It's fucking cold out here!

[Bryden]

((I figured it would make more sense to post all of the story so far HERE, rather then clutter up the RPG boards.))

The war of 100 years. Such a terrible time. How did it come from such a peaceful land? Mayhaps it was that the land was too safe, the people too naive. Maybe it was that nobody ever suspected the Ashen Army, the bane from the far north, to be so strong.
The war was bitter. Many perished, the lands were torn asunder, and no one was safe from the Ashen Army. But the cold northern armies were defeated at the end of the war of 100 years.
Peace rule again.
And so the world of Q'thar has again known peace for 12 generations since.
But in his palace of ice and black iron, the Lord of Ice waits. he wants revenge, and he shall have it.
Oh, he shall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the world of Q'thas, it's quiet. It's been quiet for years and years. Only the faintest of whispers of a new war has come up. Nobody is ready for the war, other then a few rebellious teens and crazy old guys rambling in taverns. People go about their daily lives as they always have.
This is about the few who are suspecting something, and a few who weren't. They have to find a way to defeat the kingdom of the north, or risk losing their entire world.

New Plot: A motley group of thieves, assassins, freaks, and assorted goody-two-shoes adventurers met through chance at a bar. They fought wild lycans before capturing one. The captured one delivered the message that the Lord of Ice requested an audience with several of the number. The group set out for the port city of Tristiwe, unofficially following the assassin Xee (although she is not happy with this arrangement). They chartered a ship, a favor from the pirate Aundi and set off towards the Northern lands. The group has just arrived at the half-way point of their journey.
They are now in the small port village, Eembar, restocking the ship and resting up for the rest of the sea voyage and the bitter northern lands ahead.
Several of the party have already departed, others are considering it, yet still some are staying. There may even be people in this sleepy fishing village who would take an interest in accompanying them for the rest of the journey.
What shall become of the few remaining?

[Bryden]

"Are they ignoring how much I hate them all, or are they just too stupid to notice?" thought Xee.
She was busily glaring at some poor merchant as he tried to get her order together. The glaring was his own fault- he'd tried to sell her rotten fruit- but Xee was pissed for other reasons. The first and foremost of those being that she absolutely hated everyone with in a 4-foot radius of her (Aundi the pirate was with her, prattling on about some stupid story that probably wasn't true). Other then that, she was wet and hungry and had gotten up far too early.
It was rainy and windy and probably freezing cold for everyone but Xee, who was just slightly warmish. The gray sky, thick with clouds, loomed above, threatening more rain then they currently had. Xee took a moment to glare at it before returning the glare to the merchant, who'd gotten all the fruit together and was gingerly offering it to her in a basket.
She took the heavy wicker basket easily, and flipped a few coins back at him. One of them was a fake, but he wouldn't know that until they were long gone.
She turned to Aundi and pushed the basket into her hands. Aundi stumbled and strained against the weight. "Take this back to the ship," Xee told her, "I need a drink." She left Aundi and headed into the nearest tavern.
She wasn't really getting a drink, Xee abhorred alcohol, but one had to keep up appearances.
The bar was hot and smoky and brightly lit. It had a happy cozy feel to it. Xee, of course, hated it right off the bat. She was, however, wet as a drowned rat and needed to dry off. So she found a small table near the roaring fire and tried to stand the heat long enough to dry.
While she waited, she mused on what had happened since they'd left the docks of Tristiwe in Aundi's dinghy. They'd sailed for about 5 days so far, and were more or less halfway to the ice self that was The North. They'd needed supplies, so they stopped off on this little rock to stock up. While sailing, unrest had grown. Some people didn't like Xee and her methods. She'd tried to drill it into their thick heads that she never wanted to be leader and they were bloody well welcome to take over, but nobody had listened. When they'd docked here, a few had decided they could find a better way and had struck off alone. Everyone else had been sent to pick up various supplies, with directions to meet back at the boat by sunset if they still wanted to go that way.
So there Xee was, drying.


Ethel had picked up a few things to repair the ship with that Xee had requested and a few things that she hadn’t. Ethel had not been completely thrilled with the conditions under which they had been traveling, but overall she was glad to be sailing as a pirate again. After tossing the supplies in the cargo hold in the general area that she had been sleeping for the past few days, Ethel walked back onto the deck. She realized that she had a few hours to kill before sunset, and the most convenient way to kill time in a place like this was to go to the tavern, drink some rum, and observe the inhabitants for entertainment.
Ethel walked to the tavern in the disgustingly cold and wet weather that she thoroughly enjoyed. It was this kind of weather that inspired her to sing in her native language. Seeing that hardly anyone was outside in the dreary weather, Ethel started singing words that could not be deciphered by most. Upon entering the tavern, Ethel ended her singing and walked up to the bar. She saw Xee near the fire, attempting to dry off. Ethel thought it best not to disturb the girl. Although Ethel had developed some respect for Xee and her harsh attitude, she knew that Xee wanted nothing more than to be left alone right now, and every other second of her life as well. Ethel ordered a bottle of rum from the barkeeper and waited a few moments for him to return. She took the bottle of rum into her fist and drank from it as soon as he placed the bottle on the counter. The man gave her a hard look.
“And how will you be paying for this?” He asked her impatiently.
Ethel finished her current swig of rum before looking at him with sardonic amusement. “How about this,” Ethel began with a smile, “I don’t pay for the rum, and when I leave this place your most prized body part won’t be shrunken to the size of a walnut, savvy?”
The barkeep wasn’t sure how to take this and gave her a look of mixed confusion and slight irritation. “I doubt that you have the power to do that, Miss. I’ll be taking the payment for that rum now, unless you would prefer to pay for it in a way that’s more enjoyable for me.”
Ethel’s eyes flashed demonically at the barkeep’s suggestion. Her hand that was resting on the counter of the bar suddenly contorted as if it was squeezing the life out of something. Simultaneously, the barkeep’s throat seemed to be getting thinner while he choked and gasped for air. Ethel smirked.


"Water...water everywhere, but not a drop to drink."

Rosso opened her eyes as she spoke, and a single drop of liquid hit her gold eye. It had begun to rain. Rosso felt the cold, steely drops hit her body as she stood against the wall, glaring at the man before her. He was small, weak, for a person at least but especially for a lycan. He was stuttering...stuttering something, but Rosso didn't know what he was saying. She didn't exactly care, either. He let out a few more words, and Rosso could make out 'please' and 'family' but neither of those words meant anything to her, and they meant even less in this situation. Lycans didn't mean it when they said please, and they didn't have families. Her arm did not shake or quiver at all as Rosso lifted Bloodless to the skies, and with one swoop of her arm, ended the lycan's miserable life. She looked up at the clouds and let out a sigh. "Water...it must taste like heaven." she said quietly. Water...water everywhere, but not a drop for Rosso to drink. Monsters don't drink water.

Rosso cleaned the dirty half of Bloodless as she sat in a small bar, earning derisive looks from the few people who inhabited it. A few men gave her and her revealing dress appreciate once-overs, but none of them were brave enough to approach her. But, from this Rosso derived that what they lacked in courage they made up for in good sense. Her arm was itching for a kill, and the lycan in the alley was too easy for Rosso the Condemned to feel satiated. Perhaps...perhaps it would feel nice. Nice to just flourish Bloodless and execute every single living thing in the bar...yes, it would feel perfect. To destroy everything in the town. Rosso's golden eyes glowed once more, this time with a strong crimson hint. No...control yourself, Rosso, she told herself. The crimson glow died down, and Rosso once again felt in control of her emotions. She turned her head and saw a young woman with a positvely malicious look on her face, with her hand crunched up. And a barkeeper was choking. Rosso knew magic, and Rosso was not an idiot. So she put two and two together.

Without much drama, Rosso calmly walked over to the girl, pushed her from her seat, and slapped a few coins on the counter. "I wouldn't suggest flaunting your powers, miss. Not everyone is as merciful as me, or as ambivalent towards bullying." she said plainly. With those words, Rosso grabbed Bloodless and made her way to the fire. It wouldn't do anything; people like Rosso were unable to get warm, or cold.


As Rosso sat next to the fire, a young man rushed from his seat to tend to Ethel. "Are you okay? That lady shoved you pretty hard..." he muttered, pulling Ethel up from the floor. "I'm Vincente...I'm a page now, but one day I'm gonna’ be a full-fledged monk!" he said with a flare of pride and a large grin.


Doran was sitting in a far off table with a glass of water and a book he "borrowed" from the library. It was not that he was thirsty, but just lazy to get water to make a potion. He pulled out several Items from a suitcase and laid it out along the table. He had an alchemist set and was about to use it.
"Ok I need three leaves from the mighty Oak tree, a mushroom from the valley of swamps, and for flavor, troll fat. He put two of the three ingredients in the mortal and pedestal and began grinding it to a slight powder. He then poured it into a beaker along with the troll fat and water and began cooking it. with a small fire in his hand. He then put a potion bottle right near it and sure enough, a green liquid began to pour from the spout and into the bottle. Soon the potion was made and he spoke.
"I have a potion that is guaranteed to increase the amount of drinking one can do without getting a hangover or causing your liver to turn to mush. Get completely wasted and wake up without the hangover. Side effects are mild and include drinking the biggest man under the table and there might be a little skin irritation on the knees but that is it. It is only 10 gold per bottle and I have over 20 bottles to sell! "

[Bryden]

Ethel stood up with the unwanted assistance of a boy rambling about monks or something like that. “I’m fine,” she snapped as she left the boy’s grip. She turned her head to see the barkeep rubbing his neck and then look up at her with wide eyes filled with fear. “I’ll deal with you later,” Ethel told him. She walked quickly over to the girl in red that had just severely pissed her off. In a swift movement, Ethel used her magic to seize the girl’s sword that was five feet away and levitate it in mid-air with her right hand and raise the girl into the air, pinning her arms to her sides, and making her stay in that position with her left hand.
Ethel brought the sword closer to her so that she could have a better look at it. She examined the sword and noticed the unique materials of which it was made. For killing vampires and werewolves, no doubt, Ethel remarked silently. “Nice sword,” she said casually to the girl before placing it in a corner of the bar opposite the girl so she couldn’t get to it before Ethel had the opportunity to prepare herself to fight if need be.
“First of all,” Ethel said to the girl after looking back at her and using both of her hands to keep the girl levitated in mid-air, “it doesn’t count as bullying when the one being harmed suggested that the one harming him should sleep with him to pay for a bottle of rum. Secondly, I’ll use my powers in public if I wish to. Thirdly, I could hold my own against anyone around here, including you, so I have nothing to fear. And as for flaunting my powers,” Ethel added, “you really shouldn’t be carrying that sword of yours unsheathed. Anyone with half a brain could see how valuable that is. Whether they’ll be able to get it from a strong lycan like you is really the question, I suppose.” Ethel smirked, “Yes, dear, I know you’re a lycan. It doesn’t take a witch to figure that one out,” Ethel said condescendingly. With that, she released the girl and walked back over to her rum.
Ethel drank what was left of her rum, muttered the curse that she had promised the barkeep earlier, and walked over to the boy that had helped her up. “Sorry about walking away before properly introducing myself. Vincente, was it? My name is Ethel.” Ethel heard a man nearby shouting something about a potion. She smiled and said, “I’m a pirate. There’s no such thing as a hangover.”


Rosso glared at Ethel, her cold exterior melting with anger. Her eyes once again glowed crimson, and she felt the whisperings of Setra crawling within her mind.

"Control."
"Breathe."
"Humanity."

But the whispers were shushed by the words of her future master...all clouding, wanting blood in exchange for being forced into the air. Rosso seized Bloodless and stalked over to Ethel. But rather than strike her with the blade, Rosso sheathed Bloodless and smirked at Ethel. She then grabbed the witch by her throat, taking good care to make sure that her nails were digging in well, and threw her across the room. "No one picks a fight with me." she snarled. With a parting look at the shocked bar patrons, Rosso left the bar, disappearing into the rain.


As a young woman sat down in a chair next to her, Xee glanced over. She eyed her sword the way most girls eyed a pretty dress. It was a really good one, if you liked that sort of weapon. She figured it'd be worth a tidy sum street-side, but by the looks of its owner there would be no getting within robbery distance. But the woman left just as soon as she came, and Xee's nefarious plotting was cut short.
Around the tavern, people were chatting and laughing animatedly. Most were probably in warming up from the gray day. How disgustingly cheery for them. So cheery, in fact, it was giving Xee a headache.
She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. This was not what she needed right now...
She took a knife from her boot and, without opening her eyes or turning to look or anything, she flipped it skillfully backwards, snarling, "Shut up!" The knife landed and dug itself deep into the wooden table at which sat some alchemist trying to hawk a drinking potion.
It didn't hurt anybody, but it certainly conveyed a message of skill and tolerance level to nose. More then one person gasped.
Xee slid over to her feet and stalked to the man's table. She leaned in very close to him. "I have a headache from Hell that has nothing to do with drinking," she growled in a low, dangerous voice, "And your bloody yelling isn't helping it, either. So unless you want to use the money you make here to pay for a nice coffin, I suggest you shut your overly large mouth."
She pulled her knife from the woodwork and started walking away, knocking over one of the man's potion bottles for good measure.
Outside, Xee slumped back against the tavern wall, letting the icy rain hit her in the head. Sure she' just undermined all her drying, but in a weird way, she was glad to be back in the rain.
The rain. The wretched, wretched rain. It was wet. It was cold. It froze on contact with the ground, making everything dangerous to walk on. It fell down so fast that it felt like needles striking your skin. It was found only in the North.
Oh how she'd missed it.


Whether he expressed it or not, Dareth had felt an immense amount of joy when the news that their destination was only few days away made its way to his abnormally pointed ears. At least, he had felt such joy before half their group deserted.
Whether he expressed it or not, Dareth felt an immense amount of guilt weighting on his shoulders ever since half their group had left them. He remembered Thorn, the dragon, leave; The fairy girl, Fee; and he had not seen the giant nor the girl attached to the werewolves that had attacked them that night on the tavern. He could only blame himself for not making the trip easier for them, then again, Xee's command was rough and cold as steel.
"There's Maria, Xee, Ryntai, Aundi and me, and all those other people I'm not sure if they left or not", he thought to himself out loud as he carried out Xee's orders.
Clothing, she'd said, Gloves, boots, jackets, trousers, blankets, socks and everything that would be able to keep them warm. Gods knew, this wasn't the warmest season, and the Northerners would not hesitate in turning them into popsicles.
After struggling with a foolish merchant, the thief had bought several jackets and boots and had managed to steal everything else. He hated the feeling, the guilt of stealing form the dim-witted to benefit only himself. He needed a drink, something to keep him unpreocupied; but he also needed to meet back with his group, or the remnants of it. If there was one thing this trip had taught him, was that the party always ended up in a tavern or bar, attracted like moths to the flame.
As he entered, Dareth was thrown aside by a woman wearing. . . red, lots and lots of it. Shaking off the shivers she gave him, he entered, sure enough, there was some of his group. The pirate Ethel, Xee and Aundi would be there any minute, if she wasn't already there.
"Predictable"
But what wasn't just as predictable was Ethel's state. She looked as if she'd been thrown against the wall, and her neck had the biggest hints of nail marks. He ordered rum and a jug of beer, the rum for the pirate, and the beer for himself. Dareth hoped Ethel wouldn't explode like she had the night in the tavern, but the first thing he did was look for a healer. He would've called Maria, but she still wasn't there. So, he went for a guy who was mixing some herbs in a nearby table.
"Could you heal her?” he politely asked.


Rather than being angry at the total lack of respect toward him by the girl with a headache, he remained very calm.
“Well that is a mess I did not want to have to clean up... geeze with all this fighting for no apparent reason and the anger in the air, I defiantly went to the wrong tavern. "
He said to himself.
Before he could start cleaning up, a man asked if he could heal the one person who got thrown across the bar.
“Ah yes, I have just the healing spell needed.”
He carefully packed up his things and then walked to the girl. He put a hand about 6 inches above it from her and ran it from head to toe. His eyes were closed and then he spoke.
“Several small fractures but nothing seems punctured so that would require a mid level healing spell. Hmmm I might need to make a potion as well, but first things first. “
He had a real bad habit of talking to himself. He lowered the hand to about 2 inches away from her and muttered something that did not sound like anything people use today. His hand turned blue and then that blue covered her body. It took only a few seconds, but her injuries were healed. He then took out his alchemy kit and grabbed a few new ingredients. He then mixed and boiled it with water he grabbed from a table and made a potion.
“This is a potion that will take away any dizziness or headaches you might have. I am not a master in healing, so you might have a few aches and pains. This potion however, will get rid of that and you should be as good as new. Sorry it will be a little bland but there is no after taste. “
He placed the bottle next to her and brewed up another one before he packed things up. He then ran outside looking for the other girl, the one who complained of a headache.
“Ma’am! Oh sorry I did not mean to shout, but you were complaining of a headache so brewed up something to get rid of it. I figured it would be better than trying to make enough money to spend a night inside and ending up with a dagger to the gut. "


Cuthian stood near the large golden hearth that had burning flames waving into the air like a flag in the wind. She had been staring into the fire for some time, thinking, day dreaming almost. She held a cup of tea in both hands and took a sip off of it every few minutes. Her attention was drawn away from the fire quite a few times in the last 20 minutes. This was a great feat. Not much seemed to happen in this tavern and on this day so many things happened one right after the other. Two women, from what she gathered a Witch and a Lycan, had a little brawl and then the Lycan ended up storming out. A man was muttering about potions to do with hangovers. Well if people weren't so stupid as to drink alcohol in the first place they wouldn't get hangovers now would they? Cuthian thought to herself, as she overheard his jabbering.
There had been a woman sitting near her on a seat by the fire. But she left only to tell the potion man to stop yelling. Cuthian was slightly glad someone else said it to him so she wouldn't have to. Taking a long sip of tea Cuthian turned her body from the flames towards the people of the tavern. A rather lively bunch apposed to the usual inmates of the tavern. Being well Cuthian she contemplated who she should go start a conversation with...if any.

[Bryden]

Xee groaned as people came outside. And the quiet rain had been so nice, too... The insult "What am I? a fly-trap for freaks?" came to mind.
She looked over the alchemist carefully. He didn't seem all that threatening, but then, neither did small children, and Xee knew how wrong that assumption could be... She took the bottle of potion gingerly.
She held it up to her face and eyed the contents. She then swirled it around and examined the motion of the liquid. When it passed the visual, she uncapped it, sniffed it and stared at it again. Finally she shouted "AUNDI!"
Aundi, who'd been attempting to sneak into the bar for a drink without anybody noticing her, stopped abruptly and sighed. She went over to Xee. "Yes?"
Xee held out her hand, "Give me an earring. No not that one, the white one."
"But that's-"
"I know, stupid. That's why I want it."
Aundi sighed in resignation and unclipped a ring made from some white, spiraled material. Xee took it and dipped it in the potion. She stared at the hoop for a moment before taking it out and tossing it back to Aundi. Xee took a deep swig and downed t he stuff in one go.
She made a gagging sound as she handed the bottle back to the alchemist. "I appreciate the medicine, but why the bloody Hell did you have to make it taste so horribly sweet?" Xee asked rhetorically.


Maria walked into the tavern, slightly annoyed with the people in this own already. The herbalist couldn't tell rosemary form lavender and it took her an hour longer to get her supplies than she wanted. But she did get everything, including warmer boots and cloak, and magicked them back onto the ship. Now, she was just miserable and wet. She went to the bar, ordered water and put a small pinch of a powder from one of her many vials into it. Quickly stirring it with her mind, Maria took a sip, feeling the warmth creep back into her bones. Only when she was more comfortable, did she look around.
She noticed Ethel coming around over on the floor by the wall with Dareth hovering over her. Maria hurried over, wondering who she picked a fight with.
"What happened? Is she okay?"


The fair elven maiden swept into the dingy old tavern, lighting it up with her beauty and grace. Everyone in the tavern gazed at her in awe. Was she a goddess?
Ryntai flounced into the tavern, happy for her feet to once again be on land. It had been a horrible time for Ryntai; the small boat had not been good to her. She had frequently gotten seasick, stumbling over to Saelen to complain and cry to him. Thankfully, everyone was happy to discover that she was slowly getting used to the sea. Hopefully within a few more days she would be completely used to the rocking of the ship.,
As for the characters on the ship, she was afraid of them. But Saelen took care of her, so she wasn't too scared. At one point she even managed to say hello to a particularly scary looking pirate. A huge accomplishment in the world of Ryntai.
She plopped down on a table beside some of the others from the ship. She wasn't really paying attention to who it was, considering that her mind was full of much, much more important things. Like what she was going to wear tomorrow.

[Bryden]

Cuthian took one last gulp of the remaining in her tea cup and then set it down on the small table near the fire. She quietly cleared her throat and straightened out her dress. With her usual upright posture she began to walk towards the girl who just came into the tavern. On her way she glanced over at the bar and saw the bartender smile and shake his head at her. Cuthian winked at him with an almost sly smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Cuthian spoke with a clear, confident tone, "Excuse me, miss. Not to bother you but I couldn't help noticing you walk in here and thought I should introduce myself." She outstretched her arm for Ryntai to shake. "I am Cuthian." Cuthian smiled in a sincere, friendly manner.


" Well uhhh I unfortunately did not have the time nor any ingredient to make it taste better without becoming poison. That concoction is highly rejective to most ingredients out there and all common ones. Luckily for me, I knew just the right way to make it so give it about another minute or so and your headache will be gone. The name is Dorin by the way, I am a traveling mage and an expert in offensive magic and potions or poisons. May I ask your name? Or should I just run for my life? "
Oh he was smooth with the ladies...smooth like sand paper. He knew just the words to get himself in trouble with women...or blatantly shouting that he was ready to be robbed...again


While Ethel had been abnormally polite, for her standards anyway, to the stranger that had attempted to help her up, she had been almost completely oblivious to the lycan’s footsteps behind her and wasn’t aware of the girl until she grabbed her throat and tossed her across the room and then stormed out of the bar into the rain. Ethel had actually found the whole thing somewhat amusing, considering the fact that she was a witch and being thrown against the wall by the lycan had barely hurt her. The girl’s nails, however, were an irritation because they left actual marks. No worries, Ethel thought, I’ll just heal myself like I always do. Ethel had been about to get up on her own and heal herself when Dareth, being the decent person that he was, had rushed over to her with the man whom had been trying to sell his anti-hangover potions. At best, the man did a mediocre job of healing her and was babbling on about side effects while Ethel thought about what had happened.

I should have killed the girl when I had the chance, Ethel thought. Then she let out a quiet laugh, She’s probably thinking the same thing. Once the man had rushed out of the tavern after Xee, Ethel rolled her eyes and was about to stand up and finish off the job of healing herself when Maria walked over asking what was the matter.

“For Gabriel’s sake I’m fine! Would all of you just leave me the bloody Hell alone?!” Ethel’s irritation was increasing as each new person tried to help her. She didn’t need anyone to help her heal; she had been doing that by herself for the last two centuries, why should she need any help now? Ethel stood up, placed her right hand on her left arm, breathed deeply, whispered “vaneyso” and completely healed herself, nail marks and all. Ethel looked back at Dareth and Maria and sighed. “I know you’re just trying to help,” Ethel said much more calmly, “But I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Then Ethel’s mind went back to getting revenge on the lycan girl. The girl had already stormed out of the tavern and Ethel definitely wasn’t going to chase after her because it wasn’t worth it. So instead, Ethel decided to use a few witch curses. “Valeno siententay miera shoontay vanca,” Ethel said quietly, her eyes focusing on the floor as she concentrated on the image of the girl in red. Ethel smirked. Neither blade of the girl’s sword would be cutting as well as they used to from now on and the girl’s rubies would turn to shining green emeralds any moment now.

Ethel looked down and saw the bottle of rum that Dareth had brought over earlier. She picked it up and drank some. “Thank you, Dareth,” Ethel said after her first swig of rum, “I’ll enjoy this.”


He jumped a little when Ethel burst out in anger. Then a smile appeared on his lips, of course Black Ethel wouldn't want any help, even if it was from close acquaintances. Maybe because she was too proud, or perhaps because she had a reputation to maintain. Surely the pirate part influenced this attitude more than the witch part of Ethel
Dareth looked at Maria, she was a witch as well, a much younger one, but a witch. She didn't look as fierce but was probably a good match up in magic.
After standing up, Dareth picked up his beer and finished it in one gulp. A habit he had picked up when he had been around dwarves or rather, stealing from them. They possessed nice gems, it had been a great source of income, while it lasted.
The thief headed outside the bar to notice the alchemist with Aundi and Xee, the latter was, predictably, complaining. With a look at the long street before him he decided to take a walk. No better way to waste useless time and calm down. It would be a while before the ship was ready to set sail again anyway. As he strolled down the rocky street the rouge realized that thick, gray clouds made people cower in their homes, he hadn't realized that until that moment.
The walk, as intended, was proving soothing, too soothing. There was so obviously something wrong. Maybe it had to do with the hooded figures making their way up the street, into the heart of that port town, Eembar. Where everyone was congregated.
"Hooded figures?", he whispered to himself. None of that! They were hooded all right, but those weren't common figures, they were warriors. Dareth's memory had been around as long as to recognize battle formations, and it just so happened the clocked warriors were in a formation. He'd have to tell Xee and everyone else.
By the time he returned to the entrance of the bar Dareth was very well out of breath.
"Xee. . . hoo. . .ded", inhale," people, . . .warriors. . . hea", inhale, "ded. . . this way", another inhale.


"Xee," she introduced herself to the alchemist, however grudgingly. His potion had worked. It had worked really well. Not that she was ever going to tell anybody that.
She was about to ask Aundi when the ruddy hell they were leaving, when something grabbed her from behind. She had her daggers out and was about to slit something's throat when she realized it was Dareth. His out-of-breath look and gasped warnings startled her.
"Dareth? Dareth what the Hell are you talking about?" she demanded, sheathing the daggers and studying his face. "What happened? What hooded figures?" but her words were snatched from her mouth as an arrow embedded it's self into the wall behind her. Xee swore loudly, glad that she wasn't standing just a few inches to her right.
She took her hand off Dareth's shoulder and grabbed for her daggers. But they weren't there. A smoky mist came up next to her. Part of it congealed into a face and her daggers. "looking for these?" it asked, mocking her.
Xee swung her leg around and kicked it in the face. Her foot only connected for a moment before the figure was smoke once more, but that was enough to make it drop her weapons. She grabbed them off the floor and crouched slightly, back to the wall of the tavern, in a defensive position.
"If you value your life," she said loudly, "You're going to tell me who sent you and why you are here."
"You are in no position to command us, little girl," yelled a hooded man in back. Xee snarled at him, but she knew he was right.
However, she also knew that if any body got even an inch closer, it;d be the last thing they ever did.


Saelen would have awoken to a warm brush of sunshine were that he was anywhere else but here. The ragtag company had ventured northward into the frigid unknown upriver from the port city of Tristiwe. Warmth, it seemed, was a rarity in these parts and the knight found himself thankful for bringing winter clothes for himself and his sister. His greatest distaste was that the added layer of furs hid his House’s colors and emblem. ‘No honor is paid to the knight who hides his colors,’ as the saying goes. But his knightly appearance was a luxury he would have to do without.
Besides, if his memory served him correctly it would not at all be disadvantageous for a knight not to appear as such in these lands. Saelen remembered being shocked at the discourtesy and deep-seated hatred the local peoples showed toward the knights as they ventured and risked their lives to free them from savage barbarians. He even remembered a moment when after his squadron had defended a small village that the elders cursed them for their intrusion and foul presence into their sacred lands. Such ungrateful people, these northerners are…
Happy to escape the confines of their (albeit questionable) sea-worthy vessel, Saelen made for a walk around the city. He would perhaps do some shopping, but he doubted there was anything besides rations and water that would catch his eye. It was downcast and quickly became rainy-back home he often enjoyed walks in the rain around the familiar forests and valleys of Glenrivers. But here the rain was a bitter cold and only made him homesick. Saelen made for a nearby tavern whose hearth could be felt from all sides of town.
But as he approached the building a sudden silence came from it, which signalled the seriousness of battle. Saelen hoped they weren't going up against lycans again. A quick glance through a dirty window revealed several cloaked figures in a close formation-looked like one of the eastern styles. But thoughts on strategy left the knight as he realized that Ryntai had entered the tavern earlier in the day.
So with a spinning spear in hand Saelen entered the fray.


Ryntai's thoughts of frilly pink dresses were interrupted by a lady sitting next to her and introducing herself. She smiled brightly, her hands clasped together over her heart in a rather obnoxious manner as she exclaimed, "Cuthian! What a beaaaauuutttiiffuuulll name! It sounds as if a princess would be named so!" She gave a longing sigh, "And she would marry the most handsome prince and they would live long and happily."
Unfortunately (or perhaps it was fortune that saved poor Cuthian from Ryntai's ramblings?), something strange happened in the tavern. It looked as if a battle were starting, and Ryntai gave a long, dramatic scream as the strange, cloaked figures turned into smoke as Xee took a swing at them.
When the warriors turned to smoke a second time, Ryntai not only let out a rather obnoxious sounding wail, but then fainted, her hand over her eyes as she fell against the table.

[Bryden]

Doran did not all aware of the arrow that whizzed by his head. He only momentarily looked at the hooded warrior. He looked as though he was staring at the warrior and then spoke calmly to himself as though as he was making notations.
“Standing about 6 2 in height, weighs about what seems to be 250 but with armor, 350. So that would mean that I would need this. “
He grabbed a small potion bottle filled with a red liquid. The warrior was so worried out Xee that he did not notice Doran at all. Doran just tossed the bottle right in the Main warrior's Back and then watched. The warrior suddenly started screaming in pain as he removed the hood reveal the back of his neck. It looked as though it was on fire but no blaze was near him. The man finally dropped to the floor almost crying in pain.
“It is my burning solution. All the pain and burns of the fire without the blaze. “
Doran said with a grin before ducking and dodging arrows and taking cover.
"Well, I guess I should of said that after I had a good place to hide.


Dareth looked at Doran before bursting out laughing. Not loud, booming laughs, but calm and low. The thief found it so impossibly hilarious that an enemy that had given Xee trouble had collapsed because of that little man [at least compared to Dareth and Xee] with the eye patch. He could maybe be willing to help with our task, he thought hopefully. They still hadn't recruited new members.
The tall man left his thoughts about the voyage and placed them on the battle at hand. Their enemies weren't that many, perhaps 12 excluding the burning man in the floor. They had something among four archers, and were all trained in magic - or maybe just some, he couldn't tell by the robes covering their bodies.
"If you are picking a quarrel with only us, I could bet my daggers on the Ice Lord's involvement", the sentence came out a little crooked, Dareth was still trying to get back his breath.
The rogue unsheathed his daggers, happy to see that his hadn't been taken.


Doran looked around. He then spoke to himself as he made out his plans.
“Twelve of them. Ok no Potion or poison will work so now it is time to use some magic. They haven't moved yet so I might be able to… where are they? Closest one is 10 feet away then 2 at 12 and one at 14. The rest are too scattered to tell at the moment so I will have to close them in first. Ok. This should work. "
He then went to his knees and closed his eyes. He then began to mumble the ancient tongue before slapping his hand on the ground. The earth shot up causing every enemy warrior to be cut off by the wall of earth. No building was harmed. He then slapped the ground again while still mumbling and then caused the closest warrior to fly up in the air about 10 to 20 feet and then crash down hard. Doran hit the ground at different spots to have the other three do the same.
"If we can draw them in closer, I think I can do the same, but they might start using counter spells so if anyone has any suggestions, I would be grateful for them. "


One of the patrons had kept the general attention of their attackers with some strange magical trick-giving Saelen a grand opportunity to strike. Normally he would not attack an opponent whose back was turned from him, but upon seeing the viciousness of their attacks and the danger his sister was in he would strike regardless. With one grand thrust with his spear a hooded attacker found himself with two new holes-one beneath his right shoulder blade and another at the base of his neck.
An archer turned to him and let loose an arrow. With his weapon still lodged into his enemy the knight was not in an envious position. Thinking fast he turned and put his opponent in front of himself and the arrow to absorb the attack.
"Using the corpses of my enemies…is this how far I have fallen?"
Saelen pulled his weapon out and found himself in a close quarters battle with a large man-he was about the height as the northern twins but thrice as broad. The knight was unable to see the man’s face-only now did he realize how strange it was to fight a faceless opponent. Sure, he had fought against helmed warriors in the past but this was…different. But all thoughts were tossed aside as the battle heated. Thinking during combat could cost you everything. Impossible to explain, accepting death to defer it-that is the essence of battle.


Maria turned around just as black hooded men attacked the tavern. Her fellow travelers were each in their own battles, just as five more hooded figures barged into the tavern, carrying bows and arrows. The arrows flew in the air and stopped, before hitting their targets. Maria turned them around and sent them back into their owners and she was under attack.
Maria ducked under the blade that flew towards her neck. With one hand going to her knife at her wrist, she brought the other to her pouch. Her knife came up and blocked the second attack, and her hand, now holding a small vial of purple powder, came under his nose, releasing the powder, her attacker breathing it in. Maria focused her magic on him. Suddenly, he turned around and started attacking one of his own. She placed the vial back in her pouch and turned, suddenly noticing that the elf girl had fainted.
Running towards her, Maria cast a protection circle to protect both her and the girl. Kneeling next to her, Maria placed her hand, now glowing blue about 3 inches above her body. Quickly waving her hand over the elf’s body, it didn't take long to realize, she had just fainted. Maria dug back into her pouch and found a small bottle of smelling salts and waved it under her nose.
"Come on, wake up."


Xee dodged out of the way as the Alchemist threw his potions. Xee was not equal to magic. She didn't trust it, and didn't like it. Too volitle. She made a note not to piss this guy off when she was in throwing range.
As the hooded people closed in, Xee leapt into action, for want of a better term. She gave herself over to the thrill of killing as she took down a good 4 of them.
There'd only been 12 to start off with, and only about 3 left now. She looked to the side. The potion guy and Cuen seemed to know what they were doing, at least. Even if they weren't getting as into it as Xee was. She couldn't help it, really. Killing was why she'd become an assassin in the first place.
She spun around and sliced one enemy, attempting to sneak up from behind, across the face. While he stumbled, she got a stiletto knife from an arm clasp and lanced him through the eye. Somebody else took down another.
That left one minor difficulty.
Normally, anyone in his position would be screaming for mercy. If not, they'd be going mildly insane and off themselves like the lycan back in that tavern. But this guy didn't. He was trained.
Xee didn't waste much time. She let somebody else start towards him, probably intending to kill the man, but she didn't let them. Instead she rushed behind the man, lite as smoke, and conked him on the head with the butt of her dagger, knocking him unconscious.
Sure it was an abrupt and utterly ungraceful end to that fight. But razzle dazzle irritated Xee, and she was already at her breaking point.


Cuthian had finally found someone to start a conversation with, someone who seemed at least slightly interesting and then she faints. But it wasn't that she fainted that bothered Cuthian it was why she fainted. As fast as you can say bobs-your-uncle strange things began to happen. Hooded men came barging in and then that mumbling man was back, the lady who told him to shut up was back and a few other people were around that she didn't remember seeing before. As Cuthian was taking in her surroundings a girl had put a protective spell around the fainted elf and herself. Not sure what to do she turned to see where the bartender was. And of course he was gone. Probably ran out the back as soon as he saw the first hooded figure. Cuthian smoothed her thumb and index finger over her lip, trying to think of what she should do. She could get out the dagger Hal and Lonann gave her but what good would it do her, she would hardly know what to do with it.
Well I guess I'll just sit back and wait to see if they even need my help. I might just get in the way. And we wouldn't want that to happen now would we.


Ethel was finishing her rum when a multitude of chaotic events swirled around her. The man that had been selling potion turned out to be more powerful than she had thought when he raised the earth in several different places to deter the vicious cloaked figures at various places in the tavern. Ethel placed her rum down on the nearest table, drew her cutlass from her belt, and rushed into the chaos. She looked for any figures still standing that weren’t already being fought with at that moment. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Saelen fighting his opponent. She did a double take as she realized that he was wielding one of the figures on his spear while fending off another. Well, isn’t that interesting? Ethel thought. She turned back towards the massive brawl, looking for an opponent.


As arrows flew through the air, Ethel avoided being hit by arrows and murmured a spell that placed a thin barrier around her so that the arrows couldn’t mortally wound her or kill her, of course. She came within close enough range to an archer to cut the string of his bow and slice his neck. The hood fell back as blood gush from the man’s cloak to reveal a young man of about twenty. He fell to the floor gasping for breath and he disappeared into an odd smoky mist. Ethel smiled at her victory when she felt a presence directly behind her and she whirled around.
“You’ll pay for that,” a voice from underneath the hood of one of the many cloaked figures. In his hand he held a knife, ready to strike. Ethel was about to take her sword to his knife, but the voice sounded familiar, like the voice of an old friend. The knife came down close to Ethel before she fended it off with her cutlass. Underneath the hood, which shaded the man’s face, Ethel could see piercing blue eyes that unmistakably belonged to a friend from long, long ago.
“Damion?” Ethel asked, almost too surprised to believe her own eyes.
The figure stopped, puzzled. “How do you know my name?” He asked brusquely.
Ethel smiled, her eyes brightened as she said, “It’s me, Ethel! You remember, 200 years ago, far to the southwest of here. I was in the witch clan and you were training to be a valiant fighter!” Ethel couldn’t control her excitement.
The man paused and looked at her, lowering his knife, “Ethel? Is it really you?” He lowered his hood so it wasn’t obscuring his eyesight. “It is you!” he exclaimed. Right there, in the middle of all the bloodshed and chaos, the pirate girl hugged the enemy.


Xee nudged the downed man with a boot, just to check. He was really out cold. Good. Because something was fishy about him. When she'd hit him on the head, her entire arm had reverberated so much she nearly dropped her dagger. Her funny bone was still tingling, a few minutes later. That was decidedly odd.
She whipped around as she heard Ethel squeal. In the doorway of the bar was Ethel...hugging one of the hooded guys. Hmm, apparently she'd missed one.
Xee stared at them for a moment. Her head cocked to one side and her eyebrow raised in interest.
"Ethel," she said slowly, "what the Hell? You do realize that this guy and his buddies just tried to kill us all, right?" Xee figured she was enchanted at first. But when Ethel looked up, here eyes weren't glazed at all. She seemed fine, happy even.
The knocked-out one stirred slightly, and Xee kicked him in the head without looking down. "You want to introduce us to your little friend or what?" Xee said, her sarcasm back and in full force.

[Bryden]

Dareth looked at the alchemist, he appeared to know something of magic, too. Powerful magic. He decided not to be around the guy, magic gave him the creeps. Saelen had joined them in the fight and was swinging his lance like a mad man, a very effectively trained mad man. When the elf used another man's corpse to defend himself he smirked at how resourceful his ally was.
The rogue turned to some of the enemies left and used the 'Bite' technique. Have one dagger slice from above, the other one from below, both dagger points meeting at their target's base. This move, however, was only 'first move' material for it left the attacker unprotected, and a repetition could have the enemy retaliate strongly.
Dareth would've continued slicing through their opponents were it not by two facts: Xee, the alchemist and Saelen seemed to have everything under control; and four figures had entered the tavern. He followed these inside.


Like so many others that had been in the tavern when the cloaked men had entered, Cos had cowered behind the bartender's counter. Needless to say, he was getting disgusted (or were they intrigued?) stares for hugging his coffin. He shook them off, somehow.
The elf had thought the witch, the elf with the bow and the, well. . . other witch would take care of their attackers, but when he peeked over the counter he was surprised to see the elf fainted, one of the witches leaning over her and the other one storming out to face the enemies outside. The first witch had turned one against their own, and had only managed to kill one before his companions had slain him.
"That was awfully inconsiderate", he whispered. The hooded men, however, were now coming for the people behind the counter, or so he thought as the sounds of their footsteps sounded closer and closer. He stared at the people who, despite the circumstances, were still staring at him. They didn't deserve to die that way. So he took the initiative.
Cos stood up, coffin still in hand and grabbed a dirty mug of beer. The figures didn't give him a second look.
"Go away!", he yelled at them as he threw the half-empty mug at them. As the masseur pondered on why his W had left his lips sounding like a V, the mug hit one of the figures, soaking him in the foul-smelling liquid. The two other men instantly stringed their bow and shot their arrows at Cos. Miraculously, as an impulse he'd managed to put the coffin between himself and the arrows. Before the cloaked men were able to string their bow again, some people had followed Cos' example. They thew things at the men telling them to "Go away", while some others still acted like ostriches: with their heads on the ground and their behinds high in the air.


When Dareth opened the door to the tavern he was surprised by three things and unsurprised by two.
He was surprised because the peasants were throwing whatever was in their possession at three cloaked men; at an elf carrying a coffin and at several arrows sticking out of the coffin's surface.
He was unsurprised at Ryntai lying on the ground, fainted; and at Ethel socialization with the enemy. This last formed a new pattern in the group. Whenever the party made allies, one of them had to know an enemy. He remembered how with the lycans, the half-vampire, half-lycan girl had tried to protect his 'uncle'.
The thief crept behind the three hooded enemies and slit their throats while the people's throwing distracted them. Those should be the last.


"Fall, evil servants of the darkness!" came a very squeaky and loud call. From the top of a tall tree, a small figure jumped down to the ground. With a swift punch and kick combo, she dropped Ethel's friend to the floor and grinned wildly. She then dispatched of the sparse enemies remaining before striking a very...flamboyant victory pose. "And she saves the day yet again!" the girl cried, bouncing up and down excitedly. Her gray clothing jumbled only slightly, which was odd due to all of her movement. The girl finished her celebration and turned to the group with a proud look on her face. "I'm Shera Lena, the greatest monk in the history of the world! And I just saved your butts!" she giggled. She did an energetic in-place spin and smiled once more. "You guys would've been toast if I hadn't shown up." Shera Lena added, oblivious to the fact that she had managed only to take out the very few remaining enemies, which were less than a fraction of the starting group.


The beautiful elven maiden's eyes fluttered open, and slowly she sat up from her face-down position on the table. The whole tavern was gazing at her in loving concern, all wondering what had happened to her. Oh, everyone loved her so!"

Ryntai jerked upright as the aroma from the bottle that Maria held wafted into her nose. A string of drool trailed out of her mouth and she hastily wiped it away, giving Maria a winning smile.
"Thank you, good witch. I feared that I would die, but it appears that you have saved me!" She her words were slightly slurred, and she beamed at her, "You are very brave."
She looked around, her eyes a bit crossed from the faint, "Is this horrible battle over?


Maria raised her eyebrows at the good witch comment, but just shook her head at her ridiculousness. She was unconscious, not dieing. Maria looked around, happy to see that at least the battle was over, and everyone seemed whole. She placed the salts back into her pouch, noticing that some new people had joined their group. An alchemist, another elf with a coffin, and some random girl that was acting like she has killed half the invasion.


Xee stared in mild disbelief at the little creature claiming to be the, ahem, "greatest monk in the world". It was some little blonde kid. Another bloody elf. And she'd just taken out their best chance to find out who the hooded ones were. At least she'd only knocked the guy out- if she'd killed him, it would have pissed Xee off.
Xee stared at the girl, who was now prancing around and looking immensely pleased with herself, with lip slowly curling in disgust. Ethel's face was contorting in fury as she watched. Xee debated holding her back as a preemptive measure, but she decided against it. It'd be funny to see them bitch slap eachother.
"Ugh, I can't watch this..." Xee said to nobody in particular, "Hey, kid! Who the Hell do you think you are? You think you can just walk up and try to help random strangers? If you do, then kid you got another thing comin'."
This was actually an empty threat. Xee didn't actually feel like fighting right then. She had daggers to clean and knives to retrieve from peoples' backs. And people to look over. "Is that alchemist honestly intending to stick around?" she thought, "And what the Hell was up with the guy with the coffin?" Too many people meant an unhappy Xee.
But, empty or not, it was a threat, and Xee didn't break her glare towards the girl even as she thought.


"Well, it looks as though things have calmed down a bit. Hmm I wonder if we left anyone alive. They might know something and it will give me a chance to prefect my truth serum. Or it will boil him alive from the inside out...that is not the way to go but oh well."
He walked around all the knights' bodies and found one...one. He tied the knight up and then began to make a truth serum. He looked to the others and spoke.
“If you got questions, then get them ready. We got about a half hour window for him to speak nothing but truth. And if he screams bloody murder, then I got some headache potions for you. Now in just a few seconds, we should be able to get answers...or watch him being boiled alive...I might have to turn away from that one. Ok now here we go."
He was finished making the serum and then poured it into the knight's mouth.
"Now anyone have a good question...It does not look like his insides are boiling."

"Who do I think I am? I just told you, silly!" Lena giggled. A large, harmless explosion set off in front of her, and Lena struck another victory pose. "Shera Lena, wood elf and the greatest monk in the world!" she cried, raising a triumphant fist to the sky. In pure excitement, she karate chopped a nearby tree, splitting it in half. "Uh oh!" Lena shouted, pointing at the falling trunk. "Better run!" she warned before jumping away from the soon-to-be crash sight.


Cuthian had watched the fight unravel and die down. The frilly elf girl had woken up and the Alchemist was making yet another potion. Cuthian had been lying low not wanting to get involved but since the fighting was over she stepped out into the open near everyone else. She looked around and the only person really talking was the Alchemist. Seeing as anyone could ask any question for a half an hour she decided to give it a shot.
Cuthian took another step forward, arms folded, examining the dead bodies with her eyes. "Well, then. I should say, that was rather unnecessary." Cuthian raised her eye brows, tilted her head slightly to the right, and sighed all in one fluid motion. "Why in the bloody hell did you and this," She motioned towards all the hooded figures that lay on the ground, "brigade of sorts attack everyone?"


Ethel was about to explain to Xee that she and Damion, the hooded man she hugged, were childhood friends and had grown up near each other. While Ethel had been in the witch clan learning to control her powers, Damion had been training to be a warrior. He had wanted to help the helpless, defend the defenseless, give hope to the hopeless, all of that stuff. Now he was a mercenary. Things had certainly changed.

Before Ethel could explain this to Xee, some elf girl came in and knocked Damion out and she had the nerve to parade about like she had conquered the Ice Lord himself. As everyone in the group had probably already predicted, due to her constant habit of getting revenge for any little thing that anyone does to her, Ethel stalked over to the girl. The elf girl was bouncing around, trying to avoid the falling tree. Ethel used her magic to make the tree stand upright, like it had before the wood elf knocked it down. Then, Ethel stood three feet away from the girl and pinned her to the ground, using her magic of course. She knew that if she actually went for the girl’s neck, she would end up choking to death, and, well, Ethel didn’t feel like dealing with another corpse.

“It would be wise for you to follow Xee’s advice. And news flash, girl, if a witch is hugging someone, you shouldn’t knock the other person out, because chances are that witch will get pretty pissed off.” Ethel smirked, “Just like right now.” Ethel put more pressure on the girl and an elf imprint was slowly being made in the ground. After half a minute, Ethel decided that that was enough. She released the girl and turned back to go wake Damion up. She would have hurt the elf girl even more under different circumstances, but Damion was kind of on the bad side, so he deserved a little hit.

Ethel knelt down to Damion and poked him. “Wake up, loser,” she said with only the tone that true friends can use when calling each other names. He didn’t stir; Ethel sighed. She sang some of her native language and he began to wake up. “Avoid the crazy elf girl,” Ethel told him once he was conscious. Ethel began to wonder if all female elves were completely useless.


Xee stared at Ethel and the annoying Elf -well, one of the annoying Elves- for a moment. "Of course Xee is right, Ethel," she said sarcastically, "And it's about time somebody bloody well figured that out!" She clenched her teeth to keep the stream of annoyed oaths from pouring forth. She had stuff to do.
Xee started towards the tied-up and drugged hooded man. "You're absolutely sure that serum isn't going to fry his brain or anything?" she asked the alchemist. She didn't much care, she just wanted to know how good the guy was for reference.
She could see the man wasn't entirely positive, but he seemed sure enough, so Xee went with it.
"Hey you," she said to the man, "what's your name?"
"Richard," he replied.
"Ok," Xee said, "Test here: what color are my eyes?" Richard replied Gray, which was correct. "Good enough for me. So, Rich, why did you attack us?"
"We were ordered to."
"By whom?"
"I don't know. We're just a hired team. Some other men might know more, but I'm on the lower rung. I only know the basics."
"And what were the basics?" Xee asked.
"To find a group of people who looked like you people, and hurt them."
Now this interested Xee, "Not kill them?"
"No, ma'am. Just hurry them along. Get them on the road or back on their boat, see?"
Xee saw. Somebody wanted them to get North in one piece as soon as possible. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then, without changing her facial expression, she kicked the man hard in the shin. "I'm too young to be a 'ma'am'. Have some respect for a lady dammit."
She rolled her eyes as Richard nodded and tried to get out of the chair. "Anybody else want a turn with him?" Xee asked as she sank back in a nearby chair.


"Nope it looks like the potion worked perfectly. No brain frying. Well Richard, were the higher ups quiet about their employer? "
"Yes, They did not mention who they were or where they were? "
"So then, It is a higher up who sent you. hmmm, this is not good. Xee, I wish to join you to the north. If I am correct in my theory, Then We will be ending up in the same place anyway. I am able to carry my own weight so I will not slow anyone down. One last question, Richard. Do you know about the Lord of Ice still being alive?"
"Yes. He is still around."
"Very well then Richard. Anyone else will question him?"
He then sat down thinking very hard about something.


Cuthian listened to the "does anyone else want to question him" at least three times and then muttered..."Oh sure, don't mind me." She eyed this Xee girl for a moment and then spoke, her arms now folded again. "Who exactly are all of you, and why do you have loads of hooded men attacking you?" She was just curious as apposed to nosy.


A flying fork. Can there be such thing? Floating silverware? After such events that had happened in Dareth's life, he'd say (and always would, for days to come) no. That would be an absurd idea.


Of course, the flying fork wasn't really a flying fork, it was a thrown fork. After the young man had murdered their attackers Cos realized that if he hadn't stood up with the coffin, he'd make a decent sieve from all the arrows that would've pierced through him. Heck, his coffin now looked like a hedgehog. The masseur removed all the arrows from his box of the dead and headed outside.
Outside, he realized some people had tied one of their attackers. It was only instinct and reflexes what made him throw the fork.
"Disturber of peace!", the elf yelled at him after the fork had hit him right on the ear.


Dareth raised an eyebrow at the elf with the coffin that had just thrown a fork. A most unusual offensive move. But after what they'd just been through, the ROGUE couldn't supress a laugh. And his joy didn't end there. The alchemist had offered to help them, they'd boosted their numbers.
Now, after his inner self had finished dancing out of joy, he approached their tied man and crouched.
"Richard? Hey".
"Hello?!", the man was clearly startled by Dareth's kind tone.
"I've got some questions I'd like to ask you, will you be honest?"
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
"No. Now, have you ever gone up to the Northern Region?"
"Yes, that's how I found out about the Ice Lord"
"Great, do you know what kind of army he has?"
"Err. . . he's got about everything, every race that can survive the gelid temperature".
Dareth stood up, not satisfied by the answer. But it had told him what he wanted to hear. The Lord had an army, a big one.


Cos looked at the tall man, then at his sister, then at the piratess and at the man with the potions. They were traveling to the North to fight the Ice Lord? How bold yet stupid of them was the initial thought in his head, closely followed by, The ICE LORD is ALIVE?!. That had to be the worst set of news he'd heard. With another look at the tall girl and at the pirate girl he decided the group had anger issues. His massages were bound to make them happy. But, those people would be leaving anytime now. There wasn't enough time.
"Miss, I have decided to join your group!", he informed the tall girl with the winestain on her cheek. "I can. . . be useful and, uh. . . do things!". Cos would have ended in the middle of a wall, had he told her of his plan to calm her down, so the most ambiguous of answers would have to do.


Ethel had left the "greatest monk in the world" alone now, and her abilities looked extremely handy. The strength to chop down a tree unintentionally was a talent few had, if anyone besides this girl. Dareth approached the girl who had introduced herself as Shera Lena.
"Lena!", he said, trying to imitate her attitude, if he seemed approachable then maybe she'd consider joining.
"We've got a task only the greatest monk could handle", he continued, building suspense with his voice, "Go to the North for a while, enduring the harsh conditions! And, get this", he purposely paused.
"Meeting, and possibly fighting, the Ice Lord himself!", he gave time for Lena to wrap her head around his proposal, "So, what say you? Will you join us?".

[Bryden]

Xee got silently from her chair and snuck up behind Dareth. She got right up to his ear and hissed "You just had to go and invite her, didn't you?" she wasn't really being meaner then usual, this was actually just Xee's way of making a joke.
She stepped up parallel to her twin and stared at the all but squealing little elf. "What were you thinking?"
Xee could not imagine why they needed anybody else in the party, but there it was. She wasn't even going to try to scare anybody else off, it hadn't worked so far and she wasn't intending on wasting any more energy on it.
"Fine!" she said with a raised voice, "anybody who wants to join is in! You're all in because we are just the happiest little brigade of irritations that ever drew breath!" Xee raised a lip in disgust. She looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth combining with a horrible smell. She would have spit were she that kind of person.
"But you'd damn well better keep up. I think everybody has everything, yes? Yes, good." She started walking back out and to the boat. "Somebody either leave Richard here or kill him, I don't care. Ethel, you can take your boyfriend if you wish. But I am not waiting up for anybody."
Xee shot a final, lingering glare at them all before continuing on her way.


Cuthian was a little confused, perhaps she wasn't talking loud enough. No one seemed to be listening to her. Xee, unhappily, made an offer for anyone who wanted to come to come. She thought about this and decided even if no one was paying any attention to her it was better then sitting in this tavern for the rest of her life. She glanced over at the Richard fellow, all helpless.
Cuthian asked, hoping the serum hadn't wore off, "If I let you go will you hurt anyone?"
"I can't make any promises."
That was good enough for her so she untied him and then followed Xee, with her long, fast-paste, strides, out to a ship. Cuthian walked up to Xee and promptly asked, "Do you mind if I accompany all of you on this journey?"


Saelen wiped the sweat from his brow as he surveyed the tavern after the combat was done. The group was making it a habit to engage their enemies in such places, the knight had noticed. He didn’t care much for this area of combat. Close quarters were never his strongest suit, and there were often so many innocent bystanders in the midst of it all. How the patrons and his group handled was to their norm-unorganized, disharmonious and yet strangely effective, dangerously so. No casualty on their part was an achievement that amazed him over and over again.
His thoughts froze as he spotted Ryntai unmoving body. Had she been attacked?! Failed has Saelen not only as a knight, but as a brother as well?! He sprinted across the tavern and over a few tables to see that, in fact, she had fainted. Next to her was the witch whom he’d come to know as Maria, who had protected his sister during the conflict. He gave a knightly bow, speaking “Tenfold thanks is not enough for saving my sister from those vicious vagabonds. You have done House Cuen a grand favor, and we always pay our debts. I hope I can find a way to repay you one day.” Saelen frowned at his sister (now conscious) and added “It is not my intent to lose you again.”
The knight was amused by the elven monk named Lena, her abilities and style was somewhat familiar to him. She was young-a child by elf standards-but then again he was not much older. She was boisterous in her achievements, that much was certain. Pride was seemingly common among all elves, she just so happened to have it in spades. “I would ask to whom taught you how to fight, Shera Lena. My name is Saelen, of House Cuen of Glenrivers.” He had spoken the later part as to address all the new faces who had fought alongside him.
He spotted the man who called himself Richard-common was it that they captured an enemy for interrogational purposes. But after the bit of (love, perhaps?) he appeared to show towards Ethel, Saelen wasn’t sure what to think. It took all he had in him not to burst out laughing as the monk knocked the man unconscious. The “leader” Xee was on her way out, apparently angered by how the prisoner had addressed her. Saelen held his tongue as he was about to remark how much more incorrect it would have been of Richard if he had said maid instead of ma’am. One thing was certain: the group should make their way up north, and quickly. If this Ice Lord wanted them so desperately Saelen did not want any innocents harmed in the way.


It was something they all probably could've expected. Lena jumped up and let out a giant squeal of delight and gave Dareth a lung-crushing bear hug. "Shera Lena, world's greatest monk, at your service!" she cried, raising a triumphant fist to the air. "You have enlisted one of the best hand-to-hand combatants to ever walk this land, and one who doesn't look half bad while doing it!" she shouted cheesily. Lena did a few more poses and squeals before settling down, her face glowing with pride and excitement.
When Saelen approached her, Lena only got more excited. "Oh! My teacher? The second greatest monk in the world, Shera Genjo!" she giggled. "You ougtha know him. Half monkey, half elf, all fists of fury!" Lena cried, giving a few air-punches to demonstrate 'fists of fury'. "He taught me everything that I know, except for the karate chopping thing. That was my gift to myself." she said, almost bashful. She had never really talked to a fellow elf before- her brief life before being trained by Shera Genjo had been spent in a village full of humans, with only her two elven parents- so it was new for her to brag so openly to one.


Xee stopped short as the girl ran up behind her. Without turning around, she replied. "What did I just say?" she growled through clenched teeth. "I don't give a damn if you come or not, though obviously I'd prefer to go alone. And if you want to stick around then fine! I don't care."
She didn't care. Xee really just didn't care anymore. She found herself at a point where her patience was waning. She was scared of herself at this point, mostly because she hated these people. But also because she found herself getting...used to them....Xee did not want to get used to anyone's company. Not now, not ever. Not even Dareth, who she was dying to learn more about.
She shook her head roughly and continued walking, allowing the others to catch up as they would. She couldn't leave them, Aundi was still back with the group and only she knew how to captain that dump of a boat.
Speaking of which...as Xee neared the dinghy, she saw a tall figure leaning against the pole the boat was tied to. It was the young woman Xee'd seen in the bar. A red-headed, scantily-clad, dangerous looking specimen.
Xee came up to the boat, ignoring her, but the girl stepped in her way.
Xee looked down at her (being tall could be quite useful when wanting to size someone up). "What?" she growled, annoyed.


Maria put a hand on the now freed captive, making him jump. He turned around, his hand on the shoulder that she touched that now had a cross marking on it. Maria just smiled.
"Now, know that if you even breath a word of seeing us, you will boil form the inside out. You'll be screaming in pain before you can even give your master any information." Maria walked away, following Xee back onto the boat.


Cuthian simply smiled, not really paying attention to what Xee was saying. She began up the bridge that connected the boat and the dock. Cuthian dusted off her dress once she reached the top of the bridge and onto the boat. She really had no idea what she was getting into or who she was traveling with. She only knew anyone was invited. And Cuthian couldn't give up an offer like that. Using only her eyes, she looked around, staying in the spot she was standing. It seemed nice enough. Much better looking then some of the places she had come across in her many years of existence. For now she would wait and see who the next person to arrive on the boat was.


Ryntai watched the scene at hand with wide eyes, looking at the men who were captive. One of them was rather handsome, and she giggled and batted her eyes at him a lot. She knew that even though he looked slightly scared of her, that deep down he was longing for her embrace: and true love's kiss!
After a few minutes of batting her eyes, she proceeded to skip over to Saelen, who was talking to a hyperactive monk. She hung off of Saelen's arm, resting her head against his shoulder, oblivious to the fact that she was interrupting whatever decent conversation that her brother was having, "Oh, Saelen you were the bravest knight of them all! You saved the whole tavern." Her eyes welled with huge crystalline tears, "I was so frightened! I might have died!"


Doran arrived onto the boat breathing a little heavy.
"Sorry I am late, Found some rare ingredients that are great for making uhhh well, I do not know but it is probably fun in some sort of way. "
He found a good spot and then took out his potion making kit. He figured he had a lot of time on his hands, and it would be great to stock up on great mixes he might need.


Ethel grimaced when she heard Xee refer to Damion as her “boyfriend.” All Ethel mumbled was “He’s not my boyfriend.” In contrast, however, Damion’s eyes lit up as he smiled and he scrambled to his feet so he was at eye level with Ethel. After Xee walked away and most of the group, along with some newcomers (including an odd elf with a coffin whom she would need to find out more about, later), was gathering near the boat, Ethel turned around to face Damion. She him smiling about being called her boyfriend and she continued to grimace, though she tried to turn it into more of a friendly smile. The result was a rather sad-looking smile.
As Ethel looked at Damion, his smile reminded her of their younger years, but she couldn’t let herself be swayed. “Damion,” Ethel began with a sigh, “You’re not my boyfriend.” After Ethel said this, she actually laughed a little bit. Not at Damion, but at the fact that she sounded like a teenage girl caught in some strange tangle of rumors which she was trying to work her way out of. “I have a husband. Well, I’ll have a husband,” Ethel tried to explain, “In a century or two,” she said with disdain.
Damion looked at Ethel with a very puzzled look on his face. “Ethel, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. What do you mean ‘in a century or two’?” “It’s a long story, Damion, one that I’ll tell you when we see each other again,” Ethel said. Damion looked on at her, even more puzzled, “When we see each other again?” He repeated, “What do you mean? I’m coming with all of you, right?” Damion looked at Ethel innocently, trying to understand what she was saying. He was, after all, her friend, so why shouldn’t he get to come along for the trip?
Ethel looked into his eyes and told him her reason, “Damion, if you come up North with us, the Ice Lord will kill you as soon as he sees you. He’s obviously going to think you led us to him and he wouldn’t think twice about killing you. I would really prefer it if I didn’t lose my friend, especially if I could prevent it.” Ethel paused and looked at him silently for a moment, “Damion, please listen to reason: If you come with us, you will die. I don’t want that to happen. So please, let me send you back to what was once your home.” Ethel smiled, naturally this time. “We’ll see each other again, I promise. Once this group of misfits miraculously defeats the Ice Lord, I’ll come back down and we can hang out, just like we once did.”
Damion stood there in silence for a few moments, thinking about the reality that his friend had presented to him. She was right, there was no doubt that he would die if he went with the group; the Ice Lord was not known for his mercy toward traitors, or anyone for that matter. He sighed and finally spoke, “Alright, Ethel, you can have it your way. I’ll go back home, maybe even back to my old training school. Heh, maybe they’ll make me a teacher….” Damion smiled at this thought. “But before you send me back there – by magic, if you would be so kind – I want to give you something that could be of use to you.” Damion reached deep into his cloak and pulled out a well worn piece of parchment. He handed it to Ethel, who took it and looked back up at him, puzzled. “It’s map of the Ice Lord’s castle. The place is gigantic, so this will definitely come in handy if you can find the castle in the first place.” Damion smiled at his contribution to Ethel’s journey.


Dareth, would've attempted to make a smart remark to Xee's 'joke' had it not been for Lena's . . . strong hug. Had it not been for his height, the r-o-g-u-e's ribs would've been broken in more than two places. He struggled a little to regain his breath, but was continuously smiling in the process due to Lena's several victory poses. Since the crowd was now moving back to the ship, Dareth followed suit.


Cos decided that while the irritable people were off to the ship, he would do better by going with the air-chopping girl and the other male elf. The male elf was completely different from him, in appearance at the very least, he was wearing what appeared to be elven house colors and had just proven to be a decent fighter with the lance.
Though it seemed rather strange for other people to watch him clap, the elf did it anyway. With a big smile on his face he clapped as Lena changed victory poses and air-demonstrated her techniques. He carried the coffin in his back, using a strap that was attached to it, and followed the group as the headed for the ship.


The thief was trailing behind Xee, watching the way she walked. I should've been obvious by now, but her and his walk were extremely alike. His mirror image stopped, and Dareth tried his hardest not to collide with her, he'd seen her feet stopping too late, and if he bumped into her, she would probably poke both his eyes out.
"Is that the same girl that was in the bar earlier", he asked as the rogue saw Rosso.


“I thought the other man didn’t know about who employed your team. How did you get this?” Ethel asked, almost bewildered. “Richard was a low rank mercenary. As for me, I was actually one of the leaders of the group,” Damion explained to her, grinning from ear to ear about his achievement. Ethel laughed; she knew that he was going to be something great when he grew up, she hoped that this time, however, he would choose a more honorable path. “Well, I guess I’m ready,” Damion told Ethel reluctantly. “Don’t forget to send me somewhere close to my old training school. I should still be there.”
Ethel smiled and hugged Damion, tears starting to gather in her eyes. She didn’t want to say goodbye to her friend, she really didn’t, but she knew it was for his own good. Trying not to let her emotions betray her, Ethel managed to quietly say “Thank you” before releasing him. Ethel kissed Damion on the cheek and stepped back, preparing the teleportation spell. She wiped her eyes in case any tears were beginning to escape. “Now remember, I’m already engaged, sort of; when you get home start looking for another crazy, kick-ass girl to fall for,” she smiled as she started moving her arms to cast the spell. “Ethel! Remember that five miles away from the training school is not close!” Damion smiled as he shouted over the whirring that was beginning to engulf him. Ethel smirked, said the final words of the incantation, and Damion completely disappeared. He had gone to a place closer to his home land, far away from this cold town.
Ethel stifled a small sob, wiped away all of the tears gathering in her eyes and composed herself. She placed the folded up map of the Ice Lord’s castle in the deep pocket within her captain’s jacket. Before turning around to go back to the group, Ethel murmured a little spell so that she would look as annoyed by her surroundings as she usually did. Ethel turned around and walked toward the boat, which was where the group had gathered.
A girl was standing in front of the boat and she seemed to be in Xee’s way. Ethel knew that if the girl was in Xee’s way, then the girl was in everyone’s way. Ethel looked more closely at the girl. She was wearing all red, except for a green set of jewelry. Then Ethel remembered the spell that she had put on the girl whom had thrown her across the bar. So my little friend is back, Ethel smirked, This should be fun, which reminds me…. Ethel whispered “gleenato” and a bottle of rum appeared in her clenched fist.
Ethel raised the bottle to her mouth and drank deeply from it; it had been at least an hour and a half since she had had some rum.


He noticed something was off. He then realized, he was the only one on the boat. He finally looked around and saw an angry captain.
" Oh sorry, Wrong ship. "
Doran said before exiting the ship making sure he had everything he came with. He finally found the group and just sat near them completely red with embarrassment.
" Oh there you are, You forgot to tell me which ship to get on so I managed to turn what seemed a nice captain at the time into a person that was able to use a language that could make even the toughest man feel small. "


“Twenty and four years ago there was a grand festival in which all of the elven territories were in attendance. While I did participate in many jousts I was also spectator to a grand melee*, where your mastery made fools of the other fighters. Not a one could strike him, through his unorthodox-wh-a-ha“ Saelen was caught off guard as his sister (lovingly?) took his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. This was something that he’d have to get used to, he supposed. She gave him praised which-although he would never admit it-was very happy to receive, but her last words stung, even if unintentionally so.
“…I might have died!”
The knight shouted silent curses to himself, knowing that his sister’s safety was more at risk now than ever…it would have been better had they never met again. At least then she would be safe, not up North into savage and frigid lands! A heavy feeling of guilt rested at the back of his neck. “Ryn let us return to the ship with the others. And perhaps we should avoid taverns in the near future, no?” He smiled and with spear in hand made his way back to the docks.


This was taking too long. Xee scowled at the lady in her path for a moment. then she smiled. As she did, quick as a flash, she brought up her dagger and slammed the hilt into the girl's head. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. A large bump welled up past her hair.
Xee drew up her nose like she'd smalled something foul. "What a flyweight," she said.
Xee stepped over the body and headed into the ship. "But you can't just leave her there!" somebody shouted at her. "Why not?" Xee replied. This was an honest question. She had no idea why anyone would want to bother for the lady's safety. But then, she was Xee.
"Oh, fine!" Xee thundered, "somebody wo\ho does that kind of lifting pick her up and plop her on deck. We'll drag her along, and if she's pissed when she wakes up, she can bloody well swim home."
She threw up her hands in a pantomime surrender before shaking her head and walking off. She'd gone up to the crow's nest, to do some heavy thinking.
"Right then!" said Aundi, who'd finally caught up, "If you'll all just get on deck here, and set Miss...whoever she is....below deck, I'll get us on the road. Or, sea, as it were."
The pirate looked understandably flustered. She was practically pulling her hair out from the horror that having Xee on her ship was. She couldn't even turn the wheel without Xee sneaking up on her and admonishing her for screwing up in some various way. Damn that rogue.
Before long everybody-even a few strange new people-were on deck and assigned various ship-board tasks. "Oh-ho and off we go!" Shouted Aundi dorkily as the ship pulled out of port and started it's path north.

[Bryden]

At least now he was on the right ship. Doran took out his equipment and began to brew potions and other fun alchemical equipment that he would probably need for the trip. He doubted he would have much time to brew the good stuff when they landed. He set up shop in the shade and began to rest up while reading a book on the effects of magic use on a massive scale. He figured there would be good knowledge coming from this book and he could use it for battles against armies. He tried to stay out of everyone's hair for the trip. He did not know any of them and Xee did not look to be in the mood for anything. He enjoyed the sea. It made him feel more at peace.


It came as a shock to him when he realized it. He had not worried the tiniest bit about what his coffin hid! "The arrows could've punctured!", he exclaimed, unintentionally really. Cos began freaking out, if the content had been injured. . . he could only imagine the ytortures that awaited him. Not only by the Ice Lord, but by the elves, his people; by the humans and by anyone who wouldn't pity him afterwards.
Taking his hands to his eyes he prayed to Erol Lyap Agme, one of his favored gods. After all, the gods were forgiving deities who had to put up with their creation's incompetence, right? Honestly, Cos had never believed in them that way, it seemed disrespectful. But if those stories had been right, he hoped there would be some forgiveness with his name on it.
Once the easily angered, tall woman they called Xee knocked out the red lady Cos ran into the ship, not daring to care about anything else. He went inside a deserted cabin, or room -he didn't really notice - and opened his coffin. Like always, he could just admire the beauty of what was inside. The beauty of his curse that had luckily been unharmed.


Dareth considered several things he could do. None of them sounded interesting enough, and could all be resolved in the remaining duration of the voyage. Xee wanted to be alone by the looks of it, and the alchemist had opened up a shop. He did want to see the goods he had, but he was just brewing. The rogue decided to wait for that.
After having an internal debate on what he should keep busy on he went over to Saelen. He had befriended the elf in the last tavern, and seemed one of the most reasonable people in the group.
"So, Saelen. What do you know about the pirates around the area", there was some danger in the waters, he was sure of it. He just wasn't sure how dangerous said danger was.


"I feel that we should be worrying about what dwells beneath the waters more than those that sail above and ignorant of what stirs beneath." Maria said, leaning against the rail next to Dareth. "I feel something stirring, something evil."
Maria brushed back a lock of her hair out of her face and breathed the sea air into her lunges. The ship rocked, throwing Maria down onto the deck. She heard the their supplies in the hold shift, and roll around. She attempted to get back up, but was thrown down again as the ship lurched again, but this time with a crunching sound. It sounded like they had hit a reef, but Maria was afraid it was something else.


Xee had been standing quietly in the crow's nest. She leaned on the railing, staring out to the vast ocean. The land behind them was fading fast. Another day, maybe two, and they'd be seeing glaciers on the horizon. But this day was so rainy, Xee feared a storm. Well, not really feared. But she wasn't fond of getting drenched.
Suddenly, the ship jolted. Xee hadn't been hanging onto anything and was sent careening forward. She fell right from the crows nest. But she didn't even scream. She just wormed her body in the air and managed to grab onto a loose bit of rigging. She slid down the rope until finally coming to a swinging stop about 8 feet off the ground. Her feet dangled below her, right over the heads of the others below.
Other then her wildly beating heart and some serious rope-burn on her hands, she was ok.
Hauling herself up until the rope was wrapped securely around her waist, Xee started yelling, "AUNDI! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"
"I didn't do anything!" Aundi protested, stepping out from behind the helm, "I think we just whacked into something.."
"Well you'd damn well better figure out what we just hit," Xee's hands hurt, and Xee got a little testy when any part of her body involved with killing people got hurt. It meant she wouldn't be on form, and if she wasn't on form things could get very bad very quickly.
Aundi walked over and peered over the side of the boat. "That's funny.." she muttered, "No reef or anything. Nothing's down there at all." The pirate started walking away from the railing, not noticing the tail or tentacle or something coming up and trying to wrap around her. It was green and scaly and trying to drag Aundi back down.
"Aundi! look out!" Xee screamed. She dropped to the deck with a thud. Her shins felt like they'd just been hit with a hammer, but she refused to let herself fall. Instead she grabbed her daggers in her burning hands and charged the beast. She put one dagger under the tail-thing and one above it and slid them together like scissors, severing the appendage. There was an almighty roar, and yellowish blood poured from the wound. But it let go of Aundi and slid back into the water.
Xee shoved Aundi out of the way as a massive draconian head attached to a snake-like neck burst forth from the depths.
A sea-serpent.


He had just finished his last potion that he had to make and finished packing up his things when he heard a thud. Water began to spray but he managed to cover his book in time. He then saw it, a sea serpent. Rather than running like he saw most of the crew do, He Looked calm and intrigued.
“So lets see here, about 20-30 feet in length and just look at the scales. Wait I need those scales! They are great for the Quick Death Poison! “
He looked at the serpent calmly and then began to mutter in the same ancient language. Suddenly Moved his hand and Water from the side of the boat rose up in sort of a Giant pipe-like fashion. He then moved his hand forward and the water began hitting the Monster repeatedly. It was taking it off balance.



After laughing at how easily the woman in red had been knocked out by Xee, Ethel had gotten onto the pathetic excuse for a ship to finish her rum. The ship had been sailing for a short amount of time before it was jostled by what turned out to be a sea serpent. Ethel saw it rise from the sea after attempting to take the sorry excuse for a pirate, Aundi, under with it. Ethel’s initial reaction was a whispered “awesome”, until the serpent shook the boat so much that it made her balance was thrown off a bit, making her spill a few drops of rum. Ethel looked up at the sea serpent’s head with irritation, finished off her rum, and was walking closer to the serpent until she took notice of what the alchemist was doing; he was sending large jets of water at the sea serpent and making it become unbalanced.
“Show off,” Ethel mumbled. She turned back to look at the serpent and took notice of its beautiful deep jade scales. They were reflecting the light that was shining off of the water and they seemed almost…enchanting. Ethel realized how deeply she was being pulled into a trance and snapped out of it. “Alright, time for some action,” Ethel said to herself. Since the alchemist was the only one doing something to fend off the sea serpent, the only mild threat to their journey north, she decided to help him. She realized that an action done solely on her part could make the alchemist’s action drastically ineffective, so she walked within earshot of the man and shouted, “Is there anything I can do?”


“Wait for it!”
He shouted back before he used the time the serpent needed to recover from the hits to wrap around the monster's neck and then drug it closer to the boat but then made sure it's face was pointing up just incase of surprises.
“NOW, Go for the eyes so that you can hit the brain! Just leave me some scales; I can make valuable alchemical weapons out of it! “
He made sure the serpent could not move for the others to strike.
"This thing is strong so make your attacks count. I can not hold it for much longer."


His face became thoughtful as Maria brought up the possibility of something attacking them from underneath. If the thief had ever doubted Maria as a witch, every doubt would've dissolved when they'd hit a supposed reef. Xee had saved Aundi from being a reptile's dinner, but didn't look exactly fit to fight after she'd slid down the rope, although his look-alike would never admit it.
At first he was too stunned to fight off the monster, the menace that could stop their quest with a bite but after Dorin, the alchemist, managed to make the serpent stay, his consciousness kicked back in.
"Go for the eyes", the alchemist had screamed and had added something else about the scales. Worrying about scales right now. . . how bizarre, Dareth thought.
He unsheathed his bone daggers Kard and Gilth and ran over to the serpent's side. He noticed Ethel asking what she should do. The rogue didn't say anything.
Dareth at his 6' 8'' height had long legs, perfect for a high jump. He ran towards the creature and jumped in front of it. The assassin reached the creature's snout (and if it wasn't drugged it could've eaten him). With little effort he managed to stab his daggers on the skin and used this technique to climb the snout. It was hard to keep balance on the thing and once or twice Dareth nearly slipped.
He stared back at the serpent's violet eyes, hypnotized by their beauty. It was a miracle he managed to sink both his daggers on an eye before slipping and dropping to the ship's deck - or the dark waters.


Cos stared at the serpent. Knowing there was nothing he could do. If he had ever felt useless, it was nothing compared to what he was experiencing at that moment. Maybe the coffin. . . No, I can't, such painful thought stretched across his mind.


"Are you honestly worrying about some pretty bits of scale right now??" Xee bellowed.
The bloody idiots surrounding her were giving Xee another headache. As if she needed another one.
She was starting to reach into her boot to pull out a few throwing-knives. The ones up her sleeves were already out, of course. She was just aiming for the eye when the eye was disabled. Somebody had leapt up and stabbed the monster.
Xee wondered quickly, "But who could be stupid enough to,"
"Dareth," she said out loud as she saw his leap arc and his plummet to the water begin. Xee ran to the side of the boat just in time to see her match slip under the waves.
Xee screamed without realizing it. She wouldn't have understood why if she had realized it. Normally, Xee would consider a tragic death a good show. Fun for the whole family! But she didn't want Dareth to die. And that was the first time in her life that Xee had ever not wanted somebody to die.
Before she had any idea what she was doing, Xee had tossed aside her knives and dove into the water. Xee could swim, even if she didn't thin Dareth could. The water was nearly black and ice-cold. Diving in felt like being hit in the head with a ton of ice-cold sledge hammers over and over. It knocked the wind right out of Xee's chest, but she kept swimming.
She reached blindly in the water until she grabbed onto something that felt more or less like hair. Xee grabbed the hair and pulled it up, kicking her legs for all she was worth. It was probably painful, but Dareth could complain later. Assuming they both survived.
Xee surfaced with a gasp. The water was thick with yellow blood and the serpent was still thrashing a few feet away. Xee tried to ignore the blind, deadly thing, and made for the ship, still pulling Dareth by his hair.
She fought up to the side of the ship and grabbed onto a patch of barnacles. "Throw me a line!" Xee yelled, coughing saltwater and the beast's foul-tasting blood. Meanwhile, she gripped her twin and the barnacles and held on for dear life.
and Goddamn did Xee's hands ever hurt.


Maria got back to her feet just as Dareth plunged his knives into one of the beasts eyes. Maria drew her own and threw it, stabbing the other. Her eyes grew dark as Maria gathered power from within. She raised her hand and lightning struck the sea serpent, causing it to go unconscious. Muttering a few chosen words, she held it in place with invisible ropes.
"Hurry and take what you need. It's heavy and I can't keep it above the sea for much longer." Maria called to the alchemist. She could start to feel the strain, a slowly growing throbbing in the base of her skull. "Ethel, help me keep it in place, it's starting to wake up."


Dorin did more than throw lines. He used the very water to pick the two up and place them safely on the boat. He then used the water and hit the serpent opposite from the groove of the scales and it chipped off about a dozen. He then noticed others were holding it still and the serpent was blinded. Perfect. He then let go of the water stranglehold and then muttered again before shooting water deep inside the monster causing its brain to get waterlogged. He then pointed one finger right for the monster's eyes and shouted.
“This will end you!”
He then muttered something and lightning shot from that single finger and into the monster's eye causing it to deep-fry from the inside and ended it. He then walked to the scales and picked them up.
“All right, these scales are perfect for several different brews.”


Xee lay there for a moment, panting. She forced herself to sit up, even though ever fiber of her brain was telling her not to.
Aundi, who had apparently made a quick and full recovery, came forward and pushed some people back. "Give 'em some space, will ya'!" she said, staring at the two. They looked like drowned rats for God's sakes!
She coughed up some brackish water and breathed heavily, trying to re-oxyginize her brain. Looking to the side, Xee saw that Dareth hadn't passed out after all. But he apparently hadn't expected the water to hit that cold and that hard.
He probably didn't expect Xee to, ether.
Xee couldn't make herself stand up just yet, so she turned around and smacked Dareth hard across the face. "You idiot! What were you thinking? Don't ever do anything that stupid again!"
She was trying to scream at him, but her throat was choked with salt and water and she hardly managed more the a harsher, hoarser, only slightly louder voice then usual.
Xee glared at her strange twin for a long moment.
But finally, Xee gave into her brain and lay back on the deck. Her breathing was heavy, her throat and eyes stung, she was shivering, and her hands were scraped raw and bleeding. All she wanted at this point was to drink something hot and numbing and sleep forever. But she couldn't make herself fall asleep. She hurt too much even for that.
So Xee just lay there. Next to Dareth. In a puddle of water. On the deck of a crappy boat. In the middle of the ocean. Surrounded by idiots. And it was starting to rain again.
"Great day I'm having," Xee thought grimly.


"There's a lycan on this ship." Rosso said simply. She had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, in front of Xee and was looking fairly neutral about her own announcement. "He's angry and about to break the Barrier Seal that I put up. I thought that you should know this." she explained. "And I don't see any lycan slayers on this boat, so I have reason to believe that you are in a predicament. I offer you my assistance if you persuade one of your followers to lift the spells that she has placed on myself and my weapons." she offered.


Ignoring the chaos around her, Lena dashed to Xee's side and stared at her. "Oh no! Are you injured, miss?" she asked, her eyes wide and frightened. "I'll help!" she cried. She raised her arm and a light green cloud appeared, and was subsequently blown away. "Oh no!" Lena whined. "It didn't work!"



Maria let go of the serpent and let it fall beneath the waves. She hurried over to Xee. She sat down beside her.
"You'll thank me later." Maria said hurried, hovering her now blue glowing hands over Xee's body. Muttering a few words, Xee's breathing eased up, her injuries slowly healing. Maria's hands started to glow red as she took little bits of the pain inside herself to help lessen the strain on her body. Maria reached into her pouch, pulling out a vial of blue powder. She waved it under Xee's nose.
"Don't fight it Xee, it'll help you sleep I promise." Maria said quietly, her headache growing worse. She watched as Xee's eyes started to close. Maria placed a hand on Xee's stomach, instantly drying her clothes and the area around her. "Okay, we need to get her into her cabin, or where ever she is sleeping and let her sleep it off. She should be fine."
Maria stood up, wincing slightly, her hand going to the base of her skull, where the throbbing resided. She walked to the edge of the ship picking up her knife and placing it back into her place. She wobbled slightly. She shouldn't have healed the boy in the village earlier. Two big healings in one day, plus her magic during the fight left Maria tired and in pain. Her head felt as if it was splitting in two.


Dareth gasped for air once he was back on the boat, he realized water was coming into his mouth instead of water. He noticed the bandages he kept over his mouth and cheeks were still wet and didn't allow proper breathing. He took them off, with some trouble, and revealed his blue birthmark, a replica of Xee's for all except in color. He inhaled deeply several times and before making any comments on what had happened his twin smacked his across his bare face.
Though his cheek was reddened from the smack he'd recieved from Xee and his body was soaked in salty water and yellow, reptile blood, Dareth couldn't help but laugh. Or choke-laugh as it seemed.
"Well, Xee, you never do stop amazing me. Saving an almost complete stranger from death", he choke-laughed again, "Thank you, I must add". Dareth grinned at her, maybe mocking her wasn't that good of an idea, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


Xee pushed up on her forearms and half-sat-half-leaned back.
She looked at the sputtering Dareth next to her. "Yah, well," she mumbled, "it was a one time thing. Don't get used to it. And don't go off and do anything that damn stupid again!"
Xee stared at her mysterious twin and his identical visage. He was rather the stranger. All Xee knew about him was that he looked like her, and came from the north, and had memory loss problems. She got the feeling that that was all Dareth knew about himself, too. Maybe the North would jar his memory...?
But until then, Xee had her questions. Who was this mysterious young man she'd just rescued? And why did she want to find out?
She cocked her head to one side and kept looking at her twin. "You scared me," she added in a low tone meant only for Dareth's ears.
Xee tried desperately to fight off Maria's magic, but a warm tingle enveloped her hands and forced Xee to give into the healing. She couldn't strangle the little healer with her hands this beat-up, and she actually didn't want to scar much.


It was around this time that they were joined by the woman in red who told them about a lycan stowaway, another one, or quite possibly the same one. At the mention of someone that had inflicted magic upon the red woman and her weapons Dareth remembered the scene in the tavern with Ethel, and the strange words she had uttered. Of course, the thief thought about Maria and Dorin too, but they both seemed too kind to do that.
Lena then tried something, though Dareth never realized what it was she was trying to do; and Maria healed and - at least attempted to - persuade Xee into sleep.
The rogue stood up, his scalp aching where Xee had pulled his hair, and headed over to where Ethel was. "Hey, umm, Ethel, can I ask you for a favor?", though he should have, Dareth didn't wait for an answer, a nod or a head shake. "Would you remove any kind of spells you placed on that woman?", he though of elaborating, "She thinks there's some stowaway on our ship, please?.


The witch asked for someone to take Xee to a place where she could rest. That was his chance! It didn't matter that Maria's salts and powders had calmed the assassin somewhat. This was his opportunity to relax his unnamed leader with a massage, show her how one of his magical massages could make her see the happy aspects of life.
"Come now, Xee", Cos said in a whisper.
It then hit him like the lighting had hit the serpent. He should be polite and ask first, unless he wanted to end up in the ocean floor, tied to an anvil.
"Say, would you like a massage? How does that sound?".


Xee was a bit dazed as she was pulled to her feet by the elf. Well, one of the elves. The damn things were everywhere!
He took her to a back room and Xee followed, the magic making her too sleepy to resist. Apparently Aundi had gallantly surrendered her cabin. Which figured, as she knew Xee would probably kill her if she didn't.
Xee and the tag-along with the group leading her got to the back room. Xee walked to the far end of the room, ready to collapsed on the bed, and fully expecting the guy to go away and let her sleep.
Figures that he didn't.
"How about a massage? How does that sound?" he asked her.
Xee stopped dead and stared at the obviously insane man. "It sounds," she said, "like you have a death wish."
Xee snapped out of her mild sleepy stupor instantly and wrenched her arm from the unsuspecting elf's grasp. She spun and drop-kicked the guy. She couldn't really use her hands, but that didn't mean she couldn't hurt somebody.
"If you even think about touching me, you die. Got it?" Xee snarled through tightly clenched teeth.
"And come to think of it, I'm fine, I don't need to rest." She continued, turning on her heel and walking out to get back to Dareth and the others.

Doran was steadily making potions from the scales. He looked happy. He then made one concoction that made him sort of scared.
“Wait, Orange color, sulfuric smell, slightly warm to the touch, oh shit! Nobody make sudden moves near me until I put this away! This might just turn this boat into shards of wood! "
It was a very powerful set of chemical instabilities. Pretty much, it was an explosion in a bottle. One wrong move could cause an explosion that could wipe out half an army if used properly and that meant this boat could not stand a chance. He took out a large case filled with potions all with a label called certain death and put it in there. He then closed it and muttered a few things before putting it away.
“Ok we are safe now! "
He said to the somewhat terrified looking crew.


While Ethel had been waiting for the alchemist's response, she was once again entranced by the serpent’s deep green scale. This time, she didn't snap out of it on her own. It wasn't until, through combined efforts or some of her shipmates, the serpent's corpse fell to the ocean that Ethel's trance was broken. When she came to, she snapped her head around suddenly, trying to assess her surroundings and hide her embarrassment at the same time.
Ethel was ashamed to have fallen so deep into a trance brought about by something as simple as serpent scales. All of those years in the witch clan taming sea serpents to do the bidding of other witches, Ethel thought, irritated by her own incompetence, and I can't even stay out of a trance!
Ethel let herself go back to scanning the ship when she saw the girl in red talking to the group. Ethel had no idea how she had gotten onto the ship, but didn't dwell on that too long because in a matter of seconds, Dareth had walked up to her, asking her to release the spell that she had placed on the woman in red while she was in the tavern. Although Dareth was exceptionally taller than Ethel and towered over her, she looked up and made eye contact with him.
"The only lycan that I see around here is the same one asking to have the spells removed from her and her weapon." Ethel pause and looked over at the woman. Her red clothing contrasted her emerald green jewelry, thanks to Ethel, and the witch couldn't help but smirk at a job well done. I wonder how she know that her sword was tampered with....Ethel pondered. She sighed, looked back up at Dareth, and said, "Well, I guess monsters can sense others of their kind than most others can. And at the moment, I don't feel like wasting my energy trying to search for another lycan bastard," Ethel added with disdain. "Fine, I'll lift the spell from the sword, but I see no reason to turn her jewels back to normal. I put the spells on that girl for revenge, remember? She should learn not to throw powerful witches across taverns."
Ethel mumbled "valooto shemangato" and the sword's efficiency was returned to normal. "And she better use that sword for monsters and nothing else," Ethel mumbled before conjuring up another bottle of rum and drinking from it.

[Bryden]

A grin on Dareth's part couldn't be supressed as Xee told him that he'd scared her. Xee was finally softening up. Who would've known. . .Who would've even imagined?

When Ethel finished talking, all Dareth could reply was a short, "Thanks". He would have elaborated, but his ears perked up and heard some other conversation. A man, the elf with the coffin he asumed, had asked someone for a massage. At the first word of the other person's reply, Dareth recognized Xee. Who in his right mind asks Xee for a massage?!, he thought.
Still, he couldn't leave things like that, he strolled over to where Xee and Cos where. Hoping his abrupt change hadn't offended Ethel.
As he was strolling by, he heard Aundi say, "The wind is really blowing! We might arrive in a couple of hours". But the rogue was too concentrated to take any mental notes.

"But, it will make you ha-", Cos was very rudely interrupted by the giant man who had saved him in the tavern.


"Hello", Dareth began as he stopped Cos from talking,"Whats your name?".
Cos raised an eyebrow, "Cos, now if yo-", he was cut short by Dareth again.
"Cos? That's a strange name for an elf".
The elf sighed, he hated telling people his real name, "Cuneamphe Orukae Sedona. COS, for initials".
Now it was Dareth's turn to raise the eyebrow. "Th-that's a nice, long name", Cos remained silent, forcing Dareth to continue, "Hey, Cunea. . . Cunee. . .Cos, why are you offering massages?".
"I'm a professional masseur, that's why I live by"
"Right. . . and why, if you're a masseur, did you board this ship headed to a battlefront?"
"Well it's none of your business, is it, Mr. . .?"
"Dareth, and yes. You are disturbing people"
Cos let out a melodious laugh, like the people on the ship weren't disturbed already, "If you must now, I think it's a noble cause and I want to help you out. Enough?", the coffin was getting heavy, so the elf placed it on the ground.
"Hardly, why, if you're a masseur, are you carrying a coffin? "
"Because I'm a part time gravedigger", Cos replied, voice full of sarcasm, "That, Dareth is too private for me to discuss", he turned to leave but was blocked by one of Dareth's long arms.
"As private as it may be, it's not normal. Why do you carry a coffin?"
"Boy", it was a rare word anyone had used to refer to Dareth, even if he was younger than most, "You ask too many questions. Maybe you should enjoy life without trying to complicate it".
Dareth lowered his arm, but raised his eyebrow again. What did the elf mean?
"If you'll excuse me, I've got thing to do", though this was a lie, Cuneamphe used the opportunity to leave, people were starting to get curious. That wasn't good, not at all.


Xee glared at Cos as she walked past him. She thought about leaping out with her dagger, just to scare him, but she was still tired and it seemed like too much effort.
Instead, she went up to the helm, where Aundi was dutifully steering. It was getting dark fast, but the shore loomed in the distance.
Shore meant very loosely. It was actually a sheer ice cliff, with houses and buildings carved into the side of the glacier face. It was very ominous looking, but Xee stared at it with some degree of fondness.
"We'll be there in about 1 hour, maybe less," Aundi said, keeping her eyes on the proverbial road.
Xee snorted and walked over to the side of the boat. She leaned on the railing and faced the semi-distant shore. The water below was black and inky. Chunks of floating ice were pushed out of the way by the boat's prow and surfed a bit on the slight wake.
"It's funny," Xee said distractedly to Dareth, who was standing nearby. He'd been talking to Cos, but the strange (and obviously stupid, considering how he'd tried to massage Xee) Elf had gone.
"It's strange, that I feel like I would not rather be anyplace in the world but home, but at the same time, I want to be as far from it as possible."
The tall, pale girl sighed.
"So you really don't remember it, huh? Lucky son of a.... I wish I could forget my childhood, too." She sighed again, this time looking almost sad. Almost. She still had a look about her like she'd try and kill you if you mentioned her moods.
"What do you recall then? Like, will I have to translate for everyone or will you be able to help? Do you remember what city you came from? Anything?"
Xee rested her elbow on the railing and her head in her hand. But she didn't take her gray eyes off the dark shore.


Maria rubbed her temples, her headache getting worse. She saw the shore, or rather the ice loom ahead. The good thing about being a witch, especially one of power, she subconsciously kept herself warm. She couldn't wait until her feet were on solid ground again. All this sailing was not all that great for her health.


Dareth fell quiet as Xee came and talked to him. His twin was a very strange person, hard to decipher. He felt as if she didn't even know herself fully well.
"Lucky?", he answered to Xee's sentence about his childhood, "Lucky is a far guess, Xee. I knew nothing. I was nothing. That morning, the one I realized I was. . . that I actually was, I felt lost. Like a lonely child, trying to find his mother in a dull world. Few things were familiar to me. But I wasn't familiar to myself. It's too confusing. Lucky isn't an appropriate word".
Dareth leaned on the railing, his head being hit by salt water.
"I don't know the language, but I understand it. Back on the night we first met, when you spoke, I got the meaning. I didn't know how, but I knew. . .
I am here to find answers Xee, much like, I think, you do".


Cos managed to shake off the anger the tall man had provoked. He'd been rather rude, considering he was on the trip to help them. The Northern Lands were visible now, but time kept them away at the moment.
He approached the red woman. One who looked strange. And frightening too. But she was part of the party and he needed someone to talk to.
"Hello. I'm Cos", he introduced himself.
"I overheard the conversation about a lycan on board. Have you had any luck in the matter?", being polite may erase questions about coffins, Cos had learned.


Rosso looked up at Cos, her plain expression not changing. Arms crossed as usual, she decided to acknowledge his question. Which, for Rosso, was kind of a big deal. "It's sealed in one of the stock rooms. Big strip of red tap, right across the door. It'll keep him in the room until it expires. I'm the only one who can remove it without getting my entire arm burned off. I would've killed him by now, but that witch enchanted my blade, so when I moved in for the kill, it barely scraped him. If I wasn't such an experienced fighter, I'd be lycan dinner." she said. With a flip of her crimson hair, Rosso began to size Cos up. Skinny, very little noticable muscle, and clearly not the type to put up a good fight. So, Rosso drew one conclusion. "I could eat you." she said plainly. "Not to suggest that I would, by the way. I'm just saying that I am capable of doing such." she added. Gold eyes boring into Cos, Rosso decided that anyone brave enough to not only approach her, but to also question her plans, was at least courageous enough to warrant her identity. "I'm Rosso. I kill filthy animals for a living. What the hell do you do?" she asked.


Ethel had nodded to Dareth after he said thanks and walked over to Xee and the elf with the coffin. While drinking her rum, Ethel couldn't help but be amused by what she overheard about the elf trying to give Xee a massage. When he had walked away from the two tall rogues, Ethel saw Xee look toward the horizon at waht seemed to be large masses of ice. I suppose that's the shore, Ethel thought as she remembered how her crew acted as they neared land....

The grassy shore was a welcome sight after three straight months of sailing on the open sea, plundering merchant ships and letting them sin's k to the bottom of the ocean to rot for eternity. The man in the crow's next shouted the news down to the crew who immediately cheered and bustled about the ship, preparing it to be docked. Meanwhile, Black Ethel stood behind the ship, smiling as she thought about how they would all spend their share of the loot. Well, how she would spend her share of the loot, anyway. It would, of course, be the biggest share, because she was the captain.

Behind Black Ethel stood her first mate, and lover, Craig. The two of them planned to take a few months off from sailing and spend it in their house. As the ship came closer and closer to the dock, Black Ethel shouted to the crew "Hansomely now, hands! We're nearing the shore and the sooner we get off this ship the sooner we get to taverns for rum!" At this, the crew shouted and worked even faster. Black Ethel smirked, hands on the wheel, heading for the docks of the port city....

Ethel stirred herself wearily from her reverie. The dingy little ship was just as it was a few moments ago. There was no bustliing crew, she wasn't the captain, and there certainly wasn't any Craig. At this realization, Ethel's vision became blurry as her eyes welled with tears. She quickly wiped them away on the sleeve if her captain's jacket and took a long drink from her bottle of rum. Her sleeve was wet, but it wasn't very noticeable because the dark sky was drizzling, again. However, instead of simply being cold and wet like it was back at the port city, the rain was frozen into very small pieces of ice. Ethel walked over to the edge of the ship where the battle with the sea serpant had taken place and leaned over, her elbows on the side of the ship, bottle of rum still in hand. A drop of water fell from where she stood into the dark waters of the ocean. It froze before it reached the surface.


Xee listened intently to Dareth's explanation, but then snorted once he'd finished. "Like a lost child, eh?" She parroted, "Poetic."
Xee looked at her twin from the corner of her eye. Her hair fell over her face, whipped about my the harsh wind.
Everyone but Xee and Dareth (and Ethel- be she was mostly drunk, and that's different) was shivering and cursing the icy snow falling. And even Xee and Dareth's breath rose in misty clouds.
"At least I won't have to explain everything to you. That's a start."
Xee looked back to the frozen shore.
"I used to live there," Xee said, pointing vaguely at the frozen city before them. "It's not bad. Decently big, good trade. Close to the capital city. I miss the city sometimes," she sighed, "But it's people? Them I'll never miss."
The port was so close they could actually see people's faces on the docks. Aundi was starting to be more careful and go slower. 15 more minutes and they'd be docking.
The frozen rain still came down. People on the docks and in the streets were bundled up tightly. It was unbearably cold, probably at or nearing sub-0.
But Xee stood there like she didn't even feel the bite of the elements. Which she didn't. Another mystery.


Cuthian had brought along with her (although I forgot to mention it earlier) a small suitcase. It had all her essentials. Mostly clothing and broaches for her hair. Cuthian's hair remained up in a french twist with a dark green jeweled broach holding the hair in place from the side. Two curled strands of dark red locks fell, one in front of each ear. The style of her hair hid her ears, the top part of her ears anyway, the part that proved she was eleven or atleast mostly eleven. By this time she had taken out a floor length cloak that had a semi high collar. The long dark purple, nearing black, cloak snapped closed in the front. Cuthian had her hands hidden in her pockets but she was hardly cold, nor did she appear cold. She kept her usual upright posture and confident attitude not the least bit of a shiver appeared on her lip. Her face felt cold to the touch but inside Cuthian felt nothing different then if they were back at the warm tavern. She was a few feet from Xee and asked calmly, "May I inquire as to where exactly we are going?"


Cos hadn't heard half of what Rosso said. He was staring at. . . other things that occupied his mind for a moment. The masseur only grasped the words stock room, burned off, blade and dinner. He decided he didn't know what to do of the words, so his mind disposed of them as a person would when dealing with rotten tomatoes.
However, at the mention of Cos being eaten, his attention fully moved to the red woman's face, Rosso, as she'd introduced herself. His smile, anturally, didn't fade away, but his head buzzed in alarm. Even after assuring him that she wouldn't, Cuneamphe Orukae Sedona couldn't be sure. Now, Rosso seemed very intimidating and her introduction stating that she killed animals for a living didn't help, thank you very much.
Again, Cos had to be drawn out of another, different stupor to answer the question she'd asked.
"I'm a masseur", the elf stated, his smile broadening even more, he was proud of his job, "I'm Cos!" Here, the elf would add something along the lines of, 'Nice to meet you' or 'I offer my services for free the first time!', or he would've at least raised his hand to shake. But Rosso's imposing body didn't exactly let him.
The rogue looked at Xee, smirking and frowning as he did so. He was used to her comments, of course, and the forwn at the word poetic wasn't out of anger. It was out of friendliness.
He listened quietly at Xee's explenation of the city, "Glateidstat", he remembered. He would have inquired about the thing Xee had with the people but an elf, one who had just recently joined them asked Xee a question: Their destination.
Dareth laughed, the situation was so very ironic considering Xee had been complaining about explaining everything to everyone.
The thief turned to look at Cuthian and then turned to Xee again. He'd answer of course, but he didn't know the answer.
"Yes, Xee, where are we going?", he half inquired, half mocked.


Dareth looked curious about what Xee had said. But she didn't care to elaborate. He'd find out soon enough, and she saw no reason to speed the discovery of the local attitude towards the tall, odd girl.
Xee's face ticked momentarily as the lycan girl asked where they were going.
"What did I just say?" She said to Dareth, her voice dripping with sarcasm and annoyance.
"We are going," Xee said to the elf girl, putting heavy ironic emphasis on 'we', "There." Xee pointed at the shore, now iminant, "From there we'll trek for about a day or so across the ice fields. When we cross them, we'll be at the capital. It has a name, but you'll never be able to pronounce it. Let's just call it 'The Ice Lord's Fortress', shall we? That basicilly what it translates to, anyway."
Xee scowled as she finished. But before she could make any scathing comments, there was a grinding sound, and the boat lurched horribly. Xee kept her feet, but some others didn't, and went flying into things.
"SORRY!" came a shout from the helm. Aundi was holding herself up on the wheel and looking bashful. She'd crashed the ship into the dock. Super.
Xee was beyond the point of oaths and threats. She just glared menacingly at the captain and flashed her an obscene hand gesture. Aundi flinched.
But at least they'd arrived. Aundi scrambled to pull the boat up to the dock and get a gangplank up. Xee didn't have time for that. "Come on," she said gruffly to Dareth, before vaulting over the side of the boat and landing on the dock.
Before long, everyone had gotten off and onto the dock. Xee leaned on a dock post and waited. People were staring. One man holding a pile of sealskins gasped and said something in a rough language to his shipmate.
If you could have seen Xee's ears, you'd have seen them prick up. "Yah, buddy?" She yelled over, "Glensadia more ka mazdur beintel!"
The men looked angry and frightened at the same time. They should have been, considering what she'd just threatened.
Xee scowled as the men rushed on. "Are you freaks ready yet?" the assassin demanded of the group.

Rosso stared at Cos for a moment before shrugging his reaction off. She paid little attention to Xee's demand but saw fit to react to it. "You heard her, best be off. That red tape is about to expire, and you wouldn't want to be around when it does." she suggested. And, of course, the second that Rosso had finished her sentence, a loud roar came from beneath the ship. "That'll be him. Go on, you don't need to see this." Rosso said to Cos. She twirled Bloodless in the air before falling into a fighting stance, waiting for the lycan to emerge at any second.


Lena had already stumbled onto land, taking in all of the sights. "Ice Lord's Fortress? Aw, I can't wait to get in there and teach that guy a lesson!" she cried, doing a few air-punches and kicks to illustrate her point. Of course, as she did this, she accidentally kicked a pirate directly in the...personal area...sending the poor man to his knees. "Sorry!" Lena said before skipping back to Xee's group.


Although vague, Cuthian was satisfied with the response she received from Xee. Ice Lord, aye she thought to herself, easy enough. Cuthian didn't respond to Xee's 'freak' remark, partly because she didn't consider herself a freak, whatever that is, but instead just smiled. It was somewhat of a smirk than a smile but that was common of Cuthian. Cuthian lifted her hands out of her pocket and pulled the collar of her cloak up a little higher and then returned her hands to the side of her body.


Maria followed Xee's example and vaulted over the railing and using a little magic, landed softly behind Xee. She drew her cloak closer around her, the wind was a bit more bitter on land. She followed Xee, keeping her head down and ignoring the natives.


Ethels hands gripped the side of the ship tighter when it hit the dock and muttered a curse meant for the Aundi girl. Some captain, Ethel thought with irritation. Ethel finished the last bit of her rum as others on the ship, with the exception of the lady in red whom was about to kill the other lycan that she claimed was hiding away on the ship, dismounted onto the docks. Ethel snapped her fingers and the empty bottle vanished into the air.

She turned around,walked over to the side of the ship closest to the dock, and hopped onto the wooden planks that made up the dock. She would have simply said the usual spell and placed herself on the dock, had it not been for the fact that Ethel would prefer to keep her identity as a witch a secret from the locals for as long as possible. The lady in red had brought up a valid point about being more careful about using magic so flagrantly in public. Aside from that, Ethel had completely given away her identity as a pirate witch back at the tavern; something that she would prefer not to repeat.

While Ethel stood on the dock near the rest of the group, she wondered why she wasn't feeling more than a chill in what must have been freezing temperatures. For a moment, Ethel thought she must have numbed herself with rum. A second later she laughed at the mere thought that she had actually gotten drunk from the miniscule (yes, miniscule) amount of rum that she drank that day. She hadn't been able to become drunk from less than the amount of rum that would kill a man for decades. And by losing that weakness, Ethel had lost the luxury of forgetting the world for a while which she once obtained from alcohol.

While Ethel studied her frigid surroundings, she thought about how Xee had called the group "freaks". It wasn't the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Ethel looked around at the group of misfits that had accompanied Xee, who seemed to be reaching a plateau in her levels of irritation. She gave a soft laugh, tilted her head to the side in a kind of contemplative nod and said, "Yeah."

Ethel looked back around at the city behind her and couldn't help but wonder if the group would wind up at the nearest tavern again before going to face the Ice Lord.

[Bryden]

Dareth fell over when Aundi 'stopped' the ship by the most questionable of methods. A normal person would've run screaming to Aundi, but it had been long since it'd been settled that Dareth wasn't a normal person, instead, he laughed. Only for a couple of seconds of course, but a laugh nonetheless.
He stood up and headed to the dock, his head was spinning and because of it he knocked a few barrels in his way. Once he'd stepped on firm ground Dareth almost fell again. His body, used to the ship's movement, complained and kept on moving on its own, which, added to his recent dizziness, made him walk like a drunk, old man. He grabbed hold of a pole on the dock.
"Gimme five seconds and I'll be ready", he spoke through clenched teeth.
"Wait, is Aundi coming along as well?", he asked as he noticed the Capitan of their ship climbing down the ladder. His common sense sent an affirmative answer to his body. Aundi was almost Xee's servant, and she'd have to go somewhere while Rosso, the woman in red, dealt with the stowaway lycan.


"Yes, yes, no need to watch this barely sense-making slaughter", Cos told Rosso while he watched the red tape somehow evaporate.
"Good luck, Rosso, he's angry", he said, unknowing of Rosso's ability to murder lycans. He strapped his coffin securely to his shoulder and climbed down carefully. Easier said than done, climbing down a wet ladder with the weight of a coffin and its contents was a much harder task than saying so.
He walked over to Doran, the alchemist and asked, "What's the serpent scale good for again?". Needless to say, he hadn't been paying much attention.


Rosso's grip on Bloodless tightened, showing her empty veins for a few seconds. Another loud roar came from below, confirming that the lycan was very much ready to strike. The floor suddenly ripped open and a large, hairy arm shot out from it. The lycan loudly climbed through the hole while Rosso prepared to finish him off. Once he was on ground, the lycan turned to Rosso and roared once again. Rosso smiled and launched herself towards the lycan with Bloodless pointed directly forward. The lycan tried to smack her away, but Rosso pushed the sword into his belly, causing him to begin bleeding. Rosso, knowing that the blow should've killed him, realized that she had stabbed him with the holy end, and not the silver end. She pulled the sword out and flipped it around, this time securely stabbing the lycan with the silver side.
Covered in lycan blood, Rosso gracefully jumped from the ship and landed in front of the travelers. She smirked at them and tucked Bloodless back into its holster before turning to Aundi. "Your floor is damaged. And bloody. Very bloody." she said.


Aundi looked a bit land-sick. Xee looked annoyed. "You know what?" Audi said slowly, "I think i'm gonna' stay with the ship...." The captain climbed abck up the ship and ran inside her ccabin, slamming the door firmly behind her. Xee rolled her eyes.
"OK!" She yelled clapping her hands in an sarcastic manner, "Let's get on with this, shall we boy and girls?" she led the way off the dock, ignoring the stares and whispers that followed her. Before long, they were on the first level of the city. Glastasit was a cit of layers. Iron ladders and stairs led from one level to the next, and it was obvious how the social ladder worked. Poor on the bottom, rich on the top.
Xee trudged through the slick, icy streets with hardly a glance at the city around her. People bundled in thick parkas and leathers turned their heads. More then one touched their foreheads in a religos way and muttered something havin to do with Xee's name. Before long, they'd passed up through 3 layers. They were one level from the dead center now, and the city was looking far nicer. Less trash littered the road, and the shops and homes looked better cared for. Xee stopped outside one house that seemed particularly well cared for.
The tall girl, who had been silent and stony-faced this entire time, took a deep breath. Xee looked about as worried or as scared as she ever looked. She straighted up to her full height and banged on the iron door with both fists. Before long the door opened to reveal a harried-looking woman. She was an older woman, a good deal wrinkled, and her dark hair was shot through with grey. She was very short, a bit tubby, and her skin was a darker shade then most of the locals. In the house behind her, furs covered the floor, a fire roared, and a few small children ran around playing.
The woman looked a bit worried. But after studying Xee's face for a moment, her eyes lit up. Her concerned frown turned into a face-splitting grin and she almost squealed. "XEENIA!!" She roared. Her accent was thick. To everyone shock by xee, she grabbed Xee in a crushing hug. "Oh, Xeenia, my little Narwhale! Oh how I've missed you, my daughter!"
Xee could feel the shock radiating off the group behind her, but made a point to ignore it.


Maria's eyebrows shot up, surprise was written all over her face as the lady actually hugged Xee. After the shock wore off abit, Maria felt a bit sad. She didn't even remember her parents. She kinda resented Xee for having a loving mother just waiting for her to come home. Maria quickly snuffed out the thought. She would not think baddly about someone who had fought by her side.


Cuthian's eye brows raised a bit. Not in a shock or surprise but because the force of the woman brought a swift wind that swooshed passed Cuthian's body. She only wondered what they were doing here. She didn't much care, at least it was better than sitting in that damn little inn forever. A smile slid to Cuthian's face, when she smiled she actually looked quite charming. But at times her words changed that look.


Ethel had found the freezing city to be very interesting. There was something about all of the metal and large numbers of people that was oddly comforting. It wasn't until she reached the house where Xee stopped that she felt her old instinctive antisocialness return to her. She had been around these misfits for some time, so she had become accustomed to them. But now she was in front of a nice house that probably had nice, normal people in it, who lived a normal life. It was sickening.
Then again, Ethel thought upon seeing the woman from inside the house hug Xee, how normal could they really be? After hearing the woman call Xee "daughter", Ethel had to suppress a laugh. It was almost strange to imagine Xee, the calloused, intimidating, deadly assassin, had a mother.
Ethel watched the seemingly kind woman hug her daughter and was reminded of her own mother. She had been a monster; kind around people from the outside and vicious behind closed doors. As far as Ethel knew that bitch had been dead for years. She studied Xee's mother and wondered if she really was as nice as she seemed, or was she just incredibly happy to see her daughter after Ethel assumed had been a very long time.


Xee heard a few snickers stifled behind her. That made her angry. Ducking out of her mother's grasp like an embarrassed child might, she turned on her heel and drew her daggers. "Don't forget who I am," she snaraled angrily.
"Oh, Xeenia! Put them away. you always were such a rough little girl...." Xee's mother then started babbling very fast in their native language. Xee said something back, looking exasperated.
Xee's mother went back inside, shouting something to Xee over her shoulder. Xee sighed. "We're spending the night here," she said, sounding less then thrilled, "We can get out of this bloody city as soon as we've got supplies and..." Xee inspected Rosso, "warmer clothes. You outlanders should be frozen to death already."
A yell came from inside. "My mother- just call her Aiti, everyone does- insists that we stay with her and the rest of my family." Xee led the way into her childhood home.
The home was carved from the glacier itself- it was ice reinforced with iron. The building was a lot larger inside then it looked from outside. It had only one floor, but it was cut deep, with a veritable maze of rooms and halls branching off from one long main room/kitchen. A lowered pit held a massive, roaring fire and rugs and cushions. Good smells drifted from the cooking area. Children, the oldest about 5 years Xee's junior and the youngest about 2, played and ran through the halls. There were only about 6 kids, but they were so active it seemed like 20. it looked like a happy, bustling home. Xee looked like the only thing out of place in the scene.
Xee plunked herself on a pile of cushions by the fire. Her mother went back to the kitchen and hummed something. She seemed happy to have her oldest daughter home. The kids, the older ones anyway, gathered around the group with wide eyes. Apparently, Xee was remembered by her siblings.
"Just sit down and act natural," Xee told the others, "I'll translate- mother is the only one who can understand us, so don't worry about the littlies eavesdropping." She looked tired.

Something about Xee's mother brought a warm memory for Cuthian. Not of her own mother, no Cuthian didn't know her mother. It was a happy memory, several happy memories, of her late husband's mother. She was a kind old soul. One of the few people to truly make Cuthian blissful inside, and one of the few who could get her to eat something.
She followed Xee and the rest inside but did not sit. She stood there near everyone, her posture still as upright as usual. Her cloak remained on and her expression was somewhat blank. Except her eyes. Her eyes faintly revealed that she felt safe in here or at least it reminded her of somewhere safe.


Everyone in town was normal-looking, and although this upset Dareth a notch. But what really brought confusion over him was Xee's family. They looked like normal humans too. Why did he look like her if none in her family looked like her? Sure, Xee had already told him so, but Xee was sarcastic and evil and a liar. The thief had hoped for some understanding of what he was on Glateidstat.
Before entering he put on his face bandages, Xee's family didn't need to be creeped out because of their resemblance. Their skin, eyes and height was enough already to raise suspicions.
He understood perfectly everything being spoken in the house, but he was too immersed in his thoughts to make out anything. He sat down and for once didn't make conversation with anyone.


After Doran's non-responsiveness, Cos moved on. By the time the party was on Xeenia's home, Cos was breathing heavily. Carrying a coffin up dozens of stairways was bound to tire even the fittest man to his knees.
He regained his posture and entered the house. He saw Cuthian, another of his group members. And she looked. . . like an elf! He hadn't noticed there were more of him (clearly he hadn't been too observant while in the ship for he had not noticed Saelen or Ryntai).
"You're an elf too!", he spoke surprised.


Cuthian's eye brows raised again, this time from sheer surprise. Someone was actually talking to her. Well this person was talking a little more at her, but the differences between the two are debatable. Her hands folded together in front of her body, "Why yes, I am..." Anyone who speaks the language of sarcasm knew what was about to happen next, "You are extremely observant, arn't you? Why you should get an honorary metal in observance." The words spewed from her mouth, not a word left without sarcasm dripping from it. But of course, Cuthian's heartless wit lacked one thing, sustainability. She couldn't help but feel slightly bad for her behavior towards this fellow. It couldn't be helped if sometimes people have a less than brilliant moment, even if some have more of these than others. "Yes. I am Elven." This time she was serious, her eye brows were lowered and her hands at her sides as apposed to in front of her. "At least the part of me I know of, anyway." After this statment came a small smile, a smile that if used to its full potential could melt a heart of steel.


Maria sat int eh corner, her knees to her chest and her eyes closed. Her lips moved slilently and fluidly as she started chanting. It was a soothing sound, like a whisper in the wind. It wasn't a spell, but self hypnosis. Maria was slightly pale, her forehead shining slightly with sweat. It wasn't hot in Xee's house, just way to many people in the room and Marai was starting to feel cloustophobic. Maria tried to vision herself in the forest outside her teachers lottle wooden cabin. Just when she was almost mentally there, the fire in the room popped and she remebered that she was inside a house that was under and inside a block of ice. This, of course just made her panic even more. Her chant became slightly more urgent as she tried to calm herself.


A smile of entertainment grew in Cos' face. She was elven and funny! Even though a quizzical expression appeared in his eyebrows he nudged Cuthian in the arm, "You're funny". Cos wasn't a total idiot, and he knew sarcasm when he heard it, he just enjoyed it too much to think it'd been meant as an insult.
"I'm Cos", the coffin-carrying elf said and stretched a pale hand toward Cuthian.
He fiddled for a little, wiating for the conversation to proceed naturally.
"I'm from the village of Sedona. How about you?", without noticing Cos had leaned on one of the walls. It was iron, but the ice on its other side made little drops of water appear on the iron walls.
It took him about three minutes to realize his arm was getting wet. And wet with subzero temperatures didn't have a nice result. He needed to dry himself.
Now, Cos was not having one of his best moments and instead of using common sense and approaching the fire he walked next to Dareth, raised both his arms and took the thief's bandages from his face.
"I'll take only a minute", and he proceeded wiping his arm.


A couple of kids were around him and they were telling jokes to each other. The hearing siblings looked as if they'd heard them a million times before, but Dareth had tapped into the kid inside him and was soon laughing. It wasn't long before Xee's brothers turned to look at him, half-amused, half-surprised.
And then the massaging elf came at him and took his bandages off his face. The kids were surprised. Dareth wanted to die. And Xee's mother stepped into the living room.


After hearing Xee's command to sit, Ethel looked around the room to find a seat. She had trouble deciding where to sit when she came to a place for the first time, with the exception of bars. She felt out of place in a home that seemed to be full of love an happiness most of the time. Ethel stood near several empty seats awkwardly, prolonging her own agony brought about by a social situation.
Ethel looked around the room one last time to see Maria huddled with her knees to her chest. She was pale, persperation was gathering on her forehead, and it looked like she was whispering some chant. Ethel walked over to Maria tentatively, relieved that she had been given an excuse to not choose a seat, though she didn't let her face betray her feelings. Once she was withing a foot or two of Maria, Ethel asked the girl, "Are you alright?" It was odd for Ethel to be showing even a hint of compassion for something so small, but Maria was the only other witch in the group and it did provide an excellent distraction from her social awkwardness.
Ethel heard a few gasps come from the group of small children so she turned around to see what caused it. Ethel saw that the cloth that Dareth used to cover his birthmark was now in the hands of the coffin-carrying elf. Why the odd elf was holding Dareth's cloth, Ethel did not know, but she imagined that Dareth probably felt rather nervous at the moment because of his birthmark's resemblance to Xee's. Out of the corner of Ethel's eye, she could see Xee's mother entering the room. This'll be interesting, Ethel thought a bit dryly.
Ethel turned back around to Maria; she was more interested in helping the witch than seeing the drama unfold. "So..." Ethel hesitated a bit, "can I help you out or anything? I'd completely understand if you'd rather be left alone." She could understand because if she was in curled up like Maria, she would certainly prefer to be left alone. By habit, Ethel almost snapped her fingers to make a bottle of rum appear. She stopped herself just in time when she remembered all of the little kids in the room. Can't set an example like that for the kiddies, I suppose, Ethel thought a bit glumly.

Lena, unlike most of the others, was in her element with the children. She had predictably begun to play with them, running around and joining in on their games. "Catch me if you can!" the monk called as she high-jumped all the way to the roof, where she held on steadily. The stream of children ran up the stairs after her, at which point Lena let go and fell to the floor.


Rosso watched this with a mixture of...certain emotions. She sat, with arms crossed, as the children, and Lena, played around. She felt a twinge or two in her heart, but ignored them and simply stared forward for the rest of the visit.

[Bryden]

"What?" Maria said, looking up to see Ethel looking at her with concern. "Oh, I'm just trying to distract myself. I don't do well in enclosed places. This place isn't very happy and it has a trapped feeling if you know what I mean." Maria closed her eyes again, not even noticing that Dareth had had his bandages removed and the reaction to such a thing. She wasn't feeling good, and the truth was. She would have rathered spent the night out in the cold than inside the ice.


Ethel knew what Maria meant by the space feeling very enclosed, making a person feel trapped. It hadn't bothered Ethel much, but she decided that considering she gone as far as to find out what Maria's problem was, she might as well try to help her.
Ethel sat down indian-style on the freezing floor. She sat with her back straight and closed her eyes. Ethel let out a small sigh and began to meditate. She felt herself taken a place without boundaries, a place where she felt free and and almost as light as the air itself; nothing could hold her. All of this was in her mind, of course, but Ethel began to make the atmosphere around her feel as she did. Ethel hoped that it was helping Maria feel less trapped and claustraphobic. She determined that the chances were quite good, considering it was two witches, both powerful, concentrating on shedding the trapped, enclosed feeling brought about by this home made of ice and iron.


Cuthian took her hands out of her cloak pockets and pulled the top of her cloak tighter together. She then folded her arms, not because she was cold but because all these young children made her uncomfortable. She like everyone else knew where they were, Xee's home. But Cuthian wondered why they were here exactly and being the woman she is she voiced her thoughts, "Why exactly are we here, Xee?"


Xee's little brothers and sisters giggled and ran around on the floor with Lena. The very little ones didn't even know who Xee was, and were very curious. The older ones remembered their strange sister vaguely, and wisely kept back. Xee herself sat, hunched and scowling, looking for all the world like a surly teenager who felt that her family was embarrassing her in front of her peers. Except, this surly teen could kill you quite easily.
Xee's mother bustled in, carrying a tray covered in steaming bowels of some thick and salty soup. She plopped a bowel into the hands of Xee and all her traveling companions. She lingered over Maria, clucking, "Oooohhh, dear! You look pale and you're running a fever. Eat some soup, it will fix you right up!" Xee rolled her eyes and hoped Maria could understand that under her mother's thick accent.
Her mother went right along, from person to person, until she'd completed the circuit- with Dareth. She looked at him, started handing him the soup, did a double-take, and dropped the soup. The ceramic shattered and the hot liquid spilled over the floor. The woman didn't notice. She was too busy looking from Dareth to her daughter and back again. "OOOOOhhhh!" she said, wrining her hands, "I always knew this day would come!"
She flopped back into a rocking chair. Xee said something to her mother that meant, "Mother? What is it? What's the matter? I know, he looks like me. I know it's weird but-" but her mother held up a hand to halt the explanation. "Xeenia- As I had said, I always knew this would happen. That your people would come to take you back. I just knew it!"
The Northern woman started talking very quickly, and Xee translated, her own mouth agape.
"Years and years ago, when I was a younger woman, our family was just starting. I only had your older brothers back then, and they were all toddlers at least. I was trying to have another child, and I so did wish for a baby girl. One day, as I was walking along the glacier banks, I heard something. When I turned the bank, I saw the ruins of a ship. The water was high and rough, and I suspected a wreck. As I looked over the ship- and I could see it was grand! Perhaps the finest I've ever seen- I thought that the cry was my imagination. There couldn't have been any survivors in that mess of wood and splinters. But there was. ]
A tiny little thing, no more then a babe in a little white dress. She had the palest skin I'd ever seen, and this beautiful long black hair. She was perfect apart from the purple mark across her body. But I loved her from the moment I saw her anyways.
I raised that baby girl, and as she grew it became apparent that the skin was not her only strangeness. The girl grew to be so tall, so thin, she seemed gangly and sickly all the time. She never played with other children, save to fight them as if she were a boy. But I loved her still. And when she turned 15, she left home in the middle of the night, not even a goodbye. And I didn't see her for years. then she shows up on my doorstep with a young man who looks just like her.
That child is you, Xeenia. I always loved you like you were my birth child- but it is clear you're not. And I always knew your own kind would find you- and here they did."
Xee stopped translating. Her mother was in tears, and Xee herself looked on the brink of them. The old woman burst forth and smothered Xee in a hug. And the normally abrasive killer actually hugged back.
"Go to the capital, Xeenia," whispered Xee's mother, "You will find who you are there. And take these people with you. They can help, I know this. Especially the young man. He looks enough to be your twin!"
Xee nodded and sat down next to Dareth, mute and staring into space.
The soup spilled, forgotten on the floor.

Maria began to feel the room becoming more open and less restricting thanks to Ethal. She began to relax and nearly jumped a mile off the floor when Xee's mom spoke to her. She mumbled a thanks and took the soup, carefully tasting it. It was actually not that bad, but she wasn't one to complain. She half listened to Xee's mother, and wasn't the bit surprised to learn that Xee and Dareth were from the same people. So they were going to go to the capital, Maria thought, closing her eyes and thinking about home gain.The sooner, the better.

The eyes of his were fixed only on Xee's mother. Dareth half-understood her mother, half-listened to Xee's translation. How can that be so? Was all his mind could come up with. What kind of sick twisted things were Xee and him? Slowly he rewinded the conversation and listened to it again in his brain, would've been an easier task if he had a better memory. The fact that confused him the most wasn't Xee's baby story, it was the unexsistent familiarity Dareth had to that tale.
For as long as he'd been in Xee's company he had felt that everything she told him, everything she said was what he'd lived. He could relate to that. However, he couldn't relate to the story of the ship, no flashback came to mind. The other part, about Xee's development as a girl he found similar, but not in Glateidstat, the north, yes; but not that city.
Automatically, he raised a hand and felt his birth mark, the thing that had stained him from his cheek to his lower back ever since he could remember. His other hand he raised, attempting to touch Xee's shoulder. He stopped in mid air, thinking about what the effects of his touch could be. In a swift thought Dareth's mind landed on the 'I don't care how she reacts' option and his hand on his look-alike's shoulder. "Let's do it", the thief whispered.
"Let's do it, Xee", he repeated, louder this time, "Go to the capital, I mean".
Needless to say, he was more than a bit lost on how to handle the situation. The toughest person he had ever met looked in the verge of tears, her family was around, sad as well and a whole crowd of strangers around them.
Dareth's hand slid to Xee's arm and gave it a slight shake.
"Xee, we've been wondering about us, it is a chance!".
The rogue's gaze moved to Xeenia's mother, "Thank you", he mouthed, although he highly doubted he'd seen it because of the tears blurring her eyesight.


Cos was beaming like a little child. As usual. Taht had been the most tragic, veridic and eye-watering story he'd ever heard. Being honest, he'd never paid much attention to common legends and myths.
The masseur was oblivious, though, to the deep moment of emotion everyone else was experiencing, and used the short span of silent time to finish his own drying.
"Thank you", he half-whispered, half-told Dareth as he threw the thief's bandage back at him. It landed in Dareth's wrist, the same wrist connected to the hand that was clutching Xee's arm.


Xee was having what might have been the hardest time of her life. She'd dealt with fights, being hunted by other assassins, running away from home, and worse. But this was nothing she'd ever prepared for. She felt like and idiot- she should have always known she couldn't have been born to her family, she was nothing like them! But the knowledge hurt more then she'd ever expected.
Xeenia put her elbows on her knees and held her head in her hands, her hair covering her face. For the first time in her life, the tough young woman wanted to cry.
When Dareth put his hand on her shoulder, Xee flinched and sat up sharply. Her hands were on her daggers, ready to draw, when she realized who it was. She froze and actually listened to him speak. Coss threw Dareth's bandages at them, and the wet cloth wrapped around Xee's arm, lashing her wrist to Dareth's. She tensed from surprise.
After a moment that seemed to take forever, Xee gave up. She let herself fall aginst Dareth, her head resting on his shoulder. "There's no excuse not to go, now," she said aginst the young man's neck. "Let's get out of here, and figure out what the Hell is going on."
She dropped her voice so that nobody but her twin could hear her, "I think you know that I want to find out more about us as you do."
Xee's mother, meanwhile, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, picked up the overturned bowel, and excused herself back to the kitchen to get the party some supplies.


Without a word, Rosso moved from her spot and followed Xee into the kitchen. She watched the assassin silently before making her presence known. "Don't assume that anyone thinks less of you for this. I don't know you, but I can attest that showing your emotions is a good thing." she said. Her voice was blunt, to the point, but not entirely devoid of empathy. With that, Rosso turned and left the kitchen.


When Rosso left, she was replaced by a less subtle force. "Y'know, I didn't know my parents for the longest. I think it's a good thing, cause it makes you stronger. I think you can say these kinds of things, but not a lot, cause then people think weird things about you. And when people get these weirds thoughts in their heads, then it makes you think the same thing, cause they don't back down, and so they treat you weird, and then you start to wonder about stuff, and that makes you think about things that you normally would, and then these creepy things start to make you wonder about pretty much everything, and nothing seems the same but it still is, so you're kinda not sure of the stuff you usually are sure of, but I think that it can be a good thing sometimes, except not all of the time because then it just gets weird, but it's okay cause then you're still yourself, right?" Lena chirped. Her heavy grey robes were practically pooling on the floor as she stood a few feet away from Xee, a large smile on her small face.


Cos heard what Xee said about the party needing to leave. His smile disappeared, "Aww, we've been stuck in that cold ship, and now we have to go back to the cold in the night?". The elf crossed his arms, leaned against his coffin, which was leaning on a wall, and looked as mad as he would ever be seen.
Rightfully so, after all, he did have a coffin to protect. Rather, not exactly the coffin.


The rogue flinched when Xee leaned against his shoulder. That couldn't be Xee. Questions zoomed in his head. How had Xee managed to show so much emotion? Who were their people? What was in the capital? What was in the way to the capital? How did Xee's mother know about the 'people'? But more importantly;
"Do-Do the soldiers that fought us on Eembar, sent by someone who wanted us to hurry, relate to what is in the capital; is the Ice Lord in the capital?", he said it loud enough for anyone to hear, though not exactly in a loud tone of voice.
He looked at Cos when he complained. He had a point. Everyone was too tired to travel that night. He didn't support the elf exactly. He knew it was wrong to depart at that hour, but he wanted to know more about Xee and himself.


Was she ready to let them be aware of her presence and then have to explain herself and quite possibly end up fighting? Or did she want to stay outside in the freezing snow and wait for the upcoming blizzard to pass? On the one hand she knew full well that waltzing in there would cause trouble, but on the other she knew that if she stayed out all night she wouldn't be strong enough to fly in the morning. Sighing, she knew what needed to be done.
Quickly, before she could change her mind, Fury jumped into the air and flew through the door; the door opened with a bang. While everyone in the room jumped and grabbed for their weapons Fury hurriedly closed the door and flew up to the roof of the room the travelers were sitting in and spoke in her light voice that sounded like bells.
" Wait! I know a good deal of you in here are assasins and whatnot but I'm a friend!" This statement was enough to stun them from attacking; with the short amount of time she was given Fury began to speak. " My name is Fury, Fury of the Woodland Faeries and I have come here to fight against whatever evil has been brewed up here by that evil man. I have been flying above your ship ever since you left port so that I could remain unnoticed as long as possible. They onyl reason I'm in here now is because a horrid blizzard has come upon us and staying out there would be suicide. If I had any intention of harming you then I would have done so while you were alseep on the ship, but I didn't." After this rushed explanation Fury's voice was tired, almost as tired as the rest of her. Now the sapphire faerie waited for them to speak as her wings fluttered in order to keep herself as out of their reach as possible.

[Bryden]

Maria jumped to her feet when the door opened and then closed. Something flew up in the rafters that identified itself as Fury the Fairy. Maria adjusted her eye sight and magic to zoom in on the girls face. She had a little trouble with it. Being in this iceberg was really affecting her control. Maria put the knife that she had drawn away. When she used her magic to heighten her sight, she also heightened her other senses. Maria heard a disturbance outside. She tried to focus her magic more, but she started to feel enclosed again.
"Some one is coming, but I can't tell if they are friend or foe or even how many." Maria said to no one in particular. she felt claustrophobic and she couldn't control her magic. Right on cue, a loud bang was heard at the door. Maria had a funny feeling it wasn't a friend.

Xee realized with a start what she was doing. Leaning against Dareth. To her mind, that was showing weakness in front of people who she might have to kill someday.
The assassin's eyes darted around suddenly, then narrowed to angry slits. She pushed herself away from the young man's chest and leapt to her feet. "Is everyone ready to get out of here, then?" she asked, a little too loudly. Xee looked at everyone in turn, trying (and succeeding) to make everyone she looked at flinch or avert their eyes. But the young woman did make a point not to look at her twin.
She scowled and tried to get to the kitchen to get supplies and say good-bye to her mother.
But she never got there.
Some freak with wings and blue skin decided to join them. Super. The little creature explained herself quickly, and hovered there, staring at Xee.
A fay? Interesting. How'd she managed to open the iron door? Mayhaps it was really that cold outside, and she'd risked the burns to escape it.
Xee looked from the door back to Fury. Sure, she could protest and try to kick the beast out, but that hadn't worked with anyone else in this motley group of freaks.
"Fine!" Xee said, throwing her hands up in mock surrender, "F**K it! Whoever the Hell wants to join us can go right on ahead and do so! I'm not the leader here, much as you all are following me. I obviously have no authority over who stay and who goes. So, yah, you winged freak. Welcome to the F***ing team."
At that moment, Xee's mother bustled back in, clicking her tounge(sp?). "Oh, another one?" She said mildly, glancing up at Fury. "Well it's bad out there. Too bad for you all to be traveling. Stay the night, and you can leave first thing tomorrow morning!" The older woman looked back up at Fury, "I'll get you some soup."
With that Xee sighed, and fell back on the couch, all but totally giving up on ever getting away from here.

"You're blue!", Cos yelled at Fury, possibly stating an understatement. Needless to say, the elven masseur was amused, there was a faerie dressed from head to toe in blue while being blue herself, while on the other side of the room there was a vampire and lycan hybrid dressed from toe to head in red while being a bit red herself.
Cos turned to Rosso, "And you're Red!", the irony of the situation was too big for him. Right there, in the middle of Xee's family house he rolled on his back, laughing his lungs out. The scene was further freaked by several of Xee's siblings joining the male elf in his laughing frenzy.
Cos stopped laughing for a minute when an idea - absurd idea - passed through his head, "Your kids would be purple!", he declared before rolling on the ground again, laughing.

Well, at least someone's happy. . ., Dareth looked at Xee, she was back to being. . . Xee, the ruthless assassin. Was it because of something he'd said? Thinking back on what he'd said the thief decided that wasn't it. Maybe it was something he had not said. That wasn't a great idea, Xee never cared about what was said about her.
Women were confusing. Especially women that looked too much like him; Dareth decided.
He looked at Xee's mother, then at Xee, and at Cos. The elf was lightening the depressing mood that had reigned until minutes ago (By the most doubtful of methods, but lightening it nontheless). He was thankful for that. His eyes then stared at the newest member, Fury the Fairy. Maybe introductions were in order.
"Hello, I'm Dareth", he greeted, then pulled her through the house in order to introduce her to everyone else, "This is the hunter Rosso, Cuthian, the pirate Black Ethel, Shera Lena, the witch Maria, Cos and Xee", he signaled at each person as he said their names.
"Make yourself comfortable, miss", Xee's mother added.
Taking advantage of the interruption, the rogue headed over to Xee who was on the sofa again. He sat next to her and stared at the ground.
"Is anything the matter, Xee?", he asked.

Cos (somehow) stopped laughing and wiped some tears off his eyes. It proved futile as the children's laughs made him laugh again. The second time he stopped laughing, he (somehow) wasn't lured back to Laughing Zone.
He was just in time to hear Maria's comment. The elf heard the bang in the door but attributed it to the snowstorm.
"Don't be silly, Maria, nothing except, apparently, blue fairies can survive in that cold night out there. I think you're feeling a bit too aprehensive", he smiled wider, anyone who had actually taken the time to get to know him knew what came next, "Howz about a massage? It works miracles for stress". This time, however, he didn't repeat the same mistake he'd comitted when in the boat: Cos didn't wait for Maria's answer. He cracked his fingers, placed the coffin behind Maria, sat on it and began rubbing the witch's back with amazing dexterity and talent. He was in his element.

Lena smiled at Cos and did not withold the giggle that he brought from her. "I get it!" she laughed. Rosso glared at her, not in a mean way, but in a 'wtf' way. Lena grabbed a basket from the table and skipped to the door, with Xee's mom following her for a moment. "You really shouldn't go out right now." she warned. "My robes will keep me warm. 'sides, monks are trained to resist all harsh weather!" Lena replied. With a jovial wave, she left the house and trudged through the blizzard.

The Elven monk hummed and plucked the icy flowers that she found and stuffed them into a basket, barely noticing the fact that she was completely surrounded shrouded knights around her. When her 'all-powerful monk intuition' kicked in, Lena turned around and saw one of the knights. Instead of karate-chopping his head off, she gave him a large grin and held out one of her snow flowers. "It sure is cold outside. But these kinds of flowers grow best when it snows, anyway. Isn't that cool, cause most people think that flowers are best in warm weather but I think those flowers are boring and don't have the right color to them cause the sun or whatever bleaches them out, so the ones from the winter and ice are my favorites. Like these, cause they're all crystally and pretty and I think they kinda shine, too, but have you noticed that? How can flowers be shiny, if they're not wet which I guess these kinda are, but ice isn't the same as water and it makes the flowers shine much better, but I guess it's all up to the individudal person to decide which kind they like more, y'know?" The knight stared directly at Lena, who was still smiling. Slowly, he took the flower and disappeared into the snow once again. With a careless shrug, Lena resumed her flower-picking.

"Look what I found!" she shouted, ten minutes later, as she ran into the house. Snow and ice sloshed in after her, but Lena didn't seem to care. "Ice flowers! Like, flowers, but the snow has like, frozen them! It's really cool!"


She liked Cos. She wasn't sure about the rest of them, but she knew she liked Cos. And Xee. They reminded her a bit of herself, of both sides of herself, and she somehow found that reassuring. Thankfully she was saved to agony of doing her best not to laugh along with Cos by the tall confused one named Dareth.
He dragged her around introducing everyone and then left her in the hands of Xee's adoptive mother. Fury's blue lips formed a small smile as she thought about The Angry One and The Confused One. They were so alike and yet so different, to her it was comical. Just as Fury sat down to the soup that The Angry One's mother had given her a girl came in with Ice Flowers. When Lena walked inside Fury thought she saw someone standing outside, hidden in the cold snowy winds. Ignoring it for the moment Fury turned to The Angry One and stared at her with her sapphire blue eyes until she looked up, Fury's clear voice almost rivaled the billowing snow outside,
" The one you seek is in the capital but I think he will not stay long. There has been talk of a new weapon of sorts, it awaits him farther North. Talk says he shall be leaving in a week." she told them. It didn't bring happy faces but before others could say anything Fury heard a thump outside.
That noise paired with what she thought she saw outside didn't make for a happy picture. She put down her soup and stood so that she could see Lena,
" Lena? Was there anybody outside when you went?" Fury asked softly.


Lena stared at Fury for a moment and furrowed her brow. "Um...." The monk looked very confused, as she had completely blocked out her encounter with the knight earlier and had only been thinking about her new flowers. "Wait! Yes! There was a..um...he looked like..." In Lena's head, a jumble of images began to move around like a jigsaw puzzle, and her 'thinking' face made it look as though she had just smelled something foul. Finally, the pieces came together. "I gave some flowers to a begger!" she said, jovial at figuring out her own memory, one that had only been made ten minutes ago. "Yep. He wouldn't stop talking, so I gave him a flower. Don't you hate it when people talk too much? I do, cause it's like, jeez, no one wants to hear you say all that stuff when they probably don't care what you're talking about in the first place, and when you say all that other stuff it only makes them more annoyed and that just makes things get really old really fast and it's probably best if you just didn't talk so much, y'know?"


Xee didn't say anything as Dareth sat down next to her. She opened her mouth to talk to him, and found that she had nothing to say. If looks could kill, the wall she was staring at would have a hole drilled right through it.
Xee had dropped her guard, shown weakness. She let herself slip, and had rested her head on Dareth's shoulder for a moment. She'd actually liked being near him, too. That scared her. A lot.
She couldn't let that happen, no way. If she showed weakness now, then how would this group of buffoons ever fear her? They'd see her as just as human as all of them. And then they'd act up and word would get out and Xee would never have another kill job for the rest of her life.
Killing was Xee's life. The thrill of the hunt, the pride of another one down, the satisfying chink of coins in a bag. She didn't want to lose that, no matter how much she found herself liking her doppleganger.
Xeenia opened her moth again, slower and more deliberately this time. "Dareth," she started, "I-" but she never finished.
For at that moment, the heavy iron door flew open with an almighty BANG. And Aundi flew in. Actually, she was tossed in. By the ashen warriors behind her.
Ashen warriors. called so for the ashen icyness of their skin.The frozen, reanimated bodied of those fallen to the Ice Lord's armies and the icy elements in the Northlands. Mindless zombies living to kill for the Ice Lord.
And they were here. "Here to bring us u North, Xee!" supplied Aundi, from where she was picking herself up off the floor.

[Bryden]

Xee twitched. This wasn't right.
She looked from Aundi and Dareth, to Maria, to Cos, to Fury, to the Ashen Warriors. Something was very, very wrong here, and it wasn't just the soldiers in her mother's living room.
The warrior had started to say something, before that annoying little monk girl come in and kicked him in the gut.
That was it. The Ashen Warriors were dead. Dead as doornails.
The dead. Don't. Speak.
A cold shiver went down Xee's spine and spread through her veins like ice-cold water pumped into her blood stream. She started to get up and get her daggers into some gut, before realizing that she was held fast by someinvisable force. She struggled to move, her arms, her legs, but she couldn't.
The killer snaraled at her helpless state, and at the Warrior who was obvously magicking her to stay like that. When she got out of here he was so dead.
Cos took the object in his hand, puny a weapon as it was, and flung it with all his might. He didn't even aim, just shut his eyes and threw.
It hit one of the warriors, hard, in the head. The zombie cried out (Cos mused on the weirdness of a dead guy yelling) and fell to the ground, knocked out. Cos patted himself on the back (litrally) and picked up a spoon from the ground to throw.
He started his motion, and was in mid swing when he stopped. His arm was over his head, his legs were in mid-step. He was stuck.
"Well this isn't ver good," he thought.
The power holding Xee ceased suddenly, sending her flying back as if she'd been playing an invisable game of tug-of-war and the ther side had let go.
When she'd righted herself, she barreled through the crowd of friends and foes, adding a few stabs for good measure. When she reched the door, she tried to force it open and get the hell out, but she never made it.
She was grabbed from behind- more magic- and suspended in the air.
"you're not going anywhere, miss, and neither is anyone else," said one of the Warriors harshly.
It was then that Xee noticed that everyone else was being held by the magic, too.
"You'll all have to come with us," the Warrior continued. The imoblized people were being floated away over the ground and out the door, into the dark, snowy night.
As she was moved, the killer watched the leader wipe grey grease-paint from his face. So he wasn't an undead after all.
Great. Just what they all needed.more complications.
And they were taken into the cold dark.


The fighting stopped due to a mage ceasing everyone’s movements, except he didn't seem to know that the Faeries were immune to his type of magical workings. Too bad for him. She played along long enough for all of the Warriors to get out of Xee's house, then she took off into the air, searching for the mage.
Wasn't hard to pick him out, he was the only one breathing.
Fury flew towards the ground, killing the 7 Warriors that were still moving, and then put her attention onto the mage.
He was stunned. And, judging by the look of concentration on his face, he was attempting to cast a spell on her. Before he could figure out the kind that would work on a Faerie she pounced, punching him hard in the face. His control over the spell holding Xee and the others was broken, hurriedly Fury look for the Medallion that was usually the source of power for spells such as the ones he was doing, but when she found it, it wasn't good.
The Medallion was made out of iron.
Gulping she grabbed it, emitting a high screech when the iron met her skin, and ripped it off of him. She drop it yards away form him in the snow and fell to her knees.
Iron wasn't good for Faeries.


Maria stumbled when the spell was lifted. She caught her balance quickly though. There were some soldiers still standing. Maria reached into her bag and bulled out a small vile of green powder. She dumped a little in her hand, then using as little magic as possible, controlled the air to force the soldiers to breath in the perfume. They all froze in mid attack. Maria put the powder away and hurried over to Fury.
"Give me your hands," Maria said, placing hers over Fury's with out waiting. Her hands glowed green as she healed Fury's hand. When the glowing stopped she turned back to the group. "It's called time scent. When inhaled, it can freeze the bodies molecules and if enough is inhaled, reverse or fast forward molecule growth rapidly within the body.They should be frozen for another 15 minutes at the most. So if you are going to question them or search them, do it quickly and use this."
Maria handed Xee a small bottle of purple powder. "It's called puppet perfume. Wave it under their nose and when they inhale it, they become under control of which ever voice they hear next. The time scent will be reversed by this one."


Xee fell from her captured hovering into the snow with a harsh thunk. But she picked herself up quickly, and struggled over to the others. She noted fury slumped over a pretty peice of metal, but ignored it. They had to get out of there before more warriors came, they could deal with the faerie's burns later. The wind was raging and shards of ice blew into their faces.
"Leave them frozen!" Xee shouted over the wind, "We have to get inside!"
She shoved open the iron door and held it open for everyone else to rush back in. Her mother and siblings hadn't even moved off the wall.
Xee shouted something urgent in her language to her mother, who rushed off for a few minuites. While she was gone, Xee, ignoring everyone else and practiclly running, went to a hall closet.
She retrieved a stack of thick fur parkas, pants, and seal-skin bootcovers. Dropping them on the floor, she began to pull them on over her own clothes. "Find whatever fits you and put it on, now." She told them harshly.
Dareth sat down right away and started pulling a wolverine-skin parka over his shirt and vest. He felt like he'd worn things like this before, andsomehow knew exactly how to buckle and lace the strange articles.
"Xee, do you have any idea what is going on here?" he asked, thier conversation masked by the butsle of everyone putting on unfamiller clothes in a hurry.
"Yes," Xee replied, lacing up her bootcovers, "And it isn't good."


Before long everyone was dressed. everyone but Cos, who was struggling and fumbling with a tangled mess of straps and buttons. But somehow he did it with a smile on his face, as though he was having the time of his life.
Even when Xee glared at him, obviously deciding between helping him and getting the show on the road, or letting him suffer, he just smiled back mildly.
But finally, even he was finished and dressed warmly.


Just as everyone- even Cos, the witless wonder- finished dressing, Xee's mother came back into the room. She brought with her packs full of food and basic weaponry for every person. Xee grabbed one of the packs, threw Maria's potion into it (for later), and went over to the door. She pulled up her hood as she went outside, not even waiting on the rest of them.
By the time everyone else had pulled on their heavy packs, pulled up their hoods and shut the heavy door behind them, Xee was busy lifting the fake warrior onto a bobsled.
"Let's go!"she said, not even looking up from tieing the frozen man into place.


Fury was silent the whole time they were getting dressed - she was still a little shell shocked from the contact with iron. She couldn't wear any of the clothes Xee had brought out for them - coats don't fit nicely over a pair of wings and weapons. She accepted the pack though and managed to attach it to a strong silver belt on her skirt.
They began moving out and Xee was pulling the bobsled with the mage by herself - unacceptable in these winds. So Fury walked over to her and began to pull with her, it was moving much easier now. Then , of course, Xee stopped and glared at her.
It didn't phase Fury one bit, instead she met Xee's glare equally, letting Xee know that she didn't scare Fury one bit.
Pitching her voice over the wind she explained herself, " There is no point in you wasting all of your energy now just to save your pride - get over it. You're going to need your strength later. And if you hadn't noticed I'm the only one who isn't affected by his magic so if he wakes up and its just you here then that won't bode so well for you or anybody else. " after this Fury began to pull again but still Xee wasn't moving.
Now Fury was glaring at full force and her voice was a low, guttural snarl. " I believe we were in a hurry, or was I mistaken? Pull."


Maria stumbled as the wind picked up once again. She regained her balance, panting. All the magic she has been using plus little sleep and food left Maria very tired. Strands of brown hair whipped around her face in the wind. Maria shifted the pack on her back and reached into her pouch. After feeling around, Maria found what she was looking for. She brought out a green shard of crystal. Using it as a power source, Maria eased up the wind and snow surrounding the group, making it easier to walk, or in Fury and Xee's case, pull a heavy sled. She looked at Ethel.
"Help me slow down the storm a bit." She yelled, trying to be heard over the storm. Maria was tired and if she used too much magic, it could kill her. "XEE! The powder is going to wear off the solider soon."


Too much chaos.
That's what Dareth saw upon leaving Xee's house. Being the last one to leave, he closed the door behind him, waving goodbye to Xee's family. Most of them looked terribly scared, only her mother returned his wave, she yelled something at him, but over all the commotion he couldn't hear her.
Xee was pulling a bobsled with the tied mage, stubborn to let Fury help her. Maria was trying to control the storm and asking Ethel for help. It certainly didn't seem like a controllable storm, but he knew nothing of witchcraft and saved his comment. The remaining Ashen Warriors were frozen in their tracks, only their eyes moved, taking in the party's moves. It was a very eerie sight.
"We should get Lena's help", he muttered. The young monk would have little trouble pulling the sled, even if all of them were in it. "Lena!", he shouted but when he turned to look at where he'd seen her, the storm blinded him, too much snow. Anyway, he yelled again, "Care to give us a hand?".
Before he knew if the monk had heard him, Dareth ran to Xee's other side in the sled. "Xee, what is going on?".


Xee looked up at his look-alike, but didn't stop pulling the sled. "Make the connections, Dareth!".
Once she saw how puzzled he was, she turned her gaze back to the front, they were going northwestward, to the capital. She sighed and a frown formed in her brow, "Think about the idiots in Eembar, how they were hired just to make us hurry up here. The Ice Lord is repeating that strategy. Sending just about the worst guys you can imagine".
"Those Ashen Warriors?", she heard him ask.
"Oh yeah", her tone of voice, though it didn't lose its bitterness, turned slightly worried, "Those guys can't die. They're dead, the remains we left behind will pick themselves together again and will hunt us until we're at the door of the Palace of Ice"


"Necromancy?", ugh, that guy just didn't have limits. An idea hit him then. "Rosso". The thief stopped pulling and headed over to where Rosso was. In his way, he saw Maria's condition. Not a good one.
"Leap on the sled, we can manage", Daerth was in such hurry, he didn't wait for her reply.
Rosso wasn't hard to find. Her red outfit contrasted greatly against the white environment. "Rosso. You're some sort of huntress, right? In order not to become the target this time, how can we avoid our hunters?". His hands were now mildly shaking. Too much excitement.


Cos's status, as usual, wasn't the same of his companions. He was continually riding his coffin as a sled over the small snow mounts that the storm had formed. He giggled several times as the coffin rode through the snow. To Xee's annyoment, Cos had heard what the thief girl had told the thief boy.
"Then the warriors that Lena turned to dust will... destutify themselves until they're warriors again?".


It was a rare moment of cleverness in Cos's part. He had given Xee an idea. Naturally, she would never accept it. She was too proud to admit the most pathetic (and strange, individually) person she'd ever met had given her, Xee, the fearless assassin, a good idea. She ignored Cos, but in her need to tell someone she turned to Fury. She wasn't too happy about that either, the faerie had just stormed into her house and deliberately joined the group.
"If they burn long enough until they're ash, or if we get that Shera girl to turn them to dust, they shouldn't be able to pick theirselves back up". Still, she didn't think it a good plan to follow, it would need Lena's concentration and a good deal of fire. Both of which, they didn't have.


Maria stumbled again, but got right back up. She saw Dareth walk to her and he said something but the wind snatched away his words to fast for Maria to here them. All she got was something about the sled. She had worked her way to the sled when she heard Xee's idea. She gave up trying to lessen the storm. She had already figured out that it was being created by someone’s magic, but she was too tired to try to beat the user down and destroy the storm. She struggled her way to Xee's side.
"I have something that could help." Maria pulled out another bottle of powder. It contained orange powder this time. "When this mixes with oxygen and some other base elements in the air, it becomes fire."

[Bryden]

Fury looked at the bottle of orange powder and immediately thought of the silver pendent she always wore- its unique Faerie metal acted as an amplifier of magical fire, which would be great in the present situation, but it could only be weilded by a Faerire.
"My pendent can amplify the magic and cause the fire to burn hotter and longer; which will ensure that they turn to dust. Unfortunately I am the only one who can weild it unless you have another Faerie pop up out of nowhere. DO you trust me?" Fury asked over the howling winds.

"I healed you remember and you are not evil." Maria said, screaming back to her. She handed Ferry the vial. "A pinch should do it. It's very powerful and very rare, so you don't need much. Be careful with it. When it becomes fire, it won't go out anytime soon. I'll try to keep it from spreading."

Fury grabbed the bottle and jumped into the skies- struggling with the winds every inch of they way. The winds threw her in every single direction, tossing her over and under, slamming her into the mountainside and many times into the iron shutters and doors of the houses- burning whatever part of her skin that they touched and causing Fury to scream out in pain.
Finally she was overhead of the Knights. Without hesitation she grabbed a small pinch of the orange stuff, stowed the bottle in a loop of her skirt, and landed. In one hand she held the fire-magic and her other hand grabbed her amulet. As soon as her palm brussed against the runes carved into it the fire in her other hand roared to live- leaping onto each and every knight there. With the aid of Fury's amulet it burned white and blue in many cases; turning the Knights to ashes within seconds.

After buttoning up her captain’s jacket and throwing on a thick fur parka, Ethel faced the storm with the rest of the group. They had traveled for a few minutes when it had occurred to Ethel that she hadn’t taken the magical protective shields off the children in Xee’s childhood home. She kept trudging on through the storm so she wouldn’t fall behind, but she concentrated on the image of those children pinned against the wall. Ethel snapped her fingers to undo the spell and the children were freed, and unprotected. They should be okay, Ethel assured herself Though they will have some cleaning up to do. She remembered the pile of the dead undead warriors that were left by the door of the house. After realizing how odd that sounded, Ethel realized that if they were already dead the soldiers couldn’t have been killed. Ethel opened her eyes in alarm. So what will happen to the children when the soldiers rise up again? Ethel had a thing about innocent people being killed that she never seemed to be able to shake off. Then it occurred to Ethel What will happen to us?
Ethel looked around at the group and saw that Maria was speaking in her direction. She seemed to be asking her something, but Ethel couldn’t make out the words because of the winds racing between the two witches. Ethel yelled back “What?” but she assumed that Maria hadn’t heard her because she saw Maria advancing to Xee’s side with a vial filled with bright powder. After a moment, Fury the fairy went whizzing by in the direction of the house they had left some time ago. Wondering what new plan had been cooked up, Ethel quickened her pace and made it within earshot of Maria, who looked very drained at the moment. “What’s going on now?” she asked the other witch. Upon closer inspection, she realized that Maria’s magic levels were far below safe for her health. Almost out of instinct, Ethel placed her gloved hand on Maria’s shoulder and transferred some of her own magic into Maria’s body. Ethel had plenty to spare, being a powerful witch whom had been practicing magic for over two centuries, so she brought Maria’s magic levels up considerably. Ethel removed her hand from Maria’s shoulder and asked, giving the girl a quick smile, “Do you feel any better?”


Maria felt Ethel’s hand on her shoulder and her power growing. She no longer felt as tired. She turned her head to Ethel.
"Thank you. We are burning the bodies of the undead soldiers so they can't come back after us. I gave Fury some of my blaze powder so she didn't have to worry about creating fire. She had some sort of amulet that could enhance it." Maria explained, trying to sheild her face form the wind. "The storm isn't natural. Some one was trying to mess with the weather and the magic and power got away from them. Now the magic has created this storm and some one else took control of it. They are powerful."


Ethel nodded, “No problem. I couldn’t let the only other witch in this group go down in a blizzard.” After hearing the plan for taking care of the undead soldiers’ bodies, Ethel was put at ease. Her new problem was this unnatural storm. “As for the storm,” Ethel paused to consider their options. “Would it be worth it to search out the fool who didn’t have the sense to quell the storm after he or she got hold of it, force the sorcerer to end the storm, and then knock them senseless before continuing our merry way to the Ice Lord’s fortress?” Ethel added that last bit about their journey with a sudden burst of overwhelming sarcasm. Before Maria had a chance to speak, Ethel proposed another idea, knowing full well that the previous was unreasonable. “Of course, we could always try to stop the storm ourselves by combining our efforts. There’s no doubt that the current wielder of this storm is powerful, but the power of two witches such as ourselves should have a fair chance against this raging storm that has probably already taken the lives of several people who weren’t smart enough to stay inside.” After realizing what she just said and looking around at the group, Ethel faced forward thinking Gee, that wasn’t disheartening at all.


Rosso looked at Dareth, and her face twisted into something that could vaguely resemble a smile. "To avoid the eyes of a hunter, one must be swift and cunning- moreso than the hunter himself." she said. The vampire/lycan walked over to a pile of snow and lifted it up, as if showing it to Dareth. Slowly it became red, as if absorbing blood. She then threw it up, and it seperated into several pieces, each hitting a different member of the group. Rosso walked back to Dareth with a satisfied smile. "My blood has unique mixture- now that it is on you all, you have no scent. All that the hunter can smell of you is the cold snow, which we have plenty of. We might as well be snowflakes right now." she said. The huntress was pleased with her small bit of 'magic', if you could call it that.


Xee rolled her eyes and practically assaulted Ethel and Maria. "Idiots," she said gruffly, "Just because the wind is strong and it's seriously damn cold, and it's impeding our progress, you think this storm is magic? Get a grip! Welcome to the North. This is normal. I've gone for simple walks in worse then this."
Xee froze as the bloodied snow fell over her. Flakes of red and white dotted her jet black hair and the blood muddied her face where it hit the nose and cheeks. A mild look came over her face. She almost looked beautiful.
But the assassin regained her composure and looked around sharply. She looked back at the (now thawing slightly) man on her sled. She dropped the rope she'd been pulling with and started walking.
"Leave him. He's useless. i know where we need to be going," she yelled back, not stopping her walking. "We need to get off the ice shelf before the night ends or we'll freeze to death." She pointed at a corpse of trees far in the distance. "There. Let's go."
~~~~~
Almost two hours later, the group was holed up in a hastily made dugout. As it turned out, Xee was pretty handy with the ice-survival things. she'd started to dig with a shovel she'd brought in her pack and, once the others pitched in, they had a small cave under the shelter of the trees, to protect them from the bitter night air.
A magicked fire blazed, and a bit of food was passed around. Most of the food was absolutely disgusting to anyone who hadn't grown up eating it, and the fire was far too weak to chase the bitter cold entirely out of the people's bones But it was a start. They'd live through the night.
"Just don't go outside," Xee warned, "unless, of course, you want to die. Which wouldn't actually bug me to much. In fact, Hell. Just go outside and let me bloody sleep." Xee spread out her coat, sat on it, and leaned with her back against the sloping wall of the under-snow camp, pretending she'd actually be able to get any rest.
.

Dareth looked at the napkin that was serving as his plate. It was dripping something oily and orange. The "food" looked like. . . vomit. Meat-colored, murky, magic-heated vomit, but vomit nontheless. Two long fingers picked at the dinner on the napkin, it was hardly solid. His ears took in Xee's comments before his mouth took in the meal.
He chewed slowly.
He concentrated on something else.
He swallowed.
Dareth found out it wasn't half bad. He didn't find it disgusting. Actually, it brought back feelings of anger. The thief was getting a memory back. He was in his young ages, a scroll was placed-
"HOLY CAMOLE, THIS IS DISGUSTING"
Cos, very faithful to his bothersome nature, interrupted Dareth's memory and subsequently made him forget it completely. He squeezed his fists in disappointment but said nothing.


Cos was spitting the meal. "I rather eat a goat's boiled horn", he suddenyl thought better of the sentence, "UGH, is this a goat's boiled horn?!".
He continued spitting for a good part of the hour.

When his mouth was not filled with the food anymore, he began yawning. But like a spoiled child, he didn't want to go to sleep yet.
"Hey, people, I have an idea. Let's...", the masseur built up a non-existing excitement.
"Introduce ourselves! You. . .", his finger looked for a party member to select. "You! Rosso!", he pointed at the huntress. "What's your story, Rosso?"


Dareth laughed at the elf's choice. The huntress, Rosso. Not a good choice to start with. But there were few good choices. Not Ethel, not Xee, apparently not Fury. Only himself, Lena and Maria, a low percentage of the party.
His eyes turned to Xee, she appeared to be sleeping. She was so obviously faking. Careful, slowly Dareth placed a hand on her side.
"Err. . . Xee, this might be fun for a laugh or two. C'mon, wakey", he did not have tact, that was for sure.


Rosso ate the food Xee gave her without complaint- after all, her kind didn't have a sense of taste, although the smell was certainly nothing too kind for her extra-keen nose. The cold didn't bother her, as nobody who wore her kind of clothing could complain about a draft. After she finished eating, Rosso glared directly at Cos, her arms folded across her ample bosom. For a moment, she entertained the idea of having him wear her sword as a hat, but she decided that violence wouldn't be in her best interest. So, she'd just tell her story with unabashed truth. She flipped her dark red hair, so that her disturbingly beautiful face was prominent as she spoke. Needless to say, her story was not good for a laugh or two.
"My parents were average people before the respective nights in which they were turned into godless heathens. My father became a creature of the night, and my mother a slave to the full moon. We lived happily for a while, as happily as we could, but all decent things come to an end, and our story was no different. The people of the town that we resided in quickly turned on us, and my parents were murdered without the chance to defend themselves. The men of the village saw me as a monster, but that did not stop them from taking carnal knowledge of me without my consent- same as with my mother before her death. My strength was above that of your average girl, but I had yet to develope the powers that I have today, and I was vulnerable to the people who had captured me. I fully expected to die, and at one point I was rather welcoming of the idea, when my godmother Setra came to my rescue. She pretended that she had a divine order to execute me herself, but in reality she was smuggling me to another place. Since then, I have devoted my life to destroying every single person I meet who has done wrong to this world, and if my instincts are right, I sit next to one such person right now."
Each of Rosso's words fell like chunks of ice, and her gold eyes remained solid and cold. The only sound after she stopped speaking was the pitifully cracking fire, and Lena's rather loud chewing. Perhaps the group was paying attention the person that Rosso was sitting next to: Cos.


Fury couldn't get the scent of the burning Kinght things from her nose and the mush she was attempting to eat only added to the lucird smeel assaulting her senses. She listened to Rosso's story with minimal interest, her body was still burned in multiple places from slamming into iron shutters and doors when she flew directly into powerful winds. At the rate she was going she would end up killing herself before somebody else got the chance. Rosso's story had now ended and a thick silence filled the area, one that Fury felt an extreme urge to break.
"Well, wasn't that just a lovely ending?" she mumured. " I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers myself but I must say you delivered that one masterfully. I, for one, am so very curious to know why Rosso wants to kill the Weird One. I mean, surely if there was a reason for him to be killed either the Angry One or the Quiet One would have done it by now. So, dear Weird One, enlighten us." Fury was poised on her rock and staring at Cos, her full sapphire eyes working with her blue-ish skin to create an effect that was both eeriely beautiful and deadly.


"'Wakey wakey '?" Xee mocked Dareth, "Are you joking?" She was muttering. Her arms were folded over her chest and her eyes were shut, but she was obviously awake. She opened one eye to find Dareth leaning over her, staring at her face. "wow," Xee thought for one split second. This thought was immediately followed by another one "'WOW'? Did I just think that? Dear gods, what is the matter with me?!" She didn't voice any of this, though, of course.
She listened to Rosso's story without moving. "Yah?" she said at the end, "Tough break, lady. That's rough stuff right there. But Honestly, who wouldn't want to kill Cos anyways? Criminal or no," it sounded like it, but Xee actually wasn't mocking the red-clad woman.
She straightened up, cracking her knuckles and neck, and glared at Cos. "Speaking of which, it's a dried and salted fish, you moron. Type of shark, actually. Monster things. They'd eat a shrimp like you in a few seconds, given the chance."
Xee ran a quick preemptive glare at everyone in the room. She'd gotten the "It wouldn't eat you, it 'd get indigestion!" comments before, and was not interested in any more.
The tall young woman was also bracing herself for being asked her own life story. It wasn't actually the tale-telling she was braced for. More like the ass-kicking that would follow being asked to tell her story. That didn't much interest her. Xee had already found out more about herself that night then she'd been interested in hearing, and was not elated to go back to that.
Though, and she'd never admit it, she was interested to hear the other's tales.
Especially her twin's. He said he remembered nothing, but she kept noticing little flashes in his eyes when something seemed familiar. Like when he was putting on the parka back at Xee's family's home, or when he looked over the ice sheet for the first time.
Not that she'd been watching him or anything.
"Red and Blue have a point," Xee said a little too quickly, trying to force the thoughts from her head, "What's with you and the fucking dead man's chest, Cos?"