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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 11, 2022 0:14:13 GMT -5
He recognized this place, even though it had been many years since he had traveled, and the likelihood that his footsteps had carried him past these trees was slim. The Lantern Light Wood had been one of many such places his family had hunted—that he hunted in his youth, and although the paths he took and the choices he made seldom took him outside the city these days, the feeling of being both trapped and more free than imaginable under the guardianship of a forests' canopy was not so easily forgotten. Not for someone such as him.
No, he remembered. Light that slipped through only as it was allowed between the many branches that stretched ever-upwards; fleeting gusts of wind that had to dance between the trunks of both the young and old keepers of the woodland domain to tease at skin, clothing, and hair; the din of flourishing life that came from the creatures that called this place home to the very shadows that stretched between them; the ability to see, to hear, and to discern was not so easily forgotten, much as sometimes he might wish it were so.
'Returning home,' some might call it. 'Coming back to his roots,' others might say much more cheekily before a glare was sent their way with hopefully enough bite to silence them before they said anything further. Sentimentality was not a thing Sable cared for, liar that he so undeniably was in times such as this. Hence why he typically kept to silence. Without words, lies could neither spread nor betray, the latter far more important to him.
Rolling his shoulders, a quiet hum resonating gently within him as an apology when Celeste shifted from her place curled inside the hood of his cloak, Sable cut a glance to the only other person that was there.
Red hair. Green eyes. Young. Elven blood. Of course, it was always difficult to tell those that were full-blooded from those that were only half until they spoke... which meant that she could very well be older than his initial assessment of her. Time would tell, of that, he was certain, and for as cold and as critical as his gaze was as he surveyed her, he was not judging her. Yet.
"...should we wait further?" he finally spoke, breaking his silence since his arrival. He had not been the only person present when a call for... volunteers both within and outside of the guard to investigate had been made, after all, but waiting further for others that very well might not show or had been assigned to conduct their search elsewhere seemed like a waste of time. Not that he was eager to get this over with and leave. Liar that he was.
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Post by Sarris on Dec 12, 2022 14:35:04 GMT -5
Sarris sat in relative quiet. To say that the silence was killing her was accurate.
She had put on her best Elvin manners which was standard defense against being seen poorly or being tossed into the stocks.
A small mob of people, mainly the butcher and some hunters, wanted to string her and her Drake up. It seems as she was in with the Mayor, Fireclaw did some opportunistic scavenging. Three deer hanging in a tree waiting to be butchered went missing with a few snaps of the drakes jaws. Sarris had come out of the mayor’s office after delivering papers to be marched back in to wait for the sheriff.
There really was not a trial as Sarris had offered to pay for the meat. Instead an advertisement was placed in her hand by the mayor and the sheriff, smug smiles on their face. It was a call for volunteers to investigate a problem in the forest. The two men told Sarris that if she helped investigate the problem, the whole deer thing would be dropped.
Now she was waiting with a dark haired man, who had kept mostly to himself in a small back room of a tavern. Waiting to be told details.
Looking over at him, she blushed. “I guess it is just the two of us,” she said indicating that she thought she should go in and learn more.
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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 12, 2022 18:41:45 GMT -5
"Two will be fine," he replied quietly, the words carrying a sort of finality to them as his patience waned just a touch. "We will make less noise and disturb less within the forest than with a large group," as he was certain none had considered initially when attempting to find people to deal with this problem. Those who told him he would be assisting due to his newness to this post hadn't seemed particularly concerned with the details outside of simply dealing with it, at the very least, much as they decried destruction and the ruinous repercussions to follow if it was allowed to continue. All very pomp and all very circumstance. Lip service, as it were.
Turning his gaze back to the woman, Sable released a heavy breath. It was akin to a sigh, but not quite so intended. He was simply... not looking forward to this, though his aversion was neither from the present company nor for the task at hand. He simply didn't wish to be local again. He had been... as close to happy as one could get within the comforting walls of the city.
"Did they tell you anything?" he asked with hardly any preamble, recalling the details of his orders as they had been relayed to him before he regarded her a bit more directly, and while the curiosity in his eyes was all but hidden behind a stoic veil that kept his expression collected and unmarred, it was still there. As was a hint of gentleness should she know nothing and it fall to him to share with her the specifics of their assignment, limited that it was for even him.
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Post by Sarris on Dec 12, 2022 21:42:55 GMT -5
After Sable sighed, Sarris started to think he did not want to do this mission with her. After all the entire world revolved around her, at least in her mind.
He does not think I can do this, she thought.
“I can move quietly through the forest,” Sarris said with some pride though her volume was soft and her tone a bit reserved. Most elves could move gracefully, so this was not a surprise. Sables look was not one of being impressed in fact she took it as being a bit put off.
So, she held out paper with written notes on it. “They wrote it down for me,” she said indicating that they thought she was either forgetful or stupid. Probably both, she thought.
“There is something about large insects attacking plants and people,” she said. She looked around for a moment then pointed in a direction, in that direction. “They say there is a nest a couple hours walk in that direction,” she said. Then she added, “They told me that Fireclaw cannot come with us as the woods are too thick.” Killing insects with a fire breathing dragon did seem a bit overkill. “I would open to any ideas you have,” she said.
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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 13, 2022 0:18:06 GMT -5
The woman's declaration of her skills was met with a hum of acknowledgment, one that was accompanied by the faintest inclination of his head. He wasn't in a position to argue otherwise, and if she was overstating her abilities, it would be brought to light sooner rather than later. There would also be enough time to adjust on their trek through the forest should they need to.
As she presented the notes on the assignment, Sable finally gave something of a reaction: a single raised eyebrow as he glanced from it to her.
"...you are fortunate," he said, motioning to the paper. "In my experience, that courtesy isn't often extended beyond the guard," and even then, not always, but those words remained unsaid.
Instead, Sable listened as she spoke. His own noted report was tucked away in some pocket and previously memorized when it had first been handed to him, but he gave her his undivided attention given regardless. It was the only way he'd be able to know if something was missing or different between them, though it proved itself an unnecessary precaution a moment later.
Of everything she told him, though, "Fireclaw..." was a name he did not recognize, but it wasn't difficult to hazard a guess at who and what she was referring to. "...the drake that ate the deer," he clarified, though it wasn't so much a question as a statement. He had watched the aftermath for a time before moving on when it became clear that he wouldn't need to try and step in to keep the angered people that surrounded her from truly doing her or the drake harm.
He wouldn't have imagined that he would find himself working now working with her, and there was a soft bit of curiosity as to whether or not this might be a form of... repayment for the aforementioned deer. It was a thought that was just as quickly dismissed, of course, as it wasn't any of his business, but already his demeanor had shifted just the barest amount. Softening albeit slightly for the similarity in the company they kept.
"My first instinct had been to bring torches and oil to burn the nests, but 'the woods are too thick' as you said, and we would risk setting a portion of the forest aflame that way," Sable said after a moment as he crossed his arms.
"...eliminating the insects would be my next suggestion, though I'm afraid I am... without a weapon," the admission like acid on his tongue but required nonetheless. "My requisition for a new crossbow has been... delayed despite my attempts to stress its importance," and that delay certainly wasn't lengthened further by his lack of coin to have it to the same degree of craftsmanship as the one that was broken. Liar that he was.
"There's a chance that there might be a spare bow at the outpost here," but he wouldn't count on that.
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Post by Sarris on Dec 13, 2022 7:43:42 GMT -5
With his comment about not being as equipped as he wanted, she sighed. She knew that world well.
“The fae taught me,” she said as an explanation. “And you hardly see them,” she said holding out her bow and a bow string. “You can use my bow,” she added. She had been taught by the archers how to handle her bow well. If he takes it she would unfasten her quiver from her belt exposing more of her midriff than was needed. Air was clear that her skirts were held up by a little friction and a lot of sheer will power.
“We could buy some fire arrows, if you would like.. I could even buy a crossbow and bolts to use,” she said.
She had dropped he high elf manors and was now more herself. Bubbly, talkative, and still thinking that Sable was annoyed with her.
“If we buy a crossbow, you will need to teach me how to use it,” she said as a condition. Crossbows were useful tools to a thief. Even one who liked to climb things.
Sarris fought every instance to make him sit down and give him and elven warrior or hunter braid to keep the hair from his face. Braids conveyed a lot of information if you knew how to read them. Hers conveyed that she was from a noble upbringing, that she was single, and that she spent hours on her hair each day. “Did your report say what the insects were?” She asked. “I am just glad they are not Rodents of Extraordinary Size,” she added and continued, “Those are smarter than regular rodents.”
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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 14, 2022 12:23:56 GMT -5
He didn't quite know what to do with her admission to being taught by the fae. His experience was... limited and not truly his own. His mother had had dealings with them from time to time as he understood it. Something about maintaining a balance between their hunting and the creation of life within the forests. Respect of it had been instilled in him, to create as much as you destroy a lesson maintained, but it was all a bit beyond him... and it wasn't as though he had much time to ponder it further.
Wintery eyes blinked as he looked at the woman—her name, he didn't even know her name, he realized, but that was further away for the time being. He was currently preoccupied with being unsure of what to make of her offer, a part of him spurning the idea outright as he was no charity case, but it was a part of him that was quickly silenced. Pride would not help them, after all. It would sooner see them killed if given into.
Her being without a weapon herself would just as likely be an issue, though, and so, Sable hesitated at first. He would not take from her if it left her unable, but if the fae had an influence on her, she might very well have a few spells at her disposal or some other means of fighting.
"...very well," he relented, his tone indicating defeat in a sense, yet his calm exterior remained unchanged. "But I will be returning it to you once we have dealt with the problem." Reaching out, he took hold of the bow, his care in handling it telling of his many years of experience with the subtle details of his hold.
"You will not be unarmed yourself?" he asked to clarify that important detail.
The bow would be returned to her if the answer was 'yes' in any form, but he would take the time to string it should she express some form of prowess beyond just archery. His attention turned towards it, he listened to her suggestions passively, noting the change in her, but making no comment nor change of his own in response.
"I am... against fire in such an uncontrolled manner, and you are... kind to offer, but it is unneeded on my part," he began. "...it would also take more than a few hours of travel through the forest during our search to teach you how to wield a crossbow."
That came off colder than he intended, He was... inarticulate but not deaf to how he sometimes sounded when he spoke. "I will be stationed here for the next week or so. I could teach you the basics in a few days, but crossbows are... far more different from a bow than most think."
It was better. Or, at least, he hoped it was. He was never able to know until others responded to him, but trying was always better than reverting to silence. Or so he had been told by someone whose opinion he valued dearly. It was a... shame they were not here any longer. They might have liked her, and the conversation that they likely would have held would have been one he wouldn't have minded listening to.
"Not specifically," Sable answered her following question, unaware of her desire to braid his hair. "There were a few reports involving... buzzing. Akin to winged insects like flies and such." His gaze resting on her, he canted his head ever so slightly. "...let us hope it is not wasps or bees of some kind. Their stings are... not pleasant."
As they began to move through town in 'that direction' as she had previously termed it, he did chuckle softly at her mention. He remembered once promising his older brother that he'd track one down and bring it back as a prize in his youthful bravado a child no older than ten but certain he could do it. "...they also make their homes in swamps of a... warmer climate, if I'm not mistaken."
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Post by Sarris on Dec 15, 2022 16:52:42 GMT -5
Sarris looked at Sable and smiled as he took the bow. She had learned a long time ago how some mens egos were like glass flowers. Easily broken when handled the wrong way. Some of the Vanguard would rather die than to accept help from a woman, and more so fro her. More importantly, she understood the battle with ones pride all to well. “Look, I understand. I live in a stable and had to beg for food. I do not like owing anyone anything either,” she said looking at him. “But friends help each outer out and we both want to get paid!” She added playfully.
Hanging around her elven family and mages she also understood moodiness. His comment about teaching her the crossbow made her light up and grab his arm. “Really? That would be wonderful!” She said. She almost danced as she walked and listened to him.
“Wasps would be bad. Bees too,” she added acknowledging what he told her.
As they were walking Sarris stopped him in front of a mercantile. “I need to get a couple things, if you do not mind,” she asked. Skirts and hiking through the woods did not seem to be the best fit. Black pants, a heavy blouse, leather boots, and a leather belt later. Sarris sighed. “These make me look like a boy,” she said looking at him. Everything draped on her.
“If you trust me, I could fly us on our search. It would be quicker than walking,” she assed to their conversation.
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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 16, 2022 23:03:44 GMT -5
It was always curious how quickly people threw around the word friend. He heard it often amongst those he helped both within and outside of his duties, but never by any he would truly consider as such for no reason other than simply not knowing them. It usually followed some sort of exchange like this, too, where something was offered and may be accepted in the light of a greater goal, and while he could understand the desire for such things, to have a friend, it always puzzled him when it was said so... flippantly. As if it held little meaning behind it.
Not that he assumed the woman he was now walking with didn't value the word or what it meant, it was just something he had... observed and couldn't stop noticing after the first time. So, he had nodded his thanks once more for the loaning of the bow, and after a beat, he had spoken up quietly as they walked.
"...they also know each other's names, I believe," he said, glancing over at her.
"I am Sable," he told her. "Sable Rivien," added for the sake of being polite before he gave her a moment to share her own name, as well, and to no surprise and much as he had seen before, Sarris was very much a lively sort, her... excitability, he would call it, carrying on even into the way she walked, skirting between people and carts towards the small marketplace in town.
The offer of teaching her how to wield a crossbow was a mix of the expected and unexpected, though, and it was only because he was always on guard and mindful of himself that he didn't simply pull his arm out of her grasp when Sarris reached out and grabbed his arm. The tension that found him was noticeable, his eyes immediately snapping to the point of contact before he forced himself to look away, to nod that yes, he would teach her, and release a breath once she let go and they continued.
Having a barrier always helped, but it was still jarring when he didn't see it coming.
Fortunately, Sarris needing to purchase a few things gave him enough time to... adjust. The slight tremor in his hands faded away, he was able to unclench his jaw, and by the time Sarris returned with her new garments, he was as he had been before. Stoic but placid in the face of everything, including the smaller woman that came to stand before him, declaring that she looked like... a boy.
"You are still clearly a woman," he reassured her easily, "and while the clothes might not be feminine... you are, if that is the concern," which he found strange, but didn't comment on.
The mention of flying for the search had them raising an eyebrow. "...how?" he asked, deciding not to comment on the question of trust.
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Post by Sarris on Dec 17, 2022 10:18:03 GMT -5
Sarris took notice of Sable’s discomfort at her touch. As a touchy person, she did not understand this. She could not understand it. It was not like they were holding hands or hugging. It was not like she tried to kiss him either. So as she shopped she was thinking this out . She drew the only conclusion she could. He does not like me, she thought to herself. She decided she was not going to flirt and would try hard to not touch him.
His comment about her still being feminine in boys clothes still made her blush. She still preen a bit, mostly out of nerves and discomfort with being in pants. She thought it might help that almost all of her was covered.
When he asked about flying she lifted her broom and said, “With this. It is faster than walking and we will be able to see the glow easier from above.” She looked at him a bit worried she asked, “Have you ever climbed trees?” Pausing for a reaction, “I think we would need to fly about tree top high, maybe a little higher.”
“No one has ever fallen off when flying with me,” she said. “You would have to either hold on to my shoulders or waist though,” she said with a tone that indicated she did not want him to be uncomfortable. She thought as they walked a bit. “I could break Fireclaw free and you could ride on him. He tends to knock over trees though,” she suggested. “Or we could just walk,” she added. She was not opposed to walking either. She still walked even though she could fly, more people interaction that way.
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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 20, 2022 16:21:27 GMT -5
He found Sarris' blush at his reassurances... curious. Nothing he had said seemed outwardly complimentary. Despite the clothing being a touch big, her form was still accentuated to appear womanly over manly. Not to mention that her features were still fair and her voice still carried a lighter, softer melody as it had before, unchanged by her current choice of clothing for the assignment.
Were he the sort that cared for the importance of it and had they not been strangers to one another, Sable might even have told her that she was beautiful regardless by all accounts. But that was too much, he knew, and in his fumbling attempts to ease her mind, he did not want to accidentally make her uncomfortable with his statements.
It was why he didn't comment on it, why he paid it no mind, and for all intents and purposes, made it seem as if he hadn't noticed at all. His familiarity with the sort of instances that caused one to blush was limited and from... before. And he... It was different now. They were gone. He was alone, a truth that burned with the way his heart felt frozen with that chill.
Not that his pain could be seen as his wintery gaze rested on the young half-elf, understanding washing over him the moment she held out a broom. For all that his knowledge of magic and its... application were limited, Sable was not ignorant. He could conjure nothing, not for lack of patience or attempts, but he knew enough to recognize certain spells and enchantments, something that only aided him as a guard when certain situations either began or ended in violence.
"...I do not have an issue with heights if that is a concern," he told her, recalling the many times he had found himself in trees, crouched between the branches, as he waited with a hunter's stillness and poise for any prey that might wander by the river or pond in search of a drink.
Sable listened as she spoke about their option of flying, his concern not for falling from the broom and his... aversion to having to hold onto her not quite as loud as it had been when he wasn't expecting it, Sarris' gentle tone appreciated. "...my worry is that we may notice the glow too late and find ourselves flying into whatever nest the insects may have nearby or into them ourselves," he said after considering for a moment. "Though it would be quicker," he added so that it didn't sound like he was completely dismissing her idea.
Sable paused and considered for a moment. "We would not be out of a way to see the glow from above if we walked, however," he finally said, glancing over his shoulder, catching sight of his hood out of the corner of his eye.
"We could use your help, little one,"[1] he said softly, a small cooing sound, not unlike a yawn coming from the creature that was hidden away, before a small blue head peaked out just above Sable's shoulder, her eyes blinking tiredly as she crawled out onto his shoulder and looked between both of them.
Attention shifting from the ice drake to Sarris, he addressed her now. "Celeste can scout ahead and above us should we walk, and she would be... more difficult to spot than we might in our... flying." [1] Language Used: Draconic (denoted by red)
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Post by Sarris on Dec 24, 2022 9:16:18 GMT -5
Nodding the young redhead said, "Okay." There was nothing that she could argue about that. The mind of a teenage is a strange place. In her constant critique and analysis of things she had mixed messages working. One hand he was being a perfect gentleman, something the Sun Elf in her greatly appreciated in her. He noticed he as being worth noticing as a woman, which fed that human ego need. The not wanting to fly she took as not wanting to touch her. She was perfectly fine with this as she went out of her way not to be touched by men. Still the girl in her...
She sighed, unable to explain it and praying that Sable would not notice.
At the calling forth of Celeste, Sarris eyes brightened. She did not do her first instinct to touch or talk to the little drake. She hated it when people tried to tell her how to handle and deal with Fireclaw. She could understand most Drakes, but she did not understand Draconic.
Taking up her broom like a walking stick, making sure her bow was strung and secure, and pulling out a piece of dried jerky and offering it to Sable for Celesta, Sarris said, "I am ready when you are."
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Post by Sable Rivien on Dec 25, 2022 19:54:40 GMT -5
As once before, Sable did not notice anything in Sarris that would betray the... inner turmoil his demeanor and words might have caused. She seemed accepting of what he had said and properly reassured to a degree where he didn't find the need to linger on it or attempt anything further, and with morning now passing into the afternoon, it was best to move on regardless.
With Celeste revealing herself, however, the sudden... light that came about her gaze was something he couldn't miss. It was akin to the way children would stare up at her in wonder, their excitement almost palpable, though that wasn't to say that Sarris acted like a child by any means. She simply... looked at Celeste in a way that made something loosen in his chest. He always preferred it when she was treated and regarded kindly over the fear and disgust he was no stranger to seeing in the wealthier parts of Eclipse City.
Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention, and he found himself surprised by Sarris offering him something to give to Celeste. "Oh. Yes. Let us be on our way," he said a touch disjointedly, looking from her to the small bit of meat before he finally accepted it. "...and thank you."
Once they began their trek and moved from the outskirts of the town to the forest proper, Sable called out to his small companion. "Celeste," he said to catch the flying drake's attention, holding up the dried jerky for her to see, noting the way her eyes narrowed on it, his lips quirking for a moment in a faint smirk. "Prey," he then declared, tossing it up into the air.
With a quiet roar and a snap of her wings, Celeste did not hesitate to dive after it. Her gaze narrowing on the treat, focus unwavering, she pitched herself and twisted to snatch the food with outstretched claws before gliding ahead of them and perching on a low-hanging branch.
"Do not fall too far behind us, little one," Sable warned her gently, a whisper of his smile dancing at the corners of his lips as he looked up at her as he and Sarris walked beneath the branch she had claimed for herself to take a moment to eat.
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Post by Sarris on Jan 2, 2023 18:44:46 GMT -5
Sarris smiled watching the exchange. She wondered what it would have been like if she had found Fireclaw when he was young. Their relationship was not as close as these two. Fireclaw tended to treat her like she was his property, protectively so.
As they walked Sarris noticed some of the lantern bulb flowers ahead of them and the slight glow they gave of.
Sarris made not that was they drew closer there was not the normal animal noise. Birds did not chirp their warnings to each other. Squirrle's did not head for the higher places in the trees. Sarris listened carefully for any tells that would indicate the presents of their foe.
"Notice that most of the animals have left this area?" Sarris pointed out to Sable. "It is not normal for them to leave an area unless there was danger here," She said. Then there was a warning buzz of a large insect.
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Post by Sable Rivien on Jan 4, 2023 16:05:36 GMT -5
When the forrest had begun to grow stiller and quieter, unnaturally so in a way that often spelled danger, Sable had recalled Celeste to him with a low whistle. Much as she was a scout of sorts for them, the glow of the flowers and the silence that begun to hang about them was far more telling than any warning cries she could make herself... and he did not wish to put her in harm's way above all.
The small drake had now landed on a nearby branch as he and Sarris halted at her observation, the low sound of buzzing starting to fill the air, though it was still a ways off. "...I had noticed, yes," he gave in quiet answer, drawing an arrow and feeling the quiet stirrings of dread fill him with how natural it felt—how familiar it was. "It has been some time since larger animals have passed this way, as well," a testament to the size of whatever it was they were about to face beyond just the sound they could hear.
Stepping forward cautiously, Sable found himself looking at what would be the edge of a clearing of some sort, though whatever it was that was lurking and likely destroying the lantern bulb flowers was still out of sight. With a glance over his shoulder to Sarris, he added, "Would you like for us to approach together... or should one of us attempt to flank whatever it is that's out there?"
Either was fine with him should he ask after his preference, but remaining together would be better should there be more than one of these insects in the area. It would prevent the chance of being separated and unable to aid one another should they be overpowered in some way.
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