-Ranger Lodge-

“Who are you?” Her asked in a low snarl, having finally regained his wits. “How did you get in here.” Even so the man still sounded shaken. The intruder had made absolutely no noise upon entering. There was no telltale sound of footsteps upon the wooden floor. Even the office door was unnaturally silent on its hinges. That is to say nothing of the fact that Elson made sure to lock and bolt the front door once everyone had arrived. Only another ranger should have been able to get in.

The intruder chucked. “Immaterial my good friends. Immaterial.” The intruder paused for a moment to rub his chin. The tension in the air was thick. “Of course though, good manners dictates that I simply must introduce myself. I would hate to be rude.” He beamed looking to each man in turn. “My name is Lord Grendel.” The man said with an elaborate flowing gesture. “Elder Her, Captain Gurd, Dr. Hemper, good sir ranger, most pleased to make your acquaintances.” No one was sure what to make of the exquisitely dressed man that had barged in upon their meeting. This ‘Grendel’ had yet to make any threatening moves, but at the same time he shouldn’t be there.

Elson shot the elder a look. It would take mere seconds to slit the man’s throat if he gave the word. Gurd had the same idea, although making an example of the arrogant fool was quite tempting. Her raised his hand, gesturing for both men to back off. “Tell me what you’re doing here, and why I shouldn’t have you killed where you stand.”

“Tsk tsk, good sir. There is no need for such brutality. I only wish for your cooperation.”

“Fine way of showing it marching an army to our doorstep, Gelban.” Captain Gurd growled.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures captain. When you hold the fate of a country, nay, the world in your hands like I do, you need to take some risks.” The room grew silent again. The man was absolutely off his rocker. Grendel saw fit to continue. “With time running out I am, begrudgingly I might add, forced to bring my men here and have our way with your quaint little village.”

“Wha-”

“I’ll die before I let your men set foot in town.” Captain Gurd boomed, cutting the elder off.

“You’d best choose your words more carefully captain, as that can most certainly be arranged.” He replied, calmly lecturing the man. “If you’d simply calm down all this can be avoided. There is absolutely no need for bloodshed. All I need is for you to hand over a little something called the Amber Branch and I’ll be more than happy to take my men and go.”

“We’re not-”

“Silence Gurd.” It was Her’s turn to do the cutting off. “I have no idea what you are talking about Gelban. There is no such thing here, or anywhere near here.”

“Surely you jest?” Grendel asked in disbelief, his calm beginning to crack. “Are you telling me sir elder, that you have not the slightest clue about one of the most important magical artifacts of the last age, and that none of you know where it is?” He scoffed. “Even one of your storytellers knows a bit of the legend, and my friends, he was just an apprentice.” There was silence again as the men of Amber Falls looked to each other in confusion. It became evident very quickly that none of them knew anything. Grendel sighed. “I’ve seen enough of this town to know that you are all either blissfully ignorant, or someone had been very successful at hiding the object of my desires. Now, I’m quite sure it’s the former. This is of little consequence however.”

“I’m telling you this Branch or whatever it is isn’t here. Just-” Her tried reasoning but was quickly cut off.

“Oh but it is elder, it is. The Falls may have a powerful masking aura, but I can feel something beneath it, something similar yet,” Grendel closed his eyes taking a sharp breath, as if he was trying to feel something on the air. “different and grand indeed. It is here, and you will not stop me from obtaining it. My men will march on Amber Falls. They will search every cranny of every building until we find it. Cooperate, and you will survive the ordeal mostly intact. Resist, and I cannon be held responsible for what my men will do to you. Make your choice. You have precious little time left.” Grendel’s footsteps sounded heavily on the floor as he left the little office. The door shut lightly behind the man and once again the room was thrown into complete silence.

The chaos of scrambling men followed soon after. “Find him.” The elder shouted.

Gurd was first to the door. He threw it open only to see nothing behind it. “He’s gone!”

“Nin take that man, and his army.” Elder Her slammed his fist upon the desk. “Gurd, rally the guard. Elson, find out where he went. He couldn’t have gone that far. Hemper, finish that brew of yours. We’ll work on adding it to the ale stock as soon as it’s finished.”

“Absolutely elder.” Hemper replied the weight of the situation dawning on him. The others didn’t take the time to respond. There was no time to waste.

- Ariannah Lockhart being Anti-Social -

Ariannah felt the subtly brush of a robe from behind. She instantly recoiled towards to table, having not expected it. She was used to having to either hide or shy away and now it had become a force of habit.
She turned, plate in hand, to see the robed figure move past her and towards the entrance. She sighed, shaking slightly.

She started to look around for Zeph, but all the commotion or tension, she was told about, seemed to have ended. She shyly moved towards the stairs, having not spotted him anywhere around the eating area.

~Kurokage Shuriken Jr., with Lydia at the Clock Shop~

Junior smiled widely, releasing Lydia from the hug as he went back on the table, picking up the hourglass and marveling at it, turning it around in the dim light and watching in awe as it sparkled. His smile slowly faded as he stared at the white sand inside the hourglass pour down from one end to the other, his eyebrows knitting together as he thought of the conversation he and his mother had had a few days ago. He looked up from the hourglass, looking around at the clocks again that lay all around them. "You know...looking at this place, all these clocks, and this hourglass...it reminds me of something my mom and I were talking about, a while ago...." he started softly, thinking back to that conversation. "Have...h-have you noticed, that the ceremony this year is taking place a lot earlier than it usually does?" he asked her, setting the hourglass down and placing his stuffed cat beside it for a moment, allowing her to look at it. "I dunno if the others noticed, o-or maybe they have. I noticed it because...well, for as long as I could remember, my mom always got the commission for the special cake from the elder on the same date every year. Sometimes it would be a day early, or maybe even a day late, but it was always around that same exact time. This is the first time it's been this early."

"I asked my mom about it, but she said it probably wasn't anything to worry about. Traditions change a little over the years, and the ceremony taking place early this year is probably just one of those little changes. I guess she's right, but still...it's a little weird, don't you think?" He looked up to Lydia, an awkward smile on his face as he began to feel a little silly bringing it up.

_________________

Lydia Chandler, with Junior at the clock shop.

“Don’t forget to pack them in your bag, also.” Lydia smiled wildly in return, watching as Junior went to marvel at the sparkling sand crystals within the hourglass under the dim light. She could see something else bother him as his expression changed and tilted her head to the side slightly as she watched, listening to his words.

The apprentice clockmaker had been very intrigued and curious about what he had been saying, she had to agree though. For a moment she glanced around the clock shop as he continued before glancing back towards him as she was asked the question. “Time did seem like it was flying by, I have definitely noticed that. I know traditions can change sometimes and this does seem a little minor, but it does seem quite strange even still. Do the Amber Falls town elders know something that the rest of us don’t know?” she mumbled as she walked over towards the door and glanced out into the street alleyway.

☽Aldrnari - Ranger Corps Lodge☾

Aldrnari frowned as the man revealed how he got into the lodge, and the fingers of her left hand tightened around her bowstring. He called himself Grendel, and Aldrnari couldn't help but feel that the name sounded like a monster from a fairy tale. And there was something about the way he talked that just bothered her, like he was somehow welcome there. Moving quietly, Aldrnari repositioned herself so that she could see through the corner of the window. So instead of their being two people ready to drop the intruder at a moment's notice, there were three, and Aldrnari had the ability to empty her entire quiver in two minutes flat, with near perfect accuracy. It was a skill every ranger had, honed by countless practice shots. Aldrnari, who had began practicing at age 10, emptied her quiver into various targets four times daily, so she had fired roughly thirty thousand arrows in the past year alone, since Hroth was rather strict about practice, ond only rarely let her have a day off. Rangers practiced so much so that no matter the situation, they would never second guess their shots.

But what was he talking about an Amber Branch? There was no such thing in the town. Sure, the waterfall was magic, but that was the only magic the town had. There might be a legend about such things, but legends were usually greatly exaggerated. The fact that Grendel had come here based on bardic tales and was almost fanatical about it was worrisome. The fact that he was bringing down an entire contingent of armed soldiers on a small rural town due to the whispers of a rumor was worse. And then he left. Walked out the door. Aldrnari could hear his footsteps pounding on the floor of the hall. If he had been immaterial to get in, why could he not do the same to leave? Although, according to Gurd, Grendel had disappeared once again. That meant that there was some sort of trick to his disappearing, and that it might not necessarily be his own magic.

What was even more concerning though, was the fact that Elder Her ordered the doctor to finish the purplepox brew. While sending out Gurd and Elson was a good idea, Aldrnari couldn't help but feel that the time to listen was over. Her training demanded that she remain quiet, there was this nagging sense in the back of her head. Too many villagers could get sick and die from this plan, and the job of a ranger was to protect the people, even at the cost of his or her life. She couldn't let such a bad idea be put into action. Standing to her full height (short as that was) she could be seen head and shoulders above the bottom of the window. "And what will you do when half the town falls sick with purplepox?" She lowered her hood, making her red hair easily visible. "It is your job to protect the people, not to endanger them with sickness."

_________________
Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

William Bruce

William stared at his plate after he had managed to mumble a coherent request for some mead. Truth be told, he wasn't feeling all too hungry at the moment. He absentmindedly pushed the drumstick around his plate, a frown etched on his face. He half-heard Crimcha's response and gave one of his own, "Mmm...yeah, alright." William was a jumpy fellow, there was no denying that, but there had been something that was making him more nervous than usual. He had not noticed anything wrong when on duty but something just felt...amiss to him. Patrols on the roads had been increased lately and the older guards seemed to be on a higher alert than usual. No one would give William more than a shrug and shoo him along when he had managed to drum up enough courage to ask about his misgivings. He tried to chalk it up to just his own skittish nature but he couldn't quite shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right. Every time he went out on patrol, there was a thick feeling of dread seated in the pit of his stomach, or at least more than usual. Maybe some time away really would be best for William; some new air to clear his mind might be healthy.

William was shaken by his thoughts at the sound of his name. He had to bite back a yelp of surprise as his focus was brought back to the world around him. "Aa-um...hello Irving. H-how are you?" William was rarely comfortable around people but Irving was one that was worse than most others. One day, William was accosted by Irving (or at least he felt so) and was told that he was gutless. Of course William would not deny the truth of his cowardice, in fact he openly admitted it. He had no idea what provoked Irving or why he seemed to avoid him afterwards; William could not figure out when he had transgressed on Irving. Usually, he took special care to not make anyone mad at him on the rare times that he actually made contact with others his age, his fears of retribution born out of his own imagination kept him in check.

William wasn't going to wait for a response, the atmosphere in the room had finally become too much for William. He leaned over to Crimcha to excuse himself, "I, uh, think that I'm going to be going now..." William took a brief moment to look around nervously and thought up a hasty excuse, "I,I should r-really go over my preparations before it gets too late..." His voice was so quiet now that it would have been difficult to hear. He got up, leaving his plate untouched and began to make his way to the door and his freedom for the night. He had completely forgotten about his drink that he had ordered and never actually looked to see if it had been served for him.

-Ranger Lodge, Outside-

Elder Her was just leaving the office when Aldrnari finally chose to reveal herself. “What? Who’s there?” He turned back to the window. A look of frustration was more than evident across his face. It became a thick scowl when he saw the young ranger girl peeking in. “Damn you girl.” He put his hands on the windowsill and starred right into the girl’s eyes. “You had no right to be spying on our meeting tonight.” He hissed. “And just because you did, don’t you dare even think you know in full what is going on. I have bigger problems to worry about that being questioned by some young upstart brat like you.” He leaned in close. “Now get your ass out of here before I get Gurd back here and have him throw you in a cell until you leave tomorrow.”

“There will be no need for that elder.” A calm voice sounded from behind the young ranger. It was Elson. He had slipped in unnoticed during the commotion. The ranger put a steadying hand on Aldrnari’s shoulder. “I will talk with her.”

“I told you to track down that man.”

“We will. Two sets of ranger eyes are keener than one elder.”

“Get out of here, the both of you!”

Elson nodded. Elder Her glared for a moment before storming out of Hroth’s office. “Come with me.” He said, taking a few steps towards the street. “We need to talk. There is much to discuss, and I believe you will have questions. I will do my best to answer.”

☽Aldrnari - Ranger Corps Lodge☾

Aldrnari could only smile at the Elder's frustration, and took no insult in his words. "No right? No, I suppose not, but it is a ranger's duty to be aware of the happenings around them. Were I not to investigate, I would be a failure to not only my craft, but my father as well." She locked eyes with Her, her expression cool. "I never assume to know everything about a situation. Such thoughts breed arrogance, and arrogance leads to the death of a ranger." It was a lesson Hroth had taught her, because the assumption of complete knowledge led to being taken by surprise. She gave Her no indication of being frightened with the threat of Captain Gurd, she could slip into the forest and be completely untraceable before the man could even manage to clap her in irons, not that he would be likely to have any small enough to fit her wrists anyways.

She didn't flinch as Elson came up behind her, she had had a feeling that he had seen her when he opened the window. Not to mention, she had the feeling she always got when someone was coming up behind her crawling up her spine just a few seconds before. When sneaking was your business, it wasn't a good idea to be easy to sneak up on yourself. She smiled a bit though, as Elson smoothly got her out of dealing further with Elder Her, but she really couldn't have stayed silent about such a horrible decision. She was a little apprehensive about the conversation she was about to have with Elson though. Her smile faded quickly, as she saw how Her was treating her home.

She followed after Elson, trotting a few steps to catch up wit him, looking up at the older man. "You saw me when you opened the window, didn't you? You felt I ought to know what was going on? Is Her really going to infect the entire supply of alcohol in the town with purplepox? Doesn't he realize what a risk that is to the town? Does he always treat our lodge like that when Hroth isn't there? Can we stop the Gelbans from destroying Amber Falls over some old legend? Is Grendel actually right?" The questions poured out of her nonstop, and Elson got a very good taste of what Hroth had been dealing with since Aldrnari had learned to talk. She always wanted to know, to understand, to learn. Hroth said it was a good quality for a ranger to have, even if her thirst for knowledge turned her into a chatterbug.

And then came the final question, the one that was more important to Aldrnari than anything else. "Why did Hroth hide this from me? Does he think I'm not fit to help?"

_________________
Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

Junior frowned softly as Lydia mumbled that last part of her response. Truthfully, she had voiced what he had been anxious about this entire time. "Is there something going on? Has something happened to cause the elders to push the celebrations and departure to Crenshaw forward?" he had thought to himself a few times for the past couple of days. It didn't help that there seemed to be a sort of tension that loomed over the village; he couldn't quite pinpoint where or why, but even from inside his home, his bedroom window, or in the bakery, he had felt something seemed amiss.

Perhaps the most telling clue to him was the look of stress on his father's face, whenever he came home after patrol. He wouldn't tell Junior or his mother, but it was obvious to the two of them that something had been troubling him (besides Junior's inevitable departure, anyway). Perhaps he knew something and, for the same reason as the elders, did not want to tell them; or, perhaps he too had picked up on the tense atmosphere that had gathered around the village, and was concerned just like everyone else who had noticed it, wondering the same thing; 'What's going on?'

Junior bit his lip a bit, then stacked Rhyme and the small hourglass on top of the leather journal, picking it all up gingerly before following Lydia to the door. "Well, u-umm...I think I need to be going home soon. My dad is probably really worried about me now and he'll probably invade the Sleepy Sheep Inn and turn the place upside-down looking for me..." he said with an awkward laugh. He really wouldn't have put it past his father to do such a thing; as mother had told him countless times before, 'Your father isn't afraid of anything except the thought of losing you or me.' It was a chore for his mother to persuade him to let Junior go to the celebration by himself in the first place, convincing him by saying that they and Junior both needed a taste of what it would be like to be away from each other, to make the transition just a teeny bit smoother once he and the rest of the apprentices finally departed. 'Mom and Dad' weren't going to be by Junior's side forever, after all....

_________________

-[Oh, not much]-

The hunter was a bit startled when Mal shouted. "Well now, that's a bit unexpected. It's out of the norm for you." He chuckled, looking at Lara riding on his shoulders. "Guessing you're up there against your will again?"

Renaldo looked at Irving as he spoke up. "Oh, hey Irving. Nothing too serious, just a couple of guys being troublemakers." He stretched his arms backwards, and undid the clasp of his cloak and hung it over the chair he was using. "They seem to have come to some form of truce to not try to kill each other, so the situation is solved for now." He nodded. "So, who's all leaving this year?" He asked Mal and Irving, hoping they would know.

_________________

Alex was thinking about what to say next when she noticed the girl was gone. "I have really got to stop doing that." she sighed, looking around for her. With a shrug, she began eating again. She soon finished her food and ale and headed for the cake.

_________________
They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Usstan hull'phir j'nesstren, siyo, drill dos orn'la naut kampi'un tangis' ka dos orn'la xo'al ulu vok.<(Drow)-(Russian)>Я предпочитаю женщин, да, но вы не поймете, даже если вы попытались бы слушать.

-Amber Falls, Streets-

Elson walked slowly along the empty street, listening intently to Aldrnari’s questions as they poured forth one after the other. His expression remained unchanged. “Yes.” He answered. Apparently it was sufficient enough answer for the girl’s first several questions. As chatty as Aldrnari might be, Elson was not. He spoke little, and when he did very plainly. He was not a man who liked to mince words. “The purplepox is not something you should worry yourself with. You should have more faith in the elder.” Elson shook his head. “It is merely a ruse. A harmless brew of alchemy, to convince those who might not otherwise leave. It will not affect everyone, mostly the old and very young. Move the ‘infirm’ to the city where they can be better taken care of.”

The next question was a little harder to answer. “Whether the Gelban is right or not doesn’t much matter. What does matter is that he will march. If we back down, the town will be spared so Grendel says. If we fight, the town will be torn apart so Grendel says.” Elson shrugged. “After tonight the elder will want to fight. The guard will want to fight. Likely Hroth will want to fight. What would you do?” He asked the young ranger. “Let Grendel and his men march into town in order to protect it, or fight, risk your life, and the town itself?” He let the question sink in for a few moments. “It is not an easy choice.”

Elson stopped in his tracks at the very last question. The man’s expression softened. Even he couldn’t help but droop a bit as she asked. The tension in the air was palpable. He sighed. “I don’t claim to speak for Hroth.” He began looking the girl in the eye. “I believe however he worries more for your safety than your skill. Tracking professional soldiers is not the same as a bear or a bandit.”

Gregory sat in his chair for some time after Orcus had left, teetering back and forth as he observed the other apprentices meander about and leave. Eventually, he found himself leaving the Inn once again to work his way home. He leaned against the building and sat on the street as he looked toward the sky.

One facet of existence that Gregory had always loved about Amber Falls was the plain fact that the stars were clearly visible at night. He would often look out from his room and connect them to form his own sorts of constellations, characters who he had dreamed up storylines for as a child. In these stories, the constellations were great heroes who could travel great distances and never hunger, fight countless foes and never tire, train and learn for decades and never age. They never had to bathe, they never had to wait or do the things that mortals had to do. As such, it had occurred to Gregory, there were no merchants in his stories. The heroes always had their weapons and tools from the get-go. If they needed a new weapon or tool, which was rare that they did, they didn't go buy it; they would instead win it from some foe or find it in a dungeon. Gregory, however, knew now that in the real world there wasn't much money in the way of adventuring purely for adventure's sake. He had heard that many of the old fortresses and keeps were being cleared by passing armies and guilds, and while the young merchant didn't know if this was true, a small portion of him hoped that it wasn't, so that there would still be the chance for him to be one of those great adventurers, so that he wouldn't have to settle for traveling merchant as his means to see the world.

Gregory emerged from his stooping position and brushed a small film of dust from his legs. He gave a cursory glance to the Sleepy Sheep before swaggering through the streets at an easy pace to find his way home. He wanted to get some sleep so that he would be well-rested for the journey tomorrow.

_________________
These are a few of my favorite things

☽Aldrnari - Ranger Corps Lodge☾

Aldrnari sighed as Elson answered her many questions at once. It was too bad that she hadn't been able to hide well enough, though to be fair, Elson knew exactly what to look for. Apparently Her was willing to put the town at risk as well, though the explanation of what the purplepox was led Aldrnari to another discovery. "This is why all the apprentices are leaving early."

Aldrnari's nose crinkled as she frowned over the next set of answers. It was true that it didn't matter if Grendel was right or not, for the moment. "But if he is right, then others will come. So long as something like that is even rumored to be here, then men like that Gelban will come again. He says the town will be spared, but that's only from him. Soldiers are more likely to loot and have their way with the townsfolk when their commander isn't looking though, so we still won't be safe. It would be better to risk it fighting, than to be broken when offering peace. But resorting to a plan that has a risk of hurting the people you mean to protect seems like a terrible solution."

When Elson stopped to address her last question, Aldrnari stopped as well, and made a point of looking away from the ranger next to her, not sure if she was going to be able to deal with whatever he might say to her. But, she couldn't help but look back at him when he said he didn't know for sure why Hroth had chosen to do what he did. Elson was probably right, and Hroth had wanted to protect her by excluding her. She could barely hold back the sniffles from the frustration of it. "I knew the dangers I would eventually be putting myself against when I chose to officially become Hroth's apprentice, and donned this cloak. And while it might not be the same as what I've done thus far, don't you think it would be safer for me to experience such a thing with a Lodge full of fully-trained rangers than any other time I might have to deal with such things?" It wasn't a very nice feeling, suddenly being treated like a child when she was expected to act like a grownup.

_________________
Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

Lydia Chandler with Junior, at the clock shop.

Lydia kept watching out of the shop window in silence and with muddled thoughts, anxious about the day before them but now this new discovery. What if the elders WERE hiding something from them? Is it a good thing that they have? Is it something that the whole town should know?

The young clockmaker apprentice sighed softly as she heard Junior, glancing towards him nodded, “Do you want me to walk you back home? I don’t think I will be going back to the inn tonight anyway.” She opened the door for him so he can leave the clock shop first before following him, closing and locking the door behind him.

~Kurokage Shuriken Jr. with Lydia, now leaving the clock shop~

Junior nodded his head a little in response. "O-Okay, I'd really appreciate that," he replied as he walked out the door, glancing behind him at the clock shop as Lydia closed the door. Once it was locked, the two began to make their way down the street, heading on their way towards the bakery where his house was next to. The two were relatively silent as they walked along, lost in their own anxious thoughts about what tomorrow lay in store for them.

Junior glanced up at the night sky, taking a little bit of comfort in watching the beautiful stars out tonight. He wondered for a moment if his parents had gone through the same anxieties the night before their own trip to Crenshaw when they were his age (or perhaps a little older, like the other apprentices). Sure, they probably didn't worry about suspicious early departures like he and Lydia were at the moment, but still, the idea of going on a journey to the big city must have made several apprentices generations before them just as nervous as they were right now.

_________________

Baldemar:

Baldemar listened closely as Sabeam explained things to him. He rubbed his chin, thought for a second and then replied. Well to be honest the only reason I pick on him is because He's an, Well he's just an asshole. I mean you heard him right he called everybody in the village cowards. I've seen the entire village stand up to a bandit raid once, thats not cowardice. He took a bite from his lambchop wiped his mouth and proceeded. And I do believe he's the one picking on me. Zephrin is always commenting on my style and my little jokes are just Quid pro quo. What do you think? Baldemar was really enjoying the conversation He should do this more often. But not with Zephrin/

_________________
Dragonborn Dragonborn, by his honour is sworn, to keep evil forever at bay
and the fiercest foes rout, when they hear triumph's shout.

Dragonborn for your blessing we pray, and the scrolls have fortold, of black wings in the cold
that when brothers wage war come unfurled, Alduin bane of kings, ancient shadow unbound
with a hunger to swallow the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9eGtyqz4gY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50u0zUeCmU

Emeline Harcourt - Fortunate Ones

The carpenter apprentice dragged the blacksmith outside into the night. She turned around to see that no one except Orcus had followed her out. 'Eh oh well.' She reached into her bag and took out one of the fortune flyers. It looked almost like an oversized flower though it was diamond in shape. It was constructed of a fragile, wood skeleton covered with colorful, decorative paper acting as a thin layer of skin. There were four main wings, designed to catch the wind and fly away. Emeline motioned for Alexander and Orcus to get a closer look, "Each one of these wings tells you something different. One wing will bless you with something, like strength or wisdom. The second wing will tell you what will happen to you in the future, like one time it told me I would find something I lost long ago. And the third one will tell you something you should be careful of, I remember one telling me to avoid high places. The last wing is blank. I forget why."

She read the fortune of the first flyer, pausing as she moved from wing to wing "Luck...the road ahead is not as safe as it seems...something dangerous lurks near." Emeline looked up at Alexander and Orcus in concern. "...Are they all like that?" Alexander asked. "No..." Emeline frowned at the vague, ominous fortune. She shrugged. "After you read them you let them go." She threw the flyer straight up into the air, at which the wind caught the wings causing it to spin gracefully and fly away.

Emeline handed one to Alexander. He silently read it while she handed another one to Orcus. Alexander looked concerned about the fortune he read. He threw the flyer into the air and watched it float away. "What did it say?" Emeline asked as she watched it disappear into the night sky. "Good things." The boy lied, forcing a smile, "I...I, um have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow, Eme." He once again did an awkward bow and headed home.

After saying goodbye to her new friend and Orcus, Emeline too headed home. The girl read the remaining fortunes she had left, tossing them up to fly away when she was done.

'Perseverance...you will lose someone close to you...beware a stranger in red...' Toss.
'Hope...sometimes things change for the better, sometimes for the worse...avoid being alone for too long...' Toss.
She reached the orphanage as she tossed up the final flyer. Every single one had been strange in some way. Oh well, they were nothing more than paper diamond things and meant to be fun. Emeline climbed into her bed and eventually fell asleep.

-Fenrem-

Fenrem winced. His craft was by no means the least demanding physically, and he was rather muscular compared to, say, the scribe's apprentice, from lifting barrels and carrying bottles from the cellars to the ground. That said, he was certain Sandra's love tap would leave an ugly bruise on his arm by the next day. The minx jumped from one emotion to the next so fast that he could hardly lock down and soothe her before she was attacking him.

And she'd only gotten better at it over the years.

Resisting the urge to rub the spot where she had punched him, he raised his hands in a gently mocking gesture of peace.

"Very well," he said, snatching the flask out of her hands and taking a sip for himself. The little thing was nearly empty. "Let us talk of less interesting things."

He stood and placed his flask back into his pouch, only to replace it with another, slightly larger one. He had been planning to share it with the dear widow, but it seemed he would not meet her for some time yet... If his master's plans panned out, perhaps never again. He poured a forest-green liquid into the three glasses - no more than a swallow each - and handed them to Sandra and Veint. Unlike the metheglin, as soon as he unstoppered the flask, both Sandra and Veint could immediately smell the aroma of the hundred different herbs Fenrem's master distilled into his secret and highly sought-after liqueur.

"I've seen men meet Nin on this," he said, raising his glass. "And swear by it from across the great seas atop high mountains. It seems fitting that we drink it on this night of nights, when we leave our child selves behind. To the tumbling children of Amber Falls."

He drank, and the all too familiar taste of sweet and spicy nectar of mint, anise and even a little citrus spread like a fire over his mouth and down his throat before spreading the warmth from his stomach to the rest of his body.

What he had not told either of them, of course, was that it was stronger than almost every brand in his collection, and the man who had met Nin on his master's liqueur had done it in three small glasses as Rem had poured.

Nodding to himself, he looked at the two of his friends pointedly, urging them to continue.

~Zephrin Seams: You Came~

Zephrin ignored Emeline's invitation, and the cook's words. He was in a real shitty mood and somehow he felt it was best to just keep to himself for the rest of the night. He saw what he perceived to be the truth that night. All of the apprentices hated him, Sandra had even managed to poison her beautiful and possibly rich friend against him. Well, forget them, who cares what a bunch of pigs think anyways? Certainly not him. He'd just have to put up with them until he arrived at Crenshaw, then they could never associate with each other ever again. Besides, there's still one person left who doesn't despise him.

Or.

At least he thinks she didn't hate him.

Does she?

'What if they try to turn her against me?' he thought in a surge of anxiety. The very thought drove him to a state of hatred and bitterness. He couldn't bear the thought, it was too depressing. Perhaps it was better that he just left and dealt with the old man.

"Think you for your company Errant, but I believe it's time for me to leave..."


With that, Zephrin got up taking his plate with him, heading down the stairs. At the moment, the night was a disaster, until...

"Ariannah!"

...the sight of beautiful red hair.

"You came!" Next thing Ariannah knew she was swept into a big heartfelt hug. "I was so worried about you. I thought you wouldn't come."

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Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

Ariannah Lockhart - Tackle Hugged

As she was about to climb the staircase, an ecstatic, Zephrin suddenly leapt forth and before she knew it she was caught in a heartfelt embrace. A startled, yet delighted Anna, smiled sweetly at the blonde, brown eyed tailor.

"I almost didn't, but I thought it would have been wrong of me not to attend our own celebration seeing as we are going to depart in the morning..."

She looked down for a second feeling a bit ashamed. She shouldn't have arrived this late. Poor Zeph looked like he really could have used her company sooner. She gestured for him to sit beside her at a table.

"W-What exactly happened?" she asked cautiously. She felt that it would be best to find out his side of the story and that it would do him some good to let go of his troubles.

Orcus Morton - Time for a little break.

Orcus waved a hand at Emeline's goodbye, still staring at his own fortune flyer. He waited till both Alex and Emeline were gone, just standing silently for a while as the stars moved gently through their path, both hands timidly holding the little device, dirty and worn fingers touching such a fragile and daintly little thing. After a time, he took his staff from it's standing position, pulling it out from the ground and walked away, the little toy in his other hand. He ignored the wind and the cold as he walked through the town, ignored the few night people amongst the streets as they passed silently by, ignored all but the destination. After the little journey he reached the hill. He used to go up here with his brothers sometimes, on birthdays or other occasions they'd travel up here and talk and fight until one of them walked Orcus home, the older ones staying the rest of the night. Well, it seemed it was his turn now. He looked up through the oak branches, quite a normal tree, nothing special about Oak itself, no magical staffs were made from it, no weapons or tools, no demons or monsters banished or defeated but it was strong, tough, old, a fighter, a defender, a survivor against whatever nature threw at it.

Orcus gave a little smile as he remembered the old days and put a hand on it, grateful for it's familiar presence and memories. He rested his staff against it, turned and slid down it, resting there for a while, one leg straight out and the other bent up as he hooked an elbow around the knee, both hands fiddling with the little toy and then, he let it go. He watched it fly away, that little smile still on his face as he closed his eyes and wrapped the cloak around himself, burying his face into the scarf that still reminded him of the feelings of home. This was going to be a cold, possibly wet, night, but a good one, logic and sense be damned.

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“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.”

Alexander Grier- A Homecoming Of Sorts

Alexander walked home with a bit of a slump, confused slightly hung over, and tired. What’s more he couldn't make any sense of his fortune flyer
Observe . . . you will reunite yourself with someone you have never met
Prepare . . . you will face burdens that will be very heavy loads

He slowly walked through the woods allowing his mind to wander as he walked a shortcut to his home "That girl, what was her name? Sandy or something?wow did she look great.” "It figures there'd be so many people around her, I HATE crowds, it's like being smothered . . . who am I trying to kid I'm way out of my league with any girl in there" He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice his father standing in front of him at the entrance to his house, until he bumped head first, into his chest. His father looked down at him with a tilted head "And just who may I ask, is it that's so far above you?" Alexander looked around at different objects to avoid looking at his father's face "U-Uh-Uhm, nobody dad just some, ah-uhm just some stranger." His father squinted his eyes as if to examine the boy "Ah, well it is of no matter, come inside" Alexander's father motioned for him to go through the door.

"Dad, you're supposed to be in bed . . . what if you get hurt?" Alexander's face turned to one of concern, and his fathers smiled "Honestly Alexander you sound like my mother. You’re supposed to be turning into a man, not a woman . . . "
Alexander turned slightly insulted "Come on dad, that's not funny. I'm just trying to take care of my father..." Alex's dad started to chuckle "So when can I expect your period to start? BAHAHAHAHA!" Alexander wasn't amused at all by this point, not that he was before."All right, so what did you want? Or did you just want me to come inside so you could insult me?" His father just slowly positioned himself onto his bed."First I wasn't going to call you in, but I smelled alcohol on you from 40 paces away, can't have you wandering around drunk" Alex made a gesture as if to dispute this, but realized it was a lost cause "Aaahhh, it's fine Alex, we can't expect you to become adults if we don't let you pretend you are, Now, there is another reason I was out there waiting for you, there is something...someone I wish to talk to you about." "Who?" Alexander asked with wide eyes. "D'you remember that woman who'd visit us once every year? ..." Alexander made a gesture to show how uncomfortable with both the subject and the woman." UGGGHHH You mean the friend you have over for a chat in the summer every year? The one who always, ALWAYS stares at me whenever I'm in the room with her?" Alexander's dad nodded his head slowly "Yes, that would be her, she won’t be visiting any more" Alex's face alone told him he wanted to know why. "She didn't die or anything, she just won’t be coming anymore, after all where you're going, you'll be very close to where she lives.

"She brought me letters that were for you every time, but she told me not to give them to you until you hit the age where you would leave, and tomorrow when you leave those letters and MY hammer will officially belong to you." Alexander started to walk toward his bedroom feeling a slight headache coming on before he turned around to ask."Who was she dad? why did she always have such an interest in me?" The father sat up in his bed to say " Oh, she's been a long time friend of mine, wanted to see my you, and how you were doing, you know how old folk love talking about each others kids" Alexander turned back to his room, and walked in, his bed was small but comfortable so it didn't take long at all for him to fall asleep.

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I got friends on the other side ~

After eating her slice of cake, Alexandra began heading home, seeing Greg walking the same way. "Hey, Greg." she smiled, patting his back as she caugt up to him. "How are you?" Greg was one of her best friends and she knew she could tell him anything. "Meet any cute girls tonight?"

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Usstan hull'phir j'nesstren, siyo, drill dos orn'la naut kampi'un tangis' ka dos orn'la xo'al ulu vok.<(Drow)-(Russian)>Я предпочитаю женщин, да, но вы не поймете, даже если вы попытались бы слушать.

~Zephrin Seams: My Side of the Story~

Zephrin smiled back, glad to see that his friend was well and happy. "Well I am glad that you came. It wouldn't be a celebration without you!" But the smile soon faded when he noticed how happy Ariannah really was. He had wondered what happened before she came up here, what was said to her. The moment she motioned him towards a table, he knew what he was about to hear wasn't going to be good.

"W-What exactly happened?"

Zephrin scoffed, it must've been one of Sandra's friend's doing. Typical, that they would blab off their loosely screwed mouths to an innocent young woman who wasn't even there to begin with. Very, very typical. "Baldemar happened." He said the name of his adversary with great contempt. It was obvious that he was the one who had ticked him off earlier.

"The pig bumped into me, without the decency to apologize, and then had the nerve to insult my line of work and my taste in fashion. I mean, you have seen the way he dresses right? I mean, yes function versus style and all that, I know the rules, but really? Really? I honestly doubt he ever studied under someone like the 'marvelous' Sir Schnider or anyone with a first hand knowledge of the industry. He said it himself, he can't even afford a newly woven tunic straight from the shop. I really don't like that brute Ariannah, he had no right to start anything with me on this night that was supposed to be one of the most exciting moments in my lifetime, second to the day I finally become a full fledged journeyman. So, I gave it to him straight exactly what I thought of him and this rotten town and....." Zephrin paused, feeling ashamed himself. He looked at Ariannah, and her expecting blue eyes. Oh, how he loved those eyes. They were like sapphires in the midnight sky. A brilliant blue gown would go perfect with those eyes...

Zephrin sighed, "I supposed I went a bit other board. I mean, that child... He's probably innocent, but he shouldn't have ran away if he was-I-I" In frustration, Zephrin pulled at his hair, burrowing his head into the splintered wood of the tavern table, nearly spilling what was left of his wine. "I just want to leave this town Ariannah. I just really want to go home."

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Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."