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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

The Night and it's Dangers...((ATTN: Calaun))


Kura

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The air was still, this moonless night not yielding even a single gust. That was fine for Dhjorn, whom stood at the center of a wide clearing, his black hood pulled up around his pale features, his hands hidden in his cloak. The silence was oppressive, not a single blighted creature dared stir on this night, and that put the future assassin at peace. These moments were rare this far north, where the screams of the dying were common place, and even the plants shifted to stalk their prey. He was one with the rotting foliage around him.

 

Much more importantly, he'd hear if even a fellow Myrddraal approached, which was exactly what he was expecting. Sure enough, he heard the near silent footfalls, as his new ally approached the clearing, a place that held fond memories for both of the eyeless. When the woman's muscled form appeared over the horizon, Dhjorn nodded his head once in acknowledgment.

 

"Greetings Calaun, I trust everything is well?" An eyeless gaze fell to the axe looped at the woman's belt, remembering how well she could aim that thing. Don't let your guard down yet... She might yet turn. Still, he dared say that this night favored he and his own hidden daggers. Still, he doubted that he'd need to resort to such drastic measures against Calaun; they both had far to much to gain.

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With a wordless nod that was both a confirmation and a greeting in itself, Calaun looked at Dhjorn. She still didn't quite trust the fellow Myrddraal, but a fair amount of distrust could be expected given that she had agreed to a meeting between the two of them in what was effectively ideal fighting conditions... for him. Still, Ahf'frait did not back down from a challenge easily, and she would have done them dishonor if she hadn't showed up. For that reason, she kept the massive twohanded axe loose in its loop, though she didn't make any attempt to take it out. Challenge or not, provoking was not aleways necessary.

 

- "That it is, Dhjorn. Now then... What was this training you spoke of the other day?"

 

Of course, 'the other day' had been a few weeks ago, and she knew it would be perfectly clear to the both of them which day she had referred to. Still, she wasn't one to sit around idly, and wanted to get this training -- whatever it was -- underway. Part of her wasn't looking forward to it, knowing all too well the past few training sessions with the Bhan'sheen shamaness and wondering how much of that would be considered common amongst the tribes in the Bhan'sheen Alliance. She crushed that bit of doubt as soon as she noticed though, she wasn't one to underestimate someone and not about to start now either.

 

 

Calaun Ontrix Seyr

Let's hear it

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dhjorn could have smiled at the girl's impatience. He doubted that she would be able to fulfill the mission he made for himself; she'd never be able to wait out her mark. Still, that was of little consequence. At this moment it did behoove the pair to move quickly, less they be discovered, and that would simply never do. "Well, it is simple really. I hope you will forgive me for saying this, but you are very... direct. You will most likely attract a lot of unwanted attention, and thus, will more than likely have my kind sent after you. Being able to detect and counter assaults from the shadows will save your life Calaun Ontrix Seyr, and I." He actually allowed a grin to touch his pasty dead features, though his voice held not a bit of warmth. "Well I need to practice catching you. As such, I propose a simple game of tag, weapons sheathed of course."

 

As he spoke, he hid the twin daggers inside the folds of his midnight cloak, and drew out his bare hands again. "Of course I'd never ask one of your clan to leave their weapon behind. So, what do you think of my proposition? I suppose we could simply duel, if you think you can already avoid the assassin’s blade."

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Calaun Ontrix Seyr considered the other Myrddraal's proposition. Though Dhjorn's assessment about her being direct was certainly on its mark -- as with most true Ahf'frait, fleeing was an anathema to her -- she didn't really see it as a weakness. So what if they sent killers at her from the shadows, it'd just save her the time of seeking them out. To know their tactics however, to figure out what they are capable of before they would think of it themselves, now that was far from a weakness. It was an opportunity to improve, and that was something she liked the sound of.

 

- "There are ways of not using ones weapon, yet not leaving it behind."

 

Had she been human, she would have winked as she put her axe back in the loop at her hip. She was as good as unarmed now, yet still had her axe on her in case the Blight wanted to play tag as well. Given the choice of a duel and playing tag however, she picked the latter, never really having gotten the chance to test her speed against another Myrddraal. The times two Myrddraal sparred, one usually ended up dead or dominated, and she wasn't exactly looking forward to having that happen just so she could find out who was the better fighter.

 

 

Calaun Ontrix Seyr

Tag it is then

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((Sorry for quality, being rushed.))

 

Dhjorn nodded, and with out a word began strafing to the right, keeping his gaze trained upon his fellow Fade. "Alright, the rules are pretty simple. My goal is to touch one of your vitals, and you are to defend, and to make it fun for you, retaliate and try to strike at mine." Without further pause, he dashed at Calaun's left, and he moved to strike at the Ahf'frait female. She of course wasn't to be taken so easily, but as she moved to counter Dhjorn was gone, rolling past her and into the blight brush. 

 

There he did what he did best, he disappeared. He prayed that she would follow him, enter his territory as opposed to her own open field. He stalked through the brush, always close to the edge to take a peek at his prey. While circling, preparing to launch himself back into the clearing, he heard a rustle of leaves behind him, thinking that the Lady Fade had somehow gotten the better of him, he turned to counter, but found that she wasn't there.

 

Then, he was in upside down in the air.

 

A vine had wrapped itself around his ankle, and lifted him. His hands went to the folds of his cloak, digging for his daggers. Finding them, he ripped them from his hidden sheaths, and cut at the cables surrounding his ankles. He fell with an oomph, and walked out of the dense foliage. "That did not go as planned..." As he moved to sheath his daggers, he felt a rumbling in the ground. His gaze locked with Calaun's, and if possible he turned a shade whiter, before turning to run.

 

Worms were on their way.

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When Dhjorn moved, Calaun was more than ready, effortlessly slipping into the combat stance she had been keeping at the ready in case the other Myrddraal had had the intention of removing some competition. The lack of surprise was what, in hindsight, allowed her to block the blow in time, but before she was able to connect a punch Dhjorn was already gone, the rustling of the nearby bushes maing no effort to hide where he had disappeared off to.

 

Grimacing, she resisted the urge to shake her head. As much as she saw the use of this training, the last time she had ended up too close to the local flora she had ended up chopping down the tree that tried to eat her, and was eyeing the brush with more than a little waryness. Instead, she remained at the clearing, listening for a small rustle of leaves, the soft snap of a twig, anything that would give away a hidden threat in a forested area.

 

When she noticed a black formless shape shoot upwards out of the foilage, and later on fall down on the ground with a loud thud again, she knew her suspicions were true. She found herself resisting the urge to grin, and had she had eyes they would have been twinkling with amusement. Whatever comment she wanted to make however was lost as she felt a soft rumble in the ground which soon marked the start of her running match with Dhjorn. Ahf'frait were known to know no fear, but that didn't make them the war-crazed berserkers they were rumored to be. Oh, they loved to attack, but only as long as it was against an opponent they at least stood a chance against. Slowing down slightly, she moved the greataxe from her hip to slanted across her back to keep the weapon from unbalancing her run, after which she picked up to full speed again, silently trying to get an indication of how much distance separated the Worms and the two of them from the sound of things dying behind her.

 

 

Calaun Ontrix Seyr

Running to camp. Not running away.

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  • 1 month later...

Dhjorn managed to gain the edge over his fellow Fade when she was forced to switch the placement of her large weapon. He ran with his daggers gripped tight in his hands, the ground devoured by his pace. Still, he knew only one way to get away from worms, and that was to feed their hunger. He knew a Trolloc encampment was near, a small one of perhaps twenty of the beats. He had even planned to use them against his opponent, now he supposed he'd have to use them to save both their hides.

 

He motioned behind for Calaun to follow close behind him, and even slowed for a few paces to let her catch up. he breathed the word 'Trollocs' as he continued his run, and veered off to the right a bit. He could hear the pack of worms drawing nearer, the ground shaking desperately beneath his moving feet. He resisted the urge to demonstrate what training for speed and precision had done to his ability to run, not wanting to loose an ally so early.

 

As such, the Fadeling was downright paranoid, knowing that the trolloc encampment was only a couple hundred feet ahead, but also knowing that the worms weren't a much greater distance behind them. It came as a relief then, as he broke out into another small clearing, leaping over the sleeping forms of the half-men, almost hoping that his companion was right behind him, not bothering to look back for a few hundred more yards. Hearing the bone rattling rumble silence itself, he finally slowed his pace, but never stopped moving away... He looked for his companion, wondering if she would realize that he just saved their lives.

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Calaun Ontrix Seyr noticed Dhjorn gaining a small lead on her, and quickened her pace as best she could to keep up with the other Myrddraal. Though she kept telling herself that Ahf'frait weren't used to running away as much as the Dhjin'nen, she knew it was just something she would have to deal with at this point. The only running Ahf'frait generally did was towards their prey, not away from it.

 

- "WORMS!! Rouse you rabble!"

 

Still, as she stumbled into the clearing along with Dhjorn she glanced around briefly, shouting at the top of her lungs after wincing at the lack of some decent sentries. Whatever would happen to this group would be their own doing, but the least she could do was give them a fighting chance. She didn't stop her run though, wanting to keep up with the other Myrddraal over trying to organise a defense. Her own caretaker was still alive, she couldn't manage the necessary bond of fear that would be needed, and besides, this wasn't her band to begin with. It would have been just as likely for her to get a dagger in her back as well as being the only one left to fight the Worm, and neither possibility was one she was looking forward to. As Dhjorn slowed his pace, she caught up to him, the silence behind the two of them making her feel as if she wanted to check to see how the battle went.

 

 

Calaun

...Think they won?

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Dhjorn was stunned as he looked at his companion. Does she feel compassion for these beasts?  Thinking back on Trollocs himself, all he could conjure up was slit throats, and of course, the one from whom he stole the steal daggers he carries. After a few more moments, the image of his caretaker came to mind, but he knew he would eventually be slitting his throat as well. As such, he was generally confused as to how to approach this situation.

 

Another moment and he realized that perhaps the best method was to end their training now. “Do what you will Calaun, I will be in touch. Perhaps the next time we can actually complete more than the initial stages of training.” The slightest twitch at the ends of his lips was the only hint of the humor he meant. “If I can’t manage to get a message to you, I will be in the clearing on the next full moon.” With that, he set off for his own camp, walking slowly in case she wished to either follow or continue speaking.

 

He found himself almost hoping she would.

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