<font color=lime>Rhianneth

Daybreak.

As she approaches the group, her dark eyes discern a few light sleepers and she halts, knowing that she must prepare for a confrontation, if need be. Such an array of talent and misguided faith... travelling with them will surely be interesting, if not rewarding...

She pauses, waiting for the first of the weary to address her.</font>

<font color=lightgreen>As daylight broke, Syrathic spotted a figure moving toward the resting group. He had sat on his rock above his companions the entire night, keeping a silent watch. He did not sleep as Humans do; instead his mind rested in the comforting thoughts of the past. His soft song had aided in his rest, and about a couple of hours before daybreak he came back to full alertness.

With his mind fully rested and his resolve strengthened, he had sat in silence, his keen eyes gazing out over the land. He had not expected the figure to emerge from where it had, however, but he did spot the movement early. "I wish I had throwing knives," he said to himself once again.

He pulled his cloak closed around himself, blending into the shadows. He swiftly and quietly slipped from his spot and stalked the figure moving towards the camp. "A woman? What would she want?" His hand went to one of his blades as he moved.

Finally, before she reached the camp, the elf approached from behind. His silent footsteps could not be heard and he was certain that the woman did not see him. He moved right up behind her and put the tip of a sword to her back. "Don't move," he commanded in a harsh whisper. "The slightest movement will end with this sword in your back. Do you understand, stranger? Tell me who you are and why you have come." </font>

<font color=indianred>Brendon

Brendon was awake, but did not want to admit it. He was tired from last night's dream. The images still haunted him. He had received very little rest, and felt more weighed on than the previous day. Still, his weary ears picked up the elf's voice, and Brendon rolled over quickly, grabbing his bow that was by his side, notched an arrow, and looked toward the voice. Syrathic had a woman in custody. Brendon kept his aim on her, in case she bested him.</font>

[ 11-10-2002, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

<font color="99CC00"> Morguerat and Zachary had spoken long into the night, discussing the pain which had resurfaced so soon after slaying the monster, and how he had unexpectedly vent that pain on the woman who traveled with them, he had felt the wounds upon his soul more strongly than he had since tehy were first inflicted, as if all the healing he had attempted over the months since had been undone in moments. As tehy had talked Morguerat had gained more of an understanding of his pain, and how he could deal with it better. Perhaps it had been some remembrance of how he had been pierced when he saw his lance strike deeply into the monstrosity that had brought his pain back so strongly, for he could not think of anything else that seemed possible at all.

It was nearing sunrise before their discussion had ended and so he had been asleep until he heard Brendon making his preparations for battle that he had awoken. he slowly drew his sword and was glad he had chosen to sleep in his elven chain instead of taking the minor additional comfort afforded by being unarmored.</font>

[ 11-10-2002, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

<font color=skyblue>For the assembled group</font>

<font color=cadetblue>The sun is out but its light seems somehow faded and the blue of the cloudless sky is little more than an expansive pallor. The calm of morning here stands as an anemic counterpoint to the furious movement of wind and storm within the mountains. Just on the other side of the group from the tense encounter between Syrathic and Rhianneth is the seam in the rock which marks the transition from this sunlit realm to the lightless Underneath of the Forums. One might have expected something more than a simple cleft in the rock to be the vehicle of so dramatic a transition, but there is nothing more to be seen than broken gray stone and a narrow strip of darkness.</font>

<font color=silver>ooc: Just setting the stage for when the morning’s conversations finish and the group gets ready to move on.

<font color=salmon>Dankorona</font> - Familiar as this passage is to you, something feels very different about today. Its accustomed sounds are absent, replaced with a strange silence and within the air there lingers a scent like that of the grave.</font>

IC: Dantes having arisen at the time of the general alarm quietly hid himself in the shadows of some trees to the left of the group, and is listening intently to the group's conversation. His cloak of shadows is pulled down. Dankorona is sleeping soundly, occasionally omitting a loud snore, still entangled in his tent. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

OOC:Someone better get him before we leave Dantes is too preoccupied with the journey ahead to think about the gnome right now, we might just leave him here.
Assume that during the middle of the conversation with the new stranger ;) Dankorona emits and exceptionally loud snore, leading the group to find him.

OOC>>>Something better happen real soon, because my finger cannot hold onto this bow string very much longer! It might slip and ruin the pretty girl's garment! Syrathic...don't push up against her too close. I don't want you to get knicked by the arrow tip as it protrudes from our feminine friend there!

<font color=silver>ooc: While I can appreciate the desire to move things along, there is no need to be in a hurry here. It has only been just over 24 hours since this aspect of the plot has started.</font>

ooc: I'm surprised by everyone. I thought Syrathic was being pretty quiet about the whole thing! ;) I'll be ready to move it along as soon as our mystery guest reacts to her unfortunate situation. [img]smile.gif[/img] And no need to worry, Larry, I think our favorite elf character ( [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) would be able to get out of the way of any arrow shot by Brendon, provided that it goes through her first, of course. I hope there wouldn't be any "accidents"! ;)

<font color=lime>Rhianneth

True, she had expected no less a warm welcome from the band of adventurers. But to feel the edge of a blade pressed so closely against her back... now, [b]that was altogether a different experience. Out of the corner of her eye, she perceived some rustling of the nearby bushes and it seemed as if the entire world was now scrutinising her very movement.

To think that I, Rhianneth Freelight, should receive such undivided attention! ~ Only fear itself could distort the ironic smile on her tense face. Fear, only to be replaced by the deepest contempt. They must NEVER know her gut reaction.

"My name is Rhianneth, and I am from the Freelight clan... and to the uninitiated, perhaps the family name Brightblade would ring a bell." ~ She spoke slowly, and as emotionlessly as she could. She held her tongue for a moment, realising that this ignorant lot probably had not heard of the name Brightblade, either.

No matter.

"I seek the leader of this group." ~ She gripped her quarterstaff more firmly ~ "The one who asked for reinforcements." ~ And she fell silent, her lips twisting into another self-deprecatory sneer.</font>