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As the Gods Will It (DudeGuy and Sorrows Solace)

Both Sarathya and Corvo were right. Rios couldn't stay here. Remaining in this town would only put those he loved in harms way. If something happened to any of them because he was stubborn? Just because he wanted to stay here with them knowing that they were in danger? There was no way that he would ever be able to forgive himself. It felt good to know that Sarathya was willing to journey with him. At least he wouldn't be out there on his own. "You're right," the young summoner said, lowering his head in defeat.

Corvo hadn't thought about it before, but there was something askew about the situation. This village was one of the safe zones in the country. Attacks happened rarely here in Coldspring, but it wasn't anything that the villagers here couldn't have handled themselves. Even with the three of them, the demon hadn't been defeated. It ran away. And then what it said, that they would be offered to it's lord. . .that was quite disturbing. Because of this, Corvo felt like it would be best if they stuck together. That would also ensure that the demon would come directly for them when it wanted it's revenge.

"Then how about the three of us travel together? Watch each other's backs? When that thing comes back, we can all face it again together," she suggested. Corvo folded her arms and looked to the villagers, each of them seemed to be considering her suggestion.

The way Rios thought about it, having another capable fighter in the group wouldn't hurt. And Sarathya seemed to get along with this mysterious woman rather well. From what he could tell, it seemed as if being around this woman was awakening or at least starting to stir the lost memories in the head of his friend. All in all, he couldn't find a reason to turn down her proposal. "That sounds fine to me," he said, looking to Sarathya for a final say so in the matter.
 
When he answered Sarathya smiled faintly and squeezed his shoulders lightly â??Very good, it may be best if you hasten home to speak to your family and father supplies.â? She suggested and paused, looking over at Corvo as she spoke and considered the matter a moment. Corvo was well able to handle herself in a fight and seemed to be quite knowledgeable of how the world worked, it was also useful for her to understand what the demon had been saying, and Sarathya could not help but think that would come up again in time.

If she had been a superstitious person, and she did not seem to be, the half-elf would state that all of them meeting in the battle like this, her decision to stay in the village and Corvoâ??s arrival was Fate, but she did not believe that. However she did acknowledge that is was not a mere coincidence and a part of her thought it was high time for her to leave. Yes, she was vaguely content being a smith, but repairing farm tools and rusty heirloom weapons did not seem to be her calling, and if it was well she would prefer to be able to have her memory intact once more and then choose her own life. Meeting the traveling swords woman had unlocked the fighting prowess that had only been guessed at and in travel, who knew what else could be learned?

Besides, she had another duty to Rios, the boy had found her, gotten her to a healer and had been a companion, no a friend, ever since. He was young yet and would need someone on the path with him, Corvo was a knowledgeable woman and would be an excellent guide but Sarathya had come to know the boy well and understood his moods and mannerisms more by simply watching him.

â??Yes, that would be best, there is strength in numbers after all.â? She stated and looked to them both â??I do not have much to pack, my weapons, rations and clothes supplied by the villagers, but that is all.â? She commented, wondering if Rios would need aid in packing, she did not recall if he had traveled much beyond his village and the bordering forest.
 
Corvo looked to her two new companions and offered them both a warm smile. It would be nice to travel with people again. Even if the circumstances that brought the two of them together weren't the best, they had all been brought together. That was what mattered. "All of my things are in the inn," she said.

"I'll head home and gather what I can," Rios said. He dismissed the two spirits that he had summoned.

"Very well then. Let's meet in front of the tavern in an hours time," Corvo said. The three of them all agreed, and went their separate ways. Corvo headed back upstairs and closed the door to her room. As soon as she was inside, she sank down to the floor, cringing in pain. The blow from that demon was starting to leave some nasty bruising. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with a healing salve and a potion. And. . .some rest. Resting would have to wait for later. She first took the potion, the healing elixir quickly going to work and toning the amount of pain she felt down considerably. Then she used the salve, rubbing the gel like substance over the marks the beast left on her toned torso.

After giving it a few minutes to get to work, Corvo gathered all of her things together. All she really had were her weapons and the two bags that she carried with her.

Rios made the trek back home in silence, wondering how he would explain this situation to his family. Ultimately, he just told them about what happened as he remembered. He arrived at the village square, saw Sarathya and the traveling woman fighting the monster. They all attacked it, wounded it, it vowed revenge, and now, he had to leave the village so that they wouldn't all be in danger when this maniacal fiend returned to get it's revenge.

His family was very understanding when he told them that he would be leaving that night, and that he didn't know when he would be back. They helped him pack and gave him plenty of food and had even tried to give him some money to take along with him. He graciously took some of the food, but rejected the money. They needed it more than he would after all. He could make plenty of money while traveling even if he had to do it standing on street corners and performing magic tricks. It took lots of arguing, but eventually, they understood. Rios embraced his parents and each of his siblings before heading out of the only home he had ever known.

Oddly enough, he always suspected that he would live and die here in the village without seeing the outside world, but it seemed as if Fate had something else in store for him.

"Well, look who's finally here," Corvo said, poking fun at Rios. Sarathya explained that he lived on the edge of town and that it would take him some time to travel, but a little humor never hurt anyone. "Well then, shall we be off," she said, looking to each of her companions.
 
Sarathya nodded and bid her farewell to the others, walking back to the forge. Entering the small place she sighed faintly, looking about the area, recalling many days and nights at work, the one place where her small world felt right. The ghost sounds of hammer against metal and the hiss of water and steel made her feel oddly saddened. This was the only home she recalled, to leave it was difficult and she packed slowly, putting away the clothing that had been made for her in exchange for her work, as well as the weapons she had been found with. There was her sword, the weapon she had used in the battle against the demon; as well there was a war knife the blade as long as her forearm, made from gleaming Elven Steel and traced with runes, the same as her sword it seemed they were a matched set. She also strapped on a brace of smaller throwing knives, adjusting the weapons belt and brace carefully.

The throwing knives rested along her torso as a sash would, and her sword and knife belt rested on her hips. She unrolled a thick blanket, looking at a well used bow made from dark lusterless wood and a sturdy quiver made from leather filled with arrows fletched with grey feathers. Lifting that onto her back she settled the bow and quiver, before placing a cloak around her shoulders. It was made from a silvery grey material that shifted and pooled like water, with a hood and was pinned with a brooch styled in a vine wrapped blade. She did not know if that was significant or not. Sarathya also packed away a care kit, whetstones, polishing rocks and cloths and settled the pack onto her back before leaving the forge after pausing at the door a moment. Next the woman walked to the inn, purchasing rations and saying farewell to the people she knew getting a surprising amount of well wishes, taking them with quiet grace. Stopping by the healerâ??s store she purchased herbs, bandages and a healers kit, meeting the others in the town square â??We are all ready it seems, do we have a destination in mind?â? she asked thinking on a question that she had not taken into consideration.
 
All eyes seemed to be on Corvo now. Rios hadn't left the village before in his life, only venturing to the edge of the forest that surrounded the town. Sarathya didn't have her memory anymore, so if she had traveled around she could not recall. "After leaving this village, I was going to head south west through the forest and into the nearest kingdom. It will take us about three days to get there if we keep up a steady travel pace," she said. A steady pace meant few stops and only resting at night time. That. . .she didn't quite see happening. It all depended on how long Rios and Sarathya could take traveling in a day. For her, she would be able to make it there early on the third day. She was expecting it to take up to four days with the three of them though. "We can take our time though, we're in no hurry."

"That sounds like as good a plan as any to me," Rios said. Of course, he really didn't know anything about the land or it's layout, where things were, the different kingdoms, the different things that the world had to offer. A part of him was afraid, but also, excited to see all of these new, different things. Though they did have a demon that wanted them dead, there seemed to be at least one good thing that was happening.
 
Sarathya fell silent and listened closely to Corvo; in this she was more knowledgeable, since the woman did not remember anything of her travels. “Do you have a map? In case we travel beyond and need to map our route further, I am sure you know the paths well but if you have not been that way in a while, would it not have changed?” she asked, having the distant sense that such a thing could happen. She nodded slowly “Very well, it is a sound plan.” She replied in agreement, nodding as she was ready the travel on. The small band began to move, entering the woods and leaving the small village behind.

Mena Firestone was uneasy, the People in this forest had been restless, speaking of a terror that they were feeling from, something that filled them with a nameless dread. The Wildmage sat in quiet meditation, a host of sparrows perched on her travel leathers and auburn hair, her eyes were closed, hands palm up on her knees.
So, it’s ahead on this path then? she asked, not speaking, using her mind’s voice instead.
Yes, something frightening, we can’t go near it. Can you get rid of it?a lead sparrow chirped anxiously
I’ll definitely give it a try, don’t ye worry. she assured them her aura warm and welcoming as the sparrows took off cheeping.
Once they were gone the woman stood carefully, hair and clothes mussed by tiny bird claws. Not bothering to neaten them she picked up her traveler’s pack and the longbow and quiver that hardly left her side. She was a slim woman with a wiry build and modest curves, her face was heart shaped, skin fair and freckled from the sun. Muscled from constant travel and being a bow user she stood at 5’5’’ and her blue green eyes were faintly worried at the People’s, known as animals by humans, fear. She began to walk down the path, waving a hello to a grazing deer and saw it bound away hearing a sound up ahead. Mena paused a moment and listened, hearing a faint rustle up ahead, the sound of approach. She sidled into the underbrush and climbed up a tree leaning against the trunk and spotted three people, a half elf, a human woman and a young man. Tilting her head she looked at a squirrel, happily munching a nut.
Are these the people that’s scaring everyone? she asked
No, they’re not, the boy comes through here a lot, chasing goats, the woman near him walks in the woods a lot alone, but they don’t scare us. He replied.
With a nod, Mena decided something, sliding off her tree and landing on the path about ten feet ahead of the traveler’s, even if they weren’t who she was looking for maybe they could help, or she could at least warn them off.
 
Corvo reached into the bag over her should and dug around, eventually extracting from it a curled up parchment. She untied the string around it, making sure to keep hold of the string, then uncurled the paper revealing a map. "I always carry one on me," she said holding it so that both Rios and Sarathya could see it. Her eyes scanned the parchment again and again, eventually finding Coldspring. "Ah, here we are. Here is Coldspring, and here are the woods," she said placing her finger on their location of the map. She traced their path to the castle that was drawn on the other side of both the forest and a small field. "This is where we are going."

She suddenly stopped when she felt a shift in the air around them. There was someone else nearby. Not a demon. . .a human? Her eye slowly shifted to the woman standing on the path just ahead of them.

Rios had been completely absorbed in the map. He was looking at all of the other places that existed in the world that he had never seen, never heard of. Mountains, ocean's, kingdoms. . .it was amazing to just know that they were there! But he found himself wanting to see them with his own two eyes. He wanted to walk around and see all of the sights, all of the people. His mind couldn't even fathom! But then he noticed that he was no longer moving. Neither was Corvo for that matter. There was someone on the path in front of them. This woman he had never seen before around Coldspring. Perhaps she was a hermit who lived in the woods?

"May we help you friend," he asked.
 
Sarathya looked over the map, none of the names or paths sparking any memory and she looked faintly disappointed, but of course recalling a lifetime of memory would not be that easy. What she had recalled so far had to be ingrained into her very being. â??It seems to be a very clear path then, one that will not be hard to walk.â? She stated and paused as she heard a faint rustling and a light thud, seeing a woman land lightly on the ground ahead. Her hand went to the hilt of her blade but the young woman did not look threatening, she still kept still, in case.

Mena nodded at the young man, he looked like a farmerâ??s lad, honest and young, but she had known many people like that that had turned away from her in the past. The half elf woman looked calm and alert, watching her every movement and she held her blade carefully as if it was a companion she was being reacquainted with. The woman with the map had an air of intense awareness around her and Mena remained calm, shrugging â??Iâ??m noâ?? sure, truth be told lad. Iâ??m looking for something in the woods, Iâ??ve heard that the animals are frightened av it, unable te get to their burrowing grounds, so Iâ??ve decided to take a look. Thought Iâ??d ask if yeâ??d seen anything odd in the woods and warn ye if ye hadnâ??t.â? she explained, tone quiet, with a thick northern burr.
 
Something in the woods that frightened the animals? That could have been any number of things. Perhaps it was the demon that they encountered earlier? Maybe it was wounded more heavily than they thought? Animals tended to stray away from spiritual beings like those. If this were the demon, they could kill it here and not have to worry about it again. Rios would be able to go back home, but something told Corvo that Sarathya wouldn't just go back. Whatever the case was, Corvo couldn't walk away from this situation. She tied the parchment back up and tucked it into her bag. "I'll help you look around," she said.

"It's my job. I can't walk away from situations like this one. I apologize in advance for dragging into these matters," Corvo added. She walked ahead of her companions and approached the woman who stepped out of the forest. She looked sturdy enough, as if she could handle herself well in a fight. She seemed to be a rather calm and level headed individual, and there was certainly no doubt in her mind that this person had a good he heart if she was doing this because there was something freighting animals.

"My name is Corvo," she said bowing to the woman before her. "This is Rios, and this is Sarathya." She gestured to them both as she said their names.

Rios nodded a hello to the woman. She didn't seem like she would try to bring them any harm, and Corvo hadn't seemed to have picked up on any danger in the woman's presence, so he guessed that she was an alright person. Sarathya's guard still seemed to be up though. Maybe there was something that she was picking up on that everyone else wasn't? "Is everything alright," he asked his friend.
 
Sarathya listened and felt herself relax faintly, the woman did not seem to be a threat, and she did not feel that sense of wrong as when the demon had arrived, but the half-elf felt that sense could not be depended on all the time. She gave a nod as Corvo offered her aid and gave their names â??I agree, if there is a threat, it must be seen to. Do you know of anything else that could be of aid?â? she asked, stepping forwards as she smiled faintly at Rios
â??Yes, nothing is amiss, it seemed best to be wary at first, however she seems to not want us harm.â? She commented, seeing Mena smile. â??
Glad ye think so maâ??am, and itâ??s good te meet ye all. My nameâ??s Mena Firestone, I have a way to track the source down, or at least get near it.â? She stated and paused a moment, looking thoughtful, worried and faintly defensive
â??Iâ??m a Wildmage, and one of the abilities av that is I can understand what animals say and speak with them. Theyâ??ve been telling me whatâ??s been going on.â? She stated, tone calm with the faint edge of someone that had said such things in the past and had almost always been disbelieved, or thought mad. But she had worked to hard to control her gift and become skilled to be ashamed of showing who she was, though the faint uneasiness that came with her explaining her power always remained.
She shrugged â??So, whatever is bothering the animals is making them flee from their homes in sheer terror, also thereâ??s a wild rabid boar somewhere around that area, all the People, erm animals warned me av that so I could try and help out. But the direction all the animals are running from is north into the forest, maybe a hour or so.â? She estimated and fell silent, looking of into the distance as if hearing a far away call â??Hm, northeast actually, near where most of the two-, ah humans make their traps. Maybe ye know av it?â? she asked, nodding at Rios, who seemed to be the most local of them all.
 
A Wildmage? Corvo hadn't ever met someone with abilities quite like those before. The ability sounded fascinating! Speaking with animals surely sounded convenient, especially out in the wilderness while they were searching for something. Finding this disturbance in the woods would surely be easier now. And should that disturbance prove to be what she thought it was? They would be at a genuine advantage here.

Traps? The traps that the villagers set to catch wild animals for food were to the northeast. It wasn't that far away. Maybe an hour in the direction that Mena told them. He had never seen her in the woods the entire time he lived in this area, which lead him to believe that she was telling the truth about her abilities. If such was the case, it was a rather fascinating skill! Much like what occurred when he summoned a spirit he guessed. "I can take us there," Rios said. If he were right about their current location, they were south of the village. Going to the northeast would take them far off of the course that Corvo had been suggesting that they traveled, but he was confident he could get them back on course after they dealt with what was disturbing the People, as Mena called the animals of the forest.

"Right then. Lead the way sir," Corvo said, giving Rios a gentle nudge to get him moving out of his thoughts and to get him to start moving through the forest. He was a good person at heart, she knew, but he all to often got caught up in his head and withdrew from the real world. There wasn't a problem with that either. Only, now they needed their tour guide to move his feet.

"Ah, yes, sorry," he said. Rios tapped the end of his staff against the ground and chanted a spell creating a small torch-like light so that he could see their surroundings more clearly. After a moment's observation, he figured out exactly where they were and began to lead the way just as the animals told Mena. About forty five minutes later, he noticed that the number of animals that scurried away was slowly decreasing. They weren't seeing nearly as many as they had been seeing. "I think we're getting close," he said.
 
Sarathya listened closely, confusion and interest on her face â??It sounds like nothing that I have heard of, but not impossible to do such a thing, it is good you are here then.â? She stated, seeing the woman relax faintly and nod, shrugging â??I agree, better for me to help out around here before moving on.â? She stated and looked at the young man, giving a quirked half-smile â??Good.â? She commented, seeing the boy lapse into a thoughtful silence and chuckled, reminded of her eldest a healer in one of the large cities, he had a tendency to withdraw from conversations as well. Watching Corvo nudge him, she began to walk as well, mind open to the voices of the People, a frown passing over her face as the voices became more shaken and more worried while time passed. Sarathya walked quickly, keeping her senses open and alert for any animals or other beasts that may emerge, finding that the pace was not grueling at all, her walks in the forest could have aided that but it seemed that she had traveled in the past as well. Time passed and Mena frowned â??Thereâ??s no animals around this area at all, nearly a 25 foot range and see there are traps ahead.â? She commented, nodding to a large hollow area as Sarathya raised a hand.
"Hush, do you hear that?� she asked, keen elven hearing picking up on the sound of a voice, coming from the pit.
It was low and hoarse and Mena blinked concentrating â??Ayeâ?¦I doâ?¦â? she murmured and called to a pheasant near the edge of trees behind them â??
'Is that whatâ??s scarinâ?? ye?' she asked, speaking aloud without realizing it
â??Yes, it is, its in that pit and its preventing me from feeding my chicks, take it away!â?? the mother pheasantâ??s voice was fussy and tense and the Wildmage shrugged
â??Alright then.â? She commented and approached the pit.

Wyn looked up, hearing people nearby and tried to call out, but only managed a small, rust croak, she was losing her voice! For a bard that was nearly disastrous but as of now she was more worried about getting out of this pit. Suddenly two faces appeared, both woman. One with auburn hair tilted her head; an expression of surprised confusion on her face, the other was a half elf, she had a brow raised in mild interest. She hoped they would either get her out instead of leaving her
Mena blinked, well this was unexpected and she exchanged a glance with Sarathya who shrugged mildly.
â??Lass, can I ask what happened?â? she queried, wondering how this slip of a girl was so terrifying.
Wyn swallowed, mouth paper dry â??I f-fell. I w-was lost and th-there was a wild b-boar, it w-was r-rabid and it ch-chased me and I tum-tumbled in here.â? She stated, voice worn from calling out, words broken with a heavy stammer.
Mena nodded, wondering again why the boar chased her if all the other animals were scared, was it because it was rabid, she shrugged that off â??Do ye know why all the animals seem to ah, run away from ye?â? she asked, seeing shame and sadness cross the girlâ??s face as she nodded
â??I can-canâ??t h-help i-it. Theyâ??re ju-just af-afraid, th-they al-always h-have bee-been, Iâ??d nev-never hu-hurt one, th-they ju-just donâ??t li-like me.â? She replied, sounding upset almost to the point of tears.
Sarathya frowned and looked at the other woman â??Perhaps it would be best to continue to ask questions once she is out of the pit, it cannot be too comfortable down there.â? She commented.
Mena blinked and smiled sheepishly â??Good plan.â? She agreed and brought a coil of rope, wrapping it around a treeâ??s trunk and tossed the other end down to the girl who grabbed it. In a few momentâ??s both Sarathya and Mena had dragged the girl from the pit and she staggered, legs numb from crouching or sitting due to an apparent injury to her ankle.
â??Than-thank you.â? She managed, looking at them all with wide blue- violet eyes. She was a small thing, only standing at about 5â??2â??â??, her well made breeches and shirt were streaked with mud and soil, and her skin was smudged as well, looking very pale under the dirt. Her hair was a muddied greyish colour and fixed in a braid that was starting to unravel. Her figure was willowy, delicate and she had a heart shaped face and slightly pointed chin. She gave a uneasy smile at everybody and Mena couldnâ??t help but chuckle, the poor thing! â??How long have ye been in there?â? she asked and the girl looked sheepish.
â??Tw-two and a h-half d-days.â? She replied as Sarathya hid a smile and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder â??You are out now and we will not harm you.â? She stated looking at the others briefly hoping they could see the girl looked utterly harmless. The girl sagged a bit in relief, refraining from clasping the womanâ??s hand in gratitude.
 
When they finally reached the point in question, everyone was surprised. What was in the pit wasn't a monster, a demon, or even the rabid boar, but a girl. It was actually quite amusing to see Mena try to carry on a conversation with the unfortunate girl who was still stuck down in the pit. Sarathya suggested they get the girl out, and they did just that. Once she was out, both Corvo and Rios were surprised, but for different reasons.

Corvo could tell with just a glance that this girl was not human. There was something. . .odd about the aura around her. At the moment, Corvo couldn't quite place it, but she knew that whatever that odd disturbance in the air around this girl was had to be the reason that they were afraid of her. She did look quite harmless though, and showed no intention of trying to cause any of them harm. Her hand moved away from the hilt of her longsword and she crossed her arms, watching the girls movements. The fall must have caused her to injure her ankle. She had just the thing to help heal it right up.

Rios thought that the girl was just adorable. She was small and delicate looking, her voice was a bit hoarse and with that stammer, managed to somehow retain a cuteness to it. Needless to see, there was an instant attraction to her the second that his eyes fell upon her. She appeared to be hurt, and had to be both hungry and thirsty after being in the trap for so long. "Well then, perhaps we should set up camp nearby? Away from the traps of course. I'm sure our friend here needs some rest. We have food and water we can share, and I'll take a look at your ankle. I'm not a healer by trade but I'm sure I can do something to help," he added with a friendly smile.

No one here had any intention of bringing harm to the girl, that much had to have been obvious to her now.
 
The aura around the girl was strange, the air around her looked faded and at times her body would look transparent and wavering. That could be what the animals were scared of, some nameless sense that rested about the girl and followed her. It was hard to say if she knew what it was herself, or if she did, she seemed to not want to speak of it and watched Corvo warily as she let go of her sword. Breathing a sigh of relief she smiled, gratitude shining in her eyes as she looked at Rios, her smile was sweet and it made her face light up. Mena raised a brow at Riosâ??s offer and didnâ??t say a word, seeming to notice his attraction to her and Sarathya hid a smile as well, patting the girlâ??s shoulder lightly â??Perhaps that should wait, until the girl has been able to clean up.â? She suggested and the girl looked herself over nodding â??A b-bath w-would b-be n-nice.â? She admitted, carefully moving the pack on her back, a larger case slid through the leather straps. Mena grinned â??Donâ??t really blame ye there lass, thereâ??s a stream near the area Rios mentioned. By the way, the lad is Rios, and Iâ??m Mena.â? She stated, as Sarathya nodded â??I am called Sarathya, it is good to meet you.â? She added.
The girl nodded at them â??Iâ??m Quewyn, Quewyn Kr-kruger. Call m-me Wyn th-though, ev-everyone d-d-oes.â? She replied.
With the plan in mind, they set off once more and found a wide clearing with a stream about thirty feet away, somewhere Wyn could wash up. Sarathya waited, looking about an oddly thoughtful look on her face. These meetings were getting stranger, a woman that could speak with animals and a girl that could frighten them off, not normal folk by any means, was there a reason they had all met, or was it happenstance? Deciding to not bother with things that could not be answered she walked over to Corvo â??This is becoming interesting, is it not?â? her innocent question seeming to invite the woman to share any thoughts.
In about a half hour Wyn returned, now dressed in midnight blue breeches, a pale violet-white shirt that brought out her eyes and a tunic in such a deep blue it was nearly black. She had managed to clean her boots somewhat. Her clothes were finely made from strong cotton and dyed with clear colours, expensive for most, the tunic was embroidered at the collar and sleeves with silver stitching. Her hair was down and damp, revealing to be a light ash-grey the colour startling in someone that young, it reached to her lower back, just above her rear, and her skin was a translucent white, nose small and lips a soft light pink. She smiled at them â??S-sorry t-to s-slow you do-down.â? She stated, apology in her voice.
 
After the camp was set up, Corvo got a small fire going. She watched silently as Wyn had gone to bathe. She was good people, a bit shy and extremely nervous it seemed. Rios took a seat and began to shift through his pack furiously, searching for something. He was a lively one she thought. Mena was still a bit of a mystery to her. Quiet and reserved, she seemed to calculate every move that made before she made it. Corvo guessed that she must have had some tough experiences in the past as well. Then there was Sarathya. She was, perhaps, the most mysterious of all of the people that were met on this day. A half elf with no recollection of her past, and an amazing amount of skill with a blade. That display of power shown in the battle with the demon? Quite surprising. The woman had clearly been a warrior before her memory was lost. A great one at that.

Sarathya came to join her at the fire side, evidently looking around at all of the people gathered here any thinking the same thing that she had been. This had most definitely become interesting. Her violet eye seemed to dance in the light of the fire, watching as the flames danced before he and taking as much enjoyment in it as one would take in a finely produced performance. "Very much so. All of us gathered here like this can't be mere chance. I'd wager that the fates are pulling us all here together, but for what I couldn't even begin to fathom. What do you think," she asked.

"Please, there's no need to apologize. We weren't in any particular hurry to get anywhere," Rios said. He placed a blanked down on the ground and motioned for Wyn to take a seat. Once she had, he took a seat in front of her and examined her ankle. It had swollen some, but it was nothing beyond his ability to heal. After chanting a spell, a white orb of light formed between his hands, enveloping the ankle in it's glow. "This might take a moment. Just try to relax," he said softly.
 
Mena settled down at the edge of the small fire that Corvo had made, closing her eyes a moment to reassure the People that Wyn meant no harm, the copper fire of her magic shone under her skin as the animals calmed somewhat; sort of believing her but they would still not come near. The fear that drove them away seemed to be something that Wyn couldnâ??t control or get rid of and the woman would have to be reassuring animals as they traveled, which did make her upset on the Peopleâ??s behalf but understood that it could not really be helped. She eased off the contact and opened her eyes, looking at the assembled people. Well they were an interesting bunch, there was Corvo a woman of hidden depths, her gaze alert and watchful, they was an air of mystery and knowledge about her. Sarathya was a strange one, she moved with a confident grace but at times a distant, lost look would pass over her face and she wondered why that was. Rios seemed to be a nice lad, the plain, honest villager that she was still vaguely wary of. Wyn just seemed to be very sweet, endearing even and she was glad they had been able to help her out.

Sarathya settled back and stretched out her legs, sitting beside Corvo. The newcomers were interesting, the young girl, Wyn seemed to be painfully earnest, but not with any ill will to anyone it looked like. Mena seemed meditative and calm, with a devotion to animals that was admirable and she could see it when she spoke to the animals of the woods, concern and love played on the young womanâ??s face. She looked to Corvo, listening to her words and nodded slowly â??Yes, I agree, there is more to this then it seems. But for what end, do you think?â? she asked voice quiet.

Wyn smiled shyly at Rios, a pale, bare foot stretched out and placed on his knee. "S-seemed the th-thing t-to d-d-do.â? She replied, stammering in her light music, not used to being this close to a male her age, she had usually only been near her cousins, young men her age were a bit alien to her, due to her shy ways. She relaxed as the pain that throbbed in her ankle faded and vanished, the swelling going down and the bruising faded. â??Th-thank y-you R-rios.â? She stated, smiling at him now.
 
"I haven't a clue. It would be most interesting to see what is in store for us in the future. Perhaps we'll find out sooner than later," Corvo said. She reclined back so that her head was resting on the top of one of her bags. She closed her eye and took a deep breath. After taking several deep breath's, she opened her eyes again, staring up at the sky through the canopy of the trees above. She loved sleeping outside, breathing in the night air and staring at the sky. It was always so calming. She watched the sky with content as the stars twinkled playfully above them all as if waving down to them from above. Inwardly, the mysterious woman was happy to be surrounded people. They were all good in their own ways, but oddly, everyone complimented one another very well.

Rios couldn't help but notice how nervous Wyn was. It was just too cute. The way that she continued to stammer as she spoke, how hear heart rate seemed to jump at his touch, and even the way that she looked at him with that shy smile on her face. It was impossible to not want to just wrap her up in your arms and tell her that everything would be just fine. When he was finished, Wyn seemed grateful enough, stammering out a thank you in appreciation. Rios could not help but to smile back. "You're most welcome," he replied. "Oh, we have plenty of food and water here. You must be starving."

He dug into his pack extracting several box like containers. Each of those things contained different kinds of food. Wyn had been stuck down in that hole for almost three days now. He couldn't imagine not eating or drinking anything in that time. She must have been famished.
 
Sarathya nodded a look of quiet consideration on her face “Perhaps, though I am unsure of how we will appreciate these changes” she mused, sitting cross legged her sword on the ground beside her within easy reach, it seemed to be the most sensible thing to do. Mena shifted lightly, watching the two women a moment before waving to an eagle flying overhead, the eagle wondering why she had a new flock making the woman chuckle aloud. Explaining that she was traveling with them to be of help the eagle approved and soared away.

Wyn couldn’t help but stammer, she had done so since birth, more so when she learned this regions language and dialect she could speak much more clearly if she spoke Kislevian. Withdrawing her ankle she nodded “I a-am, I w-was l-low on r-ration when I f-fell.” She explained feeling her stomach growl as she smiled sheepishly. Pausing she blinked and scrambled to get her pack off, sliding the case out of it and opening it quickly. Inside was a mandolin made from gleaming blonde wood with brass fittings and shining strings, she began to examine it lovingly to see if it was damaged from her fall.
 
"I'm certain we'll be just fine. It will all work out the way it was meant to," Corvo said softly. Though she said that, she wasn't exactly a fatalist. Sure, there were things that some people were meant to do in their lives, things that are meant to happen. She believed, though, that a person could affect those certain events, and that the outcome of a situation could be changed depending on the actions one took. For now, she planned on going with the flow until they found out what exactly it was that was bringing them all together here. If not? She'd do something about it. That was pretty much the way that she lived her life up until now, and probably would be the way that she lived it until she died.

"There's plenty here," Rios said shifting the boxes closer to Wyn. She paused and an expression formed on her face that he wasn't quite sure if he understood. Shock? Concern? She quickly pulled her pack off and pulled out a strangely shaped case. When she opened it, and this other look formed on her face, he was curious as to the contents. He shifted around to catch a peek, surprised to find that there was a mandolin inside. It looked very well made, expensive even.

"You're a bard," he asked examining the finely crafted instrument with his eyes.
 
â??Yours is a positive nature Corvo.â? Sarathya replied with a faint smile, it was rather refreshing and she was partially right, without further information on what was to occur why worry about something that could possibly never happen? She looked thoughtful â??I do not relish the thought of walking blind, it seems best to know of what is happening, if at all possible, this does not seem to be the case. It will all be revealed in time I am sure, until then I shall remain cautious.â? She added and Mena nodded â??I agree Sarathya, itâ??s a good idea to not overly worry, but to keep ready, in case something blindsides us. Oh, and this clearing will be safe for us te stay a bit, the eagle that just flew by let me know that besides Wyn nothing oddâ??s been in the woods, no offense lass.â? She commented.

Wyn shrugged, half hearing, immersed in her careful examination of the mandolin. She checked the brass fittings, and the strings, pored over the grain of the wood and the carefully carved scroll work, finding nothing amiss. Sighing in relief, she closed her eyes, fingers moving over the shining strings in a quick pattering of clear notes before smiling at Rios, her eyes lighting up â??Y-y-yes I a-am.â? She stated, pride and happiness in her voice, music was so part of her that it seemed to run in her veins instead of blood.
 
Caution was their greatest ally at this point in time. Worrying, rushing, and running about would only land them in a world of trouble. It was best to just relax and enjoy this time that they were all spending together like this. Corvo closed her eye and took a deep breath, relaxing by the warmth of the campfire. When she thought about it, it had just been a day ago that she was camping outside like this. She was all alone, sitting upright against a tree with her jacket covering her body and a knife hidden in hand under it. Now, she was surrounded by people, lively one's at that. It felt good to be in the company of people again.

"Good to know that we'll all be safe here, even if it's just for a while," she stated. Knowing that they were safe would let them all relax a bit. Sarathya seemed to remember enough about camping out in the forest like this that it was good to keep a weapon close by. Mena could speak with animals, so she would probably know if anything was coming at them that could harm them. Even if she didn't, she stayed out in the wilderness a lot, she knew to keep her guard up. And as for Corvo herself? She kept a knife on her person at all times, just in case she needed to defend herself. Her longsword was close by as well, so that she could pick it up and strike or defend if need be.

Rios nearly melted when he saw the way that her eyes danced in the firelight as she answered his question. Admittedly, he wasn't surprised to find out that she was a bard. Her voice was soft and melodic, as if it he had been crafted specifically for her to sing with. There was one particularly good thing about bards. Other than providing entertainment, their songs were more than helpful in battle. With the right song, she could raise the morale of their allies, or demoralize their enemies. Wyn's abilities would certainly prove useful in the near future.

"Would you mind performing something for us? After you eat something of course," Rios said. He found himself wishing to hear the way that her voice sounded when she sand, accompanied by the soft sound of the mandolin.
 
Sarathya nodded slowly, still making sure her sword as in hands reach, her bow and quiver as well as her two long knives lay on her other side. Mena lay down a worked longbow and worn quiver filled with arrows nearby as well as she worked out a few kinks in her spine. It seemed that she had fallen in with a useful group of people, the woman Corvo looked calm and capable and Sarathya seemed to have the instincts of a warrior, she wasnâ??t sure about Rios, deciding to let the boy prove himself if the time ever called for it. Wyn, now hearing the girl was a bard sounded like an essential part of the group able to use her music to aid in battle. She was still unsure of why everyone was together but it was the most interesting thing that had occurred in the past month, so why not keep with them and see what else happened.

â??I-Iâ??d love too.â? She replied, nodding at him and looked to the others â??I-if n-no one m-minds.â? She commented, first not wanting to break an easy silence, or attract attention from any possible enemies, she had been watching the trees as well.
 
At the mention of song, Corvo sat upright. Her left eye opened up, her eye lid hanging down to cover her eye halfway. It had always been like that, giving the woman a somewhat sleepy look. Combined with that smile she always seemed to wear on her face, it made it hard to tell what was going through her mind. The woman was a mystery wrapped in an enigma, something that the group would notice as they all traveled together. At least, more observant members of the group would anyway. One thing that the group would learn about her tonight? She enjoyed a good song.

"I'd love to hear something," Corvo said. The smile she wore on her face was a comforting and reassuring one. She couldn't tell if it were just the usual stammer that Wyn spoke with or if the young woman was just nervous. Whatever the case, she was doing what little she knew how to make Wyn for more at ease in the situaiton.

Rios certainly did not appear to be much at first glance, but his ability to summon was a rare one. Though he hadn't taken much time to really learn what he was capable of, he was a fast learner and picked up on new things quickly. So long as he had magical energy, he could prove to be a formidable foe for anyone. Without the energy? He was a sturdy lad. He grew up on a farm, herding animals, fighting to hold some of the more rowdy ones down. He could take some punishment, and had some note worthy physical strength. Nothing like what a true warrior would have. In time, Mena would be able to see his ability and just how effective he was able to use what he knew how to do.

The young man glanced back over his shoulder to Sarathya and Mena, eagerly awaiting their answers.
 
Wynâ??s face lit up once more at Corvoâ??s reply and Sarathya felt a small smile curve along her face. The child was so eager, and her manners were endearing, but she had seen the caution in her eyes as she looked around the forest, it seemed as it she had traveled often enough to know to be wary on the road. Her colouring was also very strange as well as her fragile being but seeing as she looked harmless the half elf was sure that the girl had her own ability to defend herself. â??I would enjoy such a thing.â? She commented simply, never one to waste words.
Mena shrugged laconically giving a faint grin â??Go ahead lass, I havenae heard much music but the birds in awhile.â? She commented.

Wyn nodded and settled herself forgetting about food for the time being and closed her eyes, fingers beginning to lightly pluck the mandolinâ??s strings. Warm tones filled the air as the soft plucking joined the faint crackle of flames, a feeling of subdued passion in the air as she strummed the instrument, shoulders slumping. Slightly hunched over the mandolin her cheekbone length bangs covered her eyes and her hands and hair glowed mutely in the firelight. Her precision in playing and the confident set of her hands cited that the girl had practiced this song often and her skill with the mandolin was strong. With a fluttering set of notes she finished and Sarathya smiled softly as Mena clapped lightly â??Very niceâ? the wildmage approved and Sarathya thought that it reminded her of the sea and faintly crashing waves, feeling a small part of her that she had not known was tense her relax

Song Wyn played- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM0aetImKXY
 
[ Very nice. Very, very nice. ]​

Wyn seemed to enter at trance the moment her mind shifted to strumming the strings of her instrument. There was something that was so moving about the way she played, it felt as if she would be able to move even the maddest of people to tears with her music. The passion that Wyn played with was astounding, and watching the way that her fingers moved about the strings was like watching a spider wrap up it's prey. Each movement was calculated, deliberate, done with the utmost certainty and the least bit of hesitation. It seemed as if even the flame was swayed by her song, the glowing mass danced along with the melody. All in all, her performance was enough to render them all speechless for a time.

Mena was the first to chime in, but Corvo followed soon after. "That was beautiful. I hope we can look forward to hearing more of your songs in the future," Corvo said as she began to clap as well, the sound her hands produced when meeting was slightly muffled by the gloves on them. Rios stared at Wyn in amazement. The sound that she called forth from the mandolin was. . .just amazing. His mind didn't know any other way to analyze it. He opened his mouth and attempted to speak, only to find that no words came out of it.

Corvo couldn't help by laugh at the sight. "You've left our friend here speechless with your song," she said trying to contain her laughter. Rios was already head over heels for the young woman, he seemed to have been since the moment he saw her. But after that? She wondered what was going through his head. If anything that was.
 
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