Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2011 17:27:17 GMT -5
The rain fell upon the King's Forest, covering a Bedine man as he traveled along with silver droplets that clung to his clothes, hair and gear. Ronso, the Bedine, kept a slow pace, outwardly congenial and even jovial to his female companion, Sera. But inwardly he was wary, constantly surveying the forest for threats, constantly evaluating his circumstances, plotting and planning, always adjusting. It was the way that he must walk, for those who tread the paths of darkness make enemies on both sides of the moral divide, and must always be ready. And so, he and his companion made their way cautiously through the trees, along the road to Waymoot.
As they rounded a bend, they came upon a dark shape nestled at the side of the road by the base of a tree. Over the next few steps, the shape resolved itself into the form of a young, copper haired woman dressed in black leathers, lounging with her back against the trunk, as comfortably in the rainy forest as a Bedine harem girl might lounge on a couch cushion. Something in the way she sat suggested that she might even have been waiting for him to arrive. "Well met," she said in an even tone, once the two travelers drew to a conversational distance.
Ronso recognized the woman as Erynne "The Wanderlust" Perselli, who had done her level best to kill him the last time they'd met, for reasons she'd spoken, but which he denied. Only Ronso knew the truth of his claims, as it must be. And now his recent attempted assassin sat a scant ten paces from his feet, looking for all the world like she might next invite him to pull up a rock and join her in enjoying the drizzly weather. "Well well, look at this sorry sight," he said with a faint smirk. "Miss Wanderlust, we meet again."
The copper haired woman slowly rose to her feet, spoke a handful of strange words, and traced a sigil in the air before her. "We do," she said, as a green halo began to glow at her feet. The Bedine knew the effect by sight, a ward that would protect her from magic that could strip her of the ability to move or act. Always prepared, always plotting, always planning, this one was. So similar they were in that regard. Sitting down, she said, "Are we up to girlfriend number twelve now, or have we lost count?"
Sera's expression changed. "Are you always so insulting?" she asked.
"Not always," Erynne answered.
"Then stop," Sera said.
As the two women bickered, Ronso brushed his cloak open, letting his hands graze lightly over the scimitar hilts hanging from his belt. "I didn't know you were keeping count," he said, exuding a cool, calculating confidence. "I will admit, I'm surprised we were able to catch you off guard. Disappointed, even. Then again, you never are off guard, are you, Miss Wanderlust."
Without shifting in her apparently lounging position, Erynne said to Ronso, "I've placed myself in your path on purpose. If I meant to attack you, I've had ample opportunity. Perhaps you could take the malar panther as corroboration of that fact. Or the slimes." Erynne named the creatures that Ronso and Sera had fought on their way to the place where they now spoke with Erynne. It was clear enough that she had been aware of their presence well before they were aware of hers. "The scimitars are not necessary, unless I should be concerned of your intentions."
"What is it you want, Wanderlust?" Ronso asked. "Have you come for me?"
"Quite the contrary," Erynne said. "In the sense you mean it, anyways. I've made a promise to someone who cares for you. As I have been to others, there is one who longs for your repentance from darkness, Ronso. Not for the sake of those who you might harm, but that you may not be destroyed by the consequences of the work of your own hands. I have promised to allow time for that to happen, unless I come across an innocent to defend, in the moment. This is the promise I have made."
Ronso brushed aside water droplets from his face with a hand and looked to her through the rain with a crooked smirk. "What if I force your hand and try to cut you down first, dear?" he asked.
Erynne said, "I suppose I would have to decide upon a course of action in the moment." She slowly rose to her feet, brushing herself off. Taking a potion vial out of a belt pouch, she said, "On that note," and quaffed the potion. Immediately, she vanished from sight.
Ronso hesitated brief seconds, then began to chant in Midani and trace sigils in the air. In a moment, he was able to penetrate magical veils such as the one Erynne had used to hide herself, and to perceive the invisible. With the magical aid he enlisted, Ronso searched through the trees to the west, towards Waymoot. He turned around and scanned to the east, the way he'd come. Turning all around, he searched every direction for the elusive prey that had stalked him through the forest, peering into every bush, every shadow by every tree, scanning every rock for a bump that looked out of place. But even with his magically aided sight, no matter how hard he tried or where he looked, the Wanderlust was not to be found.
As they rounded a bend, they came upon a dark shape nestled at the side of the road by the base of a tree. Over the next few steps, the shape resolved itself into the form of a young, copper haired woman dressed in black leathers, lounging with her back against the trunk, as comfortably in the rainy forest as a Bedine harem girl might lounge on a couch cushion. Something in the way she sat suggested that she might even have been waiting for him to arrive. "Well met," she said in an even tone, once the two travelers drew to a conversational distance.
Ronso recognized the woman as Erynne "The Wanderlust" Perselli, who had done her level best to kill him the last time they'd met, for reasons she'd spoken, but which he denied. Only Ronso knew the truth of his claims, as it must be. And now his recent attempted assassin sat a scant ten paces from his feet, looking for all the world like she might next invite him to pull up a rock and join her in enjoying the drizzly weather. "Well well, look at this sorry sight," he said with a faint smirk. "Miss Wanderlust, we meet again."
The copper haired woman slowly rose to her feet, spoke a handful of strange words, and traced a sigil in the air before her. "We do," she said, as a green halo began to glow at her feet. The Bedine knew the effect by sight, a ward that would protect her from magic that could strip her of the ability to move or act. Always prepared, always plotting, always planning, this one was. So similar they were in that regard. Sitting down, she said, "Are we up to girlfriend number twelve now, or have we lost count?"
Sera's expression changed. "Are you always so insulting?" she asked.
"Not always," Erynne answered.
"Then stop," Sera said.
As the two women bickered, Ronso brushed his cloak open, letting his hands graze lightly over the scimitar hilts hanging from his belt. "I didn't know you were keeping count," he said, exuding a cool, calculating confidence. "I will admit, I'm surprised we were able to catch you off guard. Disappointed, even. Then again, you never are off guard, are you, Miss Wanderlust."
Without shifting in her apparently lounging position, Erynne said to Ronso, "I've placed myself in your path on purpose. If I meant to attack you, I've had ample opportunity. Perhaps you could take the malar panther as corroboration of that fact. Or the slimes." Erynne named the creatures that Ronso and Sera had fought on their way to the place where they now spoke with Erynne. It was clear enough that she had been aware of their presence well before they were aware of hers. "The scimitars are not necessary, unless I should be concerned of your intentions."
"What is it you want, Wanderlust?" Ronso asked. "Have you come for me?"
"Quite the contrary," Erynne said. "In the sense you mean it, anyways. I've made a promise to someone who cares for you. As I have been to others, there is one who longs for your repentance from darkness, Ronso. Not for the sake of those who you might harm, but that you may not be destroyed by the consequences of the work of your own hands. I have promised to allow time for that to happen, unless I come across an innocent to defend, in the moment. This is the promise I have made."
Ronso brushed aside water droplets from his face with a hand and looked to her through the rain with a crooked smirk. "What if I force your hand and try to cut you down first, dear?" he asked.
Erynne said, "I suppose I would have to decide upon a course of action in the moment." She slowly rose to her feet, brushing herself off. Taking a potion vial out of a belt pouch, she said, "On that note," and quaffed the potion. Immediately, she vanished from sight.
Ronso hesitated brief seconds, then began to chant in Midani and trace sigils in the air. In a moment, he was able to penetrate magical veils such as the one Erynne had used to hide herself, and to perceive the invisible. With the magical aid he enlisted, Ronso searched through the trees to the west, towards Waymoot. He turned around and scanned to the east, the way he'd come. Turning all around, he searched every direction for the elusive prey that had stalked him through the forest, peering into every bush, every shadow by every tree, scanning every rock for a bump that looked out of place. But even with his magically aided sight, no matter how hard he tried or where he looked, the Wanderlust was not to be found.