Private Tales Ain't No Mountain High

[Ispir Sione]

Southwest of Belgrath Portal Stone; The Spine - Epressa


Once more roaming the mountain paths of Epressa since his time at Crobhear Keep Ispir would hum an idle tune to himself and, frankly, felt rather safe since some of the Yaegers had been kind enough to escort him well clear of kobold territory. Staying in one place for too long was always difficult for Ispir, his sense of wanderlust too strong and insistent for him to get too comfortable, and he had decided that it may make for a good time to go back to Gild. Much as the city chafed him there were kind people there. Though, now, as he gazed from the edge of The Spine out over to the Eldyr Tree he considered that maybe a detour was in order to see this wonder of the world.

Deciding to follow where his feet took him he gave in to his whimsy and elected to go toward the Eldyr Tree instead, only to pause as he saw wisps of smoking coming from not far off. Peering down from his current elevation, and overcoming some stubborn, hardy mountain foliage he noticed a woman in dark armor with white hair. Eyes as deep and rich as chocolate peeking out from under equally pale lashes who was a good deal taller than himself. Ispir was about to call out in greetings but upon seeing the wyvern curled up not far from her person he decided against potentially startling the two of them.

Instead, an idea!

Taking a flute from his belongings he supposed that gentle musical notes were much less alarming than a voice suddenly calling out from the mountain! So it was that Ispir would begin to play a soft, lilting serenade of wind-worked music and calmly walked toward the camp the rider and her wyvern had made. The notes curled and drifted upon the wind in dulcet, relaxing notes that ebbed and flowed like the growing breeze swirling through a waterfall of, in this case white as snow, hair.

Only when he drew out in the clear and open so as not to surprise the two the bard would lower the flute from his lips, smiling and wave to the rider and wyvern both. His voice calm and friendly as he greeted them.

"Hail friends! I don't suppose you have room for music and company?"

Standing nearly a foot shorter than Cassiane normally, and likely a foot entire in her armor, the lavishly dressed Bard cut a less-than-threatening figure to put it mildly.

Cassiane ​

 

[Cassiane]

The wyvern knew someone was approaching long before the beginning notes of the flute were being played. He stirred, lazily, and huffed a breath that made his rider exclaimed in mild disgust and made comment of how atrocious his breath smelled.

When that flute reached her, Cassi turned with a look of annoyance. Then the small thing spoke, and her face turned near confused.

"Music and..." Voe would get excited for some music. He seemed the guy to appreciate it. "I'm sorry, we don't have any food to share..."

She had thought they were some ways from coming across beggars trying to sidle up to their campfire and eat their resources. But... the small thing didn't look to be begging... She looked around, hoping to catch sight of her partner in search and rescue and crime... never any crime, but it sounded great. Voe had wandered off to check his traps, dinner awaiting to be caught.

 

[Ispir Sione]

Ispir would pause mid-step, aquamarine eyes wide, as the ashen-haired woman said that they didn't have any food to share. Ispir would lower the flute sadly, frowning a bit, before exclaiming.

"Oh! You don't have any food? That's awful!"

Tucking the flute into his belt he would reach down to one of the bundles of provisions that the Noct Yaeger had provided him and checked inside.

"I umm... I have some provisions from Crobhear Keep still if you need them?"

An apologetic shrug would be given as Ispir's gaze drifted to her wyvern friend and he would then return his eyes to Cassiana guiltily.

"Though I am sorry I don't have anything big enough to feed your friend. I doubt I could carry anything like that."

A soft, somewhat nervous giggle as he rubbed the back of his head before trying to recover his social graces.

"But I'm more than happy to share anyways!"

Cassiane​

 

[Cassiane]

Cassiane widened her eyes, "Oh, no... no, you keep that. My buddy should be back soon, he's the cook. Pretty handy one..." She frowned. "Cadfael is picky. Likes his meals... still kicking... if you get what I mean." He enjoyed the hunt, and she was not going to tame his nature.

"The Keep? You're a Yaegir then?" They usually had that pendant that gave it away. Cassi was still on the fence, but the amount of time she had spent working with the Yaegir recovering bodies, or searching for lost souls, she might as well be one of them. She had left the life of battle and defense, to go be useful of her abilities to heal.

It seemed this Hunter would not be persuaded to leave. Would be bad form of her to do so, and so Cassi gestured to a log on the opposite side of the campfire.

"Take a seat. We've got mead, if you wish for a cup?"

 

[Ispir Sione]

Ispir would nod slowly as Cassiane denied the offer for food. Her meaning about her wyvern friend's preference in meals was well taken and Ispir would shake his head enough at her question to cause his twin tails to swirl about his head. A smile approaching apologetic gracing his features as he plopped down by the fire and stretched a bit.

"Thank you, I gladly accept! But ahh.... no not a member, at least not officially I suppose. Umm... more like a company friend? Associate?"

Ispir seemed to mull this over for a second or two before shrugging and crossing his legs, gripping his ankles, and leaning forward.

"It's a bit of a long story really."

Ispir opened their mouth as if to continue speaking, presumably to tell said story, before pausing and clearing his throat. Thinking better of just launching into such a tale as he idly fished out a small piece of jerky, nibbled at it, and then began the story anyways.

"So! I am a traveling Bard by trade and was fleeing Alliria because of some weird, evil culty people trying to kidnap me. I went through Gild, met some nice people, then continued up through Belgrath on the old dwarven roads. I... w-well... truth be told I was just going away from Alliria. Wasn't really thinking about WHERE exactly."

A sheepish smile, a shrug, aquamarine eyes meeting chocolate brown almost guiltily as if admitting to this warrior of a woman he was scared was shameful before he continued.

"So... I met two umm... Yaeger people on the road. Irman the Rabbit Knight and Sigrun the Axedwarf. They were transporting some sort of evil dead guy... thing.... corpse.... but I didn't know at the time and I thought it was w-well safer to travel with professional monster hunters than to wander the roads alone if I didn't have to. Well! Turns out I was right because after a few hours we were ambushed by kobolds, one of them shot me in the leg, and that really hurt! "

The small chatterbox of a Bard at least paused to take a breathe before continuing.

"Well my two new friends then got separated from the cart, me and the evil corpse thing and Iwasbleedinga lot andakoboldcameandtheevilthingatethekoboldthenpoopeditoutandthenitgrabbedmeIthinkandthen..... uhhhm...."

At some point the obviously-harrowing situation caused Ispir to speed up his retelling until he finally seemed to catch himself and, blushing softly, would cough into a hand.

"S-Sorry."

Taking a deep breathe he would continue.

"A-After that we went to Crobheart Keep, I got healed, had a weird dream, then we had a celebration. I met..."

The small bard would start to count on his fingers.

"...umm.... nine new people while serving hot cocoa. Vel'Duith, Melfa, Gregor, Claggor, Senya, Trisha, Arthur, Clarence.... oh! And Voe!"

Ispir would frown.

"I felt sort of bad because Voe was stationed by themselves on a watch tower all alone, except for Otho, so I took them some hot chocolate and kept them company."

Ispir would shrug and take another nibble of jerky before beaming as if they hadn't just gone on quite the rant.

"Is it okay if I ask about you, too?"

Cassiane​