Wayfarer's Ridge ((Open))

[Scyanatha]

((My Celt/Scots is terrible, dun' judge me. xD))

Seth Corvus | Half-Blood Avian
Companions: Daizen (Sleipnir)
Dantalion (Jackalope)
Blood Bond: Jack the jackdaw.
Tags: Silverhart | Delwyn Szarvas

"A Celt name? No, I don't think so. I come from Faldurin's Reach, but even there it seems to be a rather uncommon name." He knew it was an Avian name, but very few people seemed to know this, and even though this person seemed nice, he didn't want his halfborn heritage to become common knowledge so soon. Seth chuckled quietly as Burnie nuzzled at his hair, handing her lead over to Delwyn when he finished tying the shirt over the rampaging buck's head and giving him a brief smile as the Elf apologized. "I shall accept those apologies, then. Pleased to meet you. And it's no problem." Seth shifted uncomfortably as the Elvian's gaze lingered upon his eyepatch slightly too long for comfort, well aware that he was not, in fact, hiding an empty socket behind it. He looked to the side, where his jackalope was trying to climb onto the grazing sleipnir's back via its head, and let out a chuckle.
"Tali, leave the poor guy alone. Haven't I told you not to do that?" He walked over to the two creatures, crouching down for a moment to pick up the protesting ball of black fur and feathers and put him on the sleipnir's hindquarters, taking the opportunity to loosen the saddle's chinch and take a drink from the waterskin in his saddlebag. Putting the waterskin back, he gently patted the sleipnir on his shoulder. "Seems you don't have to hide back here anymore - and that guy seemed rather interested in seeing you up close, from what I could tell. How about it, Dai?" The sleipnir raised his head at being addressed, giving a soft snort in answer, eyeing the nearby clover patches. Seth rolled his eyes and shot him a warning glance. "Oh, no you don't. If you go anywhere near that clover, I'm going to have to tie you up. You're coming back with me." He turned back to re-join Delvyn under the ash tree, the sleipnir reluctantly following him, and the jackalope already asleep on the sleipnir's back.

----------

Enda Guaire | Human
Companions: Taraen (Rune Drake)
Lonn (Rune Dragon)
Tags: Silverhart | Oskar Airgead

Enda finally finished releasing her legs from the saddle's straps, swinging her right leg over Taraen's neck while the drake attempted to give the noisy humming-bumble that was buzzing around his head a deadpan glare - an effort that the small rune dragon on top of the drake's head was far more successful at despite its far greater relative cuteness. Once one got past the first impressions of seeing Enda with the great rune drake, it would soon be obvious that this girl was no Dragoon. Her drake did not bear the slightest scrap of armor, and unlike the elaborate tack used by the Dragoons of Alabaster, her tack consisted only of a simple leather saddle at the base of the drake's neck, hand-made to perfectly fit the creature and decorated with Celtic designs along the edges. And the drake wasn't even white.

Sensing her drake's annoyance, Enda looked up to see what was being so noisy and bothering her bonded, and could scarcely hold back a laugh when she noticed the tiny golden bird chirping and whistling angrily as it darted around the drake's head. A deadly glare towards the laughing girl and a mighty puff of smoke and air - which somehow managed to catch the tiny bird and send it tumbling through the air - served as plenty of evidence to anyone nearby that Taraen was very much not amused. With the incessant chirping and buzzing gone, however, he soon relaxed, settling down on the rocks and turning his head to take a few sips of icy cold river water. Enda turned her attention to the halfborn who seemingly had just untangled himself from the bushes, judging from a few scratches on his arms and a small twig stuck in his hair.

"Me apologies if we scared ya. Dinnae expect any ta be here. That buzzing birdie, is't with ya? Ye better keep it outta trouble." She awkwardly curtsied to the halfborn as she apologized as politely as she could, even as her thick Celt accent poked holes in the politeness, hinting at barely contained curiosity and excitement. "Th' name's Enda. Them twa -" at this she waved a hand to the drake behind her and the fuzzy little creature on top of its head - "are Taraen and Lonn." She didn't seem to care much for the fact that this left the stranger to try and figure out which one was which.

[Silverhart]

Delwyn Szarvas | Elvian
Companion to Kerf the Incense Elkrin
Caratacus the Golden Humming Bumble
Tags: Scyanatha | Seth Corvus

Delwyn gave the stranger a broad grin. He accepted Burnie gratefully, and the doe gave his ear a lick. As Seth went to fetch his sleipnir, Delwyn tied Kerf's lead to the doe's. “Stay here Burnie, and see that Kerf behaves.” She licked his nose, and he smiled at her, as he took firm hold of her rope. Kerf just snorted and tossed his head around, looking like he was trying to dislodge a ghost from his antlers.

Delwyn brightened when he saw Seth return with the sleipnir. He noted the Jackalope on the equine's back and gushed. “You are truly blessed, my friend, to have such fine companions as these!” He bounced excitedly on his toes as he proffered a hand in greeting to the great sleipnir, and then the jackalope. “What breed are they both? Are they friendly? Why does your jackalope have wings? Have they names? Oh silly me, you've said their names, haven't you? How fast can your sleipnir run? How much does he eat – oh, is he a he? Are you bonded to them? What is Faldruin's Reach like? Do you know any paladins? Where are you traveling too?” The questions tumbled out of him in a rush, piling one atop the other, as more sprang into his mind. He paused for a breath. “Are these too many questions?” he asked afraid he might have overwhelmed the man with a barrage of queries. "Ah! And one should not forget you, remarkable creature," he gestured to the bird on Seth's shoulder.




Oskar Airgead | Wolfkin Halfborn
Companion to Burnie the Fallow Elkrin
Tags: Scyanatha | Enda Guaire

Caratacus coughed as he regained his balance in the air, now puffed up into a little feathery ball. The nerve! He abandoned his attempts at calling the drake out on an honorable fight and began to regale him with colorful insults, and tales of his own magnificent exploits in the Battle of the Ten Thimbles, the exact meanings of which were lost on the creatures around him. The humming bumble doubted this soft-bellied lizard had even seen a real battle for all his great size and huff-and-puff routine.

Oskar was dusting himself off when the rider addressed him. He glanced at the buzzing birdie in question. The golden humming bumble wasn't exactly his own to keep out of trouble. In all honesty, he couldn't exactly say he much blamed Caratacus's feeling's on the matter – he was feeling pretty vexed himself at this rude intrusion. With a final insult directed at the drake's mother, Caratacus broke off and flew back to Oskar. He settled on the halfborn's shoulder, still brimming with indignation at the mistreatment.

Oskar's annoyance was slightly curtailed by the polite curtsey the strange young woman gave him. He studied her curiously as she introduced himself, noting the strong Celt features. Something about her accent softened his heart just the smallest fraction – as if that alone afford an amount of camaraderie between them. Even if he didn't look it, Oskar had been raised among Celt-speaking people, and on his travels outside the Celtlands he rarely encountered one with such a thick accent as hers. That still didn't excuse her dropping practically on top of his head. “I go by Oskar,” he told her. Then added sourly, “And I'm sure Caractus can keep his self out of trouble well enough on his own. If only you hadn't been droppin' down out o' the sky unannounced to frighten every living thing. Did no one ever teach you to look where you were landin'?”

[Scyanatha]

Seth Corvus | Half-Blood Avian
Companions: Daizen (Sleipnir)
Dantalion (Jackalope)
Blood Bond: Jack the jackdaw.
Tags: Silverhart | Delwyn Szarvas

Seth merely stared as the sheer cascade of questions tumbled out of the Elvian's mouth - every time he was about to answer, yet another question came. He hesistated for a moment after the last question, wondering if it truly was the last question, chuckling quietly when no more seemed to come.
"Thank you. Yes, those were a bit too many questions... where should I start..." He glanced at his companions; Daizen was gazing at the pair of elkrin with mild interest, and Dantalion was still asleep on the sleipnir's back. "I honestly have no idea what breed either of them is. I met Daizen in the wild, where he was part of a bachelor herd. As for Tali... I found him hiding in an alley in a village where I'd heard rumors of a 'cursed rabbit crow'. They didn't seem to like him there, so I took him with me. So, similarly, I don't know why or how he has wings, either." Seth chuckled softly, scratching the sleipnir under his chin. "Daizen here is pretty fast, if I may say so, but I wouldn't know how to compare it. All I can say is that it feels almost like flying. Yes, he's a stallion. I would say he eats quite a lot, but he takes care of himself. They're both quite friendly - they don't bite much. Uh..." Seth paused for a moment, furrowing his brow as he tried to recall the other questions. Had the Elf asked about Faldurin's Reach? He wasn't sure. He'd definitely heard a question about the Paladins, though. Before he could speak further, however, the bird on his shoulder pecked at his ear.

"Ow! What was that for, Jack?!" Seth grimaced and rubbed his ear, looking at his fingers to see if there was any blood. "I told you not to peck that hard..." The response came in the form of soft cawing and a fluttering of the bird's wings, causing Seth to raise a brow for a moment before giving the bird a thankful look. "Thanks, Jack." He turned back to Delwyn.
"I think you asked if we were bonded? We're not. Just me and this little guy here," he said with a small nod to the bird on his shoulder. "As for Faldurin's Reach... it's pretty much all grass and low hills, with small villages and equally small groves here and there. I've never been near the capital, but I have seen plenty of Paladins, though I have never really met any. And I'm not traveling anywhere specifically - just going in that general direction." At this, he vaguely gestured in the direction of the river while he wondered why he was talking so easily to this person. Maybe it was their sheer curiosity...?
He glanced towards the sleeping jackalope, remembering the news it had brought him. "Though... it doesn't seem like we're going to be able to just cross the river here."

----------

Enda Guaire | Human
Companions: Taraen (Rune Drake)
Lonn (Rune Dragon)
Tags: Silverhart | Oskar Airgead

The great drake just ignored the golden humming-bumble, having decided that it hardly posed a threat, and yawned elaborately. He couldn't understand anything of what the little bird said, but he doubted it was of great importance. He rolled its eyes as the tiny, bull-like rune dragon on his head chirped something about a "battle of ten thimbles" - whatever that might be. Judging by that tiny size and its giant ego, the drake greatly doubted that this little bird had ever actually fought, let alone killed. The bumble would be no more than a tiny snack to Taraen, but he quickly dismissed that thought. There was one thing he had learnt from his time with the humans so far, and that was that he shouldn't just eat any creature that annoyed him or simply seemed tasty.

Turning her eyes away from the halfborn, Enda sighed sadly, slightly taken aback by the stranger's lecture - which seemed to be in an accent almost as thick as her own. "Hey, I did look where I was landin'. There wasnae ither spot ta land safely, and we landed this close to the river jus' so that we wouldna land on top o' ya." She gestured at the drake behind her, who still hadn't moved from the very spot where it had landed even though his claws on one side were on the very edge of the riverbank and the icy cold water washed over his tail. "If I hadnae look'd where I was landin', ya'd actually ha'e been flattened. So be glad. And 'sides," she continued in an annoyed tone, "'tis nae my fault that ya dinnae notice a giant drake circlin' above ya fer five minutes. Taraen ain't a bumble."
Taking a deep breath, Enda glanced over her shoulder to look across the river. "'Neways, if yer gunna ask if we can fly ya over, cannae do that. Tha road on th' ither side is gone, an' ye wuld ha'e a better chance seein' mister red-sails on a pogo stick than landin' a rune in tha' forest. Been scoutin' it. Nae chance." She shot the halfborn a questioning glance, looking almost as if she'd already forgotten her annoyance at the man's lecture.
"Ya know anither path tae th' ither side?"

[Silverhart]

Delwyn Szarvas | Elvian
Companion to Kerf the Incense Elkrin
Caratacus the Golden Humming Bumble
Tags: Scyanatha | Seth Corvus

The Elvian listened with eager attention to the man's answers, more questions coming to mind as each was answered. He smiled when the bird pecked the man's ear. “Are you know?” he said in response to the statement that they were bonded. His eyes fell on the bird with new admiration. As a youngling Delwyn had always dreamed of being bonded to an elkrin of his very own – someone to share all his thoughts and feelings with, who would share theirs in turn with him. Fate had not decided to give him such a magical bond however. He wanted to inquire further on the bond – he had witnessed it between Elvian and elkrin many a time over the years, but he had never had a chance to study it among humans.

His next set of questions were halted by the man's last statement. “Oh no? Is something amiss?” His mind fluttered back to Oskar, and Caratacus. It had been a few minutes and neither had yet to appear... He glanced toward where he could hear the river's distant rumbling. “My companion went ahead to scout the road to the bridge...” He nibbled in worry at his lip. It was times like this he wished he shared a magical bond – from what little he understood of it, had Caratacus been a bondmate he could have already alerted him to the situation in some way. Burnie licked his ear again, perhaps sensing his need for reassurance. “Then again, Oskar is one to take his time with such things. He's like an old turtle – there's no rushing him on anything.” He laughed, but it was somewhat stained. Delwyn always fretted and fussed when he was left alone for any amount of time – having grown up in a close knit Elvian village the thought of being left totally alone was a frightening and altogether alien concept to him.





Oskar Airgead | Wolfkin Halfborn
Companion to Burnie the Fallow Elkrin
Tags: Scyanatha | Enda Guaire

Oskar pinned his ears back, as the Celt girl became defensive, feeling his hackles rise. As a halfborn he was accustomed to being cruelly treated on the road – being pushed or shoved, or otherwise taken advantage of. They were little things that were labeled as accidents or mistakes, but in his experience they seldom ever were. He suspected she was doing the same. And as always, there was little he could do, so he decided to drop the matter. There was always that little doubt that perhaps she was telling the truth. He hadn't exactly been paying the most attention – but in his defense it wasn't exactly common for drakes to be dropping out of the sky in this part of the country.

He didn't back down from the girl's tirade, but stood stock still, glowering with all the wolfness he could muster. In truth it was not very impressive, as he was of a short and stocky nature and not built for glaring contests. He muttered under his breath something about not willing to risk his neck flying on that great lizard anyway. Caratacus fluffed his feathers in silent agreement.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously when she asked about another path. “I may...” he grumbled, unwilling to reveal the existence of the precious maps he owned, which might be considered worth their weight in gold in this wild country. “Why the great hurry, anyway?”

[Scyanatha]

Seth Corvus | Half-Blood Avian
Companions: Daizen (Sleipnir)
Dantalion (Jackalope)
Blood Bond: Jack the jackdaw.
Tags: Silverhart | Delwyn Szarvas

Noticing that the Elvian thought they were bonded in that way, the young man let out a soft chuckle. "No, it's... not a real bond. You see, Jack ain't a magical creature, unlike those two here. I think I've heard people call this a blood bond."
Just as the words left his mouth, Seth realized that he should probably not have said that - but it was too late already. All he could do now was hope that the Elvian would not make the link between his eyepatch, his lack of normal bonds, and the possibility that he could be a halfborn Avian - which he, in fact, was.

He looked up at the Elvian, who seemed to be slightly panicking at the news he had brought just before. "Oh, your companion is fine, I'm sure of it. According to Tali, there was someone standing around there. He's probably just thinking of a solution."
For a moment, he wondered if he should tell the Elvian about the bridge. It seemed they were traveling the same direction, though - he should probably just tell the Elf what he knew.
"You see..." He glanced at the black jackalope once again. "If I understood that sleepy ball of fur correctly, the bridge is gone, and the river is too dangerous to wade through. We're going to have to find another route."

----------

Enda Guaire | Human
Companions: Taraen (Rune Drake)
Lonn (Rune Dragon)
Tags: Silverhart | Oskar Airgead

The girl's eyes widened slightly as she automatically took a step back upon seeing the halfborn's expression, both her confidence and annoyance vanishing like fresh snow under the sun. She definitely hadn't meant to hurt the man - she'd meant it when she said that she had done her best not to crush anyone under her drake's weight. And the villagers had always - always - considered five minutes of circling above their heads plenty of warning.
"I... I dinnae mean't that way..." She sighed, dropping to her knees and running a hand over her face. She had hoped to be able to get along with the stranger, but the Ancients seemed to have forsaken her today. Taraen noticed his bonded's discomfort, moving closer to Enda and laying down with his head beside the girl as if to comfort her. Lonn, however, continued glaring at the halfborn, the little bull rune chirping angrily along the lines of "Look what you've done! You made a poor girl cry!"
"Nay, Lonn." Enda sighed. "Tis na' his fault." The little rune chirped in protest, but she shook her head. Lonn huffed and settled in the girl's lap, glaring at the halfborn until Enda took a hold of his horns and turned him to face her.

As the stranger questioned her why she was in such a hurry, she simply gestured at the enormous leather packs that were fastened upon the back of her great drake.
"They expect me ta sell a' of this at tha markets in Darak'i an' Alabaster, an' be back 'fore twa weeks are ov'r."
Most of the packs contained elaborate wood carvings, others contained furs from all kinds of wild creatures, and yet others contained woven tapestries and bundles of woollen cloth. With the money she would get from selling all this, she was supposed to buy grain, medicine, ink, candles and dye, and many other things that her village needed. Despite Enda's protests that Taraen was no pack animal and that she had never even been to the great cities before, they had sent her, saying that they were the fastest and that only they could do this.
And so, here she was... She grumbled to herself; she was a warrior, not a merchant, for Fate's sake. Taraen huffed softly in agreement, a tiny plume of smoke escaping from the drake's nostrils.

[Silverhart]

Delwyn Szarvas | Elvian
Companion to Kerf the Incense Elkrin
Caratacus the Golden Humming Bumble
Tags: Scyanatha | Seth Corvus

“A... b-blood bond?” Delwyn went pale at that announcement, and he looked at the bird and the man with a new sense of awe and alarm. The Elvian was at once both fascinated and appalled, his initial aversion watered down by growing curiosity. He had never met any blood bonded creatures or people – in fact he knew very little of the process, it being taboo among his people. He had likewise always thought it something perverted and wrong, but this bird and man looked normal. They acted so nonchalant about the fact, it almost put Delwyn at ease. Almost.

He had gone uncharacteristically silent until that man spoke of the bridge. “Oh dear! That does not bode well...” The silence stretched out awkwardly as Delwyn wracked his brain, searching for a question about blood bonding that would not embarrass him too much. In the end the silence became too oppressive, and he blurted out: “Do you know the area well?” a bit too quickly and loud to seem polite.




Oskar Airgead | Wolfkin Halfborn
Companion to Burnie the Fallow Elkrin
Tags: Scyanatha | Enda Guaire

Oskar returned the little rune dragon's glare, too stubborn to back down, even after the apology. Then his eyes traveled over the packs she had gestured to, and his demeanor softened somewhat. She was trader then. Well, at least she was no bandit. “You're no dragoon then?” He was already beginning to suspect she wasn't, but Oskar had learned it seldom paid to assume. “Who're they?” Oskar felt somewhat like he was interrogating the poor girl, and quickly shut his trap. It wasn't his business after all.

He scratched the back of his neck, knowing he was going to regret this. “Well, if you'd like – I'd have to check my maps – I feel sure there's a trail somewhere, though I can't say it'll get you there and back in time.”

[Scyanatha]

Seth Corvus | Half-Blood Avian
Companions: Daizen (Sleipnir)
Dantalion (Jackalope)
Blood Bond: Jack the jackdaw.
Tags: Silverhart | Delwyn Szarvas

"Yeah..." The halfblood Avian groaned inwardly as he saw the Elf go pale when he said it was a blood bond. He should have known better than to say that so casually - he could've just as well screamed out for all to hear that he was a disgusting halfborn who would rip everyone apart as soon as he got the chance.
Slowly, Seth backed away, wanting to hide out of the Elvian's sight. He was just about to turn around and find a quiet spot when the Elf suddenly asked him if he knew the area.
He shook his head, shifting uncomfortably. "No. This is my first time traveling through the area." His voice sounded colder than he'd intended, but he didn't really care anymore. He'd already screwed up anyway.

Seth glanced over to his Sleipnir - who had wandered off a little and was grazing nearby - and wondered if the little book that he'd brought from the nearby village could tell him of an alternate path. How he wished he'd read all of it - at least then he could get out of there right now and spare himself the disgust, fear and rejection that came with the knowledge of his heritage. But he knew that if he ran away now, that would only make everything worse than it already was, so he left the book where it was and discarded the thought of going off by himself.

----------

Enda Guaire | Human
Companions: Taraen (Rune Drake)
Lonn (Rune Dragon)
Tags: Silverhart | Oskar Airgead

The red-haired girl looked up at the halfborn and gave a soft, sad chuckle. "A Dragoon, me? I wish. But I ain't one, no. Dinnae think I look like one, either." She shrank back a little at the intensity of his next question, but answered him all the same. "T-the village elders. We dinnae have a gud harvest last year, and that storm last night ruined the rest. So we need money, and grain, and they sent me." Absent-mindedly, she stroked the drake's head while she remained sitting on the ground, even though the rocky riverbank was by no means a comfortable place to sit.

Enda's face brightened when the halfborn mentioned the possibility of a trail. "Really?! Oh, that'd be great! Even if it doesn't get me there in time..." She sighed warily. "I'm sure they'll understand." The villagers might have to live off the forest for a while, but she was sure they'd be fine. It wasn't like they hadn't survived worse times; even if they ran out of vegetable, grain and medicine, the forest still provided them with roots, herbs and meat.

[Silverhart]

Delwyn Szarvas | Elvian
Companion to Kerf the Incense Elkrin
Caratacus the Golden Humming Bumble
Tags: Scyanatha | Seth Corvus

Delwyn noticed Seth shifting away from him shyly, and instantly became embarrassed by his own reaction. This was a far different world from the forest he was used to. “I am new to the area as well,” Delwyn said, as he toyed with Burnie's ears. He was hoping the man would steer their conversation to safer subjects, since Delwyn had nothing he could think to say, but Seth seemed more eager to bolt like a skittish sleipnir then continue talking. So Delwyn bumbled through an apology “I am sorry. Have I caused offense? That was not my intent. I just... I have never met one who is blood bonded. I have heard though...” Actually, best not to relay what he had heard about blood bonding to the man. He waved a hand. “Well, you know what they say about listening to hearsay and gossip. I don't know anything on the matter itself, never having been lucky enough to have bonded. Blood bonding is not something that was looked upon favorably among my people.” Now, I'm rambling and making myself look an even greater fool. He paused to try and remember what he had been talking about.

“Uh - I was going to ask if you perchance new another way round, but you said you did not know the area. My companion grew up here, I'm sure he'd know of a way.” In fact Delwyn was completely confident in Oskar's ability as a guide, despite the halfborn's constant protests against it. “What are your plans now with the bridge out?”





Oskar Airgead | Wolfkin Halfborn
Companion to Burnie the Fallow Elkrin
Tags: Scyanatha | Enda Guaire

The halfborn eyed the girl and the drake, still suspicious. Oskar relaxed a little when she began talking about her village and the poor harvest, reminded as he was of his youth on his grandparent's farm. A bad season meant hunger for all the villages and farms in the area. He frowned.“Strange to see a tame drake wi'oot a Dragoon...” he muttered as he watched the girl stroke the large creature's head. He felt a good calmer with her sitting down, and the drake beside her. “It is tame, is it? You've got it in hand - not apt to biting, nor eating folks, nor the like?” Even if it wasn't Oskar resolved to stay where he was and not go any closer then he had to.

He grumbled to the little bird on his shoulder. “I've been traveling with Delwyn too long – getting to picking up strays like him.” The bird just stuck his tongue out. His feathers were still a bit ruffled from his encounter with the drake.

[Scyanatha]

((I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of making it rain. xD))

Seth Corvus | Half-Blood Avian
Companions: Daizen (Sleipnir)
Dantalion (Jackalope)
Blood Bond: Jack the jackdaw.
Tags: Silverhart | Delwyn Szarvas

Seth blinked in confusion as the Elvian started to apologize, relaxing just a little when he realized that Delwyn probably still hadn't thought of the possibility of him being a halfborn. "Oh..." It seemed that instead, the bad rumors about blood bonding had been the source of the Elf's reaction. "Well, that's fine. I've heard a lot of those rumors too. But to me, it does not seem like many of those rumors hold true."

The half-Avian shrugged when the Elf asked him about his plans. "I don't know. I think I heard something about a trail nearby when I stayed the night in the village, but I do not know where it begins, or where it leads." Seth briefly looked up at the sky, which seemed to have darkened considerably since he had arrived here; thick, grey clouds packing together once again. "I guess I will have to find a way around." Looking back at Delwyn, he carefully added; "Would you mind if we traveled together, even if just a little while? I would be grateful for the guidance, and perhaps my skills could be of use."
Those clouds looked like rain... he hoped it wouldn't rain. The leaves of the tree they were under were still young and small, and he doubted the tree would offer much shelter. His hopes, however, soon proved to be in vain...

----------

Enda Guaire | Human
Companions: Taraen (Rune Drake)
Lonn (Rune Dragon)
Tags: Silverhart | Oskar Airgead

Taraen snorted in amusement - something very obvious to the girl stroking his head, but which others might only recognize as being different from his earlier annoyed noises by the absence of smoke and the distant similarity to the sound an amused human might make. Enda giggled quietly in response to the drake's emotions. "Tame? It?" She laughed. "Well, Taraen is about as tame as a wild drake bonded to a warrior is ever gonna get." She looked up at the halfborn with a serious expression on her face, although amusement still twinkled in her eyes. "Ah, but ye can be assured, he wouldnae just harm anybody. Ev'r since he's been with me, he's only eaten a few bandits. And unlike most men, he at least has the courtesy to let me fight them first." She wondered why the men in her village tried to keep her out of harms way anyway - she could defend herself well enough, and they knew it. But Taraen, he'd just let her fight them first, fair and square, and only stepped in when she really needed his help.

Suddenly, a big drop of water fell on the tip of her nose, quickly followed by more and more droplets falling from the sky until it was positively pouring. The girl scrambled upright and hurried over to the packs on the drake's back, untying a large rolled-up piece of oiled leather and securing it over the packs while she cursed loudly, not caring whether she'd be heard or not. "Glitches! Fer Fate's sake, can't I ha'e some luck today?!"
When she finished tying the protective cover in place, the great drake raised himself up, stretching out one of his wings to offer shelter to the already half-soaked girl, which she gladly accepted, shivering as she pressed herself against the drake's hot flank. "Thanks, Taraen."
Looking over at the wolfkin halfborn, she made a gesture to invite him over, although she wasn't quite sure if he saw it or even wanted to consider it. She couldn't blame him if he refused to go near - Taraen was pretty intimidating, after all.

[Silverhart]

(Not at all! ^^ Rain always adds some nice atmosphere.)

Delwyn Szarvas | Elvian
Companion to Kerf the Incense Elkrin
Caratacus the Golden Humming Bumble
Tags: Scyanatha | Seth Corvus

Delwyn was quite curious as to how the blood bond worked, but he was a bit intimated about asking. Still he looked at the bird with no small amount of interest and caution. So he only half heard Seth relaying his plans. He was startled out of his staring contest with the jackdaw by a big drop landing on his nose. The Elvian shook his antlered head and glanced up at the sky in surprise.

He smiled when Seth asked to travel together, relieved that he had not greatly offended the man. “I would not mind at all, dear fellow! You are more then welcome to join us, for as long as you wish!” Burnie twitched an ear at this. She doubted that Oskar would approve, but then it was none of her business. She persoanlly liked the strange smelling man with the funny bird. The doe liked most people who liked animals, and eagerly pulled her two bucks forward to search his person for treats. "Burnie! Be polite!" Delwyn scolded, but he smiled when he said it, so she knew he was not truly angry.

The sky opened up and rain began to fall, a pleasant sprinkling, at first. “I suppose this is why the hills are so green around here,” Delwyn said cheerfully, as he pulled his short coat closer. The rain did not remain pleasant for long, increasing quickly. The Elvian hunched his shoulders. He lifted his free arm to try and shield himself from the rain, but it proved rather ineffective. He glanced back helplessly toward where the river. "I suppose we should try and find shelter..." he trailed off. Delwyn did not think it very wise to leave Oskar and Caratacus behind. His lack of appearance was worrying, especially with the change of weather.





Oskar Airgead | Wolfkin Halfborn
Companion to Burnie the Fallow Elkrin
Tags: Scyanatha | Enda Guaire

The rain started to fall, it's steady patter adding to the dull roar of the river. The halfborn huffed, and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “I meant – he willnae trouble two hoof-beasts? I left them back on the road. I don't want any fighting or trouble, if I can help it.” Though, if it came to fight between the big drake Oskar wasn't so sure he wouldn't place his bets on Kerf... That elkrin sort of scared him a bit if he was being honest. He wasn't so sure Kerf hadn't killed someone at some point.

Caratacus peeped in protest at the rain, and sought shelter under the hem of Oskar's light tunic. With a curse the girl sprang to her feet, startling Oskar. The halfborn hung back as the girl sprinted to secure the oilcloth over her goods. If they hadn't been tied to a drake he would've been compelled to help her, but being as it was, he hesitated. With a shrug he approached cautiously, about to offer assistance, when the great Drake stretched out a wing, and he stumbled back in instinctive caution.

The girl went and huddled against her drake's proffered side, sheltered by the wing. Oskar was surprised when she gestured him over to the makeshift tent. He shook his head stubbornly, flinging water droplets and causing the humming bumble to chirp in annoyance. “A little rain never did a body any harm,” he insisted. Besides he wanted to return to Delwyn quickly. Without Caratacus or him there was no telling what sort of trouble that man would get himself into. “If you're sure your beastie won't cause mischief, my friend is further back along the road with my maps.” If he hasn't wandered off already, he added silently.