Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

The fantasy world of Trulane, full of magic and mystery, in which two adventurers are about to begin their quest as a team for the first time.

Of course, they have to meet each other, first.

Both adventurers have been summoned to the halls of the Lord Aric of Low Rock, a large province of thick forests dotted with sawmills and farmfields. The castle is surrounded by a bustling city.


Sent by servants into the large empty hall, in front of the Lord himself, a large, gruff old man, the adventurers are to meet each other for the first time.



​

@BookWyrm

 

[Dragongal]

Atria wasn't sure what to expect from this meeting. She'd been given very little information, only that she was going to be given a mission that would pay well. She didn't care about the pay, helping people and keeping her mind occupied were pay enough for her, however, this didn't keep her from hesitating at the offer. She was told that she'd be working with someone, and this didn't suit her very well for a large number of reasons.


Low Rock was farther South than she liked, being about a week's South walk from the Capital which lay in the centermost point of the country. The thick forests and prairies of this area was nice to see, but the climate and customs confused her a bit, though she did like learning about them. They were far different from how it was in the North, simple meadows and spacious forests nestled between the mountains. Better than the Eastern plains and deserts, and significantly better than the half-swamp, half-pine wooded West. The river brought plenty of trade to Low Rock, which mostly just exported lumber and grain.


Walking down the lonely, echoing corridor to the hall where she was to meet her new teammate, she adjusted her dagger and the black box on her belt, making sure she was prepared for whatever came next. The doors opened, and she was in a grand, cavernous hall. To her right was the Lord Aric on his almost - throne, and nobody else was in the room, not even servants. She hesitated in the doorway - wasn't she supposed to be meeting someone she was to work with? She stepped forward, stopping before Lord Aric. She was about to say something when she heard another set of doors open behind her.


@BookWyrm

 

[BookWyrm]

It had been a long journey to get to Low Rock. Dayn had spent the better half of a month tracking a forest troll from the Northern border to just within sight of the outer city the started to make up of Low Rock. For some reason he had encountered a messenger as he left the Low Rock outskirts. Apparently Lord Aric had requested his presence, something to do with a mission. Dayn readily accepted the offer and promptly headed back north to deliver the trolls head to the village elder that had given him the contract, only to turn right around and travel all the way back down the road to Low Rock. Altogether Dayn had spent the better portion of another month just in travel time. By the time he had arrived in Low Rock he had made his way directly to the nearest inn for a meal, a hot bath and a soft bed. Dayn had said it would take him some time to return to Low Rock. What would a day or two to recover hurt?


Though the town was bustling with traders and merchants from all corners of the provinces, Dayn found himself frowning slightly as he walked through the corridors of Aric's keep. "I've seen sepulchers with more detail.", he mulled to himself as he turned down the hall that lead to Aric's so called "throne room". Dayn chuckled to himself at the thought. Lord Aric, or so he had heard, was an odd sort. Ah, who cares what sort he is. As long as he pays well. There was an odd catch to this mission though. Dayn was going to be working with a partner. Not completely unheard of, but not something he was consistently used to. Dayn made sure to check himself over before entering. He wore a modest grey doublet with black trousers with his well worn, and freshly cleaned, boots. As always his arming sword was close at hand, strapped to his left hip. In truth Dayn preferred less formal attire, but duty called. With a sigh Dayn entered the grand chamber.


He was greeted by Lord Aric seated on his "throne", as well as another person standing in front of him. To his surprise, this person was a young woman. As Dayn strode forward he took the chance to look this young lady over. Her dress and manner were that of an experienced traveler. Simple clothing designed for comfort and usefulness. Already Dayn liked that about her. Some of the noble ladies that Dayn had had the misfortune of having to dance with at banquets past had been overflowing with excess in every area of dress and the perfumes were so strong the scent could have killed an ogre! As Dayn made his way to the front he kneeled before Aric. "Sir Dayn Braegland at your service, my Lord Aric." Once he was on his feet again Dayn turned to face Atria with a warm, yet playful smile. "And to who do I owe the honor?"


@Dragongal

 

[Dragongal]

Atria looked at the newcomer, whom she assumed to be her partner in the coming adventure. He was dressed formally, but at least he had a sword. Odd, most adventurers she'd had to work with in the past didn't bring a set of formal clothing. This alone told her he wasn't a plain adventurer. The fact that he introduced himself to Aric as a "Sir" gave her the rest of the information she needed. She smiled back, nodding to him. She spoke with no accent, despite her Northern roots, "Atria North. The honor's mine, Sir Braegland. If my assumption is correct, and we are to be working together, I believe I can say it promises to be a fun venture at the least." She hated formality. Manners, she held in high esteem, but formality, not in the least. He also didn't seem the type to be called "Sir". However, she was in a noble's hall, so she had to at least mind the base formalities. She turned to Aric, asking, "If I may be so bold, M'Lord, what is the job we're to be sent on?"





Aric was pleased to see the two fighters getting along. There'd been some debate with the other Lords if they'd be compatible as partners. After all, they were coming from different points in society, though the data on Atria was more scattered as nobody'd paid attention to her growing up, as they had the young noble. He nodded to Dayn, then focused on Atria's question, speaking to them both. "Well, since the lady is so eager, I suppose I should give you both your assignment. There's a group of bandits that's been pestering the North highway for some time. We've been able to take a few of their numbers, but some of them have always escaped. Now, normally, we'd not call in... those such as yourselves, for something like this, however, they've captured a small outpost along the highway. A single defensive tower, not very large, mostly used for storing emergency supplies for passing troops. They've not pestered any on the roads since, however, we've been unable to reclaim the outpost from them. We fear that they will eventually grow bold and begin taking control of the highway."


"We estimate their number to be about eight. I realize this seems like a small amount, and likely not enough to take a fort, however, there is one mage - an elemental defensive mage - and an inventor. This inventor has created large weapons that we cannot get our men past, and quite innovative traps. Those weapons got them into the outpost, now we can't get them out."





@BookWyrm

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nodded as he listened to the description of the tower and the bandits that now occupied it. Odd, the North was for the most part well patrolled by Rangers. Even with a mage and a crafty inventor they would have had a hard time if they came across a well equipped Ranger platoon. Dayn looked over to Atria more out of curiosity than anything else, trying to gauge her responses and hopefully get an idea of who he would be traveling with. As usual he was tired of the formalities and was ready to be out on the road. He'd spent the better half of seven years of the road as a knight-errant. He felt more at home in the wild than he did in the formal, tamed cities and villages he stopped in from time to time. Dayn would have shook his head to get back on subject, but decided that in the presence of Lord Aric he figured the gesture would have mixed reactions. In truth he wanted to ask about the Rangers, the Northern Guard, and the uncounted number of mercenary free companies and bounty hunters that would have no doubt died for a shot at this mission. Why did he choose the two of them?





"Do not worry M'Lord. I have full confidence that we can take care of this mission. No doubt the bandits would expect a larger force to try and retake the tower. The two of us should be able to get past the outer defenses and take the tower if all goes as planned." Of course, more formalities. Dayn was honestly worried slightly. If the Northern Guard or the Rangers hadn't been able to uproot these garrison, what made him think that two adventurers would be any better? But, as per formalities sake, don't question the authority of your betters. Dayn looked from Aric to Atria and then back. "Is there any further information we need before we make preparations?"





@Dragongal

 

[Dragongal]

Atria listened closely to Aric. She nodded to herself, already running over plans in her mind. Disabling traps and devices wouldn't be extremely hard, and the men would likely be spread throughout the tower, so they'd not have to worry about being mobbed. When Dayn spoke to Aric, she inwardly sighed. Nobles always have such formality when talking to one another, it got in the way of their meanings sometimes. She knew the guard tower that was mentioned. They were still far enough south that there'd be plenty of woodlands around it.


When Dayn asked if there was any more necessary information and glanced at her, she shook her head. She had what she needed.





"There isn't much more information that we have, sadly. Those bandits have entrenched themselves there at the worst time, as the Rangers are training their new entrants and refuse to help if it's not life-threatening. We don't doubt they somehow knew of the training and timed it specifically for now." He naturally didn't want to tell him that while it was true, this was also a preliminary test for them. "You two may wish to gather supplies, if you believe it necessary, or perhaps to leave now. It's two days' walk from here to the outpost, and I'm not one to tell people how to do their jobs." He rose from his "throne", adding, "I leave you two with your job. I wish you the best of luck," before walking out of the hall. He was supposed to have no part in their plans or cooperation, as this was a test of their skill.





Atria sighed once he left, turning to Dayn and asking, "Do you need any supplies before we leave? Or would you perhaps prefer to leave come dawn? We can leave right away, too. I'm good with anything." She paused and added, "Sir."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn remained as proper and formal as he could manage until Aric had left the hall. Watching carefully to make sure he had left, and the doors were closed, Dayn let out a long sigh of relief as everything from his demeanor to his posture relaxed. Finally, time to actually be himself. When Atria spoke up he turned to face, grimacing when she add "Sir" to the end of her sentence. "Please, I'm third born. Just Dayn will suffice." He shook his head with a smile. "The title is a formality, just like this doublet and twice as itchy." Dayn had made his own life apart from the formalities of his family. That was the gift his inheritance had given him, the ability to be free. And he wouldn't trade that for all the wealth in the world.





"I have everything I need in my room at the Blue Heron Inn. For the departure, I say we leave with the setting sun. That gives us enough time for me to buy us a good meal." Dayn smiled as he watched Atria's reaction. "I make it a point to get to know my partners, and I refuse to start a mission on an empty stomach. So, what say you?"





@Dragongal

 

[Dragongal]

Atria smiled. At least he hated formality. He wasn't the first noble she'd met to feel that way, but he was one of few. And he was funny, which would definitely help if they were to work together. She had always been of the belief that a team worked best only if they knew each other beyond just battle training and basic facts. It had been a long time for her, since she'd last traveled at night, or with a partner. While she wasn't against it, her last experiences were something she tried not to reminisce on. She'd also just gotten to the city that day, and had been up at dawn. However, if they began moving by night, that would set them on a good schedule for arriving at the outpost.


The only reason she didn't insist that he'd let her pay for the food, was simply because he was a noble, third son or not, he surely had plenty of money. For a second she wondered if she was under-dressed, but then figured that if he hated formality so much, he probably wouldn't care, and she really didn't care enough to warrant changing if it wasn't absolutely necessary. "I say it sounds like an excellent idea."


@BookWyrm

 

[BookWyrm]

(I figure I'll expand upon some of the city)


Dayn and Atria had left the stuff formalities of Low Rock for the relaxed atmosphere of the Blue Heron Inn. The conversation wasn't spectacular during the walk. A word here, a comment about how the weather had turned out for a nice afternoon, but generally just a quiet stroll through town to the Inn. The Blue Heron was perched with an overlook of the city that reached out into the forests and farmland beyond the wall. Ever since Dayn had come to Low Rock for the first time around four years ago the Inn had become his choice for quarter and stable. The Inn keep had become a good friend over time. It helped that Dayn had been able to put an end to some ruffians that had been stirring up trouble among some of the shops in the city. No matter how long in between stays, there was always a room, stable and a bar stool open when Dayn came back through. As the two walked through the door they were met by the mellow strumming of a minstrel on his lute among chatter and tales from the far reaches of Trulane. Cedar and oak mingled with pipe smoke, ale, and fresh baked bread. Dayn took in a deep breath of the comforting aroma that always reminded him of home. The Inn keep, a stout man around thirty four, looked up from the bar as he wiped out a tankard and beckoned to his friend. "Welcome back to the Heron Dayn! The usual?" Dayn shook his head. "Table for two actually. And how about a bottle of the sweet red for starters."





Dayn escorted Atria to the table and sat down across from her. As requested, the maid brought out a bottle of a fine sweet southern red wine and two glasses along with a small platter of cheese and bread. "When yer ready fer food jus' let me know. Angus has some lemon pike bakin 'case yer in'trested." Dayn nodded his thanks, slipped the maid a gold coin, and filled the glasses before passing one to Atria. "Don't be modest unless your stomach is. I'd rather my partner be full and content before setting off. Besides, a good meal gives us time to know each other better." Dayn took a sip from his glass, enjoying the bright and fruity flavor of the wine. "So tell me Atria, you come from the North, correct?"





@Dragongal

 

[Dragongal]

Sometimes Atria could understand the appeal of cities, though she hated crowds with a passion; one of those moments was seeing the sight from the Heron's doorway. At least city-folk still appreciated a good view, though they did sometimes perplex her. Atria followed Dayn's lead, and decided not to mention that she didn't really drink wine. It was never a good idea for a mage with innate magic to get drunk, or even tipsy, but when she did take alcohol, she preferred mead. Of course, she smiled and accepted the glass, tasting the sweet southern wine, something she'd never done before. She'd never thought that when people called it sweet wine they meant it was actually so sweet. She set the glass down and took a piece of the bread, happy to have food that she hadn't cooked. She smiled at his question, chuckling lightly, "What gave it away, the surname? I hope it wasn't that dreadful accent I've struggled to kill. Yes, I'm from the North. What of you?"





@BookWyrm

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn laughed. "Ah come on now, your accent is beautiful. Much better than that rubbish swamp mouth I had the misfortune of hearing while tracking bugbears out west." Dayn took another sip from the wine before moving on to the cheese. "My father's family is from the North, my mother's from the South. Me, home is where I rest my head at night. I guess that is the benefit of being a knight-errant."





@Dragongal

 

[Dragongal]

Atria laughed. Western accent was the worst butchering of Common tongue she'd ever heard. "That is a nice benefit of travelling, I suppose" she said. Home. An odd word. If he'd asked her where her home was rather than where she was from, she wasn't sure what she could tell him. She took a bite of the bread, thinking up a good question to ask him. She figured she'd get to skills and abilities later. "Why did you become a knight-errant, if I may ask?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"Blessing of birthright to be honest. My brother Japhet is the first born and inherited the family seat. Geoff came second, and tradition dictates he take up position as bannerman to Japhet, so by most rights I should have just been another bannerman or captain of the guard or some other lesser position. Luckily my father's family has a tradition of the third son becoming a knight-errant. Sure, most noble sons would prefer something with more inherited prestige, but I'd rather make my own legend."


@Dragongal

 

[Dragongal]

Atria nodded thoughtfully. She liked the sound of that. And it was also nice to know Dayn wasn't just earning merit so he could go sit in some boring courtroom like other lesser-nobles. She was always glad she was born commoner, it meant she got to choose everything in her life, even if it meant she was poor and education could be a struggle. She was beginning to run out of questions to ask that didn't pertain to fighting. "Your father's family is wise in its traditions. How long have you been on the roads?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn washed what he had been chewing down with the last gulp of his wine. "I've been on the path for seven years." The maid came back through saying something about the baked pike being plated up. Dayn nodded to the maid before pondering how to continue. He smiled to himself as he thought. He usually never talked about himself, especially among other nobility, unless he was with his family. To have someone to talk to, a fellow adventurer who knew what life was like, that meant something to him. Even despite just meeting earlier and knowing not much about her, he had begun to like Atria. "I always tried to visit my family when I had time. Sometimes a contract or mission would take months worth of tracking down leads and trekking across wilderness. Most of the time I dropped by while working for the night or to weather a storm. There was one year, the year of my eighteenth name day. Work had been slow all year long, so around late autumn I packed up and wintered back at the home keep. Almost drove me crazy being cooped up all winter long. My only respite was after the first snowfall. A single griffin, I suppose the others had flown to warmer areas, had started picking people off from local villages. That was a fun hunt, despite the people that it killed anyway."





Dayn had asked the maid to wash out his cup, which he now filled with water. He wasn't in the mood to drink heavy, especially not before heading out on the path again. "Enough about me though. How'd you get started out in this line of work?"

 

[Dragongal]

Atria listened attentively. It was nice to know he still had a value on family, and he was nice to listen to. She wasn't very fond of talking about herself. She also kept her mouth shut about his killing a griffin; if they had food they were pretty kind creatures, in her experience, and she thought killing one was a shame . "Funny you should mention going crazy being cooped up. My main reasoning for this line of work is that. I mean, it didn't happen quite as I'd have liked, leaving. But I'd trained in fighting for years." She said it as simply as she could without lying. There wasn't all too much she was willing to give away about her past.He seemed nice, but she wasn't gong to just tell her life story.


She took another sip of wine, quickly asking, "So, are you a mage?" She just wanted the talk off of herself, she preferred listening to speaking, especially about herself. Magic theory or cultures she could converse for ages. Herself? Not so much.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn caught the change of subject mentally, but kept his normal expression. From what he figured Atria probably didn't want to talk about something, and he wasn't the type to pry. He'd sooner have her trust him and he not know everything about her than to push for answers and alienate his partner. Dayn chuckled at the thought of him even being considered a mage. "I've picked up some skill, if you can call it that, for the elements, but nothing more than Ignis and Aer, and even then just the basics." He paused to think back on the events that led him down that pursuit. "I had ran into this grizzled old man-at-arms that had studied Aeromancy for years. None of the other elements, just air. We had ended up stuck in a bandit prison and fought our way out. I watched him launch himself four stories up and impale a bandit with a spear. After seeing that display I spent two months tracking down an elementalist to teach me the basics. And here I am, about six months later, and still covering the basics." Dayn laughed at the memories of his first time creating fire in his hands. He'd burned the hair of both of his arms. At this point the maid returned with two plates. The pike had been carved into portion sizes and served in the baking pastry with some spiced potatoes.





"Might as well enjoy it while it's warm. From tonight on for a few days it back to travel food and rations." Not that Dayn ever minded cooking his own meals over a campfire. He secretly enjoyed it more than he cared to admit. All part of the freedom of the knight-errant. "What about you? Any skill with the magic arts?"

 

[Dragongal]

Atria liked listening to Dayn's stories. It was amusing, and not something she often was able to indulge in, listening.She took a bite of the fish, thinking of her answer. She figured she'd better not hold any information back about fighting. She took another sip of wine before answering "Actually, I'm an innate healer and defensive mage. Well, I'm more a medic, I prefer to use bandaging and medicine to magic if possible. But I can make shields, wards, minor illusions, you get the idea. It is impressive though, your using non-innate magic." She was a bit worried he'd treat her differently now that he knew she was a mage, so she waited to hear his response before asking any questions.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nodded as he processed the information. Atria was an innate mage, and a talented one at that. Well, innate healer to be technical. Dayn's respect for Atria shot up some after her willingly letting him onto her capabilities. As for her being a mage that didn't bother him. Some people got all weird about the magically gifted. Sure, Dayn was what could be considered a battle mage, but he had learned his skillset over the course of his life. Atria had been born with hers. "What can I say? I guess I just learn quickly. But of course it's easier to learn than complicated healing magic. I must say, I didn't suspect you of that. I'm quite impressed."

 

[Dragongal]

Atria smiled, asking wryly, "Why, did you assume proper medical training was too expensive for a Northern valley girl?" She made it clear with her smile that she was joking and wasn't offended in the least. Eighteen years, and she still couldn't take a compliment without brushing it off or changing the subject. She sighed; finding out she had healing magic had been easy enough, she'd fallen and cut her hand when she'd been around five and the cut had healed immediately. Refining it took some practice, but was easy enough for her, the mana burn becoming almost nothing the more she learned about the muscles, nerves, and skin, how to mend it and how to properly pinpoint where she'd spend mana on healing, rather than just burning mana on a huge area for one small wound. Her shields, wards, and illusions, however, hadn't really come into play until she was almost fourteen, a rather embarrassing discovery actually, (Her friend had decided to try to scare her, only to end up on the opposite side of a thick magic shield. Forcefully on the opposite side. Sandwiched against a wall. And she hadn't known how to drop the shield.) and nobody in the village knew how to work with defensive magics, and she couldn't find a copy of an instructional text for her life.


"The healing magic was the easy part, it was refining it and learning non-magical medics that was the trick, but my mother was a medicine woman, so that wasn't too hard. I had no real trainer for the defensive magic, though, I just kind of figured it out from books and practice. I'm meddling in the charms and utilitarian magics, but, well... none of it's worth mentioning, as I've been learning from books with little chances for practice, and I've yet to properly train enough of my raw magic into a specialization, and utilitarian is such a wide field in comparison - " She caught herself, blushing slightly. As much as she hated talking about herself, discussing magic classes, forms, uses, and theories had a tendency to set her talking, running the risk of boring whomever was listening. "Sorry. I'm very much a... I suppose academic could be the word... when it comes to magic and certain other topics. I love discussing ideas and sometimes, well, I end up the one who does all the speaking."





To prevent Dayn from perhaps telling her that it was alright or that she should continue speaking, she asked, "Do you often work with partners?"


@BookWyrm

 

[BookWyrm]

"Not often enough to make it a habit. Part of that may be romanticism. Young noble lads and lasses listening to their nans tell them stories of young knights in shining armor riding off to slay dragons and griffins and rescue princesses single handed. I guess people still hold onto the idea that a young knight-errant doesn't need help. And in reality all of the stories are just that, stories for young nobles to dream about."





Dayn sat for a time in silence, enjoying the meal and company. "For one, it is unwise to bother dragons and griffins without justification. Most won't bother humans anyway, learned that on the road. That one winter when I hunted the griffin it turned out to be rabid. The others up and left the area, I'm guessing to avoid infection. We burned the body, and the griffins returned after the snows melted." Dayn would have continued the conversation, but he noticed from the windows that the sun was getting prepared to set. "It won't be long. Allow me to get prepared and we can head to the gate."





The two adventurers left Low Rock by the last light of the setting sun. It was two days travel to the tower, but as Dayn had learned, the roads could always be unpredictable. A gentle rain had begun to fall as they left the city. Dayn smiled as he listened to the patter of rain on his hood as they walked along the road. The night air was cool and wet, but the sun's ambient warmth could still be felt as the fading light beckoned the creatures of darkness to waken from their slumber. An owl hooted it's first greeting to the night and was answered by another soon after. Somewhere on a pond or creek a loon cried out into the falling dark in it's haunting, mournful voice. This was the life Dayn had made for himself, and he loved every minute of it. "It's beautiful is it not?"

 

[Dragongal]

Sitting in the inn and listening to Dayn speak, Atria quickly realized he was basically a dreamer. Something that was, in her opinion, in sad lacking these days, and it also gave them something in common. It was funny, growing up she'd listened to similar stories, though she wasn't a "noble lass", but she was willing to bet the stories were a fair bit different for her. She very much doubted he'd ever heard about May of the Wisps, a slightly terrifying tale involving a young urchin girl and will-o-wisps. Atria was also happy to learn that he knew griffins to be harmless if left alone. She had a deep fondness for griffins, watching them soar gracefully from their mountain eyries as a child, imagining riding one to some far-off place, and she also had another reason for being so fond of them, but... that was long past. She'd always wanted to visit more Southern mountains to see if they nested there, as she only knew them to make their permanent homes in mountainous terrain, but wouldn't be surprised if they nested elsewhere, perhaps in plains or woodlands.


Atria had left her hood down when it started raining, enjoying the feeling; normally she loved any excuse to raise her hood, but rain was an exception. She could have easily made a thin shield to cover them from the rain, but she'd have been lying if she said that she wanted one, and he seemed to enjoy the rain too. The smell of wet soil and foliage was wonderful to her, as was the twilight glow on the roadsides. She had to agree with Dayn. It was odd, a fighter who appreciated simple things. She liked that about him. "Extremely beautiful. Though I always thought the loon's cry to be terribly sad, but it doesn't detract much at allfrom the beauty." She chuckled quietly to herself, adding, "When I was little, I used to try to imagine reasons why they sounded so sad. And they were always rather vicious birds, too. I felt pity for them until one tried to bite me, and I decided they were probably angry because they could only sound sad."





She smiled at the memory, then said quietly, "Y'know, I don't think I've ever met someone who appreciates simple things like this as much as you or I. At least, not one who's an adventurer, traveler, fighter, what-have-you. It's nice, talking to someone who understands."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled as he listened to the rain and night birds. Yes, he understood the simple pleasures of nature. When one lived on the road for some long you start to find serenity in the wild places away from people and noise and formalities. The wild places had their own form of hierarchy and laws, but they were more basic, more instinctual than the learned formalities of noble court. And to be able to spend time in nature with someone who appreciated it as much as he did made for a pleasant journey. For a long time Dayn was content to walk on in silence, letting the night song continue it's melodious chorus.


The two had traveled for some time away from the city before Dayn spoke up again. "It gets lonely, at times, on the path. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but at times I wonder what life would have been like if I'd have chosen a different life." Dayn was mostly thinking out loud, but he didn't mind Atria hearing him. "I'd probably of been married to some nobles daughter and have five children by now. And no time to walk in the woods during the rain and listen to the loons. Stuck up to the hips in formalities and politics. Nay, there is no life in that. No reason I'd give up my life of travel and adventure for a tame life and a dull sword."

 

[Dragongal]

She smiled. She knew what he meant about it getting lonely on the roads. There'd been times on quiet nights where she had to wonder if she wasn't insane. But the singing of birds and crickets made up for the temporary inconveniences. Unlike Dayn, however, she didn't have to wonder what would have happened if she'd stayed. She knew. She hadn't a choice, really. She liked having been born common, she'd have been able to choose whomever she wanted to marry, since her family cared naught for money. She'd have been able to take a job, had she wished, likely a medicine woman or silver worker. Of course, too many things happened that prevented her from ever being allowed any of that anymore. "That sounds like a Hel in itself," she replied with a smile. "I guess us common-born have some advantages, don't we?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"More than most nobles care to admit." Dayn slowed his pace down, taking some time to observe the woods on either side of the road. He was always weary about traveling at any time of day, but for some reason it had seemed that nights recently had been odd. And almost as if on cue, the night birds stopped calling. Dayn stopped moving completely. "Somethings off." He pulled his hood back and listened carefully. Nothing was moving around them. It even felt like the air had stilled. Dayn's hand found the hilt of his arming sword as he turned slowly. He thought he heard something moving further off in the woods to his left.


They had transitioned from the northern road to one of the ranger paths about three miles back. At the time he hadn't paid it much heed, but Dayn had thought he might have seen some strange tracks along the start of the trail. Now he'd wished he would have looked over them better. "There is something following us."