Wrath of the Dragonkin

[Levi]

Ebony stood and turned towards the hammock " You've ..." She trailed off. For the first time Ebony took in her surroundings. The small fire... The single hammock.... The fact that Ariadne appeared to be wearing very light clothes.

"Ariadne?" She began, a blush slowly creeping across her cheeks "why don't we" Ebony coughed and managed to squeak out the word "share" the young woman could say no more, totally mortified by her own behaviour. She turned back away from the fire what am I doing she thought as she scuffed up the grass with the toe of her shoe.

[Lady Jenn]

"I can't ask that of you," Ariadne said. "There's barely any space in that hammock anyway, besides I haven't been...close...to anyone in a long time," she stared into the fire, trying to hide her emotions, torn between wanting to join Ebony and the fear of rejection. She was too stubborn to just admit how she felt.

[Levi]

Back still to the beautiful elf, Ebony pondered her next move. She knew that if either of them were going to sleep some sort of decision should be made and soon. The night was closing in making everything much darker then before.

Sounds of night animals waking up filled the awkward silence between the two young women. Ebony stood on the brink of making what now seemed to be a rather big decision.

Then suddenly she came to some sort of answer, she grabbed the cloak from her shoulders and threw it in Ariadne's face, blinding the elf for a few moments, Ebony bounced across the gap between them and grabbed Ariadne's hand. Tugging the reluctant elf behind her Ebony practically dashed to the hammock.

[Lady Jenn]

"You're more like your mother than I think you realize," Ariadne said with a chuckle as she pulled her into the hammock, pulling the cloak over both of them. "What would your boyfriend think if he knew you were snuggling under the stars with someone you just met?"

She could feel sleep beginning to catch up with her, despite her best efforts.

"We're safe here, the barrier will let us know if anyone tries to enter the camp," she said sleepily.

[Levi]

Snuggling in as much as she was able, Ebony smirked "What boyfriend?" Her eyes closed as she said ' surely if I had one, he would be here?". Then quite suddenly she picked up on Ariadne's first comment, sitting bolt upright she accidentally set the hammock into a wild swing which threw Ebony against the elf's body.

"Oomph..." Ebony's face was suddenly very close to Ariadne's "you knew my mother?" Ebony asked, the close proximity to the beauty before her not taking its full effect as the temptation of knowledge about her mother was to great.

[Lady Jenn]

"I knew Carolina first," Ariadne replied. "She, ironically, got lost in here and I was the one who rescued her. Your mother got so curious about the stories her teacher would tell her that Carolina eventually gave in and brought her with her. We...we connected immediately," she said, trying to choke back the emotion. "For a time we shared a bond elves rarely share with other races but...I realised I would live longer than her, I could not bear to watch her age when she could find someone she could devote her life to."

She brushed a tear away before she continued.

"For a while, before Myraz began to crack down, I used to sneak into the city to see her," she said with a sigh. "I even met your father, then one day, while you were at school, I discovered him alone in the forge...he believed illness had killed her, but I suspect strongly that Myraz was involved somehow. But I was one elf, I could do nothing but walk away, feeling powerless to help either of you."

[Levi]

Ebony reached over and tentatively hugged the elf. "Your doing something" she said " your taking me to Dragonblight" Ebony snuggled back in next to Ariadne. The hammock had calmed to a gentle swinging motion.

The young woman's eyes soon began to close, and within a few minutes Ebony was asleep. The next morning a delicious smell woke her, the spot beside Ebony was empty. She swung her legs over the edge of the hammock and spotted Ariadne crouched over the fire. "Good morning"

[Lady Jenn]

"Hmm" Ariadne mumbled from where she was studying the map she had spread out in front of herself. She had changed into what appeared to be a tighter tunic, showing of the curves of her body, but it was no less impressive a suit of armour than her other tunic. She turned to look at Ebony. "Good mor..." she stopped when she saw the word at Ebony's belt. "Ebony, that...that sword, it's not called the Dawnhammer Blade by any chance?"

[Levi]

Ebony stood "yes, I think that's what Carolina called it" she wandered over to were Ariadne was and glanced at the map she had laid out, thanks to the reading Ebony enjoyed at home she was able to recognize some of the obvious landmarks. She found Tarnegar with ease, but search as she could she didn't see anything labeled Dragonblight. Ebony crouched down next to Ariadne.

"So where we headed" she asked brightly but before the elf could respond a loud grumble came from Ebony's stomach. Ebony blushed how embarrassing she thought.

[Lady Jenn]

"This forest is so large it'll take us most of this day just to reach its northern border," Ariadne said, scratching her chin. The settlement of Marzai, which lies just north of the forest, would be a good place to stop, I know a man who runs an inn there. We can rest, plus he tends to know what is going on in the lands to the north."

As she got up to pack her things there was a brief glimpse of the sheath over her back, which carried a similar pattern to the sheath of the Dawnhammer Blade.

[Levi]

Ebony caught a glimpse of the blade Ariadne was carrying and frowned " you have one to?!" She exclaimed . What's going on? Ebony thought is this more then a coincidence? Ebony sat where the elf had left her and waited impatiently for Ariadne to tell her exactly what was going on.

[Lady Jenn]

"No, this sword is but a simple knife compared to what you carry," Ariadne said with a laugh as she turned around. "I didn't tell you my full name: Ariadne Dawnhammer, that blade was forged for my grandfather, the then leader of the Dawnhammer clan of elves. It was lost to my family when he was mortally wounded in the last great war the elves fought in, we thought it lost." She walked over, tempted to take the blade from Ebony, but stopped. "By rights I am one of only two elves who should wield it, but...it was forged for a soldier, the field of battle is not somewhere I feel comfortable." She hadn't realised she was still holding Ebony's hand, gazing into her eyes.

[Levi]

Ebony gazed deep into Ariadne's eyes, ever so carefully she pulled the elf towards her not wanting to startle her and placed the gentlest of kisses on her lips. Pulling back slightly she smiled shyly " I see, then by all means..." Ebony carefully undid the belt holding the sword to her waist and offered it one handed to the beautiful woman before her.

"Take it" Ebony urged, still holding Ariadne's hand in hers, she squeezed it reassuringly " I already have the blade my father gave me... And I've no skill with a sword..   And if it belonged to your grandfather" Ebony rambled on, quite unable to stop. She was not new to love but never had she felt the way she did since first meeting Ariadne.

[Lady Jenn]

"No," she said, handing it back. "Maybe one day the time will be right for me to wield it but for now you deserve it as much as me. Hopefully we won't need it for a battle, we can simply use it to recruit any allies who don't listen to our charms." She pulled her into a longer kiss, only stopping after a couple of minutes. "Come on, we have some horses to get, we don't want to hang around for too long. Do you have anything else to pick up before we leave?"

[Levi]

Ebony grinned, jumping to her feet she reattached the sword "no" she responded " I only really brought myself". Ebony chuckled and grabbed Ariadne's hand again " Lead the way!" Ebony stole another quick kiss before letting go of the elf's hand and following her from the campsite.

In the light of day with Ariadne by her side the forest looked almost magical and not at all frighting as the night before. "Why is it called The Forest of Shadows anyway? Didn't you call it something else when we met.... Erisel?" Ebony asked curiously.

[Lady Jenn]

"I am unsure where the name Erisel originates from," Ariadne replied as they walked. "I tried asking my father but he said it was called that as far back as Elvish memories go. As for the human name...at night this place can seem a little...intimidating," she said with a wry laugh. "There used to be a tale that the very shadows in this forest would come to life at night, but I've never seen it myself." Eventually they found themselves in a clearing far larger than Ariadne's camp, dominated by a one-storey hut. Although there was no immediate sign of horses a whinnying noise could be heard from somewhere close. "He is blind," Ariadne said. "Just be aware that his hearing is incredible, so be careful what you say around him." She stopped in the centre of the clearing. "Mika, are you there?" she called out, but no response was forthcoming. "Is this anyway to treat your favourite elf?"

"Hold on," came a voice from inside as a scraping noise sounded. Eventually the door opened, a tall man with wiry white hair and two milky white eyes, dressed in a long brown apron and dirty blue clothing, stepped out. "Princess Cath'ayal, is that really you?"

"I told you before," Ariadne said, stepping forward to hug the old man. "I left that name behind...a long time ago." She led him over to Ebony. "Mika, this is Ebony, Ebony, Mika here is one of the few people brave...or you might say crazy...enough to make a living in this forest."

"I wouldn't last a winter without the help of you rangers," Mika said with a laugh, bowing in the direction of Ebony. "I take it you want my horses?" he asked. "They're in the usual place." He lead them over to a small paddock where three horses were stood. While two were beautiful, if unremarkable, examples of their species the third stood out. It was a mountain of a horse, whose tail flicks seemed ominous. "Take one of the smaller horses," Mika said to Ebony as the black horse walked slowly towards Ariadne. "There is only one rider that beauty will allow to ride her, that horse is special."

"Silver old friend," Ariadne said, touching the horse's nose gently. "It has been too long since I sought you out."

[Levi]

" No arguments here" Ebony responded , she moved to the other two horses reaching out to stoke one of them she said " hey there,aren't you beautiful " she stated to the horses, the second horse came and bumped her arm looking for attention to. Ebony laughed and stroked the second horse.

After a few minutes , Ebony turned to where Mika was standing " Thank you very much for letting us borrow your horses, I hope we will not be in convincing you by taking a pair" Ebony said politely.

[Lady Jenn]

"I was never a good rider," Mika said with a laugh as he walked over to help her onto the horse. "Besides which fact, you're the only people likely to be asking for horses anytime soon, even the Rangers don't use them often."

"Probably because of Silver," Ariadne said as she climbed onto the dark horse. "Not even a fellow elf would be brave enough to try taming her. She's almost unique around here, one of the last descendants of the great Elvish steeds which used to roam here before most of my kin crossed the Great Sea to the south."

"I used to joke Silver was one of the few creatures she truly loved," Mika said to Ebony once he had placed the saddle on the horse she'd chosen. He leant closer so only Ebony would hear. "Be careful with her," he said. "She doesn't like to show it but she's more fragile than she may seem, although much like her horse she has a loyalty that few creatures could match."

[Levi]

Ebony blushed, and then chucked " Ariadne was right about you, don't worry I'll take good care of her... Well as much as she will let me anyway" declared Ebony. After saying this she mounted the patiently waiting horse. "I hope we meet again Mika"

Ebony took hold of the horse's reigns and encouraged it to trot forward. She turned in the saddle to look at Ariadne. "Ready?" She asked, eager to be underway and truly began this adventure. Ebony had no clue that day of what would befall the two women.

[Lady Jenn]

"I shall have to rein Silver in slightly," Ariadne said with a chuckle. "At full tilt no other horse would be able to keep pace with her." With that she said a word into Silver's ear and the horse set off, even before they reached the path again treating the undergrowth like it was flat ground. The ride north was uneventful, only the occasional glimpse of creatures in the tree line showing any other sign of life. By the time they emerged at the other end the light of the day had almost faded away, but in the near distance they could see a small settlement, smoke rising from chimneys within it's low stone walls. "Stay by me," she said to Ebony, stopping for a moment. "There is no real law enforcement this side of the forest, so I advise you trust no-one unless you have to." They entered the settlement, only stopping when they found themselves outside a tavern from which sounds of merriment emerged. Outside it was a young boy, barely 13, sleeping against a makeshift spear. Ariadne let out a slight laugh as she let herself down off her horse. "I was told the Wolf's Head was protected by Merrick the Mighty, I was obviously lied to."

"Who goes..." the boy started saying as he got up, before realising who he was looking at. "Aunt Ariadne, it has been too long," he said, running up and hugging her before she could respond. "Who's your friend?"

"Take our horses to the stable and behave yourself and I'll introduce you," she said, helping Ebony off her horse. "But first, I need you to tell your father we must speak to him as soon as possible." Merrick led the horses off eagerly, Ariadne letting out a sad sigh. "Marcus isn't his real father," she said to Ebony. "I don't know what happened for certain, but I found him as an infant in Erisel, his dead parents beside him. Marcus was the only human I trusted not ruled by Myraz so I brought him here." She took Ebony's hand, leading her through the door. Most of the occupants ignored their entry, the few who seemed curious being put off by the sight of the sword Ariadne wielded. "The advantage of being with me," she said, kissing Ebony lightly. "No-one with any sense picks a fight with a Ranger. Find us a table, I'll get us a drink."

[Levi]

Ebony took a quick look around the dingy interior before spotting a suitable table towards the back left corner of the tavern. By the time she sat down most if the patrons had gone back to their drinks. Ebony sighed with relief.

She then took a proper look around her taking in the rustic but well kept furnishings and the roaring fire. The young woman in her nosiness began to create little background stories for the locals as to why they were there that night. As her eyes roamed the tavern, they settled on Ariadne. She was talking with someone at the bar. Ebony smiled

[Lady Jenn]

Once she had ordered a drink from the man behind the bar Ariadne turned to find Ebony, only to catch a sight of the barbarian sat slightly down the bar from her who seemed to be watching her closely. She also spotted a young bar patron drawing a short knife as he approached him.

"I've killed braver men than you," she said, having put an arrow to her bow at frightening speed. "Do you want to test my bow arm?" The young man seemed to think better of the idea and backed off. She stepped closer to the warrior. "I don't suppose you're looking for a quest to set out on?"

[King Kull]

Grim was sitting at the bar with a large mug of mead. He had escorted a trader here in exchange for a rather modest reward and didn’t really know what to do next. Nothing much seemed to be going on here so he should probably move on. His dog lay at his feet, in public places like this he always stayed close to Grim. Then a beautiful woman walked up to the bar; it was obviously an elf. The old stories among the Hercynians always only had good to say about them so he was always intrigued the rare moments he saw one. He wondered how old she was, did her hair turn silver from age but not her face? Some said elfs where immortal others said the just lived very long.
As he looked at her she suddenly draw an arrow; startled Grim gripped the hilt of his sword and drew it. Sword in hand he realized that the elf didn’t aim at him but to the side of him and he saw a soft farmer boy backing away putting away a knife after she spoke to him. She was surely skilled with that bow, she could surely have shot him before he could have responded.

“Why do you come at me with a knife boy”; Grim said with a deep and stern voice. But as the elf-woman moved towards him and spoke to him he lost interest in the boy. “Do you read minds as well”; Grim said with a big grin. “I’m always looking for honour and gold. Thanks for watching my back. Do want a mug of mead?”.

[Lady Jenn]

"The only alcohol I drink in any quantity fled south with most of my kin," Ariadne replied with a laugh. "Although, when you hear what we want your help with you might need a stronger drink than that." Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Marcus, an older man picking up empty glasses while talking to one of the older patrons. "I'll be sat over there," she said, indicating where Ebony was sat. "Join us when you're ready."

[King Kull]

“I was born ready”, Grim replied with another of his grins showing of the white teeth you get from a lifetime of eating game meat and plants from the forest. He emptied his mug in one go and grabbed it with one hand and the half full pitcher he had ordered with the other. He wasn’t far behind the elf and just behind him was his dog. Grim looked at her shape from behind, she had a field outfit, like a ranger, but it was tight. She had the body of a young woman but Grim couldn’t get his age-speculations out of his mind. Forget about it Grim, elves are semi-gods of nature, better to stick to humans. Another woman where sitting at the table the elf where heading towards. She was young and pretty and had the same silver hair as the elf but she didn’t look like an elf. Even thou she was sitting he could see that she carried two swords. She definitely didn’t look like a fighter, actually she looked weak; a typical product of civilization. Grim’s eyes were drawn to the red gem around her neck. That looked precious indeed! Grim lowered his gaze a bit so it wouldn’t be too obvious what he was really looking at, and admired her well developed bosom instead. It didn’t occur to him that looking at a woman’s breasts might be ruder than evaluating her possessions among cultured peoples ((Grim doesn’t know about Ariadne’s and Ebony’s affection to each other)). Grim sat down at the table and spoke:

“My name is Grim, Grim Direwolf, nice to meet you ladies”.