Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

<Much better.> Dayn snuggled as closely as he could to Arryn before settling in a going back to sleep. When he woke again they had managed to sleep until the late morning early afternoon. Dayn opened his eyes and laid there, stiff as a board and happy as could be with Arryn cuddling with him. He figured he would let her wake up this time and decided to just relax until Lenza came in for a check up or Arryn woke up. He couldn't help but wonder what Matthias, Kalie, and Theodas were doing though.

 

[Dragongal]

Lenza came in a little later with some food for Arryn and a bowl of pink milk for Dayn. She gently poked Arryn's leg with her foot to wake her up. "Arryn, it's noon, you should probably get up. Theodas got a bit of cow blood for Dayn." Arryn opened her eyes and sat up a bit but still leaned on Dayn, taking her tray and putting the bowl in front of Dayn. "Alright. Morning love, I guess."

 

[BookWyrm]

When Lenza walked into the room Dayn's tail wagged slightly as his way of saying hi. He was happy to see the bowl, even if it smelt weird. He lapped up a mouthful of the strange pink liquid, holding it in his mouth before swallowing it and continuing. <This isn't that bad actually.> Dayn had to wonder how Theodas managed to get the cows blood, but he almost didn't want to ask. Dayn stopped for a moment, realizing that the pink liquid had splashed all over his mouth. He turned to look at Arryn and pulled his lip up in a goofy buck tooth smile, the pinkish milk giving him a off colored goatee.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed and wiped off his muzzle with a rag from the ground. "You're just a fluffy mess, aren't you? Well, I guess you're my fluffy mess." Arryn set the rag back down and got to work on her own food, biting into a pear pastry her mother had gotten specially for her from the market this morning. Arryn looked to Lenza, and asked, "Where's the others?" "Matthias has been answering questions about the bear, Kalie and Theodas are watching the house." She move back to Dayn's side and handed Arryn some compresses. "For his ribs." Arryn took the compresses and nodded as Lenza left, laying the compresses on Dayn's side behind her. "Maybe we should talk to Libro about all of this...? When you're okay too, of course, but sooner is better."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I should be able to limp sometime soon, so whenever you want to we can make the trip I guess.> Dayn finished off his "soup" before scooting the bowl around with his nose, almost making a game of it before it finally scooted to far for him to reach. Content to have something on his stomach he laid pulled the pillow over and laid his head down, letting Arryn lay against him until she was done. Even then she still needed to change bandages and use the compresses. <Next I might say something about chicken livers and frog's legs just to see if Theodas happens to bring them tomorrow morning.> Dayn hadn't lost his humor thats for sure.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn chuckled. "Frogs in the North? Ha, pure imagination, you won't see those until summer, and then only maybe. Chicken, well, that'd be easy to get." Arryn wet a rag with the wound rinse and gently wiped at the cuts on his face, since she hadn't wanted to bind them. "We'll rest for a while, okay? And no going into the forest at night. In a few hours, if you're up to it, we can go if we make it fast."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I don't know about fast, but I can give it all my three legs can go.> Dayn leaned back and nibbled Arryn's chin gently, making sure to be easy about it. He leaned down and nibbled at the base of her neck some before licking her lightly and nuzzling against her neck. <I'm done, I just had a moment. I'll hold still now.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled. "Alright, try not to use your jaw so much. In fact, here, let me lay this compress over the break." That done, she leaned back against him. "I won't be able to ride, so I'll probably slow us down a good bit, but we can use trails I know... would you like me to have one or two of the others come with?"

 

[BookWyrm]

<That would probably be safer than us going alone.> Dayn laid down as Arryn tended to his wounds before leaning back on him. Though he loved traveling and adventuring with Arryn, these times when they could just be alone were some of his favorite moments.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded, then allowed herself to doze lightly. A little over an hour later, Kalie came over to check on how they were, and Arryn suggested the plan. Kalie nodded and left, going to get the boys ready for the trip. Arryn changed into clean clothes while they waited, then replaced some of Dayn's bandages, still leaving his face uncovered. She had some of his clothes in her pack, so she wasn't worried.When the three returned, they set off, heading straight to the woods.


They had no issue getting to Libro's, and all five of them walked in. Arryn called, "Libro! We're back! Sorry about the wait, things happened...." Libro came hobbling out from behind a bookshelf, chuckling quietly. "I understand, m'dear, life moves despite our wishes. What happened to Dayn, here?" "That's what we're here about. Last night, in the woods, he was in his wolf form like now, and he was attacked by a giant bear. He said it could telepathically speak to him. It was extremely coordinated... what was it?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"My first thought would be an enchanted bear." Dayn growled slightly, an unamused look on his face. Libro laughed. "There are other shapeshifters similar to lycanthropes in the world. Was there anything that set this one apart?" Dayn thought back on the whole situation, trying to discern anything other than it's intelligence and size that would set it apart from anything. Dayn tried his hardest to think, but other than what was already described he couldn't come up with anything. Then, he remembered the eyes. <Its eyes. Whenever I shift my eyes become wolf-like. It had human like eyes.>





When Arryn relayed this information to Libro the dwarf shook his head, scratching his beard almost nervously. "You didn't encounter a berserker or shapeshifter then. That," Libro paused, slightly bothered it seemed, "was a skinwalker."

 

[Dragongal]

"As in a mage that can take control of an animal?!" Arryn asked in surprise. Theodas looked uncomfortable and said, ""I had believed skinwalkers an old myth, nonexistent in this day and age. We have elven mages similar, but they convince the animal, not take control... This is very bad...."

 

[BookWyrm]

Libro nodded slightly. "The elven style of this magic was designed to be noninvasive for the animals. There is a darker style of this magic that allows one to possess the body of animals, but the magic corrupts them, twisting them into a darker creature. In the end the animal is lost and the mage gains the form and abilities of the beast. This is a very dark magic, a perversion of nature and arcane, and it makes perfect sense why it took such an affront to Dayn here." Dayn could feel the eyes look to him. Libro locked eyes with him for a few seconds before continuing. "The Moon-Born, alongside the ancient druids and wood elves, eradicated the skinwalkers, or so we thought. This one somehow survived, and it would seem he was aiming at taking revenge against those who destroyed his people."

 

[Dragongal]

"So... you're telling me it's here for Dayn? But how would it know that he's here? And how do we know who it is in their human form?" Arryn had unwittingly put her hand on Dayn's back, instinctively protective over him.

 

[BookWyrm]

Libro shook his head. "Not exactly, but now that it knows he is here it will no doubt try to hunt him down. But, Dayn has the advantage. Moon-Born mask their scent in human form, while skinwalkers smell the same regardless of the form or shape they take."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked down to Dayn. "Do you think you could track the smell?" Kalie glanced at the arrows in her quiver. "Is it like with Dayn where we need a specific metal?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"That I do not know." Libro frowned. Dayn looked up at Arryn. <I should be able to track it when I get better if the smell remains.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Alright." "Before you leave, here are the location devices you asked for," he handed Arryn to felt bags filled with what looked like colored marbles, and two bracelets, one bigger than the other with the leather binding marked with runes to it would stay on Dayn when he shifted. The bracelets were braided leather with large, black oval stones and inch and a half long and an inch wide. "When shifted, Dayn will be able to see Arryn's marks on his bracelet, but unless he finds a way to carry the locators themselves, he won't be able to contact her."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nodded. They would find a way, he was sure of it. The two of them made a rather good team. <Alright, I'm ready if you are. Besides, I think getting off my feet would be nice. My ankle is starting to throb.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Thank you Libro," Arryn said before departing with Dayn and the others. They managed to return to the house without incident, but darkness was beginning to fall by the time they got back. The others took their leave. And Arryn and Dayn walked into the back room to find that Lenza had made a nest of blankets for Arryn and Dayn to lay on, with a pile of pillows and some folded blankets to the side. Lenza's only response was that it got cold in that room and she didn't want Dayn laying on the hard ground with his injuries.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn was very appreciative of the make shift bed, limping over and nuzzling Lenza's hand in gratitude. He looked down at the wonderful nest and laid down carefully, thankful to get off his feet. <This is nice. Come, snuggle with me love.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Don't need to ask me twice, "Arryn said as she walked over to him, laying down and lightly laying on his shoulder, pulling up some of the blankets. Lenza came in a bit later with food for Arryn and a bowl of milk and cow blood for Dayn. Arryn ate her food appreciatively, but she still wasn't hungry after the last few days. She still looked pale and had rings around her eyes, but she didn't seem to notice.

 

[BookWyrm]

<I think I'm beginning to like this. Arryn, when we finally build our home, have you considered livestock?> Of course Dayn was poking fun, even going so far as the poke his cold damp nose on the back of Arryn's neck playfully before going back to his soup. He managed to lap up the soup quicker this time around, allowing him more time to pay attention to Arryn. He noticed that she was still rather pale, kind of dark around her eyes, but overall she was doing better. He nuzzled her neck gently before laying his head down next to her, just wanting to be as close as he could get with her.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled to him, glancing outside and noting that darkness had nearly set in when she felt a small pang of pain in her heart. She ignored it and finished the little amount of food that she'd eaten, and set the tray aside before pulling up the blankets and cuddling up to Dayn, slowly ribbing her fingers through his fur.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn lay there contentedly, still slightly awake. <Arryn, I have a question. What would happen if there was ever a day when you, or Matthias, Kalie, or Theodas were injured and the only way to save you or them was....well...me?>