Dream of the Archer- STARTS! LSUs by PM only

[Drusilla]

[color=teal]Dream of the Archer

Wayfaring warrior soul - still wild
The archer stands
Arrow measured to the goal - sing of
Strong and living man
In his mind there is a vision wand’ring
Through the forest town
Telling of riches only given if through
The woods the way is found

Crying, "Ah! beautiful dancers ...wake up
From your sleep!
Ahhh gentle romancers...drink of love
So sweet!"

Treasure glowing in their eyes - forest
Deepens dark their dream
Keep to the pathway he advise the woods
Are more than they might seem
Heed you now the apparition bending never
Ending sounds
Call you into her mystery - are your eyes
Not sparkling now?

Sighing "Ahh! take you no warning -
Make no foolish fight
Ahh, think not of morning - lie here
Through the night!"

"Beauty take us!" they call "In my arms!"
They hear her say
Silken web falls - mist illusion rips away
Helpless! helpless! now they scream
Helpless on the path he stands
And awakens from his dream singing string
Beneath his hand

Gentle archer ages old - release the aim
Free the goal
Roll your arrow to my soul - release the aim
Free the goal

"No!" The girl yelled, slamming her fist on the table. The flagons of mead rattled and the candle shook from the force of the blow; several of the tavern patrons threw her nasty looks.

"Keep it down, will ye?" the barmaid scolded.

"Sorry," the girl murmured, not looking very sorry at all. "Look, we can't wait for the royal troops to make it to the coast; the size of a force needed to push the enemy back would make it too slow, and someone needs to reach the coast by midsummer. the army won't make it until early fall at best, and by then it would be too late!"

"And if we go, our chances are better how?" one of her companions asked. "Regeane, we're no match for professional soldiers, and to be frank, I'd rather stay at home and wait to be overrun by the barbarians than run off and bash my head out against their front lines."

"We're not going to fight them, we're going to sneak through and get to the coast! From there, we'll head to the Crystal Isle."

"If it even exists," another companion interjected. "Genie, why are you so obsessed about this? OK, so you have some wierd abilities and can pick a lock or two, Aldrich and the guys can bash a few heads in ectetra. Honestly, why do you believe that we can journey from here all the way to the coast, through hostile territory, find a place that may or may not exist and save our homeland? We're not legendary heroes, and there haven't been any for centuries. It's a nice thought but the Age of Heroes is well over. Even if the Tale of the Archer is true, who's to say that the bloodline still exists?"

Regeane pulled a chain necklace from beneath her shirt; on it was a clear key. Her first companion groaned.

"Not the bloody key again..."

"Oi, what's that?" Another companion reached out and held the key still.

"It's nothing but a glass key, some little trinket that Regeane was found with when she was a baby. I've told her a million times that it's nothing, but she won't listen to me. I've even tried to have Mum take it from her, but it didn't work."

"Just because you're doubtful doesn't mean you're right," Regeane shot back at her foster brother.

"That's enough, you two. In theory, if we were to go and attemt this, would we make it in time? Even you'd have to admit, Genie, if we couldn't get there before midsummer there's little point in trying," the third companion pointed out.

"You're just encouraging her, Aeryn," grumbled the foster brother.

"Oh, yes," Regeane said happily, pulling a dagger from her sleeve and motioning about at the map in front of her. "This is were we are, of course; a direct journal by foot would take a few weeks, going through the mountains here and passing through Alderford on the other side. Them we'd go through-"

"Alderford Forest. Dad went through them once... Says 'e wouldn't do it again, not for all the gold in the world. Powerful magick, there, the whole bloody place being cursed and all. Me dad's not one to scare easily, neither," cut in the third companion.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Cutting through the forest is the quickest route to the ocean, though... Anyway, I don't see much point in worrying about it until we know all of our options-"

A man burst through the tavern door, dripping blood from his chest where a crossbow bolt had pierced deeply. "Soldiers!" he gasped. "They're coming, run!"

"Aldrich!" Regeane cried, leaping to her feet and running to the man's side. He staggered forward and fell to the floor.

Regeane turned him over with slight difficulty and brushed the sweat-drenched hair from his eyes. "No..." she whispered. "Please, don't die, Aldrich, please..."

Aldrich smiled weakly, his breath coming in short gasps. "Genie... love, get out of here. I'm all ready done for, don't risk yourself." He took her hand, the hand where his betrothal band glittered on her finger. "Don't forget me, love, but... don't forget to live... You'll make a fine wife for some lucky man someday... but it seems... my luck has... run out..."

"No, you'll be fine!" Regeane sobbed, tears pouring down her face. Aldrich gently brushed them from her eyes and pressed his scabbard into her hands.

"Genie, get out of here... If not for yourself... then for me. Don't... forget to live... Genie... I love you..." his voice trailed off with his last breath.

Regeane screamed, struggling against her friends who dragged her from the tavern into the trees at the edge of the village. Flame licked higher and brighter into the night as homes and shops burned; screams rent the peaceful air as women and children were ridden down and brutally murdered as their husbands and fathers tried in vain to protect them. The barbarians were creeping farther inland... and there was no one to stop them.



The Rules:

1) I'm playing Regeane, Aeryn is reserved for Asilynne, and Aldrich is dead, so don't ask.

2) Everyone is human.

3) Each character will have a corresponding element and species; no, I won't tell you what that's for just yet.

4) There isn't really a rule four yet, but I'm sure that I'll think of one soon.


The Sign Up

Name:
Gender:
Age:
Class: (healer, warrior, rogue, etc.)
Skills: (should correspond to your class)
Physical Description:
Personality:
Element and species: (Again, your character is human, so this isn't your character species. This is for something else that I'll get to later. Elements may not repeat, but species may within reason. Elements are Wind, Earth, Water, Fire, Light, and Dark. If you want a different one, PM me first for approval.)
Weapon(s) of choice:
Relationships:
Other:


EDIT: FINISHED! August 24, 2005, 12:10:35 PM

Name: Regeane
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Class: rogue/mage
Skills: pick-pocketing, picking locks, picking friends (haha... sorry), evasion, other rogue-ish things; mild magickal skill which really hasn't developed yet
Physical Description: Tall (6'1") and slender, her skin is a light olive tone and her facial structure is exotic. She doesn't look like any of the people of her village, or her country, for that matter. Some say she looks like an ancient race from long ago, some just say that she's foreign. Her eyes are icy blue and angular, her cheek bones are high, her nose is small and straight, her hair is midnight black, straight as a board, and very lustrous, and her lips are full and sensuous (not to mention pouty when she doesn't get her way). Her light build makes her very acrobatic and agile; she's a fast runner and can move without a sound. She wears typical peasant garb over a fitted outfit of black leather pants and top.
Personality: Headstrong, unpredictable, quirky, impulsive, and playful, Regeane is a handful and then some. When she was younger, she constantly cause havoc and would often be labled a trouble-maker. As she got older, her tricks became more elaborate but less damaging to people and property. She loved to pick the pockets of villagers in the market and hand them their own belongings later on. Her foster mother tried to get her interested in boys, but that only caused more chaos, as she excelled at instigation and giving people the slip. Aldrich was the only person ever able to "control" her in any way, and only then very slightly.
Element and species: Stellar and elven
Weapon(s) of choice: light blades (daggers, short swords, sais, etc.), with slight proficiency with long and short bows.
Relationships: Was engaged to Aldrich the blacksmith, now deceased, and is/was the foster daughter of the town baker, and therefore foster sister to Aeryn and Saan; friends of Gael, Marek and Lyia.
Other: She's an orphan; no one knows where she came from or who she is. The only clue is the key, which doesn't mean anything at this point.



~*~Regeane~*~

Dawn broke, cold and harsh, on the spring landscape; the colors of blooming flowers and the voices of songbirds did nothing to break through my personal darkness. The light of my life had been extinguished, and nothing seemed capable of reaching me.

"Genie?"

I looked up at Aeryn, eyes empty and cold. "I'm going to the coast; if you want to come as well, then fine, but don't try to stop me," I said in a monotonous voice as I rose from the ground where I had been sitting half the night. I walked away from the others; Aeryn glanced at them before following, and the group moved out.
-----

I know it's pathetic, but I really have very little inspiration at the moment...

[Samchu]

woot! let the party begin!

Name: Gael
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Class: warrior
Skills: swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, stealth, tracking (might think of some more later)
Physical Description: http://www.celebrity-exchange.com/ce...hristensen.jpg
Personality: he's...well he's odd. He suffers from mood swings, very unpredictable mood swings. Either way, he has a battle thirst and will never shy away from a fight, no matter who it's with. Despite how he appears, he has a tendancy of doing silly things and saying silly things - within reason of course. He'll generally try to cheer people up when their down and keep people's spirits lifted all round. But when his mood shifts he becomes an almost completely different person. He becomes withdrawn and moody and tends to shy away from the rest of the group.
Element and species: Dark and Dragon
Weapon(s) of choice: Katana ( )
Relationships: friends with Regeane(??)
Other: has unknown history which will cause complications (o.O)

Gael
~~~~

I had helped some of the others drag Genie from the village and once we had delved deep enough into the forest, she had forced herself from us and sat alone. She didn't move from that spot until dawn broke the next morning, but that is getting slightly ahead of myself.

Genie was perhaps the only person I dared concider my friend. I rarely entered the village itself, finding most of my days spent working in the stables at which I lived and worked. From an early age I had been fostered by Saeril, the stablebuck. An honest, hardworking man who had always encouraged me to be the same. He had never felt fit for me to carry out business in the village - thus my lack of entering it. If free time permitted it then I would occasionally take a stroll there, though the only person I actually knew was Genie and that was because she had visited me on occassion whilst Saeril was working.

That was in the past. Saeril and my stables were gone. There was nothing for any of us back there and we had been forced to push on to the coast, despite the dangers.

That evening, things had been chaotic between us all. Everything had been tense in the unnerving night and in the chaos of it all, had eventually come organisation. I had noticed one of the girls healing minor cuts and scrapes that some of us had picked up in the confusion of evacuation. There was a man - taller than myself and very muscular - at her side. I quickly discovered him to be her brother and made a mental note not to cross him lightly. As a warrior at heart, I greatly welcomed a challenging battle. But I was not so stupid as to cross him unwisely.

As I watched the others, read the looks of fear, shock and confusion upon their faces, I wondered why I did not share the sorrow as deeply as they did. I was saddened by the loss of both my home and what I had concidered as my family but it was no surprise to me. This was not the first time it had happened. I closed my eyes and once again I was plagued with the image that had haunted me through childhood. The image of a figure disappearing into the night. It was all I knew of my family, my home before the stables. It wasn't a lot.

Looking back through the trees, I could still see the rising smoke from our village. Before long, the fires would die and our homes would fail to exist. There would be nothing but the ashed ground and the rotting corpses of those with whom we had lived our lives. My fist tightened in anger and I silently cursed the barbarians for the misery they had brought across this land. I swore on Saeril's memory that I would strike every barbarian that dared to cross my path.

My attention turned and I saw the young healer knealed on the ground, reflecting on her thoughts silently. Her brother was talking to another male and so I decided that perhaps it was safe to get my own attention. Slightly uneased, for I was not accustomed to introducing myself to people, I knealed beside her, my presence causing her to open her eyes.

"I was wondering..." I began nervously, though her gentle presence was somehow comforting. "You couldn't fix this up for me could you?" I lifted the bottom of my shirt to revealed a red curve dented into my side. "Stable accident," I explained.

Without a word, she palced her hand to my side - her touch both soft and soothing - and within moments the pain had resided.

"Thank you. You have a truly amazing gift."

She smiled softly and shook her head. "It comes in handy."

I nodded and presented her with a grateful smile of my own. "I'm Gael." It seemed like a suitable introduction.

"Lyia. Nice to meet you Gael. I haven't seen you around."

"I don't get out much," I replied truthfully.

The dawn began to break, bathing the both of us in an orange glow that seemed only to cause her to irridate with beauty. For reasons I can't explain, I felt things that I had never felt before, feelings I couldn't describe began to wash over me. Before I could even begin to fathem what was going on, Genie had stated aloud that she was going to the coast. As we had nowhere else to go, things were quickly gathered up and we began to head off after her.

I trailed behind the group slightly, baffled by my feelings which had now left me slightly numb on the inside. only a few hours had passed and already this journey was having reprocussions upon me. It made me wonder what else could possibly lie ahead.

[Asilynne]

Name: Aeryn the Dreamer
Gender:Female
Age:20
Class: Druid (like in D&D)
Skills: Tracking, animal affinities, nature type magics. Ability to speak with animals (asking Drus approval on this one lol) Climbing trees, basically anything outdoor and nature related, also plays the ocarina.
Physical Description: *is too lazy to oekaki*

only minus the wolf stuff obviously lol If not barefoot, she likes to go around with straw sandals
Personality: Mellow and calm most of the time, shes the type that loves to teach people, is very intellegent. Likes to watch and observe whats going on before jumping right in. Gets mad in a quiet sort of way, so you wouldnt know your in trouble until she strikes. Very loyal and dependable. If youve ever played Tales of Symphonia, this is a Raine type character
Element and species: Water/Wolf
Weapon(s) of choice: A runed staff, also has a quiver of short spears
Relationships: Being the bakers daughter, she is the foster sister of Genie. Blood sister of Saan, and despite Aeryns wise knowing ways still looks up to her older sister for guidance at times ^-^ Is very close to her sister and seem to have a connection where they know what each others thinking (not psychic, just knowing someone so well your minds tend to think along the same wavelengths at times, like me and my sis lol ^-~) Also knows of Marek and Lyia, though she doesnt know them as well as her sisters (thats a given XD).
Other: Nothing else ATM

~~Aeryn the Dreamer~~
Stare the world in the face and tell me your not afraid...

Red....it seemed like that color was everywhere.

It seemed the world was bathed in it as the sun rose. Red in front of my face, my hair gleaming in the new sun. Red behind me, the village I grew up in, my family, burning to the ground. The world itself seemed to be on fire.

So I kept the fires within me down. The world had enough fire. It did no good to get all firey and passionate now. Yes, I was gravely upset. My family was dead. My home was no more. All I had were my two sisters, Saan the elder and Genie the younger. Though Genie was not by blood I treated her like she was. As far as I was concerned blood didnt matter when it came to family. I loved her like a sister, she was family.
Despite the chaos I stayed calm and reasonable. Things happen, and though there were some ignorant people that would call me cold, I knew you couldnt change what had already happened. All you could do was make the future better. I saw as Genie wrestled with the reality of what happened, our family gone, her love, slain right in front of her. I tried in vain to think of ANY words of comfort I could give, but at the moment, I too was crashing inside. “Genie..” I started lamely, my mellow, soothing voice cracking a bit. When she looked up at me, it was like the fire in her soul had died. The sight shook my center of calm for a moment. She had always had that dancing fire inside and it seemed nothing could quench it. That love for life and adventures, every day was a new beginning. But now the fires of our village had overtaken the fires of her life and won out. That was the saddest thing I had seen today. The dead had returned to nature, though violently, and they were to be mourned, and though Genie was still alive she looked dead inside, like the rotted core of a tree that still stood. But before I could offer any words of comfort to mend that pain inside she spoke up.

"I'm going to the coast; if you want to come as well, then fine, but don't try to stop me." She said, pain and determination ringing through her voice as she stood up for the first time in hours and walked off. Genie. Youve always charged off into the unknown reguardless of the consequences, but somehow always managed to make it through. Youve always had your sisters by your side, no matter what you chose to do. Watching for a moment as her receding form went deeper into the forest, I glanced back at Saan. Our eyes locked for a moment, and we knew what we had to do without even having to talk about it. I nodded a soft, almost unseeable nod before turning around. Twirling my staff in my hands once I briskly walked after Genie, my long stride helping me catch up despite the fact she was taller and faster at walking. She seemed to be taking her time, numb to most of the world. This stabbed at me once more but I shook it off and put a hand on her shoulder.
“We re with you, Genie. Your not alone.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little short but heres for the first post lol ^-^()

[Weasel Overlord]

Well, I'm back...however, I'm still rather festival shell-shocked, so I'm just gonna post my sign-up so everyone knows I'm here, and then I'm gonna bugger off and sleep! I shall edit in a first post tomorrow possibly...

Name: Saan Reyl
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Class: Ranger
Skills: Tracking, stealth, good relations with animals, herbal recognition, point blank shot, (as in Neverwinter Nights...for some reason, this RP reminds me of that! lol) very skilled with a longbow.
Physical Description: Saan is tall and slender, usually towering over most at just over 6ft. She has long straight hair the colour of an autumn day. That is, burnt orange and deep reds. Think leaves! Her eyes are soft brown and gentle, showing her love for nature in the way that they light up with joy whenever she’s in a foresty area.
Saan has a tendency to walk about barefooted and she wears a simple, figure-hugging brown robe-like garment, tied about the waist with an embroidered green belt.
Personality: Saan is gentle and kind but she has a proud streak that can make her seem aloof at times. She loves nature and all things living and she keeps lots of plants in her home. When she walks barefooted, Saan is completely silent and it isn’t an odd sight to see her padding through the trees with an animal of some kind at her heels.
Element and species: Demal ( They are a winged race. Slightly Elven in appearance,, they don't really differ from humans in many ways other than the fact that they have wings! They make good Rangers because of an affinity with natural and growing things and they are extremely agile and quick. Although the Demal are a proud race, they make friends easily and are truly loyal.)
Element: Nature.
Weapon(s) of choice: Longbow and arrows.
Relationships: Saan is the friend of Lyia, although she sees her as more of a delicate person who needs to be looked after than a 'friend' as such...also, Saan is Aeryn's older sister, although only her elder by three years, she looks out for her sister and shows great love for her.
Other: Erm...nothing at the moment!

[Drusilla]

Name: Layla
Gender: Female
Age: mid to late thirties
Class: sorceress-queen of the barbarian hordes
Skills: n/a
Physical Description: Tall, slender, and regal; pic
Personality: Cold, cruel, and relentless, she drives her people forward to achieve her own goals of conquest.
Element and species: n/a
Weapon(s) of choice: n/a
Relationships: n/a
Other: Much more to be revealed later.

Layla

“Report,” I barked at the warrior who entered my tent as I reclined on a down-stuffed couch covered with rich furs. I glanced idly at the jewelry adorning my hands and arms, bored all ready.

“We killed them all, Great One-“

“WHAT?! You KILLED them ALL?!” I screeched, jumping to my feet. “I TOLD you to take prisoners, and NOT kill the women! If anyone could tell me where SHE is, it would be the women!”

Guards burst into the tent, stumbling over each other in their rush to see to my safety… then again, it was probably just to make it seem that way so I wouldn’t have anything nasty happen to them. It didn’t really matter to me either way, especially when I was pissed.

“No, we didn’t, Your Mightiness, we killed them all, but-“

“NO, you DIDN’T kill all, but you DID? INCOMPETANT WRETCH! IF YOU KILLED HER I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!” I spat at the trembling form that was groveling at my feet.

“Sh-she was not among the dead,” he mumbled into the ground. “We searched all the women, but none of them had the mark.”

I sat again, glowering in disgust. “At least you can do something right. She should still be alive, then… Your failure may not have been complete, but it will not be tolerated. Guard! Take him and give him a hundred lashes, then pour spirits over the wounds. Leave him in the stockade overnight. Understood?”

The guards snapped to attention. “Yes, my queen!” the chorused before dragging the warrior from my presence.
The incompetence of men was so very taxing…

[Bulbasaur4]

[color=royalblue]Name: Lyia
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Class: Mage/Healer
Skills: Talks to animals (or thinks she can), keeping 'peace' amongst friends, healing very minor things (she hasn't learned how to fully properly heal much yet...), and she's got some basic defensive magick skills as well, but like her healing powers they are underdeveloped.
Physical Description: [See Attachment Below] Like that, but excuse the risque picture. She has the same top (a silky white & gold-like cloth, wrapped about her torso like a tube top.) and everything else upon her body is clad in that same way. However, about her hips is a matching, light-materialed skirt which is wrapped about her in the same manner as her top. However there is an open slit-like part in the skirt for easy movement and it exposes her leg a bit. The skirt reaches to about slightly below her knee caps.
Personality: She's very kind and gentle to everyone... tends to panic very easily at times however. She's reliable and an extremely good friend to anyone. Hates making enemies and tends to think there is good in anyone and anything and that it can be brought out. She's very passive and submissive, so many people in the past have tried taking advantage ofh er. She's niave and pretty much will believe anyone... which again, has gotten her hurt before.
Element and species: Light and Faey
Weapon(s) of choice: She doesn't like weapons... prefurs a trident staff (a staff with a bladed trident head) because she learned long ago that it was the best medium for magick users. She likes to throw rocks too.
Relationships: The younger sister of Marek. She looks up to him like no other... and constantly relies upon him and treasures him, for he always protected her. Friends obviously with Aeryn and Regeane. Absently knows all others...
Other: She's always been passive and has always needed protection. She just refuses to fight and this often has gotten her in trouble, because she'd never fight back reguardless of the circumstances.

Lyia

Lyia, for once, was not listening to anything but focusing upon helping the others. She had slowly learned everyone whom she had not known before... and had probably touched almost everyone with her healing hands. It was great practice for herself, and luckily all the wounds were very very minor. She had not perfected her healing arts and if anyone had been majorly injured... so much as a gutty flesh wound, she would have been helpless. Healing was the only thing she had ever wanted to do... ever since she was little. Ever since her mother had gone away...

Gael had walked away from her, having made some short talk as the sun began to rise. It was then that Genie rose and declared she was going to the coast. Unlike most of the others, she didn't mind the idea of going to the coast... but her brother had decided it was a bit foolish. Perhaps not foolish... but he was worried about doing something of that calibur. Lyia wondered why... but she had gone along with what he had said instead. After all the times he had helped her... her loyalty was the least she could give him. It was always there for him... just like he had been there for him when their mother had vanished. But now they were all that was left, not even their father was there anymore. Lyia was crouched upon the ground, looking now at a flower that had begun to blossom. She thought it odd... that a flower would open to such a bloody red sunset. She looked up from her flowery companion, and gazed at Marek- her brother. He looked so sad... as if he were in pain.

Standing up slowly, Lyia clutched her trident staff and gingerly came towards him. She lowered her gaze a bit, standing in silence next to him until she spoke.
" The pretty blossoming flower said that we were welcomed to sta-"
"For the God's sake Lyia, enough of that!" Suddenly Marek snapped, glaring at her. Lyia had not spoken of the voices which she heard... (thinking they were the life that she was surrounded with in the least.) for a while, but she had upon previous days which were tedious to him. However, Lyia was unaware... and his violent snap made her eyes widen. Instantly tears filled her eyes, a sincere sorrowful look as her gentle lips trembled. Instantly Marek saw his error and started to appologize, but Lyia suddenly cried out.
"I'm sorry!! I didn't know it bothered for me to talk about it... please don't be angry with me..." she pleaded, tears streaming from her face as the others started to follow Genie but a few glanced back.
" You're all I have left! Father's... father's..." Lyia broke into sobs, as Marek gathered her in his arms and gently held her weeping figure.
"Don't hate me..." she sniffled, to which Marek calmly responded that he did not hate her and that he was sorry.
Lyia looked up at him with her liquid eyes of pain, wiping away a tear for a moment as she pulled away. Silence filled, as they watched the others and Lyia looked back to him. Her composure had returned- a graceful artform she had mastered despite her demeanor- and she questioned gently.
" Are we to follow Miss. Genie?"

[Outlaw JT]

Name: Titan
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Class: Barbarian
Skills: unparalleled strength, he dual wield's two-handed weapons, battle tactics and strategy, he can drink an entire platoon of men under the table
Physical Description: Titan is very very tall and has a very broad and notably muscular build. He's a mountain of a man with not an ounce of fat on him. His hair is long and golden brown, tied back in a warrior's braid. He has a goatee/stache that is perfectly groomed which somehow seems odd for him. He wears pants sewn from bear skins and moccasins upon his feet. He wears no shirt but a pair of thick leather straps criss-cross his chest, with weapons loaded to bare on them front and back. He carries his belongings in a large duffle-like bag that a normal man couldn't even nudge, let alone pick up. He has a scar running across his chest that is almost as wide as a fist.
Personality: On the surface he is very loud and boastful. He often gives the appearance of being a bit drunk by how little he seems to think before he talks. Underneath, however, his mind is always working, weighing the situation, measuring strengths and weaknesses. It seems evident that he doesn't care a lick whether he lives or dies but he does seem to care a great deal for a good fight. Those few who know him well learn that it is quite common for him to act one way while he is truly thinking something completely different. He makes it easy to underestimate himself in spite of his vastly intimidating build.
Element and species: Earth/Ogre
Weapon(s) of choice: He believes in using different weapons for different situations. He seems to favor dual warhammers, dual waraxes, and dual claymores though.
Relationships: none yet. It is possible some may have heard of him as he is a prominent mercenary but he hasn't previously met anyone from the group. He just decided to join them once he caught word of a group heading for the coast to head off the barbarian invasion. He doesn't believe a word of any of the myths and legends.
Other:

TITAN
~~~~~~~~~~

It was a morning much like any other morning. His head swam dreamily as his eyes opened to a clear field and the rising of a red sun. He blinked several times before his vision righted itself and he could see things clearly. And what he saw was not something of any other morning. A group of people were running towards him frightened and they were closely followed by a number of men with weapons. Perhaps it was not just any other morning afterall.

As the weaklings reached him Titan drew himself up from his morning dreariness and presented his full stature to all before him. The fleeing mass splintered and ran past him with a wide berth. The men with weapons, which were starting to look ever more familiar, like a distant memory being dragged to the front of his mind slowed as Titan grabbed a pair of massive double-headed waraxes from his back. They were six to his one but he easily equalled twice the size of their largest member.

"Mornin barbarians. And here I was worryin I wouldn't get a workout till mid afternoon," Titan gave a wide smile brimming with teeth.

They hesitated but like good soldiers they charged. A mistake they would not have the luxury to make again for these were only lowly grunts, the leftovers of an advance scouting party. mmmmmmmmm, leftovers! Titan thought to himself as he swung his massive axes down and struck the earth.

The ground shook from the impact and the closest warriors stumbled forward off balance. With an outward and upward swing he sent both of them flying with the flat of his axes. Before they could land he swung his waraxes forward and the next pair fell to the ground with four messy thuds. The last pair turned and ran but made it not seven steps before Titan's waraxes planted themselves in the fleeing warriors backs. It hadn't turned out to be much of a workout, afterall. These warriors were not even worthy of barbarian fodder. Titan gave pause to consider whether their standards had lessened over the years but was pulled from his thoughts by the gaping sound of weaklings in awe.

"You....... you killed all six of them," one of them spoke up.

"Naw. That one went flying off my axe in the bushes there might come to in a day or so," Titan said matter of factly in his least intelligent tone. It was one of his more common tones even if it rarely portrayed the truth of his thoughts.

"Who are you?" the same man spoke again, coming around into view.

"Titan. Mercenary. What's all this ruckus about?" he replied evenly as he walked to retrieve his weapons.

"They attacked and wiped out our village. There were a great deal more of them but only those six gave pursuit once we reached the forest," the man was nervous but was notably calmer than he had appeared on first sighting Titan.

"What'd those reject want with a tiny village in these parts? Ain't nothing worth pillaging round here less they were hitting the farms for supplies," Titan's voice suddenly became interested.

"They were searching for something, or someone. Dunno what but Regina and her group took off in the other direction once they knew. Like they knew what the barbarians were after or were after it themselves. Can't say. I did hear them talking about going to the coast though. Some nonsense about heading off the invasion, the Archer legend. Rubbish to me but rather than running towards safety they took off the way the warriors came," the man continued.

"Say they're making for the coast to head off the barbarian invasion, huh? How many were there?" Titan's curiosity peeked as he resheathed the waraxes on his back.

"Can't tell for sure how many of them made it clear of the village but at least a handful," the man answered hesitantly.

"Are they armed? Can they fight?" Titan now walked past him and hoisted an extremely large duffle over his right shoulder.

"A couple of them can certainly handle their own but they're not seasoned warriors," the man was now again very nervous but dare not cross Titan.

"Well alright then. Guess I'm headin for the coast. I imagine there's great coin to be made in slowin them barbarians down till the regulars get there," and Titan turned the way the warriors had come and set off.

[Drusilla]

Maybe I can make up for the extremely poor quality of my first post... and my second post...

Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, I'd like to let everyone know that I hope to have a recording of me singing "Dream of the Archer" sometime soon. It will depend on when we get the recording software completely installed and the equipment set up... and if I get more sick or not.


[color=#a0c0ff]~*~Regeane~*~
Home, gone. Family, gone. Love, gone. Future?

Unpredictable at best.

Regeane was pissed. While she herself was rather random, she liked to be in control of her life, and this was very much so not the case at this point in time. There was no where for her to turn, no where for her to go, no one to help her when for the first time she actually felt that she needed aid.

She stomped through the forest, mind caught up in her own mutinous thoughts against whatever forces had put this whole mess into motion, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Genie... Genie... REGEANE!" Gael shouted at Regeane when she failed to respond. "It's nearly midday, can't we rest?"

Regeane turned and glared at him. "Fine, I don't care," she muttered before stalking off into the trees back the way they had come. Truth be told, she was exhausted herself and was very hungry on top of it all. She came to a nearby stream and, perched upon a boulder, began to sharpen one of her many short blades while brooding about how much she hated the world.

Normally, she would have reveled in the beauty around her. The forest was cool but bright, the sunlight filtering gently through the canopy creating patches of golden light amidst the gentle shadows. For Regeane, however, it wasn't even there; everything was dark to her. She noticed nothing, responded to nothing, cared about nothing.

Almost nothing, at least.

Her mind busily ignoring all of existence, she almost missed her perception skill alerting her of an approaching stranger. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she nearly fell from her place atop the rock in surprise. Quickly, she scaled a nearby tree and sat in silence, listening to the footfalls that were coming ever closer.

Heavy footfalls they were, too. At first, Regeane was unsure as to if they were one or several beings, but the rhythm made it certain that it was but one. When he came into her line of sight, she was unsure if it was a man or a bear, but her instincts told her that it didn't matter: this was a dangerous man. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she prepared to run if he should see her and she pushed a stray section of hair from her eyes slowly to avoid attracting his attention to movement, even though she was a good twenty feet above him. He stopped and looked about as if surveying his surroundings... then he looked up, directly at Regeane.

This time, she did fall.

[Weasel Overlord]

[COLOR=silver]
Ergh, sorry for the short postage...I've been having college crap to sort out!

~Saan Reyl~

Aeryn ran after Genie as she tried desperately to escape the reality that had just been forced upon her. Somewhat unsurprisingly, she walked like a zombie, staggering here and there, not caring where she ended up.

She ended up heading for the forests nearby. Aeryn glanced back at me, it only needed one look for me to understand. We were going with her. She might not even be our blood relative, but she may as well be our sister with our closeness to each other. I nodded in affirmation and set off after them at a steady lope. I soon caught up with them to find Aeryn murmuring something under her breath. Whatever she said, it seemed to comfort Genie, at least a little, but still she walked like a person devoid of a soul. I shuddered slightly, and turned to the forest edge. The rest of our little group were slowly but surely making their way towards us. Lyia leaning a little on Marek, as usual., and Gael, the boy from the stables. I called him boy because although he was only few years younger than myself, I always seemed to find myself looking after those younger ones. Like Lyia. I smiled to myself. Although she was a special case. She definitely showed the abilities of a healer, and even some Sensitive abilities too. The rest of the village thought her mad, or at least attention-seeking, but, truth be told, she fascinated me. Despite her almost constant streams of tears, she was good company.

[Drusilla]

[color=red]-Layla-

The sun made its way through the heavens... and I was becoming increasingly bored. Nightfall was approaching, and there was no news on anything. No retaliation, no leads, no nothing. The screams of the soldier that had reported to me earlier had long since died away, and I was once again left without entertainment. I called the sentry in.

"Go, and fetch Hadeon," I ordered, faintly amused by the fear in the man's eyes. He bowed and left quickly.

Minutes later, Hadeon, my general, strode into the tent. He was an impressive sight, this strongly-built warrior, and an impressive mind to go with it. He nearly matched me in ruthlessness and cunning, and his cruel streak was nearly as well known as mine. He was a fine specimen of a man, as well... but I would have time to think on that later.

"Dear Hadeon," I purred as he pushed the tent flap open and entered. At his full height, his head brushed the canvas ceiling. He bowed deeply and I rose to my feet, taking his enormous hands in my tiny ones.

"You sent for me, my Queen?" he asked quietly.

I smiled sinisterly. "Yes. The time is near... she is still alive, the last of her line who could possibly do anything against us. We must move quickly; time is running out, and if I don't get her soon..."

"I know," was all Hadeon said. "I believe that I have found a way of tracking her."

I raised my hand to gently cradle the side of his face. "Good."
-----

[Samchu]

Gael
~~~~

Having finally been allowed to stop and rest, Genie had stormed off and the others had settled down to relax. A few people set up a small fire and I munched on a small roll of bread I had packed. I never left the stable without taking food with me on account of the fact that I'd never really had the money to buy food and so would ration whatever I was given whilst working.

I clambered up one of the nearby tree and gazed back across the forest from where we'd come. The wind blew and I sensed something in it, something that I didn't like one bit. There was an eerie sense of anticipation and dread held in it, and whatever IT was, was headed our way.

"Something's trying to follow us..." I mused quietly. I took a bite of bread and savoured it. During my time at the stable I had learned to understand things...things that had long since baffled me about myself and in some ways, still did. One of these, was my sense of foreboding. And lately, it had been going into overdrive. I sat still and mused over the prospect.

What could we possibly have to offer barbarians? Wasn't their purpose simply to plunder, slaughter and terrorise? Surely, they couldn't have the brains for much else - which would mean that someone was leading them, but what could they possibly have with a group of villagers like us?

I sniffed the wind. I had never expected that this would be an easy journey but I had a suspicion that things were soon to become testing for us - all of us. I could sense that something evil was lurking and that it possessed great strength and cunning - perhaps there was even more than one.

I dropped to the ground, my gaze never wandering from the trees. My hand rested uneasily against the hilt of my blade and I made sure that it would stay there until my sense of foreboding passed...or the time for confrontation was neigh.

[Outlaw JT]

TITAN
~~~~~~~~~~

Titan knew how to get around without being noticed when he truly wanted to. More than that, he knew more than one path to slide around ahead of his quarry to catch them by ambush. Them being on edge and not knowing how good they were, however, he decided it best to announce his presence well in advance. So, he clodded through the forest letting his feet pound the path into submission. It took effort to suppress the thundering boom of his movement so abstaining from that effort made it substantially easy to feel him coming from half a mile away.

He had anticipated coming onto a group as a whole. Instead, his sense of hearing told him he would come upon one of the party he was following by their lonesome. No sense in hanging back and waiting for them to reform their party however. At least this one girl knew he was coming if her whole party hadn't sensed his approach from a ways further ahead.

When he reached where he was certain he had heard this girl moving he stopped and began to scan the area. She wasn't ground level which meant she was pretty nimble to get up a tree so fast with only a scarce bit of leaf rustling. He'd seen it done much better but the girl was very impressive for someone without formal training in stealthiness. Had he himself not been trained in his youth he doubted he would have took note of her movements at all.

His scanning was rewarded as his eyes fell upon a girl, only a few years his junior, perched on a branch in a tree nearby. She had a very foreign and very unassuming look about her. She was also exceptionally tall for a woman not of the amazonian persuasion. She was not, however, well collected as she fell from her perch the instant his eyes fell upon her. He was a rather intimidating sight.

With surprisingly quick reflexes he hoisted the giant duffle from his bag and hurled it towards her. It landed just before she did, giving the girl a firm but not unforgiving cushion which she rolled from almost to her feet just after impact. She immediately fell into a defensive stance, dagger in hand. He was mildly impressed with the smoothness and speed of her drawing her blade. He was less impressed with the idea of someone trying to defend against him with only a dagger.

"Relax girlie. If I'd'a wanted you dead it'd be my axe I threw, not the duffle," he said heartily with a brief chuckle.

"Who are you?" the girl asked apprehensively, although she did lighten her stance just a bit.

"Name's Titan an I understand your group is headin to the coast to cut off the barbarians. I reckon you need my services!" Titan said with a broad grin and a huge belt of confidence.

[Samchu]

Gael
~~~~

It was hell convincing the group not to set a fire, the smoke would attract our pursuers to us but as my word was all I had to go on in this matter, many of my pleas were falling on deaf ears. With a defeated sigh, I knew that I had no choice but to report to Regeane and hope that she could convince them otherwise. It wasn't the scene that I had expected. The second I came upon Regeane and...whoever the hell he was, my sword was drawn, its blade brandishing in the light.

"Gael it's ok. This is Titan, he's going to help us."

I glared at Titan. "He's a barbarian."

He shrugged. "We are who we are. I will not harm you."

With a frowned I sheathed my blade and turned my attentions to Regeane. "I need you to talk to the group. Someone is tailing us and we don't want to attract attention to ourselves by starting a fire. I can't convince them but maybe you can."

She looked at me, her eyes heavy with hidden sadness. "Do you really believe we are being followed?"

"I do. The group needs their rest so we should push them no further but I believe it unwise for them to draw any unneccesary attention."

Regeane nodded. "That sounds wise. I'll talk to them."

I smiled gratefully then looked at Titan. "I assume you have no objection in a little hard work?"

"I'd say that is a good assumption."

I nodded satisfied. "Good."

"What are you planning on doing?" Regeane asked.

"They may not catch us tonight but they will track us here eventually. Whose to say we can't try and slow them down." I told her no more, she owuld see the results with her own eyes.

Titan and I made a pair of make-shift shovels as Regeane reasoned with the others. There was a clearing that we'd come through to reach here, it was the perfect place to set a trap. Together, we set about constructing a hole in place of the clearing. Once it had aquired near-sufficient depth I began snapping off branches and sharpening them to make wooden pikes that would sit at the bottom of our trap. Regeane came over to ask us if we needed help, everyone seemed interested in what we were doing, but I told her to go and relax. She needed the rest.

Once our trap was complete and our spikes set securely, we covered the pit with sticks and leaves, scattering extra leaves upon the ground where the group was sat to make it less conspicuous. By this time many people were sleeping.

"Going to join them?" asked Titan.

"I don't sleep. I'll make sure no one accidentally wonders into our trap."

"That the only reason?"

I sighed. "There's someone out there, and he's got great skill about him, I can sense it. He's coming," I gripped my sword, "and I'm gonna be here when arrives."

[Asilynne]

~~Aeryn the Dreamer~~
Lay down your weary head my son...

I leaned serenely against the trunk of a tree, feeling the earth under my now bare feet. My sandals lay beside me, waiting for the moment we would continue our travelling. Though it was dangerous, we needed the rest, Genie needed the rest.

Though I tried to stay calm and keep a clear head, I needed the rest too.

What was done to our village was a blow to all of us, and though Genie had it slightly worse, I feared for our family too. I didnt see them die as she had seen her love die, but I wondered if they were ok. I had to believe that they were or else I would lose composure and we would all be lost. For when the calmest among you panics, how does that make everyone else feel?

A rustle of leaves told me someone else was awake. Glancing over I saw it was Gael, he shifted uncomfortably on the ground, seemingly not able to sleep. He said earlier he wasnt going to sleep, someone was coming he said. I knew that even though his fears were wise, he needed to get rest.

"Relax, Gael..." I said, my voice seeming to startle him, though it was quiet and gentle like the wind. He looked over and shook his head. "You startled me, be careful. Im trying to listen for anyone approaching."
I smiled, perhaps for the first time since we left the village. "Its not needed, go ahead and get some rest. The birds tell me that though someone is moving in this direction, they wont reach where we are until long after we ve left. Ive asked the nocturnal animals of the area to watch for us just in case though." I could still see him struggling with the idea of sleep. He was noble, wanting to protect us all.
"It wont do you or any of us any good if your not well rested when we head out tomorrow. Dont worry, get some sleep." I smiled and made myself comfortable against the tree.
I could feel his eyes on my for another second before he spoke up. "Your taking the word of a bird??"
Opening one eye to look at him I smiled to myself. Before falling into a light comfortable sleep I replied,
"Theyve never lied to me before..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come on people lets start moving again x.x!!!!

[Samchu]

Gael
~~~~

I snorted lightly and shook my head. Birds? We wer supposed to rely on birds to protect us from the barabrians and...whatever else was out there? No, I would uphold my post. I didn't need sleep, I was used to the odd sleepless night here and there, this wouldn't affect me none. I stared at the darkness and sighed, God I felt so drained...

"You should sleep Gael..."

I turned, and seeing Regeane, shot immediately to my feet. "I thought you were asleep already. You need it more than any of us here."

She stepped forward, her gaze falling upon the leaves that Titan and I had scattered upon our trap to hide it from our persuers. Her shoulders sagged and her hair fell in front of her face. The guilt I felt over her loss bore into me again, I kept wishing I had been able to do something to stop causing my friend this suffering.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Forgive me."

"Gael..."She gave a quiet laugh but her gaze never left the floor. "You're too kind sometimes..."

"That an insult or a compliment?" I asked, trying to lighten her mood a little.

It seemed to work.

"It's neither. Sometimes I think you worry too much," she indicated to the trap, cleverly concealed beneath the branches.

"Enough lives have already been lost tonight." I lifted a hand to cradle her face. "I cradle as much guilt as you carry sadness."

"You shouldn't."

"I should have done something," I insisted. "I should have been at the stables fighting them back instead of -"

"You did what I asked of you Gael. You should feel no guilt in that."

I mumbled slightly, the guilt making me feel uncomfortable. I couldn't look her in the eye. I had failed to protect the love of her life from an untimely end and then I had - along with others - unceremoniously dragged her from his lifeless body at the time when she was grieving most. Who was I to stand before her now?

"I think you should sleep," she said calmly.

"I need to keep watch. I won't make another mistake. I have to redeem myself."

"I don't blame you for what happened Gael," said Regeane quietly.

"But I do..." I turned from her, retracing my paces back to my spot before our trap.

"Gael..."

I stopped still. "What else can I do Regeane? I made a choice and becuase of it you lost the man you loved, the man who loved you. I watched your heart break and I...I can't help but feel responsible for that. It...it shouldn't have been Aldrich...it should have been me..."

[Drusilla]

[color=#a0c0ff]~*~Regeane~*~

"No, it shouldn't have been! It happened, I know that, and I know that there's nothing that any of us can do to change what happened. Getting all morbid on us isn't going to help anyone, Gael-" I cut myself short, struck by the irony of my words. I myself had been moping about for the entire day, and here I was lecturing my friend on not doing what I was doing in my own way.

I turned away, not so much to avoid his eyes but to keep him from seeing the tears in mine.

"Things... things happen because they are supposed to, Gael," I whispered. "Most of the time we're not going to like it when events change our lives, but... Well, who are we to change our destinies? The gods abandoned us long, long ago, and we have no guides. We're stumbling, yes, but I believe that there is some place that everyone is supposed to be at the end of it all, and no matter what, we're going to get there one way or another. It's a painful journey, but we can't help ourselves and there's no one else who can help us, either... so we're just going to have to go along with it as best we can and try to ease the pain along the way."

I looked upwards, through the canopy of the trees to the stars. I had always loved the stars... they were the first memory that I had. They were far away, true, but they shone through the darkness of light, never fading until the sun returned to reclaim the heavens. Never fading away... Like the lives of those that we love, I thought. Aldrich will never fade from my heart; he gave his life for me, and I wasn't going to let his sacrifice be in vain.

"He died for us, Gael, all of us. It is our duty now to honor his life and continue, keep going on to whatever lies ahead. I don't know what the future holds," I smiled slightly, "but it should prepare for us."

He only nodded, deep within his own thoughts. We kept the watch together through the night, never another word between us until the dawn's first rays relieved the stars of their own nocturnal watch.

[Samchu]

Gael
~~~

When the morning broke, Regeane and I began to wake up the other members of our little group and move on towards the coast. Regeane, Aeryn, and I took the lead, with Aeryn lagging slightly to keep an eye on us both. Though…I couldn’t be quite sure of that. Maybe she wasn’t really watching us, maybe she was looking somewhere else and the birds were watching us. I shook my head. I sounded so paranoid.

“Are you alright Gael?”

I looked across at Regeane. “Yeah I’m fine. Just thinking about things. It’s nothing to worry about.”

She nodded and turned back to the path ahead. Silence fell between us again.

“How…err…how are you doing? Y’know, after last night.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“That’s good,” I replied, adding a nod as if to convince myself. I couldn’t understand it. I just felt so…out of sorts this morning. Everything felt out of place and awkward, like I was doing something morally illegal. What was wrong with me being Regeane’s friend? What was wrong with supporting her at this crucial moment in time? I sighed, why did it feel like I was tainting Aldrich’s memory in some way? “Hey Regeane?”

“Yes?”

I bit my bottom lip gently. “Look if you ever need me for…well anything, you know you’ve just got to ask don’t you?”

She touched my arm gently. “I know.”

I smiled nervously and we kept walking. A few miles along, our attention was drawn to a flock of birds as they shot overhead. We stopped and looked back the way we came, save for Aeryn who turned her attention to the birds.

“They’ve found our trap haven’t they?” I asked.

She nodded silently. “We should move.”

“Quickly,” I added.

We ran through the trees, trying our best to stay in as tight a group as we possibly good. I found myself taking hold of Regeane’s hand as we ran, something told me that I had to protect her above all costs and I would.

Exhausted, we stopped in a clearing to catch our breaths. Hopefully there was enough distance between us and them for now but who knows long this was going to last. Sooner or later – it seems – they would catch up with us and I had no idea how we would get out of that.

“Gael?”

I looked across at Regeane who nodded towards our hands. Blushing, I pulled away quickly. “Sorry about that.” I quickly took a skin of water from my pocket to take our minds away from the embarrassment of being caught hand-in-hand. “Water?”

[Drusilla]

Wheeee... Forgot all about this. Let's get this started again, shall we?


[color=#a0c0ff]~*~Regeane~*~

The day passed slowly by. The forest around us was silent, deathly silent, and it made me feel cold even though the day was warm. Humidity hung in the air, promising a sweltering summer ahead. By then, we should be past the mountains...

I was snapped from my thoughts by the sudden appearance of a mysterious cloaked figure, obscured by trees, ahead and to our left. No one else seemed to see him... for it had to be a male, with the tall frame and broad shoulders. I stopped in my tracks, staring, knowing that he knew I saw him and that he wanted me to see. Everyone else paused, looking at me, asking questions... but I heard nothing save the slight breeze through the spring leaves and the roar of water in the distance. There isn't any water that loud for days, though... I thought. In my mind, I saw the huge expanse of what must be the ocean, mist blowing in over the waves, and I stood on a long dock that reached into the deeper waters of a harbor as a single ship moved slowly towards us. The ship itself was like something from a dream, even more so than the rest of the vision, as it cut through the waves rather than bobbing on them, smoothly gliding towards the dock... And I knew that, somewhere in the distance, lay the Crystal Isle, where the gods would reawaken....

"Geanie!" everyone yelled in tandem, and I jumped. "What?" I asked, irritated, wanting to return to the peace of the dream-vision.

"You were day-dreaming or something, and you weren't responding..." Aeryn explained, a strange expression on her face.

Should I tell them? "I thought I saw something... nevermind," I muttered glancing back to the shadows where the man had stood. There was nothing there... except... I broke into a run, rushing to the tree he had stood before. There, head embedded in the tree, was a glowing green arrow. I gently removed it from the bark, revealing a sharp crystal arrowhead....

"The Archer..." I whispered as the others gathered around me.

"Don't be silly, Geanie, it's just some... weird... arrow... right?" Gael said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself of it. I ran a finger along the edge of the arrowhead and drew blood; it was sharp, even after being lodged in bark.

"Time is passing, my friends..." I said softly.

[Asilynne]

~~Aeryn the Dreamer~~
The path pushes us ever onward....

I stared at the arrow with apprehension, the feeling of ants crawling down my back, though I didnt shift uncomfortably. I didnt want to show unease, it would only make the others uneasy. Time is passing, she said. Yes, I knew it was, I could feel some forboding overtake even the very forest. Even the birds were restless, though there was no outward threat for them to fear. They could feel the storm coming, one that wasnt a force of nature. One that was a force of.....something else.
"Keep it safe," I spoke up without even realising what I was going to say til I said it. Looking from one to another with a mellow gaze, I figured I had to nip the growing fear in the bud. "We should keep moving. It wont do to be caught gawking at an arrow when we could be making progress."
The others seemed to accept this, although many of them still wore a look of apprehension. Mentally I tried to assume the tranquility of a pool of water, easing my tense mind so that I could think clearly. I hoped, prayed that everyone got enough sleep last night.
I had a feeling they would need it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry its so short and crappy lol But I want to get this bitch moving again too! XD

[Samchu]

Gael
~~~

I nodded at Aeryn's suggestion that we should start moving again. We still had a long way to go before we reached our destination and our enemy was forever on our heels. "I agree. We have a long way to go." I guess I was trying to take everyone's minds of the arrow we'd discovered. It was just an arrow after all, nothing special, nothing for us to freak out about.

The group started moving again and I silently prayed my lack of sleep wouldn't come back to haunt me. I'd done it before but never had I experienced something as strenuous as this journey had been so far, and I had my suspicions that they were only going to get harder, for all of us.

As we walked, Regeane dropped back and started walking beside me. She leant across and whispered to me, "what's following us Gael?"

I shook my head lightly, not wanting to draw the attention of the others. "I don't know," I whispered back, "but it's powerful."

"Will it catch us?"

"I can't tell you. Whatever it is, it seems to be making unpredictable bursts of progress, as if they're struggling to track us."

I saw a thoughtful expression cross her face briefly. "What if they manage to track us? Can we out-fight them?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly, my grip subconciously tightening around my blade. "But I assure you there will be no 'we' about it."

"Gael -"

"If this thing catches us, there's no guarantee that we'll make it safely. But if one of us stays, acts as a diversion, the others could escape. They could hide their tracks, they wouldn't be tracked for days - weeks even. If it comes down to it, I wanna be the one facing of against whatever's out there."

"Why?" she seemed so concerned, it almost made me feel guilty.

"Because I have to," I replied bluntly. "I should have fought back at the village but I didn't. If the time comes I'm going to atone for that, however it may end."

"Then let us hope it never comes to that."

I nodded. "Yes, let us hope."