Katie
*Rigmar and his Horse would Climb even higher, managing to reach the start point of a large mountain... It was part of Dragonclaws region. Rigmar looked at the fierce view, ready to conquer its heights, and defeat whatever was in his way. Though his body was fragile, as a mere human he would still be shivering even though he had many of garments to cover himself.*

*Rigmar would light a Torch, and would use the flint rock to spark the flame. As he carried on his journey with Stallion, now carrying it by the Reins. As Stallion seemed to be more used to the cold than Rigmar was.*

*The Winds howled harder here, and the flame was hard to keep alight, as it blurs along the area. Rigmar kept pressing forth, moving up the Rockslide with his Horse. As he would slightly fumble from a few hidden stones under the snow, pausing for a brief minute, he catches his balance, and moved on, keeping his head up so he could see where the hell he was going. The wind kept booming into his visor as he felt an unstoppable force trying to push him backwards, But yet he did not give up, trying to move up even if the conditions of the terrain itself was rough. His hands pushing forwards each time he clambered upon a rock to move towards the area he needed to be. The knights breathing got a bit heavy, and his footing would get more tired by the minute, so he finds a place to rest after climbing a bunch of rocks. He breathed and breathed until he was able to recover, and then he kept going.*

*The Stallion was stronger, as it was able to just stride its legs over the snow, but even the horse didn't like the wind lashing against its Tabard and its skin that was covered by its long hair.* **"How long is this Storm going to last!"** *He shouted slightly, his voice firm as Rigmar cries out angrily in frustration. He sighed his breath. And kept walking along with the reins within his hands, keeping Stallion close by. *
Eric
*I love the snow. I love it so much.*

Elodie had her cloak tightly wrapped around herself. She had to make small adjustments with each step through the quickly gathering snow on the ground. The wind whipped through her hair - which she had attempted to pull up in a bun - leaving stray hairs to scratch against her mask. She paused in place. Her head swivelled at the sound of *Something* In the distance. She turned awkwardly around in place.

"Bren? Bren, darling? Please, is that you? Come back here. This isn't funny!" Her voice rang out across the rocky landscape, hoarse from the harsh temperatures. Not too long into her trek, she had completely *Lost* Her mare. She thought she had done the horse a favour by dismounting, but... Alas. Bren had nipped at her, kicked snow in her face, and galloped off. The reason why remained lost on Elodie. 

"Bren? Bren!?" The bard reluctantly turned in the direction of the previous noise and began to walk. She glanced down at her side, where her burnt-out torch hung uselessly at her hip. The cold had started to set in, numbing her fingers and creeping up her arms. She hugged herself tighter.

*I can't stop. I need to find her I need-*

The faint sound of another voice halted her thought. Her head perked up. A glimmer of hope warmed her core. With newfound determination, she picked up her pace. She aimed to cross paths with the owner of the voice - and silently prayed it wasn't the trick of a beast roaming the rocky terrain.

"Hello? Hey! Hey! Where are you? I need," Her sentence got cut off as she stumbled over a rock. She cursed to herself as she got back onto her feet. "I need a little help! Hello?!"
Katie
*Rigmar heard the cries of a woman close by, though the Wind rung harshly, he didn't exactly know where the sounds were coming from, but it didn't stop him from searching*

**"... A traveler.."** *He said upon curiosity,* **"Stallion, make haste, we must ride towards the voice that calls us.."** *He said firmly determined to find the voice that cries for help, Rigmar would get on his stallion and rode fast towards the area of which the voice was pre-maturely heard. His horse cantering wildly as it puffed smoke out of its nostril along with his armor, and his Torch would give off a beam of light like it was a becon of hope, as it searched for the woman. *

*Alas in the far distance he would find the outline of her. Rigmar would pause before trotting his horse along, stopping its wild sprint towards the location of which they were heading.*

**"Fear not... I am here to help!** *He said in a gallant voice, and would see the woman struggle against the harsh wind and the battering of the snow bellowing beneath her feet, and along her body. Rigmar quickly trots forth, until he was at a arms distance up upon his horse and would press his hand forwards reaching down to her*

**"Take my hand..."** *He said in a confident tone, upon further notice, his steed looked monstrous, and his armor looked battered like it survived many wars though had a look of a once noble knight, with a worn out cape on his back, that was red like roses flattering across the wind. Even the shades in his visor was mysterious as you couldn't see his eyes or any of his face, there was even a huge scar gap running down the left side of his visor, as if his eye had got cut out of his face. He was truely a mysterious man, that looked like he wasn't so easily trusted... *
Eric
For all of a few moments, Elodie felt relief flood her body. The sight of a figure coming toward her in the snow meant rescue, safety. As the figure drew near, it became increasingly obvious this would be no ordinary individual. She slowed to a halt as the figure drew closer. Her eyes raked over the figure - a man judging from the voice.

*...Holy...*

She flinched away from the extended hand at first. She found it difficult to trust in strangers in ordinary settings. To find such an intimidating stranger in the midst of a blizzard in the middle of nowhere... It didn't help her trust issues. She stared in complete silence for a few moments. She cleared her throat, but it didn't help the hoarseness of her voice when she next spoke.

"I'd ask who you are, but I'm kind of in a rush. Have you seen any stray horses? Maybe one with a really bad attitude? I lost her somewhere..." She turned around to glance in the direction she had come from, but failed to identify the path she had taken. The snow had made it impossible. "Somewhere around here. I think. I don't know." She had to clear her throat again to try and prevent a coughing fit. Her throat burned from the harsh, icy, air.

*Can I trust this guy?*

The bard squinted from behind her mask. The man's helmet made it impossible to make out any features whatsoever. The bulky armour concealed his form. The heavily decorated steed beneath him offered no insight either. 

"Please, I need to find her," She pleaded. Hesitantly, she pulled one arm away from her body and grasped his hand.
Katie
*Rigmar would somewhat examine how she was moving towards him, before slightly backing off, to respect her personnel space, he would say nothing for a while, as he looked at the nearest tracks that he could find of the horse that was planted into the Snow*

*He then said* **"There are a few tracks ahead..."** *His voice Calm and bellowing through his helmet, as he stared at the tracks.*

**"But you will not get anywhere a-foot in this dreadful blizzard, I suggest you accompany me on my steed."** *His helmet now cracking towards you slowly, with his eyes emotionless staring into your soul, as they were hidden under his helmet*

*He sits on his Giant steed in silence, as Stallion and Rigmar both look at you, like they were intimadating statues. They were most likely awaiting your decision to trust them...*
Eric
"Tracks?"

Elodie echoed the word, her head turning to look for the aforementioned tracks in the snow. No matter how she squinted, she couldn't make out any herself. She sighed. I didn't seem like she had any choice. She glanced between the snowy terrain and the man many times before she gave up.

*At least let it be a quick death if this guy's up to something.*

She freed her other arm from her cloak. Without waiting for the okay or any assistance, she reached up toward the stallion. She patted it gently to let it know she was there, before she hoisted herself up behind the man on the stallions back. She almost slipped off as she attempted to settle herself in place.

"I'd hate to know where you're going all suited up like this," She commented while she glanced down at the decorated stallion. She turned her head up toward the man once more. "Her name is Bren - the horse. My horse. She's chestnut in colour. Probably picking a fight with the local wildlife or a tree branch that inconvenienced her. She's got a blanket, but it's thin." She relayed the information with a soft sense of urgency. Her head returned to it's previous swivel, looking around the snowy terrain for the missing mare.
Katie
*As soon as you got comfortable on the horse, Rigmar would move the reins slightly and tap Stallions stomach lightly allowing Stallion to go in a quick trot. Rigmar looked straight ahead, not replying for a while. He was more focused on the Tracks. Though a few more minutes passed and he would start to speak his mind,*

**"I hear that there is a Spring festival, in order to move onward to get there, I must get across these mountains,"** *He would say, pausing, as he would simply carry on trotting along with Stallion* 

*The knight just kept looking onwards, the Tracks getting more noticable it seems like we were getting close to the location, as he held his torch up to get a better view* **"We shall find your Bren in no time,"** *His voice Echo's it spoke in a more softer tone, as it echo'd through his Armet. He scanned around, his head glancing left to right to see what signs he could pick up from the ground and the environment, he saw a lot of snapped twigs to where Bren must of hit a tree nearby, so he decided to follow that, he now the knight knew he was close, after all he would hear the horse Canter around in the blizzard,* **"...."** *Rigmar was somewhat quiet. It seems as though he was focused, and he had only really said two things to you along the journey he wasn't a man with so much words to heart it seems.* 

*He carried on along with his steed, and was now back on the tracks they seemed to be getting more and more deep, each time he tailed along to get to Bren..*
Eric
"Right. Thanks."

Elodie nodded along with the man's words. She reached up to wipe away the snow that stuck to her mask. She had half a mind to rip it off her face, but ultimately that would only make her even colder. She leaned around the man's body in an attempt to see anything that he did. Her vision failed. The snow obscured too much of it to be comfortable.

"Heading through a blizzard on your way to a spring festival? Life is certainly fond of irony," She commented, hoping to liven up the otherwise dull trek. She had a sneaking suspicion the man was just as cold as their surroundings. She turned her head away, craning for any sign of her mare. She grasped the sides of the saddle to keep herself steady.

*She's gotta be around here-*

A sharpy whinny sounded nearby. She reached for the man's shoulder. She gently shook it in case he hadn't heard the sound. Her head whipped around. She cupped her hands together around her mouth as she called out.

"Bren! Bren, c'mere girl! Over here, c'mon!" She covered her face as a harsh cough wracked my body. "She's that way!" She croaked out the words while pointing in the direction she heard the sound.
Katie
*Without another sign of her calling, Rigmar quickly turned his horse, pulling his rein to the direction of her hand. While turning it with his legs, we did a sharp turn on stallion, it was a rather proficient one at best,* **"YAHH!"** *He shouted, and the horse would now go into a gallop so vicious that it would shake the snow with his weight, and its cladded armor along his tabard. Rigmar would give chase towards Bren, to catch her up. Somewhat darting left to right avoiding dead trees as he had to weave his horse under them as it galloped furiously. Rigmar would keep in tail with the outline of Elodie's steed*

*Without another trace, Rigmar had catch up to Bren, as he slammed the reins back, and tightened his legs to drift his horse to the side, looking at the situation up ahead* 

**"Is that your horse..."** *He said in a deep composure, as his hand then raised, and his index finger pointed at the horse,* *Rigmar now awaiting the woman's response, who must of been rather shocked at how skilled Rigmar was at riding such a beast.*
Eric
Elodie's hands gripped the saddle *Far* Tighter as the man kicked his horse into high-gear. She ducked her head down toward her chest. Her eyes clamped shut. Her head slammed against the back of the knight. She cursed from the pain that coursed through her forehead. She tilted her head as the man pointed toward Bren.

"Bren! Dammit, idiot!"

Elodie stumbled her way off the back of the man's stallion without waiting for it to come to a full stop. She landed nearly face-first in the snow, but it didn't deter her. She stumbled in Bren's direction. The mare snorted and stomped, as if throwing a temper tantrum directed at nothing in particular. Elodie treaded her way through the thick snow. She reached forward to grasp the reins and tug Bren in her direction.

"Bren, shush! Calm down!" She did her best to hold to the raging mare, but she seemed unwilling to give in. The horse reached around to nip at her arms. She didn't budge. "You're embarrassing me!" Elodie murmured the words to the mare. Many minutes later, she had convinced Bren to still enough to be led. She reached up and gently stroked the horse's neck. She glanced back toward the man.

"Thanks uhm... I'll be alright from here if you wanna..." She paused, her throat getting tickled by the icy wind. A cough escaped her. "...Get going to that festival."
Katie
*The knight stared at you for a while it seemed as though he was silent, examining you for a while, He didn't make a sound not even a word uttered behind that solid armet. He looked up at the sky and the blizzard was still going, by then the man thought he could stop his adventures, he needed a place to keep warm after all. And if he kept traveling without any shelter he was abound to fail.*

**"There is a cave up ahead, the storm is fierce and if I tred further than I am, I shall be swept up in the blizzard."** *He then paused, slightly shifting his hands on the reins, as his horse turned to the side, his helmet just trailing in your direction,* **"And as to you, your cold is getting worse. If you continue forwards, I am sure you will see yourself falter before you can say another word."** *His voice was soft, and yet scary at the same time, due to the echo of his Armet* 

**"The Choice is yours to take, what say thee."** *Rigmar said, furthering to see what you may say, afterall. The scary Errant of a knight didn't really want to see you die in a blizzard that is howling and treacherous, and behind the storm, lays many dangers of Goblins are such beyond the mountains, Traveling would be dangerous in the knights mind*
Eric
Elodie kept a tight grip on the reins as she inspected the rest of Bren's body. She seemed to be relatively free of any major wounds - just a few scratches. She tugged Bren closer to her before she swung herself up into the saddle. She reached around to hug Bren's neck. Her body shivered.

"A cave?" The bard found herself shouting over the storm. She urged Bren toward the man and his stallion. "You know of a cave nearby, then? Maybe... It'd be good." She craned her neck around to try and locate the mentioned cave. Her vision hadn't adjusted in the slightest.

*Who is this guy anyway?*

She leaned back in her saddle. Her eyes fell down toward Bren. Her mask hid the worry which grew on her face. She felt no harm in pushing herself through the storm. But her mare... She couldn't risk that. She cleared her throat. Her head raised to make what she could consider eye-contact despite the obvious limits between their two preferred face coverings.

"Alright. Let's go to this cave of yours. But I have questions." She nodded her head, then directed her mare alongside the man's stallion. One hand remained on the reins, while the other hovered over her sheathed dagger. In the grand scheme of things, against armour like his it wouldn't do much. But it made her feel better.
Katie
*Rigmar would go forth, now leading the way, but felt something was off about Elodie, he couldn't keep his finger on the question on why she was acting so strange, but it didn't bother him too much*

*As they were traveling to this Cave that was around 500 meters away from them, Rigmar would then say* **"Speak your question..."** *He said firmly, his voice serious like a parchment being read by a noble. He kept his eyes forwards as he would be looking through the slits of his visor. Scanning left to right as he held his torch forwards*
Eric
Elodie kept a comfortable distance between herself and the man as they moved along. Her gaze alternated between the landscape in front of them, to the man himself who appeared to be focused on getting through the storm. She couldn't really tell thanks to the helmet. She shrugged a little as he prodded fro her to ask her question.

"Well. I don't know who you are, for starters. Or what you're doing so...*Heavily equipped* In the middle of nowhere," She said with what could be considered suspicion in her tone. She did her best to relax the tension growing in her shoulders, purposefully letting them fall and relax at her sides. "So I guess my questions are just that... Who are you and what's going on with the whole... Get-up."

She gestured with the hand that had previously been resting on her dagger's sheathe, then returned it to it's previous position. She didn't feel comfortable to completely let her guard down yet. Many dangerous things came in unsuspecting packages.

*He could probably kill me with a slap to the face.*

The thought soured the bard's expression. She turned her head away to gaze toward the fallen trees lying in their path.
Katie
*The knight said nothing so far, and he carried on roaming forwards, thinking of what to tell you,*

*Some words then came to mind* **"I am a Knight with no Lord, many call thee a hedge knight or a Knight-Errant. That of which I keep my armor to represent what I am... I am simply wearing this armor to protect myself from my foes of which they think they are worthy to try and best me."** *He said, pausing for a minute, as he sees the outline of the cave growing near.*

*Upon hearing he was a Knight-Errant, it basically meant he was bound to no Lord, would this mean Rigmar had a master before hand?* 

**"If you ponder for who I am, it is not really of your importance, all you must know is that you are in safe hands... I am no brigand."** *He said justly, and with a firm tone, that was stern and confident like a lion's heart.* **"Moreover, there are many monsters I said, that lay waiting, and are probably watching us."** *He said seriously, though it wasn't to try and scare her, Rigmar was just stating facts. Even though it may come off as... Intimidating.*
Eric
*A Knight-Errant? Hedge Knight?*

The words confused Elodie to a certain degree. She hadn't heard the terms used often - though they did ring a bell. She pursed her lips as she sat deep in thought. She led her hand slide away from her sheathed dagger, however. Her head turned toward the supposed knight. She couldn't deny the fact that he *Looked* The part - though anyone could look like anything if they tried hard enough, that she knew well.

"Does the knight have a name or do I have to just say... Hey you! Or, hey knight, to get your attention when I see it fit?" She posed the question with a slight amount of attitude to her voice. She didn't really appreciate the secrecy, but all things considered she was still in no place to complain if this knight really was going to bring them to shelter.

"I'm Elodie, for your information. Not a knight, in case you couldn't already tell. Just a bard who's probably hopelessly lost until the blizzard clears," She said with a sigh-like quality to her voice. She had resigned herself to her fate of being stuck for now. The least she could do to ease the discomfort was make friends, or be friendly, with the person accompanying her.
Louise
*The knight just listened to her, and as we came to the location, he would then reply to your location as he would also say.* **"We are here... And if you really wish to know who I am- let us clear the way first."** *He said, as if he completely ignored your question, he stepped off his stallion, and posted his torch forwards, making it a guide in the darkness of which we stepped upon. Scanning the quite big cave, as it was so dark he couldn't see the ending to this forsaken place*

*Before moving onward he then stated having a second thought, since he knew the bard didn't trust him so, easily without a doubt.* **"Rigmar... They call me Rigmar."** *He then stated his voice just casual and soft in the darkness of the cave. Which it seemed warmer here than outside in the storm bellowing wind.* *His Claymore upon his back would start to glow, it was a golden color, as if it was holy bounded by magic itself as he would be carrying Stallion by the reins with his right hand.* **"... Be ready for a battle ahead... Something is close nearby, and it seems my sword is aware of its presence.."** *He said in a warning tone, as he lets go of stallion, ordering him to wait there giving him a pat on his neck.*

*Rigmar would draw his claymore, putting out the fire for a minute, letting his sword be the light that points the path of where they were going, he kept it low to his side, and would walk fiercely scanning his arcs with his helmet to see what the danger was uphead*
Eric
Elodie felt instant relief as she stepped into the cavern behind Rigmar. She nodded briefly in acknowledgement to his responses. She hopped off Bren, but kept a hold of her reins until she found a sufficient spot to tie her to. She reached up to give the mare a cautious pat on the neck, narrowly avoiding getting nipped in the process. She turned her head toward the strangely glowing sword that the knight wielded. Her brow furrowed.

*That's... A new one.*

She kept a safe distance between herself and the knight even as she followed him deeper into the cave. Her hand hovered over her dagger.

"I'm... Not much of a fighter, but I'll do what I can... I guess," She said in a hushed voice, uncertainty lacing her words. She really hoped the knight knew what he was doing. She wouldn't be able to defend against anything too monstrous. "Though I *Hope* We're the only ones in here and your magic sword is misfiring."

The bard glanced back toward Bren and the knight's stallion. She didn't feel great about leaving them behind, but understood it'd be trouble to leave easily spooked animals near anything too dangerous either. She swallowed her worry, looking to Rigmar for direction.
Louise
**"My sword is true, if it reacts this way, then it is bound to shed blood on the enemies that oppose it. If you cannot fight, just keep aware of surroundings."** *He would pay close attention to the shadows and the outlines of the darkest corners of the areas of which he can see, he picks up a clue of what we may be facing, as he sees some armor that looked like it had aged out of its shell, he stopped, kneeling down at it to take a glance, and then spotted a few tracks. Knowing that Elodie wasn't capable of protecting herself, he decided it was best to go the other way.*

**"We shall fasten ourselves the other way, once I find a good spot to rest, we will bring our horses here. I assure you, I left Stallion un-attended for a reason.."** *He said with a somewhat lowered tone, and a certain acknowledgement of his judgement*

*So, they would journey the other way on there advancement to find a good place to rest that was not in-danger to this unknown enemy that lurks in the darkness... All but aware, that Rigmar would know an ambush was soon to come.*
Eric
Elodie quirked a brow in response to the knight's responses, once more confused yet intrigued by the man. She shook her head slightly, choosing to remain silent for the time as the duo moved deeper into the cavern. She didn't complain when taking the direction that appeared less dangerous. She never enjoyed fighting... Especially not in dark places. She found herself inadvertently sticking closer to Rigmar, her own discomfort of the dark overriding her suspicion for the stranger.

*It's still so cold in here.*

"So... Does your horse actually have a name? Or did you literally name him 'Stallion?' I don't mean to sound judgemental, I'm just curious," She questioned with a hushed tone, afraid that if she spoke too loud it might alert whatever danger that lurked ahead of their presence. "Just... Never really heard of someone doing that before. Seems odd."

*You seem odd in general.*

She kept that thought to herself. She still needed this man's protection after all. She couldn't go out and blatantly disrespect his choices.
Louise
*Rigmar just kept silent at what you said, as if he was acknowledging everything you said, was true. In fact under his helmet he held somewhat of a faint smile, he hears something moving in the dark, and he would press his arm out, to stop you from walking even further, as his blade would glow even brighter. As bones were heard shimmering around the Cave,*

**"They are here..."** *He simply said in a firm and stoic tone, which echo'd around the room.*

*The Cave was somewhat silent, although the patters and bone noises got even closer, and then Rigmar would see eyes staring at him, that pierced a fierce red, sparking like a bomb-fire* 

*Suddenly! An arrow would whizzed towards us, as it seemed like a Bodkin arrow, if it hit at the right spot of Rigmars armor it could pierce him as the arrow missed us, by inches.* **"Stay low!"** *He shouted, tightening his grip on his Claymore, it glows even brighter, seeing the position of the archer skeleton, not only he was just one... But there were a few, A skeleton-Lord and his knights were ready to murder us*

*The archer gets ready to fire another Arrow, and the skeletons march like a terminator, ready to take us out.*

*There was 4 skeletons in total.*
Eric
The bard pressed herself against the wall when Rigmar first commented on the presence of someone else. She ducked down the moment the arrow went whizzing past. Her hand flew to her crossbow. She unsheathed it in one smooth motion. She loaded up a bolt. She glanced toward the approaching skeletons. Her heart started to race. It hurt. She fired a shot toward one of the many skeletons, uncertain if it would hit. She crouched back down shortly after.

"Staying low!" Elodie confirmed with a shout, not bothering to lower her voice. She moved to reload her crossbow. She had a very limited number of bolts on her - she wasn't exactly anticipating fighting skeletons.

*This isn't going to be great.*

She leaned back against the wall, hoping to make herself as small, and as difficult a target as possible. Her eyes moved toward the knight. She considered helping him out with a buff... But she wanted to see what the knight could do before stepping in with any... Magical efforts.

"You got a plan?"
Louise
**"Take care of the Archer, I will defend you from the skeletons that approach us."** *He said, as he would quickly press his Claymore forwards, stepping in with his right forward, and siding his body to oppose them fiercely, he pointed the blade to the Bonelords neck, as he raised his blade, to strike down fiercely, his blade clashed with Rigmar, as he manages to divert the incoming force to the floor, and punched the Bonelords Skull to the floor, as the bonelord get rocked to the ground*

*He pivots back, quickly seeing the other skeleton move forwards for a thrust, Rigmar took no chance as he pivoted back with his lead foot, he adjusted his blade towards the enemy, and gripped his off hand onto the blade itself, making a steady block with the middle of his blade, the clash was heard beyond the cave, as he diverts the skeletons sword to the right, while at the sometime, slamming his crossguard into his jaw, the skeletons jaw rendering off of its skull, as it gets rocked backwards,*

*Another comes to the side of Rigmar, but rigmar was too slow to turn towards the Skeleton knight, which had slammed his sword into the side of Rigmar's pauldron, but it was little to not effect, as it only managed to knock rigmar aside a bit, he faultered before regaining his balance, pressing his sword forwards once again, and keeping the point of the blade aimed towards the Skeleton-knights neck. To stop his advance.*
Eric
*Right. The archer. Than I can definitely see.*

The bard's nose scrunched, causing her mask to shift up slightly. She scanned over the dark cavern before them where the skeletal beings marched ahead. She fully reloaded her crossbow, then held it pressed against her chest. She peered down the hall - squinting as if it would help the area get brighter. She spotted movement far off, followed by the loosing of an arrow that she narrowly avoided falling victim to. A soft curse escaped her lips. She raised her crossbow and fired. A soft thud sounded from afar.

*Did I hit it? Dammit, I can't tell!*

She ducked down once more to reload another bolt into her crossbow as an idea struck her. She finished setting the bolt in place. Her head turned briefly to where Rigmar fought, but didn't linger. She held out her hand in front of her. She softly spoke an incantation. A small ball of light formed in her palm.

An illusion, but a *Bright* Illusion.

She steadied the ball. With a sharp exhale of her breath, she turned and sent the ball of light down through the cavern. As soon as the light illuminated the archer, she shot her crossbow - hitting it's eye socket and knocking it back in a smooth motion.

"Ha!"
Louise
*Rigmar was too focused on the boneknights and the Lord, as he sees that one of them would of been out of the fight, he would decide to focus on the other bone-knight and the Bone-lord, as the one that struck him would prepare for another strike, as he advanced towards him, Rigmar would quickly just step forwards, and thrust his sword into his neck getting the point of his blade trapped in the bone, the sword literally melted the bone, as he twisted his blade through it snapping the neck straight off of the skeleton-Knights body. And the Skeleton fell back onto the floor, its eyes would stop glowing.*

*The skeleton Lord would get up, with his jaw that was removed from his skull, and Rigmar didn't pass no time either, as he pivoted his back foot towards the Skeleton-lord wynding a cut overhead, and slamming his blade down towards the skeleton-lords forehead. The skeleton lord was quick enough to catch the blade on the mid of his sword and divert the strike to the side, being very cunning than the other knights, as he quickly followed up with a horizontal strike, over his head, to slam it into the knights helmet.*

*Rigmar would not lose traction of the Skeletons blade, being skilled in the arts of swordsmanship, he was able to re-bind his blade towards the Lords Sword, you could the shreek of the sword, as sparks emitted from both blades. Rigmar simply posted his back to the mid of the skeletons sword with his crossguard, defending the cut as the Skeleton lord tried to repulse another strike from the other side of rigmar, Rigmar quickly responded with a thrust, and turned his body one sided to catch the skeleton's blade at the same time, defending and attacking as it was done in one smooth movement, the thrust landing into the skeletons forehead as he slammed it deeper, making the skeleton fall to the floor as he tripped his left leg into the ground, as he did this the skeletons head smashed into little pieces* 

*Rigmar slowly stood up, and looked at his surroundi
Eric
Elodie reloaded her crossbow. At this point, her hands had grown shaky from the nerves. She tilted her head to see if the archer still shifted around or not. It seemed to still be twitching, so she popped up to deliver another shot toward it's body - though she didn't really know if that would put it out of it's misery for good or not.

*What's this guy doing?*

Her eyes shifted toward where Rigmar worked on seemingly dismantling the more melee oriented enemies. She studied his form with curiosity. Her eyes didn't miss a single movement. She stared with a calculating gaze and felt grateful that it would probably be too dark for him to notice. She found it interesting, the way that different people choose to take on their foes, this would be no exemption. She shook her head slightly then turned to look toward the rest.

"...Alright are they done? Or almost dead?" As she spoke, she reloaded her crossbow. She only had a handful of bolts left, so she felt quite hesitant to loose them against enemies that the knight seemed more than capable of taking on himself.
Louise
*Rigmar would thrust his sword down with ease at the remaining skull of the skeleton that was out for the count.*

**"They are dead... I must say, you make quite a marksman."** *He said in a calm tone, his body just oozing with confidence, his sword slowly starts to disapate into darkness as he quickly lit his torch, and would light it with flint stone.*

**"Let us make way to the Horses, And then we'll set up camp."** *He said to Elodie, assuring her that it was all over, his tone grew more softer as he saw that she was somewhat shaking ever so cautiously*
Eric
Elodie slowly stood to her full height once more. She surveyed over the skeletons rendered to piles of bones before them. She rolled her shoulders back and exhaled slowly to ease the tension she had been holding through the encounter. She carefully unloaded her weapon to stowe the remaining bolts back in her pouch. She holstered the crossbow itself, then took a few hesitant steps toward the remains. She kicked the bones - just to make sure they wouldn't get up and move around again.

"Gross," She muttered. "At least you're good with that sword. For a moment I was kinda worried this," She gestured broadly over Rigmar's armour, "Was for show."

*And now I know he can be dangerous.*

The bard turned back down the dark cavernous hall. She didn't wait for the knight to begin moving. She reached out one hand to rest against the wall. She used it as a guide to keep herself steady. She peered around the corner to the main entrance of the cave where the horses remained. She took another step forward... And promptly tripped. She landed on the ground with a thud.

"Just... Wanted to see if it was slick," She called out to the knight, to assure all was well as she pushed herself back up to a sitting position.
Louise
*Rigmar would just stare at you, as you were sitting down. He walked over slowly. And would extend his hand forwards without saying anything, giving you the same stare last time when he brang his hand forwards to try and help you*
Eric
Elodie stared blankly at the offered hand. She tilted her head, but ultimately took up the hand. She grasped it tightly and used it to pull herself up onto her feet. She rolled her shoulders back once more, as if to help herself become settled once more. She turned her head away from Rigmar. She cleared her throat.

"...Thanks," She murmured. It felt embarrassing to have taken such a spill.

*That. Was rough.*

The bard quickly moved back toward the horses. She untied Bren and tugged her reins to get her moving deeper into the cave. She wandered until she found a spot that seemed comfortable enough to set up camp and retied her. 

"I don't trust you not to run off again, miss," She whispered to the horse, before she turned to the knight once more. "This a good spot?"
Louise
*The knight someone stared back at you briefly, seeing your bond with your horse.*

**"Yes, seems like this will do. We shall prepare camp."** *He simply stated, his voice more calmer than it was before and had a more sturdy edge*

*The knight would prep the camp up, he used the stones that he used before, as he had it in his satchel, along with a few kindling he would set up for the Journey ahead, setting up a small campfire, along with a pot-rest,*

*He goes setting up the Tent, having to spread the Tarp out wider than usual, so that we could both sleep in the Tent without the wind coming in, making sure there was enough space without being so close together, knowing that she would want her personnel space and a place to put her stuff.*

*After setting up everything, Rigmar puts his torch on the campfire to light it, and there was a sudden warmth around the area of the Cave, which had made a comfortable environment around the cave, as you could hear the embers of the fire crackle, after everything was done.. Rigmar would sit down on the floor, using his Cape as a pillow, and he stared at the fire crossing his legs, and resting his sword along his thighs horizontally*
Eric
Bren made a few attempts to nip at Elodie as she took out some sparse belongings from the saddlebags. Elodie would softly scold the mare each time. Finally, she set down a small well-loved blanket to sit on. She turned around to see the fire already started by the knight, and a smile graced her face.

"Ah, you got a fire going already! Nice," She praised with that same smile. She gently set down the blanket, then plopped herself down on it. She had half a mind to completely lay down, but didn't want to appear *Too* Strange in front of the knight. She leaned back against the nearest wall. Her eyes remained resting on the fire for a few moments, before she reached for her journal.

*Might as well do some writing while we wait for the storm to pass.*

She set aside a small glass container of ink, and took up her quill. She started to scribble away on the next empty page of her journal. She reached up to touch her mask with her free hand. Her eyes glanced Rigmar's direction.

*He still has his helmet on. I should probably keep my mask on too... At least for now. I don't know what to think of you, Mr. Knight.*

She lowered her hand, but cleared her throat. "Why did your sword get all shiny back there?" She posed the question as casually as she could muster, despite how interested she truly felt about the blade's abilities.
Katie
**"It is attracted to the Undead, and all things that are Eternal."** *He simply said, as he would look at you, his helmet still on sitting down by the fire.* **"You seem to be a rather good shot when you landed a bolt into the Skeletons bones."** He complemented,

*Rigmar would slightly roll his shoulder from the bashing of the Sword that hit his Pauldron last time, as he saw Elodie with her Journal...* **"What are you writing?"** *He asked, his voice being curious and attentive* *As he would grip his sword, and started sharpening it by the fire, with his smooth-stone. He paused for a while, dropping his Claymore aside, leaving it out of his sheathe, so he could pay attention if it glowed or not.*

*Rigmar sat there though wanting to hear what your answer was going to be, now gripping his full attention onto you.*

*Stallion would just stand there casually glancing around as if it was alert, its ears perking up and down, before acting goofy, and sniffing Rigmars helmet with his nose brushing against it.*
Eric
"Undead and eternal? So like, immortals too? If those are real, that is," Elodie responded to the knights words with another question. Her quill paused in place over the page. She looked up toward the knight. Her smile returned as the knight's stallion seemed to be nudging him. 

*That horse is so much nicer than Bren.*

She glanced between her journal and the knight a few times, contemplating how exactly to respond to his question. She didn't want to lie - she was a pretty terrible liar. She didn't have a reason to lie, but she didn't want this stranger to go through her stuff either...

*Dammit, too many possibilities. Just be honest.*

"Uhm. Just writing about my day, pretty much," She said, her voice slightly unsteady. Not a lie, not the whole truth. She glanced down at the page, which already had a lot of details about Rigmar scribbled down. At least if she died, whoever may find her journal would know the cause. "I write about pretty much everything so."

She turned her eyes back down to the pages. She adjusted her mask again, finding the combination of the dark space and the covering annoying.
Katie
*Rigmar thought it was a rather good Idea to write things down, he was rather a forgetful person at best..* 

**"There are many things in this world that exist, that should be non-existent to the human Eye."** *He would answer the question you gave him. **"And many fall because of it."** He would then add on, as he would somewhat pat the horses front leg, Stallion somewhat bobbed his head up, after giving Rigmar a knock on his helmet to goof around, Stallion decided to go back on watch duty, looking around the Cave, even though he could see darkness and no light ahead, he was obviously a massive goof, though rather funny.*

**"Either way, I am truthfully glad that I met you through the storm, if I were to go on my own, I would of had a harder time dealing with the enemy that was be-felled by us, let alone the archer that was firing his arrows towards us."** *He would state, as he would casually grip his Visor, and fix in in place, due to the horse messing up his helmet last time*

**"My greatest thanks to you Bard."** *He would say casually.* 

*Rigmar would add a few more sticks to the fire so it could last through the storm at least, and to make sure that it didn't go out due to the wind coming from the entrence of the cave.*
Eric
Elodie's brow raised behind her mask. A small smile broke out across her face. She shook her head slightly, then laughed. She set down her quill in the ink, then let the journal rest against her lap. She crossed one leg over the other. Her hands held the book gently, just enough so it wouldn't fall off her lap.

"Don't take this the wrong way," She began, her voice still laced with laughter. "But do you always talk so formally? You sound quite refined. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it's just we're kind of sheltering from a massive blizzard and you're talking like we're at a royal court."

*Learn to shut your mouth sooner, Elodie.*

She continued to smile despite her own scolding thoughts. She tilted her head. Her brain flooded with all the information she knew about this man, in all it's very limited glory, but it didn't seem to help her unravel the puzzle.

"And uh, no need to thank me for anything. I'm sure you would have been just find without my three shots against that skelly. I'm not a fighter."
Louise
*Rigmar watched you laugh. He stared back at the fire, his emotions seemed to be hidden from his armet. Though Rigmar was actually smiling under his Armet.*

**"It is the way that I was taught, that's all."** *He said in a more softer tone, his seriousness in his voice had faded. And he sounded more enlightened than usual.* 

**"You are quite right as well..."** *He would pause for a minute watching the flames Cackle in the fire, and the embers burn to emit the light around us*

**"... Where are you even heading from here... Are you heading to where I wish to go?"** *He said in the same-tone.

*He gripped his gauntlet, and would start to take off his gauntlets, undoing the straps along his bracers to take them off, his hands once revealed were rough and had a few cellists as if he had been a hard worker back then, a few marks around his hands too, Maybe from previous battles?* 

*Rigmar would hold his hand out over the fire slightly to warm his hands up a bit, and rubbed them together.* 

**"You surely must of traveled really far to get this high up in the mountains like me."** *He said in a casual tone.*
Eric
Elodie pressed her lips together. Her head tilted to the side once more as she listened to Rigmar's words. Her attention diverted to his hands as he began to take them off. She didn't speak, instead let him finish his thought as her mind wandered.

*So he is a real person. With flesh just like the rest of us. That's comforting.*

She straightened up her head and her posture in one movement. She tapped her fingers against her legs as she pondered his question. She didn't really have a good answer for it. Why was she up here? Even she didn't really know. She laughed again - a sound this time born of the awkwardness she felt.

"Ah, well. I'm not heading to that festival you mentioned, that's for sure. I was just... Doing a bit of exploring. Heard stories about the mountains up north, got curious. Started to travel, and I guess you could say I got hit with summit fever. And..."

*Got a bit lost.*

"...The blizzard caught me off guard. So here we are." She gestured to the cave briefly, then let her arms come to hold her journal once more. "Nothing terribly exciting, I'm afraid. Though I think I'll have some great new material for my next poem."
Louise
*Rigmar couldn't really believe that you came up here, for the thrill, he somewhat paused, before saying anything, kinda shocked, knowing that Dragonclaw wouldn't be a place for anyone that doesn't really know how to fight for themselves. Could she really have been lost, he pondered.*

**"You are brave, traveling up here by yourself... Or you are just Foolish, that... I do not know. It would be best if someone accompanied you on your travels at least. Since you are well... Ill equipped for battle."** *He would say to you, not trying to offend you, but the knight was just stating facts.*

**"The tales of which you seek here may be true to your thoughts, for I have seen the dangerous of the mountain through my own eye. Goblins, orc, Trolls-a-like."** *He would be firm on the word 'eye' as if he was serious that he could only see through just an 'eye' maybe hinting on something.*

**"But lay your head to rest, for they will not come here, not in a storm at least, when this storm settles, we better leave as quick as we can... I will guide you to a safer location, when that time comes to pass, and that is when we shall decide to part ways..."** *He said to her, as if the knight already came up with a plan, so the both of us could survive at least.*
Eric
*I can't even get away with half-truths, can I?*

"Well. There are some that say being brave and being foolish are two sides of the same coin. More often than not, the designation is determined by how the venture ends. If it goes well, they call it brave. If it ends badly, it's foolish," Elodie responded, her voice smooth as if she had spent time curating that response prior to it's delivery. She finished it up with a small smile, however.

She reached over for her quill. She shook off an excess ink into the pot, then continued writing in it. She detailed the most recent parts of the conversation, then paused again. She chuckled a bit to herself once more.

"I'm glad at least to have that comfort. But hey, I've made it this far alive. I'm sure a little bit more chaos won't kill me. Yet," She said as she waved her free hand dismissively. Her journal almost slipped off her lap, but she caught it just in time. Her eyes scanned over the pages to make sure no ink smudged. "Besides. It's hard to find anyone willing to forego any sense of true direction or planning to come along with me."
Louise
**"Really?"** *He stated, quite a bit faster than usual, Rigmar thought you wasn't so bad to travel around with, let alone talk too*

*He rubs his hand along the vambrace of his forearm, before glancing into the fire. He was pretty curious on what you had written down so far, but he thought it was best to keep it to himself, he didn't want to make enemies all of a sudden*

*He lets time fly by for a bit, and decided to maybe cook something.* **"Do you want something to eat?"** *He asked you with a calm and thoughtful tone.*
Eric
"Oooh yes," Elodie confirmed with a nod of her head. "That's too dangerous, Elodie, that's a stupid idea, Elodie, it's not worth the risk, bards don't go on adventures, you'll weigh us down, no, don't try to touch the plant, it's probably poisonous! Dammit, Elodie!" She mocked the voices of others who had been the ones to tell her such things in the past. She once again waved her hand dismissively. She seemed to have a habit of talking with her gestures.

*Nice rant.*

The bard exhaled slowly to calm herself from her minor outburst. She tilted her head curiously as the knight spoke of eating. She furrowed her brow as she tried to recall the last time she actually ate something herself, but her memory failed her. She glanced up to the saddlebag resting on her agitated mare.

"Ah, I should probably eat something. Don't waste your stuff on me, though. I've got... Something. Probably." She set down her journal on the ground beside her, and the quill inside the ink before she stood. She paused to stretch, then moved over to root around in her saddlebag once more.
Louise
*Rigmar would just listen, focusing on what she might of experienced in her pass life, and understood what she meant, but he wouldn't really know that she didn't have much faith in herself. Rigmar couldn't really judge her though, she took a safer path, maybe it was better to become a Bard than to risk your life trying to do something dangerous.*

**"... Very well then.."** *He says replying to what you said to him, as he would take out a scrag of meat on a bone, from his satchel, it seemed to be in fair condition, "Its aged rather well.." He thought in his head, seeing it was still fresh.*

*He puts the scrag of meat on the fire, letting it sizzle on one side, the meat smelled rather good and seemed as though it was even marinated before it was stored inside of the saddlebag, a good thing that it was kept preserved in cold conditions.*

**"... Y'know.."** He paused. **"If you're really a good Bard, you would sing me a song of one of your tales."** *He said, with a jokeful tone passing through his voice, though he was actually serious, and curious to hear one of your songs.*
Eric
Elodie's rummaging continued on for a while, even after Rigmar requested a song. She pursed her lips. Many minutes later, she had tugged out a small wrapped package. She opened it up, pulled out a few pieces of dried meat, then secured the package again. She turned around to face the knight. As she took up the meat in hand, she leaned back against Bren, despite the mare's obvious annoyance with this action.

"You want me to sing you a song?" She repeated the question, waving the meat in the air to accentuate her words. She took a bit bite of it and took her sweet, sweet time chewing it. It was mostly an action to help stall for time. She took another bite. Then another. And then finished up the piece before she rounded her way to the other saddlebag situated on Bren. She held the second piece in her mouth to rummage around the new bag.

*A song, in this weather? We'll see.*

She pulled out a small instrument from the bag - a little wooden lute with small engravings on it's front. She sat back down in her spot.

"Gotta warm it up," She explained through a mouth full of jerky. She pulled out the jerky with one hand. "And not the jerky. Weather, specifically extreme temperatures can mess with the construction, y'know."
Louise
*Rigmar would see the Lute, thinking it looked rather well designed, even a smith of his hands could realize the effort put into that instrument.* **"Honestly if you do not want to play, do not force yourself... Though."** *He took a brief pause, looking at the food, as he flipped the scrag of meat the other side with a spork,* **"It would be nice."** *Rigmar would then finish his words while he sees the nice meat sizzle on the pan.*

*He adjusted his body to sit up a bit more, while he would start to take off his vambrace (forearm armor) one by one, after he felt properly warmed up in the fire, they clank, and clutter onto the floor, as he dropped them carefully, not to make anymore noise than he did just then, as he took off his vambraces, the Chain-mail could be seen along his arms, it was riveted chain mail, that was coated in black, and even though casted in darkness the metallic texture still shined in certain parts and angles.*

*The Chain-mail slightly rustled, as it was free from its open skin, being that of metallic protection.* 

*The Knight would proceed to then get rid of the pauldron and the upper area of his arms which was the brassard and his elbow piece, with a certain twist along the shackled rings keeping it in place, they would open from off of his arm, dropping to the ground, Rigmar felt a lot lighter with his arms feeling somewhat more movable.* 

*A Sigh of comfort moved from out of his visor.*
Eric
"Hold your horses. We're getting there," Elodie said through a mouthful of jerky. She finished up her second piece within a few more moments. She adjusted her position a few times before she fully sat up. Carefully, she cradelled the lute in her arms. Her fingers shifted up to adjust the pegs of the instrument. She strummed each string individually, checking it's tuning, then checking them against each other. She hummed each note to make sure she had it correct.

When she next glanced up toward the knight she took notice of his increasingly thinned armour. She raised a brow behind her mask.

*Still human-looking. Good signs.*

"Well. I have a lot of tunes in the brain. Maybe something happy? Something to wish away the storm," She mused as she idly strummed out chords in a major tonality. "Or, maybe reverse psychology will do the trick. Something sadder..." She paused and switched the chords to be minor. She tilted her head in thought.

"Got a preference? Or a specific tale I should sing? Not that I guarantee the vocal part of it will be great. I'm an instrumentalist at heart."
Louise
*Rigmar paused, as if he was thinking, his Chain-mail was also rather tight on him. As if it was second skin... He looked up into the pitch of darkness, as his mind thought on.*

**"Play me something that will put my mind at ease"** *He simply said, his voice overwhelmed with a calm expression*

*Rigmar moves to take off his Cuirass, and his pauldrons, as he would undo the pauldrons first then the main body itself, plopping all his kit neatly to one side, His chain-mail black Hauberk showing at its fullest, dark with a glimmer of light.* 

*Rigmar goes now to take off his his helmet...*
Eric
Elodie watched in near silence as the knight continued to remove pieces of his armour. She kept strumming the occasional chord, as if searching for the right one to begin on. She found it curious - just how comfortable was this man already?

*Don't get distracted, he wanted a tune. Play something already.*

She cleared her throat, and hummed softly to herself. It was an arpeggiation of a chord, which she then found on the instrument itself. She played around with the different chords within the key, familiarizing herself with it before she began.

Her lips remained pressed together as she hummed alongside the soft tune now being strummed on the lute. The strings carried the same tune being hummed, just a little lower while she would interrupt the flow with chords to match. She played quietly on purpose, as if worried too loud a song might disrupt the peace the duo had created in the cave. 

Her performance wasn't without fault. She would pause every once in a while when she struck a sour note, but it didn't visibly phase her for too long. Once she had settled into the piece, she let her eyes turn back up toward the knight.

"Sorry. I'm not great when it comes to memorization. Ironic, I know. But nobody's perfect."
Louise
*Rigmar listened carefully, as you started to play, his hand kind of paused the revealing of his face, as it slipped back onto his leg. He just, listens and didn't say a word.*

*He seemed to enjoy it, even if there was faults in the performance, it seemed not to bother him, infact he found it perfect, not everything could be flawless as he imagined..*

**"That was amazing."** *He said to her, his words spoke truth, even though it was simple, his tone really meant it* **"Better than what I can play."** *He said adding on to the rather fair glazed compliment.*

**"You should put more faith in yourself y'know... You'd go pretty far as a bard Elodie."** *He gestured, now gripping his helmet, as he unclipped the armet, and lifted his visor, to reveal his face.*
Eric
Elodie chuckled at the words of praise from the knight. She strummed out a few more chords to finish up the cadence. She leaned back comfortably once she took her hands away from the strings. She crossed her arms, one over the other with the lute resting in her lap. Her brow raised in surprise when Rigmar lifted his visor.

*So he also has a human face. Nice. This is more reassuring.*

"Would go far? I *Am* Going far. I *Am* A bard. Just... Not the usual kind," She responded, not appearing to upset with the man's words. She offered him a small smile. "Can you imagine a life more dull than spending all your time surrounded by those courtly folk? I can't. Sure, it's pretty and all. Fancy. Easy. But *Dull*."

The bard leaned her head back against the wall. She shut her eyes for a moment with a soft sigh. She half-considered removing her own mask, but ultimately decided to hold off. She laughed again, as a thought popped into her head.

"If you ever wanted to learn, I can be a good teacher."
Louise
*As rigmar revealed his face, a dominant blue eye gazed towards Elodie, staring like he had malice in his eyes, thought it was calm, and distraught from reality itself. His face seemed unreadable to really tell if he was happy or sad, just an empty shell, and on top of that, Rigmar would have an eyepatch over his left eye, and a scan running down the cover eyepatch as well as his nose,* 

*He kept his face down, for only you to see a mere glimpse of his face, it seems like he didn't like anyone looking, knowing to himself that he was ugly beyond comparison to a normal human. Though his white hair stood out, and Rigmar still looked rather young. Maybe he was just overthinking?*

*He said nothing for a while* **"Life in Courtship is not an easy life.."** *He stated fiercely, like he took offense to that* **"You do not realize the Sacrifice we make, and the plenty of soldiers that die in its sted, because of men that just Lust for power and pick on the weak, just for you to say those types of things-.."** *He paused, before he gets a head of himself, literally just snapped at you, from out of no where. He calmed his tone down.*

*He stays silent for a while, as he pressed his hand over his face, to cover himself for a minute... But he decided it was no use, he would have to show his scars sooner or later, the scars that mocked him*
Eric
The moment that Rigmar snapped, Elodie's smile fell to a frown. She stared in shocked silence from the outburst that completely distracted her from the physical appearance of the knight, who now appeared almost ashamed of his own words. She inhaled slowly, holding the breath for a few moments before she let out a hefty sigh. She dared a glance up toward Bren, who seemed unbothered as usual. She felt suffocated all at once - as if any slight move might set the knight off once more.

*Okaaay... I struck a nerve there.*

Her own thoughts did little to lighten her mood in the silence that followed. She stared blankly toward the fire. She knew she had probably spoken a little too brazenly about her opinions on courtly life. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"...Sorry," She said, the apology nearly not sounding from just how soft it came out. She shifted uncomfortably. Her shoulders tense. She drew her legs closer to her body now, completely retracting any hint of relaxation she might have had before. "I uhm... Thought you didn't serve any lord. Kinda... Kinda figured you felt the same way. Sorry."

*Well now this is awkward.*

She reached down to slowly take up her journal once more. She took her quill in hand and very, very, slowly began to write.
Louise
*He saw that he upset her, Rigmar would slightly pause sighing, his angry scrunched up face would relax from its tension, going back to its calm and humble state, though there was a bit of guilt, realizing that Elodie didn't really know about his life, it was best to clarify why he snapped at her. He would watch the fire cackle, and there would be a moment of comfortable silence between them before Rigmar said anything to get a point across.* **"... I used to have a Lord who I could call my Father..."** *He said in a lowered tone,*

*A pause before saying anything else.* **"He was the only man to care for me, after I lost my parents at such a young age... I don't even know them or have seen there faces... I was born in an orphanage before I struck myself a noble title... Without that man, I would of been nothing-... I would of been sold to someone who found me less useful than he did, that didn't care at all."** 

*He would pause for a minute, glancing up at you, he was still hesitant to show his apparence, but- he decided to do so... He had already took his helmet off. **"...I shouldn't of snapped at you like that- you didn't know... You are not the one at fault here."** He said his voice softens gazing upon you with a slight frown, a face of guilt and apology. His father taught him better not to go snapping at people who didn't know his own business..*

*He places his right hand on the ground and his left one on his knee, as his knees were still crossed, he slightly leaned to the right hand side of his arm, giving somewhat of a relaxed composure giving you the sense that he wasn't really angry anymore..*
Eric
Elodie continue her slow writing, but listened to Rigmar's words regardless. Her quill paused for a moment when he finished, but resumed shortly after. Her brain swam with a million different thoughts - none of which were coherent enough to speak. She bit her lip. She had started to draw more scribbles than words after a moment in her journal, so she gave up. She rested her quill down against the page, not minding how it smudged against the bottom of the page.

*I still feel like an ass.*

"Don't worry about it," She said softly. She took a few deep, focused, breaths to try and relieve the tension in her body. After a few moments, she raised her eyes to meet Rigmar's. Her brow furrowed underneath her mask. Slowly, she let her legs stretch out in front of her. She rested her journal on top of them, balanced so it wouldn't slip. She reached up toward her mask. Her fingers ghosted over the bottom edge. 

*Hesitation.*

She pursed her lips before she grasped it and tugged it away from her face. She set it to the side, then looked back to Rigmar to continue the apologetic smile she previously wore. "He sounds like a lovely person. I would ask what happened, but that feels like I'm asking for you to snap again. I... Hope he's okay."
Louise
*Rigmar took a gander at your face, he paused briefly, before taking a heavy exhale,* **"... Hes not really here anymore... I have to get over the fact that I'm not going to see his face."** *He gives you hints that his Father would of been dead too.*

**"..."** *He felt tired, and yawning slightly, his eyes squinted as he did, and went back into a calm gaze...* 

**"I think I've done enough Story telling about my life Elodie... My eyes need some rest. But I hope that you understand, that I do not hate you for what you did-... Please don't feel guilty about me yelling at you, I shouldn't of acted so quick with my words... I'm just trying to forget."** *He said in a softer tone than usual, more of a monotone and tired expression.* **"I've enjoyed your company though- its rather nice having someone playing music to try and beat the storm."** *He says, in a more upbeat tone, trying to please the mood,* 

**"...And about what you said earlier about teaching me, I wouldn't mind I guess... It would be nice to pass the time, while I still can when I am idling around... Though I don't think I can ever be as good as you, the way you play that lute was actually impressive."** *He said giving a soft and faint smile, though it was obvious on Rigmars face that he was pleased about your skills of playing music as you did last time.*
Eric
*Not really here...? Dead? Missing? Estranged?*

Elodie's mind burned with a million questions regarding the possible outcomes of Rigmar's relationship with his father, but not a single one felt appropriate to ask. She offered him a small nod accompanied by her still-apologetic smile. She reached up to rub her eyes, now that they were free of the confines of her mask, then nodded once more as the knight mentioned shutting his eyes.

*Eyes? Maybe he has one under that patch?*

Once again, she shook away the curiosity. She cleared her throat before she spoke again. "Ah, no harm no foul. We're all good.Get some shut-eye! There will be plenty of opportunity for talk and lute lessons alike later." She waved her hand in his direction, to signal that all was well. She set her journal aside, then stood to pack up her lute, back in the saddlebag. She gave Bren a gentle pat.

"Though, I do agree. It's nice to have company that isn't trying to bite me," She said with a soft laugh and a pointed look at her mare. She settled herself back down on the weathered blanket she had laid out. She took up her journal once more and resumed her writing where it left off, her expression contended and her body far more relaxed.
Louise
*A warm comforting smile posed out of Rigmars face, as he hears your laugh, he looks down, for a while,*

*As he then goes into the tent to comfort himself more from the wind, pressing his blanket over himself while laying on his mat along with a small pillow. He rolled the other way, to face away from the kindling fire burning along the cave..*

**"Have a good sleep too- Elodie.."** *He says after resting his eyes, and falling asleep, spending some time to pass the storm, until the next day passed by.*
Eric
Elodie remained awake for some time after the knight turned in. She didn't exactly curl up in her bedroll either. After time spent writing, her head fell back against the cavern wall. Her eyes fell shut, and her grip loosened on her quill. Her journal slid off her lap sometime during the night, though she didn't notice. 

When day broke, it was Bren who took notice. Took notice of the fact Elodie hadn't awoken to tend to her. The mare took a few steps closer to where the bard snoozed, and started to impatiently nudge and nip at her.

Unwilling to get up quite yet, Elodie shoved the mare's nose away from her. She grumbled something unintelligible before she adjusted her position to make herself more comfortable and attempt to get more sleep.
Katie
*Stallion would just watch along the Cave, his eyes curious outside of the cave itself, as he trots to see what was out there, Stallion saw the storm had passed, and comes back to the deeper parts of the cave, trying to be quiet, but his armour and his hooves were heavy, and lacked any suppression of sound*

*Either-way, stallion, decided to nudge Rigmars shoulder heavily, making him roll to face the fire, that would also be out of gas, after being burning all night.*

*Rigmar slightly flutters his eyes open, getting out of his bed-roll, and felt the instant shock of change between temperature, he started to shiver hard, after being in the bed roll for too long, his body would start getting used to the normal temperature of the mountain again.*

*He gets up out of his bedroll pausing for a while to see Bren simply nibble on Elodie, he kinda showed a sudden pause of laughter, as he chuckled at what Bren was doing.. He sighed, seeing that Elodie, wanted more sleep, he decided to feed both horses while she was out for the count. Grabbing apples from out of his sandbag that was in his saddle-bag, and his satchel, and feeding it to both horses, along with some carrot sticks.*

*After of which, he would re-heat the fire, to gather in some warmth, before they were going to move off, he looked at the fire, and then looked at Elodie, every now and then to check up on her. Though he couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday, it was rather eventful... It had been a long time as well traveling with Companions again, i guess he's getting used to it.*
Eric
A massive yawn stretched out across Elodie's face as she finally stirred awake. She shifted slightly, slouching as she pulled herself away from the wall. She reached up to pat down a few stray hairs that had been disturbed through the night. Her eyes remained squinted until she reached up to rub at them. When she pulled her hands away, she offered Rigmar a small smile, though she wasn't fully awake.

*I should have laid down.*

She turned from one side to the other to crack her back. Her nose scrunched up in a mixture of pain and relief with each movement. She stood up shortly after. She stretched out her arms and legs. She glanced toward Bren, who seemed quite content to be munching on the food given to her by Rigmar.

"Oh, did you- Bren! How the hell did you get to the food?" Her words were further evidence that her brain had yet to fully turn on. She had immediately assumed the only way Bren could have gotten food was by somehow reaching back into her own saddlebag to steal it. "Gods damn it all." She grumbled, but didn't move to take the food away from the mare. She valued her fingers.

*It's freezing...*

She sat back down next to the newly started fire. She held her hands over it, then held them to her face to warm it up. Her cheeks had taken a soft, rosy colour through the night and her lack of covering by any blanket or heavier clothing.

"Ugh. Please tell me that storm has passed...?"
Louise
*Rigmar would look at Stallion, as he just stared at Rigmar, Rigmar then got up after being comfortable with the fire, as he walked over to the entrance of the cave and saw that it was clear,*

*"It seems like time has passed long enough..." Rigmar would say in his internal thoughts.*

*He strolls back towards the deep side of the cave, and would then sit back down near the campfire,* **"It seems as though the storm has settled,"** *He says with a calm tone.* 

**"Let us depart once we are ready."** *He said in a passive tone, he seemed to be in a good mood, knowing he can carry on with his adventure, though he did feel sorry if he had to part ways with Elodie. Somewhere at the back of his mind he would of wished to ask more questions and got to know her better.*

*Rigmar saw how cold she was, he didn't wish to see her suffer, so he took off his red cape, walking over, as he gently wrapped it around her shoulders and her back, the massive cape being able to reach around her. It was warm, and fuzzy, as rigmar had kept it near the fire this whole time.* **"This should keep you warm.."** He said in a comforting voice. **"You didn't sleep on your bedroll?"** *He said a bit worrisome.*
Eric
Elodie's head perked up as Rigmar draped his cape around her. She wore an expression of surprise, but a small smile crossed her face. She appreciated the gesture, even if she found it unnecessary. She adjusted the way the cape fell over her shoulders. She brushed off his question with a slight wave.

"Aha - I guess I didn't. Just my blanket and the cave floor. Not... The most comfortable or warm arrangement but I survived. And I think..." She paused, holding out her hands to wiggle her fingers in front of the fire, "All my fingers work. No harm, no foul."

*Nice of him to be concerned.*

"My back is going to ache. My whole body, really," She shrugged, completely unbothered by her own observations of her slightly sore self. The bard glanced up to where Bren had finished munching on the food she had been working on. She scrunched her nose up. "It'll be a pain when back in the saddle. You'll be nice to me, won't you Bren?"

The mare snorted, and turned away. She had little to no interest in what Elodie had to say. Elodie's eyes turned back up toward Rigmar.

"So you'll be off to your festival, then?"
Louise
*Rigmar glanced at you, his mouth only showing a faint smile, as if he wasn't use to being happy all the time, but you could tell that he was happy, even if it was a mild expression, seeing that at least you were okay, and the cape was somewhat doing its job to keep you warm.*

**"Sadly yes- But I will be leading you out of the mountains first before we depart... At least then, I know that' you'll be safer than out here in a place full of threats."** *He stated, meaning his words full and true.*

*He paused for a while, his eye squints as if he is thinking about something to tell you, though his expressions, seemed like it was holding him back on saying it.* 

**"Bren seemed like she enjoyed every last bit of food I gave her... Ahaha... You have a nice Horse."** *Rigmar would say, as he would grip his armor and starts to put it on, first the cuirass, then the arm plate, and the leggings, but he left his helmet and aventale off, so he could breathe better.* 

*He fixed his eyepatch slightly, he felt a lot more cozy in his full plate. It provided more warmth since it was just an extra layer. Though Rigmar felt a lot more heavier putting it on, due to the cladded material, though it seemed slightly dented on a few parts of his armor, and looked as if it had been polished thousands of times, along with being scratched... Either way it was still rather cool-looking.*
Eric
Elodie's smile waned as Rigmar mentioned leading her out of the mountains. She continued to nod along with his words, glancing toward Bren as he mentioned giving her food. She narrowed her eyes in the mare's direction, as if suspicious of her.

"...She let you feed her? And she *Didn't* Try to bite you? That-" She stopped herself from saying something that may offend the knight's sensibilities. She cleared her throat, and offered him a small smile. "That's great."

*Better you risk it than me.*

The bard took a moment to turn and close up her journal, which had been left aside when she passed out the previous night. She inspected the pages, ensured the ink had dried, then closed it up. She picked up her quill and slipped it in the small holder on the front cover of the journal. Then she reached for her ink pot - which had half-frozen itself over night. She frowned at the sight.

*...Hopefully it'll melt.*

She didn't dwell on it for too long. With all her belongings in hand, she stood up. Or at least, tried to. The knight's cape was surprisingly heavy. It made her stumble at first. She found her footing, then adjusted the way the cape rested on her shoulders. She turned away to tuck her items into Bren's saddle bags.

"That's nice of you to offer and all, seeing me out of the mountains, but I can't left quite yet. I uh... I think something I need is up here. And the only way to figure that out would be to... Stay. So. Don't worry about me though. I'm sure I'll be able to find it and get out before the next blizzard."
Louise
*Rigmar would pause for a while,* 

**"What do you mean Elodie..."** *He said, he was now curious on why you wanted to stay up here, as he knew something was up, or at least something that she might of been missing.*

**"Are you missing something from the mountain?"** *He questions, as he would be quite posed onto why she even wanted to stay up here too* 

*Rigmar gripped his Claymore, and would put it in his Sheathe while resting it onto a moderate sized rock beside him. *

**"I am not leaving without you."** *You hear the determination and the command-gesture in his tone* 

**"If your staying than I am not going anywhere... Even if it means missing that Festival, Its dangerous up here y'know?"** *He said, kinda worried, and in question.* 

*He sighed doing a brief exhale before glancing at you, his eye filled with worry, as she didn't fully and truely know how dangerous this place really was.* **"There are more dangers here than in Ostia... Elodie... Do you know how absurd that is? Truely I say to you, I am not leaving you here while I breathe."** *You could see how serious Rigmar was, straight up telling you he'll die to make sure that you make it,*

*What was rigmar on...*

*Rigmar was honest about what he said, he didn't want you to die afterall, after seeing too much people die around him, he would rather save another life than his own..*
Eric
"Rigmar- what?" Elodie had just finished putting her things away when she turned toward Rigmar with an expression of confusion. Her brow furrowed together. She searched his one-eyed gaze for any assistance, any explanation further than what he gave. The gesture was kind - but was it really worth it to him?

*Or maybe he's just as stupid as I am.*

"I appreciate the offer, but really. I'll be fine on my own. Go have fun at your festival. It'll be time better spent than rooting around in the snow with me," She insisted, her voice still lighthearted. "It's very... Knightly of you and all. And I get that's your whole... Thing. But. I'll be fine. Don't worry."

The bard waved her hand dismissively once more, not wanting to hear any argument even if she anticipated some from the knight. She reached down to pick up her mask. She carefully slipped it back onto her face, making sure it was properly secured for the journey ahead. She sighed softly. Her hands reached to remove Rigmar's cape from around her shoulders. She offered it up to him with a smile.

"Here! I'm all warmed up now, so no worries there."
Katie
*Rigmar would pause, he thought it was best to leave her be then... Since she wished to leave, and depart ways here, he takes the cape back gently, as his gauntlets come slipping off of your hand, and he re-attaches his cape, along his back.* 

**"Very well then... If you wish to go, I will not stop you."** *He said, his tone, seemingly masking the worry for the Bard,8

*Hopefully she didn't die, Rigmar began to question on the reasons why, she wanted to stay along the mountain, but he dared not push the question, he decided to leave it be, somethings were best to be kept a secret in his eye.*

*Though as Rigmar was putting on his helmet, you sensed a somewhat despaired look in his eye, holding great worry, as if he didn't really agree to this, but he was forcing himself to comply... He takes his Horse, while undoing the tent and putting it back into the few satchels the horse had, leaving the sticks that were holding up the fort...*

**"Then, I shall depart now Elodie... I shall not waste your time, farewell... For now."** *He spoke softly, until the 'For now' part, as he raised his tone onto the last words in a more passive and upbeat tone... Gripping the reins of his horse, and patting its large neck, he would start walking out of the cave...*
Eric
"Alright! Farewell, Rigmar! Safe travels, and enjoy your festival!"

Elodie called after the knight with a smile. She raised her hand to offer him a wave. She turned back to Bren, who was already getting an attitude with her. She poked the horse's side softly in a plea for her to comply as she finished packing up her stuff, securing it on the mare and in the bags. She dusted herself off and shivered.

*Damn. It really is still freezing.*

She had to practically chase Bren's head around as the horse made it difficult for her to take the reins in her hand. Once she had gotten a hold of them, she tugged them just hard enough to get the mare to look at her.

"Hey. Quit it. We'll go someplace warm after this, I promise. You can't give me an attitude, especially not out, especially not after you ran off like that before, got it? Good." The bard spoke in a hushed tone to the mare before she did a check of everything once more. She turned to the exit, where she saw Rigmar walking with his own steed. She still wore a smile, but a familiar pang of loneliness struck.

*Ah, damn. Known him for one night and you're already gonna miss him. Let him go, don't be a bother.*

She turned away from the exit, deciding it best to wait for his footsteps to fade before resuming her own journey. She didn't need her own second-thoughts clogging up her mind as she continued onward.
Katie
*Soon, Rigmar faded, and faded further beyond her line of sight, until he was only a small outline, by then, he had reached the edge of the rolling and snowy mountain, making his way down, as Rigamr got on his horse, to straddle on it, fiercely, gripping his sabatons into the leathers of his horse, as it looked at the far distance of the scenery, there beyond the rims of the Dragonclaw mountains would lay Miller-dale.* 

**"...Onward Stallion... Let us ride for Miller Dale."** *He said, as if he was a commander in battle, his voice so dominant, and secure of his objective. Though the knight slightly sided his glance, to the long falling of the snow, gripping his torch he would take a flint stone, and re-light the remaining resin on the torch itself, hovering it up into the air with his hand.* 

*Soon, Galloping was heard in the distance, as they ride fast and hard to Miller-dale... The thumping of the snow was even heard in the distance as they moved like a strong wind.*
Taneka
Good rp Calliea lel