"Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen)

Subject: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:12 pm

~((Just going to do this the random, jumping-right-in, kind of way. Not as good as I hoped it would turn out but... meh.. can only get better!))~

A lone figure was standing under the drizzling rain, in the middle of a river, somewhere in a forest, far away from civilization. The man was holding a spiked tree branch in his hand like a weapon, yet he did not move a muscle, a peaceful look on his face as if he merely stood there in quiet contemplation of the world around him. The fading ripples of the water’s surface were gently caressing the tip of the branch, hugging themselves closely to the man’s bare torso in a slow, seducing dance. He did not mind the wet in the least; on the contrary, he very much enjoyed the feeling of peace and solitude it brought along with it. Not many creatures were out in this weather, whether they were two- or four-legged. But the fish loved it and were much easier to catch. The man enjoyed fishing as it required a fair amount of quiet and that was exactly what he was in need of right now. That, and a way to clear his head, but not even concentrating hard was working. Thoughts and images kept popping into his mind, no matter how hard he tried to rid himself of them.

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, the sound of hurried hooves came to his ears, but he quickly dismissed it again, putting it off as being a traveler seeking refuge as quickly as possible. After a few deep breaths, the man opened his eyes again and got ready to strike an approaching fish, calm spreading over him. Just in that instant, a horse skidded to a stop at the edge of the river and someone shouted: “My Prince!” Atleon sighed, unsure whether he should be angry or whether he should just accept the fact that apparently he could hide wherever he wanted, the messengers were always able to find him, no matter how far he went. His face set in stone, he turned around to the messenger, who had yet to become a man. “What is it? Did I not say I did not wish to be disturbed?” The boy flushed a bright red. “I’m ssso sorry, but your aid is requested by the dragon riders. They are in desperate need of help.” Atleon shook his head, revealing the scar that had so far been hidden beneath his hair, the scar that made so many people flinch back when looking at him, for it crossed his face from the corner of his left eye down to his mouth. The boy gasped, but for the rest kept in control of himself. “They said you knew where to find them.” He was visibly nervous, so the man quickly dismissed him with a wave of his hand. But since the messenger did not seem to understand, or was too fixed on forcing himself not to stare at the prince’s face, like he had probably been instructed, he put his command into words: “You may go now.”

Turning back towards his task, his muscles tensed at the effort not to react too heavily to this news. Of all the people that could have called him for help, the dragon riders did. Them. When they knew so much better than anyone else how he felt…

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:02 am

Lena sighed as she walked along the small path near the road, into the forest. Avians were not often seen in these parts and she had no want to draw attention to herself. Her long, raven colored hair was plastered to her face and her clothes clung to her uncomfortably. Her white wings hung limply on her back and the black tips dripped droplets of rain off them constantly. This was no weather to be flying in.

Not as if she wasn't used to it. Lena had a pair of tight fitting pants on that had a few holes in them that she had given up patching. Her shirt was practcally see through, the color ripped and the sleeves pushed up to her elbow, the white fabric did almost nothing to aid her from the rain. Her soft leather boots squished in the mood as she walked into the interior of the forest.

Despite the conditions, Lena was rather content. This weather made the world go into a peaceful hush where the only sounds that could be heard was the soft patter of rain. Lena inhaled deeply as she continued to walk, she knew there was a river near by and could easily hunt for dinner if she had done so.

Being a wander held many advantages for Lena. She grew up learning to fight, hunt, and provide for herself over time. Add to that limitless freedom and she counted herself a lucky woman in these times. Lost in her thoughts she had not seen the man standing in the river until she was nearly on him. Nearly tripping over herself, she cursed, getting behind a tree to inspect the man. She might have known the landscape of the area, but the people was a different matter. Picking up odd end jobs when she needed money never let her have a solid conversation with anyone other than the mothers in town who pitied her lonely existence.

Lena looked over the man, unsure of who he was. She could tell a few things though, his stance told her he was a fighter and well seasoned at that too. He seemed tensed or agitated. Perhaps she shall go further down river, she thought to herself.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Thu Oct 07, 2010 3:04 pm

Grumpy now, Atleon shook his head, wanting nothing more than to rid himself of the memories that were threatening to overwhelm him. It made him angry at himself. Since when did he have such poor self control? In an attempt to regain his previous calm, he took up his stance again, but the fish had disappeared in the now agitated river. With a discouraged grunt, he turned back towards the river’s bank to get the little bundle lying there. He had wrapped his leather coat around his shirt and weapons to protect them from the rain but after the length of time he’d spent fishing, it was probably all completely wet now anyway.

Whilst wading back, he quickly scanned his surroundings, making sure the messenger had definitely left and nobody else was still around. With the disappearance of the horse, the silence had returned, yet Atleon had the distinct feeling that he was not alone. His trousers were clinging to his legs in a very uncomfortable way now that he was out of the water, but he dismissed the thought again. The rain would have achieved the same effect within a few minutes as well, so there was no changing the circumstances. He quickly put on his lose shirt and leather bracers. However, he still could not shake the feeling of someone being there. The back of his neck was prickling as if he was being watched and every single hair was beginning to stand up. He let his eyes travel along yet again, but still could not distinguish anything. Although… his eyes returned to a spot behind a tree not fifty paces from where he was. Had he not seen something white shimmer there for a brief second? Inconspicuously, he switched position so that he could observe the spot at all times, while he picked up his dark green cloak from the ground and draped it over his shoulders. Sure enough, there it was again. It was unnerving that someone would sneak up on him when nobody knew where he was – or nobody should know, he thought grimly – and he grew more alert by the second, eyes and ears open for anything unusual, though his attention did apparently not waver from the spot behind the tree. With a slight smile playing around his lips, Atleon picked up his long sword and leaned against it, waiting, patiently and seemingly carefree, to see who- or what was hiding from him, observing him, and he couldn’t help but wonder how much they had heard of the conversation.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Thu Oct 07, 2010 4:13 pm

Lena observed the disgruntled man from behind her tree. She had not wanted to leave while he was still in plain view, it would make her too vulnerable if he so decided to attack her. Just as she thought he was making is way out, his gaze fell right on her. Shit. How was she seen? She glanced back at her wing and frowned. "This is your fault." She spoke to herself as she looked back up to him. He wasn't taking his eyes off this spot.

Lena could simply fly away, he was only human...but if he had a crossbow or some other nasty contraption she'd get shot down. His cool stance unnerved her. She never liked the level headed ones, they were always more skilled. She sighed, and figured it was time to get this over with and hope for no blood shed.

Stepping out of the shadows behind the large tree, Lena moved into more a clearing but kept her distance. She stood on the balls over her heels to prepare for any attacks that came her way. She ran a hand through her hair, attempting to move it from her soaked face and then held up both her hands to show she meant no harm. "Just passing though. I had no intention of spying." She hoped he would accept her honest explanation and be done with it.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Thu Oct 07, 2010 5:31 pm

Lots of possibilities went through his head while he was waiting. White could be lots of things, ranging from various two-legged to four-legged ones, but when suddenly an avian stepped out from behind the tree, Atleon had to seriously control his features so as not to let his mouth fall open. It had been quite a while since he'd last come across one of their race and this was indeed a fine example. Large pearly white wings with a midnight black tip were flowing down the back of this rather lovely female. He did not bother to hide the fact that he was looking her up and down, anyone would have done the same when being surprised in the middle of nowhere. Her posture was implying that she could handle herself if things came down to it - he liked that. His eyes wandered over her features, the black hair that was clinging to her face in wet streaks. They wandered down, taking in her muscled body in more detail, until he suddenly realised that her shirt was almost see-through. So as not to embarrass her with his blatant scrutiny, he averted his eyes and let them quickly flicker to any hide-outs in her vicinity, making sure he was not in for another surprise.

In response to her open gesture to show she did not intend any harm, he simply belted the sword without further ado. "That makes two of us," he simply stated. He was indeed only passing through, though where to, he did not know. Not yet at least. The message of the dragon riders was an option to be considered, certainly a bigger one than he wanted to admit to himself, but he did not want to head in that direction for fear of what it might entail. Looking back to the woman, he inquired: "How long have you been standing there? Not spying," he added with a smile playing on the corner of his mouth. He did not have any intentions of hurting her, unless necessary, but he could not not ask her, simply out of decency for her current state, if she had heard the previous discussion with the messenger.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Thu Oct 07, 2010 6:15 pm

"Not long enough to hear whatever you and that rather scared boy were speaking of. Came in just as he was leaving." She grinned back at him and made for a clear path to the bank, yet still a good space away from him. People just don't trust random strangers, let alone an avian in these parts. It was her turn to look him up and down more closely now. His clothing was far too nice to be a peasant of any sort and his well toned body spoke of experience. Her gaze flickered on his scar for just a moment, but she thought nothing of it. Lena was used to seeing battle scarred warriors and knew he wouldn’t be the last in these hard times.

“So then, may I ask who you are?” She relaxed her stance a little as she spoke, wanting to know a bit more as to why a human was out in the middle of nowhere, fishing . As a type of rogue, hunting for food was not so random, but if he was something more perhaps it was a leisure activity? The thought seemed foreign to her, fishing was always annoying and time consuming. The little buggers just seemed to avaid her every advance to capture them.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Thu Oct 07, 2010 9:20 pm

Atleon's face darkened for a flicker of a moment at her words. She knew too well what he was referring to, and it made him not trust her words entirely. Though, why would she lie? There was no purpose in lying to him about this, nothing to be gained. He was not paranoid enough to think she might be sent here to assassinate him, so he dismissed these thoughts again and resumed a normal, pleasant expression. When he noticed her inspect him, he tensed slightly, hoping she would not recognize anything about him. He preferred anonymity, especially at this moment in time. Too much was tied to his name and title, too many things he did not want more people than necessary to know.

He was quite pleased however to see that she was not freaked out by his scar. Her normality was very refreshing, and even though she remained careful around him, she was not behaving like a total freak, on her toes to immediately run away or throw a fit as soon as he said or did something wrong. Though, he was again shaken when she asked the question he had actually wanted to avoid, but the one question that was barely ever avoidable. Atleon considered for a moment to give her a false name but if he ever forgot to react to it or anything in the likes, it would throw a bad light. With a sigh, he answered her question: "You may indeed. My name is Atleon." He hoped that the name was not familiar to her, there should still be enough people around that did not know him to be royalty as soon as he spoke it. "And who might you be, fair lady?"

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:39 am

"Atleon.." Lena let the name roll off her tongue as she tried to see if she recalled it. Nothing came to mind. She was not from these parts and knew virtually no one. "My name is Lena." she replied to him, crossing her arms against her chest. Her name meant nothing around here so she was not worried over it. "Not a great day to be fishing." She said, hinting that she wanted to also know what he was doing out here alone.

"And you've need not to worry, I travel alone." She had caught his glances around the forest over and over as if looking for something. Or someone. Lena had been on her own for a long, long time and couldn't even remember the last time she had a traveling companion.

((Sorry, I know its short.))

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Fri Oct 08, 2010 12:01 pm

The prince observed the avian in front of him very closely, all the while keeping his pleasant expression without struggle. As he was certain that she did not know the name, he allowed himself to relax slightly, nodding in acknowledgment of her name. He watched her observe him further and let out a low chuckle at her words. “Rainy days are actually the best as far as fishing is concerned. They are more willing to reveal themselves.” His eyes flickered to the river, then back to her. “But as you can see, I still did not catch any.” It had not been the purpose of the fishing exercise anyway, though he was not going to start explaining that to her.

Before he could reply to her statement of him not needing to worry – as if that was ever going to happen for him - a sense of unease overcame Atleon, and his eyes kept sweeping over their surroundings, over and over again. He could not distinguish the source of his feeling, but he was very certain suddenly that they had better get away from this place. He disliked not having clear facts on something like this, but he had learned enough in his short life to know not to dismiss such almost premonitions. Seeing that his work here was done anyway and he wanted to avoid a messenger finding him again – if that could be avoided at all.. – he suggested, on a whim: “I’ll be heading into the mountains, if you want to come along? Maybe it would be a nice change from traveling alone all the time.”

Approximately two hours away, a tracker stumbled over a second trail, crossing that of the man he had leisurely been following for several days now. Now this is interesting, he mused, looks like our friend has found himself a partner. Little did he know that the poor avian girl had stumbled across his prey by mistake. That little mistake would cost her dearly, should the tracker ever get his hands on her…

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:26 pm

Lena looked around her, feeling rather uneasy that the man had gone uneasy himself. She could tell he had good instincts and that only added to the anxiety. “I suppose it couldn’t do any harm. I was heading in that direction anyway.” She actually didn’t have a specific place she was heading, but this was just the direction that the wind had led her.

Shrugging her backpack onto her shoulder once more, and adjusting her bow Lena walkover over to the Atleon and extended her hand in a formal greeting. “May our journey be a pleasant one.” She grinned, ready to be rid of this place. Thinking for a moment, a question came to Lena as she began away from the river bank. Better to get started now than to wait for whatever was behind them to catch up. “Do you have a final destination up in the mountains?” She really knew nothing much about the area but it was always nice to at least get an idea as to where they were going.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Mon Oct 11, 2010 9:09 am

When Atleon noticed Lena’s reaction to his own agitation, he decided that from now on, he should be much more careful about how much he revealed to the outside world. He’d gotten too used to being on his own or someone he trusted that apparently he had stopped paying attention to such minor details, which was not the best thing, especially considering that she was very observant. He quickly checked his clothing and weapons before he looked up to decide on which route they should take.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, when the avian suddenly stepped towards him, extending her hand in greeting, and it took him a heartbeat to counter the gesture. Taking her hand, he replied: “And may fortune smile upon us.” He returned her grin and then turned towards the trees. The annoying bit was that with this mess pouring down, their tracks could easily be seen, even by someone who was not very experienced. Yet, there was nothing much he could do about this, thus the most comfortable route would be the best one for now. And with that thought, he headed into the forest, staying within relative proximity of the river.

Picking his way through the undergrowth to find a somewhat small and overgrown path that could shelter them from the rain a little, he replied to the avian’s question: “Evidently I do, though I’m not sure yet that is where I want to go.” It would make the journey as easy as possible if they remained honest, so he made no big deal out of the fact that he was unsure whether he really wanted to go to the dragon riders or not, though he did not mention the name to Lena. He shot a quick glance at her, again noticing how wet she was. They’d better keep moving until they either found shelter or the rain stopped, and it didn’t look like the latter option would be any time soon. “What brought you to these parts? It’s not usually a well-travelled place.”

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:14 pm

Lena kept pace next to him. “It’s where the wind brought me…” She said honestly. Lena wasn’t much for traveling with people; she wasn’t the best in social situations and had no clue how to act like a normal female. Though, she was going to try her best. This man didn’t seem like he would harm her, and whatever he was sensing behind them didn’t exactly seem like a better route. Better to pair herself with a seasoned fighter than to go at it alone, right?

“I’m…what you could call a wanderer. I pick up odd end jobs here or there to make it by…Normal I travel by air, but in this weather it makes it impossible to do so.” She lifted her wings, soaked from the continuous rainfall, and flicked them sending water in every direction. Not like it mattered much, they were both already wet. Looking out onto the river and then behind her, Lena kept an eye out. “I assume you know where you are going though, right? Not going to get us lost out here…” She had not meant to come off rude or anything, but Lena could never stop the incessant babble that sometime seemed to stream from her mouth.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:59 am

Carefully, Atleon wormed his way around a thorn bush that was intent on not letting them get past. These things had a knack for magically appearing in the middle of the way and making life hard on everyone around them. “It’s not a bad way to live,” he commented. “Though of course, it can make life very hard at times.” It wasn’t a life style he’d choose for himself but he wouldn’t ever condemn someone who did. Raising a mocking eyebrow when Lena showered him with the droplets from her wings, he mused: “Flying in this weather is no fun anyway, though it makes for a nice cover from unwanted observers.” Clearing his throat, he turned away from her again and concentrated on his footing.

When next she spoke, Atleon couldn’t help but grin. “No, I will not get us lost out here, don’t worry. I actually do know where I’m going. I know these parts pretty well.” Having spent quite a few years roaming this place had given him a relatively profound knowledge of it, but of course, in the months he had been away now, a lot could have changed. “I quite simply just wanted to avoid it, but that doesn’t matter now.” There certainly seemed to have been a reason why it had pulled him towards this place again, even though he refused to confront his past. It will hit him in the face soon enough once they got closer to their destination. “It’s a good thing we’re already wet anyway, because soon we will have to go into the river.” Quickly, he added: “Just a necessary precaution to hide our tracks and our scent as much as possible. Though the rain is already helping with the latter part.” In addition to being an unspoken rule for approaching the dragon riders safely as well, though again that was a piece of information he was not going to share.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Thu Oct 14, 2010 5:10 pm

Lena gave the man a suspicious look but continued to follow him. There was something he knew that he wasn't telling her. Whether it was important for not, she had no clue of knowing, but the fact that he wasn't giving her a specific location, but had a destination in mind wasn't a comforting thought. Also, the fact that he wanted them to cover their tracks seemed a bit odd. Maybe someone really was following them and he knew while she couldn't sense it. Or worse yet, he was leading her into some sort of trap. They had only just met, and while usually her judge of character was right, it had been wrong before.

"Understandable, I suppose..." Though she didn't really understand at all. She was on high alert now. To say she was paranoid wasn't really true, but careful was a better suited word. She had lived this long as a wanderer by her sheer diligence and attention to detail.

((Sorry I keep giving you these short posts, once we get some action going it will be much better, I promise. T_T ))

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Thu Oct 14, 2010 9:26 pm

Atleon felt the female avian tense a few degrees and it suddenly hit him that this was probably not the easiest thing for her to do. To follow the lead of a stranger, not knowing whether he was sincere, nor where they were going or whom they were meeting. He was not sure he would have even trusted himself as much in her stead. So he decided, suppressing a sigh, that he would have to share some information, whether he wanted to or not. It was the only right thing to do, especially since he did not want to run the risk of her turning against him.

Clearing his throat, he then explained: "We have to cover up our tracks, not only because I think we might be followed, but especially because where we are going, the people have specific rules about how to approach them, and they dislike visitors leaving an easy to follow trail. So wading through the river for a couple of miles will be a good way to throw off course anyone who would be following or simply looking for tracks." Looking at Lena with a serious expression on his face, he hoped that she would now really understand and, most of all, accept this explanation for what it was: the truth. With a heavy sigh, he finally added: "Have you heard of the Dragon Riders?" He would sooner or later find out whether it had been the right thing to tell her who were the people they were going to meet but the fact alone that he was taking her there... well, he might just as well tell her and let her decide for herself whether she wanted to see or not. He would deal with the consequences later if they did not want her to know of their existence. Or if she decided to now run away and use that information against him, and the riders.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Fri Oct 15, 2010 12:38 am

Lena listened to his direction, pleased she was finally getting some information. "Dragon riders?" She repeated and let the words roll around on her tounge for a few moments to see if she had remember and specific information on them or not. "I've heard of people who have become dragon riders, but if it is some organization, then no, I have not." In fact, Lena had only heard of the dragon riders from whispers that would float around the towns that she happened to land it. She never stayed in one town long enough to befriend anyway but when she got into the bars it was always a good place for information on different parts of the world. Even if a good number of them turned out false, being exaggerated stories from men who had seen to little in life to make stories of actual happenings, some of them actually held truth.

Lena thought for a few moments, confused. "Hold on a second, if these people are so secretive, how is it you are so freely allowing me to tag along?" She thought it a valid question as she brushed against bush as it ran uncomfortably against her wings as she passed.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Fri Oct 15, 2010 6:38 am

Nodding along, the prince silently agreed to the rumours she had heard about people becoming dragon riders. He had been one of them, so it was a fact he didn’t want to tell her, for fear of the questions and painful memories it might raise – memories that were floating around in his head enough, torturing him. She was going to find out all too soon anyway, once they reached the dragon riders’ territory. Resisting the urge to shake his head in a vain attempt to clear it as his circling and very contradictory thoughts were beginning to annoy him, he decided to instead give her some more information.

However, Lena then asked a very valid question, one he wasn’t sure he could give a rational answer to. “You know, I’ve been wondering this myself. I guess that I somewhat trust you not to go all bloodlust on me and try to kill every single one of them. Plus, they have their means of finding people no matter where they are,” he added grumpily as the picture of the messenger popped into his head. “It would be relatively hard to evade them once they set their mind on finding you.” He knew it might sound a little like a threat, which it wasn’t supposed to be but it was better she knew that they were no idiots and definitely very resourceful.

As his gaze was gliding over their surroundings once more, he found some of the natural markers that told him it was time to hit the river. “Right, time to get wet,” he grinned, as if the rain had miraculously stopped, and with that he waded into the water once more. “Try to stay somewhat close to the bank, the ground can be treacherous further into the middle, but we do need to stay far enough away for our scents not to be caught.” Looking towards the avian, he had an apologising look on his face, but this was necessary nevertheless. He was sure she understood, or hoped so at least.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Fri Oct 15, 2010 4:22 pm

Whether Lena understood or not, she followed him into the river. The cold water causing her to suck a breath in sharply as she waded to a slightly deeper part. He had given her enough to think about for the time being so she didn't really ask questions. Even if this were to be a trap of sorts perhaps it would be interesting to see the people he called the dragon riders. She herself had never seen the people or even knew there was an entire group of them.

Curiosity ran through her mind as she started to connect that Atleon may be more involved with this group then he was willing to tell her. Assuming that the dragon riders kept peace of some sort, she figured that would have to have some sort of fighting experience. Check. But as the name suggests, she would have expected him to have a dragon at his side. She doubted she would have been able to come close to the man if he had a dragon near by and wouldn't see the use of it being far away from him. Perhaps he was just a behind the scenes kinda guy?

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Fri Oct 15, 2010 8:09 pm

Unwilling to give away much more information for the time being but feeling that the silence might turn slightly awkward if they were going to be too quiet, Atleon turned towards Lena a little: "So, do you mind telling me a little about where you've come around in your wanderings?" It was the most obvious question that came to mind, other than asking her where she came from and telling about herself, but seeing that he was not willing to answer such questions himself he wasn't going to bother to ask them.

Wanting to be the good guide wasn't always easy, Atleon knew that but today it seemed to be overly hard. Not only was he now unsure of how far they'd still had to go because he'd lost track of the way they'd already covered but on top it was very slippery in the river and he kept losing his footing. It seemed as if not too many people had come by this way, usually it was not this difficult to stay straight and it made Atleon wonder why. The very aggravating bit about all this was though that he seemed to be fairly distracted by the fact that he had a companion, a companion he on top of it all did not want to look stupid in front of, a very unusual feeling for him. He had been born as a natural leader and usually had no trouble whatsoever to step in front of people, be an example to someone and he certainly had never cared about what people thought of him. Well, that wasn't until... but he pushed that thought aside again. At that same moment, his foot slipped again on the uneven and slick rocks underneath, this time sending him completely into the water with a loud splash.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Sat Oct 16, 2010 5:02 am

Lena thought his question through for a long moment. She had been to several hundred different locations around the country and never stayed in one place for long. "I've been traveling in a easterly direction for a good while now. I let the wind choose my direction and it's taken me to some rather interesting locations." Lena thought back to the towns she had visited in Dragons Cove. They ranged from political extremist in one town to simple farmers in another. One of Lena's favorite cities had to of been Didienne. With all of the beautiful mountains that the city laid nestled in the city had a certain charm to it. It boasted a large number of people, which Lena normally found uncomfortable but the nature of the people seemed rather friendly.

Deep in the thoughts of her travels, Lena had not noticed Atleon's trouble with his footing until a large splash had come her way and Atleon had soon disappeared under the water. Letting out a rather amused laugh, Lena carefully made her way to his side and helped him back into a standing position. "Are you alright?" She could help the slight teasing tone she had in her voice or the glint of amusement she had in her eye.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:14 pm

Cursing, Atleon got to his feet again, accepting Lena’s help, though he frowned at her laughter. “Yes, I’m alright!” he snapped, until the mocking tone and look on her face finally got to him and her burst out laughing himself. After all, it was amusing; there certainly was no denying that. “Well, this normally does not happen, honest,” he grinned. “I’m sorry I got you all wet,” he added with a wink, before he grew serious again and continued on their path, only to abruptly stop again after a few paces when he realised they were not alone again.

“Damn elves, what a nasty habit to always sneak up on people,” he muttered under his breath, knowing full well that the elf woman who had suddenly appeared in front of them could hear him.
“Atleon, Atleon,” she said in an icy, condescending voice, “you make enough noise for a whole herd of elephants.” He only glared at her, instinctively positioning himself between Lena and the elf. She was not an enemy but they disliked each other to the point of almost pure hatred. Her pale blonde hair was bound tightly at the back of her neck into a ponytail, making her look even more serious than she already was by nature. The piercing, skyblue eyes were scrutinising both of them as if assessing whether they were even worth her time.

“Gaelina, it’s been a lo-” “Cut the crap, Atleon. Who’s the girl? You know we do not like strangers intruding,” she interrupted him, shooting him a loathing look before turning back to the avian. Atleon was glaring at her, refraining from saying anything further, but quickly realised that it was not going to get them anywhere, after all, he knew her well enough, so he quickly resumed a blank expression on his face before his face turned to Lena, shrugging in an apologetic way. She would have to go through this inspection, otherwise Gaelina would not let them pass; she had way too much power nowadays it seemed.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:00 am

Lena nearly bumped into the man as he had stopped again and was about to berate him for doing so in the middle of the freezing waters, but then she heard another voice. A female voice. Looking over Atleon's shoulder she saw a rather angry looking woman. She seemed to not only know him but rather dislike him as well. And her suspicion only grew as Atleon stepped between her and the elf woman.

Inspection? What the hell? It's not like she had ever done anything to deserve such intrusion. Lena had those lines of thoughts running through her head as she stepped next to Atleon and out from behind him. "What's it to you who I am?" Lena asked with a bite to her voice.

"If you wish to remain alive, you will speak. No one travels with Atleon to where you are going without a motive, or reason." Gaelina said in her cold manner as she sized the woman up. An avian, in these parts was even more odd and the elf woman didn't trust her at all.

Lena sighed. "For your information, I've no motive to travel with this guy over here." She gestured over to Atleon. "I randomly bumped into him during my own travels...to no where in particular, I might add. Oh, and Lena's the name." She supplied the information and waited for the reaction of the elf.

The woman glared at her. "Atleon, I don't trust the winged rat one bit...but it's interesting you've chosen someone to travel with....I shall be keeping a rather close eye on her and you to ensure the safety of our group." Gaelina placed a hand on the hilt of her sword and pulled the blade out a couple of inches so as the metal glinted in the sun light. "If we find even the slightest bit of evidence she is a traitor, Atleon, I will have no reservations killing her." She glared once more at the pair before slipping back into the cover of the forest.

Lena gave a frustrated look in the direction of where she had disappeared to. "Well, isn't she pleasant." Lena commented with sarcasm practically dripping from her words. Lena was confident in her fighting skills but had never gone up against an elf. Maybe it would be fun? She shrugged and looked back to Atleon.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:36 pm

His face visibly clouded over as he listened to the exchange between the two women, inwardly wanting to slap Gaelina for behaving like a poisonous snake. However, he was quite pleased to see that Lena could hold her own and had a retort to everything the elf presented. It gave him hope that he was not mistaken in his first assessment of her. With an icy stare, he looked at Gaelina when she addressed him but did not deign to reply to her snippy comment. His face was still a blank expression but anybody who knew him would know that underneath he was furious at her behaviour and her insult. At her last comment, he simply gave a curt nod before she abruptly turned and disappeared to where she had come from. A few moments passed in silence, before Lena finally broke it, very frustrated.

“Always has been, always will be.” Atleon commented, and sadly, he was very serious about this. Gaelina would never change her was, not even when she realised how much she was putting people off. With a sigh, he turned around to face the avian and met Lena’s steady gaze. “Beware of her, she will keep a close eye on us, especially you. Don’t ever underestimate her in any way.” He was sincere, he had made the mistake of underestimating her once and had paid dearly, thus he would not make the same mistake twice. “Let’s keep moving. We’re close now.”

With that, he waded out of the river on the opposite bank they had gone in and began searching for a narrow, almost invisible trail. Once found, they were tracing it until they entered what could almost only be described as a palace of greenery. The trees had grown larger and larger the further they had gone and were now forming a thick wall around the inhabitation they were about to set foot in. Everything was in extraordinary sizes as if build for very large creatures, though there were no creatures to be seen that were overly tall. However, the place was buzzing with activity. People in all sizes and shapes were bustling around as if greatly agitated, smaller animals such as horses were tended to, but the most prominent scene amidst all this was the massive tree that was smacked up in the middle of all this. It outranged all the other trees by height and circumference and was beautifully ornamented with a huge stairwell winding around its trunk towards the top with lanterns in various shapes and forms lighting the way. “Here we are,” Atleon almost whispered in a reverential voice.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:47 pm

Lena looked over Atleon carefully, there had to be a reason why he actually believed the woman was a threat and nodded to his warning. "I've nothing to fear if I've done nothing wrong." Lena supplied with a shrug. "She just doesn't have a reason to be so....ugh." She mumbled to herself and continued to follow Atleon. She had followed him thus far without him turning on her, so she might as well continue.

As they entered the forest, Lena grew more and more nervous at the close quarters. The trees almost felt as if they were closing in on you and on top of that they were huge! The towering trees made one feel so small as if they contained a wealth of knowledge that Lena could only hope to learn a sliver of. As nervous as she felt, she couldn't help the look of awe that came to her face as they reached the staircase that practically had grown from the tree itself. "It's beautiful..." Lena whispered. Out of all of her travels, she had never seen a place quiet like this.

Lena was planning on asking Atleon something when she sudden got a chilling feeling over her. She looked around her and caught a glowing pair of icy eyes. "Oh goodie, she really is watching me." Lena said dryly before ascending the stairs.

Subject: Re: "Insert Title Here" (Taj X Eldarwen) Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:46 am

Atleon smiled at the avian, taking in her awestruck expression, hoping it would wash away the tension she had been building up. Though obviously the nice moment had to be ruined by the warrior elf turning up again. “Sadly, it’s just her nature. I’m sure she would be a very loyal friend if she were capable of such feelings,” Atleon shrugged in response when Lena stated that Gaelina was watching her, trying not to let the latter’s presence affect him too much. There was just something about her he quite physically detested and he felt it every time she was too near.

“Anyway, let’s keep going, they’re probably waiting for us. Gaelina must have told him we were coming.” With an encouraging look towards the avian, he resumed climbing the stairs. “Since you’ve trusted me so far,” he suddenly said, turning to look at her, “I should really tell you who we’re going to meet.” Studying her face, he hoped it was the right decision to take. They were not too far away from the top of the tree now and she might be better off being prepared at who she was about to encounter. “The Hall of Skies is so much more astonishing when you have no idea what you’re walking in to, just like with the trunk of the tree, yet I feel I owe you an explanation of who these people are.” All of a sudden, he was nervous, and he took a shaking breath before he finally stated: “You’re about to meet the leaders of the dragon riders, the most important amongst them all. There is not much else to know, except that if there is a dragon present, do not be alarmed when you suddenly hear a voice inside your head.” He preferred explaining too much rather than leaving this piece of vital information aside in case she did not know how dragons communicated.

When they finally approached the gate to the Hall of Skies, guarded by only a single person, Atleon grew more and more nervous with every step they took. Summoning aside, he had deserted them after all - even though they had understood that the sense of loss had overwhelmed him. Nerves were making his stomach tight, and then suddenly, a presence touched his mind, immediately bathing him in happiness. There was only one that could ease negative feelings into something almost resembling a delirious bliss. She is here, he thought and a smile spread across his face. As soon as they entered, they were lead into the middle of the room by the guard and Atleon used the opportunity to quickly skim over the many creatures that were present until his gaze found the one he was looking for.

She was the most beautiful being he had ever seen in his entire life. Nothing could compare to this amazing creature. He let his eyes wander over her delicate features, the gleaming eyes, the beautifully curved neckline, the strong-muscled body, the powerful… Before his eyes could finish their re-discovery of the rest of her, there was a silvery flash and something hit him lightly over the head.

“Stop it, little one.” Ah, he’d forgotten the melodious sound of her voice in his head. Every word she spoke sounded like a song and it made him smile. “You’re shaming yourself.”
“Please forgive me, I forgot myself.” Atleon cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed by his blunder in social etiquette, especially since she had probably not done him the favour of speaking only to him but to everyone present.
“It is good to see you again, little one, though you come in grave times.”
Atleon smiled. “It is good to see you, too. Painful memories aside,” he added, sorrow clearly visible in his eyes for a heartbeat. Growing serious again, he stated: “I know the times have been changing towards the worst. That is why I am here, I got your message,” he was now looking toward her rider, the leader of the dragon riders, who nodded his acknowledgment, “and I will do what is in my power to assist you with whatever you need.”
The dragon turned her large eyes on Lena: “Greetings, Avian. To what circumstances do we owe the pleasure of your presence? Have you come to aid us in our quest?”

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