The Fugitive [Talwyn, theseawitch and I]

[dust]

OOC: Alright, keep following this order from now on ^^
Talwyn, Dust (me), theseawitch.

IC:

Al-Dan quickly climbed on the back of the wolf. So Gwilyim was a mage too? He wondered what kind of mage.

"Alright then, when we've reached a place to hide, I've got some things to explain to you, Gwilyim. About my powers. Now, oh spirit, follow Ishalla!"

[theseawitch]

The wolf nodded and set off so fast that the men with swords were blown backwards. She followed the beautiful shape high in the sky, flowers blooming beneath her as her speed lent them almost an airborne quality.

[Talwyn]

While it seemed forever to Gwilyim, the great wolf actually managed to out run their pursuers quite easily and from there it was only a matter of time until Ishalla let send him images of a cave that seemed to be abandoned. When they reached it, he climbed off the wolf as gently as possibly. Hiding his thumb behind his hand, he placed his four fingers on his heart and bowed lightly towards the spirit. "Many thanks kenja ohkami. Had it not been for you, we surely would have had to fight with them." He waved towards Ishalla and watched her fly off. "I have sent Ishalla to hunt for us. Let us pray she is successful and gather some firewood while we wait for her to return. As for you kenja ohkami... I am afraid you'll have to hunt for your self. I do not think dear Ishalla can catch anything that would satisfy a creature of your size." With that, he walked off.

When he got back with a supply of firewood, he saw Ishalla looking protectively at the corpse of a hare, from her perch. It was obvious she wasn't didn't like the wolf or Al-Dan getting near it. Shaking his head he chuckled and walked over to the bird. "Come now dear, you know I would be sharing it with Al-Dan anyway so you could have let him prepare it already." Looking at Al-Dan he smiled. "Can you prepare the hare? I have something I must do. Don't worry about Ishalla, she won't do anything. She looks more intimidating then she truly is. " He looked for a spot where he could sit comfortably and as he sat down, grabbed the staff with both hands.

Ishalla jumped from her perch and once again went to sit on Gwilyims shoulder. Both of them closed their eyes, and his crystal slowly started to blink. First it went from the sapphire blue, to no color at all. Making the crystal look like a piece of glass. But after a while, it suddenly started alternating between the sapphire blue and a fiery orange while Gwilyim himself seemed to be in some sort of trance.

((OOC: Last post for tonight, sorry XD))

[dust]

Al-Dan grabbed the dead hare and nodded. "Sure." he said.

He took the wood and put it on the ground so he could make a campfire. He looked over to Gwilyim and saw him being in a deep trance. He wondered what that was about and then turned back to the dry wood in front of him.

As he held the hare in his left hand he reached out his right hand, and opened it.

"Incendia." he said and a bright flame was unleashed from his hand. In less than a second a warm nice campfire was burning and Al-Dan started to prepare the hare.

Finally he was done.

"Dinner served." he said, not sure if Gwilyim had heard him.

[theseawitch]

The wolf watched the preparations, intrigued.
"I will eat elsewhere; my eating habits will most likely disgust you,"she said, leaving them silently.
She caught and ate three deer and returned to them with a death mask of blood. She settled down by the fire to listen to her new companions.

[Talwyn]

As he got out of his trance, Gwilyim looked weary, as did Ishalla. He wiped the sweat of his forehead and got up slowly. He took a few wobbly steps towards the fire, using his staff to keep him from falling over. Smiling reassuringly, he sat down and impatiently took a bite of his food. "Don't worry about me. The magic I was just using, which we call the kurisutaru renku, can be very draining. I'll be fine after I replenish my energy." Looking at the wolf he gave another friendly smile. "It seems the hunt was a success kenja ohkami."

Taking another bite of food, he tore of a piece of the meat which he fed to Ishalla, who gave an approving cry. "Well my friend," He started as he looked at Al-Dan expectantly. "I do think it is about time to hear your story for it seems I have made myself a part of it. And yes, I know I did so myself. But I would still like to know what I have gotten myself into."

[dust]

Al-Dan took a bite from his food too and listened to Gwilyim.

"My story..." Al-Dan said. "...As you already know, I am a fugitive. I have been sentenced to death for murder, but I am innocent..."

"It was a few months ago, and I was hired by a noblewoman to protect her. We were in Tamasha Village and it was there where she was murdered. The killer got away and I kneeled beside her body and tried to aid her. However, the guards came in and found me beside her dead body. They assumed I was the killer and so I was arrested. Then I was sentenced to death and put in jail. A few weeks later they took me out of the jail and I was being escorted to a high security prison within the desert. I managed to escape and I came across a traveling party. They took me in and finally I made it back to Tamasha where I arrived a few weeks ago. I decided it was not wise to stay there too long and so I set out. Eventually you found me and from that point you know what happened. That's my story, or at least, a rough summary of my story. What about you two, oh spirit and Gwilyim?"

As he waited for replies he continued to eat his meal. It was not the best quality ever, but it silenced his hunger and for that he was grateful. He was also grateful that he had met his three new companions: Gwilyim, Ishalla and the Spirit Wolf.

[theseawitch]

The great wolf listened in silence. When he finished, she made no comment, but spoke her own story.
"I am all that is and all that is not in the woodland. I bring forth trees and flowers, I traverse the boundaries between mankind and the Wood.
As of late, however, mankind has become greedier and greedier, and have knocked down vast tracts of land to build on, slaughtered my children, crushed my plants, stolen my trees to burn. The death smoke hangs heavy over the forest, and everybody suffers. They kill us, they shatter our bones, they pour hot iron onto our bodies, they brick over our homes, they take our young and slaughter them.
I was driven from The Spirit Spring when humans levelled it to build on. I managed to flee, into this realm, where such advances in technology as to allow the mass destruction of forest have not yet been achieved, and I can find no way out."
She stopped speaking, and turned her eyes on the remaining two, awaiting their story.

[Talwyn]

A sad smile appeared on Gwilyims face as he heard the wolfs story. "Yes, Ishalla and I know the dangers of such technology as well... Indirectly it is the reason I am here. Where I am from, every mage has a power known as "The Sight". This power grants us glimpses of the future or present that the gods deem important for us. I have seen glimpses of myself traveling this land... in fact one of my dreams showed me the daring escape we just made. It is because of these dreams that I have come here... for not only have I seen myself traveling these lands... I have seen within these dreams my own country's hope of salvation."

[dust]

Al-Dan Zei listened closely to each tale.

"So we're all here for a different reason..." he said. "...Each a different goal. But we're all fugitives now, and I guess that's my fault. Those bounty hunters will spread word that a wolf and a mage are helping me soon, you can count on that... and we cannot stay here too long. I think they will search the woods and it is only a matter of time until they have found us. So, what do we do now?"

[theseawitch]

The wolf considered for some time.
"Well, any current threats are easily eliminated; I am powerful, and I have asked the trees to cover our tracks. Soon the rain, too, will come. You two can rest, and I will stand guard. Tomorrow, at dawn, we rise and catch enough food to sustain you two. We can journey onward from there,"she suggested, blue eyes questioning.

[Talwyn]

Gwilyim seemed to consider the words of his companions for a long time. Truth was, he had no idea what they should be doing, and while he knew he was on the path the Gods had guided him towards, he felt slightly uneasy. Yes he trusted Al-Dan and he was intrigued by the giant wolf, but how was becoming a fugitive in a strange land going to help him? Still... he had always followed the Gods and he had no reason to doubt they would be wrong this time. "Your idea sounds excellent kenja ohkami, but it begs the question, where do we go? I know little of this land and it seems like anywhere we go we shall face the danger of bounty hunters looking for Al-Dan." He sighed and shook his head. "Maybe we should sleep for now and look at our problem again once our minds have gotten a bit of rest."

((OOC: Sorry, sorry. Was busy, tired and generally not in an RPing mood >_>))

[dust]

OOC: It's alright, Talwyn. ^^

Al-Dan agreed to what Talwyn said and a few hours later he slept.

He woke up very early in the morning and he looked around the area. He saw the wolf standing guard, like she promised.

"Morning, Oh spirit." he said. He then looked over to Talwyn and waited for him to wake up. He did not wake Talwyn himself because he figured that Talwyn had enough sleep when he woke up and not when waked up by someone else.

Al-Dan walked out of the cave and breathed the cold morning air. He sighed.

"I'm glad I've found companions..." he said to the wolf. "Thank you so much for what you have already done and you are willing to do. I don't know what I would've been without you two."

[theseawitch]

The wolf lowered her great head slightly and said nothing.
She turned her blue eyes to the horizon, where the faint globe of the sun generated weak light that fell grey across the land. She rose and moved away.
Returning less than ten minutes later, the corpse of some large bovine trailing behind her, she deigned to respond to the fire mage's words.
"It is good for you and your people to have companionship,"she said finally, deep voice soft and lilting, bending the stalks of grass, "I am more used to the sound of my own soliloquy, I do not often move with others. I am a wolf without a pack. I like it this way."
She ate, and then dragged the carcass out of sight, returning soaking wet and cleansed of blood.
"However, you must understand, you cannot dwell on what would have happened. We came because it was the will of the Divine Thirteen, my brethren. We are with you because powers higher than ourselves saw fit to spare you the anguish of the possibilities. They have been kind enough to grant you the better path. It is best not to question the Divine Will. Seek and stare into the void whilst in sought of solace, and your eyes will only find nightmares."
Her words rang heavy, the wind amidst the branches. Having spoken, she was peaceful.

[Talwyn]

((OOC: once again, sorry sorry. I can write for Talwyn just fine, but when I need to post for Gwilyim my mind is completely empty.))

His companions did not have to wait long as Gwilyim woke shortly after the wolf had given her little speech. When he did wake up however, he did not look a lot better then before going to bed and his face was covered in sweat. The wolf most likely had seen him toss and turn in his sleep as well. He shook his head to clear it. That could not have been a vision. The "dream ritual" as Gwilyim called it did not happen. His dream hadn't started with him surrounded by family and friends. Ishalla had not descended from the heavens and landed on his shoulders. His old mentor, Radomil, had not given him his staff crowned with the beautiful sapphire blue gem. He shook his head again, he knew his own power well enough to know it had indeed been a vision.

Getting up, Ishalla let out a worried cry and he smiled at the bird before waving at Al-Dan. "Morning. Did you sleep well?" Walking over to his companions, he decided not say anything about his vision. He had to meditate on the meaning first. "Al-Dan, I have been thinking..." Unsure of himself he hesitated. "Do you know who killed this noblewoman you were protecting? More importantly, do you have any idea where to find him so we can clear your name?"