Looking around the Office room that he shared with Mehrin, Amon was pleased to see that all the paperwork was finished and that it was time for him to take a basic horsemanship class. Although they could be tedious in the repetitive nature of the lessons. It was a chance to get to know the newer members of the Band, something that was not always possible having the weight of Command around his neck. Leaving the Office Amon made his way to the new stables. Here the Band kept horses for the officers and for training purposes, or if they were recovering from injury. The Cavalries main herds were kept in fields scattered around the Citadel, and watched over by local people who were only too happy to earn some hard coin. Upon arrival at the stables, Amon greeted the man in charge, and asked if there were any spare horses available, thankfully there were a few horses in the stables.

It was not long before Rurak arrived for the lesson, and after a few words, the two men went inside the stables, and Amon started to explain the rudiments of how to look after a horse.

Starting with the general care of a horse, Amon explained that you always looked after your horses needs before your own; no matter how tired or sore you were at the end of the day. “You need to rub your horse down every night, feed him and check his hooves. If you do not do this, you are showing your horse a lack of respect, and they do not like that.†Amon let Rurak examine the horse’s unchecked hoof, showing him what to look for and when they found a small stone, Amon handed Rurak the small tool for removing foreign objects. Rurak was not sure he could do this, but Amon would not let him back out and assured him that he would not hurt the horse, no matter how hard he pressed. Amon watched as Rurak struggled, and smiled as Rurak suddenly groaned as the horse put his full weight on Rurak’s shoulder. Amon, being a blacksmith in a former life, was used to this, and he was sure the horse did it on purpose, as if he was playing a game. Eventually, the small stone popped out of the hoof and a groaning Rurak extracted himself, and rubbing at his shoulder, handed Amon the stone and the tool. “You can have that Rurak I have another.â€

Rurak thanked Amon and listened as Amon continued talking about how to care for your horse and then, turning to one of the stable boys, asked him to bring out a horse for Rurak. When he returned, Amon thanked him then told Rurak to find a saddle and bridle and to meet Amon out in the stable yard when he was ready.

Amon (Tik Tik) Turamber

Under Commander, BotRH

Berserker for Life

Rurak emerged from underneath the horse cursing under his breath a venomous string of invectives against both this horse in particular, and all horses in general. A short lecture on caring for horses had been immediately followed by another short practical session wherein the horse who was the object of most of his curses had practically sat on him. Arinth allowed him to keep the tool he had used. If Rurak had his way, he wouldn't be doing that again anytime soon. So far he had gotten off on a bad start with this horse, and it was likely to improve as the day progressed.

They walked out of the stables talking as Arinth continued to go over the finer points of horse care, then told him to grab a saddle and bridle and meet him in the stable yards when he was finished. Rurak walked over to where the tack and saddles where hanging from a peg on the side wall of the barn and pulled a set down. He then proceeded to cinch the saddle girths and put on the bridle on the horse. He was careful to not give the horse any shots at him though. Leaning against him had been bad enough, but a kick from one of those powerful hooves would be worse. Finally finished getting everything on the horse, he led it out into the yard where Arinth was waiting.

Rurak

Amon and Rurak rode out of the Citadel and along the well worn road that led to Emonds Field, although that was not their destination, instead, after a few miles, Amon led the pair into a small meadow which the Cavalry used occasionally, to graze their mounts outside of the Citadel, pulling up hius horse, Amon turned to Watch as Rurak did the same. Amon had been observing Rurak’s style the whole time they had been riding, and although he seemed to be in control, Amon could see that Rurak and his horse were almost at war with each other.

“It is obvious that you have ridden some before, and I think you are self taught? If not then your teacher did not convey the basics to you very well, although you do hide this well, to a trained eye it is quite obvious.†Amon dismounted his horse, but signalled to Rurak to stay where he was. “ Firstly, always keep your heels pointed in, toes out. This will allow you to use your heels to guide your horse, offer encouragement when you need to go faster, and should prevent your foot from slipping from the stirrup. Not something that should happen when your feet and tack are dry, but in the wet, when you have mud on your boots, and the metal of your stirrup is wet, then it is another matter.†Rurak adjusted his foot as Amon said and when it was in the right position Amon continued. “You also only need the ball of your foot to be in the stirrup, this also increases your control and your balance, you will find it much easier to move with the horse if you have your foot in the stirrup correctly.†Again Rurak did as Amon commanded and when he was satisfied Amon continued instructing Rurak. “Something else that will help you is to sit up straight and not grip your reins as if your life depended on it, your grip should be tight, but loose.†Amon got the expected reaction and outburst from Rurak and merely grinned back at him, this was something he would have to learn for himself, there was no easy way for Amon to teach him. “The more you ride, and the more you improve, the more you will come to understand what I mean. Horses are intelligent, and quite often sense things that we do not. Not only does a good rider guide his horse, he lets the horse guide him, when you feel your horse wanting to go in a different direction to you, it is for one of three reasons. There is danger ahead, the horse wants to eat, or it does not trust you and is pushing the bounds of your control over it. Now, I want you to ride around me in a large circle, three times, and show me that you can put into practice what we have talked about so far.â€

While Rurak did as Amon said, Amon watched the young man, offering suggestions and corrections until Rurak was able to hold his posture and exhibit more control over his mount. When Amon was satisfied he called Rurak over, and Amon quickly mounted his horse while waiting.

“As you no doubt know, a horse can move very quickly if it’s rider wants it to, this is called a gallop. But a horse will also canter and trot, and each speed has it’s own demands from the rider, so we will now concentrate on teaching you how to trot, follow me, but not too closely, and do as I do, find the rhythm of you mount, and move in time with it. If you do not, you will find just how uncomfortable it can be to have your arse smacked by the saddle time after time†Amon grinned at Rurak and clicked his tongue to get his horse moving, then gently dug his heels in to indicate his horse should pick up the pace. Amon hoped Rurak could find his rhythm quickly; otherwise he was going to be black and blue by the end of this lesson.

Amon (Tik Tik) Turamber

Under Commander, BotRH

Berserker for Life

OOC: Rurak, post getting use to the suggestions Amon has said, and then do the trotting thing, you can either get it right, or not your choice. End your post with us returning to the Citadel ,and I will

take it from there…oh and it is Amon not Arinth*bg*

OOC: Man, can't believe I got those two screwed up. Sorry about the name switching.

IC: After practically dragging his horse out of the stables, Rurak mounted his horse for a short jaunt outside the citadel's walls. Light be praised it was a short jaunt anyways. The few miles they managed to cover before entering a clearing were enough to have Rurak gritting his teeth against the jarring impact of the flaming animal's every step. He knew how to ride..he had taught himself, but it wasn't something he exactly enjoyed. Solid ground was always best. After stopping in the clearing, Rurak was treated to another lecture on the finer points of exactly how to ride the bloddy horse. A simple thing you would think, but Rurak ate it all up. After all, In archery it was amazing the results just the tiniest adjustments in your shooting could bring. When Amon mentioned having a loose grip on the reigns though, Rurak wasn't able to hold in the outburst that was just itching to come out.

"Leave the bloody reigns loose?!! What do you expect me to do next, start kicking him in the ribs so he throws me off?! Light, what kind of advice is that!" Rurak continued to grumble to himself "Leave the reigns loose. Oh sure, you can lead with your knees, yet I'm supposed to be here for bloody beginning lessons and already he wants me to let it go wherever it wants!" The list went on as Amon had him trot around in a circle exhibiting all the finer points of what he had been taught, growing more imaginative as time wore on. Eventually though he was reduced to leaving those thoughts in his head as he had to concentrate on the task at hand since Amon was unsatisfied with his horsemanship.

The final task of the day was to trot around. A simple thing one would thing, especially since that was what the cavalry did most of the time, though everyone else called it prancing. It was much harder than it looked though. The day war on and on, and Rurak finally got it down and they returned to the Citadel. Rurak slid unceremoniously from his saddle and flopped down on to his back in the dirt, though the landing reminded him of exactly where everything hurt. Sliding one of the small shovels from out of his back, he stuck it point down into the ground right next to him. "Bury me right here and get it over with, at least being buried alive would be more merciful!"

Rurak

The rest of the week Amon and Rurak worked on Rurak’s control and abilities with his horse. It was obvious that the more time he spent in the saddle the easier he found it, but even so the going was not that easy for Rurak, and Amon well knew how straining horse riding was on the muscles that were normally not used.

Early the next morning, Amon and Rurak were once again out in the field they had first started in, this time though the field was covered in obstacles of various heights and widths. Although Rurak was not a member of the Cavalry, Amon saw no point in not teaching what he though his students would need to know, even if they did not agree with him, which was most cases.

“Today, and for the next five days you will be jumping over all these obstacles from whatever direction I want you to. This may seem more than basic training to you, but how else would you get round an obstacle that is blocking your path, if there is no alternative than to jump it?â€

Amon did not expect an answer to his question; the answer was obvious to both of them.

“Now when approaching the obstacle, you do not need to gallop at full tilt, it is much better to keep your mount under control, and actually steady him before the jump. Now earlier I told you not to grip the reigns so tightly that are even more important when jumping. You must allow the horse to jump; at that stage you are basically as much use as a sack of potatoes. All you can do is hold on with your knees, and if the horse has a long enough main, you can grip that, although it is better not to. Imagine how you would feel if someone grabbed a handful of your hair, not the best inducement to get you to do somethingâ€

Amon and Rurak walked their horses over to the nearest jump, which resembled a small hedge. “Now you should approach the jump standing up in your stirrups, with your knees slightly bent. The reins should be held loosely in your hands, just tight enough so that you can still indicate any changes of direction. When you feel the horse start to jump, or spring, extend your legs as the horse leaps. Then when he hits the ground, absorb the impact with your legs and thighs, watch and learn.â€

Smiling, Amon wheeled his horse away, and then turned and approached the jump. To Rurak’s surprise, Amon took his hands away from the reins and put them behind his head. Horse and rider cleared the jump with ease, and Amon repeated the exercise from the other direction, and then pulled up alongside Rurak, still smiling.

“Obviously I do not expect you to do this with your hands behind your head, that was just to demonstrate control without your hands. For now, just try and get over the fence without falling off.â€

Amon (Tik Tik) Turamber

Under Commander, BotRH

Berserker for Life

*Whaps James with a specially stretched Haddock*

Well what did you expect you ever so silly man you :P

Man how weird is that, Lei finds burping attractive, wish i had known earier. I will include a full on burpfest in my next poost for you Lei

Owen

Sexy Burper :lol:

*wanders in,

Burps

Wanders out

Owen

Leila’s lack of concern, almost bordered on reckless, an attribute Owen would never have used to describe her, yet here she was, rushing out into the City, seemingly without a care or a concern. Quickly Owen finished up what he was doing, and making sure his cloak was wrapped around him, he quickly rushed after her. Owen did not have far to go as Leila was stood just around the corner, her eyes scanning the streets around them, without seeming to. “We need to take care Leila, this is not a City in Manetheren, not that there are any Cities there, but you understand what I mean?â€

Casting Owen a reproachful glance, Leila indicated the way they should head. “I am Leader of the Watchers Owen, I do know how to take care of myself, and those with me.†Leila spoke to quietly for those around them to hear, but to Owen’s enhanced hearing it was as if she was talking normally. “I know you do Leila, and trust in your capabilities but it is my job to make sure you and the rest of the Wolfkin, can do what you need to without unnecessary risk.â€

Leila stopped walking for a moment, regarding Owen through hooded eyes, “well what do you suggest, oh great Ranger?†Smiling down at her, Owen took no offence at her words; he knew there was nothing vindictive behind them. “I suggest we proceed with care, although you were raised in a City, we both know our kind are not welcome here. So avoid any unnecessary eye contact, try not to draw attention to us.†At this Owen heard Leila stifle a laugh, he was a right one to talk about not drawing attention to them, his lack of skin colour would do that readily enough if he did not have his hood up.

“I tell you what Leila, you lead I will follow, and if I keep my gaze down, no one will be the wiser, just take your time and do not get us lost.†With a grin of his own, Owen pulled his hood up and signalled to Leila that he was ready. Being as exposed as he felt, did not sit comfortably with Owen, but they had to find out what had happened here, whatever it was, if it could effect the alliances that the Wolfkin had formed, they needed to know. Owen, though, hoped that it was nothing more than a simple explanation, there had been enough upheaval recently, in their lives.

Taking a deep breath, Owen allowed his mind to form the flame, and soon he was ensconced within the Spring, that almost magical ability that allowed the Rangers to achieve deeds that they would not normally be able to.

Owen

The White Wolf

Ranger Leader

The low range of hills stretched across the horizon, almost as if they were a physical barrier between the lands to the south and those to the north. Although they were not that high, they consisted of broken rocks, almost as if some giant had taken a hammer to them and decided to take his anger out on the earth. The early morning rays of the sun did not touch their slopes, and this lack of light made them look all the more menacing, if a natural feature could be said to be menacing.

A few miles south of the hills, two figures emerged from the forest, leading three horses, one was obviously a pack animal, but the other two were a contrast in differences. One was almost unnaturally tall for a horse, and from the way it moved, an experienced eye could determine that it was well trained. The other was smaller, almost tiny in comparison, but had a broad chest, that indicated good stamina and endurance. Both horses were saddled and had bit-less bridles, but neither rider really needed reigns to control their horses.

The figures that accompanied the horses were also a study in contrasts, one was obviously healthy, as demonstrated by the glow to her cheeks and the casual way she walked, this was obviously a person who was at ease in the wilderness they had travelled through. This belied her heritage, as she had been city born and bred and had never left her home city until one fateful night, the person accompanying her now, had appeared at her home and offered to help her. At the time she had not realised she needed help, but it became readily apparent that she did, and reluctantly she had accepted that offer of help and had gone with that person to start a new life, one that was very different to the one she had known.

The other person looked anything but healthy, his pale, almost translucent skin gave him the appearance of someone at, or near, deaths door. Nothing could be further from the truth, in his case. As it was, he had experienced more trials and tribulations in the past few years, than most people would in their entire lives.

The man turned to the young woman next to him and placed his hand on her arm. “I think we should rest up here, and wait for nightfall before we move across this open ground, something does not feel right here. Can you sense it Leila? It is almost as if the land is holding it’s breath, as if some great event is about to happen, or has happened. There is something else as well, a feeling that flitters around the edges of my senses, almost like something that you can only see out of the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look at it, it disappears.â€

Leila did not answer immediately, she was used to Owen being able to sense things that she could not, or could not identify, but the more time she spent in his company, the more she learnt. “I think we should retrace our steps to that small clearing we passed at sunrise, there was a small stream nearby, we can refill our water bottles in the stream, I do not think we will find any water that we can drink once we start to climb those hills. Also we need to be able to sleep without any fear of being discovered, these last few weeks of travelling through the night must have been tiring on you.â€

It did not take the two of them very long to make their camp, they were both proficient at building shelters, from the most meagre of materials and in the forest there was an abundance of supplies. Against their normal practice, they also built as fire and cooked themselves their first warm meal in days. They had been living off bread and cheese and cold rations without even a warming mug of tea. Thankfully the weather had been so warm that neither of them felt the need for a warm meal, but Owen though that might change once they started north.

Just as they finished eating, a large snow-white wolf appeared amongst the trees, followed by a slightly smaller, and darker wolf. Under different circumstances the appearance of wolves would have been one for concern, amongst two-legs, but neither Owen nor Leila showed any concern, Owen going as far as to greet both wolves as if they were long lost friends, which they were. The both wolves had been Owen’s companions since they had been cubs, although for a while Shadow, the slightly smaller of the two, had been staying with Arein, and Owen had thought that Shadow had chosen Arein for his companion, but just before Leila and Owen had left the Stedding, Shadow had appeared and joined the two Wolfkin and Shadow’s sister, Ice.

While Owen talked to the two wolves, Leila cleared away the remains of the meal, taking care to bury anything that the small fire would not consume. By the time she had finished Owen had extinguished the fire and scattered the ashes. “Ice and Shadow will watch over us while we sleep, Ice seemed more than happy to “look†after us. I think she has adopted you as one of her cubs Leila, mind you she thought that about me not long after I found her and Shadow.†For once, Leila detected a note of amusement in Owen, but this was under pinned by a grimness that had been growing the further north they had gone. She had wanted to ask him about this, but had not though it appropriate, at the same time though she thought she had a right to know if there was something that Owen was concerned about, especially as they were heading into the unknown.

Owen

The White Wolf

Ranger Leader

Leila hadn't been this far north in years.

Sighing to herself, the young woman glanced around herself almost warily, but in a movement that was so completely casual that only a keen observer or someone who was close to her would even truly noticed. It was a well practiced movement, which only made sense considering how long it had taken her to perfect it. She wasn't nervous, exactly, but simply uncomfortable with being where she was. She didn't mind travelling - actually, she rather enjoyed it - and couldn't really smell or hear anything amiss nearby, but the gesture was more habit than anything else. Besides, it gave her a chance to give Owen a sideways glance without actually letting him know what she was doing. He had been rather preoccupied lately, though it was probably her imagination. She knew that he came from this area, and knew that if she had been in his shoes, she would have been preoccupied. She always was nervous whenever she returned to Caemlyn, or even when she skirted around the city. Since so much of her job seemed to involve being able to see how other people thought and acted, she 'put herself in another's shoes' almost instinctively, and often regretted it. With regular people it was easy to tell what they thought based on their scent, but with Wolfkin, she wasn't ever sure.

To say that she wasn't a little preoccupied now would have been a lie, actually, even though she wasn't heading "home". The reason for heading north had essentially been her doing, and the further north they got, the more nervous she became. Part of the reason she was tired - and she was tired, but too used to it to let it show - was because she went into the Dream each night in hopes that she could reach one of her contacts in the area. She hadn't, which made her feel even worse. When they'd been at the Stedding, it had been easy for her to dismiss it at first. Her contacts were busy, or they were forgetting to report. They were weak excuses, and she'd known it even then, but hadn't had any idea of what to do. She couldn't ask Janna if any Trackers were in the area, because she was almost sure there weren't, and the Sages and Rangers generally didn't go that far north, if they left the Stedding at all. She couldn't keep it to herself, however; when she was this worried, she couldn't keep her mouth shut and let it stew. She'd become a woman of action, though she wasn't sure if it had been trained into her or something like that. She didn't like to sit still, at least not while she knew she could try and do something.

Sitting in the Stedding was frustrating, for that reason. She'd spent enough time as a plain Watcher to find that, though it was dangerous, she liked being in the outside world as much as in the Stedding. The Stedding was there for safety, but there was something satisfying about moving from place to place as she'd done.

After several nights of not hearing anything from any of her contacts in the area, nearly a week, she mentioned it to Owen on one of their morning runs. She was concerned, and rightly so. Her contacts, all of them, simply shouldn't have all gone silent. They'd decided to head north after very little deliberation, and so here they were, deciding where to camp. She was feeling uneasy because she knew that something had to have gone wrong, something large. She depended on her Watchers like some depended on their senses - she needed them to know what was going on, so that she could tell those in the Stedding what was going on.

Owen's hand on her arm brought Leila out of her thoughts, and she glanced toward him as he suggested that they stop for the night. She knew that if he felt something wrong - and he said that he did - then something really was wrong. She might not have been able to see it, but she trusted his judgement. She knew him well enough to trust him, and knew that he wouldn't imagine something like that. Just because she couldn't sense it didn't mean it didn't exist. Glancing around again, she sighed slightly, and then suggested,

"I think we should retrace our steps to that small clearing we passed at sunrise, there was a small stream nearby, we can refill our water bottles in the stream, I do not think we will find any water that we can drink once we start to climb those hills. Also we need to be able to sleep without any fear of being discovered, these last few weeks of travelling through the night must have been tiring on you." She said the last with a hint of a teasing smile, worried, but not enough to push him. He consented, however, which made her relax a bit. She might have been used to living on the road, but she didn't think Owen was.

They set up camp in a practiced manner, Leila starting a fire for the first time in weeks. It would be good to have hot tea and warm food for a change - a real treat. She felt safe enough that a fire could actually happen; if she'd been the least bit worried in their location, she would have stopped Owen. He knew how to be safe, though, and wouldn't have started in the first place. Dinner was eaten in relative silence, and Leila busied herself with cleaning up once they were finished, while Owen went to converse with their wolf companions. It didn't take long, and the regular actions calmed her. She was even beginning to feel tired when Owen said,

“Ice and Shadow will watch over us while we sleep, Ice seemed more than happy to “look†after us. I think she has adopted you as one of her cubs Leila, mind you she thought that about me not long after I found her and Shadow."

"I'm honored," Leila said wryly, giving Ice an appreciative nod. She did appreciate it - wolves were odd, and being adopted as one of their cubs was... an honor, in a way. She honestly didn't understand how the wolves judged age, though. She wasn't so clumsy and ignorant as a cub. Ice, as though sensing her thoughts, gave her a flat look, and Leila turned her attention back to Owen. After a moment of hesitation, she finally asked the inevitable question:

"Owen, is something the matter? You seem to be preoccupied with something." It was true; he did. She didn't want to seem blunt, but there was really no other way to phrase it. It had been bothering her since just after they'd left the Stedding, and frankly, it was high time that he spit it out.

-Leila Thatcher

Snowbreeze

Watcher Leader

There was a time when Owen would have totally ignored a question such as Leila’s, his reckoning had always been that his past was just that, his. But that was a long time ago, a time he recalled with a certain embarrassment when he considered his actions and the way they had hurt the ones who were trying to help him, back then. Even so, Owen was not the most forthcoming about his past, but he knew that this time he could not keep silent, Leila was walking into something that could be far more than she ever had anticipated when she had mentioned her concerns to Owen on their morning run.

“I do not know how much you may know about my past, there are few in the Stedding now who know me that well, so I will try and keep this brief, if you have any questions ask them at the end, this is not something I like to talk about.†It took a while before Owen continued, and when he did his voice was pitched low and he spoke without emotion, almost as if he was describing events that happened to another. “For a long time I did not know who my real parents were, it was not until just after the Howling, that I found out I had any immediate family. I was travelling on my own, making my way North when I heard the sounds of fighting. Luckily I was able to arrive in time to lend some help to a young woman who it turned out was my sister. How we knew, we could never explain, but once the shock of that first meeting wore off, we both knew that the other was someone special, some one who meant a lot to each other. We decided to travel north together, an fought in a great battle at a place called Tarwin’s Gap.â€

At the mention of that name, Leila’s head came up, even as far away as Caemlyn they had heard of that name and what it meant. “Yes I was there, along with Ehlana and many another good person. If you can ever avoid fighting in a battle like that Lei, my advice would be to do so, there is nothing but pain and sorrow that comes from events like that.†Owen stood up and went over to his saddlebags and retrieved his water shin, uncorking it he took a few sips then sat down again. “After the battle, Ehlana formed the Band of the Red Hand, we stayed in the Borderlands for sometime, unsure of where to go. During that time, Ehlana and I visited a village that was near the remains of her father’s manor house. We met old women who had been present at the birth of Ehlana. Upon seeing me the poor woman passed out and even when she regained consciousness, she was very unsettled for some time. Eventually Ehlana suggested I leave them and she would see what she could get out of her.â€

Owen continued talking, explaining how a hour or so later Ehlana had emerged from the hovel the woman lived in and told him that this woman had been present at the birth, the birth of both of them. It had not immediately sunk in with Owen exactly what Ehlana was saying. “You see Lei what Ehl had been told was that we were twins, and that there would have been a second brother but he did not make it. Once we both came to accept this we continued to look for people who had known our parents and eventually found someone who had been present the night they were killed.†The next part was even more painful for Owen to recall, the knowledge that he would never know why they had given him away, why they had denied him, pushed him over the edge, and for a long time he would not speak to anyone, or take part in anything.

“Eventually, though, through the help of some of our brothers and sisters I became less with drawn and learnt to accept what I could not change. Or so I thought, now old wounds are surfacing and they are not easy to deal with. Now you know why I have not been my usual happy go lucky self.â€

Owen’s grin was misplaced on his face and it was soon replaced with his normal neutral expression. Owen did expect an answer from Leila straight away, what was there she could say that could help or mean anything considering the circumstances. Eventually though, she did speak, and it brought forth a conversation that lasted well into the night, depriving both of them of the much needed sleep, but at the same time provided a greater understanding of Owen for Leila. He was not the simple “Ranger†that many saw him as; there were depths to his character that very few people ever got to see. This night Leila got to see more than most and it would take her some time to truly understand how these events had shaped Owen and why now he reacted the way he was doing to their proximity to his homeland.

Owen

The White Wolf

Ranger Leader

When Owen and Leila finally decided to settle down for the night - many hours after they should have been asleep - Leila's head was buzzing, almost to the point where she would have been kept up had she not needed the sleep desperately. However, she had to admit that there was much more to Owen than she had initially thought - honestly, she had thought that she could say she knew him well. Or rather, as well as anyone ever knew Owen. He wasn't, after all, the type to pour out his heart and soul to just anyone; most of the Wolfkin weren't, though. Even so, Leila had figured that she'd grown to know him pretty well over the previous few years, but had been proven wrong in the course of a night. This didn't really bother her, since she more than appreciated the need for secrets, but rather it made her thoughtful. She understood him better now, and honestly was still a little curious, but wasn't going to pry any further than she had. Owen had told her what he wanted her to know, or what he was comfortable telling her, and frankly, she could be content with that. She needed a few days to adjust her perception of Owen anyway.

She dropped off to sleep quickly, her exhaustion quickly catching up with her. Fortunately she slept deeply, counting on the wolves and her own senses to wake her up in the event of something bad happening. However, nothing bad did happen and she woke up the next morning a little cold, and rather cramped from sleeping wrong on a tree root. She stretched out and got up, hesitating a moment before making sure Owen was awake. She was used to rising early, and figured that he was too, but wasn't sure. Of course, they did run together often enough in the mornings, and that was generally very early... It didn't take her long to scrounge up some food to eat and clean up the camp somewhat, and she ate as she packed. After a moment of hesitation, she said,

"I'd like to head into the city today, if you don't mind." Her frown was a tad worried; she wasn't comfortable heading into the city at the best of times, and considering the reason they were there, she was even more nervous. However, she needed to find the root of the problem, and the best place to start was with one of her contacts. Tilting her head slightly, she added, "If that's alright with you?" She didn't want to go in alone, but would if she had to. She blended in better than Owen did, even with her golden eyes.

Leila

Snowbreeze

Watcher Leader

Short Poster Today

It took Leila and Owen until the middle of the day before the City was in sight and this would work to their advantage, as there was a crush of people at the gates to the City, which should help them to remain unnoticed. As it was, Owen drew the hood of his cloak further over his face; it would take someone to peer into the hood before they could see his skin, or his eyes for that matter. Seeing the concerned look on Leila’s face, Owen pulled on his gloves and then smiled at her. “Do not worry Leila, I have entered many Cities before, and managed to go about my business unnoticed, even in day light.â€

As they neared the queue Owen told her to dismount and quickly she followed his lead. “I do not like this Leila, we should wait until it is dark and then scale the walls, entering in the daylight does put us at risk, a risk that we should avoid.â€

They had been discussing Leila’s desire to enter the City in daylight ever since they had left their camp that morning, but she was adamant that time was short and the sooner they could find out what had happened to their contact in the City the sooner they would be finished with this mystery. Before Leila had chance to respond to Owen, the queue started to shuffle forward, the wagon drivers cajoling their reluctant horses to move forward. When the queue stopped moving, Owen and Leila continued their discussion, in voices only they could hear.

As they moved nearer the gate, a sudden shout had Owen’s had darting to the sword hidden under his cloak, but before he could reach it, Leila grasped his arm, and signalled for him to look further up the road, nearer the gate. “I think that wagon has just lost a wheel, come on, we might be able to take advantage of this and enter in the confusion.â€

Nodding his agreement, Owen calmed himself and resumed a more relaxed stance. Trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves they slowly lead their horses towards the gate, keeping to the opposite verge of the road to where the wagon with the broken wheel was. Just as they were about to pass through the gate, a rough hand closed on Leila’s arm and spun her about.

“Where do you think you are going?†the guards voice was loud enough to make the people around them turn to see what was going on, but one look at Leila’s face, or more importantly her eyes, and the man’s hand dropped from her arm, “We are going to visit my mother’s sister, she has been ill and my mother is worried about her, you would not prevent us from seeing our aunt now would you?â€

Owen would have laughed at the way Leila had changed her voice, making it sound hesitant and almost pleading, just enough to make the guard think again. “Be on your way, and make sure you go where you say you are going.â€

Thanking the guard, Leila lead her horse under the archway, their horse’s hooves echoing in the tunnel as they passed through the gatehouse, eventually emerging into a large square with many streets leading off into other parts of the city. “Well done Leila, that was very well handled, now all we need is to find an Inn where we can leave our horses, hopefully for only a few hours, then we can be on our way again.â€

Owen

The White Wolf

Ranger Leader

Leila grinned a bit and nodded, glancing around as she tried to recall where she was, and where the nearest inn was. She hadn't been here in years, but for her that was no excuse not to remember her way around; she simply hadn't been paying enough attention the first time, she supposed. It was unfortunate, but that was life. Finally she selected a street and headed down it, gazing around the street as subtly as she could in search of an inn, and any sign of danger or a familiar face. She couldn't smell anything familiar, so she wasn't expecting to run into her missing contact, but she couldn't help but keep her hopes up. After all, if she spotted him, things would be easier for her. That would mean that she wouldn't have to search for him, which was something that she wasn't looking forward to doing. He knew how to hide himself, that was for sure - she did too, though.

"Here should be good," She selected a small inn that looked well maintained despite the fact that business looked slow at that moment. There was a stableboy leaning against the wall, flirting with one of the maids. Leila's sharp ears could catch that much, but even if she hadn't been able to hear so well, she would have been able to guess as much. The girl - alright, so she was only a few years younger than Leila - was blushing, and the boy had a cocky grin on his face. Despite the apparent idle nature of a few of the employees, Leila wasn't hesitant to place her horse in this boy's charge, particularily since she'd been to this inn before. Rolling her eyes, Leila entered the small yard in front of the in and cleared her throat, hoping to catch the boy's attention as unobtrusively as possible. Of course, he appeared not to hear, all his attention on the girl. After half a moment, she said,

"Excuse me." The expression on his face - priceless. He obviously hadn't seen her enter the yard, or expected anyone to arrive while he was slacking off. He straightened from the wall quickly and all but ran to take the horses, while the girl blushed (more) and straightened her skirt self-conciously. Smiling, Leila went inside to take care of things, and returned moments later with the small fee paid, and gave Owen a bit of a smile.

"You're ready to go, then?" She began to head into the street without really waiting for an answer, eager to get going so that they could leave again. She didn't like cities; they were too... crowded. It was a complete reversal from her previous view on them, of course... but years in the Stedding and as a Watcher had changed her.

Leila

Stretching his arms above his head, Yrean let out a huge yawn, one that threatened, but did not achieve, to rip his head from his shoulders. Rubbing at his aching jaw, Yrean made his way from his room to the stables, by way of the kitchens. As he entered the stables, Yrean was just finishing the food he had purloined from a bleary eyed cook, wiping his hand across his mouth, Yrean made his way to where his tack was stored and then to his horse, carrying what he would need to saddle his horse. Once this task was complete, Yrean led his horse outside and tied him to a rail, then headed back to his room to pick up his pack and weapons.

While Yrean packed his gear on his horse, he let his mind drift back to last years competition, and the time he had spent there with Gaea, it hardly seemed a year had passed, so much had happened in that time, what with the shop, the murders, Mat’s strange disappearance, then reappearance, then disappearance, again. There was Dorian as well to consider, his training was progressing well, and he showed great promise, as did the shop Yrean ran. All in all it had been a good few months for him, and he saw no reason why his luck should change now.

When he was satisfied that his gear was stowed correctly, and would stay so on the journey, Yrean led his horse away from the stables and over to where a small group of Tower Guards and Warders were gathering before they left the city. Yrean greeted the ones who were there ahead of him, then settled down to wait for the time to leave.

Yrean Stavrosi

We are Grey. We stand between the Light and the Shadow

Mentor to Dorian.

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW[/b]

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW

Welcome one and all to the new boards, as you can see they are not that different to some of the off site OOC boards each Div has. Hopefully this will help smooth over any problems with the move....so enjoy yourselves, and try not to break the boards too often

Owen

Incarn

DRPSW