Winter Night (thetwo)

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

A giggle from Jenn after her comment about being more encouraging and one last brief but passionate kiss marked the end of their affair and conversation, leaving Ashley to ponder where she might be able to acquire some more risque underclothing while they dressed and finished packing what they would need for their trip. Packing a few changes of clothing, her guns, and her jewelry, Ashley joined Jenn after the water mage had likewise finished her packing. The two of them left their dorm, Jenn locking the door behind them since they'd likely be gone a while, and then it was off to the main hall.

They found a small group assembled, obviously waiting for them. The strange knight, Arclan Clay, was standing against the wall with her arms folded over his chest, speaking in low tones to the Dean. The teacher who had spanked Ashley and Jenn was there as well, now likewise clad in tight traveling garb that nonetheless clung quite nicely to her body. The Amazonian boy and redheaded girl that she had been sitting with at lunch were also present, as was a young man whom Ashley hadn't met before, a local Crolian boy with bright blond hair who was dressed a bit more lavishly than the rest of them, mostly regarding the jewelry and pins adorning various parts of his body. He was shorter than Ashley, but had no less than six rings on, plus two sets of earrings, three pendents, and a pair of bracelets on each wrists for jewelry on his body, plus six pins of varying materials stuck to his jacket. The various jewels were mismatched, no two alike save for one of the pairs of earrings, and the bags under his eyes and the light hunch of his back gave him a distinctly shady look. Jenn seemed surprised to see the bejeweled man, recognizing him, and the redhead waved at Ashley briefly before turning back to continue a conversation with the Amazonian boy.

As they approached the rest of their apparent group, all of whom were packed like they were, Arclan Clay came away from the wall and smirked, causing the Dean to take notice. "Ahhhh, good, you're finally here," he said coldly to match his scowl, and once Ashley and Jenn had joined the rest of the group he cleared his throat and gestured for them to follow him. He led the way outside, Arclan following in his wake, the teacher following, and the various students going one by one or in pairs after them. With the countryside around the Academy splaying out behind him, the Dean turned to face them, holding a cane carved from some sort of black wood that was so powerfully enchanted that Ashley could feel a soft hum coming from it even though she wasn't touching it. "You've all been briefed in part or in full, but I'll go over things again now, in brief, just so things are clear," he began as he settled both hands on the head of his cane and leaned on it.

"For those of you that don't know yet, this is Professor Laura Steiner," he gestured towards the teacher at his left, "and this is Sir Arclan Clay, of the High Court of Winter," he gestured towards the man on his right. "You will be assisting Sir Arclan in performing a... Service.... For his Queen," he continued, "you are to listen to his orders and to those of Professor Steiner along the way. When you are in danger, do everything that they ask of you, unconditionally, and otherwise do not take unnecessary risks. You will be in danger for much of this journey, but being senior students, many who already possess practical field experience, I believe you capable of fulfilling the task set before you. As some of you may know, Professor Steiner is the vice chancellor of the department of magical creatures. She will know how to deal with anything you might encounter on your journey; listen to her, and you'll all get through this just fine. The exact details of your purpose are known to me and to professor Steiner, but for reasons of secrecy you will not be told until you have joined with the other part of the party that will be undergoing this journey with you."

Ashley would notice that Professor Steiner's eyes narrowed slightly as the Dean spoke of the rest of their company, but the Dean did not and so pressed on; "You should be gone for no more than two months. Your parents have all already been contacted for permission, and as all of you have likewise agreed... There is to be no turning back. This task is of the utmost importance, and not even merely for the Academy. Each of you represents us out there in the world, and I expect to not be disappointed. That is all.... Good luck." He finished, and there were murmurs and nods but no real response. Unless Ashley opted to ask something despite that the Dean hadn't asked for questions, he would nod his head and stroll through their group, going back inside of the Academy itself. Arclan and Steiner would watch him go, their expressions a knowing smirk and a frown respectively, and once the doors snapped shut behind them the Winter Knight turned on the spot and said; "Come on then, daylight's wasting and we've got a long way to travel!"

He started walking, and after briefly glaring at his back Professor Steiner said; "He isn't wrong, we'd best be off. I'll explain what I can when after we've stopped in at town to pick up our supplies." She turned to follow the knight, and then the three other students who were to come with them followed after, and Jenn glanced at Ashley before moving along as well.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley waved back at the redhead, smiling. She'd gotten the impression everyone thought she was being sent to the Dean's office for a punishment. Joining one of the people who had seen that would suggest otherwise, which meant one less source of rumors.

Then, after a second, she turned that thought around in her head. This was a punishment, the way the Dean had phrased it. Not a terribly unpleasant one to her mind, but if she instead considered the magnitude of the charges the Dean had laid out... what had these others done to get sent on this journey? Maybe the Professor was only there because there had to be a staff member, or for her unique expertise. But the politics of being sent on a mission like this could certainly suggest why it was the vice chancellor, not the chancellor or someone without any special title at all.

Something to think about later on, perhaps. Jenn clearly knew the boy. Which was fine - the water mage didn't really seem interested in men at all, even if Ashley had been inclined to be jealous. The wind mage turned her attention back to the Dean's speech, which didn't seem to be going over anything new. Except the timeframe, which wasn't terribly surprising. And contacting the students' parents. Which was impressive if it was true, at least for Ashley. Her mother had been dead for more than a decade, and as far as she could recall even her mother didn't know who her father was. Still, ignoring that was probably more polite than pointing out that she was an orphan or a bastard every time they contacted peoples' parents.

Ashley didn't have any new questions - at least not ones the dean and the knight had specifically refused to answer - so she started walking with the others.

Still, just because they weren't going to get official answers didn't mean that they couldn't get answers. She knew she and Jenn were there to deal with the cold, along with a fire mage. That was probably the redhead, at a guess. And the Professor was there to deal with... well, magical creatures, obviously. Which left the boy.

The mismatched jewelry was odd. Maybe inherited. Or disparate gifts. Or stolen. That last fit in with his general shady appearance. And at the Academy, that probably meant Illusionist. Magical creatures and an illusionist. A robbery? Tomb robbing? Or maybe both of those could be explained just by saying it was the business of a Fey court - magical beasts abounded there, and an illusionist could do counter-illusions as well. For that matter so could Ashley, with her focus in Arcane studies.

All of which... didn't tell her much. Presumably meeting the rest of the group would help, though at that point Sir Arclan would also probably just tell them, which took all the fun out of it. If she actually knew what the others specialized in, instead of just guessing...

Mentally smacking herself for taking so long to get to that point, Ashley took a few long steps and caught up to the redhead. She smiled at the other woman, "Hello again. I don't think we were ever properly introduced. I'm Ashley, a wind mage." She pointed at Jenn "And this is Jenn, a water mage."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

The redhead gave Ashley a dazzling smile as the wind mage moved up the line to speak with her, Jenn following up behind. "Hi! I know who you are already," she replied in a honeyed tone, "word travels around when someone famous like you hangs around~ I'm Daniella!" She offered a wave of greeting to Jenn before turning a coy smirk back towards Ashley, "fishing for our specialties to figure out why we're along eh? I'm an evoker. Fire, lightning, and I was starting to learn advanced force before I got called on this trip."

The path to Buttersville wasn't a long one, and they were at it within a couple of minutes. "If you need anything else, now's the time to grab it," Professor Steiner announced as they crossed the bridge leading into town. "We'll be leaving civilization entirely pretty soon. I'll be getting supplies for the lot of us, but we'll be roughing it for a while, and we can only carry so much. You'll all be responsible for your own rationing." They stopped in front of the traveler's shop, and Jenn looked to be intent on staying outside, as did the redhead. The two boys, the teacher, and Arclan all went inside, however, leaving Ashley to do as she preferred.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley nodded, smiling. One line of speculation, at least, was vindicated. The woman was their fire mage. But also a Lightning mage? That was a little intreging. Not really enough to advance her speculation on what they might be doing - it might even have been coincidence, though that seemed unlikely - but Wind, Water, and Lightning made a storm. Which could be bad. Or good.

The wind mage decided to wait outside with Jenn and Daniella. There wasn't anything she particularly needed from the store - aside from food, which was being taken care of - and it would give another few moments to talk in slightly more privacy. There probably wasn't much to be gained from it, but it was worth a try.

Ashley briefly considered telling the redhead what she knew about Professor Steiner... but aside from what the Dean had said, that more-or-less amounted to how much she'd seemed to enjoy spanking her and Jenn. Which wasn't exactly something she intended to volunteer. Instead, she turned to Jenn. "So, who's the boy? Someone you know?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

"Yeah," Jenn replied casually, though she hesitated a moment before offering further elaboration. "His name's Alex. He's... A bit of a creep sometimes," she finally began, "but he's not the worst I've met. He's the one who helped me with my, uhhhh, surprises." She blushed slightly and glanced downwards, first at Ashley's waist and then down at the ring gleaming on her finger. "His main focus besides enchanting is necromancy though, so I don't know why he's here," she continued speculatively, frowning.

"He's an earthmancer too," Daniella said suddenly, causing Jenn to look surprised. "A really good one too," she continued, her tone tinged with respect, "he's almost as good as some of the staff at it. I heard his dad was a miner, and that he plans to go home and help find a claim that will get his family out of poverty." Jenn stared at her incredulously for a moment, "how do you... Know all that?"

In response, Daniella shrugged and grinned, "I am... Observant. I hear people talk, and I listen. He's been in a few classes with me and, well... If that last bit about his intentions are true, I've caught men of worse caliber staring at my ass before." The redhead gave a shrug and a roll of her eyes that conveniently left them looking at Ashley for a moment, but then she glanced back to Jenn and continued; "You two were the ones who... Ended up in that old abandoned church, aren't you? Well, some of them... I've heard about that too."

She let that hang in the air, but just then the boy with eastern features strode out of the shop with a new pair of boots on, footwear that looked much sturdier than the slippers he'd been wearing before, and Daniella broke off from them to engage him in conversation almost immediately. Jenn stared after her with a cold glare for several moments. The water mage had never really gotten comfortable with any mention of that particular adventure, and had especially disliked it whenever anyone who hadn't been there brought it up. Even after two years, the nightmares hadn't faded entirely.

A few seconds later she was shaken from her dour mood, however, when the rest of their party came out of the shop in a group, a man made of animate air holding several sacks filled with road supplies. "Listen up!" the professor called, catching the attention of Daniella and the amazonian boy as well. "Everyone gets two canteens and a pack of supplies, no exceptions. I know most of you can probably take care of supplying your own water with magic, but there may be times when that isn't an option. You're all responsible for rationing your own supplies up until it becomes clear that you can't. I expect none of you to need that," she explained as the wind elemental handed out the packs of food and water canteens to each of the student mages, the bags floating to each of them save for Clay, who simply watched the proceedings with a bemused smirk.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley tried to absorb everything, but one thing stuck out. The guy had helped make the enchanted panties, and Jenn thought he was a bit of a creep. The fact that he'd made them wasn't so bad - she had known someone helped, and being a little creepy was probably a consequence of making sex toys all the time, as any enchanter working mostly for students would probably end up doing. But that also meant he knew the command words. Maybe not likely to be a problem, but... all the same, probably best not to wear that particular pair of panties around him. Better safe than sorry.

She shook herself back into the conversation at mention of the Church. She'd not been affected by it as much as Jenn - Ashley hadn't been captured alone by the daemon, and she was the only one who had seen it die. Another thing to be furious at Matthias for, watching until it was already almost too late before stepping in. The wind mage squeezed Jenn's hand reassuringly.

As the rest of the group arrived, Ashley took her supplies and stowed them in her pack. She'd lived alone on the road for years, and while she'd relied on her magic more heavily than most people could - and from what the professor seemed to be saying, perhaps more than they could rely on for this little adventure - she was fairly confident that she wouldn't be the one needing someone else to ration for her.

If that was finally all, Ashley was ready to get on the road. The list of abilities didn't really suggest anything. Air, Water, Arcane, Fire, Lightning, Earth, Necromancy, Magical Creatures... there wasn't terribly much that wasn't covered, among the mental magics. If anything, the group seemed designed to cover as many elements as possible. Probably meeting the rest of the group would help clarify things. And if not, that was when the Knight would tell them what they were about anyway.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

With their supplies handed out and stowed away, Arclan would glance towards the sky. The sun was still high, but had reached its zenith and would start on its way to setting all too soon. "Time to go," he said, and then gestured for them to follow as he headed down the East road out of Buttersville. The rest of their party followed without question, and soon they had left the small village that supplied the Academy with the bulk of its food behind. They passed through mile after mile of farmland, the acres of land needed to grow that many crops and grave that many cattle stretching as far as the eye could see and separated only by fences and the occasional stretch of forest. The weather in the area was carefully controlled to protect the crops, a job that Ashley was technically at least partially qualified for, though she would need to master water and lightning as well if she wished to try and take weather manipulation up as a career. The control meant that it was almost idyllic traveling weather, the sun warding off the autumn chill and the wind was little more than a gentle breeze.

Arclan proved a tireless leader, his long legs striding steadily along the relatively straight road leading East. Steiner kept up with him nicely, as did Daniella and the Amazonian boy and as would Ashley. The rest of their party had a bit of trouble, however. Jenn, being both short and used to a relatively sedentary life, had to struggle to keep up with the group as the day pressed on. Alex, the one who had allegedly helped her lover with her various gifts, fared even worse, being the shortest member of the group and by far the least fit. He kept up gamely though, and they only needed to stop once for him to catch his breath.

By that point they were already near the edge of the lands around Buttersville, the smooth road and steady pace allowing them to march for miles without any incident more severe than passing a farmer or two on their way towards the town. The country had started getting a little bit rougher, and the sun was getting closer to the ground and had taken on a slightly more golden hue that was starting to shift towards orange. They would pause for only a few minutes so that the young enchanter could sit on a log and pant, something that Jenn was happy to join him at while the rest of them took somewhat more dignified resting positions and Arclan stood impatiently on the edge of the road. While they waited, the young boy with Amazonian features who had been spending most of the day with Daniella approached her. "So... You're Ashley, right?" he asked while adopting a friendly smile, letting her answer in whatever manner she chose before extending a hand, "we haven't been introduced. My name's Toma. Ryon Toma. I've heard a lot about you."

His accent was a little more pronounced now, when Ashley could listen to it without the din of the conversations going on in the Academy's cafeteria. It wasn't bad by any means, however, and he smiled at her disarmingly while waiting for them to recover. He wouldn't make to extend the conversation much beyond a few lines, however, as Arclan's patience quickly came to an end, and when Alex gave a groan at being told to stand the knight looked about ready to hoist him to his feet by force. That got him moving, at least, and they were off again for another few hours before the sun started to set in full. By that point they had reached the end of the farmland and the end of the region protected by the Academy's magic, a region notorious for its storms as a result of the magical manipulation of its weather. Ashley could practically feel the tension thrumming through the very air as she passed through that region of contention between nature's will and man's, leaving her filled with a distinctly uncomfortable sensation that left her stomach twisted in knots and her head filled with a buzzing headache, which only grew worse when she felt the cramps indicating that her monthly bleed would be starting soon.

Fortunately, they entered the barrier region on one of its calmer days, and suffered no inclement weather more severe than a modest increase in the strength of the wind. The forests here were still relatively tame, settlers having chased off the worst of the predators centuries ago and hunted the larger wildlife until it had followed as well. The woods, mostly pines and maples and birch but with the occasional oak, had very little in the way of undergrowth to wade through, and as night fell Arclan gestured them off to the side after another glance at the sky and quickly took them off the road. Their journey was brief, however, and when they came upon a small meadow he stopped and turned to them.

"We camp here tonight," he announced coolly, "don't dally, and concern yourselves not with a watch. We leave with the dawn." Then he turned and walked away, entering the woods. He stepped past a tree, briefly leaving their sight, and did not emerge on the other side as the direction of his walk suggested he should have. Professor Steiner scowled at his back and muttered something that sounded like "melodramatic prick" before turning to the assembled magi. "You heard him. Don't dally! Lets set up camp. Once our sleeping arrangements are taken care of, we'll have something to eat. We can expect more of the same tomorrow, but where we're headed it'll start to get wild soon, so take advantage of the opportunity for a good night's rest while you can."

With that the woman pulled a small bag out of her pack, little more than a purse, but after muttering a command word she drew a full canvas tarp out that was quickly followed by another, and then several metal poles. "Those of you that know how to set up a tent, teach the rest. The bigger one's for the girls, the other one is for the boys. I'd better not catch any of you sneaking about for midnight dalliances while we're out here!" she announced, giving a significant look in Ashley and Jenn's direction, "that's not a habit that will be good for your health once we're out in the wilderness. I'll go grab some stones and wood for a fire pit, I want these tents erected by the time I come back!" With that she too went off into the woods, though unlike Arclan she didn't disappear, leaving the students to go about the task that had been delegated to them on their own. The Amazonian boy, Ryon, seemed to know what he was doing, and Alex the enchanter seemingly also had a clue about how to set up their shelters, but Daniella seemed both lost and amused by the concept and Jenn plopped onto the ground as soon as Steiner was out of sight and heaved a deep sigh.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

"Pleased to meet you, Toma." Ashley nodded at him. She glanced around to make sure the Knight wasn't standing right on top of her. It didn't really matter if he knew they were trying to puzzle out the "secret", but it would also be kinda rude to do it right in front of him. If he were eavesdropping, that was his own fault. "We've been trying to figure out what we can of our mission by who was brought. So far we have Wind, Water, Lightning, Fire, Arcane, Earth, Necromancy, and of course the professor's specialty is magical creatures... already kind of a grab bag, but what's your specialty?"

All too soon the brief rest ended, and they were back on the road, unable to really talk until it was time to make camp. Passing through the barrier between the magically-tamed lands and true wilderness was more obvious - and unpleasant - to Ashley than to the others. But when they made it through they'd have real weather again. Something to look forward to.

In camp, Ashley grumbled internally about the sleeping arrangements. Only two tents would mean she'd have to sneak off to get time with Jenn. But the professor knew about that, and would be watching. And it wasn't exactly the most comfortable sort of time to be doing it anyway. Which left Ashley in a grumpy mood when it came to erecting tents.

She'd much rather have sat down herself - maybe the walk hadn't really tired her out, but the other problem was bad enough this month that letting someone else do the work was appealing. But that would leave the two boys working and the three women watching. So she resisted the urge to rest, and helped set up the tents.

About halfway through she realized she was being a little more forceful than necessary, and blushed. She glared at the boys, daring them to notice, then turned and glared at Jenn. Whose stupid fault it was that she was going through this. She turned back before her lover could notice - really, it wasn't like being pregnant would be better, so that wasn't fair - and saw the little dark clouds crowded around her back.

Opps. The clouds immediately softened to wispy, pinkish, nearly transparent things, but they were still there. It had been years since she'd accidentally started leaking stormclouds. The wind mage raised a hand, about to banish them, then changed her mind and instead just focused them into a proper storm cloak. No real practical effect, but the stormclouds swirling around behind her back and up above her shoulders could be impressive. And maybe letting a little trickle of magic out would stop her getting a headache. Though not nearly as well as sneaking off into the woods with Jenn would...

When the tents were finally up, she'd go sit down next to her lover. She hadn't actually mentioned her impending blood, but Jenn had been with her long enough that she'd have recognized the signs even if she forgot the date. Or she would once she'd had time to rest. Maybe she'd even feel guilty enough about making Ashley do the work to want to make up for it...

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

"Oh! Uhhh, well... I don't have a specialty, per se. Back home, where I learned the basics, we don't specialize like you do here in Crolia," he replied while scratching the back of his head. Arclan, in the meantime, wasn't even looking in their direction, but that hardly meant that he couldn't hear them. "We tend to learn as many of the elements as we can," he continued, "to wield them all in harmony.... That's the idea, anyway. If I had to pick, I'd probably say the more esoteric stuff is my favorite, where magic gets away from purely natural forces. I mean, I do TA work for the Arcane branch, which is the biggest in the Academy, so.... Yeah. Sorry if that doesn't help, but... You realize you're dealing with a faerie, right? One that's leading us into danger? Even when he tells us what we're supposed to be doing, it won't be everything important. That's just how it works. He knows it, and he knows that Steiner knows it too, which is why she's as on edge as he is."

Once their brief rest and the second half of their journey was over, Ashley would find Jenn too tired to take much notice of her or the symptoms of her oncoming period. She didn't even notice the stormclouds that Ashley had sprouted as she sat on the ground with her head in her hands, huffing and puffing at first but gradually shifting to a more steady breathing rate as she let herself recover from the day's travels. The others recovered better than she did, however, including Alex who quickly joined in on the work in erecting their shelter for the night, at which he actually proved fairly adept. He watched her trick with the stormclouds with clinical fascination, though certainly not without some traces of interest regarding her control of her favored combination of elements.

Daniella, who had kept back to watch, clapped enthusiastically as Ashley fashioned her accidental creation into a stylish cloak, an easy and simple trick that nonetheless proved able to impress the pretty redhead. Toma noticed, but merely watched in fascination briefly before returning to his work. Once their shelter was set up and Ashley returned to her side, Jenn would look up at her blankly. She looked exhausted, moreso than Ashley had seen her in a long time, and when she glanced past Ashley and into the tents she grunted, rose, and went into the larger one where the women were supposed to sleep without saying anything. If Ashley followed, she would find Jenn gingerly pulling off her boots and socks to reveal sweaty, blister covered feet. A bit of healing magic helped, but only just, and she would set up a sleeping bag in the corner and roll onto it, apparently intent on taking a nap.

Outside, the boys had started clearing an area for a fire while Daniella animated a few logs to carefully roll into place for them to sit on. Steiner was back in a few minutes, a pair of wind servants carrying wood and kindling and a collection of animated stones trailing along more slowly behind them. The last servant formed itself into a ring before the instructor dismissed the golem's magic, and after the wind servants set their bundles down she dismissed them as well and set about preparing a fire manually. The sun was starting to set proper by that point, a hazy orange making way for light blue on the Eastern horizon, but before darkness came a flicker of flame set the bundle up, producing a natural fire for them to cook and keep warm by. Jenn was still in the tent, but Ashley could try to get to know her other companions a little bit better while she had the chance, or perhaps bring up her issue to the professor if she thought it prudent. Her bleed would start the next morning if not that very night, but whether or not Ashley wanted to share that was up to her.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

The Amazonian boy was right. He wasn't exactly going to tell them what they were really doing even when the time came. Which just made her plan to try to figure it out more important. Even if she didn't seem to be getting anywhere yet. Arcane could be important, though. It was her own biggest specialty after Wind as well, so perhaps that was one of the more important things. Or maybe a generalist was just there to cover for any individual who faltered or failed.

With Jenn exhausted and suffering and herself not feeling well, Ashley was tempted to retire early. And in fact she decided to do just that. Only not quite yet. First she wanted to try to learn a little more. To this end walked to the spot where Arclan had vanished, focusing on the man. She hadn't known him long, but they'd been walking together all day, and she had a fairly firm picture of him in her head. She cast a Find spell, not intending to follow its directions, imply to absorb where he might have gone. If that didn't work, she'd go to two opposite ends of the camp, and cast a simpler spell, one that should simply point to the Knight.

Spoiler

Arcane level 3: Find(Arclan). If that fails, Arcane level 2: Locate (Arclan), twice.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

The spell that Ashley cast to try and find pointed her far far away from their camp, directing her to the South and East some hundred miles or so. It was hard to tell exactly where that was, but she would know that it was too far North and East for it to be Gods-Reach, and she wouldn't be able to recall any major cities or even large towns in that region. What the winter knight might be doing was something that she would only be able to guess at, but when she returned to the group she would find them stirring a pot of their rations into a stew for dinner in order to make the preserved foods more palatable. No one was talking, and Daniella had gone off somewhere while she was on her own brief excursion, but Ashley was free to crawl into their tent to rest with Jenn, or possibly add some of her own rations to the pot for a better meal as well. It would give her an opportunity to talk to her companions more, but the day had been long and it was likely that they would be in for an even longer one tomorrow.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley considered the results of her spell. She'd expected him to be hunting, scouting, or messing with their trail. Maybe even moving ahead towards their goal, talking with the remainder of their eventual group. But hundreds of miles away meant he had made use of some sort of serious travel magic - which raised the question of why they weren't using that to get to their destination - and she would have guessed North, rather than South East.

There was definitely more to this trip than he'd let on. But she already knew that. The wind mage considered telling everyone else her findings... but there really wasn't much to go on. And she was tired and still feeling poorly. Tomorrow would be soon enough to learn more. So instead, she headed for the tent, pulling off her boots and slipping into her own sleeping bag, setting it right next to Jenn's, and making a note to see that Jenn got her feet healed regularly through the day if she needed it.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

Going back into the tent, Jenn would already be asleep, and Ashley would be able to set her sleeping bag next to that of her lover without rousing the water mage. She would rest through the night, roused only when Daniella and Professor Steiner joined them in bed. The former stripped down to sleep in only an undershirt and a pair of lace see-through panties, though Ashley was prevented from seeing any of the good bits due to the darkness, while the latter only took off her boots and coat.

When she woke up in the morning, Ashley felt an unpleasant wetness between her legs, signaling that she was bleeding. Jenn was rubbing her feet, healing them slightly, and Daniella was just pulling up her pants. Steiner was already outside. She was also hungry, having not eaten anything last night, and thirsty for the same reason.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley glared at Jenn for a moment before schooling her face. It wasn't her lover's fault, any more than Jenn's time was her own fault. That didn't mean she had to be happy about it, but she supposed it was better than the alternative. She waited a moment for Daniella to finish dressing, then called Jenn over before the water mage could leave the tent, whispering her current problem into the other woman's ear.

Once that was taken care of, and Ashley had quickly pulled on different panties and pants, she left the tent to see what there was to eat and drink.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

Jenn would rouse, frown lightly when Ashley revealed her problem, and use a gentle water spell in order to clean the wind mage up as best she could. Then she provided a small cloth pad from her pack assuming Ashley hadn't brought any along of her own before they packed up their things and got out of the tent. The boys tent was already mostly packed up, and a few minutes later the girls tent followed suit. Everyone else was up by the time they'd gotten out, and Arclan was pacing back and forth while the rest of the stew was passed out. Ashley was very hungry, having not eaten anything, and Jenn seemed the same as she took out some of her rations and had a bit of breakfast as well.

After a hasty meal the group was packed up and moving again, still heading East along the increasingly wild roads. The faerie knight leading them was relentless, and the weaker members of their party were having an increasingly difficult time catching up. When they stopped for lunch, Jenn had to heal her feet again and Alex spent ten minutes doing nothing other than lying on his back. They had little in the way of conversation along the road, which by then was wrapped in forest and looked as if it was rarely traveled and even more rarely maintained. The going was still easy, but it also began to get a bit colder.

They would make camp that night and get up the next day much like they had the day before, and the same thing happened the next day. They passed a caravan going in the opposite direction, a group returning to Therion at the end of the season, but no other travelers made themselves apparent. Arclan stalked off and vanished every night, and engaged with none of them to do more than demand something or answer only the most essential questions. On the morning of the third day, however, the armored man would say; "We'll be at the first stop in three more days. We'll be picking up the rest of our little party there."

That was all he said on the matter before turning and starting off, the usual signal that they were to continue on. The next day, however, they would run into another set of travelers, and this time it was no caravan. They turned down a bend in the road just after a split that led North over a bridge only to find themselves practically a hundred yards from a squad of armed and armored men on horses. Specifically a squad of orcish men, all clad in protective steel and armed to the teeth. Arclan continued on as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, but Steiner and Ashley's fellow students all went white and stopped in their tracks, while the slowly moving orcish cavalry stopped in sheer surprise at the sudden appearance of a number of humans. Arclan paused and turned to them in annoyance, glaring at Steiner for a few seconds and ignoring the rest, before turning back and continuing on. After a few seconds the professor did as well, and if Ashley wished to remain in the relative safety of the group she would have to follow with the rest in their cautious approach of the still unmoving horsemen.

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley gave Jenn a peck on the lips for helping her out. Even if all it did was save her a bloody trip across the tent to where she'd absentmindedly left her bag, it was helpful. She joined the others at the fire, to eat. And to share what she'd learned about where the Knight had gone the previous night, or at least as close as she'd been able to figure. She would repeat that simple spell for the next few days if the Knight continued to vanish, trying to decide if he always went to the same place, or if it changed, and talking with the other students to see if anyone could figure out exactly where he was going, if they seemed at all interested.

Other than that there was little enough to speculate on, until they came on the group of orcs.

This was technically contested territory, not in the orc-held lands, or those held by the Crolian Alliance. A group this size days away from the Academy wasn't terribly threatening. But the orcs didn't like mages, quite apart from the War. If any of them were recognized as such, the situation could deteriorate quickly. Still, it would be worse not to stay with the group, so Ashley moved forward, sticking close to Jenn.

She readied power, almost by reflex. She didn't have her cloud cloak up at the moment - it was nicely impressive, but she'd worked for years to gain the control to stop it popping up whenever she felt strong emotions, and she wasn't going to get out of practice the first time she left the academy - but that wasn't the mantle she wanted anyway. Reaching out and pulling the air from their lungs... wouldn't be difficult. But would probably cause trouble if some of them resisted it. And it wasn't even like she really hated the orcs, as long as they kept away from the Academy. Something more defensive was called for.

The obvious solution, to Ashley, was a variant on her cloud cloak. Strong winds in a thin layer around her, designed to turn away even the best-aimed attacks. And it wouldn't even be visible until someone tried to hit her, not with her almost instinctual control over wind magic. But... it was possible one of the orcs was talented enough a shaman to notice that use of power. So she just held herself ready to put up a cloak at a moment's notice. Or when one of the others did something obviously-magical. And hoped the professor would lead them well around the orcs. The wind mage had little doubt that she could tear the entire group apart herself, from a reasonable range. But up close was another matter.

Spoiler

Ready wind 3: Wind Armor. But don't cast it unless attack looks imminent, or one of the other mages puts up some sort of buff or does some obvious magic.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

Ashley would feel that she wasn't the only one to have her reaction to the sight of so many orcs, and for a moment the air crackled with gathering energy that even a remotely competent mage would have been able to detect. None of that energy ended up being unleashed, however, and as she advanced with the others with a defensive spell at the ready Ashley would feel the gathering tension in her group. Arclan walked up to the orc in the center, the green skinned warrior peering down at the winter knight through a mostly sealed helmet while several of the others glared at the mages as they moved in behind him.

The knight paused, and in a smooth voice began to speak in apparently fluent orcish, a language that Ashley had little knowledge of. The orc glaring at him responded in kind, and they started a back and forth conversation that last for several tense minutes before apparently reaching a conclusion. "Come along," he then said, and began walking around the warband along the side of the road. It stretched for a long ways, the cavalry a dozen lines deep and a much larger group on foot not too far along behind them, and supply wagons and another group behind that.

The orcs glared at them from their ranks, but no one stopped them as they passed by, and eventually they were clear of the orcs. No one breathed a sigh of relief until they were well away, however, and by that point the orcs had turned and left their sight entirely. "Before any of you start complaining," Arclan would say suddenly, "you aren't here to get yourselves killed in a pointless skirmish with orcs. You're not to even attempt to engage them at any point on our journey, or not only will I not stop them from retaliating, but I will kill whoever was stupid enough to start it myself. If they start the fight, feel free to go nuts, but don't try to provoke them by doing magic in front of them either."

He hadn't even so much as glanced at them as he spoke, and delivered his warning in a completely frank tone despite the overt threat included in it. Ashley would feel Jenn shiver beside her, but even though Professor Steiner looked openly affronted at his statement she wouldn't find the energy to formulate any sort of reply.

They would continue on like that for another few hours before night fell and they made camp again. By that point the ground was covered in a thin layer of snow, necessitating that they break out their warmer clothes and that Daniella no longer strip down to her underthings when going to bed. The next few days would pass with nothing more dramatic than that, and by then Ashley's period was more or less finished, Jenn having started her own midway through but also already starting to ease up. Her lover had adopted to the needs of the trail well enough over time, and the other member of their squad who'd been having trouble had started to adjust well enough by then too.

It was late afternoon on the tenth day of their journey by the time they came upon their apparent destination, as for the first time in a while Arclan would stop. They looked down from a small bluff, over a section of thin pine forest, onto a small walled town. Buildings filled the space within the walls, most made of wood but some few crafted from stone or brick, and the figures manning the walls and the smoke rising from the chimneys suggested that it was inhabited despite how rough it looked. "Our first stopping point," the knight announced, standing in the same garb he'd left the academy in despite that it was now so cold out that the rest of them needed to wear full winter gear. "It's called Skolifell," he continued, "a neutral trade hub. Keep your spells to yourself, there are plenty of orcs about and you don't want to cause trouble here. It's a rough place, so do yourselves a favor and don't wander off."

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley glared at the Knight. Talking them past what had turned out to be a small army of orcs was well and good. She's much rather go by without fighting, if she could manage it. But threatening murder so casually wasn't exactly endearing him to her. Not attacking or provoking Orcs wasn't exactly an unreasonable request, as long as they were allowed to defend themselves, but Clay had found a way to be an asshole about it anyway.

The next few days didn't do anything to improve her opinion of him. Especially as they were now ten days into their journey, and she still didn't know where they were headed, much what their task when they got there. She hadn't even been told where or when they'd be meeting the rest of their group.

And now, after more than a week on the trail, and days since her issues had finished for the month, she still hadn't found any private time with Jenn. Jenn's cycle could an excuse for another day or two - if she wasn't interested she wasn't interested, even if the ring could let them avoid the extra mess - but it was still another little annoyance on top of the others. At this point she was practically willing to take the admonition not to wander off (from Clay, no less) as permission to go sneak off with Jenn. Or, well, maybe if it weren't so cold. If they went to a tavern or something, they could slip off and find an empty room, or...

She cut off that line of thought before she could get her hopes up, and instead locked her eyes on Clay, moving to stand next to Jenn. She whispered under her breath, just loud enough for her lover to hear. "Is he suggesting we stay with him?"

If Jenn looked agreeable, she'd try to surreptitiously follow the Knight as he inevitably slipped away from the group.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Spoiler

Ashley: HP = 52, PP = 72, EP = 78, Status = Fine

"Ya think?" Jenn replied irritably, keeping her voice low but no longer hiding her annoyance with the trip in general even from Ashley. She still hadn't taken to extended travel on foot very well, and for the last few days she'd been snapping at people on every available opportunity. Alex had been somewhat more manageable, turning into a sullen and exhausted mess whenever they stopped to rest, but it was clear enough that both of their less traveled members could use a rest, and that Ryon could use some warmer garb given his poor acclimation to the wintry climate of more Eastern Crolia. "We'll be staying here for one night. One. So if you've realized you need something, get it here. Don't go anywhere alone, I'm not waiting to look for anyone that gets themselves lost," the knight continued, and though his derisive remarks would once more earn him scowls from the group, most of all from Professor Steiner, the rest of them followed after him down the path towards Skolifel.

"Nobody wander off," Steiner repeated in annoyance, evidently not liking agreeing with Arclan very much. "Much as it might pretend to be neutral, this is still orc territory. Never go anywhere alone, and don't trust any of the locals." Daniella and Alex shared a concerned look at that, but on they went, and all too soon they had filtered into the crowd passing in and out of the small town.

There were as many humans and elves as orcs, making it an odd combination of orc warcamp and classic Crolian walled town. Bowmen marched beside soldiers with rifles on the unusually high wooden walls, and by the walls stood a mixed racial force of guards in full wargear rather than the lighter arms and armor often sported by normal guardsman. No one payed any particular degree of attention to them, but a number of curious eyes looked on Arclan, the faerie knight apparently recognized in more than a single case. A few figures hurried off, but he seemingly took no notice, and as he led them through Skolifel's busy streets Steiner came up beside him and asked; "Where are we going? Its about time you actually told us something!"

The knight grinned, "where do you think, hrm? Where do all travelers go when they've just finished one leg of a journey?" Suddenly he wheeled and stepped up to a door, "to an inn for a drink!" It was a rough looking place, the sign over the door unintelligible and showing some unidentifiable monster while its windows were stained by smoke. The stench of sweat, pipe weed, and spilled alcohol washed over them as he pulled the inn's door open and held up his arm to gesture them in, still smirking. Steiner scowled at him again before taking the offer and strolling inside, and the rest of their group steadily followed.

Inside things were surprisingly quiet, the crowds not yet in after the day's work, but already there were signs that it was likely to get a good bit rowdier soon. "Take the large table," Arclan said, gesturing towards the biggest table in the bar that sat in the very center of the room. It had over twenty chairs, but before going off to the bartender Arclan explained; "We're going to have guests tonight." Steiner frowned darkly, but nonetheless led them over to the large table and directed them to sit down, doing so last. "Who in Hell's name could we be meeting here?" Steiner grunted in annoyance, and upon revealing that even she didn't know the other half of their prospective party the rest of their party exchanged glances.

"Am I really the only one who managed to figure it out by now?" Alex said, some smugness in his otherwise tired voice. "You have a guess?" Daniella asked curiously. "We're here to meet some orcs," the young enchanter explained, "and probably not clanless considering he picked a neutral location.... Well, theoretically neutral." Steiner scowled, and shot another glare at Arclan's back as he spoke in low tones with the bartender. "You may not be wrong."

 

[thetwo]

Re: Winter Night (thetwo)

Ashley considered the town. It looked fairly typical for the area, aside from all the orcs. Armed orcs. Which still made her a little nervous, knowing that they were technically at war. Still, it didn't look like conflict was about to break out here. Plenty of non-orcs walking around without concern. Which probably meant that it wasn't terribly dangerous, whatever Clay said. Professor Steiner's agreement held a little more weight, but even so. This was far from the most dangerous place Ashley had ever been, and she'd been to most of the others alone and less well equipped.

At least she didn't seem to have forgotten anything important. She'd been living at the Academy for enough winters to know how to dress, and while they seemed to be going further and further north... well, everyone else's clothes would give out at about the same point, and presumably that was what all the magic was going to be for. And if worst came to worst... she thumbed her silver ring, Frost. She didn't particularly want to be seen to rely on it, but it should protect her from the cold if it came to it.

The group made its way to a tavern, and sat down at an over-large table. The suggestion that they were here to meet with orcs made perfect sense. That wasn't the only reason they might meet here, but it was certainly the first reason for heading so far out into neutral territory that had leapt to Ashley's mind. Of course, that still didn't answer the increasingly large mystery of what this group was going to be doing. Especially if as many as a dozen more people would be meeting them.

But at least one thing was going well. It seemed unlikely that they'd be marched back out of the town to camp. Which meant rooms. Which meant at least a chance of some private time, even if it seemed unlikely that Professor Steiner would cooperate. And Ashley was sure she could think of something to make Jenn a little less snappy.