Challenges

[WolfEnchantress]

Saira listened to his explanation of Alchemy, which she found rather interesting. It sounded rather complicated. For just a moment she met his gaze and noticed his blush. She looked down, not knowing what really to say.

"I'm Saira," She said finally. She had no need for secrecy, not with someone who didn't know who she was. "I'm supposed to find Orlin, and stay for a week. Then return to the one who put me to this test." She, for the moment, didn't mention Sarora. Most people didn't like dragons, or didn't even believe in their existance. For most of the population, it was the latter.

"You seem pretty good with directions. How is it you knew exactly which direction Orlin is, when you said you have never been there?" She had gotten good at reducing her thick accent, but her speaking wasn't perfect yet.

A crack of a branch made her stop and look around warily before continuing on, drawing her blue cloak closer around her. The forest semed bigger without Sarora, and it seemed to havne more things hiding in the brush, things that could be harmful. Everything was so...different.

[Omio]

There was information being hidden - he was going to pry further around some things, but not pry too far. "When exactly were you sent for this 'test'?" He didn't care about the accents - not that he payed too much attention to them; but he could easily identify them. She sounds as if she comes from a remote area. She'd be hardier to come from the desert and would know the precise direction if she did, and she doesn't sound anywhere close to depressing, so she isn't from the lake. That only means she's probably from the ridge... "As to know I know, though I'm actually guessing, I was being logical about both our approaches and experiences."

[WolfEnchantress]

As she listened to his explanation of his directions, she was proud of herself for being somewhat at ease with Len. Until she met Kimara, humans deterred her. Usually she ran from civilization, choosing solitude rather than the company of others. She would embarass herself, never having learned the correct way to act around humans. After all, how should a dragon know that? Most thought her strange with her acent and odd behavior
For the first time, she studied Len properly. He was taller than she was by quite a few inches. Slight build. Rather handsome, really.
She looked back away, remembering what she was told. Staring openly was rude.

"I'm sent to Orlin. I have...friends...waiting for me somewhere." Saira stopped and turned around. "I don't know where now exactly, but when I have to go back I can find my way good enough." Sarora would guide her to where she and Kimara were staying.

She started walking again, and breifly thought about what would happen once she did return. Her face, for only an instant, fell. Where were she and Sarora going to live? They couldn't go back to Ularian Ridge anymore. Not that they had an offical home anyways, mostly they just travelled wherever seemed fit, but Sarora preferred the snow.

Figuring it was not the time to start thinking of such things, she smiled again, tearing her mind away from the unpleasent thoughts.
"I'm glad you're with me," She told Len. "I never have really had to walk alone anywhere. I dont really like it, especally in here." She, again, missed the looming presence of the dragon hovering over her.

A low rumble of thunder made her stop. It was nearly impossible to see through the trees, but judging by the wind picking up and the drop in temprature, a storm was coming. She frowned-The last one had caused disaster.
"We might have to make camp early," She said. Kimara had told her it would take a few days to get to Orlin. It might take an extra day. She had no intention of travelling once the rain began, not after last time. "I don't have many supplies, but if we can find a cover of trees, which shouldn't be too hard, this is a pretty dense area, we should stay dry enough and i'm pretty good at making fires." She glanced to Len to see what he thought.

[Omio]

His question wasn't answered properly - it was even more obvious that Saira was hiding something. He figured not to really pry much further; that is, until the winds turned bitter and the clouds sounding full of nature's destruction gave way to Saira's fear of rough conditions. He then observed her, and judging by the way she was intentionally looking away, it was obvious either he looked really ugly, which he doubted, or she was taught never to stare. He was actually rather calm through it all.

"By the sound of it, we have about an hour's time. That's more than enough to find that little cove I found on my way here; it's about half an hour of slow walking away." He seemed calm enough within his voice. "And as to you being alone, it's just something to get used to. I've been alone long enough, really." And then he slightly chuckled. "The authorities never really liked some of the potions and stuff I made and did... But anyhow, let's get moving. Haste is the very thing we need. We can take care of camp when we get there."

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara had let Sarora think about it and heard her internal questions and concerns. Kimara had said that they should get some rest and fallen off asleep, hoping that Sarora would get some rest too.

************************

Kimara awoke to a peal of thunder. Sarora's eyes were wide open too, but it was hard for Kimara to tell if she had just awoken or not. Kimara stretched and raised up.

"It seems like it's going to rain. That will help keep us under cover. No one will be out searching for anything in weather like this. Luckily, this is closed in enough that we should stay dry."

Kimara stood up and started gathering some firewood from the edge of the clearing, wanting to keep enough handy for cooking. After that, Kimara cleaned a place to make a fire pit and began the campfire. Hot food would be nice today.

"You have been quiet, Sarora. Something on your mind?"

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora, despite being tired, only slept for a short time. With Saira away, even the hour was difficult. She had been thinking of checking up on her-just once. IT ccouldn't hurt.
Sarora heard Kimara's question right as she reched a tendril of thought out to Saira, gently touching her conciousness for a split second before pulling away.
Kimara, there is someone with her, She told him ainxously. That fool, she is far too trusting! Is this even allowed? She is suposed to be alone.

**

Saira nodded. A cave would provide better shelter than a group of trees. Another rumble of thunder. She glanced up at the sky again. Even though the last storm brought disaster, she actuallty enjoyed them. Rain was soothing, in it's own way.

"Wha-" She began, but cut off. She was positive that, just for a moment, she'd felt Sarora again. Despite the dragon's quickness, she knew her thoughts too well to dismiss it as her imagination.
Abruptly, she giggled, stumbling over a root before catching herself. Sarora was faring worse than she was. The test was going to be easy.
Remembering she was with company, she gained control of herself, turning a shade of red.
"Please, forgive me for my outburst," She said, still grinning broadly and wondering how she would explain that.
"As I was going to ask before. How do you make the things that you do?" She hoped he would get absorbed in an explanation of some sort and possibly forget, and was genuinely interested.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara looked at the dragon, stirring the brew over the fire. "Her test is to make it on her own. That and traveling alone are two different things and you know it, Sarora. This is a test for her to see if she can make it without you. Naturally, that will entail the help of others at times." Kimara smiled and added some herbs to the stew. "There is place enough for both other people and you in her life, Sarora."

[Omio]

He stopped, letting Saira catch up. "Oh, you mean the potions? Just mix the right things, and toss in other ingredients, really. On the occasion, you may have to make a chant, depending on the potion. It's a massive world learned mostly by experimenting, or hearing of others experimenting and getting their results written down or memorized." He smiled. "It's easy, yet tricky - depending on what alchemy you're after. I'm more for the hard-to-find stuff, so I have trickier jobs. That one potion you saw me make was a good example of something you'd use to patch up your immune system and help your system actually clot what wounds you might have - it also solves a couple of poisons, too."

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora grumbled. Saira seemed to adapt easily enough, which made Sarora proud and yet sad. But they hadnn't yet gotten to the town itself-that would be diffferent than just one person.

**

Saira listened with intrest, glad her question had diverted him.
"So you can make anything? Poison, healing, things like that?" She'd never even heard of Alchemy until now. "Is it practiced a lot? I mean by others, too, or just you?" He'd said the authorities didn't like what he made. Maybe it was outlawed? That would explain why she'd never heard of it.
Again, she sumbled. The forest floor was much different than the plains or the snow. Embarrassed, she kept her eyees ahead for a sign of the cave they were heading to. It was impossible to trip sitting in a cave.

[Omio]

He sighed, knowing one bit of advice to give to the girl. "When in the forest, look down, then forward, then down again. But back to the topic of alchemy, its practice is usually kept in a lot of secrecy if you're the wrong kind of alchemist - like I am. However, some medics and whatnot rely on alchemy, which still requires us. What the matter is... is the fact that alchemy's potential is almost endless, and the volatile end is something the law officials don't want to see." He looked ahead. They were almost there, but not quite.

"Though enough talk of me; I've done that enough as is - may I hear about you a little bit? Surely, you must have something of interest to speak about. I may be a town folk, but those are common and boring; the outside life sounds much better." Who knows? This woman from the ridges might have anything for news and discoveries...

(( You didn't see my edit tag, but oh well, we'll roll with that. ))

[WolfEnchantress]

SAira did as told-look down, forewarsd, down-and found that she stumbled much less.

"It's amazing. I mean, it's great being able to go everywhere at a whim. but I suppose if you live like I do it's hard to go to different towns, different places. I grew up in solitude on Ularian Ridge with not many humans for company, and my teacher didn't exactly know the ways of 'civilized' people either, so I ended up avoiding anywhere with a lot of people. I make a fool of myself." She didn't catch her slip about having no humans, yet someone-something as her teacher, and didn't mention that she still didn't go where there was a lot of people. He'd know soon enough, unfortunately.

"I guess i've been a lot of places. This forest isn't one of them, open places better suit me, but it's...not as bad as I thought it would be. It's somewhat peacful. And though I do love how I live, I suppose I wouldn't mind living in just one place." She used to in a way, they always would return to Ularian Ridge, but not often the same place for too long.

((I did, but didn't quite understand it...I can easily change anything in my posts, if you could elaborate?))

[Omio]

((Nah, it's all good; We covered the basis of my edit already.))

They both had arrived nearby the cave, by the time Saira was finishing up. It was a tree that had grown with a nicely-sized dome under it - almost like a miniature cave. From the ridge, as I suspected. Though he still had a few questions. "Your teacher sounds rather generous, to teach you in such a remote area, and possibly even to care for you..." And then he ducked, waddling into the domed tree and then taking a seat with his back rested against the back of the tree's dome. "...human or no. Sounds much alike my mother." And his head tilted forward and down, as if to regret something.

(( By the way, have you any manner of IM? I'd rather be able to discuss ideas through that rather than be implying them here. ))

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora sighed. Saira knew her mind far too well. Even the short touch of her mind alerted Saira to Sarora's presence. Looked like she would have to wait it out, after all. A whole week doing nothing important and without knowing wher Saira was or how she was doing...
Sarora stretched her wings as much as the space would allow, carefully not touching the trees before folding them again, vaugely wishing she could fly.

**

She followed for a while longer until they came to a tree that formed somewhat of a cave-like tunnel. She ducked in after him, fascinated.

She listened to him talk as they went inside, and Len commented on the similarities of Sarora and his mother-then looked regretful. Was he implying that his mother..wasn't human? It wasn't possible, was it? The alarm of him suggesting her own 'mother' wasn't human was drowned out by Len's expression.
"What was your mother like?" She asked, then cringed. He looked so...well, she didn't really know, a lot of things, but it didn't seem like an open subject.
"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer, I spoke without thinking when I probably should have shut up..." She trailed off, hoping her apologies wouldn't go unnoticed. Still, she would have loved to hear about his mother, if she was like Len suggested and what she was contemplating.

[Omio]

"She used to be kind, generous, ...though a bit dense on occasion, I'll hand that. But..." He stopped, a tear dropping from his face. "...She drank an experimental potion, and it... ...it was a failed experiment." and he could speak no more, as he coiled into a ball; having redug a past guilt that he never really did get over. One could safely assume that Len was crying.

[WolfEnchantress]

Saira listened, mildly surprised. Not what she had expected. She reached out and gently touched his arm.
"When my parents were slaughtered, my mother told me to run. I was only seven" Saira's voice hardened, as it always did when conversation neared this subject, keeping any emotion carefully hidden. "So I did. I ran, when I could have helped. I let them get killed to allow myself to live." She clenched her teeth. "I shouldn't have lived. But I did, and Sarora aught me how to live with that. I didn't know your mother, but she sounded like the kind of erson who who would want you to move on, not be burdened by guilt." She remembered her own period of torturous guilt.

"I know it might not help, but...beating yourself up over things that hapened can't change them. And I know that you feel like it was your fault, but.." She trailed off. "Anybody would have done the same. So plese, don't cry... I'll bet if she was here right now she'd be proud of what you've accomplished."