Porcelain Child/SessionFour

The inn at Noble...
<onine> In the mean time, Yengo, you have had some frustrating negotiations to acquire adequate supplies for the trip at reasonable prices. The general 'wasteland' feel of Noble has put prices on the rise, they were never this high years ago.
<onine> You've lugged a bundle of supplies to the inn and dumped it on the table. It has all sorts of fun items in it, such as blankets, food utensils, bowls, a hand-axe for firewood and other 'outdoorsmen’s' delights.
<onine> The axe looks blunt and nicked... and it occurs to you that you could probably have gotten Vana to chop down a tree or ten with her Daiklave with ease.
* Yengo sorts through the junk, grumbling a little to himself. The shopkeepers should've paid HIM to take most of this stuff off their hands.
<onine> You pull out a knife that is bent at an odd angle.
<Yengo> "Great."
<onine> But on the bright side, the bandages look sterile enough, even if they weren’t, you know that Tara would have washed them thoroughly. She's been saved the job, but you know she'll likely do it anyway.
<onine> Around that time Epheri walks in from the Inn's entrance, a medium sized duffel bag hanging from her shoulder and a well made bow in her hands. She still hasn't changed out of the willowy white lace dress she's always in however, and you suspect that her bag may have more of them. Dragonbloods...
* Yengo tries to make order out of chaos, wondering if he's forgotten anything. Probably he's being overly cautious, since the journey wasn't supposed to be long...
* Yengo nods at Epheri, giving an ill-tempered grunt. He inclines his head at the table. "This stuff...bah. You ready to set out, Epheri?"
<onine> "Oh I think so... lets see...." She rattles around in her bag a little, and you think you hear things such as make-up, jewelry and other such delights of the rich and exalted.
* Yengo frowns a little. "Probably won't need too much stuff. I'm hoping we can get this all sorted out quickly." He shrugs. "You never know, though."
* Anona wanders by and takes notice of the portable junk market on the table. "Is that the best you could get?"
* Yengo looks up at Anona, at first taking the comment for an insult. But, well, it's true enough. "Yeah, and even this was way more expensive than it should've been. Harder times here than I remember..."
<onine> Epheri checks through her arrows, ensuring all are in good condition and straight
<Anona> "Awful. Hopefully we won't find ourselves having to rely on those things. Those bowls look like they'll crack at any moment."
<onine> She's right. They do.
* Yengo shakes his head. "Not the best work." Quite an understatement. "But, as I told Epheri, I'm hoping it won't come to that. This could be something as simple as a washed out bridge." And I hope it is, he thinks.
<onine> Its starting to grow dark outside, not entirely - its a full moon tonight - but still. The cicadas are starting their cacophonous evening symphony of chirping...
<onine> "Well it might not be either. But I don't suppose that cracked bowels will be much use if it's a river dragon."
* Yengo pats the sword at his waist. "Neither will this. All we can do is be prepared, either way."
<Anona> "Even if it isn't that simple, it's not as if we're going that far. Well within range of our emergency transport options."
<onine> "Oh... yes... " Epheri looks at the ceiling and starts making calculations in her head, counting numbers off on her fingers.
<Yengo> "Emergency transport options?"
* Yengo raises an eyebrow.
<Anona> "I thought I mentioned Epheri's ability to summon a whirlwind for travel, if we must. She can't carry us all, but it's a fallback."
<onine> "Well, I can't carry ALL... I can make a few trips..." Epheri isn’t *entirely* delighted with the plan, it will be taxing...
<onine> Epheri scratches her head. "Somehow I think that Magpie will rather enjoy the trip...."
<Yengo> "Don't make the mistake of telling her, she'll beg you to do it right then and there."
<onine> "Oh I wont... I think my spells are far more 'Magpie-friendly' than Anona's... unless Magpie wants a playmate from 'where the scary things are'"
<onine> Tara walks in lugging two heavy packs - she's gone and packed your bag while you were 'discussing the current prices' out in the market.
<Anona> "I *do* have perfectly helpful spells that don't hurt anything, you know. Mostly don't."
<onine> "THUD" She puts them on the table and dusts off her hands.
* Yengo frowns. "She might think she does. Most reckless kid I've ever seen... I don't think she's afraid of anything."
<Yengo> "Thanks, Tara." He didn't realize she was off doing that... or that his stuff weighed that much, for that matter.
<onine> Well, she's got considerably less strength in the upper body than you. She can blitz you in a running race despite your height.
<onine> Years ago, back when she was more... vibrant... occasionally she would chase you after a funny joke at her expense... now she doesn't react at all except for a slight smile...
* Yengo looks through his pack to push back that thought, not wanting to deal with it. "I wonder where Magpie and Vana are..."
<onine> "Hmmm... its strange really..." Epheri muses. "Vana is a dragonblood and far older, yet I feel that Magpie is... rubbing off on her. Those two are likely off causing trouble. And Vana seemed so well-behaved."
<Anona> "I think Magpie ran upstairs after we got back. I've no idea about Vana."
<onine> "She's probably off playing in the mud *again*!" Tara stuffs a jacket into a bag with considerably more force than is required
* Yengo pats Tara softly on the arm. "Well... kids will be kids, I guess."
* Yengo coughs. "We'll want to leave at first light, everyone, so if you have anything to do in town, I'd suggest getting it done tonight."

The next morning...
<onine> Morning is cool, with a thick blanket of mist which hangs around Noble and the surrounding country side like a puffy grey blanket. The air is crisp, and it looks to be a fine day for adventuring!
<onine> You can hear carts delivering milk and whatnot trundling through the streets, and the sounds of the early risers echoes across the town
* Yengo rises early, red-eyed and tired after poor sleep. He finds himself in the common room, looking over everything once more. Wouldn't do to forget something, after all... no, some things you can't forget.
* Anona furiously tries to hold on to sleep, but the light through the window is insistent, and she gets up as well.
<onine> Occasionally, there is a cook working at the inn, and today he is in. There is a thick cornmeal slop that you are allowed to help yourself to. Its not grand, but it sticks to your ribs nicely
* Yengo eats mechanically, blinking his eyes against the morning light that slants in, wondering what the day will bring to distract himself.
<onine> Tara sidles in and starts securing the straps on the packs again. They're already secure... but she does them again... and again.
* Anona is in a grouchy, grouchy mood from having to be awake at dark'o'clock in the morning, but eats heartily enough.
<onine> Epheri, Vana and Magpie appear to be still asleep, you three are the early birds.
* Yengo stirs his spoon around in the bottom of the bowl, his mind bouncing between past and future. Maybe it's bandits...
<Anona> "You look as worried as usual, Yengo."
* Yengo grunts. "Just in a foul mood at this time of day, I guess. Never did like getting up early, even when I was in the Leg-" he stops himself and changes the subject. "You don't look like you're enjoying yourself much this morning, either."
<Anona> "In my opinion, dawn is something you occasionally stay up until, not something you wake up at."
* Yengo chuckles. "True enough. Been a while since I did that by choice, either, though."
<Anona> "I thought I was done with this sort of thing after graduation..."
<Yengo> "No sooner do you get free than they rope you in again, eh? Well, if it's any comfort, I'm not enjoying this either."
<Epheri> Still looking half asleep Epheri slowly wanders in to join Anona and Yengo,
<Epheri> Epheri pokes her food "Hmm.. looks like breakfast is going to be tasty."
* Yengo nods in welcome at Epheri, managing a reasonably friendly grunt.
<Anona> "Actually, it's pretty terrible. Filling, though."
<Anona> "So, what is our travel plans?"
<Epheri> "I'm guessing we're in for a long walk.. unless we can obtain some horses from somewhere"
* Epheri pours herself a cup of tea and empties the contents of a little sachet into it
<Yengo> "Well, we'll depart as soon as the others arrive... I think we'd probably best go on foot."
<Yengo> "I asked around, the terrain's a little rough for anything else."
* Magpie arrives at last. Looking neither right nor left, she heads straight for the food and begins to eat, interrupting her gorging only yawn.
<Yengo> "Well, that's one..."
<Anona> "That just leaves Vana, and we can get started."
<Magpie> At last, Magpie finishes stuffing herself, and lets out a huge burp. She blinks, apparently having difficulty focusing. "Morning guys." She yawns again, and puts her head down on the table on top of her folded arms.
<Epheri> "Just what did you get up to last night little one?"
* Yengo wonders if she's having another nightmare, decides its none of his business if she is.
* Magpie blinks again, and yawns. "Why do you think I was up to something?"
* Yengo can't resist, even in his foul mood. Maybe because of it. "You're always up to something."
<Magpie> "Well, I didn't break anything," Magpie replies drowsily.
* Epheri wonders where Vana is
<Yengo> "That's good."
<onine> There is a muffled cry from upstairs...
<Anona> "What in the world...?" Anona runs upstairs.
* Epheri peers up from her "tea"
* Yengo follows behind Anona.
* Magpie jumps up to follow then, thinking it was something with Vana, trips over her bench and lands flat on her face. "Oww..."
* Epheri gets up to help Magpie up off the floor
* Yengo hears the clatter but little else, and calls down the stairs. "Epheri, keep an eye on her."
<Epheri> "Just what did you do last night Magpie.. you look soo tired"
<Magpie> "I just had a little fun...last night out on the town...you know." Magpie figured she did. Dragonblooded got up to lots of trouble, right? She bends down to rub a battered shin. "What do you think's wrong with Vana?"
<Epheri> "I see.. I’m not too sure what's wrong with Vana.. she possibly fell out of bed."
* Anona lets Yengo handle the situation, as she's barely an acquaintance...
* Magpie looks surprised. "Dragonblooded fall out of bed?" She hadn't realized Dragonblooded did anything so undignified. She looks closely at Epheri. "Do YOU fall out of bed?"
<onine> Tara chuckles and tries to cover it up
<Epheri> "Only when I have little scallywags like you come in and jump on me of a morning."
<Magpie> "I don't jump on people in bed!" Magpie exclaims indignantly. Always ambush them as they leave the room, that was the ticket. Magpie looks upstairs. "They've been up there a little while..."
<Epheri> "I'm sure everything is fine Magpie. Come on we'll just sit down and wait for them to come back down."

Vana’s room…
* Vana is sitting in bed once again, grey-faced, covered in sweat, and holding back terrified tears with little success.
* Yengo looks across the room, brow furrowing in concern. "Dreams again?"
* Vana hugs herself tightly and nods, trying to calm her almost too-fast breath.
* Yengo looks away, a little uncomfortable. He's a doctor, of course, but something about seeing someone so openly vulnerable disturbs him. "Some dreams... if there's anything I can do, some medicine that may help you rest easier..."
* Vana finally gets enough control to remember to cover herself, pulling the sheet up around her chest. "I-I... may have to take you up on that, Doctor."
* Yengo nods slowly. "We'll see."
* Vana closes her eyes for a moment, then looks over at him. "We are leaving soon?"
<Yengo> "Yes, as soon as you're ready."
<Vana> "Ok... just, give me a moment, and I'll be down."
* Yengo nods once more and turns away, heading downstairs again, once more deep in thought.
* Anona follows, giving one last look that is not without sympathy.

First floor of the inn..
* Magpie looks a bit worried, but sits down obediently- until she sees Yengo walking down the stairs, at which point she jumps up. "What's wrong with her?" she blurts out.
<Yengo> "Nothing's wrong, she's just fine." He doubts that's really true, but what else can he tell Magpie?
<Epheri> "So what was all the noise about then?"
<Magpie> "She wouldn't scream about -nothing-," Magpie says, a bit irritated about being lied to like she was some stupid kid.
* Yengo shoots Epheri a warning look over Magpie's head. "Just a bad dream."
* Vana towels all the sweat off, and dresses, before gathering up her small amount of gear. She comes down the stairs after a time. "Sorry, everyone."
<Magpie> "Huh." Magpie sees her coming down the stairs. "Vana, are you hurt or something?"
<Vana> "No, I'm... I'm ok. It was just a dream."
* Epheri offers some of her tea to Vana. "Have this, it'll make you feel better."
* Yengo fusses with the supplies. "No need to apologize, Vana."
* Vana nods in thanks, taking a couple of sips.
<Anona> "Not all dreams are 'just' that, but it doesn't look like any harm's done."
<Magpie> "Oh." Magpie sits down again, and starts on a second round of food, eyeing the lot of them suspiciously all the while, as if she suspected some kind of conspiracy. She looks up when she hears Anona, but holds her peace. For now.
<Yengo> "We should be ready to leave soon."
<onine> The sun is starting to attack the fog, sloughing the thick blanket away and revealing the city, some warmth is starting to return to the region at last now that the warming rays of the sun touch the land
<Magpie> "How far is it?" Magpie asks, squinting at the sun.
<Yengo> "Not far. A couple of days travel on foot should get us to the foot of the mountains. Shorter if we push ourselves." He shoulders his pack, tests its weight.
<Anona> "Do you think there's a real need to push ourselves?"
* Magpie looks a bit anxious.
<Yengo> "I doubt there'll be any need to rush. The sub-prefect would like an answer soon, but at this point, I don't think a day or so will make a crucial difference."
<Magpie> "Then lets go!" Magpie has her other jacket - she's wearing the mudbrown one- bundled in her arms, and she looks ready to set out that instant.
* Yengo_ grins a little. At least someone's enthusiastic about all this. "Well, I'm ready when the rest of you are."
<Anona> "We've got food, I've got my own jacket-" which is, mind, considerably more protective- " and a real desire to see this place behind me."

On the way to the isolated village…
<onine> For the most part, the lands around Noble are lightly sloping fields, so the going is easy, but soon the hills get larger and steeper. The trip is going quicker than expected, and it is evening when you are passing through a small town on the base of the range. The late afternoon light paints the sky a palette of amazing colors, it's one of the most amazing sunsets you've ever seen, as if someone literally got a brush and attacked the sky. In a way its kind of sanguineous, with much red in it, blood...
* Vana averts her eyes. Not something she wants to be reminded of right now.
<onine> A lot of the townsfolk however do not notice it strangely enough, the interest at the moment is the Dragonblooded passing through...
<onine> Indeed, to Vana and Yengo, the red is not a comforting sight.
* Magpie takes advantage of all the attention focused on the Dragonblooded to stare rudely at everyone and everything.
* Yengo looks at the sunset and is reminded, strangely enough, of that eclipse so long ago, and the one who showed it to him. Dead, now. He barely remembers Alebrahn's face, now.
* Anona soaks up the attention like a parched flower in the desert.
<onine> Well actually, that’s just it, they *aren't* looking at the Dragonblooded, the people cast their eyes at the ground, as is the proper way to deal with exalted beings...
* Vana is barely recognizable as a Dragon-Blood, so probably has a few curious glances on her.
<onine> Indeed, a few look at you for your equipment alone - after all Cardinal Virtue and Reprisal are very flashy looking pieces of smithy work.
* Yengo looks around at the townspeople as they pass, a little revolted by the way they look away. He tries not to show it.
<onine> Yes, people seem to open their windows just to look at the ground this evening. None pay any attention to the sunset at all. Its *all* about the exalts.
<onine> "Is this.. common?" Tara asks Yengo quietly.
<Yengo> "Yes," he says. "Here."
<onine> "I see..." Tara says quietly.
* Yengo squeezes her shoulder reassuringly, for all the good that'll do.
* Epheri takes this time to have a quiet word with Vana while Magpie is paying attention to everything and anything
* Epheri whispers "What exactly happened this morning ?"
* Vana looks up a little. "Hm? Oh, it's... nothing. Just a dream, like I said."
<Epheri> "Are you sure, you just seem a little... pre-occupied with it"
<Vana> "It just happens sometimes. I'm ok, really."
<onine> You all continue your trek, but it is getting late, you can choose to stop for the evening, or you can press on valiantly into the forested hills of the mountain range.
* Yengo turns to the rest of the group. "What do you all think? Stop for the night, or press on?"
<Anona> "Whew, all this hiking around is tiring... I think we ought to find a good place to camp the night."
* Magpie has been lagging a little behind the group. She looks up hopefully.
<Yengo> "I'm sure there's some place in town that would put us up..."
<Anona> "That would be good, yes..."
* Yengo stops the next convenient passer-by and asks if the town has an inn.
<onine> The man looks at the ground
<onine> "Sorry honored exalts... there is not an inn in our humble town, but those of your honored status will be welcomed at the shrine on the foothills."
* Yengo pats the man on the arm reassuringly, feeling as awkward as he ever has. Part of him wants to blurt that he's no Exalt, but that might come off as offensive... "Thank you."
<onine> He bows his head and flees
* Yengo sighs. Scuttling away like an ant. He turns to the rest. "The Shrine, then?"
<Anona> "That seems to be the going option."
<Yengo> "Let's give it a look."
* Magpie sighs herself. But...maybe it would be filled with heretics worshipping some heathen god. You never know. She brightens up.

The shrine
<onine> A short distance up the road you pass under one of those arches, and you can see the shrine nestled on the hill where the forests begin. It would likely be a great place to inquire as to the best route up the mountains too.
<onine> As you near the shrines steps, you see a young priestess sweeping the steps free of leaves with a scrtch scrtch of a straw broom.
* Yengo raises a hand in greeting as the group draws near.
<onine> She stops her sweeping and bows low. "Greetings travelers, can I assist you?"
* Yengo looks at the others, a bit unsure, before continuing. "We're looking for a place to stop for the night."
<onine> "Oh, I see... most that travel into these parts in recent times have come to stay here, the shrine of Sextets Joyless accepts all, especially those of the dragons..." She nods to the exalts respectfully
* Vana nods back a little.
<onine> "Might I ask why you are travelling in these parts? Many seem to be going up to the mountains as of late, but you are the second group of exalted that have made the trek."
<Anona> Returning the nod, Anona adds, "Also, would you know if anyone knows the best - huh? *Second* group?"
* Yengo's curiosity is piqued as well, but he decides to let Anona handle it.
<onine> "Oh..." she covers her mouth daintily with a slender hand. "I don’t think I was supposed to say that..."
<Anona> "I fail to see how it matters. You've said it, why not finish it?"
<onine> "Erm..." She stammers. "It would not be proper."
<Magpie> From behind Yengo- Magpie is keeping his bulk between her and the Immaculate - Magpie rolls her eyes at the stupid woman.
<Yengo> "We're here on official Realm business. If there's someone else headed into the mountains, we'd like to know."
<Anona> "That's right. There's been no news from that area, and we're here to investigate."
<onine> "Oh um... Very well." she sighs. "Recently many collectors and investigators have passed through for similar reasons.... oh, what were you reasons? Were you here investigating some tariff issue?"
<Yengo> "The sub-prefect claims that he hasn't heard from any of the tax collectors sent to this area in some time."
<Anona> "Yes, and we're here to see what could possibly cause all of them to disappear like that."
<onine> "Oh... well I don't know anything about that. A few stopped here on the way to the towns in the reaches, but now that I think about it... none stopped on their way back. If they came back..." She looks up at the sky thinking
<Anona> "Which brings us back to the original question... what of these Exalted you spoke of?"
<onine> "Oh..." She shifts uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, he didn't speak of why he was here, I assumed that he was investigating the similar matter that you are."
<Anona> "'He'? You couldn't happen to... describe this individual, could you?"
<onine> "Oh well, he was about er... this height, blue clothing, water aspect I think. Polite for the most part."
<Anona> "And I take it he did not give you his name."
<onine> "He did not I am afraid."
<Magpie> "Did he have a swirly sash?" Magpie pipes up from behind Yengo, poking her head out.
* Vana was thinking the same thing.
<onine> "Well, why yes he did, that was very interesting, I've never seen a sash like that before..."
* Yengo smiles. He half suspected him as well, but why would he be here? It would be such a coincidence...
<Yengo> "Damn, I wonder if that's..."
<Anona> "You know this individual?"
<Anona> (to Yengo)
<Yengo> "I don't know. It seems silly to think that Ledaal Tany would be here, too. What kind of coincidence would that be?"
<onine> "A suspicious one?" Tara offers
<Magpie> "No such thing as coincidence!" Magpie agrees in a whisper, still behind him.
<onine> The priestess simply holds her broom confused, wondering if she did something very wrong
<Yengo> "Yes. Of course, I barely know him, so I can't say much about that. Just that he seems to keep turning up wherever we do."
<Epheri> "Tany....." Epheri goes into thought
<Anona> "Tany." This word is said with the usual vigor reserved for rotting week-old refuse. "I'm not at ALL surprised."
* Yengo smiles at the priestess in an attempt to comfort her, but her news isn't the best he's heard lately. "Interesting."
* Magpie giggles. "Wouldn't it be funny if it were actually some guy named.. I dunno...Avaku who's just visiting relatives?"
<Yengo> "I wouldn't mind that."
<Anona> "THAT would be an astonishing coincidence."
* Magpie wrinkles her nose, and says at last, in determined accents, "Well, he's ahead of us. We have to catch up!"
<onine> "Um... is there something wrong?" The priestess asks uneasily
<Anona> "Nothing on your part. It just sounds like a rather annoying cousin of mine is ahead of us..."
<onine> "Oh.. I see."
<Magpie> "A real stupidhead," Magpie adds with a nod.
<onine> The priestess scolds "You shouldn't say such things about the exalted dear, regardless of their temperament."
<Anona> "No, but I can say them for her. And he *is*."
* Anona sees if the priestess can trump her brilliant logic!
* Magpie grins up at Anona. "You know, you're all right."
<onine> "Yes ma'am... That is your right to say of course."
<Anona> "Still, that's hardly the end of the world. I take it he asked you to keep his passage a secret... or at least not to mention it to nosy types like ourselves..."
<onine> "Not quite, just that his purpose was as he put it, hush-hush... he said he told me because I had a pretty smile."
* Vana smiles slightly. "That's Tany, alright."
<Epheri> "What kind of logic is that?"
<onine> Tany has many faces depending on who he is talking to, he's odd like that...
<Anona> Of course he would...
, Anona thinks. "Whatever he's up to, it will doubtless cause us all sorts of inconvenience. On the other hand, I'm sure he'll distract whatever's been causing everyone else going this way to disappear until we arrive."
<onine> "I don't really know much about that I'm afraid... Hmm, sunset's fading..." she looks over your shoulders.
<Yengo> "No reason we can't mull this over inside, I suppose."
<Anona> "Yes, how rude of us, we shouldn't have kept you from your highly important sweeping. (to the group) I suppose we should go inside..."
* Yengo nods at the young priestess as if to say "Don't mind her" as he begins to climb the temple steps.
<onine> "Yes yes, go right in and relax in the courtyards. You are welcome to meditate inside as well."
* Vana bows gratefully to the priestess as she passes.
<onine> The 'temple' such as it is, is a small square walled-in courtyard with a little building in the center. There are little cobble stone paths and plants everywhere, being a shrine of Sextets Joyless, the wood dragon.
<onine> A little bamboo water fountain goes *tok* *tok* *tok* repetitively
* Magpie glances up to see her crow land on a small peach tree. "Where have you been, hm?" she scolds fondly, shaking her finger at him. He hangs his head, and she relents, climbing up to sit next to him.
* Yengo gazes around. Nothing fancy, but he doubts he'd know what to do if it were.
<Magpie> "This is pretty," she observes from her perch.
* Yengo agrees. "I could think of worse places to spend the night."
<onine> Crow has a pinkish flower petal in his beak
<Epheri> "I am NOT carrying you Magpie if you fall from there!"
<Anona> "Quite nice, considering the limits of such a small shrine."
<onine> Tara sets her bag down and sits, stretching her sore legs. "You would think me used to walking now..."
* Vana finds a small tree to kneel beneath, after a while of looking around.
* Yengo shoulders off his own pack. "Well, we have been taking it easy lately. Caravan and boat." He smiles.
* Magpie giggles. "Is this for me?" She takes the flower from her familiar, and cradles it carefully in her hands. She whispers to the crow, "Secretly, I think Epheri is as bad as TARA."
<onine> The petal is very nice, its extra smooth and soft, it seems to look even better when you hold it
<onine> "That’s true I guess..." Tara smiles
* Magpie smiles. "I forgive you for leaving," she tells the crow, feeding him some corn she'd saved from breakfast for him. Then she yawns. "Are we sleeping here?"
<Yengo> "We may be able to rest indoors, I'm not certain... the shrine may take up most of the building."
<onine> The indoor section is more than likely all shrine, maybe one room, where the caretaker priestess sleeps.
* Vana is already unpacking a blanket, and laying it out.
<Yengo> "Probably be best to camp out here, we don't want to disturb Sextets Jylis's shrine."
* Magpie yawns again, but looking down at the others, she gets an idea...

Outside the shrine…
* Vana was waiting at the shrine until she thought everyone else was asleep, then went outside into a nearby copse of trees. There, she starts practicing with Reprisal, a faint red glow marking her position.
* Magpie slides down from her tree with a thump. She hadn't forgotten that Vana owed her a lesson, even if she WAS tired enough to fall asleep standing up. She trots over, the knife Vana had given her in hand.
<onine> The full moon's light filters in large streams through the branches, and the sounds of the forest night echo with the sounds of Vana's movement, and the sounds of Reprisal cutting the air..
<onine> Leaves flutter down from the treetops...
* Vana is standing in the middle of the bunch of trees, dressed in a simple orange tunic and pants. This is rather difficult to see, however... she's surrounded by a fiery red glow that seems to start halfway up her arms. She's moving her sword faster than should be humanly possible, cuts and stabs marked by the occasional burst of flame.
* Magpie watches her mastery for a few moments, awed, and but doesn't forget her purpose. "Hey, Vana..."
* Vana lashes out by instinct, barely managing to stop the stroke before impaling Magpie's neck on her blade. She goes ice-still, coated in sweat.
* Magpie blinks in surprise, but decides that Vana must have meant to do it. Some sort of "always be ready lesson" no doubt. Gran had rigged a flask to EXPLODE once when she was teaching Magpie that. "It's time for my lesson!" She holds up the knife.
* Vana draws her blade back slowly, then looks at her for a while. "Could... we do it tomorrow?" She's gone back to being meek, unhappy Vana.
<Magpie> "No," Magpie replies firmly.
<Vana> "Are you sure?" She leans back against a tree and wipes her brow. "I don't think I can manage it right now."
<Magpie> "Why not?"
<Vana> "I'm just... I'm really tired, ok?"
<Magpie> "You don't LOOK tired," she replies, eyeing Reprisal.
* Vana lifts her sword. "I could do this in my sleep. See?" She holds up a lock of Magpie's hair.
<Magpie> "If you want to sleep, then sleep. But if you're going to stay up..." Magpie waves her little knife threateningly.
<Vana> "Which would you prefer? That I go to bed now and wake you all up with my screaming, or that I stay here for a bit and maybe get a good night's rest?" She seems almost angry.
* Magpie looks startled, and then a bit hurt, but she covers it up quickly with a scowl. "Well, FINE then." Magpie stomps off. From the roof of the shrine, the crow lets out a long, rattling caw, that seems almost mocking.
* Vana considers, in a moment of bitterness, frying the bird with a bolt of fire. But she can't, and she knows she can't, so she goes back to cutting angry arcs through the air, until she can barely walk, let alone swing again.
* Vana falls asleep in the clearing, too tired to move back inside.
* Magpie doesn't head back to where the others are; at least, not immediately. She leaves the shrine, wiping angry tears from her face. She glances up at the crow, and frowns, getting an idea. She waves him over to her shoulder.
<onine> Crow obediently flaps over
<Magpie> "Where's the flowers that petal came from? Is it close by? Closeish?"
<onine> "Craw"
<Magpie> "Show me."
<onine> Crow cocks his head to the side and flaps up a little and soars towards the forests on the foothills.
* Magpie follows after him...

Into the forest
<onine> Crow doesn’t appear to be waiting a lot for you, he's being somewhat difficult at the moment, he doesn’t stay within sight easily, and doesn’t slow.
* Magpie bites her lip, and keeps on jogging. It wasn't only Vana who was going to be exhausted the next morning...
<onine> As you jog, something soft hits you in the face.
<Magpie> "Ooof."
<onine> Its only about the weight of a leaf, but its enough to make you stop and blink a few times.
* Magpie looks to see what it was.
<onine> You see that it was in fact, a petal. It droops lazily to the ground... where it wilts in seconds. A few more fall around you, doing the same.
* Magpie looks up.
<onine> They don’t seem to be coming from any tree in particular... they just seem to be.. well, falling.
<onine> Most are blood red or deep pink, and all shrivel the moment they hit the ground.
* Magpie blinks, and swings up onto a tree with low-hanging branches. With care, she makes her way up. After all, they had to be coming from *somewhere*, and it's not as if petals fall from the sky like rain!
<onine> You cant get all the way to the canopy, but as far as you can tell, they are *not* coming from the trees, and its the wrong time of year for most flowers to be raining down even if they have been carried on the wind.
* Magpie squints up. Maybe...maybe it was some kind of magic. Maybe there were sorcerers, or gods nearby, or, or...Anathema. Or something! Instead of turning tail and sprinting for the nearest Exalt like a sensible mortal, Magpie calls out "Hellloooo!" and hears her voice echo among the mountains.
<onine> The echoes sound weird. Some sound like your voice, some however do not.
<onine> Its actually kind of spooky.
<Magpie> "This place is cool, Magpie decides. "This place is cool," she tells the crow.
<onine> Crow doesn’t say much, for once he has very few opinions to add.
* Magpie leaps down from her tree from a perilous height, and winces as she hits the ground. She takes off her jacket, and pauses to admire it only for a minute before she spreads it carefully across the ground. Then she sits down by it, hugging her knees as she waited for the soft petals to collect on the jacket.
<Magpie> Maybe she couldn't bring the others flowers, but she COULD bring them petals!
<Magpie> When she realizes that most are wilting as they hit the tunic, she scoops up the cloth and stands up, holding it spread in her arms
<onine> After quite some time, you have a little collection of about a handful worth of flower petals, like the one crow retrieved for you, they're extra soft.
* Magpie looks around, still enjoying the place. It was nice, and she wished she could stay, or explore- but she needed to bring these petals back to the others. Humming, she calls to Crow as she sets out at a walk back to the shrine.
<onine> Crow, apparently bored by your collecting has flown off to explore of his own accord, but he hasn't returned yet.
* Magpie is almost peeved, but considering that he was the one who found this place, and showed it to her, she's not too mad. She starts off regardless, taking her time. Her calf muscles ache.
<onine> You are out of the woods and nearing the shrine and crow still hasn't returned yet...
* Magpie frowns, a little bit worried. "Crow?" There are hawks, after all. And eagles and falcons and owls...
<onine> ...and river dragons and anathema...
<Magpie> "Crow!" Magpie hurtles her jacket to the ground and runs back to the forest. "Crow, where are you!"
<Magpie> She leaves the petals strewn about in a small, sad heap...
<onine> Your voice echoes strangely, sometimes the echo is not your own voice, sometimes it is
* Vana does so, then, and starts off after the voice.
* Magpie pelts through the forest, frightened. It seems strange and sinister now, without the petals, without the crow. "Crow! Where are you?!" He wouldn't just leave her, would he?
<onine> You can hear what *sounds* like Magpie and a few other girls calling out 'Crow crow!"
* Vana notes the increasingly urgent cries, passing the jacket in short order. Soon, she catches sight of the girl herself. "Magpie? What's wrong?"
* Magpie turns. Tears are running down her cheek, making her face red and ugly. She's gasping, apparently exhausted. "I made Crow take me to the petals, and they were just falling, and now I can't find him and there are too many echoes!"
* Vana takes a moment to decipher this, then nods. "Where did you last see him?"
<onine> The petals themselves are still falling, in fact they seem to be falling all over these woods
<Magpie> "I don't remember...I was having trouble keeping up, when he was flying, and then I found the petals and I thought he would just stop because were there but I can't find him and he's not here..."
<Magpie> Magpie suddenly realizes there's a trick she hasn't tried, and feels stupid. Taking a deep, calming breath, Magpie concentrates and tries to switch her vision with his.
<onine> You can see the woods, well, you're pretty sure anyway... Crow has landed on a branch you think and is hopping sideways along it. He looks up and around and you see a flash of something on a high perch in another tree - crow sees this too, and immediately snaps his gaze back on it.
<onine> Its another bird, white and grey, small, like maybe a sparrow or a robin. Its just sitting on the branch looking at crow with eyes of perfect reflective grey, like beads of quicksilver.
<Magpie> "He's in the woods still. " Magpie tells Vana, calming down. "But there's this strange bird, real little..."
<onine> The view tilts a little as crow cocks his head to the side curiously. The bird flies off with startling speed.
<Vana> "Hmm. Do you know which direction?"
<onine> You are about to answer when..
<onine> ..suddenly there is a white flash, as if something suddenly lunged into crows vision, then the view is of the trees boughs as if crow is falling, then nothing.
<onine> You feel sick as the link is suddenly and traumatically severed.
<Magpie> "He's hurt! I think the bird- it did something!" Magpie doesn't want to think about what if the crow was MORE than hurt. She begins to dash madly forward, but stops as she realizes she still doesn't know where Crow is.
<Vana> "Magpie, wait. Give me a moment." She walks towards the nearest tree and places her hand on it, gripping the hilt of her weapon and the hearthstone therein.
<onine> "Mmmmmmmmm?" the tree says in a deep voice in your mind.
<Vana> "Can you help us? We need to find the bird that she speaks of."
<onine> "MmmmMMMMmmmm, I have seen many many birds in my time...."
<Vana> "A crow? Recently?"
<onine> "OooooOOOOH I've seen many of the obsidian feathers recently, many many..."
<Vana> "We need to find a specific one... we believe it is injured, and it is very precious to us." She looks over at Magpie.
<onine> "Oh but aren't all creatures precious? Hmmm, moments ago at least ten have passed this way."
* Magpie is listening intently, watching Vana, glancing at the tree. Just at this moment, she doesn’t think it strange at all that Vana is talking to the tree, as if the tree could talk back.
<Vana> "I think this one was on it's own. Please, we have to hurry."
<onine> "Oh the flesh, always in such a hurry, there is no need to rush, no need to rush..." the tree seems to be talking slower as it says this
<Vana> "I am sorry, but if we don't hurry, the bird may die. Please, can you help us?"
<onine> "...lets see...hmmm, many a lone crow has passed my boughs within a short time...."
<onine> "Why do you feel that its life is in danger?"
* Vana looks to Magpie. "Why do you think he's in danger? What happened?"
<onine> "Me? Believe the bird in danger? *rumbling chuckle* Oh my no..." The tree seems to think the question was directed at it
<Magpie> "I can't *feel* him! Something came at him suddenly, and he fell from the tree! That's bad! Real bad for birds!"
* Vana turns back. "The bird was watching something, and then he fell from the tree. Something attacked him."
<onine> "Birds do not usually fall unless they have passed their essence to the next life to bear it, much the same as us trees you know, all a cycle, all a cycle."
* Vana swallows her frustration. "This was unnatural."
<onine> "Everything is natural young one."
* Magpie looks back and forth from Vana and the tree anxiously, nearly burning with impatience.
<Vana> "Less natural, then."
<onine> "Ahhhhh do you mean as in with others' intervention then?"
<Vana> "Yes, that is what I mean."
<onine> "Yes. That is what you mean."
* Vana grits her teeth for a moment. "So, can you help?"
<onine> "Help with what?"
<Vana> "Finding the bird."
<onine> "I'm afraid not, I do not move as you do, I can but offer my wisdom...."
<onine> "...I believe I do know of the bird you seek... one moment, I shall confer."
<onine> There is a long silence. Too long really.
* Vana waits patiently.
<onine> "We are aware of the bird, and it is safe in her hands."
<Vana> "Her? Who is 'her'?"
<onine> He says it matter of factly as if you SHOULD have known this before. "She who is of the fallen leaves and the painted sky, of air and wood united, orderer of chaos and resident of the foothill forests."
* Vana blinks in confusion. "Does she have a name?"
<onine> "Of course. She who is of the fallen leaves and the painted sky, of air and wood united, orderer of chaos and resident of the foothill forests."
<Vana> "A shorter name?"
<Magpie> "What? What?"
* Magpie jumps up and down impatiently.
* Vana holds up a hand to indicate patience. Mela knows she could use some more right about now.
<onine> "Why, that is her shorter name... wait... "
<onine> "She has mortal beings call her Windswept Boughs... I think."
<Vana> "Windswept Boughs... can you give us directions to her location?"
<onine> "I cannot."
<Vana> "But the bird is safe?"
<onine> "That is up to her, she who is of the fallen leaves and the painted sky, of air and wood united orderer of chaos and resident of the foothill forests."
<Vana> "Yes, yes... well, thank you for your assistance. It has been useful."
<Magpie> "Where is he?!"
<onine> "It was a pleasure. Perhaps we can continue this conversation soon, in the next hundred years perhaps?"
<Vana> "Maybe. Until then, honored tree." She turns back to Magpie. "Your crow is safe. He's in the care of something called Windswept Boughs."
* Vana notes to herself that Realm trees are weird.
<Magpie> "What's that?"
<Vana> "I don't know. And I don't know how to get to it. But from what the tree said, it's benevolent... it won't hurt Crow."
* Magpie nods. Then she cups her hands around her mouth and screams, "WINDSWEPT BOUGHS!"
* Vana closes her eyes. Well, that is one way.
<Magpie> "WINDSWEPT BOUGHS YOU HAVE MY FRIEND!"
<onine> The echo comes back numerous times in yours and different voices, sometimes parts of her full name come back as well mingled in the echo
<onine> The echoes are your only answer
<Magpie> "GIVE HIM BACK!" Magpie stomps on the ground in temper.
<Vana> "Magpie." She puts a hand on her shoulder.
<onine> The echo 'give him back' sometimes comes back as a question
<Magpie> "What?" Magpie asks in a normal tone.
<Vana> "I think this should wait until morning. We're both tired and stressed, and probably not up to dealing with... whatever it is."
<Magpie> "But what about crow?" Magpie asks, eyes wide.
<Vana> "He'll be fine. Whatever is looking after him will still be doing so in a few hours."
* Magpie mouth moves into a stubborn, unyielding line. "I'm not leaving without him."
<Vana> "We're not leaving... the shrine is only a little way over there. I promise we'll go look for him in the morning."
<Magpie> "The shrine is out of the forest, and it's this forest that has him." Magpie crosses her arms across her chest.
<Vana> "Then let me grab a few blankets, and we'll sleep here, ok?"
* Magpie nods, though she doesn't think she'll be sleeping.