Telmarni nods to Cassandra when she told them about the wolves. When she left, Telmarni dismounted and handed the reigns to Valeska. "Take Zepher. I'll keep watch and make sure none come towards the horses." She moves off with scimitar drawn and moves closer to the large boulder. Looking up the slope, she prepares to cast a spell if they come closer.
Cassandra hunkers down and lets out a series of growls and barks. One of the wolves focuses on her, hunches its front legs slightly, and its fur stands up a bit, as if it is confronting a dangerous outsider and must look threatening.
Cassandra did some mental calculations. There was five of them and thus several days worth of rations left. They could easily afford loosing a day or two and still make it back to Oleg's with some left over. And she was confident that if they moved a little slower, she and Vance could gather enough to make up for the loss. A day of rations to avoid a fight was worth it. Sure they had the healing magic to avoid death but why push it. Then again, feeding wild animals could also be dangerous. When they got hungry again they might come find you. And with a wolves sense of smell, they'd find you.
Cassandra sighed. At home, her village had a good standing with nearly every pack in the forest. They were like their eyes and ears if you could understand their limited speech. Boy did she miss Fiona. Only wolf that would get close to her. Keeping her eyes on the pack, Cassandra reaches into her pack and grabs a handful of dried jerky. She tosses the lot a decent ways up the hill and backs off to the side, being mindful of the horses still.
"Pack eats. We leave."
The wolves are quick to fall upon the jerked meat. They circle a few times, making short barks and occasionally batting at each other, before lying down to chew on the hard jerky. It's almost adorable, though their lean, feral natures occasionally come to the fore when they look up and gaze at you with icy blue eyes.
The wolves seem satisfied, though, or at least the pay have reached some sort of detente with Cassie, whose "wolf whisperer" ability is a slight surprise.
The extra emphasis on human made Cassandra flinch. It made her very aware of the difference between her and a normal human. Carinna was right, no human could communicate with wolves, or any other animal, as innately as she could. But that wasn't something to be ashamed of either. She was okay with who and what she was. It was about time the others where too.
"That's because I am not," she says with conviction. Cassandra stands tall and turns slowly to the others still fully transformed. There is an uncanny similarity between her and the feral wolves attacking the jerky. Same icy, blue eyes, dark fur and a slightly elongated mouth. But there is also a very human intelligence behind those eyes. And they look both determined and a little hopeful. "Hope that isn't a problem. We should leave before they finish and decide they are still hungry. If we loose a horse we'll lose a lot of speed."
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Carinna raises an eyebrow, releases the air that she was not aware she was holding and also loosens the grip on her sword.
Well... this explains a lot!
"A skinwalker? For a moment I feared that you were a werewolf... that explains a lot!" She then changes to a little darker tone before turning her horse towards south. "I fully understand why you kept this secret until now but I'd have liked to know this since the beginning..."
Cassandra circles in front of Carinna's horse and takes few steps towards it, just close enough that experience told her was the point they got nervous. The animal immediately becomes tense and takes few quick, uncontrollable steps backwards. And no amount of urging from Carinna will move it forward. "No, you wouldn't. Trust me. It never works out. You've seen people's reaction to Telmarni's wings. Imagine if they thought she could turn them into a Strix." Cassandra shifts back to a more human appearance. But now the wild features that seem out of the norm for humans are more poignant. Even in this form, the horses will not move an inch forward. "I need to be here," Cassandra says slowly, putting as much emphasis as she can on her words to drive home the point. "A lot of people are relying on me. So I hope you will keep this a secret until I have proven myself no danger to anyone. It is very important I disprove the stigma against others like me." Though she doesn't say it out, its easy to read the words she is holding back. "Please, believe me."
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"I think you are forgetting to whom you are talking Cassandra... when Telmarni was presented to you, she was already part of my family, having the full endorsement of my family and the swordlords. When I first met her, she had no such things and everyone would have considered her a monster but not me..." She glanced at Telmarni. "I trusted her from the beginning and I'd have trusted you in the same way... I'm not saying this only because of me but people, those who trust you, might feel a little betrayed because they trusted YOU and you did not trusted them... I do not see how this is a good way to disprove a stigma."
"No. I haven't. You are a human and you are an exception not the majority," she says starting to get a little heated. "Besides, trust takes time to build. We've been together, what, less than a month. You expect me to reveal a deeply personal fact about myself in that amount of time? If we hadn't run into this situation you still wouldn't know. You only know now because I would have had to lie." The heat in her words dissipates. She turns slightly away and speaks softly, almost too low to hear since she has to maintain distance from the horses. "I have not lied to you. Yes I have avoided the truth but I have good cause to. You may sympathize with me but you will never know the fear of growing to comfortable around people. The fear any word that escapes our lips might lead to suspicion or doubt. The fear of every look our way that might reveal something wrong. The fear of what's inside us." It seems she is no longer speaking about only herself anymore. She turns back and stands tall once again. "The fear that we will be treated like monsters just because we look like one. People see what they want to see and ignore everything else that goes against it. That's why its better to look like everyone else first if possible."
When Cassandra revealed herself, Telmarni was a bit surprised, but thinks clicked together.
So that is why the horses don't like to be around her. She ponders a bit. "We're all different, more ways than one. You are somewhat lucky, you can choose to look like a normal human being. While I have wings, and rather hard nails." She looks a bit bashful after that comment. "Anyway. There will be other things that people will have against us. Be it what we look like, our gender, or even what we do. So..." She rubs the back of her own neck. "Well, what I am trying to say, it doesn't really matter? We are all weird in our own way. And since you overcame the wolves, we should head on out and get ready for more exploration." She moves back to her horse and mounts it.
Hatch looks very nervous, even wringing his hands slightly, and then he suddenly blurts out, "All I know is, Cassie is my friend."
Vance looks slightly amused by this outburst, but he doesn't say anything -- he watches carefully, like an old dog watching to see which wolf is going to win in a scuffle.
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Carinna puts her hands up in a clear sign that she had enough of this conversation. "Fine! So, just to make things clear, this time we have been working together, barely a month, is enough for you to trust us now? As I said, I have trusted you all since we received this charter from the Swordlords and I'd like to be trusted as well since I've never failed with word or actions... I can only fight besides those who trust me."
She looks at Hatch before continuing. "I also regard Cassandra as a friend... I'm just worried if the sentiment goes in both ways... this lone wolf thing will not get you far, Cassie..."
"No, you miss the..." Cassandra stops and sighs, one hand going to her head to rub her temples in an annoyed gesture. "Nevermind." She looks to Korinne and says, "I hope not." And then to Telmarni, "Your right. We shouldn't hash this out here. It can wait for camp." Cassandra waits for the others to mount up before taking point again.
That night when they set up camp, Cassandra goes about her normal routine of checking the general area for passage of animals, making sure nothing big had been through recently. But she remains tense as the group is unusually silent. I shouldn't have said anything. Should have lied. It never turns out well, was the prevailing thought. They'd all fall apart and it would be her fault. Even after she had done all her chores she continues to find something to busy herself. Che knows she's just playing for time but she can't find the courage to approach Carinna. She fidgets at the edge of the camp trying to think of what to say. But nothing comes to mind. So she turns to Telmarni. "If you had a choice would you hide your wings? Should I have just lied?"
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After helping setting up camp, Telmarni watches the fire snap and pop. Pondering the situation of the day at hand, she feels slightly... lighter in mood. She wasn't the only creature that was among humans that simply looked similar. Cassandra was something else as well. She can easily fit in. I don't see why she is worried about that. And Cari is being herself. I think she meant that she wants to work closer together. Open. She wonders. Deciding to go over her spellbook, she goes over the spells she knows.
Hearing Cassandra ask her the question. Telmarni can't help but to shrug. She starts in a quiet tone. "I really couldn't say. If I didn't have wings, I'd be a normal human being. And not someone's property when I was a child. But then again, where I was brought up, I doubt that would have changed anything." She closes the book, and turns her focus to Cassandra. "I do know one thing, these wings helped me when I needed them. Helped me get away when I had the chance, and I flew. So I am grateful for that. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are." Telmarni stands and walks over to Cassandra to sit next to her. "What ever you want to be is... Well, open out here. No need to ever really need to hide yourself, right?"
Telmarni sighs a little bit. "There is maybe one time I was concerned about my wings. Let me tell you." She pulls her knees up to her chest and ponders a bit before speaking. "After I... Left my old life, I flew far. Farther then I have ever known. And landed upon the foot of a mountain, of which I don't even know the name of today. Where a troll came across me when I was resting, fierce and ugly. It caught me and slammed me to the ground, and everything went dark." She hugs her legs as she rests her head upon her knees. "I thought I was going to die, or be horribly maimed. But when I came too, I was in a carriage, with my head on a lap of a woman, who was asleep with her hand on my head." Telmarni relaxes a bit. "When I started to move, a man spoke. He told me I was safe, and that they would take care of me. I wondered why these... Humans would do that. That they would just drop their hatred and vile for a child that wasn't even their own... But those two taught me that humans, and honestly, everyone is different. And I wished to be more like them." Her wings become a bit more bushy. "And I wanted to remove the two things that truly set me apart from them, my wings." She wraps one of her wings around herself, and another around Cassandra. "I wanted them clipped so they could have a normal human child. But they forbid it. And I wondered why, and they told me. The man, who I call my father now, told me that they are mine. And no one should remove them when you should me accepted for who you are, and what you do. Not as you were born out to be." She turns her head to Cassandra and has a soft smile upon her face. "So, don't hide what you are, even though it is easier for you. Show them, all of them, of and what you can do." She unfurls her wings from around them and stands. he grins. "Then again, I am woefully rather blunt. And I don't really care much about what others think of me. If I can help my family and friends, then I will do what I can." She dusts off her tush and looks around, not really caring right now if anyone else heard all of that. "Well, I should prepare for the night watch, so excuse me." She waves as she walks off to find a suitable place to watch over the camp.
Camp is tense, but sleep washes a way a host of ills.
You finish exploration of an area to the southeast quickly and find a river; after checking the maps, Hatch declares that it is the Shrike River. Following it a short distance, you come to a heavy, soggy rope that crosses the river. A damaged sign near one end of the rope reads:
NETTLES CROSSING
5 coppers
Ring bell for service
A small, rusty (but still functional!) cast iron bell hangs from a string on the sign.
You also discover the burned remnants of stumps in the ground that show where there was once an old bridge.
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Carinna looks at Cassandra and Telmarni from a distance as the two talk in private and sighs. What can I do to make her understand that we are a team now? Why does she need to be so stubborn and turn everything in a discussion?
Korinne's question brings her out of her thoughts. "Yeah... I think so? I can only say on my part... I think we just have to learn to not talk about some subjects with Cass... I only said that I'd have liked to know from the beginning and she lost it! She is right about the dilemma between her people and our people but this is not the case here so why to fight?" She sighed again. "She was so afraid of us, humans, judging her for her race that she judged us for ours..."
"Perhaps there are faeries nearby and this is their territory..." She looks around, searching for anywhere that an enemy could be hiding.
"I think you should just ring it, Kor... I know you want to!"
Cassandra hadn't expected a story. But as Telmarni kept talking, Cassandra found herself getting emotional involved. She felt sad hearing the Strix had almost died, happy to hear how she was saved, and thoughtful about the advice given by her adoptive father. By the end she was very appreciative of the perspective. She had never feared what she was, only what others thought. But it finally struck her how that was the same thing. She was afraid of what she was in other people's eyes. She never realized that being able to hide her true nature was actually a weakness, not a strength. She looked over at Telmarni with a new since of respect. She was far stronger than she thought.
In the morning Cassandra, approaches Carinna and holds out her hand. "Hi. My name is Cassandra Lupin. I'm a Skinwalker. That means I can shift my physical form to take on the traits of certain animals. I can become lithe like a hunting cat, strong like a wolf or tough like a bear. That does not mean their instincts rule me. I hope that doesn't make anyone nervous." She looks around at the others, especially Telmarni, before turning back to Carinna. She remains in human form through this though. Just because she was no longer afraid to shift in front of them didn't mean she was going to waste the versatility of it. Each time she changed it took a little more out of her. And each time she did it she could change the aspects to best suit the situation. Not something to be taken likely or to prove a point.
While the others discuss the bell Cassandra, walks to over the post and tests the rope. Maybe it was sturdy enough to support her weight. Or if nothing else, she could find a large log and float over. But sis they need to? "I think we could cross if wanted to but this seems a good southern stopping point for now. If there was a crossing here its unlikely we'll see one for a while."
While riding along, Telmarni can only hope that her speach helped Cassandra.
And when they reached what was once a crossing, Telmarni can't help but be a bit curious about it. She dismounts to check out the location.
Looking around, she notes the location of a few stumps for the foundation of a bridge. It must have been a long time ago since it was here. "Maybe this was here a long time. I mean, the sign is damaged from who knows what. And this bell..." She walks over to the bell and rings it absentmindedly. "It is old enough to be encrusted in rust. If this was a crossing at all, it was long before our time..." She notes the sign again. "And there is a problem with that fairies theory. Why would they put up a sign in common, and what would they need for a few coins of copper?"
The rope is sodden and old. It could hold Cassandra's weight, but more than that would probably test it to its limits.
The water makes the rope slippery. Climbing across it would be a bit tricky, and failing would subject one to a fall into the Shrike river below, which is fairly fast-moving. Debris clogs part of the riverways to the southwest, which would make it possible to snag a rock or tree branch and avoid being swept away completely, but it would still not be a fun ride.
Suddenly, the small iron bell rings, as of its own accord. You hear a tiny heeheehee of amusement.
NOTE: Telmarni beat me to posting, so this happens just as she is reaching out to idly push the bell.
Moments later the river to the southwest, near the pile of debris, starts to bubble and froth. A skinless, rotting hand clutches a chunk of burned and broken wood, and a corpse pulls itself from the water. It clambers up on to the debris, clutching a long pole that ends in a two-foot-long spike and a pair of hooks like those used by fishermen or loggers to snag things in the river. The undead creature turns to face you and steps out on to the water without sinking, then pauses and shouts in a burbling voice like a drowning man trying to choke out last words: "You... you are not my tormentors! Throw in the Stag Lord's body that I may look upon his death... or join me instead!"
There is a sharp intake of breath near the small iron bell, and suddenly a small pfff sound and a puff of white smoke. You see what looks like a tiny dragon with iridescent butterfly wings appear next to the bell. Its tiny forepaws smack against the sides of its snout and it lets out a high-pitched "Eeeee!" as it looks on in terror, staring at the vengeful cadaver.
Cassandra jumps like a startled cat at the sound the bell makes. It shouldn't have been that loud right? When the waters of the river begin frothing, she places a hand on her bow. It seemed an odd coincidence. And she was right. An obviously undead creature hauls its desiccated corpse out of the water. Before it is even all the way out she has her bow in hand and an arrow knocked and ready. But she doesn't loose it at the undead. She was too confused to fire. Stag Lord? Wasn't that... A high pitched cry of fear startles her. Acting on instinct she turns and fires towards the sound
and hits the post with a solid thunk. Only then did she register what she was shooting at.
Telmarni does a double-take. "Huh? I didn't touch it..." She turns to the sound of the bubbling. Her wings are flared and ready to fly when she sees the undead creature pull itself out of the water. What in the nine hells...! She thinks, and repeats herself. "What in the Nine Hells!... Huh!?" She notices the little dragon creature appear next to her at the bell. "What? Um... Um... I am confused." She takes a few steps closer to the group, dodging Cassandra's arrow as it hits the sign.
She looks towards the Undead, then to the little dragon, and then finally back to the group in a confused fashion. Telmarni takes a deep breath. Okay, Undead are dangerous. This little dragon thingy looks childish, so no need to worry about it right now. Undead first." Regaining her resolve, she turns to the undead. Remembering the sign, she draws out her scimitar. "Are you...Nettle? Who is this Stag Lord you speak of? Um, does his followers wear silver stag amulets?"
The cadaver pauses on the waters of the river and then gurgles, "The Stag Lord and his men destroyed me! Destroyed my life! Hurl his broken body into the waters of the river so that I may know that I have had my vengeance!"
Yep. No idea what it was. It didn't seem dangerous, certainly not compared to the undead. Cassandra makes slow movements as she draws closer to the others. "Say yes and let's get out of here. Looks like a strong, vengeful spirit," she counsels.
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Carinna smiles when Cassandra offers her hand and she grabs it without any hesitation. "Nice to meet you, Cassandra. You have an wondrous gift and I'm happy and pleased to have you by my side."
"I agree with you, Cass..." She then directs herself to the cadaver. "So we shall be the instruments of your revenge. We'll give you the Stag Lord's body so you can have your revenge and finally rest in peace, leaving behind the world that you do not belong anymore." Carinna makes no threat but her speech makes clear that it is a deal and, once finished, the cadaver would leave the river.
The cadaver makes a creaking sound as the tendons in its neck snap and twist while it cranes its head, rotating it to one side as if to scrutinize the group with its milky-white dead eyes.
Then, as quickly as it came, it sinks under the water in a flash without leaving even a ripple in the surface.
Telmarni discovers that the tiny dragon is clutching at her sleeve. It says in a comically high-pitched little voice, "That was terrifying!"
Telmarni glances at the little dragon then back to the water's servace. "Yes. Rather unnerving too." She swallows as she turns to the rest of the group. "Um... Guess we've something else that we have to do. And um..." She looks down at the dragon. "Hello. Um... It is nice to meet you?... " Telmarni looks a bit confused as she looks to the rest of the group.
The tiny butterfly-winged dragon releases Telmarni's sleeve, flies in a small loop, then flaps up and lands on her head.
In a squeaky voice it says, "I'm Perlivash! I am a majestic dragon." He stretches out his small neck proudly, purses his draconic snout, and blows out one small rainbow-colored smoke ring.
"You're Telmarni, and those are your friends Cassandra, and Korinne, and Carinna, and Valeska, and Hatch, and Vance. You're all here to kick out the bad bigginses, right?"
Vance stiffens as the tiny creature says his name, then purses his lips and says nothing.
Perlivash twirls its little paws together, then scrapes his claws against one another in a move reminiscent of a nervous person digging at their fingernails.
"Oh, a little while now. Since you visited the forest! My friend Tyg and I have been watching you come and go."
Cassandra sighs in relief when the vengeful undead sinks back in the water. She spins and levels an angry look at the tiny dragon but it quickly fades. She doubted it knew that was going to happen considering it reaction. But she still approaches cautiously, sniffing the air.
"Your the flower prankster aren't you?" she says with a look of recognition. "And the nasty waterskin?"
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Carinna smiles at Cassandra's question. She, somehow, knew she was right. "Nice to meet you Perlivash, the majestic dragon. You are right, of course, both regarding our names and our purpose around here but you forgot one thing... to make friends with the majestic kin of yours... if you wish such a thing." She bows slightly before continuing. "I also should congratulate you for your pranks and assure you that we are not offended or angry... And this friend of yours, Tyg, I'm also interested in meeting him, if it is of his liking."
Perlivash lifts into the air with his tiny, fast wings and buzzes over in front of Carinna, then stays hovering in front of her for about three seconds (which clearly takes some effort on his part) as he examines her face carefully. Then he makes a tiny aerial backflip and buzzes over to land on her shoulder. He rubs his scaly head against her neck, much like a cat.
"I like you!" he says in his squeaky voice. "The flour trick was mine, but the waterskin was Tyg."
There is another similar pff sound and from behind a tree you see, leaning out and peeking at you with curious eyes, a strange faerie creature. It (she?) resembles the upper body of a tiny elf woman affixed on the lower body of a large cricket -- of a size similar to Perlivash, about like a cat.
"H-hello," says the small faerie creature nervously in a light, chiming voice. "How do you do? I am named Tyg-Titter-Tut, but my friends simply call me Tyg."
"Ah, it is nice to meet you Perlivash." Telmarni can't help but to smile somewhat as she watches the little dragon fly around.
Hearing the slight puff sound, Telmarni looks over and sees the new creature saying hello.
She smiles and waves to the little creature. "So your friend Tyg is a Grig, and you..." She turns back to the dragon. "Are a Fairie Dragon. It is nice to meet both of you. I am kinda surprised you followed us though. Though I guess the old dead guy gave you two a scare instead." Telmarni smirks at the thought.
"Grig!" Cassandra says excitedly. For some unknown reason she drops into stance sort of like a feline ready to pounce. And before anyone can question it, she shoots after the grig, a mischievous look in her eye. "Play the song." comes the excited yell of a skinwalker who has apparently lost her mind.
Tyg-Titter-Tut starts suddenly and then leaps like a giant cicada, trying to flee from Cassandra. The two run in circles around the tree twice, then Tyg-Titter-Tut takes off into the air (she seems to also have cricket-like wings with which she can fly) and starts getting a little distance away from Cassandra. Cassandra follows as fast as she can, almost hunched over and running on all fours, though the grig gets a bit of distance ahead of her.
Perlivash rolls over on his back and starts pointing at the grig and laughing, a tiny familiar tinkling giggle.
The grig looks rather startled and panicked and at about 40' from the party she starts rubbing her hind legs together like a fiddle, which creates a whirling, maddening sort of jig-like music.
Though the magical strains of music are too far away to ensnare the rest of the party, you can certainly tell that it's faerie music, both rustic and eerie.
Vance clutches his bow tightly and says, "'taint no good to antagonize the Fair Folk."
Perlivash pauses in his laughter when Vance says that, then shifts his pointing to the woodsman and laughs even harder, rolling around on his back on Carinna's shoulder. He falls off and manages to halt his descent in mid-air, flies upward to face level again, then exhales a puff of rainbow-colored gas in Vance's face.
The woodsman coughs, staggers backward, and waves a hand in front of his face. Then his hand drops to his belt-dagger, and Perlivash lets out a startled "eep!" and scampers aerially back behind Carinna, wrapping around her shoulders as if he's a draconic shawl.
Now that Tyg had stopped to play, Cassandra barrels in for the catch. The grig's song was no match for the wild exuberance of the hunter. Cassandra snatches the grig off the ground forcefully but still gently. "Ha. Got one." She looks up at the terrified grig with uncontrolled happiness. "Now you have to play the real song." Obviously this will be met with odd looks from the others. "What? Don't you know the legend?" At their continued confusion she elaborates. "Every grig has hidden jig not the one that leaves you stuck. The hidden jig of the jumpy grig will bring all good luck."
"...right?" she asks the grig above her head.