Mindeans and their tempers - Finding Arienna

[Jehaine]

Arienna nodded, again trying to clear her throat. Bringing her hand to it, she found that her skin felt somewhat chafed there, and lacking a mirror she could only guess they were the wounds Erik had been referring to.

 

'Great, more things i can't remember,', she thought, 'but i'll be damned if i make a habit out of it'

 

Taking a deep breath as she stood up, the lack of pain from the rest of her body told her the only wounds she had taken were on her throat. That... whatever it had been was gone now, and much to her own relief was unable to pick up thoughts that didn't belong to her. Picking up a small bundle that was barely suited for more than two days of travel, she turned to Erik, her look a silent question on whether or not he'd appreciate some help. She didn't say it out loud though, the brown-haired girl had a fair share of pride herself and wasn't sure whether rik would appreciate the offer.

 

 

Arienna

Wondering if Erik could use a hand. Or two.

[WhiteWolf]

    Owen and Rhya had been out from the Stedding for some time now, Owen had needed to get away from the Stedding to find some peace and quiet after the last series of lessons for the Guardians, most of whom were almost ready to complete their training. That was the other reason they had been away from the Stedding, Owen needed to make preparations for the last lesson the Guardians would learn, and these had taken longer than expected.

    However, that was not the reason why Rhya and Owen had not returned to the Stedding as soon as the preparations were complete. Owen had spoken to Erik in the Wolf Dream and knew that he was bringing a Wanderer back to the Stedding and were only a day or so away from where Owen and Rhya were. Owen agreed to meet up with Erik so that the four of them could return to the Stedding together.

    With that in mind, and knowing how difficult it could be to procure food when travelling stealthily, Owen and Rhya had bought some extra supplies at a farmhouse where the farmer was only interested in the colour of their money, and not the the colour of their eyes. Even so, Owen had laid a false trail after leaving the farm, answering Rhya’s question by explaining to her that it was always best to be careful.

    Now they sat in a small hollow in the ground, a fire was burning, but the smoke from the fire was dispersed by the branches from the tree, and the flames were hidden by the sides of the hollow. One thing that could not be hidden was the smell of meat cooking on the fire and Owen knew that this would lead Erik and his companion to them. Laying against the side of the side of the hollow, Owen watched the flames of the fire dancing and wondered what this new Wanderer would be like, it would be interesting to find out.

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

[Jehaine]

Arienna... wasn't having a good day so far. First, she had been forced to join a complete stranger trying to get away from a group of thugs. Then, said stranger told her he knew about 'others like her' and 'taking her to see them', casually mentioning she'd have to leave the country -- the country -- to see them. And to top it all off, the reason she was apparently expected to trust him for would quite literally be a pair of pretty eyes. Golden ones to be precise, which seemed to be the only similarity the two of them shared.

 

Oh, but it didn't end there. Nooo, she was also able to speak with wolves for no apparent reason. Or at least had the potential to learn. She grumbled to herself, wondering when Erik was going to tell her if she'd sprout a pair of wings on her back as well in a week or two. At this point, the only thing that still kept her from leaving him and going home was the fact that she had blacked out at some point, and when she woke Erik sported several wounds and bruises in painful places to which she somehow felt responsable. He may have been a genuine weirdo in her book, but she had enough of a conscience not to leave him to rot with wounds like those.

 

There was another reason for staying, of course, though she'd never willingly admit that. She was curious about this 'group' Erik tried to tell her about, and it sounded a little to consistant to simply be written off as the ramblings of a madman. First and foremost, she was the bodyguard of Lord Maric, and part of that job was to identify new alliances before they had a chance to become a threat. She felt bad with leaving him, even if it was only for a week or so, and made a mental note to send him a report as soon as she was able. If this group would pose a threat to her Lord's safety -- and she still believed meeting Erik while the thugs chased them was a little too convenient for comfort -- she would be the first to find out, and undercut his enemies like she always did.

 

 

Arienna

A little wary

[Taymist]

Rhya's eyes were everywhere. It was her first time outside the Stedding since she'd joined the 'Kin and she was extremely nervous in spite of Owen's reassuring presence. The extra care he was taking over hiding their trail had her even more jumpy, though his explanation made perfect sense. Nothing wrong with being cautious.

 

Food, as ever, did wonders for her state of mind, however, and by the time they'd made camp and the smell of the cooking meat wafted under her nose, she was inclined to relax a touch and enjoy the warmth of the fire. There was a noticeable chill in the air at night now, heralding a long awaited change in the weather.

 

Owen was lost in his own thoughts and they sat in companionable silence as Rhya considered what it would be like to meet another Wanderer and hoped their experience had not been too traumatic. It seemed strange to think that only weeks before, she had been the one in need of rescuing. How things had altered since then. It was still surprising that she'd settled so comfortably into a new way of life, even if there were still bumps in the road every so often. Perhaps this new arrival could become a friend in time.

 

"We'll see," she muttered under her breath, eyeing Owen and hoping they'd be eating soon as her stomach rumbled.

 

 

 

Rhya

Rather hungry

[WhiteWolf]

    It was not long before Erik and his companion entered the campsite Owen and Rhya had set up. After quick greetings and introductions, Owen started ladling stew into four bowls, adding a horn of bread to each bowl; Owen passed them out to the other three Wolfkin before joining them, sitting between Rhya and Erik.

    For the moment all conversation stopped while the four tucked into the stew. Owen ate, pensively, his mind wandering back to the times he had sat by a fire, much like this one, eating the stew that ‘Ris used to make. Although Owen’s stew was more than palatable, it was not a patch on ‘Ris’s, nor would it ever be in Owen’s opinion. Even after all the time that had passed since her disappearance.

 

    Call it what it is, her death, you know that and have known that for some considerable time.

 

    I will call it what i want, and no amount of nagging will make me change my mind. Until i see her body with my own eyes i will not believe she is dead.”

 

    For all the inner torment that was coursing through Owen’s mind, outwardly he gave no hint of this inner turmoil, masking not only his feelings but his scent as well. Half way through the meal, Owen caught Erik studying him and Owen guessed that Erik was wondering why Owen was masking his own scent amongst friends. Finally he looked away without saying a word, rationalising what he thought was going on. Erik knew Owen well enough to know the levels of paranoia that the Ranger could sink to. But for all that he was Wolfkin, and Erik knew they could trust Owen with his life, if not his sanity.

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

[Jehaine]

Great, here comes the cavalry Arienna thought, more than a little wary of the two others that had arrived. She eyed the stew carefully, spending some time on stirring it with the spoon until the others had all started to eat before she dabbed some bread in her meal as well. The silence, uneasy as it was, felt more than fitting for the situation.

 

She looked at Owen and Rhya again, or more precisely at their eyes, noticing the same golden irises that she knew were in Erik's as well. They had walked quite a bit, and she had been feeling rather hungry after everyting she had been through the past fifteen hours. They stew was good though, she could taste that Owen had used fox marrow to season the stew a bit, and even though it could use a little salt she knew that it would hardly be available in the middle of the wilderness, so she decided not to bring it up.

 

- "So, Erik, are more people going to show up or is this everyone? Not counting the wolves, of course."

 

Though it wasn't actually scornful, it certainly came close to it as there was a definite amount of sarcasm in her words, not to mention open distrust. Though no longer hoarse, her throat still hurt a little from her fight earlier. She couldn't care less what they'd think about her though, not now. Not someplace in the middle of nowhere, with her feeling like a hedgehog with its spines up and about three seconds from reaching for her dagger at the sign of someone moving for her.

 

 

Arienna

Getting paranoid too

[Taymist]

Rhya watched the new arrivals closely, noting the wariness in the girl's eyes with some empathy. The man, for all he was one of them, seemed almost as ill at ease though she suspected that was merely not being used to much company. From what she'd picked up, the Trackers could be a peculiar bunch, used to being out in the wilds on solitary missions.

 

Her gaze slid back to the girl again once they were all settled about the fire and, as Erik answered her question with the news that no-one else was expected, Rhya felt moved to put her at ease.

 

"You are amongst friends, Arienna. The 'Kin are good folks and they will help you just as they helped me. I am somewhat... new to all this myself," she proferred with a warm smile, hoping she was not speaking out of turn. "It takes a little getting used to but you are safe now."

 

[WhiteWolf]

    The early morning mist still lingered in the deeper parts of the forest, making it appear like the trees were floating above the ground, it also had the same effect on the two people who walked through the woods, deep in conversation.

    “Whenever it is possible Rhya, always take a young buck that does not have any doe’s depending on him. We have to hunt, that goes without saying, but we also need to hunt with care. If we kill the older males, those that have many bucks in their harem”, Owen smiled at Rhya but then turned serious again.  “We would be sentencing them to a period of uncertainty and possible death and that should be avoided always. It is far better to live with nature than to try and go against it.”

    Just as he finished talking they emerged into a small clearing that had several rough structured scattered haphazardly around the perimeter. These were the structures the Rangers used when they had time to build them. Although the Two Rivers area was a lot more secure since the battle at Emonds Field, there were still bands of brigands and bandits that occasionally appeared and caused trouble for a period of time.

    The next day dawned much the same as the previous one, with the mist lingering around the underbrush, but this day was much colder than the previous one, and after a quick breaking of their fast, Owen and Erik cleared away any signs of their presence and then with Rhya and Arienna following Owen, Erik brought up the rear.

    The going had been easy enough and this allowed Owen to set a fast pace, one that would cover ground quickly, and not leave them to exhausted at the end. They were deep into the forest that surrounded the Stedding, their home, and Owen knew it would not be long now.  Turning to Rhya, Owen signalled for her to keep up, and then increased his pace. Arienna and Erik were deep in conversation and did not notice the gap widening to Owen and Rhya. Suddenly Owen and Rhya stopped and turned back to face the direction Erik and Arienna would emerge from.

    “Watch this Rhya, this makes all the effort worthwhile seeing the expression on their faces as they cross the barrier to the Stedding for the first time.”

Just then Erik and Arienna emerged through the trees and Owen fell silent, his gaze tracking Arienna as she approached the barrier.

 

Owen

The WhiteWolf

Ranger Leader

 

OOC. Jehaine, can you end your post with Arienna's reaction to her passage through the barrier. Then Tay can take you the rest of the way and accompany you to the Infirmary.

[Jehaine]

Arienna was still in deep conversation with Erik when the two of them approached the stedding. The mild distrust she was feeling ever since their first meeting had started to grow to distrust (on her behalf, anyway) and them seemingly being able to read her emotions didn't help either. Quite the opposite actually, as she only ended up thickening the walls in turn.

 

Noble upbringing was wrestling her temper, and so far it hadn't turned out in a shouting match. Just as she was about to raise her voice, she suddenly froze in midstride, feeling as if someone stuffed a handful of ice down her shirt. The feeling was gone almost as soon as she became aware of it however, causing her to glare at Rhys. Play Aes Sedai tricks on her, would she?

 

Still, she bit her tongue, knowing all too well that there had been more than one occasion where they -- well, she mostly -- had ended up chasing off all the animals for miles around. So, in that sense she guessed she more or less kind of deserved that. Though backed down, she would not acknowledge that Rhya stopped her, or the woman might end up using her trick more often. And that was something she would not be looking forward to.

 

 

Arienna

Aes Sedai tricks?