Completed Sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith

[Caliane Ruinë]

Once the Wendigo was gone the little trio's work was not done. They had had to find someone to care for the child who had lost its mother and father to the beast, and Cali could think of no-one better than the kind man she had met when she first rolled into town. After that they had all bonded over food and drink. The town had thrown their arms open to the group who had rid them of their demon and the three had had warm beds to rest their weary bodies in for the night.

But the three could not linger for long. All of them had paths they had to follow. Jirou was heading North, to Elbion he had mentioned, to see some friends from long ago that missed him. Cali was heading back towards Allira and she had been pleasantly surprised to find her new friend, Eren'thiel Xyrdithas was heading in the same direction before continuing on towards The Spine. Part of her wanted to travel further too, but she was not ready to return home just yet. There was so much to see and do before she gave her Elders their first report on the outside world.

The pair waved a fond farewell to Jirou at a crossroad and watched him disappear into the treeline before continuing on themselves. Eren had seemed a quiet fellow during the night before. It was the Ronin who had become the life of the party once he had had a few good bottles of wine in him. Cali smiled to remember it. It was nice to see people enjoy life with such wild abandon at times, and a marked change to how he had been during their quest. Erën was more of a mystery and one she was curious to know more about. She had not spent much time in the company of another Ground-Elf - her dealings with them had been in passing or too quick to really talk on matters of kin.

Their footsteps were the only sounds for a while. Erën and his horse, whilst Cali walked. Riding a horse was an entirely odd concept, though she had decided she liked the creatures. Especially this white one which kept nuzzling at her hair and neck. The cloak was back around her shoulders. The heavy material covered her wings and fell to her heels so not a hint of feather could be seen. But, as she was with another elf, she didn't bother to hide her ears and flaming red hair. She had however changed out of her hunting gear - it was covered in blood and even though she had attempted to scrub it it needed a proper caring for not just a dunking in a lukewarm bath water. She had brought herself new pieces instead - some dark blue leggings and a white tunic over the top of which she wore an lighter blue underbust corset to help keep the tunic in place after she had cut out appropriate wing slits.

Cali glanced to her quiet companion and idly kicked a pinecone down the path in front of them.

"So what business takes you to The Spine, Erën?"

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Erën let a wry grin flash across his features as his trusted mare nudged Caliane. She was a shrewd horse, and quite a good judge of character. He was pleased to see her approval of the Avariel's presence. For likely untold years, even perhaps centuries he'd walked these roads alone - save for such perhaps "lesser" companions. And though for the most part he enjoyed that, and true he never truly was alone, he found that he too had grown fond of Caliane's company.

He watched the pinecone skitter ahead.

"So what business takes you to The Spine, Erën?"

"It is a part of my appointment. Our Order is bound to maintain justice throughout Arethil - and to stand ever vigilant should the evil of the Dark Ones return..." though he was one who would argue, that had happened already. Long ago.

"From our city in Falwood - my home, to beyond Belgrath to the borders of Molthal is my station, and I patrol these lands."

It was a vast distance. Surely, travel was something he was quite proficient at.

"There was a time I would never travel so far... but our numbers have grown few."

There was a heaviness in his voice, a long carried burden. It went beyond these tasks he spoke of, and whispered a tale far darker than a dwindling population. It groaned of catastrophe.

He looked down to her from his steed, an easy expression on his face despite the silent song of despair, "what of you, Caliane? ... My people and I once thought your kind to be lost to time... where, if I may ask, have you been?"

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Now the Falwood she did know. Most Avariel's did; there was an ancient city in its depths that had been around when the Avariel had vanished from the world. It was the elves of Falwood who had not helped her people in their hour of greatest need. She pressed her lips into a thin line as the histories swept over here. But, if her people were to return to this world they needed to get over that past and learn to trust again. Take a leap of faith.

She was intrigued by this Order he spoke of. It sounded almost... religious from his tone. Or sacred in some manner. She hadn't been aware the Elves had created some sort of Order like the humans had, but then it might not be the same. From his descriptions however, it inclined her to think along those lines. She had been about to ask a series of follow up questions but he got there first.

A deep sigh.

"Around," skirting the subject she wound her fingers into the horses mane and scratched at that sweet spot where the mane met the animals neck. "Watching. My people do not think it is wise to return. They believe the world has not changed enough from the days before the Closing." She looked up suddenly, remembering what Willis had thought had driven the Avariel away.

"Did you too think we were all wiped out in the Great War with the Dwarfs?"

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"Around,"

​

Now that had been a profoundly cryptic response, but given the recent history of the Avariels - or rather the lack of, it was the type of response one could expect. He chose not to pursue the matter. The simple fact that she strode alongside him now - much to his amazement - was in itself a testament to the secrecy they had kept in their disappearing. He could... empathize with such a thing. He too, was weary to tell many of Sharyrdaes - though he imagined, and sincerely hoped, that the circumstances were different.

"Did you too think we were all wiped out in the Great War with the Dwarfs?"

He almost chuckled, "No... no, we did not."

The Sharyrdians had held a good report with many lineages of dwarves. Many of those had dwelt in Sharyrdaes for generations, before they departed for Belgrath some time before the Eventide... when any left had perished.

"The dwarves are capable of many things, but to undo your kind... No. We feared a much more terrible foe."

He looked off into the distance, admiring the shimmering of Sunlight on blown grass. Then he looked back to her. She held a beauty that rivaled that of Sharyrdaes' finest, but while they were often quite fair the darkness of her hair mixed with the shades made visible in the day were a delight to his eyes.

His eyes cast to the ground, before he stopped and dismounted. Their pace was leisurely enough, and he percieved an anxiousness in his steed. She needed to run.

He gave her a pat, and she cantered on ahead and found some grass to nibble on before kicking about excitedly and charging on forward. She turned, still well in few, and carried on back past them and then around again. The saddlebags jangled about, but she was easy enough to not buck anything free. There was very little for her to anyway.

He watched, somewhat disinterested. But there was a soft gleam of approval, pleased with the enjoyment he beheld. She was a stalwart horse, she deserved some joy.

He walked now alongside Caliane. He had no choice but to don his ordinary gear - but the benefits of not needing sleep as others do is he could forego its grasp and carry on until he wished - to a point. It enabled him a greater breadth of time to tend chores which if left unattended - well he'd certainly be less pleasant company for at least one sense.

It wasn't a perfect job, as there was only so much time. But he didn't wreak of odor and death - he couldn't ask for much else.

He decided he'd carry on, rather than discomfort her for her less than forthgiving description of her home.

"It is written in those days that the Avariel's called to Fal'Addas for aid..." he shook his head, "the Order learned from this folly. We had trusted too long in their... archaic ways. Their prejudices."

He stopped, and looked to Caliane earnestly, "since those days, we have abandoned the old creed of the ancestral city. The Conclave issued for their Swords to go forth in their name, a beacon of light for all. Yea, even the dwarves, even Men. But the Avariels... there are songs sang in the halls of Nykios and Tychan in the Temple of the Holy City - a lament for the beauty our blood shared, and lost."

His words were kind, but there was a strict formailty despite the genuine tone. He placed his heart upon his chest and bowed his head cordially.

"As the first Aeraesarian to lay eyes on an Avariel for untold time... I would be honoured for you to accept our apology for our foolishness."

He did not betray it, but he could not help but feel a deep shame. He offered her words... only words. Empty words. If her people needed his now, then it would be a hollow help. The time of their great grandeur was long lost to them, and to ever reclaim it seemed impossible. The time for aid had passed. Perhaps had they not been so foolish then Sharyrdaes would never have suffered as it did. Aid for them, in their time, might have come.

He thought of the humans, and their group of Luminari. They sought unity among all of Mankind. Perhaps the elves too, needed to explore such an aim.

Caliane Ruinë

​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

A worse foe. Interesting.

Cali said nothing as he dismounted, curiosity written plain across her face and then understanding when he let the horse run. It was the same freedom she sought in the skies when the ground grew too much. There were a few horses in The Spine - winged ones she had watched as a small child on her mothers lap - and the same joy she had found in them she found in watching the white mare prance about. Her lips twitched into a smile. But soon she was distracted by his continuing of the tales his people had for hers.

The winged elf came to a stop two paces after Erën stopped. Confusion marred her features for a moment before he continued his tale and she read the earnestness of his feelings.

Hearing the differing tales of why her people had disappeared from the world was a morbid fascination of Caliane's. Everyone seemed to have heard of them. There was some story they had heard at a bar or by the feet of a grandmother. None of them the same. Dwarfs, plague, war, divine intervention, Templars. The story tended to go hand in hand with a persons belief on whether her kind were monsters. There were some quite outrageous legends out there.

She had heard one little girl tell her friends that the Avariel were winged demons who feasted on the hearts of children who did not go to bed on time. Secretly, that was Caliane's favourite tale.

A big sigh.

"You do not have to apologise for a mistake made so long ago, Erën," though she had no doubt the Elders would appreciate it, Cali couldn't hold the mistakes of a people who were all probably dead over the heads of their children. She felt she owed him the explanation so she inclined her head they should keep walking as she spoke.

"It is true, we called for aid. We called for aid from the Elves. From the Men. From the Dwarfs. Someone had taken three of our children," it felt nice not to have to explain to someone the importance that held among elves, so rare were births. "Nobody offered help aside from the Sky Elves. When the bodies turned up dead in different realms, the Elders demanded help to discover who had committed such a horrible crime. But again, nobody answered. They were mutilated, the poor things," Cali closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun as if it might chase away the memories of her own torture for similar reasons, committed only recently.

"Someone was experimenting on how our wings work. The Elders decided it was safer for our kind if we closed our doors to the world. They clearly thought themselves above helping an ally. The Avariel cut off their outlying cities, called everyone home to Thyasari and then knocked out the old trade routes. You can only get to my city if you can fly now.

It is partly why I am here. I am trying to find reasons for them to open the doors again to the world."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"You do not have to apologise for a mistake made so long ago, Erën,"

​

He nodded his thanks. If she was to be an envoy for her people, then her benevolence was a tribute to them. If she were of the creed of Fal'Addas, or most other elves, then the sins of the fathers would certainly follow in the shadows of the sons. But he had long expected their ways to have been as she displayed. Great was a creature who could attain the power of flight. The Avariels were most certainly of pure, and righteous blood. He was indeed honoured.

He betrayed a wince at the mention of lost youth. More and more - since the Battle of the Blades, there were memories that haunted him. Elan. His friend. She had perished in that battle, young as she was brave. It had been a strange thing... but when he had found her dead on that beach, and looked into her lifeless eyes, all he had seen was his own daughter. The daughter he rode home to, many years ago - a home that had been decimated and left in ruin.

Like Elan... he had found her too.

He loosed a quiet... broken breath.​

He listened closely to her tale, intrigued by the mention of the Sky Elves. He'd heard of their lot, and imagined them to be zealous worshippers of the Avariels'...legend. If that were true then they lived up to it well from what she spoke. He would indeed like to meet these elves, too. They saw great benefit in flight, and truly since his own brief experience he continued to dwell on it from time to time. It had been, remarkable.

He'd even read of ancient warriors of the Sharyrdian Order, capable of flight by some other means... but those texts were largely lost and discredited as stories. He too, thought them nothing but that. Stories. Stories he remembered.

"Someone was experimenting on how our wings work. The Elders decided it was safer for our kind if we closed our doors to the world...
...called everyone home to Thyasari...
...You can only get to my city if you can fly now...

It is partly why I am here. I am trying to find reasons for them to open the doors again to the world."

He nodded, and uttered a gentle murmur. Then, he fell silent for a time. He was grieved that they had suffered as they had. It was a terrible thing. His daughter too, was one of the few youths. But at that time... there was so much more...

The longer he lived, the more and more he felt he had come to understand the world, the Gods, and how they operated - at least some. The Avariels had made the call, and Falwood did not answer - and look at it now. The time of the elves had indeed grown dark since, of this there was no doubt. But... there were some in this world, some of whom he'd met over time and others he only believed existed. Some that were maybe worthy of their consideration.

Some, who like he would be appalled at the mention of such experimentation. It stoked a fire in him, one whose heat he often pointed toward Man.

"I am... truly sorry..." he breathed, his voice nearly taken. The malevolence of this world weighed on him heavily, more and more with each passing day. To hear of such tragedy... to be a parent and know, that your childs' final moments were of anguish... and terror...

To be subjected to such horror...

"I fear," he said after some time, "there may be all too few you will find."

He carried on a few paces.

"There are some, Caliane, who are kind. Some who seek order, and justice. Some who would have came to you. Some."

His words carried weight, but it was a biased weight. One tied to various others.

"I emplore you, to be... cautious. For I have seen with my own eyes..."

He remembered his kin. How the curse that grasped all of Aeraesar had twisted them into demons of the night. Instruments of an unholy orchestra whose melody was only death.

"Even the brightest of lights can go dark."

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane clasped her hands behind her under her cloak as they walked and she listened. It was a valued skill as a Hunter to listen, even more so as a Lieutenant which was the rank she had risen too before her capture. It made others feel like they could speak their mind and come to her with problems she hoped to solve. Right now, however, it was because of the wisdom he could give her. She didn't know exactly how old Erën was but she knew he had a couple of centuries on her. It was stupid to ignore his words on that alone, but he also knew these lands better than she did.

Her brow marred as he spoke of the bad in this world still and uncertainty played across her mind. She too, had seen the bad even during her short time here. But she couldn't help to hope. Perhaps that was the folly of youth but she could only see her people fading and dying if they continued on this path of isolation. They needed the newer technology and the trade that mingling with outsiders could bring.

"That is what my father thinks too," a deep sigh. "What all the Elders think. My mother was one of the few who petitioned for me to go and learn more," Cali chewed her bottom lip in thought, her emerald green eyes dark as she cast her mind back over the past few months of freedom.

"But I do worry what will happen to my people if we stay away from the world. There is already so much we are missing from our lives because of this self imposed isolation. I mean... have you ever tried chocolate?" The red head looked at him, eyes full of wonder before her lips twitched and it faded; a joke. But the point remained. Whilst it might have been Cali's personal favourite discovery there were more useful things that could help her people.

"I do understand the risks though, it was not by choice I rejoined the world."

There was a dark tone to her voice and a sad one too full of personal pain. Memories she still couldn't reflect back on.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"Well... it is difficult to call any one - either your mother or father, wrong."

In fact, he quite agreed with Caliane's own judgement. Isolation could only persist for so long. Nevermind the havoc it could wreak on a kingdom's economy, but the social implications as well. It was a very thing such as this that had hardened Fal'Addas against the hearts of their kin. They'd become too
...sheltered.

The mention of chocolate: he failed to hide his entertained surprise. He laughed. Of all the things he had expected her to present he had not expected that! But, it was a strange laugh. One stifled back behind for far too much time, suffocated of the true joy it could once declare.

But he laughed all the same, "yes. I have heard of chocolate..." he hummed.

"I do understand the risks though, it was not by choice I rejoined the world."

The tone her voice carried had coloured her melancholy, and he felt the sorrow in her words. She too had suffered in duty, and through no choice of her own was handed her appointment - go into the world. Not unlike the Swords of the Order. Not unlike him.

"It would seem, we have found kindred spirits in one another..." his words carried softly, and he did seek to capture her gaze.

For all of their talking while they walked, Erën had lost track of their place and time. It wasn't until they came to the crest of hill, looking out across a rolling, rocky plain. In the southern horizon he looked, and in the distance he saw a tall stone reaching into the sky. He hummed in thought, noting the familiar landmark. His eyes looked out across the land again, looking for something, which his eyes found. His horse came trotting up alongside, and he hooked his arm under her neck and gave her an affectionate pat.

He looked up, seeing still a few hours light, " we should soon make camp."

He inclined his head toward the mark he'd found. Her elven eyes would clearly see that far across the plain behind another line of trees, the battlements of an old tower, or small fort peeked above. He'd rested there before, many times.

"These lands are quite perilous at night," he said, half distracted as his eyes carefully scanned the surround for a sign of movement, "the structure there will shield us from the evening's wind."

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

It was nice to hear Erën laugh and she couldn't keep the responding smile from creeping back across her face, chasing away the demons of her past from her eyes. With the shadows gone once more she turned her gaze to him as he turned towards her. Kindred spirits... His eyes held an aching amount of history and not all of it was happy or carefree. She wondered what had forced him into the world from his home. The Order was one that rang a bell at the very back of her mind but it had been a long time since she had felt the need really to study other Elfish cultures. She had never thought she would leave her home.

For a moment they seemed to simply stare at one another. No... he did understand, she thought finally as he broke their eye contact and looked out ahead of them. Cali had been following the route she had seen from the sky when she had travelled from Aliria here but had been happy for Erën to take the true lead; she didn't know the footpaths well at all. She only walked to enjoy his company.

"Sounds good to me," her eyes followed his finger as he pointed out where their destination was before glancing to the horse and her companion. "You know, I do not mind if you want to ride, it is getting dark you would reach it quicker with her speed beneath you."

Cali adjusted the pack slung over and between her shoulders and then patted her quiver and bow to make sure they were in place. If it was indeed unsafe lands they were about to cross she would prefer them close to her person if needed.

Then, a thought.

"In fact," a wicked smile. "I can race you."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He was not too interested in climbing atop his horse while Caliane had no such reprieve. But then of course it hit him with the sound of her challenge. A challenge he quite clearly took an interest in. Fun. It had been some time.

"In fact," a wicked smile. "I can race you."

His head turned back to her, slowly. From the corners of his eyes he peered at her, an oddly playful look from one so stern. She was so different to those he was accustomed to. He never truly spent much time with others outside of his own people - and certainly did not jest with any of them. Even his own people... there were so many facets to their culture and their very being that things like, fun, laughter, joy. They were there, but they were hollow. So shared between others it was almost not even yours.

This was different. He could not read her thoughts, he did not feel her motives or desires. It was difficult for Aeraesarians - like the Avariels he supposed, to trust others because of these things. But he, over time, had learned to see past these things if he could. And in fact, he even felt he might prefer it. Her presence, the uncertainty, it felt... pleasant. Like that day in Vel Anir, sweeping through the streets of Vel Anir with the half orc he only later called friend.

There had been much uncertainty there, and yet he'd found a close friend in that disaster. One he would without hesitation call on for aid, or rush headlong to theirs.

"Oh, my dear friend. Your people have indeed been gone too long," he climbed atop his horse and settled himself in, "the mares of Sharyrdaes are of the swiftest in all of Arethil."

He grinned and inclined his head, "at your ready."

Caliane Ruinë

​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane was laughing as she removed her cloak and put it into the satchel she carried about her person. In honestly, she had half expected a serious rebuke for suggesting they do something so frivolous. He had been so stern in the last day she had known him, had not thought he would rise so easily to her bait. As he readied himself she too readied her equipment. There were laces on her bags, quiver and case that she tied with deft fingers around her thighs to hold them in place so that her movement in the air would not disturb them and become a distraction. Content everything was secure she gave the horse a friendly pat and then took a few steps away so that she could spread her wings to their full reach then dropped to a sprinting crouch.

The white feathers glistened in the sun and the red feathers stood out even more starkly because of it. They lay across the grass with a breath between them and the floor. Such a movement took a fair amount of strength but for the Avariel it was as effortless as walking.

"Clearly we have been gone from the world so long if you believe a mere horse can outpace an Avariel's wings, My Friend," she threw his term back at him, cast him a look and then sent a small bit of fire, like a floating candle, into the sky.

"When the fire bursts. First one to the pillar," for she believed in fairness. It would do no good to say good when she knew it was coming. The fire hovered there for three beats of the heart before bursting into an explosion of little lights, much like the fireworks the Mages of Elbion could create. On the klaxon Cali flung her wings back and then down on one quick beat and shot herself into the air. The force of the wind her movement created ripped the heads of a few flowers and sent them flying towards him.

The race was on.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"When the fire bursts. First one to the pillar,"

​

He could not help but smirk. But his face quickly turned stern as he readied himself to go. He took a deep breath. He felt a feeling of excitement. Like butterflies, he had heard someone say once. In this moment he felt that was an astute description. Then it burst, and in a breath the pair of them ignited in a flurry of hoof and wing beats.

But he could not help but marvel. The sight of her wings as she drew them into the air, and then the force they carried as they drove the air beneath them against the ground and propelled her high into the sky. There was an explosion of dust, and flora, and a few dazzling petals fluttered across his scope as they departed from where they were. His horse was strong and true, and for all her speed all she lacked were wings of her own to take her to the skies. She drove hard, urged by Erën's careful nudges. He needed not to punish her, and pain her to have her move.

She did so freely, at his behest.

But for all the strength in her lungs, for all the power in her great strides as dirt and rock was flung into the air - there could be no comparison. Overhead Caliane's great wings blotted out light and cast long, looming shadows. But he did not yet look. She may have gotten ahead but they would not fail so willingly. Harder they rode, harder they raced. As she galloped, her mane flailed to and fro and was joined by his also windswept locks. Their vision was like one, their bond clearly strong.

It will be an honest effort - if nothing else.
​

Soon, they drew nearer to their mark...

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane sighed in bliss as the wind hit her wings and the sky welcomed her home like a lover. It was truly where she felt most at ease. She was conscious though not to get too high; she didn't want to attract unwanted attention and the best way to avoid detection was to skim low to the ground or to soar high above the clouds. It was high she went first, seeking the soothing cool currents before she swept back down, over the head of the horse and her rider to sweep ahead low over the grass.

It was clear she was enjoying herself from the musical laughter that she left in her wake. A hand reached out and played with the grass as she flew before two more large beats of the wings sent her up into the air. Once there she tipped herself backwards in a loop with a carefree ease before levelling out alongside Erën, her wings at the same height as his cheek.

Their destination loomed up in front of them. Cali had been keeping pace with him up until this point as if it really were a contest, but now their destination was so close she couldn't help the slight smirk. Her wings tilted slightly, caught a stronger current and in the same moment pushed backwards again to propel herself in front of them both. It wasn't long before even they couldn't even catch her long shadow.

Cali was sat on the top of the pillar with one leg folded over the other when he finally did arrive, drumming her fingers off the rock.

"Took your time."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

The hard beats underneath. The wind through their hair. Their breath, joined as one. His legs strained hard as he hovered over the mare, leaning down, moving as she moved. His vision was like a tunnel - he was determined to test Caliane's flight, to see if all he suspected was true. Any truths were likely half - but he suspected she was capable of feats one such as he would likely not fathom. Sweat beaded on his brow. His focus was concrete - and the sound of a sweet melody floating by and the flickering of her shadow broke it.

He looked as she came alongside. A corner of his lip rose, and he looked ahead again. She's toying with us, he silently mused. And sure enough, this proved quite true. With movements hardly discernable she seemed effortlessly propelled ahead, all while Erën gave all he had and more. He eased, and his horse's pace slowed. He needn't push her any more, a part well played.

He admired Caliane as she departed. She had such freedom at her disposal, such a wonderful blessing. One she obviously did not take for granted given the sound of her joy. Indeed, she was akin to the majesty of a gryphon while in flight. Thinking on that made it quickly quite clear how it could be that there were those who would seek to take what she and her kind possessed for their own. He frowned at the thought, but removed it from his mind before he cantered up to her - who seemed quite comfortably perched.

"Truly remarkable," he called up to her, "I have seen many magnificent things in my years, Caliane. You, and your people..." he looked down, shaking his head - unable to find the proper words, "... simply amazing."

His eyes drifted along familiar sights, and he looked to the direction of his preferred campsite once he'd identified the way. There they'd find a large tree to lodge beneath, and an assortment of derelict structures to shield them from the north. A nearby river was also home to a usually plentiful supply of fish. This quite frequently drew in some more... satisfying game.

He looked back up to her, "just a short ways from here, now."

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane twisted at the waist to look in the direction her companion was, trying to figure out where he thought in particular was a good place to camp. The Avariel had pretty much just been sleeping in the rafters of trees whenever she needed to, at peace off the ground. It was the Hunters way. With there not being any obvious landmarks to her eyes she tipped forward like one might if they were about to dive off a boat and spread her wings again. On silent wings she glided to the floor, pulling up short before she hit it. Her wings gave three long beats as she righted herself and then folded in her wings once her toes touched the ground.

"Your horse is very good," Cali smiled by way of acknowledging the compliment he bestowed upon her. Gently she stroked down the horses nose and then scratched her behind the ears. "Nearly had me," she murmured to the white steed and produced an apple she had picked up on her flight, offering it to the mare before stepping away.

"If you think that was good maybe one day you will see the Sprinters - now they can move, truly," Cali shook her head thinking back on the demonstrations of their power.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"I would very much enjoy that," he said over the crunching his companion made - quite pleased with the treat.

And he would - though he felt himself to be somewhat, ill-suited as a representation of any kind. Perhaps many years later, if the Avariels open the doors of Thyasari to the world he would see such a sight. Perhaps by then he'll have brought an end to the plight of Sharyrdaes and its doors too, may be opened.

He caught himself.

It had been a long time since he had even considered that possibility. Imagined that hope. It was an almost sickening notion in a way, like a carrot dangled just ahead out of reach - only to look again and see the carrot reaching back for you with sharpened claws and eyes of blood. But still, someday. Maybe after his time.

"How long has it been, since any Avariels have ventured out?"

He only knew the tales, he knew nothing of certainty besides what she shared.

After once again dismounting to lessen her burden, he allowed the horse to roam free. She knew these parts well. They were only a few moments walk to the site, where the careful eye would see signs here and there of previous activity. He sauntered near to the large, looming tree like one would into a lifelong dwelling, and he placed his palm upon it. Just near him, hidden under some vines amid the roots was a small box. He reached down and grabbed it, and turned to Caliane.

"How about since your last hunt?"

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane seemed thrilled he would like to see a part of her world. It was a worry that even when they opened their doors people would not be interested in rekindling their relationship with the Avariels. She followed the older elf quietly as she thought on how best to answer his question, wracking her own brains to try and remember too.

"Some of our kind do leave, though I cannot really think when I last heard of one doing so. Some are cast out too for disobeying laws that don't warrant death. Then there are the soldiers... We have this armour that hides our wings. Sometimes when the Elders decide it is in our interests to be a part of the war they will wear this armour and act on the behalf of some made up colony of elves somewhere in The Spine."

As they stepped under the tree she reached up and played a leaf through her fingers before letting her hand drop and returning her gaze to Erën. Then to the box in his hands with growing curiosity.

"Do you mean for food hunting?" Cali tilted her head to the side. "Not that long ago, though it is a little harder in terrain I do not know when hunting on foot. Wings can get in the way and if the undergrowth gets too thick it can make it difficult."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He nodded. But of course, any hunter unaccustomed to the grounds would likely have apprehension. But, in truth, he did not believe they would have need for much guile. No, instead he felt simply her skill with a bow would be quite enough. As night came upon them, the fish often fled nearer to surface waters until just after dark. That could draw predator, or perhaps a deer or the sort to drink. It was sure to attract something.

As for him, his methods often included traps, and various other obstacles - his ability to use a bow was far less than insufficient. An ailment, he simply never knew any different from. But as a child - it had been a topic of interest, concerning which appointment he would attain. But in those days, they had never expected the fluidity he would display with a blade. Through time he grew into the finest swordsman in all of Aeraesar - even long before their numbers had grown scarce.

Still, that aided him little when it came to his meals. He forsaw a much easier time, than at least he was used to.

He handed her the box to inspect if she wished. Inside... something most precious. A humble assortment of some spices in small jars - the absolute finest Sharyrdaes produced. But, that production long ago ceased, and the box's enchantments served to preserve that which remained. He shared them with her, and in fact...

"They are yours," he explained where they'd come from, their value to him. It was great, "a gift." And a quite humble one, no matter their worth, "to you- your people, from mine... it may be long before more ever comes, but you'll not find spices like these here in Epressa."

Even in all of Arethil they would be difficult to match, though... perhaps Amol-Kalit. They were renowned for such things.

His horse shortly thereafter returned, and he went about removing her saddle, "if we head just east, to the river there, I have no doubt this will be an easy hunt."

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

The gift was a surprise and Cali hesitated to take it. It seemed that he came through here often enough that he had kept a box there and a part of her felt guilt for being given it. She quietly rummaged through it, taking the little jars out to inspect them curiously before putting them back in the safety of the box and selecting another. She hadn't even heard of some of these spices, but Cali liked her food flavoured well and not the bland stuff the humans seemed to eat the majority of the time. It was a precious gift. She hugged it to her chest and offered him a humble smile.

"I must confess I'm not sure they will make it back to my people," she walked forward and put it back in the little hole for the time being. "But the gift is a treasured one, thank you, Erën," Cali rested her hand on his arm for a fleeting moment before she set about sorting out her bow. The mention of the hunt had her sliding back into her true skin. This was the Path she had chosen despite her fathers protests after all. She was good at it, very good at it. Once the bow was strung and she tested it she then pulled her pack off over her head and buried it amongst the trees roots.

"After the excitement yesterday I will not say no to an easy hunt," a pause. "Will there be many people around?" she was looking at her wings as she spoke, the warring emotions of not wanting to put the cloak on but knowing it might be necessary to avoid an attack was plain on her face. Putting the cloak on everyday was like shutting off a piece of her very soul and it killed her a little bit to hide it. But she would prefer that to being put back in a cage or hunted.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He did away with his cloak. His armor as well. It was a fairly involved process to do so, having been crafted in ways that afforded him a great deal of mobility as well as protection. Given proper inspection, the quality - even beauty of the plate was quite evident. There were intricacies to every part of it that resembled a thing more like artwork than anything else. A diligence in its forging, and its shaping, and decorated with embelishments of a simple majesty - worthy of kingly blood.

But it was worn, and faded. Where there may have been a vibrant colour it had long since gone grey. A line of tiny inscription or an elegant image, mashed or dinged from battle. He cared for the armor, but he was no smith - and all of their forges lay in ruin.

A relic of a time now gone.

He laid his gear aside, left with light layers of linen and leather trousers. He opted for bare feet, enjoying the cool ground against his skin. He donned his sword.

"Well even if they do not, after this night you can tell tales of them," he grinned, turning to leave with her toward the river.

"Will there be many people around?"

He paused. In truth, he had failed to consider that. He was no accustomed to resorting to the kind of secrecy that Caliane subjected herself to, and understandably so. It was one thing to learn of Sharyrdaes, and brave the cursed land in search of it to likely your own demise. It was another to go in search of secrets to one's blessings, seeking to steal them - cruely at that.

He contemplated for a moment, "it is rare to come across travellers here anymore. After this fortress fell to a horde of undead some hundred years ago... well, the land is surely cursed."

That could bode one of two ways for them. Either the false claim of cursed land would deter any travellers from coming anywhere near where they were, or; someone may very well see them, and take offense to Caliane for the same, false, claim. He frowned, loathe to advise anyone to hide who they are.

He sighed, "there is a chance, Caliane."

There is always a chance, he thought, but he did not feel it his place to say.

Caliane Ruinë​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

There is a chance...

There would always be a chance. She had taken it a moment ago to play a reckless game across an open field and in hindsight she cursed herself for it. But it had felt so... good to be herself. This man knew what she was and he didn't flinch, didn't treat her any differently for it. It was nice to run with another elf like this. As much as she loved the other Monster Hunters there was nothing quite the same as someone who could understand the boundaries of their kind. Did she trust Erën to have her back should the need arise?

The answer to her question decided her dilemma and with a decisive nod she led the cloak and satchel behind and followed after him towards the river.

"Life is not life without risk," Cali offered for the look he gave her. She focused instead on her bow and took three arrows out of her quiver, one of which she knocked. The other two lay flush against the curve of the wood. It was a relaxed grip but it did mean if she needed to shoot it would be quick and easy to do so rather than fumbling around later.

"There seems to be a lot of undead around - wherever I go there is a story about some Necromancer it seems. Are they becoming a particular problem?"

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He pursed his lips in acceptance of her decision. One he too would have made - or at least he thought he would. He watched her proceed a few paces, a curious expression on his face. She was quite brave, he realized. His eyes cast to the ground and darted about a moment as he considered, would he do as she did? Still half distracted he began to follow, forgetting that he was the one who knew the way.

"There seems to be a lot of undead around - wherever I go there is a story about some Necromancer it seems. Are they becoming a particular problem?"

He gave his head a mental shake, and advanced quickly to come alongside her.

"In some places, yes..." his mouth curled into something, like disappointment, "...the power the Dark Ones offer is frivolous, and easily wielded for those with any capacity. It can even be bought - for a price. On top of this there has been much death throughout the land. Raising a formidable army can occur quite quickly for one who is talented."

There was a sting to his final words, one he could not help but accompany with resentment written on his features, then it softly eased.

"There is a legend," he started, the sound of the water coming within earshot, "regarding these ruins, and those legions of dead. They say an elf, as fair as freshly fallen snow, arrived here some time before. That while he was here, he prayed for each and every child in the surrounding village - now long gone."

He heard a snap in the distance, and he ducked down some and, and after a moment of nothing he carried on with a hushed tone, "they say he came and prayed for the people. That he stayed for several months, aiding the sick - feeding the poor. But then the undead came, and killed them all - except the elf. They say his benevolence was so great, that the ravenous dead could not touch him."

They came upon the river, the orange of the waning sun dancing across the current, sparkling in his eyes. He scanned the bank one way, and then the other, and he saw nothing. Yet. He listened, deeply. He closed his eyes, and sank down to one knee placing an open palm upon the ground. He remained there for a time, and then a half smirk appeared, and a slight nod.

Oh there was something out there alright... yes, yes run along get nice and thirsty...​

Erën had done little more than feed on seeds, berries and leaves for the past several weeks. He was well overdo for a proper meal.

Caliane Ruinë ​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Even though her gaze was on their surroundings she was paying attention to the story Erën told about these lands. She had to admit that since she had rejoined the world it was the Necromancer cases that gave her the most pause. Unconsciously her mind drifted to the Loot Runners mission she had gone on near the beginning of her Monster Hunter training and of the Avariel grave yard she had found there. Imagine all of those risen and fighting another creatures war. It was a horrifying thought. It was rare for them to possess the type of ferocious magic Caliane held within her soul, but like all elves they learnt and mastered spells that could be quite nasty for any on the receiving end.

They would turn into the creatures of the dark legends humans muttered about if they fell into the hands of such dark mages.

"All legends are born from a truth, it might be wise to see whether it was because that elf possessed a spell that has since been lost."

When they reached the river Cali loosened her half draw on the bow and also went to one knee beside the pool of water, taking the opportunity to fill the flask she carried with her before taking a long gulp. Flying, whilst it might seem effortless, was the same as running. It required power and energy. Their long wings helped them to stay airborne for longer but it was training that was the real key factor, and Cali was still feeling the impacts to this day, months after her capture, for the slackening of those muscles during captivity.

Once her thirst was gone she slotted it back into place on her hip and then took up her bow again, looking for a good place to use as cover if this was to be a stakeout game. Spying the willow a bit down she took one step and then a hop an she swept in a lazy glide up and into the branch, settling her wings against her back before belly crawling a little further up into the canopy.

"What do you sense coming?"

Another benefit to working with another elf, she didn't need to raise her voice for him to catch her words on the wind.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He joined her kneeling by the water. He had not brought his canteen, but that was unimportant for just now. His hand dove in, and he quietly cupped a few hand fulls of water and drank from it.

"...whether it was because that elf possessed a spell that has since been lost."

Hmm... yes, that's what we had thought too...

He almost immediately regretting sharing the story. It was not one he was particularily fond of reliving, but with all the talk of necromancers and them having come here now it had no choice but to simmer from the depths of his repressed past. A tale he'd continue later by a fire perhaps... but for now...

"Two, one chasing another... they're chaotic, but moving this way..."

He could not quite tell just what they were, but the forest whispered to him and warned him of their coming. He could almost feel his stomach rolling in anticipation.

He tucked himself quietly beneath the willow, and hunched himself up against its trunk and kneeled, "just over by that bend," he predicted, pointing to where the bank jutted closer to the other side.

Caliane Ruinë​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

The winged elf's green eyes narrowed a fraction as she focused on the bend that had been pointed out to her. She had all the information she needed to know and she cast everything else from her mind. Carefully she shifted her position on the branch so that she was kneeling, one foot flat in front of the other knee, perfectly balanced. Her wings were spread slightly to give her the extra security should something unsettle her perch, but they were equally hidden amongst the green of the leaves from where the animals would be coming from.

Taking a breath she drew the bow. The golden feathers on her arrows tickled her along the ridge of her cheekbones as her arm came back, the string pulled all the way back to her ear. Cali wasn't entirely sure how much time passed until the animals came charging round the corner.

First came the deer. Her movements were erratic indicating some sort of injury as she hopped to avoid holes in the ground of clear uneven ground in leaps and bounds. Behind her came a hog with great tusks, his snout almost pressed to the ground as he grunted and snuffed. Despite his size he was keeping up well with the startled animal. It was unusual for a hog to chase a deer in such a manner but not unheard of if the deer kept encroaching on its territory.

Caliane let go of her breath at the same moment she let go of the arrow. Then notched the second one in one fluid movement and let it fly too. The first thundered into the pathway of the boar causing it to come to a screeching stop. The deer, distracted for a moment, never saw the arrow that went through its jugular and made it drop to the ground. Seeing the fate of the creature in front of it the boar turned and ran back into the cover of the forest.

Even as he was leaving the winged elf pushed herself off the branch in a silent hush of feathers and landed neatly by the first arrow, plucking it from the ground before walking back towards the deer to retrieve the other arrow from her throat.

"I hope venison is ok," her lips twitched as she saw Erën approach.