"Eep!"
The fey's warning doesn't do much to lessen the impact that voice has on Elaina. The ranger nearly jumps out of her skin as the hair on the back of her neck stands on end.
"W-w-well, I think you certainly succeeded in make it creepy enough." she tells them as she looks around nervously, just in case.
Seraph smiles and claps her hands together as Pervalish encourages Tyg to perform the deed. "Please Tyg~"
However, the act causes her to shiver as the fog coupled with the creepy eerie warning stirred up some of her more repressed fears. Staying focused she claps her hands in admiration. "That was great Tyg, that would scare the heeby jeebies out of normal folk!"
Focusing on what Elaina had said previously she continued. "What would you both want in return for helping us? As Elaina said we'll still visit, because you both are great fun~"
"I believe we can get something you'll like," Elaina says as she settles back down, pulling the blanket on her shoulders close against the chill of the coming night.
"You can scare the bandits if you like, we just really need them to be as disorganized as you can get them."
The ranger shivers a little and she looks up to both Tyg and Perlavish. "Are you two sure you're not cold? The chills getting to me and I'm normally on of the last ones to notice."
Just in case Seraph glances over her shoulder, casually, to make sure nothing was behind her...
She hoped Pervalish and Tyg didnt notice...
"Confuse them. We're going to have some nice people help us get rid of them, or get them to surrender, but if you guys help us confuse them, we might be able to keep a lot of people from getting hurt." Elaina says.
"I am sorry to hear you have family troubles," Asta says, politely. "Now... Do you have any woad for sale?"
Seraph nods in agreement with Elaina. "Exactly~ Maybe they could turn them all into..." She looks at Elaina. "... Nevermind~"
"Into what?" Elaina asks innocently.
"You know, hairy beast, wooden doll men, women. and distracting stuff like that~" Seraph smiles hoping to slip it past Elaina and not chuckle while she was at it.
"Oh." Elaina says, before it dawns on her, "Oh. Yes. That. Silly me, how could I have forgotten that!" Elaina replies to Seraph's explanation.
"And I would think it was more like some bad eggs rather than some bad radishes, wouldn't you Seraph?"
"No, I said woad," Asta repeats, patiently. "Woad, the blue skin-paint. An alchemist of your skill should know it, yes?"
In the fey woods
Each clipped sentence made Seraph chuckle more and more. "Yes Elaina, eggs so bad that they'd be distracted~ I'd love to see an archer take aim when he is as hairy as a... bison." She does finally laugh at the end. Imagining them all as over grown with hair. Male bandits staring in confusion at their female assests. It would be priceless humiliation.
"Well I guess we can discuss more in the morning eh? You two are welcome to stay if you wish. More warm bodies are always welcome~"
"You did tell us about your brother. He's a despicable one. I'm still looking for him. I know I'll find him in time."
"We figured lighting a fire would be a bad idea, so we are going to huddle together under some blankets for warmth, beyond that I'm not sure. I guess we try not to squish each other." Elaina says with a laugh. She nestles down in the hollow between the tree's roots and looks to Seraph.
"We make for the temple at first light, right?"
Marten looks a bit confused by the conversation with Bokken.
Seraph nods as she wraps the blanket around Elaina and herself as she settles in. "To Jhod and then back to our friends." She gestures to the two fey. "I'll take first watch but you are both welcome to join us tonight, I don't know if Fey sleep. Heh. As for how you can help us... All I will say is do what you think is safest for you, we don't want you hurt if we can avoid it our new friends."
"A-*yawn*-agreed. We are asking a favor of friends. We really don't want you to get hurt because of this." Elaina says. A few minutes later, she's curled up like a puppy or a kitten next to Seraph, sound asleep. She sleeps peacefully, almost as if the nightmare last night had never happened.
I'll let Kenderkin decide if hewants a crack at it. If not I can elaborate and we can press on! :)
Once Elaina was good an asleep Seraph brushed aside her hair and smiled at her sleeping form. Whilst her other hand was on the blade that sat hidden beneath her blanket. However part of it showed anyway, it was simply to large to hide...
She woke Elaina when it was her turn to take watch and when she bedded down that night Seraph was plagued by the nightmare once more. Her arms swelled in size as she fought with what shouldn't be real in her dreams. Her tail whipped and waved in an aggravated manner slapping the moss nearby as her fingers twitched uncontrollably...
"Seraph? Seraph! SERAPH!" Elaina shouts as she shakes her friend awake.
Her hands become still and hertail lays flat moments before Seraph opens her eyes. She was shocked to find Elaina shaking her, having not felt it at all until her eyes flickered open. The dreams were getting slightly worse and that one was downright daunting.
Putting on a weak smile she tries to assure Elaina. "Sorry to worry you. Usually company helps but I guess tonight is just one of those nights~" The collar around her neck jingled, the broken chain swaying as she leaned back again.
She was surprised by the sudden appearance of the Crow and the snow, it made her hope that Asta wasn't somehow being affected by her curse.
"That is one think we can certainly do." Might be way easier than talking to you, sir... Marten sets about gathering some firewood for the weird man.
"Anything you want to talk about?" Elaina asks, she'd rested soundly, but something told her it was only a matter of time before it would be her turn to be caught in another terror in her dreams.
I hope the Starsong is watching over us. Darivin told me once that there was an evil goddess that brought nightmares. I really don't want to face something like that alone.
Torod spends much of the day getting wood for Bokken's stockpile. He does so in solitude or, if the others are there with him, in silence.
Seraph shrugged and gave Elaina a half hearted smile. "I'm a survivor, it's not glorious and the nightmares are a reminder of what I saved others from. Of which I am thankful, not many could have survived that. However my dreams have worsened as of late, there more... Vivid, painful and surprising. I can't put my finger on it but I feel there is some clue I am missing." She looked thoughtful then, trying to discern the time before looking back at Elaina and giving her a bigger smile.
Seraph settles back down again, quite pleased to have the company and warmth of others while delighting in the magical display by their Fey friends. "That is quite the trick Pervalish~" With the small fey plopped in the middle of their bedding it made Seraph chuckle ever so slightly. Such unique creatures these fey were and they had the pleasure of their close company. "Good night everyone." She lays her head back down.
"Thank you Perlavish. May all of you have pleasant dreams."
Elaina keeps the Watch until it is time to get up the next morning.
In the morning, Torod is up early and is ready go towards their destination. He waits impatiently in silence for the others to also get ready.
In the morning Seraph woke up feeling more rested then she had in a long time. Her tail stuck straight up in the air as she stretched her protesting and sleepy muscles. She rose to her feet, careful not to wake their fey friends as she readied the horses. Eager to be on to the temple and hopefully catch up with Asta and the rest...
The crow and snow... Could it be she was really there? She shakes off the feeling for now and refocuses on getting ready for the ride ahead and speaking with Kressel for the first time.
"Once we've got things settled around here, we might want to offer Bokken a permanent position as official alchemist," Asta says. "And a well-padded room full of things to keep him busy that he doesn't need to leave so often. There are a few things that have come unhinged in that head of his, I think."
After getting things ready and finding comfortable places for the two fey to perch during the ride, Elaina follows Seraph to the temple. After a little while riding in the quiet, Elaina decides to break the ice.
"Do fey have any gods they worship?" She asks the two little ones riding with her and Seraph.
"He would seem so to you." Mumbles at a volume not quite a whisper.
Seraph carefully ruffles Perlavish head with her free hand. "You are such a cheeky rogue, its a shame both of you couldn't just stay with us always~ I will have to buy you a pipe when I get a chance just to see you use it!" She chuckles, enjoying such fun companions.
Seraph loved their explanation, finding their words quite interesting. "Asta would have loved to hear that, I will have to remember to tell her when we see her again."
She kept up a brisk pace to the Temple where Jhod and Kressel resided, hoping to perhaps catch up with Asta and the rest before too long.
"I guess that does, though I'm having some trouble wrapping my head around it." Elaina rides the rest of the way, mulling over what Perlavish had said, and checkling to herself when she pictured the look on the merchant's face when they asked for a pipe sized for a tiny dragon.