Quest for Silverlight (Zephy & Fire)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: FireWave on 19-07-2014, 14:31:24</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>19-07-2014, 14:31:24</strong>
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				Unsoled moleskin boots made no sound under Ara (http://oi44.tinypic.com/2cfcbom.jpg)'s feet as the elven hunter padded through the forest with a giant yew longbow slung over her shoulder, a quiver full of hawk-feathered arrows gently swaying with her movements. The ground told her all that she needed to know; the vegetation becoming increasingly tame, footpaths and trails beginning to wind into the forest that the blonde was emerging from. Trees were still in abundance, but were smaller and weaker - and the further the elf traveled, the more common stumps were. All signs indicated to the fact that there was a human settlement nearby. Dark hazel eyes that resided under long lashes were steady; not at all outraged by his injustice to nature as many of her kind would be. As an exile, Ara had ceased to live in the natural planes of the elven kind; instead learning to reside beside human villages.<br><br>Arriving at the village, the elf scanned the area briefly with an intent gaze - quickly zeroing in on the local tavern which went under the name of 'Sandy Leaves'; the name indicating that the settlement was close to both the forest and the beaches and oceans. Indeed, Ara's sensitive pointed elf ears were picking up the sound of rolling waves in the distance, and the soil below her boots had sand embedded in it; carried by human feet and shoes into the clearing. Tossing a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes, Ara headed towards the tavern. The village was a rather sleepy one, but it was a trading post nonetheless - its convenient location between forest and beach meaning that it was the ideal place to attract visitors of all sorts. This meant that they had news. And when tracking bounties, places of this kind were the best to seek out.<br><br>Slipping into the tavern, Ara gained little attention; morning had only just dawned, and any humans still in the pub were in a drink-induced coma, or part of those who worked at the tavern - who had seen many people come and go and therefore had no reason to give the fair-skinned elf any particular amount of their time. Unless, of course, she was paying. The elf was clad in a dark green and brown breastplate that covered her front and back; stitched together with tough, wiry vines and wore only a simple white, brown and green skirt - all garments well worn. This completed the look of a weary traveler, and thus gained little interest. The man behind the bar, however, looked up when Ara sat down on a bench; a friendly smile springing to his face. The elf nodded politely to him in return, a coin appearing in her hand as she set it down on the counter. "I'd like an ale please." Her long walk had done little to tire her, but there was no way of getting a barman to talk better than over a mug of ale.<br><br>Her drink was delivered and Ara's slim fingers coated with green gloves slipped around the mug she was given. "Thank you." The elf said, her voice soft and musical; filling the air and riding over the snores of drunken men and cleaning servants.<br><br><em>"No problem, miss. May I ask where you are coming from?"</em> The barman asked, beginning to clean the empty mugs of the previous night as he spoke.<br><br>"The woodlands. Elvish territory and the like." Ara answered conversationally, slipping at her ale as she lied. Mentioning the fact that she was an elvish exile might raise alarms, making it hard for her to obtain information; so she simply forged another truth.<br><br><em>"And what got you to come out here? If you don't me asking, of course."</em> The barman looked up briefly from his work, seemingly only just realizing that Ara was indeed an elf - though he had probably noticed right when she walked in. Barmen were like that, they knew how to read faces; though saying so was one way to make customers think you were into witch-craft, so mentioning it was generally advised against. Ara smiled at the man, shaking her head to signify that she didn't mind the question.<br><br>"One gets bored when confined to elvish territory. When I was younger, I used to come out to human villages a lot, and I suppose I missed it. The call of adventure is strong within my bones." Ara said charmingly, setting her elbows on the table as she drank her ale.<br><br><em>"Really now? Well, I tell you; there has been talk of adventure lately. Talks of Silverlight have resurfaced, if you know what I mean."</em> The barman looked up at Ara, and kept talking after a curious nod from the girl. <em>"Well, you probably know the stories, but they say a map has turned up. They say that it leads up yonder, they do."</em> Seeing Ara's eyebrows furrow in confusion, the barman started again. <em>"Oh... You elvish folk probably don't know much about yonder, would you?"</em> He asked, obviously not expecting an answer. He hesitated for a few seconds, obviously wondering how he would explain yonder to an elf; and Ara contentedly sipped at her ale - feeling triumphant at the fact that she had found a good source of information.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>20-07-2014, 02:21:08</strong>
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				LeRue was a terribly dry town, despite its proximity to the coast. Nothing ever happened here. No money was to be made here aside from fishing or logging, or working at this hole in the wall of a tavern. No action, no adventure, no excitement. Just cheerie beach-goes prattling on about sand castles and sea crab stew.<br><br>It was a quiet morning. The kind of quiet mornings Vash hated the most. The kind of quiet morning where everyone in the tavern silently talked with themselves about the day's chores.<br><br>They were all so boring.<br><br>The fishermen talked about fishing. The loggers talked about logging. And nobody knew what Crazy Dave in the corner ever talked about. They all just let him keep to himself.<br><br>Vash had his head down on the oak table where he sat. The barmaids, sure, they served him. But secretly, they whispered amongst themselves about the questionable character he seemed to be. <br><br>A cold ale dripped with dew against the wood. <br><br>Matted brown hair covered the look of deep hopelessness that was sure to be smeared upon his face.<br><br>Vash wanted to go to Verdinan; the city filled with rich nobles and wealthy entrepreneurs. Up north, something was always going on. Street performances, lively vistas, and Bards on every corner. But the most important reason of all... <br><br>Opportunity.<br><br>Vash was a man of opportunity. From his elk-skin leather vest to his Sea-dog deck boots, everything he owns he has "acquisitioned" from opportunity. Unfortunately, here in LeRue, opportunity rarely walks in through the tavern door.<br><br>But today, on this mundane of all mundane days, it did.<br><br>Opportunity presented itself as an Elf. With barely a glance through the veil of his hair, he could spot her inhuman physique and mystic allure. A glint in his eye flashed for but a second when the aroma of the forest entered with her. A traveler, so far away from home and by herself. In this day and age, Elves rarely travelled alone.<br><br>His head returned to a neutral position face down on the table, but his ears were as sharp as a hawk listening for its breakfast. He waited, patiently, and listened.<br><br>But he was not listening to her.<br><br>Through the ambiance of drink glasses clattering and over the snores of the early-morning drunkards, he could hear an exchange of words hushed off in a far corner. Talk of gold passing from finger to finger caused gears to turn for Vash. Opportunity has, indeed, stepped into his life.<br><br>His ears caught wind of his primary target. Her voice was sweet, yet he could hear the hidden undertone of one who never revealed information carelessly. A challenge, this one would be. <br><br>Oh, but things got more interesting. Words of legend poured from the bartender's lips just as ale poured from his pitcher. Words of Silverlight; an ancient dream recanted by the world over and over again, yet none have yet to capture it in reality.<br><br>Vash was one who was familiar with such stories. He wondered if the Elf would be as captivated by its tell of riches as other hunters of late. Vash wondered many things, but instead of acting, he simply waited. Waited for opportunity to make its next move.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>20-07-2014, 03:44:29</strong>
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				"Yonder is the place that is always just out of reach, if you know what I mean." The bartender said, waving his arm around in a small circle to indicate the direction he was talking about. "It is just like one collective place that we humans refer to as yonder. If I'm making sense to you, miss." The man said, his voice pausing at times to maintain a steady stream of legible words. Bartenders were usually quite literate, but they were often quite vulgar and often well-versed in the town's accent or speaking patterns; but since Ara was a figure that demanded respect, she was used to people playing down these attributes in order to pay tribute to her in some vague way. As it was, the elf nodded; thinking that she understood the concept. The elves had their own word for it, <em>cirban</em>, but the bartender didn't need to know that - so Ara kept her mouth shut and waited for him to continue.<br><br>"Anyways, people have always said that all great treasures are hidden in yonder - where nobody can get to them. But this map, you see, has appeared leading to yonder. We've gotten quite a few in the ways of bounty hunters over here lately, searching for information. I don't suppose that you are of the sort", Ara smiled slightly at this; for he really couldn't have been further from the truth at that moment, "but adventure is as adventure does, they say." The bartender said, finishing his sentence. He had worked through quite a few mugs by now, and was well into his stride. Ara needed not say anything as he continued talking; and she wasn't surprised at this - as she had found that many humans liked the sound of their own voice far too much. Though it couldn't be said that she enjoyed using that attribute to her own advantage.<br><br>"I've head people say that its up there in your elvish lands, but most say that it is somewhere down North. Further then those cities, they say, but way North, if you know what I'm saying." Ara raised an inquiring eyebrow at this, and the bartender, who had looked up from his work, elaborated. "Where the white stuff falls from the sky and you can see your breath." He said, and Ara nodded in understanding. "Yonder is up there in the mountains and things they say, and the treasures are up there with it. They say that Silverlight, that was what I was talking about, wasn't it?" Ara nodded in at the question, slightly annoyed that it was taking the bartender so long to get to the point; but she buried her impatience and forced herself to relax. "They say that Silverlight is the treasure easiest to find. Either just inside the entrance of yonder, or just out of it, I can't be sure. I've heard both." The bartender said, starting his sentence again, and Ara nodded thoughtfully.<br><br>"There have been many of the wrong kind hunting after Silverlight... A lot of those cloaked figures, if you know what I mean." Ara was starting to find the bartenders <em>'if you know what I mean'</em>s rather annoying, but she didn't comment. "The kind with knives and swords too. All sorts. A few have gone up to elvish territory, but the others are trekking up North. There was this one fellow I met, a kindly lad; a squire of some sort I'm thinking..." The bartender's words started to drone in Ara's ears as she sensed that she had nothing more to learn from this man. As he spoke, she finished her ale, and placed the mug on the counter. Reaching into a small purse hanging by her side, she drew out a coin and placed it on the table as a tip - as she had already paid. Getting up, she smiled at the bartender pleasantly.<br><br>"Its been a pleasure to talk to you." She said brightly, her musical voice once more gracing the air as her mind churned with information.<br><br>"Oh - yes, you too, miss." The bartender managed to get out before Ara swirled around and made for the door. The blonde elf strode towards the forest, thinking about the supplies she would need to trek up North. The talk of Silverlight interested her - and since there was also an elvish legend about the <em>celebcalab</em>, the direct translation of the word into human language meaning Silverlight, she was inclined to think that there was truth in the tale. And whenever bounty hunters like the bartender had mentioned got involved, it meant that there was something to win.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>20-07-2014, 05:53:26</strong>
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				When a tip was offered by the Elf, Vash took it as his cue to act. Opportunity was rising from the bar and walking out the door. Would he so easily allow it to escape him? Would he leave his own house without his trousers? Maybe, but not today!<br><br>The smell of salt water was ever present in the coastal air of LeRue. The sounds of waves rolling in over the distance blended effortlessly with the hungry calls of seagulls sailing like kites through the blue morning sky. The bite of last night's chill was still fresh in the air; it would be at least another hour before the sun's rays warm the mist from the breeze.<br><br>Vash strolled outside the tavern hot on opportunity's heel. A cylinder scabbard that housed his dagger clicked against his leather belt with each step. True, LeRue was the last place one would need to be armed, but for those who traverse various lands, a weapon becomes nothing less that a necessity. This was more than true for Vash's stiletto, Skarr. A twisted snaggle-tooth pulled from the maw of an adult Saber, dead from starvation, and fitted to a dagger's grip, Skarr's corkscrew shape substituted its ability to cut for a near-debilitating stab that made almost all wounds life-threatening: Another gift bestowed upon him by opportunity.<br><br>With weapon at side and a quick brush of his hair, Vash prepared a tactic even more formidable than Skarr's deadly backstab: Charisma.<br><br>"So many words, yet so little information. Wouldn't you agree?" Casually, he called out from the Elf's left. His tone was a familiar one, as if addressing a comrade of some years. <br><br>His eyes took advantage of the Elf's turned back and quickly examined his target.&nbsp; She was tall, slender, and fit; an athletic build that told stories of many nights running through the woods and many days trekking to new lands. A well-stocked quiver of arrows indicated a meticulous planner who prides herself on being prepared for anything. Grace and poise also mirrored that of Human nobility, then again, Human nobility tended to mirror the grace and poise of the Elven race. <br><br>The chicken, or the egg, he wondered.<br><br>With a confident smirk, and a relaxed pose, the man continued. "I, on the other hand, offer much information, with very few words." Unconsciously, his head tiled slightly to the left; his body language signaling to the Elf woman: Your move.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>20-07-2014, 13:10:05</strong>
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				As her flowing strides took her from the tavern, Ara's keen senses were quickly alerted to the fact that she had a follower. She neither heard a figure rising from a chair, nor caught sight of the man pursuing her, but a sixth sense that had been refined through years of walking alone rose to the top of her mind and set bells ringing. The elf appeared unchanged, and she kept her calm as she moved towards the forest; wondering if the being would engage with her directly - or if she would have to seek them out. Scenarios played out in her mind, and she wondered if the creature she had sensed was friendly. Perhaps another bounty-hunter, intent on knocking out their opponents, or trying to team up. In either respect, they were likely to fail; as Ara was both as tough as nails and generally preferred solitude to any sort or amount of interaction. Especially with humans, as she doubted that any other creature was likely to emerge from this village - or else she would have noticed them.<br><br>Ara drew closer to the comfort of the trees, and a heavier silence carried over the atmosphere. From it was born a soft clinking sound of a weapon in its sheath, and the elf's slim fingers moved to the hilt of one of the knives that she carried. Gently grasping the weapon, the familiar feel of the hilt warmed her fingers and relaxed Ara's quickly accelerating nerves. Despite all of her experience, the blonde elf lacked the control over her patience and her movements under pressure; as those attributes usually came with age. And Ara was an elf youthful by those standards - still considered as an young adult by human standards. A voice from her left sent her turning with a speed unfitting of her otherwise noble demeanor. She chose not to respond, instead titling her head a little bit in the fashion that mimicked the confused appearance of an intelligent animal. As the tone of voice registered, a delicate eyebrow started to arch; but she continued to keep her silence. Usually, she obtained better information by staying silent than she did asking questions or speaking.<br><br>Coming to the quick and rather hasty conclusion that this man meant her no harm as long as she proved to be useful, a gloved hand moved away from the hilt of her knife. Once he had finished speaking, Ara noted that she would now have to speak if she wished to gain anything more from this conversation. Scanning the figure presented to her, she took in the scruffy brown hair, the elk-skin vest, but the observation that overruled them all was the look in his eyes - one that she had seen seldom in humans before. A look that was almost elvish in its nature; despite his confident smirk that obviously stated that he was quite human. Deciding that this might be a beneficial discussion to her, Ara crossed her arms, dark eyes considering her words.<br><br>"As for me, I offer no information, with very few words." She responded, her voice musical though lacking any expressed emotion; but despite it her words portrayed a message. <em>Get to the point.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>20-07-2014, 19:48:02</strong>
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				When the Elf responded, her blunt attitude forced a laugh from Vash. Her attitude wasn't surprising, but rather typical of Elves. It made opportunity seem somewhat ordinary; somewhat easier to grasp now that he had it's attention. Experience, however, has taught him to never judge a book by its cover, or even its first page.<br><br>Vash got straight to the point. "Silverlight."<br><br>He allowed the name to sink into the air while he observed for any change in her demeanor. Like a fish nibbling at the hook, intrigue was the natural Human response. Opportunity was not Human, however. Just as well, her hands could find their way around the dagger once more in an attempt to cut the information straight from his tongue. Those strong eyes of hers contained no lust for blood, but the intensity of her aura was like that of a lone viper; wary and ready to strike.<br><br>"I don't need words or information. What I need is strength and experience." He postured with unarmed hands parallel to his shoulders. "It's tough for a mere Human to navigate these woods. Even when motivated by information that could lead to a great treasure."<br><br>Now the real test began. A common mistake made by those less adept in conversation was to disclose too much information at once. Opportunity knew this. The Elf's silence was her greatest weapon against him. Even with a fresh steak as offering, once the Jagger's pit has opened, no one is guaranteed all their limbs upon exiting. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 04:15:23</strong>
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				Hearing the human laugh, Ara's brow furrowed curiously. What had she done to amuse him? She hadn't initially thought that human-kind was prone to outbreaks of laughter, though apparently they were. The same was to be said for the elves - despite their aloof demeanor, her kind would often find things suddenly amusing for no particular reason. This was the main cause that they were dubbed the 'merry-folk', however many humans thought this was an irony meant to mock the elvish; therefore refraining to refer to them as such when they were present. It was perhaps the influence of this that Ara felt the corners of her mouth start to curl up in a small smile, though once she realized this, she was careful to bring her face back to a neutral stance.<br><br>The fact that this man had obviously overheard her discussion with the bartender worried her far less than it should have, and Ara paid the fact no mind; instead focusing on what he was saying.<em> And what I need is information.</em> The fact that he had correctly guessed her position on the matter did worry Ara a little bit. Was she becoming transparent? Though, she supposed, that even after a lifetime of studying humans; they would still find a way to surprise you. Their kind was extremely diverse, and the fact that all elves were more or less the same - except for the few like Ara that were slightly different - made humans extremely intriguing to her.<br><br>As it was, she had little information other than the fact that Silverlight was most likely up North somewhere. Anything to add onto that would be welcome, though she did wonder as to where this country man residing way down South had obtained any information; though she supposed if she were to go down that line of thinking, she shouldn't have come to this village at all.<br><br>"It would appear that you have me cornered." She said after a few seconds, deciding that there was nothing to be gained by continuing this wary back-and-fro conversation that they were having; and since she did not understand humans completely, she might end up loosing this possible asset in such a conversation. Taking a small step forward, she offered him a gloved hand. "My name's Ara."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 06:57:59</strong>
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				Not only had the Elf offered her name, but her hand as well. He hesitated briefly; shocked. Was his charismatic charm really this effective, or was she naive in nature? Regardless, he fastened a confident grin and took hold of her hand. "Vash is the name. Capitalizing on opportunity is my game." He gave a strong shake of her hand and flashed a wide grin. <br><br>It would see the Jagger had taken the meat.<br><br>"Now, with formalities out of the way, let's get down to business." Ara didn't seem like one with the most patience. A straight-shooter, both in mind and profession. He cleared his throat, and with hands relaxed on his sides, he began. <br><br>"There's an old woman who lives in the port town just north of LeRue. A dusty old thing, but apparently she has a thing for folk tales." An awkward smirk found its way upon Vash's face as he recounted his meeting. Starvation had reduced him to a begging tramp on the street, pleading for any type of work so that he might afford a loaf of bread. The old woman was the only soul willing to answer his plea and offered him a quest. <br><br>"Seems her husband was mauled by a pack of Dire Wolves some months ago; poor bastard. Anyway, during his death he was wearing a silver ring that was meant to be a gift to the woman. Whoever returns the ring to her, she'll disclose information about the legendary Silverlight." He lowered his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "When it comes to information, there's no more trustworthy than an old woman who lives in a library, I suppose."<br><br>He flicked his attention back towards the Elf and grazing over her athletic physique until his eyes met with hers. "I'm more of a talker, you see. There's not much to me in the fighting department, so even if I wanted to capitalize on this opportunity, I wouldn't get much further than that old fogy's husband were I to go in alone." A finger opened up towards Ara. "That's where you come in. You connect me with the ring, and I connect you with my informant. A Win/Win, as we Humans call it. You in?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 07:38:11</strong>
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				The way that the human hesitated gave Ara her doubts, but once he had shaken her hand she was willing to put them aside for the moment. "I see." She responded flatly to his rhyme, not particularly impressed. His continuous wide grins seemed genuine to a degree, though she was wary of the fact that they seemed generally forced. Glad of the fact that he got quickly to the point - Ara was not one to wait, even her discussion with the bartender had tested her limited patience; which was one of the attributes that set her apart from other elves. As a rule, the elvish kind were patient to a ridiculous degree, however Ara seemed to have inherited the patience of perhaps a squirrel.<br><br>Vash's story seemed like it might have its loopholes; as old human ladies, in Ara's experience, were not often a very good investment of time. Though at the mention of direwolves, an eyebrow raised in consideration. Coming to the conclusion that she had chosen to trust this Vash figure, she had decided to some extent to go along with what he proposed. Direwolves wouldn't be too big of an obstacle.<br><br>"Win/Win." She repeated skeptically. "So you intend to go after Silverlight as well?" Two bounty hunters following the same trail might prove to be problematic. Or, Vash might be trying to get her killed in the conformation with the direwolves to eliminate competition. While Ara was mostly rather direct and was rather impulsive, even her impulse and gut feeling needed to be subdued every now and then, and so she did not voice her intent to try her hand at this direwolf situation; realizing that she didn't actually need this Vash - as he had given her the exact location of the lady's home, and she could very well just find and get the ring on her own. It would, of course, depend on the size of the direwolf pack; but that was of little matter. It was not hard to pick off animals when you had enough practice with your bow and arrows; which Ara had in excess.<br><br>Wondering if Vash meant to help her out with the fight at all, if she chose to accept his proposal; she wondered at the fact that he downplayed his skills quite a bit. He seemed to be of the cunning sort, and she was unsure if he had slipped up - basically telling her that she would be doing the thick of the fighting since he could not, therefore implying she could strike out on her own - or if this was just a tactic of his. Perhaps he wanted her to go out on her own and follow behind secretly so that he could catch her unawares when she was in a battle. Despite her elvish nature that was compelling her to be trusting, Ara had learned to ignore this instinct; as it got her into as much trouble as it got her out of.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 08:24:40</strong>
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				Vash laughed at her questioning his interest in Silverlight. "Sorry, but I'm not a big fan of fairy tales." He smirked, and crossed his arms. "I wasn't even going to attempt this little venture at first. But now that you're here. I figured I'd give this opportunity a shot." The legend of Silverlight always comes and goes. Never hearing a success story, or even a valid tale of someone seeing the item, has lead Vash to believe it's not something even worth looking in to. If great and legendary bounty hunters haven't taken ownership of it yet, what possible chance would he have?<br><br>"I have my eyes set on a much bigger prize." His eyes glimmered as if gold were reflecting within them. "This will just be a short detour." Vash, ever since he was young, was always one to chase quick gains. For the most part, he is successful. Any entrepreneur, however knows that receiving a large payment, and maintaining a steady cash flow are two different things. Perhaps it was the chase that excited him the most. Perhaps it was the idea of new opportunities around every corner that stopped him from committing to one scheme.<br><br>"Now then, shall we go? I've got the location memorized in my head." He tapped his temple with a finger. "Apparently these smarter-than-average wolves have a highly irregular pattern when it comes to constructing dens. But the old woman seemed to have figured it out." He then held out an open hand to the Elf woman. "I'll need your knife so that I can mark the trees. Unfortunately, mine isn't much of a cutter and I left all my breadcrumbs at home."<br><br>Though he didn't show it, he found this Elf particularly interesting. In some ways, she acted as generic as any other from her race, but in others, she seemed different. She seemed... independent of her lineage. Normally, once you've studied an Elf, you know them all. They're mostly similar to one-another in act and action. She, however, seemed somewhat off: an improvised version of the script most Humans were familiar with. Whether this would prove beneficial or not was beside the point: it raised her value greatly, and piqued his interest in the inner-workings of her mind.<br><br>This would indeed be an interesting venture. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 08:59:11</strong>
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				The elf's eyebrows furrowed at his answer, working over the words. She didn't believe in the 'fairy tales' that the humans had, since the imaginations of the human-kind often got in the way of their logical thought processing, though she had good cause to believe in the tales spun by the elvish kind; as despite their merry demeanor, elves generally had excellent memories and lived long lives - and unlike humans, had no desire to exaggerate events to draw attention. However, some of the elvish folkstories were at fault - but it was when both the humans and the elves that had stories of the same event or items that things got interesting. Silverlight was one of the stories that shared both elf and human routes; and one of the last that was still unproven.<br><br>"And what is this bigger prize?" She questioned, not exactly expecting an answer; or not a straight one, at least. Humans were known to be secretive, and if Vash was indeed a bounty hunter she would understand if he didn't want to disclose his ultimate goal; perhaps alerting her into the prize and giving him competition. Ara was a bounty hunter not well-known, but well-versed, and was very aware of the fact that the most dangerous part of bounty hunting was the competitors - therefore her rather selective mind only focused on the few facts that she knew to be true.<br><br>The glitter in Vash's eyes put Ara off, but as he extended his hand she sighed softly; flipping her hunting knife out of its sheath and placing it hilt-first into his hand. Hearing that the old lady that he referred to had worked out the patterns of the direwolves reassured her on the fact that the old human seemed to know what she was talking about. She did wonder about the fact that Vash supposedly had everything worked out and memorized but he still needed a marking knife, though decided to trust him on the point. In an elf, she would have been highly unimpressed; but she decided to cut Vash some slack. <br><br>Looking up at the sun's position in the sky, realizing that it was still in the early morning, Ara nodded to Vash in a gesture that said <em>get moving</em>. "We certainly have all day, but I'd prefer to be back well before nightfall." She commented dryly, unslinging her bow from her shoulder and testing the string's tautness. If Vash's knowledge of the direwolves was even marginally incorrect, they might end up being hunted by the wolves, and she did not intend to be taken off-guard. Strumming the string experimentally, she nodded to herself once before lowering the weapon so that the string was parallel to the ground, held in her left-hand that would allow her to draw quickly and easily in the event of an emergency.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 09:44:14</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Perplexing was the most sophisticated title he could give Ara after she'd placed her weapon in his hand. Sure, her main weapon was, indeed her bow, but to hand off her secondary arm to someone she'd just met? Yes, it was common knowledge that Elves were very trusting, but mostly towards other Elves and rarely towards Humans. Hell, even Humans didn't trust Humans. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the weapon. An almost disenchanted glint flashed through his expressive eyes if only for a second. "A word of advice:" His grip tightened as he raised the weapon. "You shouldn't be so trusting to strangers."<br><br>He slashed.<br><br>The bark of the tree next to him never stood a chance and a deep cut formed from the path of Ara's knife. Vash smirked and, like an appraiser, examined the weapon. "Not a bad cut on this thing. You Elves sure know how to pick your weapons."<br><br>The sun's reflection in the blade reminded him of the time. It was still very early in the day. The air was much warmer now, which was good. He didn't like the cold very much. It was a bright day, just like his bright future. "Let's be off then." Naturally, Vash took the lead. "You'll learn about the bigger prize if all goes well and we survive this ordeal." He walked confidently into the woods; taking a slash at a tree every now and then. <br><br>As they left behind the frequently travelled footpaths of the locals, the density of the forest increased incrementally. Vash's pace was slowed. Forests seemed to have a way when it came to slowing down the forward progression of Humans. Roots stemming from the ground tempted to trip them. Insect swarms would block their paths. Invisible spider webs would attach to their faces. It wasn't an environment that readily accepted their kind, and Vash was no exception.<br><br>After nearly twenty minutes of hiking through the woods, Vash was visibly frustrated at his current state of affair. "I hate this place." Along the way, he had swallowed at least three fruit flies, accidentally stubbed his toe against a boulder and stepped in a pile of unidentifiable animal dung, This was certainly not how he envisioned this venture. "Thankfully we're almost-"<br><br>His speech was cut off as he reached a small clearing. His eyes, or his mind, hadn't been prepared for what he was seeing. Just a stone's throw away from him was the very reason why he needed Ara's protection: A Dire Wolf.<br><br>With fur as black as night, these predators were like the shadows themselves as they stalked their prey. Jaws strong enough to snap bone and teeth sharp enough to rend flesh, they were terrifying predators who would happily accept the challenge of any foolish hunter seeking their pelt. Formidable individually, these beasts were indisputable pack hunters. With some parties containing at least seven individual killing-machines, Dire Wolves were the nightmare of all who traverse too deeply into wooded areas.<br><br>All this, however, was not what halted Vash's tongue. Yes, there was a Dire Wolf just in front of him, but this wolf seemed incapable of attacking anyone. It's panting was rough against the dirt floor in which its body laid. Eyes closed, the beast lay barely conscious on the ground before the two travelers. Fangs, sprinkled around its jaw like broken glass, soaked in a small pool of blood. The fur atop its skull also seemed dented, as if struck with a blunt object.<br><br>The Human's eyes quickly scanned the area, though they were not well-trained enough to spot the matted down grass that suggested another set of footprints leading deeper into the woods. "Well that's certainly something you don't see everyday." He marked the tree next to him, slightly out of frustration. "I suppose we should keep moving..." His words were somewhat uncertain. Whoever; whatever decided to attack that wolf might be an even bigger threat. Then again, the wolf was still partially alive. "If whatever attacked it didn't have time to finish it off, perhaps the rest of the pack might have chased it away. Hopefully, they all kill each other."<br><br>Wouldn't that be a treat? The last thing he needed was a boss battle in the middle of the woods. Hopefully the natural order of the food chain will sort this whole ordeal out itself and Vash can put his worries behind him. At least until he is in a better position to defend himself. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 10:50:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At Vash's words of advice, Ara was tempted to agree, though her prickly pride wasn't having any of it. "You raise a finger against me, you die. Know that elves - especially me - don't die easy." Were the words that came out of her mouth, and she sighed, watching Vash lash out at the tree nearest to him. The brutal treatment of nature did pull at Ara's nerves and heartstrings, but she held herself in. Sending a weird look at him as he looked over her blade, she shrugged noncommittally, offering no words. Intrigued, she sighed again and strode after him as he started into the forest. At first, her guide's footsteps were sure and confident, but as they moved further into the trees she began to notice that he started to falter. Personally, Ara had grown up in woods such as this - it was the thick forests that blocked out all light filtering in that gave the elves their fair complexions, as one would assume that so much time outdoors would darken their skins.<br><br>Winces tugged at the corners of her eyes whenever the human ahead of her slashed out at the trees around him, with her knife, though she took condolence from the fact that he never cut too deep; the trees would heal themselves over time. Besides, the forest seemed to be retaliating; as since he had taken the lead, he was the first up for any of the consequences that the trees wanted to provide. Watching him walk face-first into swarms of fruit flies and spiderwebs brought small smiles creeping up on the elf's face as she nimbly ducked away from the dangers. Ordinarily, she would not have fared so well in a forest she knew so little of, but Vash's lead acted as a flashing indicator as to whenever an obstacle was coming up. Sometimes she spotted the inconveniences before they walked into it, but she said nothing; taking her small pleasures in watching the human struggle. Besides, her mind was wandering and her attention was focused elsewhere; instead surveying the forest for signs of real danger.<br><br>Acting as a rear-guard as she was, Ara nearly walked into Vash when he stopped abruptly. Quickly taking a step back, she looked over his shoulder - having to reach up on her toes a bit, as she wasn't exceptionally tall. Seeing the direwolf, her eyes quickly scanned the clearing for any sign of movement before she stepped up to the dying animal, crouching beside it. From her lower vantage point, she started looking around once more, laying a hand atop of the beast's head. The direwolf opened it's eyes frationally before giving up on the effort, and Ara hummed to it softly as she looked around. Her eyes landed upon the matted grass. Accessing the prints briefly, she glanced up at Vash. "Human. Heading that way." She said flatly, pointing to her left and now that she was really looking, she could see that the vegetation had been pushed aside; probably for better passage through the woods. She had looked for direwolf prints, but there were none.<br><br>Hearing Vash's hope, she shook her head. "This one is a loner." She said, offering no explanation. She then bent down closer to the direwolf's head, whispering something into its ear and fondling its ears gently before she stood up, drawing an arrow and shooting the animal through the eye. The action was completed in only a few seconds, and she then pressed a foot atop the wolf's head and yanked her arrow out, cleaning it on the grass before putting it back into her quiver. "So, what do you say? Follow your fellow human and assume that they are going after the direwolves as well, or strike out in another direction?" She inquired, spilling out more words than she had previously spoken to him combined. This might have been due to sentiment, as she grieved for the direwolf that had been sentenced to a slow, painful death; though as she crossed her arms her eyes told Vash better than to question it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>21-07-2014, 19:33:37</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Through a side-glance, Vash watched the Elf approach the woman. He recanted an old warning in his mind that even the head of a dead wolf can sometimes still bite. He said nothing and watched in silence. He could see that she took pity on the creature. Even if it were to recover, with such wounds, it would probably not live a normal life. Then again, why should it matter to them. This wolf would have surely attacked them if they'd arrived a little sooner. Still, she caressed it's ear as if it were a dying pet. Then, to Vash's discomfort, she fired and arrow straight into the beast's eye. Though it was an instant kill, it still pulled at the Human's stomach. How savage, he thought instinctively. Of course, his heart knew this was a mercy killing, his Human nature could not comprehend the connection Ara must have shared with this, as well as all other living beings in nature. It was a fundamental difference between the two races he would bother attempt to overcome.<br><br>His emotions were mixed when she announced there was another Human in the area. What kind of person, he wondered, could take down a wolf without leaving a trail of blood. Had they set a trap, used some sort of trickery, or were they just lucky? Vash hoped for the latter. He also hoped that this third entity's luck would quickly run out. If it was one thing Vash and Ara shared in common, it was their distaste for competition.<br><br>When the Elf asked what their next move was, he turned to face her fully. Her eyes left no room for negotiation. He didn't mind: They both already knew the answer. Vash smirked. "I think those are the most words you've spoken since we've met." He figured it was comforting for the Elf to be back in a familiar element, which allowed words to flow more casually than in a foreign land. <br><br>Without a further exchange of words, Vash headed off in the direction Ara pointed out. Upon closer examination, he could just barely see a visible path the other Human must have left behind. More mixed feelings, for the pathway created seemed to lead towards Vash's own destination. It worried him that another might be en route to the same location. How many others might also know about this local? Then again, if it were only one Human, they would not stand a bunny's chance in Hell against a den of wolves. Hopefully, this third party would at least take a few of the wolves out before they got there.<br><br>After following the path left behind for another ten minutes in, Vash's pace slowed even further. "If my information is correct," His words were somewhat uncomfortable. "Their den should be at the very next clearing." It worried him that they were so deep within the beast's territory, yet hadn't seen a single sentry since the wounded pup they passed by earlier. He figured at least something would have attempted to lash out at them, but the forest was hauntingly quiet this morning.<br><br>His weak senses, however, hand't picked up on the many signs that this was a wolf's hunting ground. Claw marks dug into the ground suggested that a group of them regularly patrolled this area. There was also dried blood and the faintest smell of urine trickled in certain areas; a way for the wolves to mark off their zones of control. One oddity that stood out, however, were the abrasions made on some of the trees and plants; as if the wolves had become more active than usual. Another unusual sign was the markings of the Human who passed by directly crossed paths with several of these wolves, and the tracks were fresh.<br><br>Without this knowledge, Vash was stepping in to a scene that he was ill-prepared for. As he broke through the deep woods and cover of trees, he found himself in yet another clearing. His affect fell flat, and his aura tensed. Before his very eyes, and scattered throughout the clearing, several other bodies of defeated wolves lay panting and heaving; all unconscious just like the last. "Hmm..." There was an uneasy air about this situation. Vash stepped forward into the clearing. He walked past one of the downed animals. It suffered only one blunt attack, but this strike was to the side of the head. Another, laying only a few feet away, shared a similar fate.Once he reached the center, he could count at least four wolves downed around him.<br><br>On the very right edge of the clearing, parallel to where he and his companion stood, Vash could make out what appeared to be their lair. It was an odd formation of two trees that seemed to have fallen into one-another. Partially uprooted at the base, their pillared trunks intersected. It would have taken years for vines and foliage to nestle around these two trees as they did so, creating a deep canopy over a gaping mow that lead deeper within the structure. As the morning wind spilled through the forest, the wolf den breathed, then exhaled; the sound resulting was like the slumbering hum of a full-bellied dragon.<br><br>Vash might not have been a genius, but even he could figure that whoever attacked these wolves was now inside their den. The opening was only about ten feet away from where he stood, and even though he could tell that the inside opened up the deeper it went, he could barely make out its contents. "Well I suppose we're here..." Things were different now. Much different. Vash did not plan on another Human getting caught in the mix. Opportunity was surely testing him. He was not a man to pursue things if operations once things began to deviate. He would have turned back the moment he knew there was another person out here. Perhaps it was his greed that numbed his better judgement. Now that he thought about it, this was a very uncomfortable situation.<br><br>He was so close, though. Even if this person was capable of defeating these wolves, no one could take on an entire pack without sustaining some sort of injury. The fatigue of battle would have definitely set in by now. On top of that, they had the element of surprise, and superior numbers. Yes, he could do this. He could fight through and claim his prize. He has followed opportunity so deeply in this godforsaken forest and would not allow it to slip through his grasp. "Yes, we will continue on!" He reassured himself verbally, and his confidence seemed to rise. He would not be defeated so easily.<br><br>The scene quickly changed as the trees and bushes from where they entered the clearing were pushed and hacked aside. As if the wolves and the mystery Human were not enough, Vash and Ara found themselves flanked by two giant men; both armed with deadly blades. The two mercenaries were each more than six feet in height and, between the two of them, looked to weight close to 400 pounds. Both tanks composed of pure muscle, the man on the left felt that wearing a shirt robbed him of the intimidation a bare chest provided. He'd paid for this sacrifice with two scars; one racing down his left pectoral, and another slashed across his waist. Time however, and perhaps a savage will, turned these scars into medals awarded to those who could not be slain by mere flesh wounds.<br><br>The mercenary on the right, slightly bulkier than his companion, wore a simple leather vest. His arms were as thick as logs, and in his right hand, he clutched a thick hatchet that could topple an Evergreen with one powerful strike. He stared at the two before him through one eye. His left was sealed by a jagged scar that robbed him of his vision. This handicap hadn't slowed him in his many years of head-hunting. Between the two men, three eyes were far better than none.<br><br>They stood firmly as sentries, blocking off the return route. Their appearance was nothing short of hostile, and their silence was murderous. They had no intent on the exchange of words. Their three eyes told that this was a cut-and-dry mission they planned on carrying out.<br><br>A disastrous scene for any ill-prepared for battle.&nbsp; &nbsp; 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>22-07-2014, 03:59:06</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Ara, having looked up at Vash, saw the discomfort in his eyes; which had most likely stemmed from the sudden death she had caused the wolf. Her teeth gritted a bit, but she didn't remark on the fact, knowing that it would have died no matter the situation. The blow to the head had caused blood to start leaking into it's brain, which was a wound impossible to heal without having the expertise of an elder elf - and she had Vash didn't have that at their disposal, and neither would any direwolf who found their fellow specimen weakened in the woods. Indeed, the other wolf probably would have killed this one, if given the chance. As she was certain in her decision that this wolf had been a lone one - a young male, probably chased from the pack for acting wrongly in some way - it was unlikely if anything that came across it would show much mercy.<br><br>Seeing his smirk, she realized that mocking words were soon to follow; and she only shook her head in annoyance. Falling in behind her human guide as he walked in the direction of the human's path, her eyes were focused on the ground both beside her and in front of herself. Once and again, Vash's footprints messed up the tracks she was gazing at, and she was tempted more than once to push him aside so that she could get a clearer picture of what had gone on before they arrived. All of the trails were recent, so the human must have passed within the last hour. She would have looked up at the sun to gauge the time, except the thick canopy provided by the trees only allowed for vision in the forest; not for accurate assumptions about the amount of light in the day. As they moved, Ara started to note that the trails were becoming fresher - apparently their travel through the already-made path was speeding their progress.<br><br>Eyes on the ground, Ara started to pick up signs that they were now well in the direwolves' territory. The fact that they had passed the territory markers without opposition did not sit well in her stomach, but when she started to notice the human and wolf trails crossing, separations in the wolves' strides became apparent. The newly made marks on the plants gave signs that the direwolves had been moving more than usual, and Ara's brow furrowed as she pondered over this. There seemed to be only one logical explanation for the trails, but she could not figure out why it would be so. "The wolves were running away." She said to Vash, her voice softening at the quiet of the forest. She didn't have to state who the wolves were running from, and crouched by one of the human's footprints. Tracing it quickly with her finger, she tried to access what was different about this human than all the others, but she came up with nothing.<br><br>Looking up as she heard Vash speak, she was about to grab him so that she could enter first, but the human had already walked into the clearing. Sighing under her breath, she knocked an arrow on her bowstring before quickly stepping out after him; the bow rising to full draw the moment she entered the clearing. Her bow stayed up, even after seeing all the wolves unconscious, sensing that there was more danger. She didn't bother with giving mercy to the wolves here, she would run out of arrows and it would be a waste of time. Perhaps she would deal with them after she and Vash had dealt with this other human. Though as she thought about this, she wondered if this had been a bad idea; this human, or whatever it was, seemed to be extremely powerful and she started to have her doubts about defeating it. The presence of watching eyes started to bore into her being, and she looked around at the corners of the clearing warily.<br><br>Vash's words of self-encouragement, though largely addressed to himself, reached Ara's ears and she bit the inside of her cheek softly. Something was bothering her about this, but she only registered the rustling of leaves from the sides of the clearing when it was too late. The giant men broke into the area from the forest, and Ara's bow was raised again; though she didn't shoot after she realized that though they were hostile, they did not intend to attack; perhaps until their master - probably the mystery human in the wolf lair - ordered them to. Ara had come prepared for battle with direwolves, though this was a whole other ballpark; though once she had started seeing the human's footprints she had started to brace herself for a battle with other humans. With all her other concerns, Ara had forgotten about her mistrust in Vash, and she looked at him quizzically; her eyes going from her bow to the mercenaries. Normally she wasn't so reliant on others to make her decisions, but she figured that the mercenaries were humans, and so was Vash, so it was fairest if the human decided the fate of the other humans.<br><br>Confident as she was in taking down the two giants flanking them, Ara was unsure of her ability to fight with the human within the cave. What kind of creature would provoke even direwolves to run from it? Her stomach was starting to do backflips, and her heartbeat accelerated. Realizing this, she calmed herself with a few even breaths, and her eyes focused on the cave. Straining her ears, she listened for sounds coming from it; hoping to hear the human coming out before seeing him. Her bow was sitting easily in her hands, and she had moved her quiver down from her back to her hip for ease of draw; knowing that the moment she started shooting, she could expect retaliation. Dark eyes appraising the position of the two sentries, she wondered if she could take them both down with a single shot; though she doubted that she could, as they were standing a good distance apart. She knew that some elves could achieve such a feat, though those were the ones who were older - and who had grown up with other elves, receiving valuable teaching throughout their entire lives.<br><br>It was for reasons like this, in situations like this, that Ara sometimes wished she had stayed with the elves instead of staking out on her own. But she had no time for those thoughts now, and her eyes routinely switched between the two guards - surveying them for movement, in case they had hoped to lure her and Vash into thinking that they wouldn't attack so that they could regain the advantage of surprise -, Vash and the entrance of the cave. There did not seem to be much sound coming from the den, and she began to wonder what the human was doing in there; as it was undoubtedly still in the den, as there were footprints leading in, but none leading out. Flexing her bowstring warily, Ara wished for the first time that there was more light in this forest. She had come through the same woods in order to get to LeRue, but during the night - and at the time, she had wished for things to be darker. Then again, she had passed far west from this point, where the trees were thinner and there was less life.<br><br>Attention returning to the sentries, Ara noted that even though they had blocked the way that she and Vash had just come through, they would still probably be able to get away in another direction. Perhaps if she got her knife back from Vash they would be able to slash their way through the forest in another direction; though she supposed that it would be easy to track and chase them down that way. Sighing under her breath, she wondered why she had allowed herself to be talked into this. Mingling with humans was never a good idea, and teaming up with them and following their directions was worse still. Apparently she hadn't learned that already, and Ara made a mental note of the fact; in the event that she got out of this rather inopportune situation. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, as she knew that she had to be alert if she wanted to survive this encounter, Ara focused her attention back on the clearing and the forest around her.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>22-07-2014, 07:13:27</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The winds were steady as Vash lowered his head. He released his breath in a heavy sigh and took a few steps back away from the blonde. "Ara, dear, I hate to say it, but you're just far too trustworthy..." The rugged edges of Skarr's twisted blade growled against its sheathe as Vash removed it from its containment. Armed with both her weapon and his own, his stance relaxed. The two mercenaries in front of her separated; stalking further to the sides like wolves surrounding their prey. The Elf was trapped in the center of the triangle; blades and deceit all pointing towards her. "You see, it's not everyday a lone Elf stumbles out of the forests unguided and unprotected... I would have been a fool not to capitalize on this. And you should know, by now, that I am far from a fool."<br><br>It was as if his pride in himself had swelled to a capacity where he could no longer contain himself. He'd already assessed the proper distance where he could dodge at least one arrow were she to fire upon him. The men would be on her before she could even load another round. "It wasn't a simple plot, either. Much thought went in to this. You see, the happy-go-lucky people of the South don't care much for Nonhuman discrimination. There's far too much saltwater in their diet keeping them from realizing the value of such racism." <br><br>His words held truth. Over the passing year, the Humans of the Northern kingdom have pushed many nonhuman races from their lands; sparking hatred, skirmishes, and eventually leading to propaganda-fueled genocides of all other races. These conflicts, however, never reached the Southern edges of Human lands. "There's always a way to capitalize on radical segregation. You see, Elf kind may not have any business on the surface... Oh, but within the underground slave trade, a pretty penny could be made off someone as... 'exotic' as yourself."<br><br>The mercenary to her right flank readied a net-and-cable while the one to her left clutched his hatchet tightly in case the cornered woman had thoughts of defending herself. "Keep in mind, these men were promised at least 500 gold between them upon your capture, and I've asked them to be delicate. Now I ask you: Please don't resist. Hurting you would only... depreciate your value."<br><br>The two men slowly began to close in on her. The distance between them was decreasing at a suffocatingly slow rate. Vash stood confidently. If she were to make a run for it, he knew She'd turn on him. Logically, because he was the smallest, but emotionally, out of spite.&nbsp; He readied himself to dodge her first shot. He knew she'd only get one. Hell, even if she were to strike him, it would only be a flesh wound. After her capture, he could pay any doctor in the world to fix him up to normal.<br><br>"Now I know what you're thinking: Why drag you all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? Well we couldn't have just jumped you in the middle of town. Some ignorant do-gooder might have tried to rescue you, and that would have just been a bloody pain..." He shook his head as if he truly would have pitied that situation. "But luckily, you happened to be looking for Silverlight, and I happened to have some useful information. Funny how that works. It's like the Gods themselves wanted you to get captured! What in the world could you have done to have karma bite you so hard in your sexy little ass?" He grinned.&nbsp; "Ya know, after this, I think we ought to deal with whoever's in that cave as well. Grab the old lady's ring and pawn it off for some pocket change." The Human laughed a villainous and taunting laugh. But what started as laughter turned into a sharp shriek of pain. <br><br>Were anyone's eyes not on Ara, perhaps they would have seen the fist-sized stone that was expelled from the cave. Perhaps Vash would have been able to move his right hand out of the way before it was struck; disarming him and causing him to fold from the agony of a broken thumb. He went to curse, but all that came from his lungs was a pained hollar. The two mercenaries, for a split moment, relocated their attention on to him. Then, the same fate befell the man to Ara's right. Another stone was thrown. It smashed into the man's hand and caused him to release the net, which he found himself now tangled within.<br><br>He cursed in pain, then his burning eyes focused to the mouth of the cave den.<br><br>"W-whose in there?!" Vash screeched like an angry Dwarf. It had to be that damn Human coming to rescue the girl.<br><br>"Come out, coward!" The hatchet-wielding mercenary barked. "Or I'll come in there and skin you alive."<br><br>The cave answered, but its voice was not Human.<br><br>Only an Elf would have sensed the minute gathering of magical energy in the air. Only an Elf would have felt the subtle, unnatural change in the direction of the wind. It was as if the cave was taking a quiet breathe, but what erupted was an inhuman roar that echoed through the belly of an unimaginable beast. The sound, even though artificial, would have been enough to stir even the stoutest wizard.<br><br>To those who could not see through this masquerade, this forged outcry could only be from a monster none of them wanted to shake hands with. Visibly shaken, the men were trapped in a pause long after the shout had passed. To them, it was as if a beast even more vicious than the Dire Wolves themselves had awaken and was now hungry for their bones.<br><br>The two mercenaries looked between themselves. It was as if they'd shared a psychic bond where a simple phrase was exchanged between the two of them: "Fuck this!" Upon mental agreement, they turned tail and scurried into the woods. The man tangled in the net had a tough time on his take-off and fell face-first into the dirt, but quickly recovered and joined his partner.<br><br>Vash, however, had nowhere to go. Still numbed by both pain and fear, the opportunity to escape had long past him. By the time he realized this, he had already collapsed on both knees while clutching his broken and bleeding hand. He felt as if his life were slipping away. Between whatever monster lay dormant in the Wolf's Den, and a pissed off Ara, he would have been better off slitting his own throat. Too bad Skarr was not a cutting blade, and the weapon he dropped was Ara's.<br><br>He opened his mouth, as if to beg for his life, but even his lungs were too frightened to speak up. Finally, he forced them to try. "H-Hey look... I swear, we weren't going to hurt you." He was like a worm squirming beneath the talons of an Eagle; pleading for a second chance to return to its miserable dirt-eating life. "I-I promise, I'll never do anything like this again... I'll change... I'll be a good man, just please, don't kill me!" If there was ever a shred of true confidence in this man, it was running down the sides of his legs and forming a warm puddle around him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>22-07-2014, 09:19:40</strong>
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				Ara's eyelids slowly closed as she heard what Vash began to say, and her stance relaxed suddenly. She didn't open her eyes again, instead listening in dead silence; her body a fluid mixture of calm and tense as she stood rooted to the ground. As she listened patiently to Vash go through his moment of triumph, his words started to drone out in her ears, and she started to wonder how she would get out of this situation. She sensed the two brutes start to move, though she still had her eyes closed, and she played out in her mind a scenario where she had a chance to shoot them all. At the time when Vash gloated about not being a fool, a small smile grew on Ara's lips and hovered there; though she remained silent and still.<br><br>As he went on, enjoying his power over her in this situation, Ara began to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. She suppressed a sudden retaliation, knowing that it was not the right time. Sure, it might have been best to shoot Vash while he was talking, but that was what was expected of her. Indeed, as she thought about it, he very well would be expecting her to target him; probably out of spite. However, as impulsive, reckless and trusting as Ara was, she did know how to think under pressure. Settling grudges was of no concern to her; she had an elf's long life to live out still, and finding Vash again would be no problem once she freed herself of this situation. <em>You probably should have done your research before you went after an elf...</em><br><br>Hearing the heavy footsteps of the mercenaries circling around her, she accurately assumed, judging by Vash's words as she still had her eyes closed, that they were going to try and trap her under a net. She still didn't move, standing as still as a rock, though her muscles started to bunch as she prepared to leap out of the way when she heard the net start to move. As the mercenaries started to move closer, she strained her senses; starting to hear the faint scratching sound that the net produced. Vash droned on in the distance, but she didn't pay any mind to the human at that moment, as his words were only distractions. No doubt she'd be hearing a lot of his voice anyway, in the event of capture. Blocking that thought out of her mind, her fingers twitched marginally on her bowstring.<br><br>The mercenaries edged closer, and Ara braced herself to dart aside before the net was cast. She knew now that it was held by the man on her right, and she prepared herself to move at the very instant that she sensed that he cast the net. She had a vague plan in mind - if she managed to dodge the net, it would be easy for her to then shoot the man on her left, the one with the hatchet, and escape easily into the forest before Vash or the other mercenary could react. It would be an easy shot; she already felt accurately where the man was standing, and knew his general proportions from her view earlier. From this close of a range, it would be impossible to miss. She could then plot her revenge later, somewhere far away from any other humans where she could think clearly. Anger bubbled just below her skin, but Ara knew that there wasn't the time for her to deal with Vash then; and she willed herself to not consider any versions of her plan that involved killing him before she ran for it.<br><br>Calming her frustration, she told herself that if she escaped Vash's life would be a whole lot more hellish. Dealing with the pay for the other mercenary without her capture would be difficult, and he would probably feel hounded by her until the point she decided to show up once more. Her anger consoled, her mind returned to her senses. Vash was talking some more, and she felt a flicker of annoyance. <em>Do humans ever stop talking?</em> She wondered idly to herself, her thinking rather calm and even despite the life and death situation she currently found herself in. <em>They don't know when it is time to shut up.</em> She reflected, only paying attention to her thoughts with half a mind. She was ready to draw and shoot when she heard Vash's sudden cry. If it was a lure to encourage Ara to open her eyes, it certainly worked.<br><br>Dark hazel eyes shot open just in time to see the two mercenaries look towards Vash, and in their moment of inattention she spun out of the triangle; retreating quickly to the left side of the clearing, bow at full draw. She was about to loose on the mercenary with the hatchet, but she started to feel a vibration travel through the air. Acknowledging the presence of magic, she relaxed her arms, placing her arrow back in her quiver as she surveyed the scene coldly. Seeing that her knife had been dropped, she was tempted to go collect it, though she felt that it would be best to allow the magic to run its course first. The roar that echoed from the cave startled her, though she had braced herself, and she quickly moved her hands over her ears and winced as the loud sound drummed harshly at her sensitive hearing. Seeing the mercenaries start running, Ara was sorely tempted to take a shot at them, but some part of her mind spoke out and she left them alone.<br><br>Turning to the cave, huddled at the side of the clearing, Ara watched it for a few seconds; but the den was silent. Walking out into the clearing once more, she retrieved her knife, wiping the hilt before tucking it back into its respective sheath. Hearing Vash's pleads, she ignored the man completely, though she was painfully aware that she could kill him now. Seeing as the person in the cave hadn't hurt her, she decided that this was as close as she would get to an ally, though treated it as such as one would when holding something out at arm's length. The few seconds of silence that followed Vash's plea for mercy made Ara wondering of the being in the cave faced some indecision of some sort. Stepping well away from the human, she looked towards the dark interior of the den.<br><br>"He's your catch." She said casually, speaking to the air as there was nothing to direct her words at; firmly stating that she wasn't going to act against the squirming man. The rules of fairplay were highlighted among the elves, and Ara respected the fact that Vash wasn't her catch, and therefore she had no right to claim him or his fate as her own. Besides, she didn't want to make an enemy out of the being in the cave - as she had just learned that good-deeds, especially among humans it seemed, didn't ensure loyalty of any sort.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>23-07-2014, 05:55:49</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The ambiance around them steadily returned to normal. The air grew calm, and the aura of another presence faded. As the magical winds died down, particles of their energy remained in scarce pockets of the wind like dust from a crushed gemstone.<br><br>Vash did not like the idea of being sacrificed as an offering to whatever may lurk within the cave. If Ara had no intentions of killing him, then he would take his chances in an attempt to escape. Scurrying to his feet like a wounded animal, he hobbled his pathetic form away from this area with his bleeding hand still clutched tightly.<br><br>The emptiness sank in once he'd fled the clearing. The downed wolves' harsh breathing had calmed to a soft pant. They were less-severely wounded than the stray outside their territory, and would possibly recover after sleeping off their concussion. <br><br>This area would not be safe for too much longer.<br><br>Within the cave still remained the possibility of a silver ring; the key to more information of the infamous Silverlight. Also within the dim reaches of the cavern remained the mysterious being who not only infiltrated the Wolves' den, but possessed some sort of affinity with magic.<br><br>Light could barely penetrate the treetops, yet the interior of the wide den still received a bit of illumination. It was colored a chloroplast green against the soft soil of the ground. The opening was just bigger than the average home's front door, but the interior seemed to open into a wide dome-shaped formed out of a massive collection of the twin tree's leaves, branches and vines. It was a natural caved formed by the symbiotic partnership formed by the collapsed evergreen towers. <br><br>Littering the ground of the entrance were the gnawed bones of whatever the wolves managed to drag back home. Many of these bones were worn beyond recognition as the beasts who owned them barely knew the meaning of restraint. Just a few strides from the mouth of the den, one would enter the main chamber; the wide dome that housed several nests made from leaves, branches and twigs; most likely where the creatures slept when not out hunting.<br><br>This lair was not empty, however. In the very dead center, willing its body to life, was a massive Dire Wolf twice the size of any others seen so far. This wolf lay toppled over like a large boulder. Its fore-legs were straining as it attempted to regain control over its wounded body. It was very much alive; and very much conscious. Its full set of skin-rending canines were on display for all enemies to lay witness, and it's growl was so menacing, one would not need to understand the wolf's language to understand its desire to kill. It foamed at the mouth with beastly rage; its eyes burned a crimson red; the fire in the eyes of any mother fighting to protect her own. Even if another were to enter the cave at this point, the wolf's gaze was locked to a fixed target.<br><br>Following the death-glare, one would notice yet another being in the cave; one who particularly did not fit the description of any beast seen so far. Surrounded by three snarling and barking miniature puff balls was a Human. Bent to the knee and shifting around the fauna, the blue-eyed man ignored the wolf pups as if they didn't exist. His hands moved through the plantlife with the skill of a herbalist. Finding their target his hands, encased in black gloves, wrapped around the trunk of a small brown mushroom and pulled it from the earth. The item was then carefully moved to a brown pouch tethered to his baggy cloud-colored slacks. One could tell, even from a distance, the pouch was almost to capacity. The Human had been collecting these tiny mushrooms this entire time. They grew well on deadwood found in wolf dens. Krad was convinced it was the urine produced by these animals mixed with the bark from rotted wood that helped the mushrooms flourish. Whatever the reason, they were a great compliment to and stewed or sauteed&nbsp; meats.<br><br>After finally finishing his collection, he stood a tower six feet. Hefted upon his back was a massive weapon: a five-foot slab of metal completely wrapped in twin cloud-colored scarves, which also tethered the weapon to lower back and collar. Another light breeze passed through the cavern and danced with the arching spikes of his ocean-colored hair. Satisfied with his work, he turned his attention towards the exit of the den.<br><br>Just as he went to take a stride forward, one of the tiny wolf pups summoned the courage to attack. Against the forbidding snarl of its mother, the tiny creature lunged forward with barely developed fangs. Krad's blue eyes moved towards the creature and watched it attack. <br><br>Their was a brief moment of silence.<br><br>The mother wolf paused, as did the other little ones.<br><br>Krad silently stared at the ball of fur that had attached its tiny mouth to the taped boots he wore. As if somewhat impressed with the creature's bravery, the right corner of the man's lip curved into a smirk.<br><br>Watching their brother inspired the two other pups. They circled around the Human barking and snapping at him while the first whipped itself into a frenzy as it had seen its elders do when attacking prey.<br><br>The mother wolf was not amused, and attempted to force herself up, but collapsed before even getting her feet underneath herself.<br><br>Eyeing the vicious little pup attached to his boot, Krad bent down towards it. With thumb and index finger, he pinched at the scruff of the wolf's neck, and it yelped in shock as it was lifted from the floor. There was a silver glint from Krad's ring finger as he lifted the animal to face-height. He looked into the ruby eyes of a beast that would one day grow to the size of a vicious predator, and couldn't help but think how cute they were when they're so tiny.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>25-07-2014, 07:04:20</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Ara let out a small sigh of relief when the air around her started to settle; taking it as a sign that she wasn't being threatened by the being in the cave. Wondering if she should leave the scene before he human changed its mind, Ara was overwhelmed with curiosity and decided against her better judgement - still itching after letting the mercenaries go free, and deciding that she needed distraction to keep her from killing Vash. Hearing the human moving, she was very sorely tempted to shoot the he man, but brought back her reasoning from earlier; that it would be much more terrifying for him to be wandering around, wondering when his actions woulda catch up to him. As it was, Ara already had saved his appearance and general manner in mind, so she would be able to remember him if she saw him; and tracking him would be an easy feat, as humans generally didn't hide their tracks well.<br><br>Starting towards the cave, she moved warily at first, though her stride evened out after a few paces and she arrived at the he cave entrance in a few seconds. The light helped only a limited amount as she looked inside, but her keen eyes easily pick out the figures in the he cave. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing the growling wolf to the side of the cave, it's eyes murderous, and she refrained from moving too quickly in fear of drawing its attention, instead silently tracing its gaze to come upon a human rummaging through the skin of a branch, seemingly collecting small mushrooms and completely ignoring the wolf across the cave and the small pups prancing around him. Ara watched, knowing that he was probably aware of her presence, and smiled in amusement as one of the pups gathered the courage to latch onto his boot. <br><br>As the growls from the heel wolf in the corner registered in her hearing once again, Ara's hands unconsciously moved to her bow once more. She had slung it away across her shoulder when she had started towards he the cave, and when she he caught herself moving towards it she brought her hands back down, instead latching onto her knife for no reason other than the fact that movement might draw the wolf's attention, in which case the action of readying the bow would be too long a venture for her safety to be guaranteed. Her eyes moving back to the human, she watched as he picked up the one vicious pup and look at it. Her eyes moved from the dire wolf, however, when she saw the glint of silver in the end dark cave. Curios as to the fact that Vash might of not told her all lies, Ara hesitated over saying anything.<br><br>Her restraint finally deciding to take a break, Ara moved across the cave towards the human, stopping and leaning against the other side of he the cave. She waited in silence for a few minutes more, eyes tracing the two pups yelping on the floor. "Cute, aren't they?" She commented placidly, one eye fastened warily on the mother before she stepped closer to the man, bending down and picking up the only female pup. The wolf, startled, hung limply in her hands and Ara hummed a mild tune to the animal, and the blood lust in hype pup's eyes faded. Smiling, she moved the pup to the crook of her ear arm, fondling the animal's ears. Knowing that she would get attached to the pup if has he continued, Ara quickly set the dire wolf back on there floor of the cave, and the wolf looked around once before starting to bark. Eyes returning to the human, she sighed as she found herself conversing with one once again.<br><br>"Thanks for helping me out there." She said, getting back onto her feet.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>02-08-2014, 15:55:16</strong>
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				It wasn't everyday one happened to stumble upon an Elf. Then again, exactly how deep inside the forest had he gone? <br><br>"So long as they're this size, I don't mind them." There was a casual tone with his words. He had to admit, he already thought of her as a brave person to delve this deeply in the wolf's den by herself. His eyes fell upon the blonde as he wondered if it was the natural elven curiosity that brought her here. Or perhaps, she had her own reasons he'd yet to discover.<br><br>His attention returned to the wolves as their mother panted from the ground. The others he left outside of the cave would slowly be regaining consciousness by now. Personally, the adventurer would rather avoid any further confrontation with the beasts.&nbsp; It was a waste of energy. A visible sigh escaped the young man's lips, and he returned the stunned pup back to the earth.<br><br>It shook the Human's touch from its fur and barked with indigence towards the disrespectful trespasser.<br><br>"Wolves are pretty dangerous," he laughed to himself. "I'm only Human, after all." The silver glint from the ring on his finger caught his attention, and he toyed with the piece of jewelry. "I always thought wolves hated silver. Or does that only apply to Werewolves." Nothing about Krad's appearance was overwhelmingly intimidating, aside from his size. He stood six feet even and possessed an athletic build maintained by a life of traveling. His face was a light caramel and free of any scars that would disclose a warrior's lifestyle: A direct contrast to the massive person-sized weapon hefted along his back. It would be difficult, at first glance, to identify the weapon as a sword, thought the two-handed grip, which sprouted from the wrapped weapon gave away its identity.<br><br>"Not much of a ring guy myself... Guess I'll sell it." He removed the band from his gloved finger and, without eye-contact, questioned the elf. "So what brings you to this neck of the woods?" 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>05-08-2014, 20:10:24</strong>
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				Nodding in agreement, Ara glanced towards the mother laying on the floor - her gaze then jumping onto the growling male from the side of the cave. The presence of the huge wolf, the glint of bloodlust so clear in its eye, disturbed her; even though it's gaze was clearly focused on the human in front of her. She wondered at the fact that the human had not seemed to kill any of the wolves, save the one near the border. Though, seeing the quick recovery of the others, she wondered if she had been wrong to shoot the animal. Perhaps the human had put another enchantment on h is rocks that healed the wolves after a time.<br><br>Biting her lip at the though, the elf nearly missed the human's next words, blinking as she regained her attention. Seeing h I'm put the pup down, she remained silent for awhile. Hearing the man's words, she realized that he hadn't come to the cave seeking the ring - rather, he had only picked it up after seeing it. He must have come for the mushrooms instead. Not being one to cook, Ara wondered at the seeming waste of energy to obtain such small plants. Her natural instinct towards plant life notified her of the fact that t he mushrooms would likely be hard to find elsewhere, though the fact that he had come into a cave of dire wolves intrigued her.<br><br>Unsure of whether she should try to get the ring off of him, she decided to stall for time a bit before deciding what to do about the little situation that she faced. Of course, she wanted the ring, though she&nbsp; wasn't sure how gage would get it. Evidently, the man knew how to manage himself - so he might be interested in going after Silverlight himself. "Mostly werewolves." She said, not very helpfully. "What do you plan to do with he mushrooms that was so important that you fought a pack of direwolves to get them?" She asked with a small grin.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>06-08-2014, 02:15:29</strong>
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				When he heard the elf's voice, he had to admit, he was enchanted by its melody. She had a feisty understone to her words, and the way her lips formed into a subtle smirk roused his attention. <br><br>"Seasoning." He answered proudly as he patted his pouch.<br><br>The hunter's experience with Elves was casual. Traversing through woods and forests as often as he, one would occasional stumble upon those of Elven lineage. Most commonly, he would run into a group of sentries guarding a hidden village. Occasionally, a pocket of hunters would cross paths with him on those nights where he figured he could catch better food than the nearby inns provided. They didn't seem that different from any of the other races he'd happen to cross paths with; they were solitary, lived to protect their own, and had very fine taste in cuisine. He did note that many of the elves he's met all seemed to travel in pairs or larger numbers. Blondie here was one of the very few he's seen travelling solo, and the only one of the lone travellers that actually spoke to him before raising a bow. He could already feel his interest with her growing as every second ticked by.<br><br>"These mushrooms make an amazing compliment to seared or sauteed meats like you wouldn't believe. " They were also a great deterrent for thieves. It was quite funny how many times foolish cutpurses would pilfer the pouch of mushrooms because they mistook it for a pouch of gold. But that was neither here nor there.<br><br>With a curious head-tilt and a mischievous smirk, he asked, "So what brings you to the den of wolves all by yourself?" It was an assumption that the group of Humans who tried to capture her only came after she arrived. From his position in the cave he could not hear the exchange of words in detail. He could only hear one cocky and conceited voice causing enough noise to awaken the unconscious wolves. It was one thing to deal with them on his way into the cave. He figured dealing a second round of concussive blows might endanger their lives. A dragon could take no pride in the slaughter of foxes. Krad could take no pride in the slaughter of these wolves.<br><br>What he could take pride in was his uncanny luck to run into beautiful women in the middle of the forest. Unfortunately, surrounded by a pack of bloodthirsty wolves slowly recovering, he hadn't an ample amount of time to decide if she was worth pursuing. Hopefully, her answering his question of why she was here would help him determine whether or not he'd expend energy on her. Then again, there was just something about this woman that seemed to already have his attention hooked.<br><br>Maybe his day was about to pick up.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>06-08-2014, 22:31:48</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Ara's brow was quick to crease in a frown at the human's one-worded answer. Yes, she knew that cooking was a hobby for a good few - a hobby that spread across multiple races - , but this seemed to turn it into some kind of extreme sport. She didn't know what she had been expecting, especially from a human, but on grounds of seasoning... Ara had no idea what to think. Even with her recent run-in with trickery and the problems that had arisen from her trusting nature, she had quickly recovered from it and didn't think to question this human's words, though it would probably have been deemed wise to do so.<br><br>Many who encountered her would wonder how, especially in a profession such as bounty hunting, she got by alive and intact through her days of fierce competition with others that could easily overpower her both physically and mentally; as her profound trust in all that lived and breathed was astounding. No matter how many timers she tried to correct it, it always came back to bite her. Though, she had found, other bounty hunters worked on a premiss that others were extremely untrustworthy and made their decisions accordingly. Ara, going around and taking everybody else's words to heart, managed to hence avoid the traps set for her and continued to live whole and healthy. In this case, however, she only took the human's word for truth because an excuse such as cooking was one rare and, generally, not one you would think of when trying to lie.<br><br>Hearing the human's next words, Ara suddenly found herself wondering when she had last eaten a proper meal that was designed to taste good, and not justly get money off of travelers that happened to be passing by. Disqualifying the meals of rare meat and burned vegetables that she cooked for herself, it had been awhile. Pulling herself out of her drifting thoughts, she thought about the presented question for a few seconds. It was obvious, then, that this human hadn't realized that she had been willingly - or at least in Vash's case - following them to the cave. She felt rather stupid admitting that she had been so easily fooled, and if this one had a mind to deceive her it would give him a clear thumbs up, but her annoying trust issue kicked in and she found herself speaking the truth. Realizing this, she bent it just a bit so that it didn't sound quite so much like she had been completely taken off-guard, and blurred over the matter of the ring.<br><br>"Not by myself. The first human there aimed to fool me into getting him into the den here so that he could retrieve something from the cave. In his opinion, I suppose it must have been a double-score, since he wanted to take me off-guard and sell me or whatnot. But I think matters got a bit out of the hands of him and his retainers when you happened to have already found your way in here." She said briefly, anticipating a question on the object that Vash had intended to lay his hands on, though as she looked around she wondered how much longer the human planned to stick around. That wolves were quickly recovering, and she surely hadn't escaped from a bunch of humans to get eaten by wolves. <em>Out of the frying pan and into the fire.</em> She thought to herself sarcastically, casting her gaze around the cave in a gesture that clearly portrayed her unease.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>20-08-2014, 19:07:10</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Listening to the Elf's reply, Krad allowed a snicker to pass through his lips. Looking her over once more, the adventurer could see the value in selling someone of her beauty into slavery. Many pretty pennies could be made from her. A mischievous gleam flashed through the man's sapphire eyes as he entertained the idea of picking up where the other human left off, and then he laughed at himself internally for even considering. That wouldn't be much fun. Besides, Krad liked to keep the beautiful women all to himself. If her were to somehow claim ownership over this blonde jewel, he didn't see himself willing to part with her for a few pieces of coin. <br><br>Aside from this thought, his attention did grasp the mention of an alternate prize as well. Krad knew of nothing valuable resting among the wolves of this forest aside from the fungi he collected, but he doubted anyone else would be specific enough to risk life and limb for a few shrooms. As he shifted to a more relaxed position, his grip tensed around the ring in his possession. Like a child's puzzle, things suddenly seemed to click into place. Could Krad now possess both of the previous human's goals? The thought of picking up where the other man left off swelled up within him once more, but Krad suppressed his innate human greed with another humorous smirk.<br><br>"Sounds like it's been an interesting day for you." His mood was casual, even though he noticed a group of the wolves he'd neutralized earlier begin to creep back into the caves from behind Ara.<br><br>They growled deeply, and as the mother wolf caught the scent of her pack, a revitalizing burst swelled in her bosom. She roared ferociously, causing the cave to tremble with fright. Krad's eyes wandered towards her. She still seemed too weak to stand. The other wolves, three of which possessed an unsteady gait, approached their mother; completely ignoring Ara as their hulking size passed around her.<br><br>"I think we'd better continue this casual exchange elsewhere..." The young man smirked as he took a step towards the cave's exit.<br><br>Unwilling to allow the intruders to escape in one piece, the mother wolf barked and snarled ferally at her pack to attack. It seemed, however, the wolves remembered the painful strikes they'd received from the human, and became submissive in his presence. There seemed no point in attacking if he was just going to leave without causing any further harm.<br><br>Stunned at their folly, the pack leader could only watch as the man passed by her family as if they didn't exist. Anger swelled from this act of disrespect and she punished one of the disobedient wolves with a pinning bite to the neck.<br><br>As Krad approached the Elf, he casually gestured to the mouth of the cave, "Shall we?" and continued on his way to exit.<br><br>Outside of the cave he would continue on back to the wooded path which he'd trekked through earlier in the morning. Leaving the clearing and the pack of Dire Wolves behind, a relaxing air seemed to fill the forest. Bloodlust had been shed like a layer of skin and a sense of normalcy grew in its place. The person-sized weapon,which was completely wrapped in cloud-colored scarves, barely seemed to obstruct the adventurer's casual stride. It hung slightly diagonal with its tip pointed slightly to the right, and the foot-long taped grip erect over his left shoulder.<br><br>"So is there anywhere I can personally escort you, Miss..." He paused mid-stride, realizing he hadn't taken the time to ask for this woman's name. He turned to face her; a light-hearted smile on his face. "I'm sorry. I hadn't even introduced myself." After transferring the silver ring to his left hand, he extended his right towards her. "The name's Krad. It's a pleasure to meet you." Aside from his deep voice and etiquette, not much about Krad hinted at him being a gentleman. Neither did his mannerisms hint at him being a warrior, aside from his wrapped weapon.<br><br>"And while we're on the subject of introductions," His sly eyes locked on to hers as he spoke. "How about you tell me the real value of this ring? I don't see a man running headlong into a den of wolves for a piece of ordinary silver." He'd figured that going through the trouble of hiring a guide through the forest to retrieve a ring must have placed its overall value above the guard's expense. The ring itself didn't seem as though it would sell for more than a handful of coin in his eyes. Krad couldn't help but notice the woman's eyes glancing at it periodically, as if plotting how to repossess the item. <br><br>Krad's mischievous tone returned. "Of course, if it really isn't that important, I could just sell it for some pocket change. Just let me know."&nbsp; 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>FireWave</strong> on <strong>24-08-2014, 14:30:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The elf's dark eyes flashed coldly as the blond caught the mischievous gleam passing through the human's eyes and the snicker rise to his lips, dark resentment in regards to the human race beginning to flow through her veins for the second time that day. Contemplating the possibility of ditching the prospect of the ring and find another query to hunt; Ara stayed herself as the glow faded from the man's face. Her keen eyes did not miss the way he tensed his grip around the ring, but only a single blink portrayed her annoyance at the fact. Thoughts latching onto the fact that she may have been better off with Vash, Ara collected the sigh that had been about to escape her lips and molded it into the thought, her eyes glistening briefly before her attention returned to the human and the cave of direwolves around her.<br><br>Humorous smirks did nothing to lighten her steadily darkening mood, and Ara simply raised her eyebrows marginally to acknowledge the statement that the human made. Sensing the wolves prowling behind her, the elf remained still; sensing that no ill intent was directed at her. Thus, the wolves passed her, brushing against her legs and weaving around her as if she was no more than a tree. Winding their ways toward the alpha female, the direwolves flinched not as the wolf let out a ferocious roar - though Ara was forced to clamp her hands over her ears once more as the sound trembled through the air; vibrating within the cave walls. Deciding that she liked direwolves little, Ara eyed the alpha distastefully. The furred monster sensed her gaze and raised her eyes to meet the elf's; and the pack froze as the two communicated silently.<br><br>An agreement was soon reached, though not three seconds had passed, and the wolf returned her attention to her pack and the elf returned her attention to the human. While by no means a master of nature, Ara knew enough to communicate with semi-intelligent animals primitively, and that skill had afforded her a truce with the alpha on this day. Looking away from the direwolf, the elf caught the human's words and nodded; not offering any further answer, even as he approached her and gestured to the cave's mouth. Striding towards the cave entrance, Ara ignored the wolves regrouping behind her; also ignoring her inclination to look behind and see what had caused the alpha to become angry with her packmates. Having a good idea as to what had set the wolf off, Ara sated her curiosity with her foreknowledge and instead focused her attention on the human.<br><br>She had already decided not to trust this man to the best of her ability, but that did not mean that she wasn't going to stick around for awhile at least. Though she now desired to get away from human kind as fast as possible, she perhaps desired the ring slightly more; at least the object would engage her mind, while walking would only bore her. Relaxing with the atmosphere, Ara's foul mood abated, seeping into the wildlife surrounding her. Only paying the human half of her attention, she answered airily, waving her hand as if to say that her name shouldn't really matter to him - a clear indication that she did not intend to stick around. "You may call me Ara." She said, nevertheless, staring at his hand for a moment before shaking it. As she hadn't been paying attention, Ara had to go through her memories for a moment before catching his name.<br><br>When Krad proceeded to talk about the ring, Ara became significantly more attentive. She didn't bother to hide her interest, noting that he already seemed to be quite aware of what was going on regarding the small trinket he had found. A near-human smirk grew over the elf's face at the human's mischievous tone, and she held out her hand. "I doubt that it'll go for much. I'll happily take it off your hands, however." She said, her other hand having gone to her pocket and bringing out a small bronze coin which she flipped towards him. However, she caught the coin before it reached him and put it back in her pocket, lowering her hand as well. "To answer the question, the ring is worth some information. The information itself could be worth nothing, or quite a lot." She said, seeing no reason to lie. Sure, she could have easily, but her hand was mostly revealed already and Ara found no need to craft a truth that might become complicated to uphold.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Quest for Silverlight (Zephy &amp; Fire)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ZephySempai</strong> on <strong>24-08-2014, 15:35:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The elf spoke of the ring's worth as if it were of little importance. It was more of her attitude, however, that caused a wide grin to spread across Krad's face. Now that was an attractive attitude. He couldn't be sure of whether he was just matching his, or if this was the true Ara surfacing after choosing to relax her guard around him. It seemed she'd realized fabricating complicating answers was more work than it would be worth. As teasing as he may be, Krad meant the elf no ill-will. It was the quite opposite, actually. He'd happen past many elves during his travels, but Ara seemed different from the cookie-cutter image he'd developed over the years. Her figure drew his eye in ways others have failed to. Her voice was soothing to the adventurer's ears. Her personality was an enigma in a wild world of definites.<br><br>She flicked a coin from her pocket, but snatched it from the air before it entered his reach. Was this her way of being playful, he wondered? Relaxing his stance, he listened to her explanation of how the ring's worth meant nothing to her in the way of coin, but rather the information she could possibly trade it for. She explained said information could me worthless, but this was something no one had to explain to the human. Information was the ultimate gamble.<br><br>Unfortunately for Ara, Krad enjoyed a little gamble.<br><br>Casually, he tossed the ring to the blonde. He didn't see the point in making her work any harder for the piece of silver, nor did he have any intentions of trying to extract any information out of it. There was, however, one thing that would keep him around. That was Ara. "Well I hope you find what you're looking for. But just to make sure, how about I escort you to your next destination?" It became apparent that Krad was now completely relaxed with absolutely no guard placed between himself and the elf. "Don't worry," he laughed. "I don't have any intentions of stealing whatever info you get. Truth be told, I've got nothing better to do, and having an actual destination is a bit more meaningful than wandering around collecting cooking ingredients."<br><br>He smirked at the girl as he laced his fingers behind his head. "I'll even cook for you. I'll hazard a guess and say it's been awhile since you've last had a decent meal." His tongue-and-cheek attitude seemed as natural as the wildflowers blooming throughout the forest floor. Without even awaiting the girl's answer, "So where to next? I'm assuming we'll be heading into a town. If that's the case, the nearest main road is just a little east of here." After inviting himself along, the adventurer started off towards their next destination. "I'll fix us something to eat when we get there. All this traveling works up an appetite."<br><br>A part of him was being brash and overbearing on purpose. He wanted to see if such an attitude would get under Ara's skin. If it did, then she would be in for a long and annoying Quest for Silverlight.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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