Asthera Land of Magic

"If anyone is going to back out, now would be the time."

Honoka felt like everyone was watching her, waiting to see if she would back out. It was what her instincts told her to do; back out now and move on.
She looked back over her shoulder at Amirriah. The woman gave her a reassuring smile. Honoka nodded. She would go with the group.
Honoka got up from the table and grabbed her bag, setting it on the floor near her. "Can I leave my stuff here?" she asked the woman. She knew Amirriah wouldn't object. She unloaded her extra tunic. It was wet and and old. It didn't fit very well when dry. "I'll throw it away. Don't worry. I won't mess up your house." She set a few items on the table; flint and tinder, eating utensils, and other things that would likely be of no use.
She kept the valuables rapped in the towel in her bag, her drawing pencils, paper and her pouch of white powder. The powder might come in handy in caves. The paper and pencils would be a plus if she got bored.

"WOOHOO! This is gonna be great!" Lorraine shouted with joy, dancing about a bit.

But the she dropped to a very quiet whisper, going very still, "I know I'll get the tape for this but I just wanted to remind ya'll that were going to have to hit the forest right as we get out of the city gate. There are only two or three rest points from here to the caves, one of them being my masters home, So remember to pack really really well."

Dropping back into silly again she giggled and laughed, "Mis. Amirrah? Can I make a quick snack? I saw some old grains in the back that are seconds away from going bad...please?"

[OOC, I'm dropping that silly orange font for Arroun. Too hard to read.]

Arroun watched Lorraine bounce around the room as he settled back into his seat, taking up the damaged ppuzzle again. "Not like I have any other plans, but if I'm to sign on with an expedition, I might do better with some idea of what we're doing when we get there." Tapping his ear, he continued, "I admit, I overheard a few snatches of conversation through the floor of your room at the Blind Basilisk. Umm, I wasn't eavesdropping, it's just... the lizard-girl's voice carries. I didn't hear much though, just enough to pique my curiosity. I admit to waiting outside to see who you were, as well."

Arroun sat back, holding up the puzzle in his hand in a placating gesture, "It's not everyday I meet another mage," he said in a low voice that wouldn't carry through walls or windows, "And certainly not a whole group of them. I hadn't expected them to land on me, of course." He laughed softly. "Well, I know you don't know me from Hrektha, but I'd be honored if you allowed me to tag along. If you're going where I believe you're going," at this point Arroun's voice dropped to a pitch that wouldn't carry though windows or walls. He might not understand Ventora's reasons for his secretiveness, but he at least understood that the man was concerned lest they be overheard. "I can be of use. I'm no stranger to what you city folk call the wild, and I'm as good a climber as you'll ever meet. And you won't go hungry for my lack of supplies. Quie the contrary, in fact." He held up his left arm, indicating the leather thong that wrapped his wrist, and the little pouch weighed down with something round and heavy. A sling, ready to hand, with an iron ball the size of a quail's egg in the pouch.

"So, will you allow me to come along?"

"So, will you allow me to come along?"

Ventora considered the wildling's question, after hearing his skills he decided it'd be best to have him, and it would be nice to have someone else who understood discretion. "Yes, you can come." He looked at them all, and smiled. He thought to himself 'I never expected to put my future in the hands of such a varied group I just met.' His hand subconsciously went to the ruby concealed at his neck, as he thought of his parents. 'I wonder what they'd think of me..?' He turned his attention to outside, seeing the sun finally dipping below the horizon. "Whatever final things anyone needs to do, do them now. And Arroun, if you would help me find some tape for Lorraine please?" He said the last part with a half smile.

He stayed where he was, he leaned against the wall and waited while the others finished whatever else they had to do, he thought of their journey, of their chance of success, and he thought of his future if... when they succeed.

When everyone else had made their final preparations, he looked at them all, "Traveling in a group as we are through the city would arouse quite a bit of suspicion, at least on my part, the rest of you should be fine, so I'm going to go ahead to the gate, I'll be waiting about a mile outside the walls for you all. Please be careful." He walked out of the house and headed towards the gate they were leaving from. His ulterior motive was to see if whoever was following them that wasn't montcrief's would confront him when he left the city, and he didn't want the rest of them entangled in something like that so quickly after leaving. Plus, he "technically" couldn't leave the city, the guild mates weren't exactly allowed to travel to and from easily. And the gate guards were instructed on all known members of the thieves guild.

So instead of walking through the gate, he climbed the wall, dodging the watching guards, and climbed back down on the other side. He walked a bit from the walls, until he reached where he would wait for both his group and whoever else would come. He pulled his cloak tight around him and sat against a tree, blending into the shadows.

Janna had takem Honoka's things and tucked them away. Amirriah gave Lorraine a quick nod as permission to go make her snack. When gave them time to finish their preparations she triple checked the bags she packed be for tossing the smaller Kollon, who tied it to his belt.

Amirriah watched Ventora go quietly. She Waited a few moments before slipping on her bag and drapping her cloak around herself. "Well I'm ready to head out when everyone else is." she said as she grabbed her staff from it's place by the door. Kollon voice his affirmative to being as ready as he would ever be. The two of them stood by the door and silently waited for everyone else.

Honoka sat watching the others. She could still back out if she wanted to. She did, but she had nowhere else to go. She gave a small sigh and got up, grabbed her bag with her few things she was taking and joined Amirriah at the door. She was hoping they'd leave quickly before she got cold feet and ran away.
"I'm uh... I'm... ready." she stammered. She stood between Amiriah and the wilding. She felt safer between the two of them, mostly because it kept the girl from grabbing her and dragging her out more windows.

The men standing outside keeping an eye on the house, watch as Ventora slips out and moves toward the city wall. One of the men darts toward the main hall to alert Allond that Ventora is likely on the move. Allond will do, if anything to support Ventora is his assignment. What Allond can be counted on, is to insure their safe exit and return inside the city and also to serve as a reminder to others that they work for him.
One of the women on guard spots a lame beggar moving through the streets. He asks her for alms, but she refuses and the man continues trudging along. As he nears the house he settles against a wall, using it for support so he may rest.

Once alerted Allond merely smiles, rises, stretches and walks toward the kitchen for food.

It's nightfall and the town is finally winding down for the day. A lot of work has been accomplished, but it is merely a few grains of sand among a great beach. Man revelers take their daily pay and merrily work their way toward the Blind Basilisk and a few other inns to eat.
The guards are on alert as they always are when night falls. The bells of the high tower sound, warning all outside the city that the gates will soon close and those wishing to get into the city or out of the city must hurry or be trapped where they are for the night. The gates will remain open until forty minutes past dark when the bells of the high tower will toll, signalling that the town is closed. 

The weather is cool, with soft winds blowing through the town. It's a refreshing change from the night before when the howling winds practically ripped the city apart. The watch moves through the town checking everyone, making sure no one's pockets get picked and that the happily workers don't become drunken thugs.

Arroun's smile grew more speculative after Ventora left. He did have an idea which caves the group was talking about going to, though little he knew of them was concrete. The common factor in all the stories, though, was that the area was dangerous.

Arroun had nothing to pack, of course. Needed little, at that. He held the puzzle for a moment, then set it on Amirriah's table. Digging into his bag, he brought out the sack of scrap metal and set it next to the puzzle. He wasn't going to need it, and the sack was heavy. What was left in his bag would more than suffice to spend a few days in the forest. He slung the bag across his chest, then checked the slip-knot that held his sling to his wrist. When Honoka moved next to him, he looked up, still fiddling with the leather thong. His lips quirked slightly, and his tail curled, the tip softly brushing the girl's hand.

"So, I suppose the next question is, shall we head straight for your rendezvous, or see if we can't shake the men that followed you from the inn?" Arroun grinned as he tweaked the strap of his bag. Ventora wasn't the only one with sharp eyes and instincts, and Arroun had grown up in the forests, where being followed often meant being eaten, if one weren't careful. "I don't think they mean to hurt you, but skulking around like they are is hardly neighborly. If you'd like, I could give them a bit of sport, and join you outside the walls, or we could simply split into smaller groups and see who they follow."

Lorraine was quick; her 'snack' a was just a combo of grains covered in honey making little grain balls. The forest had plenty of bees so honey was never hard to come by, and was a Summerset favorite.

Most normal recipes would end there, but this was not really a snack. Lorraine didn't like lying but the last time she mentioned man eating plants in the woods nobody would follow her. She placed her hands over the grains.

Tapping into senses she didn't normally use she felt the broken bottle round her neck vibrate. It took longer to manifest this power then her lighting but this had to be done.

A liquid started to form in her hands; a slickly pail green, much like stagnant water, infused with the grains. If one were to have these snacks now they would be lucky to live for 20 minutes.

Finished, but feeling a little drained, she smiled and packed them away.

Quickly she rushed back, "All done! I made the weedkil-SNACK. Made my snack! Now I'm ready for anything!"

Amirriah looked down at Honoka with a small half smile, completely aware she wasn't to keen on going. Her smile turned into a slight smirk as she caught Arroun's tail brushing the girl's hand.

"None of that should be necessary." Amirriah said to the wildling. "Those men work for Ventora's boss, and shouldn't be and issue. At most they'll just follow us to the city gate and make sure we get out without any fuss. I think we should just head for the walls and leave before they shut up for the night."

She wasn't about to mention the new presence she sensed outside. This one she wasn't too sure of, but she didn't want to worry everyone else. He didn't seem like a threat, but you could never be too careful. Amirriah was sure by now news of their journey had reached unsavory ears by way of little spies that were all over town. If the man was from one of guilds it would be better if they had Ventora there to deal with it. Though, should worst come to worst, she knew Kollon could drop the man with in seconds.

She gave Lorraine a smile when she rushed back into the room. "So, off we go then?" she asked as she stepped closer to the door.

Honoka smiled and nodded. She gently pulled Amirriah out the front door and into the street. "The sooner we get going, the better off I'll be." she thought.
On the street she stopped pulling. She thought she knew where the gate was, but she wasn't totally sure how to navigate the streets to get there. If she wandered long enough, she'd eventually find the gate. But that could take up to an hour, depending on how close they were and how easiy the streets were to walk. These people were from the town, they'd know how to get out.
As they walked Honoka said nothing. She thought about her life, her family, the people she had met along her journey. She had been lucky so far. One day her luck would run out. Being in a group might make her uneasy, but if the odds were going to catch up to her and she was going to be in trouble it was better to be with others than alone --Maybe.

Arroun frowned slightly at Amirriah's reply, his tail rippling down its length until the tip whipped across the. Shrugging, he hitched his bag on his shoulder. "As you say."

Following the girls out the door, his eyes settled on the men he had spotted earlier, then scanned the rest of the street. No-one else looked particularly out of place, but he figured there would be at least one more he didn't notice. Returning to the known followers, Arroun waited until he saw them look at him, then grinned widely, flashing teeth that were at least slightly sharper than human. His tail curled into an amused question mark as he held the grin for a second, then laughed and hurried after the girls. Let the men take that as they would.

Lorraine watched as Arroun taunted Almonds men. That looked like fun so After he ran she rushed up to them, put a bit of her 'snack' in there hands, gave them a wink, and ran off in silent giggles. No one ever gets enough to eat in this town, and a nice little snack like that? Probably gone faster then lightning.

They made it to the wall in record time; Lorraine and Amirrah knew the town like the back of there hands. Which was good as they had about 15 minutes before heads would turn. Rushing through the gates, the guards gave barely a glance. Mr. Almond might have probably paid them off to think nothing of there marry band.

"A mile out a mile out...hay that's when the tree line starts!" she spoke to dear friend Honoka. That might comfort her as she always liked being hidden or hiding. When they got there they ducked low. They had no idea where Ventura was but he'd probably been watching. He'll be here soon.

Lorraine smiled and hummed a bit, happily waiting for her buddies to catch their breath and regroup.

"So are you all ready for the sleepwalkers?" her smile was unusually large and rather mischievous.

The men watch as the group exit the house. They're caught off guard by Arroun's flashing teeth, but not enough to warrant a major response. They're certain he's doing it because he can. After-all, what are they going to do about it? They're job is to watch the group as it leaves town, making sure it gets to the gate and on the road without an issue.
They follow the group through the town. They make no effort to hide their presence; 1. because it would be useless, since they've been spotted and 2. because they're job is to protect them to the city gate, not use them as bait.
Once they're at the gate, the men slink back into the shadows and disappear. There are a couple of people outside the city, but they're not going to follow. This is Ventora's party adventure. He needs to prove himself -- all of them do.

************
The Guild Lord's men are another story. They've settled in different locations along the road. A few of the men are experts in conceal and track, but not all. He wants Ventora and Arroun to know a couple of his men are there, but not all. The Guild Lord has decided he wants Arroun eliminated, but it should look natural.
Allond's plan needs to play out naturally: If it succeeds -- Good. If it fails -- Fine. But that doesn't mean that Arroun has to survive it. It just has to look natural -- throat slit is not natural.

*************************
For Ventora:

The road will wind you along the city wall and then through the woods for about a mile. Then you will turn toward the cliffs when you come to an old stone marker that is still there providing directions to the cliff area you want to go. The road is over grown with grass and vegetation, but you can just make out where the road used to be (some areas more tamped down, a few stones can be seen, etc)
There are few really dangerous animals or other dangerous things along the road that takes you to the marker. The town would have wiped them out. But the terrain is less known heading toward the cliffs. There will likely be few really dangerous things in the wooded area heading toward the cliffs

The group seemed strange to Honoka. She wondered how such an odd group of people could do this task. She had only heard small parts of whatever they were going to do; they were going to the cliffs and whatever or whomever they were looking for was probably insane and possibly still alive and if he was, he was probably dangerous.
Honoka stood between Arroun and Amirriah. She seemed like a frightened child with her parents or guardians.
Honoka was afraid, it was her nature to be scared at things that she didn't know or understand. But this was more frightening because she had to trust complete strangers. Trust was not something that came easy for her. But she was trying.
She waited for Ventora to appear and give instructions.
The area outside the gate and the roads had been cleared. They were still muddy, but they were much better than they were last night. She could make out the silhouettes of the ships in the water. They bobbed up and down in the calm evening like they were resting and recovering from last night. The shapes of the buildings looked well preserved, the dark hiding the true damage they suffered from the storm. She couldn't see the holes, missing doors, and other damage because of the night and distance.

"How many people died last night?" she wondered. "How many more will die from their injuries." She had seen bad storms before and the death count always rose for several days after the storm from injuries, diseases, etc.
Honoka shivered. And waited

Arroun scanned the surroundings carefully as they made their way to the gate. The men following them made little effort to hide their presence, which made Arroun's tail want to fuzz. Something else makes his tail want to puff up; he has the eerie feeling that the men openly following aren't the only ones trailing them. Once they're through the gates, Arroun's tail relaxes a bit. If they were going to be attacked, the gate would have been the place. The tight confines of the passage through the wall would make it easy for a small group to surround them.

Now that wet grass swished between his toes, Arroun felt more at home. He'd adapted well to city life, finding it easy to pass through the crowds and tenements without forming attachments, but the city never felt natural to him. Always, he had to be on guard, ready, not for an attack, or for a predator, but for the wrong situation, the wrong turf. Summerset was a maze of gang turfs, and for a young Catharian on his own, straying into the wrong situation was a quick path to trouble.

Out here, a different, more relaxed kind of watchfulness took over. Instead of having to watch dozens of people, and analyze their behavior, and their clothes, and try to remember whether he had seen them before, all he had to do was listen and watch for movement, and keep an eye on the trail.

When Honoka paused to look back to the city, Arroun stopped with her, turning to take in the sight. "I doubt it's as many as you'd think. Most of the city is abandoned, just old tenements and warehouses standing empty since the cliff slid into the harbor." He pointed across the city and the harbor to the cliffs that once protected the port from the worst storms. One side of the sheer passage had slumped, falling out into the channel. Now, only ships with a shallow draft could enter. Larger ships had to stand out to sea and unload into longboats and barges, a dangerous undertaking in the rough seas off this coast. With the harbor partially blocked, Summerset had fallen on hard times, and many had left for better waters.

Wrapping the tip of his tail around her wrist, he turned and started after the others again. The furry grip wasn't near enough to pull her along, of course, but he waited for her to follow, hoping she wouldn't reject the contact. His nose already prickled with the faint scent of charred skin. Ventora couldn't be far off.

Making it past the gate had been the easy part. Just keep walking and don't draw too much attention. Amirriah  had repeated this to herself until they were outside Summerset's walls. But now came the real challenge: finding Ventora and making it through the night. She knew how dangerous the road was, especially at night.

Amirriah walked cautiously, one hand tightly gripping her staff, the other at her side ready to draw a dagger. Kollon kept toward the back of the group, an arrow nocked and waiting just in case. Amirriah stopped for a bit, scanning the road ahead of them and listening closely to their surroundings. She was also reading all the nearby auras, looking for Ventora and any unpleasant surprises that could be waiting. She sensed Ventora's flicker of red and orange was close by, but so were a few other auras. Some she knew to be wild animals, others she wasn't too sure of.

She looked back to the city. Allond's men had disappeared at the gate. She knew they were still being followed by someone, she just wasn't sure who. She could sense them not too far behind.

She stared at the shadowy figures of the city and harbor for a long moment. I could have left this horrid place a long time ago. she thought to herself as she thought back on her life and misfortune since her parents' death. But now isn't the time to worry on the past.

"Let's keep moving," Amirriah said hushedly,  truning bad to the road. "Ventora is waiting for us, and i think it's best we find him quickly." She began moving again, now following Ventora's aura to his hiding place.

"I doubt it's as many as you'd think. Most of the city is abandoned, just old tenements and warehouses standing empty since the cliff slid into the harbor." Arroun told her pointing to the different areas of the dock. She didn't reply, Honoka just nodded. She understood and accepted what Arroun said as being the truth. He knew the city better than she, so it had to be true.

She continued gazing at the darkened silhouettes, she didn't realize he had stepped away. Thoughts raced through her head about what the area must have looked like before the cliffs fell, tombing the bigger ships in the bay, only allowing the smaller, flat bottomed boats in-and -out.

He instruction fascinated her; partly because it was something new, and partly because it was from him. She found Arroun interesting...and truth be known, kind of cute. She could never tell him that, she was much younger than he was, and he probably had a few girlfriends. While Honoka saw herself as being an immature girl, both emotionally and physically. Her constant worrying, her exasperating fear of everything, her fragile psyche made it difficult to make friends or have companions. Someone like him would likely grow tired of her really quick.

Honoka was startled when his tail grabbed her wrist and gave a slight tug. She calmed quickly when she realized it was him. She blushed, feeling stupid for being so jumpy. She smiled and mouthed, "Sorry." at him.
Honoka grabbed her bag and excitedly padded toward him.
She gazed up in his eyes, she blushed deeper. She didn't realize how little effort she was making to hide her feelings.

"...really? Nobody wants to know about the sleepwalkers...?" Lorraine shook her head, "Normally people are very interested in the narcolepsy mages experiments. Oh well."

She spun on her heal, "I was going to sing the requiems to distract them but you all must want to see the flesh eaters in the flesh so never mind!"

With one little hop, she jumped into a tree, "So about the path were taking; I know of only three descent resting spots along it. My masters home, this big rock clearing in the middle of the woods, and the abandon town just before the caves. If you guys have any other options and rest spots speak now or forever regret your silence!"

She was a little worried nobody would hear her again; Ventora might just barely be in ear shot, Amirriah and the dude looked busy, and Honoka and Arroun looked really lost, confused, and possibly drunk.

And they really had to get a move on; those guards are probably coughing up several organs by now...

Two figures watch the party from the shadows, undetected, protected by Karperdale's protection spell.
"Where is he?" one of the figures whispers to the other.
"I don't know. This can't be good though."
"What do we do?"
"They can't stand out here all night. They'll attract attention."

The two figures lift the spell that hides them. Both of them are male, one is considerably taller than the other. Beyond the height of the man, their is nothing particularly distinguishable about either man; they look fairly ordinary, which is what a spy should be.
"Good eve." the taller man says from a distance, trying to not frighten or anger the party. "I see you are still here. This is not a safe place for you to be. Ventora will meet you at the stone in  the trees. If he is not with you by first light through the woods, go left at the marker and continue toward the old... what used to be the cliffs. Good evening."

Honoka was getting nervous.
"Where is he?" she wondered softly
When the man spoke she jumped, falling into Arroun. She clung tightly for protection in case the men meant them harm.
Honoka listened and nodded. When he finished she watched until they were gone.
"We should go." she said looking at Arroun then Amirriah. "If someone sees us, we could be in trouble. "Bad things happen at night. Bad people and things come out. They can let Ventora know we've left, or we can leave a note or something. Please."

Ventora approached the group after the two men had left them. His cloak was slightly torn in some places, and there was a small cut on his cheek. Noting their surprise first at the men, and then himself. He smirked, "So sorry about the delay, some.... things had to be taken care of... And I wanted those two to have stopped following you." They didn't need to know that he'd dealt with the other pursuers, the rival gang that had been listening on them's scouts wouldn't be seeing the city again. It was getting darker, he looked at Lorraine, smiling. "No, we don't want to hear about the sleepwalkers. And it would be a bad time for resting so soon."

He looked at the rest of the group, "Night time or no, we should keep moving, through the forest, towards where the cliffs used to be. It's a day and a halfs walk from here to our exact destination, and it will take us most of the night to get to a suitable place to rest. I can lead the way."

He looked at them all, then at the sky, trying to judge the time. "We should go, those two were right, it's not safe here."

Amirriah hadn't sensed the men, and had clutched her dagger when they appeared from nowhere. She had been  was slightly shocked they blew their cover just to help the group. She had listened to the men silently. They didn't seem like a threat, but the most dangerous people never did. She gave them a curt nod before they disappeared again.

She was revealed when Ventora showed finally made his appearance, having begun to think something bad had happened to him. She sensed he wasn't telling them the whole truth on why he had taken so long to show up, but she didn't want to pry and worry everyone else.

Amirriah dug into a small pouch on her hip and pulled out a tiny bottle of clear pale yellow liquid and a small rag. She stepped closer to Ventora as she dabbed the the ointment onto the rag. "Here, this should fix that right up," Amirriah muttered as she pressed the rag gently to Ventora's cheek. The ointment was a simple mix of herbal extracts infused with a simple healing spell to cure small cuts and abrasion.

"He is right," Amirriah said turning to look back at the rest of the group, "these woods are full of deadly things, and We are just asking to be jumped by just standing around. The sooner we get moving the sooner we get to somewhere safe." She tucked the bottle and ran back into her pouch.

Amirriah was extremely worried. She had been reading the auras as far up the road as she could manage. All she was getting were wild animals. The worrying auras she had sensed earlier were gone. But that didn't mean they were safe. If other's could shield themselves as well as those two men, the group could be in som serious trouble.

Honoka breathed a sigh of relief when Ventora arrived. She was glad he was alright and that they could finally move on. Standing in one spot made her nervous, they could be being watched right now.
The site of Ventora's face made her queasy. He had attracted some unwanted attention, since he was still standing, Honoka figured the other guy got the worst of it.

She waited patiently as Amirriah cleaned Ventora's bloodied face and then agreed with him that they should move on.
Amirriah saying she agreed with Ventora irritated the girl a bit. It was Honoka that first said they should move on, that it wasn't safe. And nobody said anything. Now that Ventora said it, she agrees.
Honoka knew she was being petty about it, but she felt like she was being ignored.
It stung, a little. But not enough that she would say anything

"How do you think I feel..." whisper Lorraine to Honoka, "I'm trying to save their hides, be the guide I joined this group for, and yet..." she giggled softly.

The group readied them selves to enter the woods, and Lorraine just quickly pivoted on her heels and rush off into the wilderness. She know this place like the back of her hand; she was sure they would eventually catch up! The first rest point was only a few miles in; and master loved visitors!