A Lesson in Tactics [Capricorn, Open]

[Timmir]

Farore looked up as Auduriel mentioned that her apple didn't taste as good as the ones in Ellesmera. She grimaced abit as she thought back to her stay in Ellesmera several months back. While a diet of fruits and vegetables maybe a good thing for elves, being part dragon made her prefer to have meat over anything else. At least, she thought it did.

Farore then took notice that Auduriel had put her venison to the side. "You know, most elves I've met are strick vegetarians. So it makes me wonder why you are different?" She asked the elf out of curiosity before taking a bite out of her piece of bread. She didn't really expect an answer from Auduriel, but did want to at least gauge the elf's reaction to her question.

[Capricorn]

The elf had taken another bite of her apple by the time that Farore asked another question. She was a vegetarian, why would the half-elf think any different? Auduriel's looked confused for a moment before her eyes landed on the venison. Of course. She didn't really have an explanation except for the truth, and although it wasn't like she was hiding out in a city from the Empire, she never did like giving people more information than they asked for.

"I have a dog." She lied, her voice nonchalant. "I wanted to get him a treat."

Auduriel glanced at Farore's pelt- there was venison, she noted. "I see that you're not a vegetarian yourself. You are only part elf- and I don't usually even consider half-elves to be elves, most of the time- but I know of skilled magic users who choose to be vegetarians. Why not you? Granted, I don't know about whether or not you've actually had the... Experiences that cause many elves to become vegetarians..."

Her words may have come off as hostile, but the elf didn't really care.

[Timmir]

Farore raised an eyebrow as she heard Auduriel's answer. She would have never suspected that Auduriel to be a dog person. That made her suspicious if the elf was telling the truth. Sure, it was completely possible that the elf did in fact have a dog, yet it was easily as likely that Auduriel was lying. After all, it was obvious that the elf had little trust towards her.

Farore slowly chewed on a piece of meat as she listened to Auduriel ask why she wasn't a vegetarian. She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, before swallowing. "I know full well of the experience you speak of. I've gone through it several times myself, and that's only what little I can remember. So I understand why many choose to become vegetarians. Personally though, let's just say that I prefer the Dragon's opinion on the subject and leave it at that." She told Auduriel plainly. She then broke off a piece of bread, and took a bite out of it as she looked to see that all the other patrons not paying them any mind. They all seem to be in a very cheerful mode, without a care in the world.

She then turned back to face Auduriel before glancing down at her injured hand. While the bleeding had stopped quite awhile ago, the injury itself was still apparent. Farore gave a depressed sigh as she picked up the mug of ale in front of her, whispered something in the ancient language under her breath, then took a small sip.

"So, out of curiosity, what's your dog's name?" She decided to finally ask, watching Auduriel carefully.

[Capricorn]

Auduriel was curious about Farore's answer. "The dragon's opinion"? She didn't pursue it, though. It seemed like perhaps Farore wanted her to inquire further, considering how cryptic it was, and the elf refused to let her have the satisfaction. The elf bit into her cheese. It was better than the apples, in her opinion, but it was still better in Ellesmera. It was worth noting that fruit was more common than cheese in Ellesmera, and thus the elves had likely spent more time mastering the common dish.

It was then that Farore asked about the dog. "Oh, I just call him dog. In both the human language and Ancient Language, sometimes." She paused. "Why do you want to know? Do you have any pets yourself?"

The first question was more important, the second only to make the first seem less odd.

[Timmir]

Farore smiled as she heard Auduriel inquire about her curiosity. "As I said, it was for simple curiosity.
You just don't seem to be much of a dog person, that's all. Though I'm guessing I was right seeing what you call that poor thing." She told Auduriel before adding. "And no, I don't have any pets. It's not a luxury I can afford. Especially with this war."

Her eyes then glance down at the elf's hands as she noticed the elf was still wearing her gloves. "You know. It's impolite to wear your gloves while eating. And you wouldn't want to accidentally ruin them, do you?" She mentioned nonchalantly as she drank from her mug. It was strange that the elf hadn't removed her gloves, especially seeing how their cloth, but she didn't think much else of it.

[Capricorn]

Auduriel nodded. "I keep the dog more for practical reasons. He's trained in tracking scents and such, so he can be very useful." She paused, adding to her statement in case Farore wanted to see the dog for some reason. "He should be training with a dog handler right now. They take him out and train him a lot. It doesn't bother me one bit- I don't really care about him much anyways."

The elf instinctively glanced down at her hands, noting the gloves. She had half a mind to simply take them off and explain herself rather than keeping on with this lie. She shrugged- she would if Farore kept questioning her, because with all of these things the half-elf was noting, it seemed like she may have already suspected something already. It wasn't like it was a life-or-death matter, anyways. "Do I really look like I care about being polite, or whether or not my gloves are ruined?" She asked.

The gloves had already gotten wet, and she'd probably have to either get a new pair or wash them, but she didn't know if she would. She hated wearing them, anyways.

[Timmir]

"No, I guess you don't. But then, you don't seem to care much about anything, do you?" Farore commented in response to the elf's question, "Yet that does beg the question about why you would bring your dog a treat like this? If you didn't care about him like you said, you wouldn't be giving him that venison. So either your lying about not caring for that dog, or your just following the advice from that dog handler of yours?"

Farore then took a drink as she thought about who the elf's dog handler could be, yet couldn't think of anyone in the Varden or city who would have the time or ability to do such a thing. "Who is this dog handler of yours anyways? I can't think of anyone in the Varden who is talented in such a thing, and I may need to pay them a little visit. A few well trained dogs would always prove to be a useful asset in the battles ahead." She told the elf with a sly smile. Either the elf has been lying or she just helped Farore come up with an intriguing idea.

[Capricorn]

The elf had grown tired of this, and decided to simply tell the truth and get out of this complicated truth. It was almost strange to be able to lie. She had done so to her mother's minions all the time,  but her mother made her speak the Ancient Language, and among the elves, it was expected to speak in that tongue. Auduriel could also see that it could end up becoming horribly complicated. Not to mention, she had a feeling that Farore was smarter than her, and she wouldn't doubt that the half-elf had already figured it out.

Auduriel sighed, allowing an expression of annoyance to spread across her face. She put her food down on her plate, before slipping off her left glove. She did the same with her right. The elf raised her right palm to just about her upper ribcage, just enough so that Farore could see it and the silvery mark on it. "Does answer your question now?" Auduriel asked, her voice showing her irritation.

[Timmir]

Farore watch as Auduriel gave an annoyed sigh and began taking off her gloves. It confused her why the elf was doing this. At least until she was shown the elf's argetlam.

"Well I guess that handler of yours isn't so great after all if your dog bit you like that. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to figure something else out then." Farore told Auduriel casually as she gave a small understanding nod to the elf's question. The Dragon Spirit then looked over at the other patrons as she took another sip from the mug. Once she was sure that no one was paying them any mind, or had seen the mark on Auduriel's hand, she returned her attention to the elf.

"You know, it's been awhile since we had our last spar. Maybe we should find somewhere private and test our skills again once your done eating." Farore offered the elf as she took another sip from her mug. While she was interested in this new development, the last place she wanted to discuss this was somewhere where anyone could overhear them talking. As far as she saw it, the less people who knew Auduriel was a rider, the better.

[Capricorn]

Auduriel realized that her decision-making had just been pretty awful. As soon as Farore nodded, she slipped her hand under the table, and put the gloves back on. They were slightly wet from the apple's juice, so she muttered a few words in the Ancient Language to clean them. It made her slightly tired, but she wasn't expecting to have to fight anytime soon. She should be prepared for anything, she knew, but she still had the energy in Ithíníl to use if she needed it.

The elf nodded. "Yes, how about we do that? I know just the place, quiet and plenty of room..."

Of course, here came the questions. Exactly why she hadn't told Farore in the first place. That, and the fact that it was probably a bad idea to tell everybody on the street that you were a dragon rider. It was probably tempting for most new Riders, but Auduriel had been hesitant about becoming one to begin with.

The elf looked down at her plate. There was still some fruit on it, and she was still hungry. "I'm still hungry, though- I'll bring my food." She stood up, taking her slice of bread and putting the cheese on top of it. She didn't bother with the fruit- it'd be too hard to carry that. Auduriel walked towards the door, waiting for Farore to follow.

[Timmir]

It was nice to hear that Auduriel had a place where they could go. Farore couldn't think of many places where they could easily get to in order to assure their privacy. Though Farore was now curious where this place was located. Could it be where Auduriel was staying at, or was in somewhere else entirely?

Farore quickly drank what remained in her mug as Auduriel gathered her remaining bread. She then got out of her seat, thanked the bartender for the meal, and began following Auduriel towards the door. "I'm following after you." She said as she saw Auduriel waiting for her by the door.

((Sorry for the short post. I had no idea what else to add to this.))

[Capricorn]

((Sorry for the very little I gave you to work with.))

Auduriel nodded, pushing the door open with her shoulder. She stepped onto the street. It was about as quiet as it had been when the two had entered. The glanced to both sides before taking a right to head to the town square. She still couldn't navigate the city very well.

The elf wasn't very confident about getting to the place that she had found. "We could communicate mentally." She suggested, softly, intending for only Farore to hear.

Despite this suggestion, Auduriel still intended to look around and find the place that she had been to. She thought that it was... Southeast, maybe? Which direction was that? She glanced up at the sky to identify the location of the sun so that she could find her way around.

[Timmir]

Farore followed Auduriel as they walked through the streets of Dras-Leona, giving a small nod when the elf suggested they communicate mentally. It was a smart idea to keep others from prying in on their conversation. Still Farore would prefer to keep this to a minimum. She didn't like touching minds with other people when she didn't have to.

As they walked, Farore noticed that Auduriel didn't seem to know where she was going. She sighed abit remembering that the elf was still new to city, and doesn't know her way around yet. She reached her mind out towards the elf to ask, Do you need some assistance getting around?

[Capricorn]

Auduriel heightened her mental defenses as she felt a mind touch hers. But the mind felt... Different. Not quite elf, but not human either. She let the mind touch hers, suspecting that it was Farore, considering what the elf had just said. The message seemed to confirm her suspicion, but she still didn't let the half-elf get too deep into her mind. Well, it didn't feel like Farore was trying to, but Auduriel was still careful. I think I have it...

The hatchling felt the disturbance and proceeded to catch up on what had conspired. She was further away- still in the tent- so it was somewhat fuzzy to understand. The young mind attempted to touch that of Farore to learn more, but found that she was too far away. Satisfied with what she had learned, and desiring not too try to hard lest Farore thought that she was hostile, the dragon retreated back to sleep.

Auduriel gestured for the half-elf to follow. She headed north down a small brick side street, but didn't find the place she was looking for. With a few sharp words under her breath, the elf took a left and headed down another side street. A dead end, but there it was. She opened the plant-covered gate and entered what must have once been a normal alley.

The stone walls were covered in ivy, while grass and weeds cushioned the ground. It was dark, and the sun couldn't quite fit all its rays in. She had discovered this place after taking a wrong turn to the leatherworker's shop, and it proved useful. She liked it, too.

[Timmir]

Okay then. Was Farore's response to Auduriel's claim that she believed she knew where she was going now. Then Farore felt the presence of another mind coming towards. She quickly prepare to pull up her defenses, however the foreign mind faded away before it got anywhere close to her's. Curiosity made her wonder who's mind tried to connect to her's, but paranoia told her that it's best not to find out.

She continued to follow the elf as they wondered through the city. Farore gazed around her surroundings as they walked, just taking in the sites when she could, and making sure they weren't being followed. They eventually came to a plant covered gate that lead to a quiet alleyway. Farore looked at the place oddly wondering if this was where Auduriel was leading them. If it was, it wasn't exactly what she was expecting. She thought they would have been somewhere inside, and could ensure that no one could eavesdrop on them.

"So is this the place?" Farore asked as she touched one of the ivy covered stone wall. It seemed unlikely she'd be able to transform here if she needed to, which worried the tactician quite abit. If something were to happen where she needed to transform, she would need to get out of this alleyway quickly so she could.

[Capricorn]

Auduriel brushed a few strands of ivy from the wall behind her, sitting down on a moss-covered tile which had been elevated slightly after the years. It was just between a wall and a wooden house, so it was likely that nobody had even bothered to maintain in. The only entrance and exit was that plant-covered gate, so it wasn't like it led anywhere.

The elf turned to glance at Farore. "So..." She began, slowly, her voice laced with sarcasm as she said the first part of her statement. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that we're not actually going to spar."

She raised a piece of bread to her mouth, tearing a piece off before placing it back on her lap. The elf unsheathed her sword, placing it on the ground beside her. It was still in close reach, but Auduriel hoped that Farore would see the gesture and know that she meant no harm. She would be concerned if the half-elf wasn't- Auduriel had just brought her into a small, abandoned alley with only one way in and one way out. The elf was further away from the gate than Farore was, though, so she hoped that helped.

[Timmir]

As she heard Auduriel's question, she paused to search the local area with her mind. Satisfied that no one would be eavesdropping on them, she turned to Auduriel. Despite their location, Farore trusted the elf enough to know that she wouldn't attack unprovoked. It also helped that Auduriel had laid her sword on the ground within sight of the Dragon Spirit. An unneeded, but comforting gesture.

"No." Farore told Auduriel as she leaned against the wall, "Not right now, at least. There's something I would rather discuss with you first. Maybe afterwards though."

She paused to gather her thoughts. It wasn't exactly a subject she was use to talking about, and she knew that it was one that Auduriel would prefer to avoid. Regardless of that though, it needed to be said. And there was something that she felt Auduriel deserved to know.

"So if I were to guess, it isn't more then a month old. Have you given him a name yet?" Farore asked, deciding to start this discussion off simple.

[Capricorn]

Just as Auduriel had expected, Farore wanted to discuss the dragon. She wasn't sure exactly what she thought of the conversation. She knew that it was because of her lack of patience that she was even having this conversation. She could only hope that the half-elf wasn't actually a spy for the Empire or something.

"She's only a week and a half old." The elf responded, and then shook her head. She had placed emphasis on the "she", almost sounding satisfied that Farore had made a mistake. "I haven't. I don't think that I will. I'll let her come up with her own name- she'll probably like the chance to be creative."

[Timmir]

Farore found it curious that Auduriel had yet to name her dragon. As far as she knew, it was a common practice for both dragon and rider to come up with a name together, or at least the rider ran names past their dragon to see which one they like. So Auduriel leaving it to her dragon to decide was a bit of an oddity to Farore. Could this perhaps be because Auduriel didn't want to be connected to her dragon, or was she just overthinking it?

"Well then. I hope she comes up with a good name for herself." Farore told Auduriel, not knowing what else to say about the subject. "So does anybody else know about your dragon, or am I the first one to know?" She asked, wanting to know how much a secret the elf has been keeping this.

[Capricorn]

"You, and the Varden. I've met a few Riders and dragons, showed her to some guards to get to where I need to be... Not as much of a secret as most dragons are nowadays. I haven't told any random people on the street- except you." Auduriel explained. Farore was just a random person on the street to her, wasn't she?

"And it wasn't particularly clever to go ahead and show you my gedwey ignasia just because I was irritated, but, well... I was tired of your asking so many questions. You are rather clever, you know." The elf added, resting her head and back against the plant-covered walls of the abandoned alley.