Home sweet home..</sarcasm>

[Arkantos]

Arkantos grinned back, then grimaced.

"Urgh...man, that guy's heart must have been three sizes too small; it's not going down smoothly at all. Heh heh. That rhymed. I've got provisions in my saddlebags; I dropped them behind that tree. You get yourself something while I prepare for your first lesson. I assume you already know the basics of swordplay, so I'll save that for a later date. Right now, we'll work on sheilding your mind from attacks of the mental and magical varieties; you'll need to be able to hold onto any information that I plant in your mind for the Varden to retrieve if I don't make it."
He sat down and clutched his stomach lightly. Taking off his shirt and breeches, leaving him in only his undergarments, he sat next to the fire and assumed a meditative position, letting the heat blister his skin without any bother to him at all; the blisters faded away with small blue sparks emanating from his ring, still glowing around his neck. He made sure Rhaxta was nearby when he started, then intoned aloud only; he had closed off the mental link between them for this exercise.

"Now listen closely, Rhaxta, for this information may well save your life if we have to combat that Shade or any enemy Riders. Your mind is your last sanctuary, the one place that you can allow no one to invade. Now, what I did was technically frowned upon by most magician's etiquitte, but I think that extenuating cercumstances will let that slide. Mind control takes an emmense amount of focus. Many novices compare it to a physical ordeal. You must focus on only one thing, and allow all other thoughts to flow away. If you imagine a massive stone fortress guarding your mind, with enough focus, that is all your enemy will see. Naturally, this means I'll also have to teach you how to attack with your mind as well so that you will recognize the threat. Now, I want you to empty your mind of all thought, and concentrate on one thing and one thing only. Make it something simple; the more detail it requires, the more effort you'll have to expend, and the easier it will be for an enemy to break through it."
The moon rose as he tutored Rhaxta, bathing his body in silver light. There would be many more like this on the way to Surda.

[Rhaxta]

Rhax chuckled and reached out, wiping the blood from his chin. It was funny how the skin along his cheek felt rough until it reached the part that had been soaked in blood; it was funny how Rhax noticed it as well.

''Maybe you ate it a little too fast, hm?'' she asked with a grin, it disappearing as he grimaced and clutched his stomach slightly, to be replaced by a look of slight concern. She held her tongue, though. No point in asking him if he was alright when it was blatant he wasn't. ''Some water might help,'' she advised.
Wandering over to where he had said his pack was, she opened up the saddlebags. First removing her boots and padded vest before rooting in the bags and grabbing some bread and a water skin she tossed the decanter into his lap as she sat down on the other side of the fire, tearing off a bit off bread and chewing on it absently. ''A bit odd to have saddlebags and no horse, hell, he's probably hidden it. Or maybe Mr. 'full of surprises' actually puts them over a dragons haunches'' she thought, permitting herself a small grin.

Her mind focused and let her take in Arkantos' words, her eyes moving from his slowly down to focus on the fire. Absorbing the delicious feeling of warmth, it was always a good to cheer her up. A nice big fire, and the moon above your head. She didn't know if it was the pyromania, or just the way it seemed to improve morale just by being there that fascinated her.

She watched Ark as he spoke, the moonlight bathing the both of them in a pale light. To her he looked like a specter, his silver-ish hair and his pale undergarments.

The mind is truly the last sanctuary. For Rhaxta it was pretty much her only one besides the forest as she travelled alone. Her eyes traveled up to his chest and stopped, staring for a few moments. No, she wasn't eyeing him up as it might have seemed, that could wait.. However; his ring was what had her attention. The gentle glow intrigued her. It caught up her mind and attention very much like the fire and moon, almost drawn into it.
''Yeah...that makes sense..somone trying to break into your mind won't find anything if you're concentrating hard enough...I suppose a fire isn't all that interesting to others,'' with that she let her smoldering gaze drop back to the fire, a contented smile on her lips.

[Arkantos]

Arkantos' skin shivered slightly from the touch of Rhaxta's hand, but his mind only noticed it on the surface levels of conciousness. Rhax tossed what appeared to be a waterskin into his lap, but was actually a skien full of a very nice Gil'ead red wine; he'd acquired almost 2 years ago after a debacle at turning the abandoned town of Yazuac into a Varden armed foothold in the northern reaches, to aid spies that came from Gil'ead and scout for the elves' supply caravans. He shook the tangent out of his mind and returned to teaching Rhaxta. He gently expanded his conciousness and felt, rather than saw, her gaze linger on his ring, which by now was greedily drinking in the light from the moon and the fire. He immediately sent a sharp mental jab into Linnea and felt her shy away from the human girl's mind; she was too valuable now to just let her become a puppet for a mad elf woman. Besides...he...rather liked Rhaxta, the way she seemed so cheeky in the face of danger reminded him of himself in ways that made him feel...warm. He slowly opened his eyes and took a sip of the wine, letting himself feel the liquid burn down his throat.
((OOC: Gonna give you a crash course in mental defense training; hope you don't mind if I god-mod Rhax for a few sentences. ))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the night wore on, he instructed Rhaxta in the ways of mental defense and attack, letting her try and defend herself as he attacked her and try to isolate and neutralize the probe, and then he steeled himself to allow her to extend her mind out to him. She learned amazingly, absorbing all that he taught her and displayed a competent level akin to what had taken him nearly 6 months to do. As he ended the session for the night, he gave her his spare sleeping blanket and his heavy cloak; he refused to go warm while his student froze. He put more wood on the fire and let it burn out as he entered a state of meditative sleep, allowing him to analyze the things that had happened while still waking refreshed and alert at first light. As he came to the part where she wiped the blood off of his chin, his emotions became a roiling sea of confusion. I...don't understand...this feels like...but that can't be...I've...changed...but still...It's highly unprofessional of me...I mean...I've just met her; I can't...I...can't.... His mind drifted into REM sleep as he failed to keep his control, and his body gratefully slumped down like someone dead onto the ground.

[Rhaxta]

Rhax saw the deep red colour of the liquid Arkantos drank and grimaced. She wasn't a fan of wine...well, she used to be but she almost always disgraced herself and certainly felt a little rough around the edges the next day. The smell of it would do for her now. The infusion of spice and fruit; enjoyable and it didn't make her pay for it the next day. Shrugging off the memories she refocused on her lessons.

Her eyes were closed, she felt her chest raising and falling heavier than usual. This mind defense stuff took more effort than she had ever anticipated. She growled at herself every time the queer feeling took over her and tore open her mind for Arkantos to investigate as he pleased. Her flaring eyes fell to the fire and she felt the anger in her almost neck and neck with the burn of the fire. Then that feeling was there again, only muted, the feeling of Arkantos' mind around hers - but not in. She focused harder on the fire, then suddenly it was gone. She found herself panting.

Suddenly it was her turn. She stretched out her mind, exploring the new vast space outside her own mind. Then there it was, the feeling against her mind like a feather brushing along her skin. Somehow she knew it was Arkantos...it was as if it was dripping in his scent, but it was just how it felt in her mind. She let her mind brush against his gently, before withdrawing, savoring and remembering the queer feeling as she did so. It was almost like when she had brushed her hand along his chin as she wiped up the blood; only somehow more intimate even without their skin touching. Gaining more courage she moved in further with her consciousness, then she felt engulfed in his mind, that same sharp, but with patches of black she couldn't approach, obviously concealing information he didn't wish her eyes to see. Rhax withdrew and gasped as she felt her mind fall back behind her own eyes.
''Wow'', she breathed.

Rhax had wandered off to a nearby river, removing her protective corset and trousers to leave her only in her vest and her underwear. Wading out into the water she stood and took a lung full of the sweet air, before proceeding to wash herself, careful as she let the water cool the throbbing bruises and cuts along her wrists that she had gotten when she was captured.

As she wondered back into the camp she paused and speculated Arkantos, sitting cross-legged and seemed asleep. She grinned and stretched out her mind, as he'd taught. It was coming with a little more ease now since she started, having familiarized herself with the feeling. She brushed her consciousness across Arkantos' and felt the response, he was definitely awake. Her consciousness shied away, sorry for disturbing him. Returning to her own mind she placed her trousers near the fire to dry, and wrung out her sodden hair as best as she could before curling up in the make-shift nest she'd formed on his cloak. For a while she just watched Ark in his sub-conscious state, curious as to what he was thinking about. She shrugged off her curiosity and focused back on the fire, falling into her own, less refined version.

A thud and Rhax d**n near jumped out of her skin, she'd drifted off. Looking about, even with the fire dying down and only the light of the moon to help her she could see nothing was there. Puzzled she looked back to Arkantos. Seeing him in a heap she knew well what had happened. Giving a slight snort of laughter she pulled the sleeping blanket from her own nest and threw it over his sleeping body. Lying back onto the cape she threw some more wood on the fire, pulling part of the cape over her, it barely covering her and her bare legs. The cold wouldn't bother her though, in fact she loved it. Couldn't stand being totally covered by anything, even just a blanket.
Soon her eyelids became to heavy for her to stay awake and she drifted off...

[Kaala]

Auron stood in the shadows, pleased with the way his plans were going. He withdrew and returned to his small cot, just a ways north of the duo, ideas forming as he went. He had barely reached his camp when a loud snuffle and a melodious voice reached his ears.

"So, the rumors are true then." He narrowed his eyes as a rather stunning elf with black hair and piercing eyes made her way into his clearing. "I hardly dared believe them."

Kaala drew her rapiers and pointed them steadily at the shade. "I've been tracking you," She stated calmly, "As well as guarding your intended victim for a few weeks."

A low tremble reached Auron through the ground and a large silver dragon made his presence known with a rather audible growl. "Tracking me, eh?" He hissed, his ember coloured eyes narrowing in anger. "You think such a person as you could keep track of one such as me?" He thought quickly, trying to discern a way to keep from abandoning his plans. He mentally cursed as nothing came to mind. He would have to abandon his plans for Arkantos and hopefully find another way to slaughter the fool. He'd been so close. So close to finally getting his retribution. "Well, see how well you can track this!" He snarled, summoning a rather large, shadowed vortex.

Mirror narrowed his reptillian eyes and lunged for the shade, letting out a deafening roar. The shade simply stepped into the vortex and vanished with it. "So close!" He snarled, his anger causing him to gouge the ground restlessly.

"It's fine, my friend." She walked up and placed her hand on his warm scales. "We will catch up to him soon enough. For now our mission lies with this Magician..."

[Arkantos]

Arkantos awoke in the predawn light to a feeling of pulsating sickness, like shadows churning around in his stomach. He staggered towards the river he had sensed Rhax go to the previous night; naturally, he withdrew his mind once he figured out what it was she was about to do. He emptied the contents of his stomach and fell to his knees as another wave of sickness washed over him and his vision swam. Suddenly he remembered that assassin's heart he had eaten, and it dawned on him.

Poison!, he thought, as he ran a magical self diagnostic on his body. Sure enough, there was a potent shadow magic camping out inside of him; obviously Linnea hadn't caught on. She, just like his hunter's mind, had been too busy enjoying the slaughter. But d**n it, he didn't have the power to negate this...but Linnea did.

He delved into the ring, forming his soul avatar, a figure dressed in blue hooded cloak, face and figure concealed, wielding a spear and storm clouds churning and spitting lightning above his head. Linnea merely sat bow-legged on the stump of a mighty tree, dressed in shining metal armor, a sacrilege to her once nature-loving self. Obviously she had seen too much of modern military tactics from his mind and gone slightly mad along with it. She opened her eyes, glowing an unhealthy green, and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at his appearance.

"So, you finally come to me. I've been trying for ages now to get ahold of you, and you come to me. What is it you want?" she asked.

"I think you know already. I've been tainted by shadow magic. I don't have the power to cleanse it. You do. But before you consign me to death, remember this: it was I who found your ring, I who gave you my body, and it is I who will give you my body again. All I ask is that you purge the taint for good." he stated.

Linnea licked her lips hungrily. "I want a fortnight."

"A week."

"A week and a half."

"Five days."

"Six."

"Three."

"Four."

"One. No more."

"Deal!" Linnea smiled broadly and outstretched her hand. Arkantos clasped his with hers, and pulled her out of the ring and into his mind, where she quickly took over and healed the taint with a frown of concentration. Meanwhile, his body had walked back to the camp on autopilot and got dressed. His image shimmered, and Linnea's ancient elven beauty shone forth within a green cape with shining silver armor. She stretched and drew Arkantos' obviously male longsword, then resheathed it after checking the blade's sharpness. The ring had been transferred to her hand over her armor, and shone with a wan grey light; Arkantos had taken up residence within for a period of no more than a day. This was the agreed price, and it was made in the ancient language to seal the bond. Linnea stood and sang to the morning sun as plants grew and grew and grew around her, bent to her will and obedient in every command. They choked out the fire and formed a massive collage of the Menoa Tree, a monument to Linnea's death and partial resurrection, at least for now...

She turned and noticed, for the first time it seemed, the girl. For though Arkantos had told her about the girl, she had not expected him to be so...protective. Still, it was only natural. Best friend torn apart by wolves and all, then leaving his little sister to go and fight the Empire. She smiled a small smile and bent down to the girl and laid her hands over the girl's wounds.

Waise heil, she intoned, and the bruises and cuts flowed away like quicksilver. She stood up and drew the sword once more and began the Rim'gar, the Dance of Snake and Crane, to pass the time.

[Kaala]

Kaala rose quietly and packed her things, placing them in the saddle bags strapped to Mirror's side. "I think it's about time we introduce ourselves to our Magician and his charge. I've heard some rather interesting things about the human. It's said he has the ability to turn in the elf Linnea..."

Mirrors' eyes widend in surprise. "Linnea? If this is true then it could make things by far more complicated..." Kaala let him talk to himself for a moment as she gathered her wash things and headed to the nearby stream. She stripped and laid her things in a sunny spot to stay warm as she moved to the middle of the cool stream and began her routine washing. She began with her hair, combing out what few snarls had emerged and running her hands through it, smoothing the oil to the ends. She then started on her body.

Mirror was lying comfortably on the bank, sunning himself blissfully when the smell reached his nose. It was bitter, and more than slightly rancid. Something he'd smelt more than once on his travels through the empire. He lumbered to his feet and slid into the water and crossed it, ripples spreading in large circles around him. He shook himself slightly as he scraped along the other bank. Sure enough, there in front of him was a splash of nearly fresh vomit. He narrowed his eyes and took another smell. What he caught caused him to turn, alerting Kaala to his worry. "We have a problem. Our Magician has been poisoned." At those words Kaala was out of the water and reclothing herself. She crossed the stream with a leithe jump and landed in the shallows of the otherside, her boots splashing in the water and mud.

"Lets go." She took off through the trees, using her senses to try and find her target. "Fool!" She hissed to herself as she stopped and began trying to senses the human woman that the Magician had been with. "There!" With that she was off again, cutting through the trees at a near impossible pace. She slowed when she noticed the trees thinning. There infront of her was an elven woman, in the process of Kaala's normal morning routine. She sheathed one of her rapiers and called out to the figure. "Linnea?"

[Rhaxta]

Rhax slipped from troubled dreams to a more than troubled conciousness; she had a beast of a headache. Keeping her eyes closed she grimaced, seems her mind was havng a mini-revolt from all the strain she'd put it under the past day. She might as well have indulged and had some wine.

She heard movement and sturred, guessing Arkantos had awoken even before her which was suprising in itself, she usually woke up at the crack of dawn. Opening one eye she saw an unfamiliar form moving in the most graceful ballet Rhax had ever seen, despite the woman being heavily clad in armor.

''That's not right...unless I'm dreaming of 'effing pixies again. Since I can't blame the wine I guess I'll just have to admit to being insane this time...'' she thought.

Heart thumping, her hand moved out to her side, without removing her eyes from the strange woman, to the sword she had 'aquired'. Rhax's deep emerald eyes took a snatch look of her surroundings- Arkantos was gone, . As another voice called out Rhax stood, holding the sword across her body and roughly pushed back the sleek blood-red hair from her eyes, making it obvious to the others she was wide awake. Somehow she managed to overlook the change in the surrounding scenery.

''Where the bloody hell is Arkantos and who are you two?'' she asked, managing to keep the tension from her voice. Despite the fact her sword was in hand, she didn't want to start a fight.. more due to the fact she was in her underwear whereas the others were heavily armed than anything else.

[Arkantos]

Linnea jumped backwards and summersaulted gracefully onto the top of a tree when another elf and Rhaxta both called out to her. She smiled and raised a slight breeze to ruffle her cape theatrically.

"Yes, elf girl, I am Linnea. Good morning, Rhaxta. I see you had a restful sleep. Too bad Arkantos can't see you right now; he's...indisposed..." Linnea giggled as she projected an image of Arkantos bound and in chains hanging over a bottomless pit of fire, his head hanging dejectedly, then suddenly he looked up, as if seeing them.

"Rhaxta...I'm sorry...but...we'll have to postpone tonight's magic lesson, okay?" Arkantos said with a wan smile. The chain lowered more, and the fire began to lick at his skin, searing off entire pieces of his flesh. He began to scream as he grew smaller and farther away, until you couldn't see him at all. Linnea grinned madly and dismissed the image, looking at both women with a sense of expectation.

"Well, ladies? Did you like what I did with him? Not exactly original, I know, but hey, he made a deal with me, and 24 hours is all I get. Might as well let him know what the average day of mine is like as well, no?" Linnea backflipped elegantly down from the treetop and let white flames lick along the edge of Arkantos' blade. The blade seemed to scream out in agony at another being using it for a purpose other than it's true masters'. She let it slice through the air, and a massive gateway opened that led to the underground Egg Vaults of the Varden. Linnea stepped through and surveyed the meager collection.

"Tut tut...so few, so few...not nearly enough for my Second Dragon War. Too bad, really. The Blood-Oath Ceremony is a spell that not even I can break. Ah well. Maybe later." She stepped back through the portal and closed it with a wave of her hand. She set the flaming sword into the ground and created a chair of hardened air and sat down on it. Turning to Rhaxta, she sighed.

"Honestly, girl, Arkantos is right here. Underneath this armor is the body of Arkantos, temporarily being used as my endoskeleton as I project my image over his. I am Linnea, an elf out of time immemorial and a fraction of my mind and most of my power dwells in that ring. Right now, Arkantos is being held in there as part of a bargain we made: His life for a day of my freedom. You see, he had quite a nasty shadow magic dwelling within him after he ate that assassin's heart. I suppose Auron Sol'veck, the Shade, must have created it and disguised it as something resembling a human so that it could kill my host and you as well with a minimum of fuss." Linnea lounged back into the chair, and her cape suddenly became fur lined. She hummed in happiness as a deer was ensnared and its neck was broken by a snaking vine that she had manipulated...

~~~~~
Verin stumbled through the wilderness, completly lost and utterly frustrated.
"All the stories say how wonderful traveling is, but they never mention the getting lost, being attacked by animals, or having these THRICE CURSED VINES tangling your hair!" Verin vented her spleen aloud as a vine snaked out and caught her elaborate hair, shaking it loose and causing it to fall down to her ankles. It had taken her three hours to do that, and now it was ruined. She drew her rapier and slashed angrily at it. The vine fell back as if aware of what she was doing, and suddenly a vision took over her sight.

The sun was just reaching the sky's upper reaches when the figure of a man stumbled towards her, hand outstretched, spouting blood. It was obviously symbolic, for the blood was green, and everywhere it fell, plants grew and choked out more of the man's life. He fell to the ground, and an elf, tall, regal, and proud, strode towards him. She raised a longsword and twirled the point down in a position of an executioner. Her arms stretched out, the blade glittered along its path, and suddenly, it made contact with flesh. Blood splattered all over the woman, but she continued to lunge, again and again. She stopped after the man had ceased his death spasms, and wiped a trail of blood off of her face with a single finger. She turned and winked at Verin, and slowly, inexorably, she started to walk in her direction, a demonic grin on her face, and her eyes blazing with the lust of blood. Her sword rose again in a shining arc. Verin's hands went up in a futile gesture of sheilding. The blade began to fall...

Verin came to with a gasp and a scream. The vision was unusual in the fact that it didn't seem to be a real occurance, but some sort of warning. And it involved her. Most prophets had visions involving themselves only when they approached death, or near death. This was a bad sign. She got to her feet unsteadily, and slowly dragged her way through the remote forests on the outskirts of the desert. She came upon a clearing suddenly, and couldn't help but cry out in distress. There was the woman from her vision, lounging in midair, dressed in armor and a fur lined green cape, and next to her was a longsword with white flames running down the edge. She collapsed onto the ground and began to writhe in agony as the elf's immortality slammed into her. This elf had done horrible things...but her life everlasting made it impossible to see what. But still...something was wrong. The elf's aura was warped and sickening just to be near. She broke out into a cold sweat as she dragged herself blindly towards the sword. If she could only get that, then she could kill the woman and stop her own death, and the death of that man, from happening...

[Rhaxta]

Rhax felt her muscles tense as she saw the image of Arkantos, bound and burning.
''Oh no..''
The woman's heart had jumped up into her neck. She had an instant dislike for this d**n sadist, whoever she was... somehow she was familiar. The manic green of her eyes bore into Rhax and she recalled the same glow from the ring from Arkantos' neck, the same glow that she was so infatuated with the previous evening.
That ring..

What was it that other elven woman had called the sinister creature before her? Linnea? How was that name familiar? Rhax shook her head, as if she was trying to shake loose the endless well of information in her mind to uncover the scrap she required.
With her years of traveling she'd heard many many stories of many creatures, the name Linnea had come up many times, but her mind failed to bring forward the information now when it was of use. She simply couldn't find the history to put to it.

It didn't really matter, Linnea had Arkantos bound up and trapped and he was obviously in pain. Rhax felt the anger surge in her, she hated feeling useless, she so longed to do something. But her mind against an elf's? No.. she had been warned. if it came to a physical fight, she knew she paled in comparison to the potential opponent. She was in her underwear for god's sake.
Her intense green eyes shot a look across to the other woman who had called to Linnea, her eyes radiating an almost pleading look, asking her for some kind of assistance. She didn't dare reach out with her mind, not trusting her capabilities enough to distinguish Linnea's mind and the other elf's apart. Not yet, anyway.
Rhax caught herself and quickly built the wards up around her mind, as Arkantos had taught her, a faint pain in the back of her skull, protesting against the extra concentration. Rhax scorned herself and ignored it.
A scream tore through her and she winced, watching Ark's blade come out in sympathy of it's master.
''So it was poison.'' she mumbled to herself, relieved that she hadn't licked the blood from her hand when she had wiped it from Arkantos' chin the other night.

Another cry, this time it sounded human. Though with Rhax's luck right now she seriously doubted anyone would be on the same bandwagon as her. She was skilled as a fighter, of course, what traveler wasn't? But the tales of elves' Superior strength and speed had boasted no humans stood a chance, in physical or magical combat.
She had to use her wits, then. d**n.


Rhax shot another glance to the other two, neither seemed to be expecting any combat right now, and Rhax would have to be stupid if she was going to wait for it. Quickly slipping on her boots and clothes she turned from a jog to a full on sprint in the direction the cry had come from, holding her sword ready in her hand.

''Today just gets better and better...''

Rhax slowed and stopped, hearing movement nearby, most likely the one who had cried out. 'Who's there?'' she called, her eyes scoping out for any movement, body tense and ready to defend herself.

[Kaala]

"Yes, elf girl, I am Linnea. Good morning, Rhaxta. I see you had a restful sleep. Too bad Arkantos can't see you right now; he's...indisposed..."

"Rhaxta...I'm sorry...but...we'll have to postpone tonight's magic lesson, okay?" Arkantos said with a wan smile. The chain lowered more, and the fire began to lick at his skin, searing off entire pieces of his flesh. He began to scream as he grew smaller and farther away, until you couldn't see him at all. Linnea grinned madly and dismissed the image, looking at both women with a sense of expectation.

"Well, ladies? Did you like what I did with him? Not exactly original, I know, but hey, he made a deal with me, and 24 hours is all I get. Might as well let him know what the average day of mine is like as well, no?"

Kaala frowned at the witch's words. There was no way this could be the Linnea of legend. Linnea was known in elvish history for her compassion and friendliness. She moved closer to the girl as Linnea spoke, reaching for her other blade to defend herself if needed.

She quickly perked up at the sound of Auron's name. She frowned as she heard the news, even though she already knew. "Human fools. Only a little longer and he wouldn't have needed to sell his soul to you, even if is only for a day. I was on my way to heal him. My dragon caught wind of his poisoning well before you took over. Besides, Auron Sol'veck is currently unavailable. Probably scurrying around that fool they call king's castle."

She glanced over at the girl, blocking out the screams of the Magicians sword. A quick glance into the girls mind revealed that the girl was holding up a simple barrier as she scrambled to get dressed before racing off. Kaala simply knocked on her sheild. "Let me in, child. I need to speak with you." Kaala quickly sent her gaze back to the other elf. "So, who are you really? I highly doubt you to be Linnea.." She reached out with her mind, a frown crossing her face as she realised another human had entered the fray. She quickly warned Mirror to keep the two safe from the witch.

[Arkantos]

Linnea grinned broadly at the elf's words.
"Oh, but I am, little elf. You see, after that unfortunate incident with the slaying of that man, I couldn't live with myself, so I decided to become the Menoa Tree. But before I could do that, I had to remove all of the evil and darkness that had inhabited my soul. So I took a ring that was made by the elven smiths and placed all of the darkness and madness that dwelt within my soul into the gem as a power source. I lived like that while my other half entombed herself within the tree. For years, I slowly leeched what power I could from the earth without attracting notice, until I was picked up by an elvish envoy, who in turn gave me to a human as a gift, who was killed by a wolf, who was killed by Arkantos, and, who finally, inadvertently, unlocked my prison. You know, the funny thing is, his face is an almost perfect human version of the man I killed. Funny how those things tend to haunt you forever." Her face went somber as she related this to the elf woman.

~~~~~~~

Verin heard footsteps coming towards her, and she pulled out her quarterstaff and heaved herself up onto her legs and started walking unsteadily farther into the clearing. And towards that flaming sword. She passed a woman about her age with green eyes and holding a sword. Verin closed her eyes so that she would not see the woman's death. She opened them and stared straight at the sword. The elf in the cape and armor appeared not to notice, being to busy giving a monolouge to another elf, this one a Rider. Verin reached out a hand and grasped the hilt of the sword. She shed her quarterstaff and drew the blade out of the earth to a gentle hum as its' power surged through her body, giving her strength. The elf in armor turned as the shreiking stopped and her eyes practically popped out of her skull as she saw Verin standing there, blade held at the ready. She blocked off her mind to assault and advanced forward, slowly. The elf appeared to still be in shock.

"What's the matter, dark elf? Have you seen my face before? How interesting. I'll make sure to kill you, though, before you kill the man with silver hair, and then kill me! This blade doesn't belong to you, does it? No, it belongs to the man you'll try to kill, eventually. I'm a prophetess, you know. Not exactly the one to engage an dark elf, of all peoples, in combat, but you'll find that your magic will not avail you against this blade."

[Rhaxta]

Rhax shuddered as a weird sensation went through the back of her mind. Taking down her mental barriers a sliver she felt the presence of an elf, though certainly not a mad one.

''Ye-'' she stopped, hearing shouting behind her, back with that mad elf. Rhax tore off back toward them, knowing it was the woman that had cried out before. However she circled around, kept to the shadows, using her skill of camouflage and concealment she approached, just out of eyesight of the others yet close enough to dash in if there was any opportunities she couldn't afford to miss...what opportunity that would be she had no idea, but hey, she was ready for it.
Rhax's eyes moved from the back of Linnea, (which from her vantage point was all she could see of her) to the other elf holding a rapier to the new face. Frowning, Rhax listened intently. Then like a dam break her mind flooded. She remembered Linnea. She'd lost her mate to a younger woman, killed him then sang herself into the oldest free of the elven forest. Rhax cast a wary glance to the suddenly familiar tree in the center. A little tribute. She of course had never seen the Menoa tree herself, but there were drawings of it and scrolls written of it and the woman who shared the same life. ''That explains alot..''

Her dark eyes widened at the prophets words, and Rhax's already over-worked heart beat faster, forcing blood into her muscles and brain, making her sharp and almost spring-like, ready to move. She knew with the shields now put back up around her mind (simple as they were) they might not be able to tell she was there. Or, for once, as much as it did sting her pride, Rhax hoped they thought she'd packed up and fled, one less thing for them to worry about...or so they may think.

''Somehow that womans words don't surprise me, Linnea looks like she'd kill anyone that gave her a funny look. But, if Arkantos is on her little hit-list then I'm on it too...''[/color] Rhax grinned, a rather wolf-ish one at that. ''Hell, I'm putting myself on it,'' she thought, daring to move in a little closer.

[Kaala]

Kaala snarled as the human woman approached Linnea, making her job a lot harder. This was becoming a little more difficult than expected. She narrowed her eyes as movement from behind Linnea caught her eye. She sent a quick word to the girl. "Stay where you are, if you don't want to die halfling." With that she focused her attention back on the human. "Don't you dare kill her, human. If you do, then you've killed the Magician with her!" She half shouted half snarled at her, narrowed eyes tracking her movements.

Mirror crept through the underbrush, his bulky form making suprisingly little noise. He watched the scene with interest through his reptilian eyes. "I don't like the look that human has. It's hard to read her with those eyes, almost as though she has no soul." He hissed lightly, his warm breath rolling throughout the clearing. Just then he lunged, knocking Linnea over and pinning her to the ground. "Don't move!" He snarled, his fangs stopping just a few inches from her face. He turned his head up and hissed at the incoming seer. "Stay out of this, human."

[Arkantos]

Linnea grinned broadly and let the illusion surrounding her head to dissipate, letting the prophetess see that the elf Rider was right. The image shimmered and reformed after a few seconds, and Linnea gave the young human a cheeky smirk and a wink.

Verin staggered back in shock and her hands went limp, letting Arkantos' longsword fall to the ground, its fire extinguished. Her eyes watered as she considered the implications of what she might have done.

"I...don't understand...how can this be...it is an abomination of the worst kind to be holding more than one conciousness in your mind. Why would this magician do such a thing?Not even I, with the many voices of past and present within my mind, ever let them gain a fraction of control. But still. Once you have purged this...thing...from the magician, I can see his future, and finally understand what bearing he has on my own fate.", Verin wondered, collapsing to the ground on her knees. Her raven-dark ankle-length hair fell about her, concealing her face from view, as well as blurring most of her outline, so that anyone who saw her would think her some kind of tormented river spirit, reaching out through the realms of the dead to beseech the living for mercy.

[Rhaxta]

Her eyes followed everyone closely, but her mind was detached. It was blank, all she could feel was the gentle press of her consciousness in her mind, just her consciousness. She'd never been so aware of the energy before. Something caught her eye and she paused in her advance, causing her to overlook the word of caution from the elven rider. The sunlight had caught on something...Rhax's first idea was a mirage. It was understandable she'd jump to the conclusion, she'd spent a lot of time traveling in the deserts. The wavering of the land in the distance, the sway as if long trees were warped with the heat.
As the air around her was torn with a sharp growl Rhax instinctively moved back a step. ''No way..''
Rhax forced herself through the brush back into the open, the glistening dragon pinning down the maddened elf with ease. Rhax couldn't help but admire him, '..or her' she corrected.
Casting her gaze down to the elf, a scowl tautened her delicate features.
'' A deal is a deal I suppose, but you really must behave yourself...''
Looking down to the elf's hand, there, the glint of silver that rung a bell in Rhax's mind, the same hue of Arkantos' eyes..for a moment she toyed with the idea of pulling it from her hand, but she didn't know what damage it might cause to Linnea or Ark..or what might happen to her if she even touched it.
Rhax's mind opened tentatively to respond to the riders, hoping that maybe she had more of a clue than her own self. ''Is there nothing we can do to separate Arkantos from this nutter? She still wears the ring... I know little of magic but what was to happen if we removed it?''
Rhax grimaced, she hated not understanding, with a passion.
She focused to the woman who'd fallen to her knees, the sunlight catching on the raven black hair as she did so. Rhax moved over and put a hand on her shoulder. ''Settle yourself, we can leave that to worry about after this commotion'' Rhax said, being more than a little hypocritical as she was already churning the prophets words in her mind which in turn caused and uncomfortable churn in Rhax's gut.

[Arkantos]

Verin looked up forelornly in the direction of the half elf woman, then back at Linnea, then at the Rider. Linnea suddenly stretched out her hand, an obviously evil idea brewing in her mind, and sang a single word in the ancient language.

"Grind!"

The air beyond Verin warped and shrieked, twisting in upon itself and shattering several magical wards on the destination's side. A portal, a man and a half high, and as wide as three men on horse, opened to reveal a large hall deep underground, with a single aquamarine egg sitting on a pedestal. Verin looked at it, puzzled, but then Linnea wispered a few words in the ancient language to compell her to action, and Verin got to her feet quickly, and started to walk brusquely towards the portal with a clear objective in mind. She grabbed the egg with purpose, and her eyes were blank, (despite the fact that she had no pupils or irises), as she walked back through the portal, which closed behind her. Suddenly the egg rocked, and Verin's eyes, such as they were, blinked several times and looked down at what she was carrying. She gasped just as Linnea shouted, "NO!", but it was too late. The egg was hatching, and Linnea's plans were all for naught. Verin gently set the egg down onto the ground and continued to watch the hatching of a dragon. Her dragon. The infant broke its way out of the shell and squeaked eagerly at Verin, who broke into tears and smiles simultaniously. She reached out and stroked the dragon out of habit, and cried out involuntarily when the gedwey ignasia burned its way onto her palm. The dragon squeaked once more, and falling down onto the ground, her arm tingling as her mind was linked with the dragon's, she muttered,

"Caranthor...I'll call you....Caranthor". The dragon nodded sagely, despite being an infant, and curled up next to her, glaring at the other dragon and the immobile elf woman, his eyes full of challenge as Verin struggled to get up. She did so, but wobbly, and suddenly it hit her.

"Oh no...Oh gods...no..I've got to go back to Galbatorix and the palace...I'm...a Rider now...I have to swear alleigiance to him. I'm sorry, my Lady, forgive me. You must have been sent from Uru^Baen to retrieve me. I'm dreadfully sorry for my actions; if you'll just let me come back with you, I promise never to run away again, just don't hurt Caranthor, my Lady, take it out on me instead!" she panicked and fell to her knees once more, this time prostrating herself in front of the Rider, tears running down her face once more, this time, not in joy, but in frustration and panic, and dare she think it: fear. Genuine fear of what Galbatorix might do to her dragon as punishment for running away and trying to sell her services to the Varden. Unfortunately, what might have been an excellent opportunity to be free was, in Verin's mind, the first and foremost reason to go back. On the other hand...Riders were more free to go about their business, as she had seen from the Riders, fools though they were to die so soon after hatching, that had walked the halls of the citadel and the palace over the years...

[Kaala]

"No!" Kaala's cry was cut short by the low growl that emitted from Mirror's maw. He gently craned his neck toward the small creature, whose filmy wings were in the process of unfurling themselves. He eyed it for a moment before turning those baleful eyes upon her.

"It seems like we have no choice, now. We must do something with her. From what I can tell she's terrified of you. I believe she thinks you are of the Empire."

She nearly groaned as the recognised the pressure building in her head. That's all she needed. All she wanted was to get done with this mission and return to Ellesmera. Oh how she missed the elven cities comforting presence. She shook herself and knelt next to the young woman. She calmly reached her hand out. "You have nothing to fear from me...Rider. I am Varden sided, though I dear say if you wish to go your own way, then we'll not stop you..."

[Rhaxta]

Her clouded eyes were on the back of the womans head. Even as she was looking there, she didn't notice as the gleam of the sunlight on Verin's hair dimmed. In the past few minutes it had grown overcast, perfectly in tune with the weight in Rhaxta's stomach, and the fog of shock and fear in her skull. Her tired mind was finding it hard to cope with the situation, never mind strive for a solution.

Then she was suddenly ripped from the silence of her mind.
"Grind!".

Rhax cried out as the air whipped up around her, sending her hair streaming around her like flame. Pushing it out of her way she gasped at what she saw. An opening from thin air into an ancient, damp stone hallway. The glint of the aquamarine caught her eye and she knew in that instant, what it was. Rhax didn't believe it was there - thinking it was her exhausted mind playing tricks or Linnea playing a trick of her own - until Verin shot out from the hall, back onto the same grass Rhax stood on. Linena certainly had palyed a trick but it was definately not an illusion. Moving back Rhax watched as the woman panicked the the Varden rider moved to her side. Her green eyes went from the small dragon to the older one that accompanied the elf. Moving closer cautiously, she gave him a brief nod and attempted a small smile, yet it turned grim as her eyes looked on Linnea- after all she had heard of dragons she wasn't about to take the risk of disrespecting one now by being arrogant. Rhax looked across to the riders, this was going to take some getting used to. She waited patiently for the rider to come back to her about the idea of simply removing the ring...she was certain the rider had heard her, but she decided to take the time she was using to console Verin into calming her own slightly shaken nerves. Rhax strode over to the echoed memorial of the Menoa tree in the center of the clearing and sat against it. After a few moments of silence Rhax felt the queer feeling again. She sensed a mind, the press in the beck of her head. It felt the same as when her consciousness brushed with the others but this one was much more simple, but somehow..purer. Rhax suddenly became aware of the press of wood along her back and cast a thoughtful glance behind her, now observing the tree in a new light. Grinning gently, she noted this world was strange and new, but interesting all the same.

[Arkantos]

((OOC: Oh, hey, guys, evil idea here. Why don't I have an expendable Empire magician-hunter convieniently find Verin?? It'll give us something to kill...^^))

Ugh, Fine. But nothing to extravagent...I kinda want to get this thing going so we can get Verin to the Varden...and don't post like that. Just message us instead.

~Kaala