A new home

[Nandon]

Jared placed his back up against the wall and looked around the cave that had become there home as of late. There ship 'Dolphin' lay up on the bank that enter into the cave for a short bit. He then looked over at his other two crew members. David and crosby...they sat across the room playing dice at a table.. he had hoped that he would be able to get more men to join the crew but with the war going on few men where avalible..

Pushing off the cave wall jared moved over to the table and slamed a fist on the tableand yelled at them "what are you idiots doing! One of you get out there and watch the entrance so we dont get ambushed!"he screamed at crosby who quickly stood up and ran over to the mouth of the cave. He stood there for a couple moments looking around and then colapsed on the ground.

"Go check on him...."jared sighed as he pushed david forward.

He went little more than a few feet before he to colapsed. At this jared grew angry and stepped forward "what the devil...."jared wonder before he heard a voice not much above a whisper say "slytha" and then he two colapsed fast asleep.

With the three pirates dealt with aysten stepped out and began tying them together. In preperation for setting them free

[ᗩпїra]

Anira appeared from behind him, lending him extra energy for the strength her stored into casting the three spells. It was the least she could do for him, since he lead the two this far across the land to ensure them a safe home and shelter to stay in. In agreement, Hérion and Anira agreed that he could accompany them on their journeys, which wouldn't be too bad at all. Having someone to talk to other than Hérion was a little difficult to overcome at first -- after a while she came to enjoy their conversations at night over random subjects.

Even Hérion started trusting him a bit, though he warned it wasn't wise to place trust in anyone soon, which Anira knew most of all. Trust and love was the last two things she'd ever give to a single person that gained her appreciation, and it wouldn't be easy to overcome the two once someone set out to achieve it. More like that of a large journey by itself.

"I'm glad you didn't kill them, warn me before they awaken so I can hide myself from their presence. They seem like simple sailors -- but you never know when a magician might fly into a tree into your camp."

[Nandon]

Aysten smiled at the jib as he finished tying them up. He looked briefly around the camp making sure that he hadnt missed anyone and then nodded at her giving her the signal to go ahead and hide.

He to had enjoyed there journey....there conversations always provided interest and he had gradually come to enjoy there presance.he thought back to several years ago and remembered what he had lost and how much it hurt to lose them. He then breifly shhoke his head to himself clearing away such thoughts.

Then he checked there bindings and made sure they where tight before muttering the spell to wake them up.

"This is our cave now...you will go...and we will keep your ship...is this understood?"Aysten said in a calm mellow voice and they all slowly nodded.

Aysten the pulled them up and pushed them away from the cave. He knew they would escape there bindings soon so he moved into there minds breifly and implanted the image of a bear attacking them from the cave and they just barely managing to escape. Thhey wouldnt return now.

Looking around then he called out to anira "they are gone now...and i made sure they wouldnt be coming back."

[ᗩпїra]

"I noticed. Very clever of you to do that I must admit. Oh, did I mention thank you?" Her image slowly faded back into recognition from where she stood in the deep shadows along deeper inside of the cave. Anira was busy plaiting her hair into a thick fishtail brade that clung together with wisps of deep purple and ebony that changed into various different shades with the slightest change of lighting.

Tying the plait off with a band stored along her wrist, she inspected it by carefully smoothing her hand alongside the mellow pattern and nodding in satisfaction. "I'll tell Hérion to come out of hiding later tonight, once they are well far away from the camp. He's out hunting at the moment since he's quite hungry from the long flight here."

Anira swiftly walked forward, long strides covering the short distance in a few bounds till she stood across from Aysten. A simple question raneg through her mind like the melody of consistent ringing bells. It'd be best to answer the question now, where they stood safe and protected against any ease dropping. "What happens now?"

[Nandon]

Aysten watched the saliors for several hundred yards before his sight lost them and he turned to anira.
"No thank you is required. Though i do apreciate it."Aysten aysten said smiling as he studied the cave once more. Then he turned back to anira and shrugged.

"That is up to you...not me though... could we... pherhaps spar? I feel as if my skills have been slipping as of late and a good spar would help pass the time."

[ᗩпїra]

"I'd be delighted to. Shall I go easy, medium, hard, or actually trying to survive?" A grin touched the tips of her lips as she bounded backwards till she was a comfortable distance away to begin the sparring. Drawing her sword Orchid, realizing that Aysten had never yet seen her spar, neither her sword Orchid for that matter. Anira was well-practiced in sword-fighting, always besting the elves at Ellesmera, and if she lost she usually worked till her skills bested them either easily or normally. Her daily workouts never ceased to end, either going for a long run, doing a certain exercise that Oromis taught her, or lounging in the middle of a meadow and extending her mind out to the beings that hunkered in the cold Earth waiting for the return of spring.

Anira gripped the hilt of Orchid, inspecting it for a moment before casting the protective barrier around the blade that would keep each other from cutting one another to pieces. "This is my Rider's blade, Orchid is it's true name." At the announcement of it's name, the blade sprouted beautiful violets and various purple orchids. Poisonous ones at that fact.

"Letta." The blade reluctantly drew back the flowers, which seemed to resolve like mist onto the blade as if it were never there in the first place. "Ready?"

[Nandon]

Aysten thought for a moment and then playfully said "actually trying to survive i would prefer."Aysten said flicking out his daggers and dulling them with magic before he backed up and watched for her to make the first move

[ᗩпїra]

"That's like trapping a bear in a corner. It leads me to doing drastic things." Her clever remarks traveled back to the first time the two met, with Aysten flying himself into the bark of a pine tree. She could barely keep herself from laughing at the memory that she replayed through her mind quietly.

Oh, wait, she's supposed to be in a duel. Silly. Anira shook her head quietly, grinning as she bounded forward. Clearing the gap with two graceful bounds, Anira struck out at his feet to draw and unbalance him. A calm overbearing went over her as she quickly memorized his movements, even the gentle twitch of his eyes and the longer types of pauses that passed between him.

Trying to survive. Did he really want to start at that level, or was she just undermining his experience with sword play? Well, she'd just have to wait and see for herself.

[Nandon]

As she bounded forward aysten stepped aside one pace and kept calm as he brought his daggers into a X shap which stopped the momentum of her sword dead in its tracks. Then using that to his advantage he sent a kick aimed at her side to try and draw her away.

Aysten watched her intently as she began fighting. He studied her for a moment and guessing if she was like most females she would use her charms to maximum effect. And he watched her. He knew that if he could only lure her into a false sense of security he would win

[ᗩпїra]

Anira wasn't like the other "women", and relied on her speed, strength, and wits to reduce her opponent to a mass of bruises and small cuts. Much like that of an old apple that is. She noticed the movement of hi leg and grinned, sidestepping and doing the same movement. Regularly it wouldn't hurt much for a "woman", though she wasn't so sure about it for a guy.

She took the opportunity and thrust her sword through the middle of the daggers, breaking the contact and quickly leaping backwards out of the range of attack. Anira slowly circled him, studying him intently and relaying what she knew of him to try and guess what he'd do next.

That made her realize that she really didn't know much about him after all. He didn't allow her to scan his mind, though he let Vlaer search his mind for anything that involved harm in herself and Hérion. To her approval, Vlaer had noticed nothing unusual about Aysten.

Anira grinned again as she realized she had taken the opportunity to wander her thoughts off to somewhere off than now.

[Nandon]

Aysten leaped back as she kicked breaking the contact with his daggers and he then circled for a breif moment moving slowly closer before he struck from each side with each dagger aiming for her legs as he sent both daggers sweeping towards her

[ᗩпїra]

She whipped her arms out and swept the daggers aside, thrusting her sword to the left while she elbowed right, aiming for his chin where she'd hopefully leave some bruise. Anira didn't wait to see if she'd make contact before she leaped backwards skillfully and examined his eyes, locking his with hers and slowly advancing forward.

Distraction. Keep him distracted. Anira leaped forward and did a series of complicated moves that were to be used to extricate a weapon from the grasp of her attack, though if used the wrong way it could disarm herself.

If worse came to worse, she'd always fight with fist -- and maybe the daggers along her side could come in handy as well.

[Nandon]

Aysten took the elbow to the chin and staggered backwards barely managing to recover before she launched into the intracate combination of attacks.

aysten barely kept a hold of his weapons as he staggered backward. Hoping she would follow and press the advantage. He didnt wait to see as he flipped in a 360calm hoping to kick her sword from her grasp

[ᗩпїra]

She let the sword slip from her grasp which went exactly with her plan, except he didn't know what she was about to do. Leaping forward, she ripped the daggers from their sheath and tackled him during the tricky maneuver. Considering she didn't give him any time to catch his bearings, it seemed she had the upper hand as she quickly tried to wrap her arm around his neck in an attempt to steady him in a choke grip. The battle would end there, maybe even followed by another practice battle. Or if she failed, she could possibly be taken down herself, though it was a fake "life or death" battle in the first place. Couldn't let that happen could she?

[Nandon]

Aysten was tackled to the ground and he felt a arm begin to wrap around his neck but he was saved from the choke by quickly tucking his chin into his neck. Then once he felt certain he could hold his own to stop the choke.

He then moved his legs forward relying on his superior flexibility he tried to grasp her head between he ankles/feet and yank her down as he tried to put her in a choke of his own

[ᗩпїra]

In a real situation, she would have willingly bit down into the leg, but instead she continued with her plan and murmured a word in the Ancient Language which sent Orchid flying into her hand. Now being armed, she tucked her chin downwards while her left arm kept his legs from getting a proper hold on her neck. She slowly brought the sword downwards with her right arm, trying to hold him still as both struggled against each others' strength.

[Nandon]

Aysten struggled as he grabbed at her arm trying to slow its decent. But in the end he was a human, though extremely powerful by human standards he was still just a human and against a normal elf he may have won....but a elf rider was much stronger than he and the sword slowly decend. And he sighed and then played his trump card with his leg where it was he reached out with his mind towards his boots and pushed the heel inward which caused a small blade to spring from under a his toes and point at her head.

[ᗩпїra]

"I call that cheating, and slightly disgusting." She murmured under her breath, pushing outwards to the freedom of the clearing once more. Anira wasn't going to let him regain his wits, so she quickly bounded forward and kicked away any of the nearby weapons that had been dropped during the shuffle. Anira gently rested Orchid below his chin, smiling slightly and chuckled,"If you ever do that again, I'll make sure the foot is cut off and a new one is added that does involve a knife in the ankle."

She pulled Orchid back hesitantly, reaching out her hand to help him up and was unsure whether he was going to end the battle there or continue on from there. It seemed like she'd find out in a second or so, minus well take the chance. You only live once, right?

[Nandon]

Aysten shrugged and accepted the hand and was helped up. "The knife was in my boot. Not my ankle."he chuckled looking around. "I supose i couldnt hope to beat aa rider could I?"he joked looking around as he slid the knife into his boot once more

[ᗩпїra]

"Good then. Still slightly disturbed, but - good." Anira used the tip of her finger to push him back slightly, raising an eyebrow since she was still unsure whether she should believe that or not. She knew that some of the dwarves had weapons installed in the thick bone in their knuckles, and Eragon Shadeslayer had done something similar by changing the thickness of his bone, but it seemed unlikely that Aysten would do anything of the sorts.

Anira grinned and spoke quietly,"I underestimated you, I suppose. Though women are smarter in comparison." She had a smug expression implanted on her expression, casting a small spell to call the two daggers to their sheath. Orchid was replaced into its sheath along her side, turning on her heel to study the edges of the cave.