eaten up, and soon they were in the small clearing. There was just enough room for them. The bard set down Amaran's cloths next to him, and looked around. There were plenty of sticks to make a fire, but that wasn't Von's expertise, so he decided to leave that task to a more experienced friend.

Instead, he put his energy into collecting wood for the fire, and putting it in two piles in the middle of the clearing. One was where the actual fire would be, the other was a pile for fuel that wouldn't be used right away.

Looking through his small pack, all he could find was waybread, dried fruit, and jerky. The kind of food that lasted longer so was fit for those who travelled alot. Though Von usually traveled from town to town, and if he was forced to camp out, he usually needed Nelnya's help to start a fire.

The little firelizard now took a perch on a low branch in a spot where she could watch the group without getting in the way of camp preperations...


Tristan - Sacred Realm (Will)
3 posts

[Post #1]
Tristan cursed under his breath when his boots sunk even deeper in the mud. His journey had been a hell until now. For days it had rained, the roads which never had been restored after the war were hardly more than a trail and he was looking for a town which he'd visited months ago.
With his cane he found his way to the middle of the road which had been deserted. He hadn't met anyone on the road which made it hard for him to judge whether he was going in the direction for he based his route on memory rather than vision.
Suddenly he heard a dim sound of hooves and he halted, waved with his arm in the air and when th esound was near he cried: "Excuse me"
The horse slowed down. Out of my way you beggar an, obviously older man growled. Can't you see I'm in a hurry?
Ignoring the man's rudeness Tristan answered: "No I can't. I just wanted to know whether this is the correct road to the Dead Man Walking Inn."
The man laughed: Are ye blind fool? You're standing a few feet from the town's gate. He heard the man urge his horse in a galop and he left, still laughing.
Tristan continued his route. Night must have fallen for town was quiet but he didn't mind. Sometimes he wasn't allowed to enter town: No need of blind beggars they would say and only after showing his purse filled with coins they let him pass after emptying more than a fourth of it for compensation.
He entered the inn, which was comfortably warm. Using his cane he made his way over to the bar and asked for an ale. When there was no reply he moved to the left but suddenly bumped into someone. His cane fell on the floor. "I'm sorry" he said as he touched the floor in order to find it.


[Post #2]
"If you want me to, I will" Tristan nodded, the bard would be a good companion. She was obviously relieved by his decision to join her but, if shadow hadn't concealed his face, one could have read the the same relief on his face although his blank, grey eyes didn't give him away.

He grabbed his cane in order to make his way through the crowd but then suddenly turned back to Eavan. "Thank you" he said prompt with a smile and left for the other side of the inn.

While crossing the room he resolved never to visit an inn again: a couple of drunkards had discovered the funny man with the walking stick. The first blocked his path, laughing like a drain while the second grabbed his cane. Anger welled up inside Tristan as the men were laughing and jeering at him. Eventually he pulled his dagger and turned from left to right but didn’t know where to place the drunkards so instead he lowered the weapon, afraid to harm an innocent bystander. He gritted his teeth and just remained standing silently, waiting for them to get bored.

"Von?" Tristan asked upon hearing the familiar voice of the bard addressing the drunkards. When he felt the touch of wood against his skin he grateful took his cane back. "I thank you." Together with Vondell he made his way over to his old seat, without any trouble.
Quietly he sat down, feeling a little uneasy but then spoke his mind. "You really shouldn't have helped me. As you said, they find a weak target in me now, something I try not to be. I've experienced those things before, one should just let them pass" His hand found Vondell's arm, after groping twice in midair, and patted him on the shoulder. "I am thankful though... And I have a message, from the lady you probably have noticed earlier."


[Post #3]
The sky colored red and then purple to eventually grow dark. Not even the moon appeared to grant them some light. But all of this remained unknown to Tristan for all he saw was darkness and just felt the sun loosing her warmth and by that figured sunset was near.
He'd followed the rest of the group in silence, only the soft tapping of his cane on the grass or stones betrayed his presence. The place which Von had chosen was just a few feet from the forest edge yet it seemed like they stepped into another world. The air didn’t smell like grass and wasn’t warm like in the fields but it was cool and smelled of fungi. The earth felt moist and the sound of running water told Tristan they were close to the creek. Usually Tristan would have enjoyed this place, enjoying his ability to still understand nature. A place where he could be alone without feeling lonely, a place where he didn’t have to see and wouldn’t be seen. But not now.
After some rummaging in his small bundle he found his leather water sack and got up to find his way over to the creek but after a few steps he changed his mind. He had to speak to Eavan first, he decided. As the others were making camp Tristan shuffled over to her, her soft breath hardly distinguishable because of the noise made by others.
His hand searched for her arm but when he touched her stomach for a moment he immediately withdrew with a slight blush on his cheeks. When he found her arm he softly whispered: “What did you see Eavan? Was it your brother? Fight it. You must.”
He realised that he would give himself away by these things. But he knew. He had seen what happened to some of them, Wolfens. Some of them went mad with fear or paranoia They were the easy preys.. Some were more sensitive for it than others but in the end they were all found anyway. All but one.

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