Private Tales Grave Precipice

[Circe Carolingian]

The muffled steps of Circe's strong, leather boots pad against the sloppily paved assortment of stones. The low hum of the crowd drowned out the words which were flowing out of the woman's mouth, making her appear more like a lunatic than she already was. Not that she was a crazy person, not...well, at least not publicly.

A mud-colored tunic hung from her breast, gently swaying beneath the folds of her white cloak, a well-worn item. Leather pants clung to her legs, her ensemble completed with her special necklace. A foolish choice for someone who wanted to go unnoticed, really. Blue eyes looked down, watching the ground as it seemingly moved when in fact it was just the woman traversing and moving.

While to most it appeared that she wasn't nearly as alert as she should be that was not the case. She purposely stared down, not daring to look up as she attempted to avoid physical contact with the boisterous crowd, ultimately failing to do so. Circe failed at most things that required talent and concentration so it wasn't all that surprising.

A large man shoved past her, his broad shoulder smacking against hers, narrowly missing her face. He glared back and muttered obscenities at the small lady who grimaced. It wasn't just the fact that she would now sport a large blue mark on her shoulder, she simply hated crowds. The noise conflicted with her heightened, almost animalistic, senses, causing mass confusion in her head as she struggled to make it to the outskirts of the crowd.

After shoving past multiple people, managing to get her foot in the way of nearly everyone who pushed her, a black and blue bruised Circe finally escaped the throng of people. Her back leaned against the rocky, uneven wall. Now her eyes finally emerged from the safety of her hood, she observed the crowd calmly from her position.

Even though the streets of Molthal were filled with thugs and those who would love to snatch up someone like Circe, she was concerned for a different reason. After all, being able to see and hear people's aura wasn't exactly a picnic. It especially wasn't all that enjoyable when you were starving and sleep deprived but that was more of a personal problem.

All that she wanted to do was to explore, maybe see a few animals and flowers, but first, she had to rest. At this moment Circe was in no shape to be adventuring, in fact, all she wanted right now was to take a warm bath. Closing her eyes she could almost smell the lilac scent of her bathing oils. The feeling of being clean, and warm...

As she was beginning to calm down someone shoved past her yet again, nearly knocking her over. While her normal reaction, after this had happened multiple times before of course, would've been to yell at the man but fortunately for her, she was too astonished to do so.

Her eyes widened as his arm made contact with the bare skin of her forearm. Whoever this man was, no, more like what, she needed to meet him, or at least see his face. As if a weight were released from her chest Circe breathed easy once again, the strange feeling going just as fast as it had come. Her "attacker" wasn't too difficult to spot. After all, she could feel him and his aura becoming weaker and weaker as he ran further and further away from her.

Glancing behind her, making sure that she wouldn't be trampled, Circe began to follow the man towards the outskirts of town. As she struggled to keep up with his brisk pace, Circe began to feel the weight upon her chest once again, pressing down and giving her an ominous and foreboding feeling...what would await her upon reaching the strange person?


Vereshin

 

[Vereshin]

Frigid air pierced Vereshin's garments and sent a chill down his back. Musing on the Orcish chatter, he surveyed the marketplace for the stall he sought, with a second eye peeled for any sign of the city guard. Whispers stirred between mistrusting mouths, lamenting rumors of arts of ill-repute disturbing the spirits of their battle ground outside of the city. The voices did little to deter Vereshin and he brushed off their warnings with a nonchalant lack of concern, a disregard which still allowed for caution. The dark mage determined to leave the city as soon as possible, as soon as he acquired a necessary ingredient for his ritual.

Striding alongside stalls baring esoteric craft, most of them Orcish in their origin, Vereshin eyed the details and recognized the properties. He looked upward and found a stall selling a native species of herb which warded away spirits. He placed one foot in front of the other, gradually making his way to the stand and offering the fearsome woman behind the stand a diplomatic smile. Not one for racial bigotry, he seldom harbored grudges against any species. Since being exposed to the brutality of the Orcs back in the Taagi Baara, Vereshin failed to repress a grudge against the warrior race. A grudge which any delicate mage might hold had they gone through the same ordeal.

"You here to buy something, wizard? Or are you just gonna gawk at me?" The shopkeeper threatened in her guttural accent. Vereshin's eyes widened in response and he allowed for a pause to let the woman glare at him. The lowering of the ends of his mouth conveyed his resent for the slur of "wizard."

"Rest assured Madam, gawking at you is neither a priority nor a desire which I hold." Vereshin retorted in a monotonous tone, still unable to take his eyes off the female Orc's tusks. "I am more interested in your herbs." His tone heightened to a lighter pitch. The Orc woman creased her brow, staring at him with even more vigor than before. "... and their properties." A sly, suggestive addition to the sentence which Vereshin could not help. "Four bunches please." He said as he held up a gloved hand and displayed four fingers.

"These only protect against Orc spirits, you know that right?" The shopkeeper raised the ridge above her eye in a gesture of warning. Sliding a hand inside of his black surcoat, Vereshin retrieved a handful of coins and counted out four pieces. Around his chest, he wore a fluffy fur wrap attached to leather straps which crossed over his shoulders. As he concealed the extra coins beneath his surcoat, he brought a hand to the level of his chest and stroked the fur on the top.

"Yes, I know that." Nodding in affirmation, he spoke assuredly as he placed the coins in the large hand of the woman. She handed him the four bunches of herbs, each wrapped in string and slammed her hands firmly on the table.

"Right, now piss off!" Be it his appearance or his manner, the demeanor of the man who looked and dressed like a nefarious mage apparently did little to amuse the Orc woman. She belted out the order and gestured to the end of the street with the ridge above her eyes.

"You're welcome!" A chipper tone, dripping with sarcasm reigned from Vereshin's exaggerated smile. He cocked his head to the side and waved goodbye, his heightened expression only serving the mocking gesture. A low growl rolled from the lady Orc's lips, which he could tell was his cue to leave. A slight eep escaped his throat behind closed lips. His eyes shifted from side of the street to the next and he slunk away with the flurry of the ends of his surcoat. With the bundles of herbs wrapped under one arm, he quickly brushed through the crowds and attempted to navigate the city, his sense of direction no less poor than usual.

A flash of light skin alerted him to a foreign presence, the contrasting features of an Elf among a city of Orcs. She was tiny in stature, shorter than Vereshin himself and knocked his elbow as he walked past. The bump rocked him off his feet and caused him to drop the four bunches of herbs into the ice-covered cobblestone.

"Shit!" Vereshin cursed beneath his breath with a distinct hiss. He looked around at his feet for the bunches and quickly gathered up the one which had fallen directly in front of him. The others were pushed aside by feet, some accompanied by growls of angry citizens jumping out of the way of the small mage darting around on the ground. A large boot swiftly kicked him in the ribcage, sending him falling to his knees. The ice dampened the fabric of his trousers, sending a chill through his legs. At his feet, were the rest of the herbs and he quickly gathered them up before they were kicked out of his sight again. With a sigh, Vereshin rose to his feet and made sure he had collected all the bunches for which he had paid.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the young, female Elf still standing where she had run into him. She appeared to be lost and disoriented, which made sense since her kin were all the way in Liadain. He assumed she must have traveled a great distance to wind up in Molthal. A pause held the air between them and Vereshin let his features relax.

"Beg my pardon, m'lady, I must have been in your way." In a soft and lilting voice, Vereshin offered an apology, even though it had been the woman who had bumped into him. He brushed back some of the strands of hair which had come loose from the oil on his head. "Are you trying to get out of the city?" He posed a question which would determined whether or not they shared similar intentions. Between the crowds the thud of boots drew near and Vereshin felt the rising sensation of dread build in his chest.

Circe Carolingian

 

[Circe Carolingian]

As she saw who she had bumped into, correction, completely bowled over, Circe winced. She hated to anger anyone, especially someone who gave off such a foreboding presence. "Oh my goodness." Circe murmured, kneeling down as she attempted to help in anyway possible.

"Are you hurt in any way? I apologize, I really should've looked where I was going." Her slender hand enclosed around a small herb, plopping it in the man's hands. She stood up as he did, her mind still a bit foggy from the amount of physical contact.

Circe stared wide-eyed up at the taller man, he gave off a rather ominous and unusual vibe, something that wasn't unusual in this kind of a city. However, it was an extremely different type of feeling. While it obviously wasn't a benevolent kind, the malevolence of the man lay somewhere in the middle.

As anxious as he was to leave, Circe was even more so to learn more about the mysterious man standing in front of her. With a quick glance to who he was glaring daggers at as, she began to understand the situation. Whatever he was, he was not welcome here and for the place they were in, he must've been pretty disliked.

His voice gave her a strange sensation. It was not what she expected to emit from the mouth of this black-clad man. "Oh, well, I don't like crowds all that much. To be completely honest I'm just wandering around, I've never been in this city so I've just been sightseeing, not that there's much to see." She cut herself off, realizing her senseless rambling. "I apologize, I tend to get a bit off subject."

"I'm Circe." She extended her hand in an effort to make physical contact again, which would result in her getting a better and morin-depth glance at his aura. A dazzling smile crept across her lips as she awaited his hand to come into contact with her own. Hopeful, ly her intentions wouldn't seem as if she had an ulterior motive, but in all reality all Circe wanted was to quell her thirst for knowledge.

"Perhaps I could tag along with you to wherever you're going? I have nowhere to go and am looking for something intriguing and you sir are quite the intriguing person might I add." She stepped closer to him, rocking back and forth nervously upon her heels. "Of course, I understand if you wish to continue your task or whatever you're doing alone. I was simply wondering if you were open to having company or maybe even a helper? I'm said to be quite helpful and I don't make a whole lot of trouble and you know what, I'm sorry for bothering you-"

Vereshin

 

[Vereshin]

The ice soaked the leather of Vereshin's gloves as he scrambled about on the cobblestone in search of the bundles which he had dropped. Still hissing profanities beneath his breath, he navigated his way through the throng of boots until a slender hand presented one of the neatly wrapped bundles before his eye. As he gathered up the herbs and held them to his chest, the dark mage rose to his feet hesitantly to greet the features of the young Elf who had bumped into him. She reached forward and placed the last of the bundles in Vereshin's hand.

"Please don't fret, I'm quite alright." With a dismissive wave of his hand, he attempted to reassure the bashful girl in soft tone. "No need to apologize, m'lady, I must have been in your way." Splaying out his palm in a calming gesture, he lowered his tone to a calming volume and held the herbs to his chest. He noticed the young lady stare at him with keen, observant eyes, almost as though she was enchanted by his presence, something which did not sway Vereshin, nor did it bother him.

"Neither do I." Vereshin lowered his voice and responded to the girl expressing her dislike of crowds. His tone was a whisper, almost attempting to hide his habit of avoiding populated areas. "Why don't we step away from the street?" A thick, arched eyebrow raised with the suggestion. He cocked his head sideways and motioned to the side of the road. At the other end of the street, he could see the Orc patrols in conversation with the shopkeeper who had served him and his desire to leave the city pressed further on his mind. He brushed past citizens as he looked over his shoulder and waited for the girl to follow him. Sliding a hand behind her back in a protective gesture, he guided her overt to the wall.

"Sightseeing? In Molthal?!" Vereshin exclaimed in bewilderment at the girl's explanation for being in the city, one he struggled to believe. "This is a dangerous city, only those on the fringes of society venture here." He leaned down beside her shoulder and whispered. "You must have a dangerous sense of adventure to come here for sightseeing!" A light chuckle escaped Vereshin's throat.

"My name is Vereshin, but you may call me Vi if you like." When Circe offered her name, Vereshin responded with his own name, as well as the nickname he had come to be known by. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Circe." Once they were both safely away from the crowd, he offered Circe a hand to shake if she wished. When Circe described Vereshin as intriguing, the dark mage could failed to repress blushing and dismissed her compliment with a wave of his hand.

Just as Circe requested to accompany Vereshin on his quest, the crowd parted to reveal the Orc patrols brandishing their axes. The shopkeeper who had served him pointed a finger at his forehead and directed the guards towards him. Vereshin's eyes widened in silent anger, the energy surrounding his form turning an inky black as he stared the woman down, when he had committed no crime other than honestly purchasing her wares. Swallowing a breath, he placed a hand gently on Circe's shoulder and looked down at her.

"See those Orc Patrols?" He leaned in beside her cheek and whispered. "They think I'm going to resurrect the corpses buried in their sacred battle ground." A pause hung on the air between them. "Now, we can either flee using magic, or I can bullshit my way out." Still speaking quietly beside Circe's cheek, Vereshin cupped his chin in thought as he contemplated the situation. He doubted that the Orc Patrols would be anymore sympathetic if he explained that he was truly going to manipulate the spirits of the haunted battle ground. Then again, using magic to escape a crowded area would not go unnoticed. "What say you, young Elf?" Vereshin proposed in a chipper tone.

Circe Carolingian

 

[Circe Carolingian]

Cocking her head Circe scanned his body over, searching for any visible damage that she might've caused. While she scanned him with her eyes Circe tried to see if she could spot any weapons. If he carried a sword then a knight, a dagger or knife then a merchant. What Circe was most concerned about was if he carried no weapon.

What man could be so confident, could be so bold, as to not carry a form of self-defense. Even a proper lady like Circe carried a knife beneath her cloak. She snapped out of her severe observation and flashed him a quick smile.

"Step away from the street? Why?" Circe murmured. She pondered this for a moment. Did he have malicious intentions? Circe was slightly suspicious. Following him she made her way through the crowd, not touching anyone directly.

She froze upon feeling his hand upon her back. Her heart beat terribly fast, not for the physical touch but for the risk of having another so-called episode. She exhaled shakily, thankful that the thin cloth was separating his hand from her skin.

Laughing light-heartedly Circe reverted back to her rather chipper, somewhat timid self. "I try to explore everywhere. Occasionally you can find a few diamonds in the rough, you know? I never got to travel until about a year ago so I want to see everywhere that I can."

"I have nearly no sense of adventure and certainly not a thirst for danger. If anything I just cannot 'not' know anything, if that phrase makes any sense." Her eyes shifted, looking for any signs of danger.

"Ah, it's nice to meet you as well." She eyed his hand before pretending to not see it, slightly worried about what she might see if she did. "Vereshin," she mused to herself, "that's quite a unique name. I've never heard anything like it before. As I said, I am not one for adventure, I just like exploring. Look at that, already found something new and interesting!"

She swallowed hard, the uneasy feeling returning to her stomach as he spoke. Corpses? Resurrect? "Well," Circe began slowly, "are you planning on resurrecting them? I mean, do you have authority to do so?"

Circe understood why everyone was so afraid of him. A necromancer, one who dabbles in the dark arts. One who works with all that is dead. Exhaling she didn't know how to respond. She was surprised about how he had worded things, by his terms she was his new sidekick. "Not to be rude, but, we? I don't mean to offend you but, I was just wondering when 'we' became a duo?" She laughed yet again, not wanting to upset him.

Then again, Circe, being a wealthy elven female was quite the target in a malevolent city such as this and it would help having a necromancer by her side. Not to mention she feared that the authority figures of the city would be any better than the criminals. "Well, I think we can make it out of here. I think that we could be able to talk our way out of it."

Vereshin

 

[Vereshin]

As Circe looked him up and down, Vereshin quickly realized that she was checking to see if he was harmed, a considerate gesture which caused him to smirk internally. She was eager to help, which may prove useful in his endeavor. Although he rarely concerned himself with the plights of others, simple courtesy found him allies in the strangest of places. Peering around with disdain at the crowd, the mage affectionately stroked the herbs in his arms, as though they had felt being knocked over.

"Because you said that you don't like crowds?" An answer posed as a question intended to remind Circe of her previous expression. She had said that she did not like crowds, so Vereshin had offered to take her to the side of the street where there was fewer people. As Crice would come to realize, Vereshin's courtesy was not a guise, it was just him. "Come on, people are walking into us." He looked around, slightly flustered by the throng of people and brushed away the arms which collided with his own. When Circe remained hesitant to follow him, he shot her a gaze which might have pierced her forehead.

"My dear, if I really wanted to hurt you, you would know." Speaking sternly, Vereshin smacked a hand on his knee and ordered her to follow. He turned around and walked to a secluded clearing at the corner of a building, which was safely away from the center of the crowd. As he felt her recoil when his hand came into contact with her back, he did not excuse himself, failing to understand the need for her unease.

"So life in the system wasn't for you then?" Vereshin asked in response to Circe explaining that she liked to travel. Judging by her clothes, she must have been a noble, possibly a young lady who desired a more exciting life, although he could barely tell just from her appearance. "Wasn't for me either, I've been travelling ever since I was expelled from college." With a small bout of laughter, he regaled his own circumstances. When she complimented his name, he blushed again.

"Why thank you! I come from a very remote region, names like mine are common there." He placed a hand against his diaphragm as he offered his gratitude. Hints of a flowing accent hung on his words, which had since been lost by years of travelling among many races. "If exploring is all you're after, then you should be careful before coming to a place like Molthal. Plenty of refute here who would like to snatch up a pretty little Elf like you." He hinted in a wary tone. As he mentioned the prospect of resurrecting corpses, he could tell that Circe was becoming uneasy. The ends of Vereshin's mouth curved upwards into a sly smile as he allowed the girl's fear to fester before answering her question.

"Resurrect? Goodness no." Vereshin shook his head in affirmation. "I merely want to commune with the ghosts there." He explained as he held the herbs to his nose, enjoying the scent of lavender and myrrh. "Smell that, the properties isolate Orc spirits and ward them away." He handed the bundles to Circe and gestured to her to smell them as well.

"Didn't you say that you wanted to help me on my quest?" Vereshin questioned Circe's retort in regard to them to working together. "Well guess what? I need help." He poked her unease in an exaggerated tone. His face collapsed in disappointment when Circe suggested that they talk their way out of the situation, rather than use magic. "Ugh!" He groaned.

"Fine, but if things go pear-shaped, I'm trippin' void." Vereshin warned like a child on the verge of a tantrum. "You'll know what that means if things go pear-shaped." He repeated in tone devoid of concern. "Please hold these." With a deep sigh, he handed the remainder of the herbs to Circe and stood upright, peeling his back away from the wall. He brushed back his hair and made sure that every strand was held in place by the glossy oil, then strode away from the wall. "Stay beside me." Vereshin ordered as Circe and himself approached the Orc patrols.

Circe Carolingian

 

[Circe Carolingian]

A skeptical expression still painted on her face Circe listened to the man speak. He sure was good with words and there was no doubt that he'd be able to worm his way out of any situation or predicament that he encountered. Though she may be naive, Circe certainly didn't trust easily. Despite her own judgement, she was quite the adventurer, and tagging along with a necromancer could prove to be quite fun.

"Oh, I guess I did say that, didn't I?" Circe could tell that this man was trouble. Whether he intended to do something malicious to her, she couldn't tell, nor did she really want to. As the people entrapped the two wanderers in the crowd, Circe instinctually winced, not wanting to go through her rather stressful situation like earlier. She didn't respond to his urging her to walk away from the plethora of people, how could she? On the one hand he could just be thinking about her preferences, but on the other hand, drawing Circe away from the safety of a large crowd seemed rather suspicious.

All of her logical reasoning disappeared as Vereshin ordered her to follow, emphasized with the smack on his leg. Her eyes cast down towards her feet, his gaze unnerving. Without any further visible hesitation, Circe followed. She stayed silent, her only exclamation being when Vereshin's hand came very close to making contact with her skin.

"The system? Well, it's quite difficult to explore when guarded by sentries. Though it may seem like a childish endeavor, the only way to truly go adventuring is without anyone for you to fall back on." Circe dodged the question, smiling weakly as she heard Vereshin's own experience with order and authority. "Oh, for what reason were you removed from attending?" Hundreds of possibilities ran through her head. On top of his career and his appearance, she was a bit concerned upon hearing that he had been kicked out of college. She laughed lightheartedly along with him, not knowing what to make of the awkward situation.

"Ah well, it is quite the interesting name." A genuine smile spread across her thin lips, her head still quite confused about the mysterious and somewhat ominous man. "Well, exploring and adventuring isn't my only goal, it is what helps me complete the one that I am trying to accomplish. Besides, coming to places like these are quite exciting, you never know what's going to take place. I've managed to survive in Cerak, so I'm not too worried anymore."

Taking the herbs in her delicate hands she held it up to her nose, inhaling deeply. The sweet scent of lavender brought back memories of her childhood, living in the lap of luxury. The myrrh, in her opinion, was quite pungent, nearly giving the young elf a headache. Handing them back to their owner she furrowed her eyebrows, a bit upset and bitter that he was using her own words against her. "I did say that, but if we are doing something that we are not supposed to do, isn't that tempting fate?"

Upon his urging and continuation to pressure her she conceded. "I guess you're right. Alright, I'll help then." Raising an eyebrow at how he reacted to her more peaceful decision she stifled a laugh. How could someone so mature act like such a child? It lightened the mood and though it was somewhat petty Circe was glad he had reacted in that such way, she needed to laugh a little bit.

Struggling to juggle holding the herbs and keeping up with Vereshin's brisk pace Circe was red in the face with effort. "Well, alright then but we should try to keep things more quiet and peaceful rather than using magic immediately." Circe was worried, but as they approached the lumbering Orc Patrol she felt confident in their newly made partner, excited for the adventure that awaited the duo.

Vereshin

 

[Vereshin]

The small Elf followed Vereshin hesitantly, although not without the obvious suspicion painted on her features, mistrust which was entirely justified. Saying nothing, Vereshin merely smirked as she winced beneath the touch of his hand on her back. The marketplace behind them continued to flourish as they left the crowd, leaving Orcish denizens to cast their glances over darkly clad man and his Elven companion. Glancing from one side of the street to the other, Vereshin wrapped his hands around the upper part of his form and slid them side of his surcoat to warm them.

"Guarded by sentries? Goodness me, I don't think I could stand that." His voice dropped to a tone which may have sounded even a bit sympathtic. He was correct in assuming that Circe was born of nobility and while he could not relate to her heritage, he could empathize with the feeling of wanting to escape the confines of authority. "Studying among the college mages was bad enough." Wincing in distaste as he remembered his days at Elbion, he wondered to himself about Circe's family house. "Do your family know where you are, Circe?" He asked, genuinely curious to know how a high-born Elf had wound up in Molthal.

"I can relate to that, then again, I had never had anybody to fall back on." Vereshin shrugged. His brow furrowed as he remembered his mother. She was probably still trekking across the Taagi Baara and reading fortunes. "Circe..." Vereshin began, his voice laced with intrigue. "Did you run away?" The question was accompanied with a bout of laughter. Perhaps this timid little girl was tougher than she looked, or perhaps she was simply desperate to escape her noble life. Presumptions which Vereshin could not tell were true or not. When she asked why Vereshin was expelled from the Elbion college, he parted his lips in a devious smile which revealed rows of pitch black teeth.

"You don't want to know." Was all he said in response. Although he did not wish to frighten the girl, he also did not wish to see her run away so soon after meeting him. He enjoyed talking to her. "So you are tougher than you look. He said to Circe when she revealed that she had already survived travelling to Cerak At'Thul. "Cerak At'Thul, my word, you do get around." His eyes widened as he thought of Circe visiting the slaver islands, a place he had never visited himself. When he handed her the herbs, he noticed her wince as she smelled the myrrh, which brought a smile to his face.

Vereshin noticed Circe's features fall as he retorted against her asking how they became a duo, and since when. His own wit having got the better of him, he retrieved the herbs from the young girl and sighed, taking a moment to think before he spoke again. His wicked idea of humor, it would seem, did not amuse her sensibilities. Despite her timid nature, Circe was certainly a sensible young girl, for how else would she have survived travelling all the way from Cerak At'Thul to the north of Epressa. Where Vereshin made up for his skill with magic, Circe had more common sense.

"Bah! I could easily cast a plane of darkness and flee using the shadows!" Still disappointed by Circe urging him not to use magic, he hissed in dismay. Following a pause, Vereshin sighed and realized that he was being foolish. "But I suppose you're right, that's a good way of escalating the situation all the more. Since he had not harmed anybody in the region, adding more accusations to the Orc Patrol's monitoring of him was not a sound idea. "Alright, time to put on my best bullshit face." Following another sigh, Vereshin slicked back his hair and stretched the ends of his mouth into an exaggerated smile.

With Circe at his side, Vereshin left the wall and walked towards the Orc patrols. Without a word, he handed her the herbs. Just in case things did turn sour and he had to use magic, he would need his free hands for casting. He placed a hand against his chest and stroked the black fur wrapped around the top of his surcoat. Underneath, his black tunic and trousers melded with the monotonous lack of his colour conspicuous by his attire. Beside the Orc Patrols, the shopkeeper who had served him pointed a finger at his forehead, her grisly features set in stone. The ends of Vereshin's mouth dropped in rage and returned the cold stare. As the space dispersed, he extended both of his hands in a welcoming gesture.

"Good afternoon gentleman!" In a bright and chipper tone, he greeted the Orc patrols. They held their hands on their hips, their large axes gleaming with frost. "Problem?" Raising an eyebrow in a playful expression, Vereshin cupped his hands together and awaited their response. The desire to simply use magic pressed his will even stronger. He knew that he could effectively vanish without them even noticing.

Circe Carolingian

 

[Circe Carolingian]

She stood up straight, feeling a lot more comfortable now that there was no risk of her going into another fit of visions and the such. Circe took note of his being cold, shivering herself. Her slender ears twitched slightly as she was finally aware of the low temperature. Her nose began to turn red, or maybe she was simply imagining it, due to the cold. Nonetheless, Circe continued on, clutching the herbs to her chest.

"It's quite the hassle. Sometimes I think that it causes more problems than it prevents. Besides, it's impossible to get out and make friends. I mean who wants to be friends when someone is holding a knife to your throat to do so?" She could hear the slight sympathy, or perhaps it was mock pity? Circe had encountered that many times in her life but she was still terrible at identifying it. "Ah, I assume they're quite snobbish and arrogant? Even in the elven community, it is very exclusive, so much so that lower class elves are uncomfortable with the situation."

As he questioned about her family Circe shifted uncomfortably. "Well, not particularly. I'm guessing that they believe that I am residing in another house of ours when in reality it couldn't be further from the truth." She laughed and attempted to make the situation more lighthearted than it really was. She scrutinized him once again, this time watching his facial features. To the common eye they were nothing but full of emotion, but what Circe could see was that they were an illusion, a distraction from how Vereshin truly felt, or maybe it was her imagination.

"It's sort of an adrenaline rush being out on your own, just you against the world. You never know what's going to happen but that's the fun of it." She smiled, recalling her countless adventures and tales of exploration. Circe had had quite a few but by far this one was the most mysterious.

"Runaway? Goodness no. To run away you have to be running away from something. There's nothing back where I came from. Besides, I'm not necessarily running from something, I'm more running towards something. You know, the thrill of something new, something mysterious and unexplored?" She sighed happily, nearly dropping the herbs as she stumbled briefly before standing back up.

She reflexively cringed a bit upon seeing his ebony black teeth, quite the offputting sight to see. "Well you see Vereshin, I would like to know. If I didn't want to know then I wouldn't ask. Trust me, I may look innocent but I've seen quite a lot." Straightening up a bit more Circe flashed him yet another charming smile. "What kind of explorer would I be if I didn't travel everywhere? Cerak is quite the interesting place, I had to pretend to be a boy though, was quite the adventure."

As Vereshin took the herbs from her arms Circe swung her arms at her side freely. He was quite the interesting person, out of all people she could've met, she met a dark mage, a necromancer at that. However, he defied her beliefs of what she thought a necromancer would be like. He was polite, and rather humorous, though she didn't really find his jokes all that funny. He was cunning, and she had to count her lucky stars that he had not had malicious intent when talking to her. She did stay alert, you never did know what would happen.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you're capable of. For all, I care you would be able to stop time itself, but your actions would still catch up to you. In fact, they would most likely be devastating having attempted to evade them for so long. Magic is risky, and might I add, not free." Circe chastised herself inwardly, of course, he knew all this. He was a mage!

She sighed, it sure was an interesting predicament she had worked herself into, but all she could do at the moment was be her new companion's voice of reason. She kept her eyes low upon passing the angry female orc, she didn't want to cause any trouble, especially not in this town. Her mind began to wander as Vereshin and the Orc spoke, fantasizing about a warm meal or even just a blanket to wrap around herself. IN her fantasy she and a friend sat together, Circe laughed.

In reality, Circe laughed, earning her a collectively strange glance from both the Orcs and Vereshin. The head of the Orc Patrol's eyebrows contorted into a confused expression, clearly judging the small little elf. Clearing her throat she laughed sheepishly, face becoming bright red. "Sorry about that. Um, yes, I am with Vereshin. He's accompanying me on my sightseeing. We're actually just heading out to go look at the scenery, quite beautiful isn't it?"

The large battle axes gleamed in the dim, musty sunlight. She swallowed hard eyeing them, reminding Circe of the consequences of what would happen if her lies were found out to be so. "And no I am not fine. My toes are freezing, they're bound to fall off, not to mention my ears and nose. I've had a runny nose for days due to this weather and I am starving! Vereshin, I am not your comrade, goodness." She turned to face the Orc patrol, shaking her head after slapping Vereshin. "Serfs these days, who do they think they are."

Circe smiled up at the Orcs, hoping that they wouldn't notice her slight nervous expression and body language. "Ma'am, you're going to have to come with us." He growled gruffly, glaring at Vereshin before stepping towards Circe. Surprisingly, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, as if to guide her away.

"Unhand me!" Circe yelled loudly, jerking away from him and clutching onto Vereshin's arm, trying to repress her soul seeing abilities. Her bottom lip trembled as tears began to well up in her eyes. "I was assaulted!" Burying her face in Vereshin's arm Circe hoped that the Orcs would buy her performance and that Vereshin would know that it was.

The head Orc looked at his comrades, proficiently confused. "Ma'am I'm sorry, but you're still going to have to come with us." His voice was still as gruff as ever but she could hear the confusion and puzzlement of what to do. "Come on, you shouldn't be with this man."

"Vereshin, they're trying to hurt me!" She sobbed, leaning all of her bodyweight upon Vereshin's and crying dramatically, a bit overdramatically. Her legs went limp as she literally hung on Vereshin's shoulder, whimpering and whining pathetically.

The Orc Patrol were now quite confused. Their only options being separate the wailing girl from what seemed to be her only comfort or leaving her and the man be. Was it really worth the trouble?

"I-I, just wanted to have a good trip, and now I get in trouble for buying herbs." She hacked and coughed melodramatically before looking up at the Orc's backward, tears still dripping from her eyes.

Vereshin