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message 1:
by
๖ۣۜSαᴙαh
(new)
Dec 18, 2013 05:06PM
((RP with approved characters ONLY.))
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It was something of an unspeakable relief to be out of the city, Rove could read it in her face; there had been something of a caged wild animal about the painted Eldarin maiden for the duration o his convalescence and this, for the first time aroused a slumbering guilt; after all she had only had cause to enter into that festering hive of human effluence because of him. As far as cities went, Chaga-Dai was not the worst, he thought. Their destination, on the other hand, proffered no fragrant hope of a more enlightened civilisation. Tam Brythig was the centre of Xi'an for all things, a festering sore bedecked in perfumed jewels, the pride of the human world. s natives of the seductive seclusion of Siluria, it as, i anything, the sheer numerical excess that turned the Eldarin's stomach. Turning his thoughts away from such unprepossessing perspectives, the ranger indulged in a lungful of pure, unadulterated wilderland air. Hemmed by the Shepherd Mountains, the way before them was verdant, fed by a modest serpent of liquid sourced from the many towering peaks that cast a myriad of shadows as the Sun reclined indolently in his bed of clouds far above them. The one thing he could thank the city for, apart from his personal preservation,had been the generosity of its clerics, one house in particular, and it was by virtue of such self-sacrifice that the enchantress and the ranger now sat astride a pair of sober mounts; his a steady mare of creamy complexion, her, supported by a chestnut stallion with a fondness for swatting her with his tail. "I think he likes you." he had said. Subsequently, as a wise child knows his father, a wise, and prudent horse knew his mistress, and desisted. Keeping several paces before them, Rove reined in his mare, and rew level. "Perhaps you would care to call a halt? We have made good distance today, and evening is coming on."
The market was annoying, needless to say. The hustle and bustle of the places was well and good for her in case she had to blend into the crowd, but Jadranka despised how filthy most of the people were. Her carved features had stood out as her frowned deepened the longer they were looking around and it only faded somewhat when they finally left the city, a stallion at her command and plenty of provisions. Jadranka was used to silence and traveling on her own, so she didn't make any conversation. Instead she was taking in the scenery, not exactly letting herself admire it, but she couldn't help but imagine it as a painting. Painting was one of the few arts that she had that held none of the corruption that possessed her, which seemed to baffle her asylum captors. They thought the eladrin was up to some game, attempting to beguile them with paintings of various things. However she was brought out of her thoughts and she raised a brow at Rove at the mention of her mount and also his question. Casting her eyes about, she nodded toward a stand of trees on a foothill. "Then let us find suitable camping grounds. There are many travelers on this path that I don't fancy conversing with."
That much was certainly true, but as their way had descended into the narrow valley between two grim rises of conical stone, they had begun to encounter fewer fellow travellers, much less so now that the evening was gathering, and dusk was hovering like an impatient vulture upon the horizon. Where a trade caravan might have begun to picket their horses out in preparation for the night, the Eldarin duo mad their way silently towards a likely spot, Rove's ranger's eyes scanning the surrounding area for the suggestion of threats, and satisfied to have found none, dismounted, with a little less than his usual casual ease. Biting down a stab of agony, and hoping she had not seen it, Rove led his mare towards the tree-crowned rise. Tethering her to a stout b ranch, he came over to where the painted mage was perched atop her handsome beast, and offered her a hand down, more out of courtly habit than any practical wilds-honed survival instinct; it never hurt to be polite. "This looks like a likely spot, I'll just take a look around, get a lie of the land, just in case." Nature was his element, and already his senses were snatching beads of information and composing a mental map of their surroundings.
((What cave?? I said they were heading towards a stand of trees. And they are in a valley!))
((They are heading to somewhere safer. A stand of trees on top a hill is an ideal place to spot enemies approaching and it hides them instead of open space. And they're in a valley so it doesn't make sense that they'll be going anywhere that isn't part of your typical valley.))
Jadranka ignored his offered hand and instead dismounted herself. "Of course it is a likely spot, I chose it," she said irritably, her eyes flashing in the growing twilight. Whether it was because she wasn't used to riding a horse or that the day was late, either way, she was in a foul mood. Gesturing at him, Jadranka added, "Yes, go. I'll attend to the horses." And as she turned away, she hid the expression that crossed her face as she had noticed his wince but did not know why she should bother to care.
While he agreed with her apparent outlook that there was little to be pleased about, having endured a long, tiring days' ride to be greeted by the indifference of nature at the end of the day, there was something eerily comforting about being far from any structure, human or otherwise, and what was more, absent the presence of anyone else; the solitude of the wilds had become something he looked forward to, and as he made his way deeper into the surrounding greenery, he felt a lightening of the tightness in his chest. Was he resenting her presence? He did not think so, but perhaps the effect she had upon him was playing odd configurations across his emotions. Finding nothing untowards as far as the terrain allowed him access, the ranger soon returned to where she was. "You chose well, as I would have expected of one of us, I took the opportunity to procure us some food," laying down the sack he had had slung over one shoulder, he revealed a brace of rabbits, and a sizeable collection of berries. "I thought perhaps we could extend our stores further, what with the greenfather's bounty before us."
Once the eladrin left the clearing, Jadranka became fully aware that her heart was pounding faster than normal and she suddenly felt the urge to smile to herself. Finding this strange mixture of emotions disturbing, especially since she felt them earlier when she first saw the ranger. Shaking her head slightly, ashy black locks loosening from the bun it was trapped in, she set about rubbing down her horse. He was a patient stallion, proud like she was, and it was as if he knew his power was best used if it was contained until it was the right time to burst out. Tying the bag of feed around his mouth, Jadranka drifted over to the mare. As she was patting her neck, she heard footsteps behind her. Her shoulders automatically tensed, but noting how the horses didn't react, she guessed it was the ranger. Turning around, she was impressed by the food he had gathered. She didn't expect him to do anything more, but now she was seeing the perks of having a ranger travel with her. "The extension as you call it looks more like a feast," Jadranka said with amusement, her chest tightening again.
