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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 24, 2023 20:07:00 GMT -5
Finally, somewhere that all the layers of armor and clothing would come in handy. The tips of his ears and nose still tinged a bit red, but thanks to thick padding and the fur trimmed cloak he always wore Leandros was well-equipped for the cold of Frost Gale. It wasn't often he got to travel in snow, but the soft crunch of snow under heel was always a small pleasure he found in his travels.
Upon arriving in the Pale City he had learned of some merchants that had gone missing. It wasn't hard to catch the conversation between the guards.
"Ain't come back yet?" "Nope...seems like they might not make it back in time either." They looked between each other from their posts at the gate.
Leandros looked back over his shoulder at the landscape of the Ice Fields, cold and unforgiving even in the good times. With a small frown, he turns to the guards.
"Something wrong out here?" He turned his walk completely and headed back towards the gates.
"Renford and his wagon haven't come back yet, likely not gonna make it back in time neither." The first guard responds, the second nodding in affirmation.
Leandros shares a concerned look with the horizon again..."Point me in their direction, I'll see if I can't get them to safety."
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Post by Vorn Do'Urden on Jan 24, 2023 22:30:45 GMT -5
Vorn didn't make a habit of snooping about. Clearly, a member of the Do'Urden clan was above such things, and certainly, the only reason why he approached the guards chatting with the stranger wasn't curiosity, but the owl he may have sent to glide around that particular area, in search of rodents.
Despite not being a snooper, he'd rushed towards them as casually as he could, an arm raised so his bird would come to settle with him, pointy ears disappointingly picking up only the last bit of what the armored figure had said, with eyes set upon the horizon. He couldn't be wanting to... go out to the Fields, could he? Alone?
No, of course not. And surely it was none of his business anyway, was it? The man was covered in steel from head to toe, he could handle whatever came his way. Only... many good guards of his who'd been doing the runs in the Fields for over a hundred years had gotten unlucky in the past - alone or no. Plus, his family would never have approved of one of them meddling about where there was nothing to be ga-
"You're not planning on heading to that cold, desolate place alone, are you, friend?" Vorn called out, the thought of his family being exhasperated at his actions filling his head with glee. "Unless you've got an army hidden somewhere around, that'd be akin to going to your doom."
Briefly, Vorn glanced towards the owl, who had decided to close her eyes and not worry about the going-ons of people around her, perhaps wisely using what time she had to take a small nap instead.
"Perhaps you need a scout, and someone who knows the lay of the land a bit?" he suggested. "I'm not doing anything for the next little while, neither is the bird. And I happen to have a good set of clothes for the occasion."
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 25, 2023 15:35:33 GMT -5
The knight and the guard share a few more words with each other, the two men seemingly hashing out whatever details they could about the missing caravan. It seems this Renford character was coming from another outpost about two days travel from here, fur trader by profession. With hope he wouldn't be having to walk the whole two days, but he was prepared for it nonetheless.
Leandros is nearly turning to leave before he hears Vorn's voice call out, stopping and turning with a curious eye. "I had been planning to do just that actually, I've traveled some my own. I would just have to make a slightly bigger fire out here." He smiled and gave a little laugh at his attempt at humor.
"If you're a local to these lands, it would be much appreciated. I know how quickly the tundra can turn deadly, so having someone more familiar will be quite the boon." A large gauntleted hand is offered out to the man. "Leandros Aurthurian of Capitol Landing. I am excited to make your acquaintance, but we shouldn't tarry too much longer."
After the handshake, he would pivot on a foot and raise a hand towards the expanse ahead to signal Vorn to take the lead. Leandros would give thanks and hand shakes to both of the guards before turning back to start their journey into the ice fields.
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Post by Vorn Do'Urden on Jan 25, 2023 21:48:32 GMT -5
Vorn's lips contorted into something akin to a grimace when the armored figure mentioned making a bigger fire. Fifty years in one place made him completely unaware of how big or small fires were supposed to be elsewhere, but it did seem like what the human was talking about made sense. Long as the why he was laughing involved some sort of human humor he'd never learned the intricacies of, and wasn't an attempt to somehow mock him, everything was fine.
It certainly didn't seem like the man who'd introduced himself as Leandros was one for mocking others, and as the hand was offered as way of greeting, Vorn didn't hesitate to shake it as best as the white-grey furs that covered almost every inch of him allowed. He also did what he could to put on a pleasant smile, which was easier said than done. A very strict education had taught him those sorts of things were best left for people with no serious thoughts in their heads, but he did what he could to snap out of old habits and be more gracious than the rest of his family.
"Vorn.... of the Do'Urden clan. Charmed," he managed. Given another minute, he might even have coughed up something pleasant and charming to say, but the man was apparently in a hurry, and soon Vorn's gaze turned towards the long, wide whiteness that stretched out before them. And then he poked the owl on his other arm awake.
With a pointed finger towards their general destination, the dark elf sent the bird ahead to do her job of keeping an eye for things and eating whatever small creatures had been unlucky enough to decide to leave their holes in the ground while a flying predator flew nearby.
He gave each guard a haughty, wordless nod and left by way of the main road. Unless Leandros instructed otherwise, Vorn would take the direction where the human's quarry had last been spotted at. He would also eventually consider asking if the man was too keen on finding whatever or whoever he expected to find in good conditions despite the freezing breeze that assailed their faces and tried to wedge between every open spot in their clothing... but thought better of it. Hope was important when going around unfamiliar territory, and no one would be saying the Do'Urdens were downers.
"Invigorating weather, isn't it?" he commented instead as the owl flew over their heads and up ahead for another run. Foreigners in the tavern were always either talking about trade, the cold, or cursing so he figured it might have been a safe topic to approach.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 25, 2023 22:21:05 GMT -5
"Having eyes over head will certainly help." Leandros' eyes watched the bird take off ahead of them. Despite admitting he was unfamiliar with the area and the terrain, long legs took confident strides into the crunching snow. From his posture to his equipment, it was clear that Leandros must have had a similarly proper upbringing to Vorn even if the men carried themselves in somewhat different manners.
"Certainly is a bit brisker than my home that is sure." He gives a light smile, once more watching the owl curiously as it makes its rounds. "Seems you two have quite the connection. Did you raise it from a chick or is it a more recent purchase? Seems well trained either way."
The man seemed to hold a geniuine interest in Do'Urden's answer, giving a keen ear to his response while keeping his eyes focused on the road. As a youth he had always wanted a war hawk of his own, there were many days he begged his parents to buy him one but the answer was always no. There were other things he could focus his time one, falconery was not something that would fit in to an Aurthurian education. Still though, even as a man the fancy took him every once in awhile. Meeting a trained falconer was rare, so given the pair had aught more to do than make conversation why not see if this man is willing to share a bit of that secret knowledge of the birds.
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Post by Vorn Do'Urden on Jan 25, 2023 23:58:36 GMT -5
Vorn had to admire the human's determination, he was walking around the snow with more confidence than a lot of the guards he'd served with. Being the most experienced in walking through the Fields, the dark elf had assumed he'd be the one strolling about like there was a purpose greater than life in all he did, but that honor belonged to Leandros, and no two ways about it. It was remarkably refreshing not to have to appear confident when someone else could do it instead.
He thought that while doing his best to tuck his long white hair behind a now raised hood, as the winds picked up some intensity and made the bird's flight just a little more erratic. Just as he gave the animal some consideration in his mind, the man mentioned her, and Vorn's face twisted into a much more proud, honest smile than the one he'd given before. There was a topic he could talk one's ear off, if common courtesy didn't stop him.
"Ah, she's a special case," he said, voice raising a fraction just the same as the enthusiasm within him. "Comes from a lineage of owls I've been working on for the last thirty years - then my cousin comes along when that one's still in the egg, and says he can improve her."
"I... don't know how, or why, exactly, but for about a month, her egg was covered in so much ice, you'd think she wouldn't ever have hatched," he continued, only slightly and only briefly gritting his teeth at the thought of all that magic he didn't understand. "But she came to the world, bigger and more gracious than the other owls, and I kept her. Plus, cousin... hinted she could do magic. But that might have been just him fooling with me," he shrugged.
"Anyway, she's very smart - teaching her how to hunt and detach from my arm were the two biggest challenges. Has yet to earn a name, mind, but there's definite potential there," Vorn concluded, a satisfied smile now fully on his face as he watched the bird... until his head briefly turned to the human beside him, a flash of curiosity in his eyes.
"... and what of you and the Aurthurian clan? We hear tales of animals with gigantic necks and small horns, that live in warmer places. Is... that about the sort of thing your family raises?"
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 26, 2023 16:10:04 GMT -5
Leandros' expression rose to meet Vorn's as he saw the excitement rising. The story was certainly much more exciting than he anticipated, especially the unique circumstances of the hatching.
"I've heard tale some dragon eggs are hatched like that, entombed or encased in their own element. To think an owl could do the same. You never know she might be able to do magic given time." He chuckles softly, letting his mind wander to thoughts of a wizard owl. Would it grip the wand in its beak or talons? Either way that would be quite the sight.
When Vorn asks of large necked and small horns he thinks a second, rubbing his chin in thought...."Hmm, I am trying to figure out which animal that could be. It sounds like a deer perhaps...but no, no my family doesn't raise such things. Our family came to wealth training and selling war horses. Tall and proud mounts that carry a knight into battle."
Leandros' chest swells with pride as he talks about his family's work. "I would normally have Byrr with me, but he is ill-equipped for snow and nursing an injury, so it is best to let him rest and enjoy all the hay and brushings he can while it lasts."
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Post by Vorn Do'Urden on Jan 27, 2023 10:56:47 GMT -5
He was more than a little relieved to hear that unique technique for hatching owls didn't originate with his cousin - the elf was insufferable enough as it was without also being able to boast about inventing a way to make ordinary animals a little less ordinary. And if he ever hinted as such to Vorn, he could now put a smug smirk and explain that actually, this was already common among dragons. It would be a sweet moment.
"Let's hope she can do magic indeed," he replied readily to the human's words. "It wouldn't do to spend all that time encased in ice and not be able to do anything with it."
As conversation shifted into Leandros' own animals, Vorn took approving notice of the way his chest beamed with pride as he spoke - it was always very proper for those of any station to take pride in what they did. And all he'd seen of the man implied a very high station indeed... perhaps he was an emissary of his people, come here to do bussiness and walk the cold plains? Vorn wasn't sure, and he didn't want to admit he didn't know, so he just waved that question out of his mind, to focus on more pragmatic things.
"A dear, is it? Hm, I'll have to check with my soldier who claimed she saw one. If she's ever away from the bottle long enough," he added with a whiff of disapproval at someone who wasn't een there. "Either way, it's a shame your warhorse couldn't come, but I suppose the cold wouldn't do him much good if he's hurt."
He thought a small moment, then added. "Are you going to be passing through again? If you do and have the animal with you next time, I'm sure you could race it-"
Suddenly, Vorn stopped moving and pointed up at the owl, who was flying in circles around a formation of long, pointed rocks that jutted out of the otherwise empty plains, just a little off the road.
"She seems to have found something. Might be... whatever you're looking for. Or something worth hunting," Vorn said. It could also just be a particularly interesting rock the girl had found: she was known to enjoy just looking at things.... but with the way the winds were picking up and making her flight ever harder, he doubted she'd be signaling for nothing.
With a sigh, Vorn tucked himself in closer to all the furs around himself, and shot the man a glance.
"Would you like to go ahead, or shall I? We can also go together, of course."
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 27, 2023 16:41:54 GMT -5
"Oh Byrr would be terrible in a race, the horses we breed are built to carry knights, so we sacrifice a bit of speed to make them stronger and larger. Most of them are about 16 hands high...though Byrr is about 18."
Leandros is ready to continue talking for the next two to three hours, but he stops and pulls back when Vorn does. He follows the man's gaze up to the owl to see it circling above. So that's how she would signal them, he was curious about how that would work. Whether she found the missing men or not they could at least pick up on a clue to lead them in the right direction.
"I'll let you lead, I figure you'll know better if she happens to be warning us of something." He smiles broadly and lets Vorn go ahead and take lead. While Vorn led, the knight would keep his eyes on the surroundings of the Ice Fields. It was flat with little terrain, but something told him that might be an easy mistake to make. He'd heard tales of ambushes in the desert by hiding in the sand, it seemed easy enough to reason the same could be done in the snow.
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Post by Vorn Do'Urden on Jan 27, 2023 21:04:34 GMT -5
"Oh, that's unfortunate. Good payoff if he can carry a whole warrior, however," Vorn commented on the horse, but soon his attention was back on the rocky formation, and whatever it was that the owl had found.
"I will go up ahead, then, and see if I can't get a glimpse of what the bird sees from up above. If it's safe or relevant, you can just circle around. Or climb, I suppose," he said, and returned the smile before gently starting to move to the destination the animal had pointed them towards. It was lucky that they weren't far from the road, and that this was a place Vorn knew of. In fact, he had in the past climbed those very stone formations on a dare with another member of his family, who'd cheated and just flown up, the bastard.
But that wasn't important at the moment, he knew. What he focused on were the stones themselves, and as he reached them, it was almost instinct that showed him where to place his foot, where to support himself, and which areas were too fragile for him to place the full weight of his body in. Bit by bit Vorn rose, wind causing his hood to lower, and his long white hair to cascade down. Which might have looked good, if the wind didn't make it all blow towards his face, and cause him to almost end up eating part of it.
Regardless of that small bit of distraction, he didn't take long to reach the top, and soon, he was waving at someone on the other side... then looking past them, and hurriedly turning towards Leandros.
"Some folk are here with a broken wagon," he called out. "They look friendly enough for this place's standards... but the clouds forming up ahead are certainly a little less agreeable."
He waved one of the people over to the other side, and about a minute later, a dwarf appeared, white beard and white tabard painted with an unnatural dash of red: blood.
"Damn... wolf-things came outta nowhere," he grumbled, and crossed his arms at the human, shooting him a look of complete distrust. "You here to help us, then? Or rob some honest workers blind? I'm ready for anythin' either way, so do yer worst."
"Two more on the other side. They have spears," Vorn calmly pointed out to the knight, without addressing the merchants directly. That was probably best left to Leandros who seemed more... worldly of the two. "I will also point out, there are two dead barghests below. More might come, so moving these gentlefolk somewhere else might be prudent. Possibly before the storm comes."
"Pah, likely story. Anyway, we can't move with a broken wheel, now can we?" he asked Vorn suspiciously, squinting to see him up above. For his part, the dark elf just shrugged, and turned to look at the human, to see what he wanted to do.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 28, 2023 11:42:24 GMT -5
"Don't worry, they can move at a good clip, just not so much for racing." He grinned before letting Vorn go on ahead and check in with the owl had managed to find for them.
He waited patiently, keeping his eyes to the sky. Thick clouds seemed to be rolling in....he could feel the biting cold in the coming breeze. He would have to confirm it with Vorn in a moment, but it seemed like a stronger storm was coming in. They might not be able to make it back. He turned his attention to Vorn and his impressive climbing skills.
Leandros started to move closer when he heard talk from other people and Vorn. The knight's climb as slowed down in one part due to his unfamiliarity with the terrain and just the sheer size of the man. He dusts the snow from the crags in his armor as he looks up at everyone.
"This would be an awful amount of work just to rob a few merchants." He gave a soft laugh, not letting the tension of the two sway him. "If we make haste to the woods we may be able to make a quick shelter before the storm hits, I can carry any goods you don't wish to leave behind and we can recover the rest once the storm passes."
The dwarf seems to grumble, pissed off about needing help and getting attacked. This was a terrible day for him indeed. "Aye, an if those wolfish bastards come back?"
"Then you're in luck, because I don't carry this halberd for fun."
More grumbling and back and forth from the dwarf before he gives a disdainful bark. "All right, grab me things and let's get to the woods." He motions towards a few of the things spilled from the cart, which Leandros will grab without hesitation.
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Post by Vorn Do'Urden on Jan 28, 2023 16:36:51 GMT -5
"Hm. Wonderful, we're best of friends now," Vorn muttered, loudly enough for the dwarf to hear, and shoot the elf an annoyed glare.
Ignoring what went on in the mind of that runty fellow, the elf extended an arm and whistled for the owl, who came to him at once. From their new close distance together, he said some words in the language of his people, his tone sharp and almost aggressive as he pointed towards some of the crates that had fallen over, and then to the patch of woods that could just about be seen at the edge of sight.
If ever a bird could shoot an annoyed glare at someone, that was what she did to him, before violently shaking her wings and taking flight towards the dropped items, which were picked up with her talons despite her size and carried away towards the would be shelter.
Vorn, by contrast and after lowering himself down from the jutted rocks picked up one very light bundle of clothes, and wordlessly gestured with his head for the other two dwarves who still stood there unhelpfully to get a move on. A part of him did feel bad for the small folk, and the cloud of frost that begun to envelop them as snow finally started its fall from the sky to the earth below. Not enough to help more than by carrying light loads only and directing the owl, but bad nonetheless.
"The owl can carry people, too - if you like," he told the two, after a moment of thinking how he could assist without soiling his clothes. They just angrily shook their heads, like he'd assumed, but it was the thought that counted, surely. And just so he wasn't being completely aristocratic about the whole thing, Vorn picked up another, heavier box, that he brought along with the other one.
Now there was just one not-so-big stretch of plains to traverse, and they'd be secure from the worst of the snow. Just as well, too: more and more of it was falling, in increasing amounts.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 28, 2023 19:36:50 GMT -5
"Now, now, no need to bicker betwwen you two." Leandros gave an affable chuckle as he stepped between them to cut off eye contact between the two and put the dwarf's attention on himself. Unbeknownst to Vorn, Leandros did pick up a few of the elven words, but he keeps that to himself for now. There is likely more to the situation than just an aversion to dwarves.
"Are you all feeling well enough to travel? Don't burden yourselves too much." Leandros was a lion of a man true to his name and could pick up more than his fair share of boxes. He would let Vorn lead the way down this little outcropping, bringing up the rear of the travelers. "Try to keep pace with Vorn ahead, the storm is coming in soon, so there's no time to waste."
The human did his best to remain soft with his tone given the ordeal they have been through, but firm in the urgency that there was little time to waste. Plus if there were beasts after them, then they had all the more reason to move with haste. There wasn't much he could do to defend them with his arms full, so a straight line to safety was the best course.
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Post by Vorn Do'Urden on Jan 31, 2023 20:54:58 GMT -5
"W-we're fine, sir. Thank you, sir," another, younger dwarf spoke, as the commitive made their way forward. The knight's tone, and the undeniable increase in the wind coupled with the increasingly lowering temperature meant no one wanted to stay behind to find out how deadly a blizzard could be around these parts.
Vorn could attest they were very deadly: that had been how he'd lost a whole group of guards who'd taken shelter too late, twenty years ago. But it wasn't the sort of thing to bring up when other lives were at stake - and besides, for his part, he was too busy conjuring up from memory what a good spot that they could take shelter in would have been. It was hard, he hadn't visited the area much since he was a child, but....
What was prodding in his mind? He remembered somewhere dark, somewhere... less chilly? Or as comfortable as any region around these parts was. He had walked past the edge of the woods some, climbed up to a small clearing on a hill, and....
"There's a cave! A small distance away! I'm sure of it!" he called out, the winds now building up enough that he had to raise his voice to be heard. "Now, I don't know if it's occupied, but then, if the winds really pick up, a tree or two could fall around here. What do you want to do?"
Vorn looked to the knight, then, and all the other dwarves did, too. Even the owl glanced for a moment, rested atop the crate she'd carried to the edge of the wood, where the group had neared, and now waited to see what the next step would be.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 31, 2023 23:15:34 GMT -5
Leandros is almost of a mind to simply scoop up the dwarves and book it as well. Instead though he aims for gentle encouragement as he himself picked up his speed. Given everyone's current state, the trip was certainly cutting it closer than anyone would have liked. He motioned ahead with his head for Vorn and the owl to scout out the area, glad enough to follow behind them.
When they finally dead reach the cave, the look on the knight's rosy pink face was easy to see. He set all of the crates he was carrying down as the dwarves that lagged behind started to catch up.
"Vorn, friend, can you help them start a fire with something? I wouldn't send anyone back out there to look for firewood. I can head a bit further into to cave here and make sure we are alone....if we are not, then we will need that fire for dinner." He smiled wide, trying to offer a little encouragement to keep flagging spirits up. Morale was always the first thing to go in tough situations and when they slipped away the whole group could fall apart so he was keen on avoiding that.
Leandros would wait a moment or two catching his breath and getting a head count to make sure no one is missing. With everyone there, he'd nod to Vorn before taking a slow walk towards the rear of the cave.
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