rp: main topic Craethiel Kingdom

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

When Natia asked him if he had a lover, he blinked in surprise. He slowly pulled the spoon from his mouth, lightly chewing the contents of his mouth before he swallowed. The question was so unexpected he wasn’t sure what to say, and was a little relieved she gave him some time to formulate his thoughts when she explained how little chance her people had to be able to find love. Slowly, he scraped what was left in in pot towards the bottom and scooped it up onto his spoon but he didn’t lift it to his lips just yet. He was frowning slightly before he said slowly, “I… I find that quite tragic…” He then explained, “If it’s difficult for your tribes to find one another, you could go for a long time without finding a companion. It must be quite a lonely way to live. I’m not sure I could live like that…” He then gave a slight shrug of his shoulder before saying,

“I’ve had… many lovers…” He said this in a careful tone, as he knew that the way he handled relationships was highly frowned upon, and he knew how judgemental people were, and even with her seeming patient tolerance, even Natia might be disgusted. So he worded it as carefully as he could, “I’ve never had a wife, or even been formally promised a hand in marriage. I don’t…. I don’t think I’m suitable for that. I have had… numerous lovers at the same time. I’m not exactly faithful, like most might like me to be.” He gave her a slight smile, and didn’t even bother to mention that almost half of those lovers were in fact men. If she was jittery about him having multiple lovers, he could only imagine the reaction when he admitted he had, had homosexual relations. She would think of him as sexually insane, or something. People often did. 

He then tilted his head down at her, lifting an eyebrow as his golden eyes glinted with amusement, “Why the question about lovers, Natia? Curious?” He asked, teasing her as he smirked down at her. She seemed quite a serious young woman, so he wondered how she would react to his playful teasing. He quite liked teasing people like that, especially when they became flustered and stuttered. His smirk deepened as he ate the last spoonful of his porridge, although he wondered why she would be so curious about that. Considering what she had said about her people, he somewhat doubted her curiosity was a personal thing. She might want to focus on trying to find a member of her own species, so that she could start a family of her own. So he tried not to read too deeply into it. It was a shame, he thought, since Natia was someone he definitely wouldn’t mind fucking, despite how young she looked. She was more than mature enough in his eyes.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

"It's not... so bad. We don't really expect romance like most other people do." She explained with a warm but slightly forced smile. It was true that she did get a little lonely at times.  "Our purpose isn't to pursue simple pleasures, as much as we enjoy our lives here. We reproduce only out of necessity." She looked back down and returned to finishing off her food when she heard Rowan speak up about his multiple lovers. She blinked with surprise. Was it normal for his people to be so... active? He clearly seemed uncomfortable discussing the topic, so she wasn't quite sure if she should continue discussing the matter. Perhaps it wasn't a part of himself that he was proud of?

"Are you... ashamed?" She asked, her head tilted slightly, with a more concerned look.  "I... do not know of Cera's wishes for the people who have not been given her gift beyond taking care not to damage our home. But, we are given these restrictions solely because of our duties in the world. Cera does not want us to waste our time chasing petty pleasures when we should be using our abilities to heal the world from the damages it suffers. But what purpose would that job have if the inhabitants of the world weren't allowed to enjoy it?" She flashed him a light smile "This... polyamorous lifestyle is new to me... I had no idea one could even feel affection toward multiple people. I had always just assumed I would meet an Aequu boy, fall in love, and everything would sort itself out. That's how I'd like it to be, at the very least... but I suppose your people have a far better understanding of love, don't you?"  

As soon as Rowan questioned why she asked, her entire face flushed red and her heart skipped a beat.  "Wh-wha- N-no! I-I would never, that's just..." She found it especially difficult to hold eye contact with Rowan at this point, she felt like her face was burning up every time she so much as glanced in his direction, so she turned her attention to the fire.  "I-I was just thinking... you know... I wanted to know what it was like, you know? To love, I mean... I never get the chance to speak with outsiders like yourself and I will quite possibly never find love myself..." She glanced down at her own hands with a conflicted look. Sure, she was telling the truth, but of course, she was also holding part of it back which was effectively no different than lying. Were these thoughts sinful? Should she even be concerned about something like what love feels like? Was this a test meant to teach her a lesson? 

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

At Natia’s reaction to his question, Rowan let out an easy laugh, pleased to have successfully teased her like that. He reached out, putting a hand on her knee as he squeezed it affectionately before giving it a light shake, “I was teasing you, Natia.” He said, before smirking down at her, “Although you look very cute when you blush and sutter like that.” He said, as his laugh died down into a soft chuckle. He pulled back his hand before reaching out towards his pack and pulling it closer as he opening it up and pulled out a cloth that he usually used to wrap dirty dishes when he didn’t immediately have access to water to clean them. He wrapped the pot in it, and said, “Give me your bowl when you’re finished eating.” 

He then looked back at her, to answer her question about being ashamed. He had to think on that for a few moments, to decide on how he was going to word it, “I wouldn’t say I’m ashamed, Natia. Merely cautious. Most people frown upon people who tend to have multiple lovers. People are often very… closed up about the subject of sex and relationships. What they don’t understand often frightens them, as I alluded to last night. For me…” He paused for a moment before he then shrugged and decided to be completely honest with her, “Sex isn’t just about reproduction. It’s also a good way for me to be social with other people. I find that it cuts through a lot of awkwardness, and helps me decide whether or not I actually like someone or can get on with them. I also get to know them a lot better, and a lot faster. It’s also the best stress-reliever I’ve ever known about. It makes you happy, and relaxed so… it’s not a simple reproductive urge for me. I mean, I do understand that it might be for you. Humans are somewhat similar, since they enforce a strict monogamy on their people through social pressures. My people are somewhat like that… but behind everyone’s back, they’re all just the same as me. My father cheats on his wife, and in return she cheats on him.” Rowan said, not feeling the necessity to add that his father’s wife was also Rowan’s sister, as King Kail had taken Elizabeth to be his new Queen when their original mother died meaning that his father was married to his own daughter. 

Rowan moved forwards, scooping up some of the dirt from the alcove floor and flinging it over the fire to put it out, as he didn’t want to leave it burning. As soon as Natia was finished with her food and they had stored the bowl away, he wanted to leave. They had spent far too much time in one spot, and he couldn’t wait to get out of this forest. While he was usually on edge, this forest put a certain strain on him that made it hard to sleep or rest comfortably. Even if they hadn’t of been hunted yesterday, he doubted he would have slept any longer than he did last night. He just had this constant sensation of being watched, and hunted while within the confines of this forest. It made his skin itch, and the back of his neck to prickle uncomfortably.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia blushed even brighter when Rowan commented about how cute she was when she got so nervous. "C-come on! I-I knew you were joking..!" As she finished her porridge, she handed the bowl to Rowan. As she listened to his explanation, it almost felt like deja-vu. It seemed as though his people kept a lot of unnecessary secrets. That, or perhaps Rowan was a bit more of an outlier than he seemed at first... Still, with how considerate Rowan was, surely it wasn't right to treat him poorly just because he enjoys doing anything strange... she could only imagine how people would treat her in such a community. Even if she wasn't sexually promiscuous, her abilities would likely lead to her being heavily discriminated against. His views on sex, though, she found quite interesting. She had never considered such a perspective on it before. She had never considered it was quite so pleasurable. Perhaps her tribe never wanted her to feel curious. They always made sex out to be almost like a typical ritual, just a means to reproduction. She never knew it could have quite so many benefits for one's life...

As she followed that train of thought, she once again began to imagine herself with Rowan... N-no, no, no. She couldn't afford to think like that. A-at least not here. She noticed the stressed look on Rowan's face that hadn't really ever gone away since she met him. Even when he smiled, it always seemed like he was watching his back with the corner of his eye. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she slowly rose up and walked over to him. Even standing, she was still only slightly taller than Rowan while he was sitting. She reached out and gently wrapped her small, delicate arms around him, pulling herself against him in a calming and gentle embrace. Perhaps it was something she needed as well. A hug would certainly help calm both of their nerves.  "I-... I don't know if I can offer to help you relax in the same way as all those people... but I do hope you understand that I still trust and respect you. With you guiding me, I know we'll both get out of this forest easily."

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

When Natia handed him her bowl, Rowan took it with a soft thanks before he wrapped it up in the cloth. He then tucked it into his bag, shifting some of the contents so that he could shove it down the side so that it was out of the way, but accessible when he could clean them. Just as he was tying up the bag again, he felt a small pair of arms wrapping around him before pulling him in close for a hug, a gesture that surprised him. At what she said, he couldn’t help but to smile as her words were very kind and thoughtful. He let go of his bag, wrapping an arm around her waist and hugged her back before he said, “Thank you, Natia. A hug does always help. We should be out of the forest by the end of the day, if we move quickly, alright?”

He hugged her for several moments longer before he allowed his arm to drop and he pulled away from her. He finished tying his bag closed before he threw it over his back, “Right, we should…” He stopped before looking out of the alcove. He turned back to Natia, putting a finger against his lips to quietly order her silence. He looked back outside again, as he could hear something moving around out there. With steps as silent as smoke, he crept to the mouth, peering outside to see what it was moving around, silently praying that it wasn’t the Hounds from yesterday. But how they could have followed their trail was beyond him, as the rain would have completely washed away their scent, and the Wyvern would have thrown the Hounds off of their path, so they had no idea as to what direction they had gone, unless they had been prowling the forest the entire night looking for them. 

As he peered out, he saw a bush rustle for a moment before a large Hound stepped out, his nose twitching as its blood red, malice filled eyes flickered around the small clearing in front of the cave. Rowan’s stomach dropped, and his heart skipped a beat. With a struggle, he controlled himself as he looked back at Natia and waved at her to get further into the cave. He turned back to the front, reaching up behind his neck before pulling out a long dagger, that had several sapphire gems that glittered like ice in the meagre light that filtered through. He remained where he was, watching the Hound carefully as the monster moved around the clearing, sniffing at the ground. Another stepped out, growling softly as its upper lip was curled, revealing its long sharp teeth. It turns its eyes towards the cave before the growling became louder. This attracted the attention of the other one, which turned and started moving towards the cave. Cursing softly to himself, Rowan gripped his dagger tighter, preparing to fight because he knew that the two of them were inside of this cave. He only hoped that these were the only two.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia's heart fluttered as she felt Rowan return her embrace. In the moment, she felt such peace, burying her head against his shoulder. She smiled and nodded in response to his encouragement and she remained perfectly still in his arms for a while before he let go of her, seemingly ready to go. She then noticed him stop suddenly and peak out the cave before gesturing for her to remain silent. She'd already assumed the worst and Rowan's reaction as he peeked around the corner only reassured that fear. When he waved for her to hide deeper in the cave, she started to obey before stopping partway and turning back to look at Rowan as the two howlers began to step into her view. She gasped at how horrifying the creatures were and she couldn't pull her attention away from their bright red eyes. Of course, she trusted that Rowan wouldn't be trying to take these two creatures on if he wasn't sure he could handle them, but she couldn't help but worry for him. She could only feel the bile of guilt building up inside her throat. Maybe Rowan going out to get the blackberries was what drew the attention of the howlers? Maybe they had simply lingered too long because of their talks and her own hugging? She should have just eaten the food so the two of them could have left as soon as possible. 

In the moment, she was faced with a dilemmia. She wanted to retreat further into the cave as Rowan suggested, but if Rowan ended up needing help, she wanted to aid him as much as she could. She stood back and hid behind a nearby rock where she could watch. Sure, the howlers would likely be able to smell her, but she was sure that Rowan would protect her. she watched the two approach with baited breath. The last thing she wanted to see was violence, but the way Rowan had described these monsters, there would likely be no other way to stop them. At the very least, she had to hope that Rowan would be considerate enough to show them mercy after defeating them, but, again, she couldn't really imagine Rowan even considering that as an option.

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan watched the two creatures carefully, trying to predict where they were going to move so that he could more effectively defend himself and Natia from them. His main consolation was that they would need to get through him in order to get to Natia, so she was safe unless they killed him. He shifted a little, allowing the sunlight to glint off of the blade into their eyes which caused them to pause for a moment as they realised that he was armed. One of them then stepped forwards, its upper lip curling upwards as it let out a deep, menacing growl that made the hairs on the back of Rowan’s neck rise. He fought against the instinctive urge to run, and the fear that the creature summoned in him. He wasn’t planning on dying today, and certainly not to these creatures. He tightened his grip on his dagger, steeling himself to strike.

A sudden high-pitched scream caused him to jump. It also startled the Hounds, who both flinched back away from Rowan before all three of them looked at the thick foliage that was to the left of the cave. At first, nothing seemed to happen but there was another scream, this time it sounded as if it was filled with anger. The foliage then seemed to tear apart as the largest horse Rowan had ever seen leapt into the clearing. Its coat was one of the deepest black he had ever seen on a horse. Its hooves were not dull like on other steeds, but polished as if made from stone. Its eyes were the same black colour as its coat, and its mane and tail were long and untamed. It was, to Rowan’s sharp eyes, at least twenty-five hands tall and had thick, bulging muscles underneath its skin. The sight of it shocked him as much as it did the Hounds, who quickly turned on it with a snarl of hatred.

One of the Hounds leapt up to jump on the horse, however quicker than the Hound could jump, it turned around and kicked its rear legs into the air catching the hound underneath its muzzle. Its snarl of hatred turned into a scream of agony, made even more terrible by how human it sounded. The horse whirled on the spot, pawing at the ground as it snorted angrily at the second Hound which held itself back, clearly shocked by the attack on its pack-mate. It then snarled at the horse before jumping towards it, its jaw open as it aimed for the horses throat with the intent of ripping it apart. But the horse was too quick and clever for it. It danced to the side, causing the Hound to leap behind it before it once again kicked out with its legs to catch it on the hip. The snap of bone was audible, as was the Hounds human-like scream of pain. The horse turned back around, giving vent to another angry snort.

To Rowan’s shock, the two Hounds backed up away from the horse before turning and running as fast as they were able to with their injuries, whimpering all the while. The Keza then turned to look at the horse, which paced up and down the clearing with proud snorts. He was completely speechless as he couldn’t believe that the horse would have come in and saved them like that. He glanced back at Natia, his expression baffled, before he looked back out of the alcove before he cautiously stepped out. The horse turned and approached him, its neck curved in a proud manner. It came to a stop close by him, its head reaching out to sniff at his shoulder before it playfully nudged at him, its tail tossing. Bewildered, Rowan reached up and patted it on the side of its neck. 

“It’s safe now, Natia.” He called back into the cave, his eyes focused on the horse. It was far too large to be any kind of horse he knew. It also had an intelligent sparkle in its eyes that he couldn’t ignore, as if he could talk to it and it would understand every word that he said. He looked it up and down as a thought came to him before his eyes widened, “Well, fuck me…” He said in surprise, “You’re an Aelda, aren’t you?” He asked the horse which let out a happy-sounding snort before nuzzling his chest causing him to stroke its muzzle. He had heard that there were some in the forest, but people normally only got a fleeting glance at them before they ran off. They would never approach a non-Eldyrannth like this, at least as far as he knew. Perhaps those people had been wrong.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound.

Nothing Natia could have done would have prepared her for such an unexpected and brutal scene. The sounds those Howlers made on their own already had her unnerved, but those horrific screams of pain as their bones were crushed by this monster of a horse was just too much for her to handle. She quickly ducked behind the rock she was hiding behind, covering her ears and holding her eyes shut tight, trying to fight her tears back while she trembled in terror, unable to block out the sounds at all. She was far too terrified to watch, despite her concerns for Rowan. She knew she wouldn't know he was in danger until it was too late and she heard his screams, and considering she had already reacted like this to just the noises given off by those monsters, she was pretty convinced she would be frozen completely even if she was needed. 

As the situation began to resolve and the howlers fled with their tails between their legs, Rowan would be able to hear the sobbing of what would sound like a child who had just been scared by a cruel prank. Natia's whole body had locked up and she couldn't even bring herself to look out from behind her hiding spot and see the aftermath of the fight. She hated fighting period, especially such unnaturally, hate-driven fighting. She didn't care at all that this horse had stepped in to save the two of them, the way it had attacked those howlers was just too cruel. It didn't help that she had no idea what the horse was or why it had such a desire to protect Rowan. As far as she knew, it merely attacked the howlers because that was simply what it did. 

Rowan's words explaining that it was safe fell on deaf ears, the girl was simply in too much of a panic to think logically. She was hyperventilating with ugly sobs while she remained hunched over with her small hands clasped tightly over her ears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she repeated to herself, over and over as if in some sort of hypnotic trance. 

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan’s Keza ear twitched when he heard sobbing coming from inside the cave, the sound amplified by its confines. He looked at the Aelda before patting it on the neck again, “Thanks.” He said, causing it to snort softly and nudge his shoulder again. He then turned and went back into the cave, reaching up to put his dagger away so that it was once again hidden from view at the nap of his neck. When he stepped deeper into the cave, he found Natia hunched up, sobbing with her hands clamped over her ears. Clearly the fighting must have spooked her, and he wondered if she had ever seen fighting like that before. It had certainly distressed her, and he couldn’t stand seeing her like that. But then she had said that her people were peaceful, which made him realise that no, she would not have seen any fighting in her life. He was rather disentivised to it, as he had seen a lot of fighting in his time, and had participated in it a lot himself. So it had nowhere near the same kind of effect on him as it clearly had on Natia. 

“Hey…” He said in a gentle voice, kneeling down next to her. He put his hand gently on her shoulder to try and comfort her. He gently pried her away from her hiding place, wrapping his arms around her, holding her in a firm hug that didn’t crush her and was intended to help her feel secure, “It’s over, Natia. The fightings over. It’s alright.” He said, making his voice soft and comforting as he rubbed a hand over her back. He looked up and out of the cave where the Aelda was stood, peering curiously into the cave but not coming any closer. He returned his attention back to Natia, holding her closer against him as he murmured softly to her, “I’m here, Natia. It’s fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He said. He stopped rubbing her back as he deepened the hug, pulling her head against his chest so that she could hear the solid beating of his heart before he leaned his head down and kissed the top of her head, hunching himself over so that she was almost encased in his arms. Perhaps rather inappropriately at this moment, he was very much aware of their closeness and how good it felt to have her body pressed against his and the fact that her skin was warm and soft. He vainly tried to stifle those thoughts, because he didn’t want to end up causing an embarrassing scene for them both.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia was startled as she felt Rowan's hand on her shoulder. No matter how gentle it was, it was the last thing she was expecting to feel. But when she felt the hand not so much forcibly pulling at her, but gently guiding her body into an embrace, her panicked breathing began to return to its normal pace and her ugly sobbing began to fade into more quiet tears. In all honesty, it was humiliating to have Rowan see her like this. She usually considered herself to be quite strong and not childish in the slightest. She had stood up to all kinds of dangers in her life without showing any sign of fear. Perhaps it was because she always had confidence that her gift could protect her from any danger nature could throw at her, but having to put her faith in another left her in a constant state of anxiety. She hadn't really had the energy to react naturally before, she found it absolutely humiliating that natural reaction turned out to be cowering in fear. Still, she found Rowan's consolation to be especially relaxing. His voice, his gentle rubbing, the way he held her just tight enough to hold her together, but not so hard that he hurt any part of her, which, considering her delicate build, required very special care. The sound of his heartbeat as her head was brought to his chest helped her to bring her breath into a steady rhythm again, too. She blushed softly when she felt his kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you..." she finally began to speak up with a sniffle and a nod. "I'm... really sorry... I-I know you told me to go further into the cave, I was just worried about you... I wanted to be there in case you needed me, but then those sounds... that screaming... I've never heard anything like it, even when that wyvern attacked them, it wasn't so... so close... I don't like all this hatred and violence. I-I just want out of this forest, away from those... those things...!"  Her voice clearly still showed her distress. She could only hope that outside of the forest, things would be much more relaxed. Maybe with her powers, she would be able to resolve these problems more peacefully, but until then, she had no choice but to run as far away from these monsters as she possibly could, and she would need Rowan to protect her along the way. 

[Solaire]

Location: Northeast of the village of Vortase, along the river of Adil

Icy blue eyes moved left to right, then down, left to right, then down, in a repetitive motion, looking down at an aged book, reading it's knowledgeable contents with wonder, a candle lighting the pages dimly. A young woman sat underneath a tree near the main road, stars dancing above the forest, shining brightly and handsomely.  The woman's mind taking in all the valuable and marvelous information she could take from it. She knew the book was quite old, but it's detailed facts held true as ever. She knew the book would assist her in saving innocent lives. That's why Liva read the book, even during the night.

Earlier that very day, she had saved a young boy's life, after she wandered into the tiny village of Vortase during the day. The boy had been playing with a group of other minors and had decided, arbitrarily, to eat berries off of a small tree. These, in actuality, had been extremely life-threatening, and the boy was near death within moments of eating the berries. Luckily for the youngling, Liva had just arrived, seeing this unfold. The woman gasped with worry and immediately got to work on helping him, making the antidote on the spot with haste. The young woman managed to save his life, after the effective treatment, and the boy's parents were very grateful to her, insisting on giving her payment as compensation, as did most people she helped. Liva almost never took anyone's money, knowing that they were poor as the dirt they farmed on, instead taking food, the occasional blanket or clothing, and water, and did the same with the couple. The young parents were very grateful towards her, giving her a couple of blankets, Liva taking them reluctantly. Once she saw the village needed no further assistance, after exploring for a little while, deciding to head Northeast, eventually stopping a good distance once she saw the sun gracefully set, making up camp for the night. She'd been awake for a while now, too interested in the book to sleep, sure it was almost morning.

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

“Shh, Natia. Don’t worry; we’ll be out of this forest by nightfall, I promise.” Rowan crooned in a soft voice. He placed a hand on her head, rubbing her hair gently with his thumb, “Those Hound screams made the hair on my neck stand on end, too.” He admitted, “I wasn’t expecting them to sound like that. Maybe I should have, considering that they were human to begin with.” With his other hand, he then lightly nudged her under her chin in a playfully affectionate manner, “Maybe next time you’ll listen to me, huh? I would prefer to have you out of harm's way. Granted, I would prefer it to be that way for myself but sometimes there’s no help for it.” He said, knowing that he was rambling a little. But he wasn’t entirely sure how he could help further calm her although she was responding quite well to the hug he was giving her. 

He looked up outside again, seeing that the Aelda was still there, but no longer watching them. It had wandered off to the side, nibbling on a patch of grass as if it had not been engaged in a fight just moments ago. He still felt bewildered as to why it had jumped out like that to defend the two of them. Perhaps its herd was nearby, and it knew that the Hounds were a danger so had jumped in to drive them away so that none of its family would get hurt. Still, he was grateful whatever the reason. He didn’t think he could have taken them on alone. While he might have been able to shift into the shape of a wolf, it still took several moments to do that which would have left him wide open to attack. He turned his attention back to Natia once more, “Are you calmer, yet?” He asked, not willing to let her go until she was more relaxed. But the sooner they started moving, the sooner they could get out of this forest.

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

Rayvenne pulled on Maedoc’s reins, pulling the large black stallion to a halt as she glanced up to the sky before letting out a soft sigh. She felt as if she needed a break from riding, if only to stretch her legs. She looked to her left to where the river was running past her in a slow and sluggish fashion. Her eyes caught movement and she watched with idle curiosity as a dragonfly skidded over the waters surface to disappear in the foliage on the other side. She turned her head, taking in every detail before she paused as she saw a Kingfisher sat on a slender branch, intently watching the river. Rayvenne sat there, continuing to watch as the bird remained completely still as clearly something had caught its attention. He then tipped off of the branch and dove down into the river with barely any splash. It then erupted from the surface of the water with a small fish in its beak. It flew back up to its previous perch and sat there, glancing around as if being mindful that it was being watched.

Just then Rayvenne heard the flutter of wings as Raeghan swooped on to land in a low hanging branch next to her. She turned her head to watch the bird for a few moments before the raven said, “You aren’t going to believe this, but there’s someone up ahead. She’s reading some kind of book. I don’t think she’s dangerous but I wonder what she’s doing in the forest, alone.”

“How strange.” Rayvenne murmured with a slight frown. It wasn’t often that one came across a lone woman. If she had been in some kind of distress, then Raeghan would have mentioned it. She tapped her shoulder pad, silently ordering the raven to jump onto it which he did, rustling his wings as he got himself comfortable. She then nudged Maedoc into a stately trot, not moving too fast to alarm anyone. It didn’t take long for her to spot the figure, leaning against the tree reading some kind of book. She had an unusual appearance, with hair whiter than freshly fallen snow and ice-blue eyes. Her skin was also extremely pale, almost as white as her hair. It made Rayvenne wonder if she was one of those strange ‘albino’ people she had heard about. She pulled on the reins, slowing Maedoc to a slow walk as she approached the stranger. When they were close, she pulled him to a complete stop,

“You know, it’s not exactly wise to be sitting out here by oneself. This forest has bears and wolves… not to mention the odd slaver or two.” She said by way of greeting. Perhaps not the most polite way to introduce herself, but Rayvenne was too jaded to really care what people thought anymore. If she came off as rude, she had long since stopped caring. At least, if this woman found herself on the wrong side of an animal or slaver, then Rayvenne could hand on heart say that she had warned the woman.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia allowed herself to sink more into Rowan's embrace as he began to rub the back of her silky hair. It almost felt like she was being petted which, strangely, she didn't mind. When he lifted her chin and suggested that she should listen to him more, she felt her face growing hot while she stared into Rowan's eyes. She took his words into account. Perhaps it was unintentional, but it was almost like he was trying to instill a sense of obedience within her, as if she were his servant already. Rather than offensive, though, she found that idea quite... relaxing...  "Y-yes sir..." she found herself speaking without much thought at all. As soon as she recognized what she said, she immediately looked away from Rowan and instead to the horse standing outside of the cave. She hadn't noticed in the brief glimpse she saw of it before, but this horse was massive! It was no wonder those hounds were no match for it... Thinking about that fight, however, caused her to grow concerned again. Her first instinct was to approach the horse and check to see if it had any injuries, but instead, she just looked back up at Rowan. Her father had always taught her it was dangerous to approach an unknown creature, and while this thing certainly looked like a horse, it clearly wasn't any normal horse she had ever seen or heard of. She would likely need Rowan's guidance to approach the horse, even with care. She wouldn't want to get hurt or scare it off, after all.

"Are you hurt? I may not have any magic, but I do know a thing or two about healing without it. It's not nearly as effective, but it's better than nothing out here." She spoke as she looked Rowan's body up and down, checking for any recent wounds. If he had any lingering scars from encounters of times past that weren't concealed by his clothes, now would be the time she would notice.

[Solaire]

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

Liva's icy eyes looked up from the book with slight surprise, not expecting have been encountered, as she was too absorbed in her book to notice the outside world. On top of a beautiful, large, and black stallion sat a woman, and on her shoulder stood a raven, looking at her. The woman caught her eye the most, mostly because she was speaking, but also because of her enchanting appearance. She looked shorter than most women, but that didn't stop her from looking quite threatening, with armor, and weapons on her back, a bow and a sword. She was still quite pretty, however, with long and luscious eyelashes, long hair, and an attractive face. Liva hoped she wasn't looking for a confrontation, as she was obviously outmatched in every way, as she usually only carried a small steel dagger with her, and did not have a steed, unlike the woman.

Liva put down her book next to the candle she was using to light it, looking up at her with a friendly look, wanting to be as affable as she could, uttering, "I know the risks of traveling this woodland, but I'm certain I could hold myself against a pack of wolves, or even a dastardly slaver." She had encountered wolves before, but she had managed to fight them off, only suffering minor scratches and such. She had seen slavers before, even some with hounds, searching for anyone, but she had always managed to successfully hide from them. 

"Would you like some food? I do have some bread from earlier today," she offered with a small smile, her icy eyes looking up at the woman with friendliness. She didn't want to appear as a threat to her, so this was the best course of action, in her mind.

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

When she responded with an obedient ‘yes, sir’ Rowan smiled at her, giving her a soft pet on the top of her head as he said, “Good girl.” It was often how he spoke to his female servants when they did, or said something that he approved of. He had found over the years that servants were a lot happier if he praised them for their good deeds, and it made them more willing to work hard for him. They always went the extra mile. When she asked if he had been hurt, he shook his head, “No, I’m fine, Natia. Thanks for asking. They didn’t even touch me.” He said before smiling at her. The only scar he had, was one along his side where a sword had caught him years ago. He often either avoided fights like that, or his opponents were not as skilled as he was, and he had never gotten involved in a prolonged conflict, and nor did he wish to. He then took her small hand in his before he stood up, keeping a grip on it with his right hand as he put his left arm around her to keep her in a comforting embrace, pressing her against his side as he slowly lead her out of the cave with a gentle and encouraging, “Come on. It’s best that we got out of here.” 

The Aelda looked up from the patch of grass he had been chewing on, taking a step towards them but upon seeing Natia it let out a nervous snort and stepped back again as it eyed her warily, clearly unwilling to come any closer. Noticing this change in behaviour with Natia, Rowan told it, “She’s not going to hurt you, I promise. She’s a friend.” The Aelda looked at him, before it looked back at Natia again. It took a few cautious steps forwards, but stopped when it was a metre away from them, shyly extending his neck as he sniffed the air in front of her, but if she reached out he would pull his face away. Rowan said, “I’m not… entirely sure why he jumped out, or even why he was friendly with me. He’s an Aelda, a breed of horse of the Eldyrannth. But they normally run away from other people. We’re lucky we’ve been able to see it… him, for this long.” He then addressed the Aelda directly, “Where is your herd? Or are you alone?” He asked. 

In response, the Aelda looked off to the side and into the trees where it had emerged. Rowan looked in the same direction but at first, he couldn’t see anything. But he saw subtle movement, and it took a moment for his eyes to recognise the shape as another Aelda with a bright white coat and black eyes that was watching them from between the trees. It was smaller than the one standing in front of them, but was still larger than most horses Rowan had seen. Beside it, it had a foal that was clearly its young although it looked different from its mother. While its coat was white, it had a lion-like tail with a feathered end, its hooves golden in colour, along with its eyes. It had a small protrusion on its forehead that looked like the beginning of a horn, and Rowan realised that he was looking at what appeared to be a young unicorn, “Natia! Look!” He said, pointing it out to her, wishing that she could see this rare moment so that she could remember it for the rest of her life.

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

When the strange woman said that she thought she could handle herself against a pack of wolves or slavers, Rayvenne gave a skeptical snort. Wolves she could somewhat believe, especially as attacks were rare in this forest, but slavers tended to hunt in groups, often with horses and hounds. They also tended to carry bows, and other weapons including swords and maces. A slight woman like this wouldn’t be able to stand a chance against a group like that, and she would make a good target for them, considering her very unusual beauty. While not familiar with that business, as it was something that thoroughly disgusted Rayvenne, she knew that unusual women sold for a very high price. At the offer of food, the dark haired woman eyed the other with faint suspicion, finding the sudden offer strange. Her pessimism was telling her that this woman had an ulterior motive. She studied the woman’s face, seeing nothing but friendliness in her expression but that did not quieten her mistrust. 

Raeghan ruffled his wings, letting out a soft cawing sound before he flew off of Rayvanne’s shoulder pad to settle in a nearby tree, watching the two women carefully with blood red eyes. Rayvenne ignored the bird as she asked, “Why are you offering me food? Wouldn’t it be better to keep it to yourself? What is it that you want in return?” She asked. In her experience, people would rarely offer something without wanting anything in return. She had seen the worst of human greed in her time, and had seen the worst of deceivers. Even by those that had claimed to be her friend only to use her talent for their own selfish gains. She was determined not to allow that to happen again. Maedoc stirred restlessly, letting out a snort as he pawed at the ground with one hoof, clearly wanting to be off again. Rayvenne calmed him with a stroke along his neck causing him to snort again as he lowered his neck to sniff at some flowers that rested by his feet, clearly resigning to the fact that he was going to have to wait.

[Solaire]

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara

The pale woman blinked, looking up at her with a slightly astonished look. It was almost as if the woman was annoyed by her offer, hesitant to take it. In actuality, Liva wanted nothing back, just wanting to give her something to eat. Liva giggled softly, finding her reaction a little adorable, shaking her head as she uttered faintly, "I need nothing from you. I know traveling can be quite taxing, and I've already eaten, so I don't need it." Liva went into her baggage, grabbing a small cloth, placing a segment of bread on it, and some fresh berries as well, standing up and placing it by the woman, on a fallen log. "Here you go, it is not much, but it is something," she said, going back to the tree she'd been sitting under, her icy eyes looking up at her with friendliness.

She didn't have much food left, but she didn't have a problem with it. Liva had studied what plants in the area were good to eat, and was adept at collecting them. Throughout her journeys, she had too learned how to catch diminutive animals, like rabbits, so Liva was content with distributing her food. She especially knew about herbs and plants, as they were very useful for medical purposes, and constantly gathered so she was never without supplies or food.

 "My name is Liva, what is your name?" The pale woman asked, looking up at the woman with interest. She still looked skeptical of her, Liva questioning if she was appearing too kind, or too suspicious. She'd met people who were skeptical of her, as she did appear suspicious due to her personality, before, but never anyone who was this careful and full of suspicion.

Edited July 18, 2018 by Ikn0wb0ss

[Aura]

18 hours ago, Neptune said:

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

When she responded with an obedient ‘yes, sir’ Rowan smiled at her, giving her a soft pet on the top of her head as he said, “Good girl.” It was often how he spoke to his female servants when they did, or said something that he approved of. He had found over the years that servants were a lot happier if he praised them for their good deeds, and it made them more willing to work hard for him. They always went the extra mile. When she asked if he had been hurt, he shook his head, “No, I’m fine, Natia. Thanks for asking. They didn’t even touch me.” He said before smiling at her. The only scar he had, was one along his side where a sword had caught him years ago. He often either avoided fights like that, or his opponents were not as skilled as he was, and he had never gotten involved in a prolonged conflict, and nor did he wish to. He then took her small hand in his before he stood up, keeping a grip on it with his right hand as he put his left arm around her to keep her in a comforting embrace, pressing her against his side as he slowly lead her out of the cave with a gentle and encouraging, “Come on. It’s best that we got out of here.” 

The Aelda looked up from the patch of grass he had been chewing on, taking a step towards them but upon seeing Natia it let out a nervous snort and stepped back again as it eyed her warily, clearly unwilling to come any closer. Noticing this change in behaviour with Natia, Rowan told it, “She’s not going to hurt you, I promise. She’s a friend.” The Aelda looked at him, before it looked back at Natia again. It took a few cautious steps forwards, but stopped when it was a metre away from them, shyly extending his neck as he sniffed the air in front of her, but if she reached out he would pull his face away. Rowan said, “I’m not… entirely sure why he jumped out, or even why he was friendly with me. He’s an Aelda, a breed of horse of the Eldyrannth. But they normally run away from other people. We’re lucky we’ve been able to see it… him, for this long.” He then addressed the Aelda directly, “Where is your herd? Or are you alone?” He asked. 

In response, the Aelda looked off to the side and into the trees where it had emerged. Rowan looked in the same direction but at first, he couldn’t see anything. But he saw subtle movement, and it took a moment for his eyes to recognise the shape as another Aelda with a bright white coat and black eyes that was watching them from between the trees. It was smaller than the one standing in front of them, but was still larger than most horses Rowan had seen. Beside it, it had a foal that was clearly its young although it looked different from its mother. While its coat was white, it had a lion-like tail with a feathered end, its hooves golden in colour, along with its eyes. It had a small protrusion on its forehead that looked like the beginning of a horn, and Rowan realised that he was looking at what appeared to be a young unicorn, “Natia! Look!” He said, pointing it out to her, wishing that she could see this rare moment so that she could remember it for the rest of her life.

20

Natia's blush only deepened when she felt Rowan pat her head so patronizingly. If she wasn't convinced that he was trying to instill obedience in her, it was pretty clear at this point. Surely even people as different as his didn't typically speak to their peers in such a way. Still, the fact that he seemed to care for her well-being only made her happy to accept his praise. Many people might feel degraded in such a situation, but somehow it gave her a greater sense of purpose. Perhaps she had felt insignificant before, and serving someone made her feel like a part of something bigger. It strangely gave her a vote of confidence in a time of despair otherwise. This was further reinforced by Rowan's care in escorting her out of the cave. Her smile widened as she looked up into Rowan's beautiful golden eyes, which glowed even more brilliantly in the morning sunlight. 

As the two of them steadily approached the Aelda, Natia looked curiously at the creature who, despite its powerful stature, seemed to be quite timid. Far more so than any typical horse she had encountered more. Judging by its hesitation, she probably would have compared it more to a rabbit or bird in terms of skittishness. It would likely be scared off if she made any sudden moves. Judging by the way Rowan tried to comfort it, she could only assume that these creatures were a lot like her. Perhaps they had been abused by strangers quite regularly and that has caused them to develop an innate distrust in strangers. As the horse began to approach, she did feel a slight twinge of nervousness, perhaps due to the rather violent scene she had witnessed this creature start just seconds ago. However, she consciously knew the creature had no intention to hurt her so long as she didn't startle it, so she remained calm and allowed the horse to sniff her. She couldn't quite give off the pleasant, flowery aroma that she usually did whenever a curious animal became interested in her, but her natural musk didn't seem to bother the creature much. She giggled slightly as she felt the air from the Aelda's nostrils. It was clear from the horse's behavior that trying to touch it would only scare it away. Just as Rowan had done with her, she would have to remain cautious, allowing the Aelda to come to her rather than the other way around. In an effort to show her passiveness, she held her hands to her sides and carefully bowed to the creature. She wasn't quite sure how it would respond, so she made very slow and subtle movements as she did so. Moving too quickly could very likely have the opposite of the intended effect. Judging by the way Rowan spoke of the horse, it was clear this was a rare sight, and most certainly one she wouldn't want to squander.

It was then that Rowan exclaimed for her to look at something. She focused her attention in the direction that Rowan had pointed. At first, she saw nothing, but as her eyes adjusted, she began to notice the figure of the two other horses that seemed to be carefully watching them, soon after, she recognized the very image of a creature she had previously assumed to be merely a myth. "O-oh my..." She allowed herself to speak at the risk of startling the war horse standing right next to her. "Is that... is that a unicorn?" She couldn't believe she could have found such a rare sight in such a dreary place. What would a unicorn be doing in this forest of all places? Still in Rowan's arms, she gripped his hand tighter and buried her head up against his chest, completely speechless. Even in all of her years she had never seen such a rare sight. She almost didn't want to move at all out of fear of scaring it away. As she clung tighter to Rowan, she realized just how happy she was to be surrounded so suddenly by such peaceful creatures in such a trying time. She could feel tears running down her cheeks. Perhaps Goddess Cera really was watching over her and blessing her endeavors. Maybe she really was on the right path after all. She looked back up at Rowan with a radiant smile of joy before reaching up and kissing his lips. It may have been an odd behavior from his perspective, but it was just what made sense to her. She couldn't put her happiness into words, so she had to find some other way to express them. Thankfully, since Rowan was already hunched over to wrap his arm around her, the height difference didn't make his lips too hard to reach. 

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan couldn’t help but to grin at Natia’s reaction to seeing the baby unicorn. He gave a slight nod of his head as he said, “It is. And no, you’re not dreaming.” He had said that as much for himself as for her, as he couldn’t seem to quite believe what he was seeing either. He found it very hard to tear his eyes from it and like her, being equally concerned about scaring it away. He didn’t want this precious moment to end. Never in all of his years had he thought he would actually see one of the unicorns he had heard about in myths and legends. When Natia buried her head against his chest, he tightened his grip on her to hold her closer to him, enjoying the feeling of her tiny body against his. It seemed to fit perfectly, as if she was meant to be held in his embrace. He didn’t want to let her go, and despite being in such a dangerous forest he couldn’t help but to feel relaxed and it was Natia that was making him feel like that.

He caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eyes and he looked down to see Natia’s smile. It was so radiant that he found himself smiling back at her, happy to see such an expression of happiness on her face, which made her look even more beautiful. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with her happiness, and Rowan was glad that he had helped bring that sparkle to her beautiful eyes. These last couple of days had been hard on her, so even a moment of happiness like this he was grateful for. He was however, surprised when she reached up and pressed her lips against his own. It was certainly not what he was expecting, and it caught him off guard. Originally, he intended on pulling away from her to ask what was that for, but found that his body was reacting opposite to his intentions.

Both of his arms wrapped around her slim body, holding her closer as he responded eagerly to the kiss. He found himself deepening the kiss, pushing his tongue past her lips so that he could taste her sweet mouth. He could taste the sweetness of the blackberries against her tongue, finding that it suited her perfectly. Rowan instantly found the taste of her mouth addicting, and he wanted more. Unconsciously, one of his hands moved down to cup her arse cheek which he groped gently, loving how perfectly it felt in his grasp. The Aelda let out a snort of surprise at their sudden kissing before it snorted again, this time sounding more amused. It was this that made Rowan realise what was happening. Regretfully, he pulled his mouth away from Natia, but kept his arm firmly around her as he gave a soft, almost nervous chuckle before he asked, “Where did that come from?” Not that he minded such a surprise kiss, however it had caught him completely unaware. It made him wonder if this was because she was starting to feel affection towards him for saving her life the previous day. 

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

At the woman’s answer, Rayvenne frowned faintly as her mind turned it over as it tried to find something objectionable in it. The only thing she could think of was that this woman seemed far too kind and generous for her own good. Suddenly Rayvenne was concerned that this woman could potentially be used by the kind of people that had used her. But she shook that thought out of her head. It wasn’t really any of her concern, unless she actually saw it happening. Then, she might care. But speculation was pointless at the moment. Still, when the woman stood up, the dark haired woman couldn’t help the unconscious twitching of her hand towards her sword. But as she watched, the snow-haired woman simply placed the bread and berries on a nearby log as if she didn’t want to spook Rayvenne any further. She thinned her lips slightly before saying, “Thank… you.” It wasn’t often that she thanked people, having not had much opportunity to say the words. They felt strange emerging from her mouth. She watched carefully as the woman returned to her seat, away from Rayvenne before she introduced herself. Liva… it was an unusual name, but Rayvenne quite liked it. It rather suited the strange woman before her.

Rayvenne didn’t immediately answer, as she swung her leg around and dismounted from Maedoc. The horse glanced towards her before snorting as if disapproving of her action. She patted him on the side before she moved over to the log and picked up the food items. But that was the closest she got to Liva. She sat herself down on the log, before she said in introduction, “I’m Rayvenne.” She then jerked her chin towards the stallion, “This is my stead, Maedoc. And the raven is Raeghan.” She said, not feeling to add that Raeghan was a familiar. A lot of people tended not to react well to that fact, as familiar’s were usually in the company of witches. Rayvenne had a hard enough time convincing people that she was trustworthy in the first place. Raeghan fluttered down from his perch to land beside her on the log, cawing at her. Rayvenne picked up one of the berries and fed it to the bird before she looked at the bread. It was of fine quality and not gritty like what she was used to. She tore a piece of the bread off and took a bite, chewing at it carefully before swallowing it, “This bread is really good quality.” She remarked, feeling even more surprised that the woman would have willingly given up such bread.

[Aura]

3 hours ago, Neptune said:

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan couldn’t help but to grin at Natia’s reaction to seeing the baby unicorn. He gave a slight nod of his head as he said, “It is. And no, you’re not dreaming.” He had said that as much for himself as for her, as he couldn’t seem to quite believe what he was seeing either. He found it very hard to tear his eyes from it and like her, being equally concerned about scaring it away. He didn’t want this precious moment to end. Never in all of his years had he thought he would actually see one of the unicorns he had heard about in myths and legends. When Natia buried her head against his chest, he tightened his grip on her to hold her closer to him, enjoying the feeling of her tiny body against his. It seemed to fit perfectly, as if she was meant to be held in his embrace. He didn’t want to let her go, and despite being in such a dangerous forest he couldn’t help but to feel relaxed and it was Natia that was making him feel like that.

He caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eyes and he looked down to see Natia’s smile. It was so radiant that he found himself smiling back at her, happy to see such an expression of happiness on her face, which made her look even more beautiful. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with her happiness, and Rowan was glad that he had helped bring that sparkle to her beautiful eyes. These last couple of days had been hard on her, so even a moment of happiness like this he was grateful for. He was however, surprised when she reached up and pressed her lips against his own. It was certainly not what he was expecting, and it caught him off guard. Originally, he intended on pulling away from her to ask what was that for, but found that his body was reacting opposite to his intentions.

Both of his arms wrapped around her slim body, holding her closer as he responded eagerly to the kiss. He found himself deepening the kiss, pushing his tongue past her lips so that he could taste her sweet mouth. He could taste the sweetness of the blackberries against her tongue, finding that it suited her perfectly. Rowan instantly found the taste of her mouth addicting, and he wanted more. Unconsciously, one of his hands moved down to cup her arse cheek which he groped gently, loving how perfectly it felt in his grasp. The Aelda let out a snort of surprise at their sudden kissing before it snorted again, this time sounding more amused. It was this that made Rowan realise what was happening. Regretfully, he pulled his mouth away from Natia, but kept his arm firmly around her as he gave a soft, almost nervous chuckle before he asked, “Where did that come from?” Not that he minded such a surprise kiss, however it had caught him completely unaware. It made him wonder if this was because she was starting to feel affection towards him for saving her life the previous day. 

13

As the two shared a kiss, Natia was convinced that this whole encounter was too good to be true, yet it was all unfolding right before her. This was no coincidence. Cera had allowed this to happen. She could make no mistake, Rowan was the man she was destined to fall in love with. He may not have been an Aequu, but she was likely to never meet another Aequu. She didn't care if Rowan had had many lovers and even multiple at the same time. As long as he continued to care for her the same way he did now, she would remain happy by his side. While the kiss was initially just an expression of happiness, the moment she felt Rowan's tongue push past her lips and his hand softly cup her butt, she could feel a sexual urge arising inside her. Yet, she didn't resist. It seemed inevitable. If it was what he wanted, then she would be willing to provide it. She loved the way Rowan immediately took control of the kiss despite having not started it. The way his tongue confidently explored her mouth. She had never kissed a man before. Not like this. She had always been curious what it felt like.  It was around that point when the Aelda next to them began to snort, perhaps it had sensed their hormones. Natia pulled away with a hot blush across her face. "I-I'm sorry... I just... I mean, I hope I wasn't too presumptuous or anything, it's just... it just felt right..."  she glanced back down at the other two Aelda, smiling softly at the unicorn. 

She looked back up at the two parents. "I'm sorry." She bowed again with a slight sense of humor to her voice. Perhaps her sudden kiss had made things a bit awkward, so she decided she should probably change the subject.  She turned her attention back to the black Aelda. "You protected us, didn't you? Thank you for that..." She had noticed Rowan speaking to the horse earlier. Could it be possible that they could understand human speech? She decided to test the theory with subtlety. "Are you hurt at all?" She was careful not to try to touch the horse, but she scanned his body with her eyes. She couldn't see any blood or cuts, but the black coat would make any injuries quite difficult to see without a really close look.

[Solaire]

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

Liva's blue eyes gazed on, taken with interest as she uttered with a small smile, "You're welcome." It appeared like the woman had slight trouble speaking that, perhaps she was still skeptical, or was uncertain of what to say. It took the woman a brief while to respond, Liva initially thinking she hadn't been heard. After all her voice wasn't the loudest, she wasn't too vocal of a person. The woman sat on the aging log and answered, introducing herself as Rayvenne. Rayveene was a lovely name, Liva thought, thinking it fit her perfectly, listening eagerly as she heard the stallion and raven's names, Maedoc and Raeghan. They were quite interesting animals, the stallion having a beautiful dark fur color, and the raven having red eyes, almost like blood. She watched with curiosity as Rayveene fed her bird with one of the berries, Raeghan cawing at her just a few moments prior, it had to be a familiar, the pale woman thought.

Liva then smiled at her statement, nodding as she said, "I usually get nice food and such. Villagers always insist on giving me some something before I leave, after helping them." Her eyes then looked at the horse, giggling as she uttered, "Your stallion seems to be very protective of you." Liva had seen Maedoc snort and paw at the ground, obviously not wanting Rayveene to be idle. It seemed like she had a good relationship with her companions. Liva looked at the familiar again, looking into it's eyes, remembering when she stayed the night at an inn. She remembered when an old man ranted on and on about how horrible witches were, and they always had some sort of animal with them. This made her a little nervous, but Liva tried to not show it, showing instead friendliness again as she asked, "You have a familiar, are you a witch?"

Edited July 19, 2018 by Ikn0wb0ss

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

At Natia’s stuttering apology, Rowan couldn’t help but to grin down at her, “Don’t apologise. It is not as if I was objecting.” He said, acutely aware that he still had his arm around her with his hand cupping her arse. It felt too nice for him to let go, and he wished he could continue holding her like this. But when she bowed, he allowed his hand to drop as she turned the subject to something else, as he didn’t want to make things too awkward right now, especially since they had a bit of an audience. He was determined, however, to bring it up again with her. If only to see how far she would go, because now that he had, had a taste of her he wanted more. He could still taste her on his own tongue, teasing him and making him crave more. It made him wonder if that was one of the reasons why the Aequu made such valuable sex slaves. Once one had a taste of them, one wanted more. He turned his attention back to Natia when she spoke to the Aelda, asking if he had been hurt.

The Aelda turned his head, observing her with one of his intelligent black eyes before he shook his massive head and let out a soft snort. Rowan said, “I don’t think he is. One of them tried to rip his throat out, but he was too quick for them.” He ran his eyes over the Aelda but he wasn’t able to see anything. He reached out, patting the powerful chest of the Aelda as he said, “You frightened poor Natia here out of her wits when you jumped in like that. Still, we’re thankful for your help.” The Aelda turned its head, giving Rowan an almost reproachful look before he turned and moved off, disappearing into the trees. The Keza watched him for a moment before shrugging and looking back to Natia, “Do you think I said something wrong?” He asked. However after a moment, it came back into the clearing with an apple dangling from its mouth. It was holding it by the branch which it had clearly clipped off so that he could carry it without drooling all over the fruit. He came up to them, lowering his head slightly towards Natia with the apple dangling. Rowan blinked before he said, “I think he’s offering it to you, as an apology.” As if to back up what Rowan said, the Aelda nudged her gently with his nose, urging her to take his offering.

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

Rayvenne’s eyebrows twitched up slightly when the woman said that she usually got food from villagers in exchange for her help. It sounded like a far cry from how Rayvenne was treated. Clearly they were more appreciative of this woman’s help, whatever she did for people. Not that Rayvenne particularly cared. She preferred not to delve into peoples personal lives. If they decided to share that information with her, then that was their decision. She didn’t ask it of them, much how she would prefer people not to ask things of her. She didn’t like sharing her personal life story with people. It was painful enough that she had lived through it, it wasn’t exactly something she wanted to rush into talking about. 

At the comment about her stallion, Rayvenne glanced at Maedoc before she said, “He is. I’ve had him since he was a foal. He’s a good stead.” She turned her black eyes back towards Liva as she broke off another piece of the bread and popped it into her mouth where she began chewing on it. However at the next question, Rayvenne felt herself tense up as her mouth went completely dry. The taste of the bread turned to ash in her mouth and she struggled to swallow it. When her mouth was clear, she said, “No!” Her words were harsh and sharp, rejecting the accusation forcibly. She then shook her head, taking a breath to calm herself down before she said firmly, and clearly so that there was no room for mistake, “I am not a witch. I’ve never been a witch. Raeghan… was with a witch. But she’s dead, so he decided to travel with me.” She said, deliberately glossing over the details of the events that lead to her current situation. She found that she had lost her appetite for the bread and fruit as her stomach twisted in on itself in a familiar feeling as a bitter taste filled her mouth. Silently, she picked up another piece of fruit, feeding it to Raeghan who didn’t seem the least bit bothered.

[Aura]

On 7/19/2018 at 1:14 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

At Natia’s stuttering apology, Rowan couldn’t help but to grin down at her, “Don’t apologise. It is not as if I was objecting.” He said, acutely aware that he still had his arm around her with his hand cupping her arse. It felt too nice for him to let go, and he wished he could continue holding her like this. But when she bowed, he allowed his hand to drop as she turned the subject to something else, as he didn’t want to make things too awkward right now, especially since they had a bit of an audience. He was determined, however, to bring it up again with her. If only to see how far she would go, because now that he had, had a taste of her he wanted more. He could still taste her on his own tongue, teasing him and making him crave more. It made him wonder if that was one of the reasons why the Aequu made such valuable sex slaves. Once one had a taste of them, one wanted more. He turned his attention back to Natia when she spoke to the Aelda, asking if he had been hurt.

The Aelda turned his head, observing her with one of his intelligent black eyes before he shook his massive head and let out a soft snort. Rowan said, “I don’t think he is. One of them tried to rip his throat out, but he was too quick for them.” He ran his eyes over the Aelda but he wasn’t able to see anything. He reached out, patting the powerful chest of the Aelda as he said, “You frightened poor Natia here out of her wits when you jumped in like that. Still, we’re thankful for your help.” The Aelda turned its head, giving Rowan an almost reproachful look before he turned and moved off, disappearing into the trees. The Keza watched him for a moment before shrugging and looking back to Natia, “Do you think I said something wrong?” He asked. However after a moment, it came back into the clearing with an apple dangling from its mouth. It was holding it by the branch which it had clearly clipped off so that he could carry it without drooling all over the fruit. He came up to them, lowering his head slightly towards Natia with the apple dangling. Rowan blinked before he said, “I think he’s offering it to you, as an apology.” As if to back up what Rowan said, the Aelda nudged her gently with his nose, urging her to take his offering.

12

Natia didn't mind Rowan's hand lingering on her ass for so long. It felt comforting to her, so she was almost a little disappointed when she felt his hand leave as she moved to address the Aelda, but it would be rude of her not to at least offer to check up on the creature. She was a bit relieved when the horse shook its with a snort. She smiled softly. "So you can understand what we say..."  It was then that she heard Rowan speak up about how the horse had scared her. She noticed the look the horse gave her which made her frown. "O-oh, no, no, it's okay! You were just trying to save us is all, you probably didn't even know I was there!" She frowned more as she watched the Aelda disappear. She let out a sigh. "Oh, Rowan, you scared him off!" She pouted slightly as she turned back to him. However, she soon felt the rustling of leaves behind her. She turned to see the apple dangling from a branch the horse was carrying. She blinked with surprise but was even more surprised when the creature nudged her so gently. She couldn't help but let out a soft giggle as she reached up and plucked the apple from the branch. "Thank you! You are very kind, I'm glad you weren't hurt..." She reached up to touch the horse, hovering her hand over his snout for a moment before slowly and carefully placing her hand on his snout and petting the creature. "Would you like to share this apple with me? I'm sure Rowan could cut it into halves, right?" She glanced back over her shoulder at Rowan with a soft smile. She also felt as though she should repay this creature in some way to show her gratitude. Sharing the apple was the least of what she could think to do. The apple itself did appear to be quite fresh and juicy. She was excited to take a bite! Of course, she wouldn't leave Rowan out of the deal, either. She would probably end up sharing her half with him as well. 

Edited July 20, 2018 by Aura

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

When Natia reached out to the Aelda, he flinched slightly but after a moment he leaned into her touch before snorting softly, clearly getting more relaxed in her presence. Rowan grinned and told the Aelda, “See. I told you that she was a friend.” The Aelda then pulled away from her hand, only to turn his head to the side so that he could drop the branch before he turned back to nuzzle at her cheek affectionately which caused Rowan to chuckle and say, “I think he’s more than happy to share it with you.” He looked up at the Aelda, wondering if it had a name because he couldn’t stand calling it just ‘Aelda’. It seemed rude to him. He reached out, patting the stallion on his curved neck, stroking along it as he tried to think. However, he was getting the strong impression that it did have a name and he felt as if he was groping forwards it. As he watched it nuzzling Natia, a single name came to him but for the life of him he couldn’t explain as to how, or even why that name came to him, but the feeling that he was correct was so strong that it could not be ignored. It almost felt as if the Aelda wanted him to know.

“Baellator. That’s your name, isn’t it?” He asked. The Aelda pulled away from Natia and turned his head towards Rowan with a curious look, and at first he didn’t seem to react. But he then bobbed his head up and down as if to say ‘yes’. That left Rowan feeling a little shaken, because it almost seemed as if the Aelda had communicated it to him, but he didn’t know how. He was only a Keza, and as far as he was aware, he wasn’t telepathic. Was it possible that the Aelda was? And simply implanted his name in Rowan’s mind? If that was the case, Rowan sincerely hoped that it wasn’t looking around at anything up there but somehow, he doubted it. Deciding to put it out of his mind for now, he reached to his side and pulled out a dagger before holding out a hand, “Give me the apple, Natia. I’ll cut it up for you.” He said. He wasn’t going to give Natia his dagger, because it was extremely sharp and he was concerned about her accidentally hurting herself which was something he didn’t want to happen.

[Solaire]

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

Liva looked on with a little smile, observing Reyveene's black eyes with wonder. She hadn't noticed it until now, but they were a pretty feature of hers, they complimented her well. They were quite unique, much like her own. She then saw Reyveene's reaction, obviously upset that she had asked that. This made her a little bit nervous, wishing she had better phrased her question, as to not offend her. Discovering that the witch was dead, it was probably a solemn topic for her, something Liva didn't want to probe into, as she definitely didn't want to irritate Reyveene. The woman took a deep breath and composed herself, sitting upright instead of leaning on the tree, looking more serious as she said, "I-I apologize if that was a rude and ignorant question. I... I didn't mean to offend you in any way, may the Lord forgive me for doing so..." She took a deep breath as she mentioned her lord looking at her bible in her bag. She looked at it for a few moments, murmuring something under her breath before looking up at her with a little smile, watching up at her as she fed the raven. She decided to ask other questions, hopefully not getting a similar reaction from her again. "Where are you travelling to, Miss Reyvanne? You look prepared for a long journey."

[Neptune]

Location: Along the river Adil, Ildgara.

Rayvenne looked at the other woman sharply when she apologised. It took a few moments for the words to register with her, because she had not heard an apology like that in a long time. It made her anger quickly drain away, only to be replaced with a sense of confusion. An apology was the last thing that she expected and she wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. She looked down at Raeghan, who just tilted his head up at her before his beak dropped slightly before he let out a cawing sound, that sounded as if he was laughing at her. She scowled at him, before picking up the last piece of fruit and stuffing it into his beak to shut him up. The raven let out an indignant squawk before jerking his head as he ate the fruit. Rayvenne then looked up at the unusual pale woman, “... It’s alright, I guess. It’s not like you knew and I… can appreciate how it looks. But I’m not a witch. Never have been, nor am I planning on becoming one.” She said, ignoring the woman’s praying. It wasn’t any of her business, and she wasn’t religious herself. At the same time, she wasn’t going to criticise Liva for it, nor make her feel bad. To Rayvenne, religion was something that was deeply personal. It wasn’t her place to tell Liva what she could, and couldn’t have faith in.

At her next question, Rayvenne furrowed her eyebrows slightly before she shrugged one of her shoulders, seeing no harm is telling the woman, “I’m heading to the Town of Dragon’s Eye. It’s up in the Therarr Mountains, not too far from here. I’m… looking for some work, and the town is a place with a lot of opportunities.” She didn’t address the last point Liva had made since, in truth, she didn’t have a home. Thus all of her belongings were with her and were carried around with her wherever she ended up going. She had travelling up and down Craethiel multiple times during the years, and that was unlikely to stop anytime soon. Not only was she not welcomed anywhere, but she couldn’t settle herself down in a single place. She always had the urge to continue moving, thus buying a home was pointless since she would be absent from it for most of the time.