DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games HWD: The Heartwood HWD: Introduction

<Lia>

"Men, perhaps town guard headed towards the district we just left," she let the others know quietly before dropping into a chair. Somewhere along the way her dagger had been sheathed and was riding innocuously on her hip.

She looked around to see if Kadri or Darian wanted anything before signaling for dinner as well.

Darian

The ruff never strayed far from her as they returned to the inn. Her bow was held at the ready, an arrow nocked but not drawn just in case. Darian slipped the arrow back into the quiver just before slipping inside the inn with the others. She begged use of the room once more from Kadri, meaning to change from her leathers and inspect the damage done to her armor.

Cesare

He nods slowly.

"Show of strength here then. Probably best option. Even if Captain not part of this, other know she and her troop here. May be enough on its own. I don't know all the ways in and out of here yet, there are always some.. but probably not good for any of us alone tonight. And yes I'll stay with them."

And for the first time, he takes off his cloak in the full light of the inn, revealing lesther vest, heavy leather vambraces and greaves, bezantiated hauberk and a pair of Rhoni daggers.

He offers the cloak to the girl.

"Keep for tonight, keep you warm, comfortable."

Kadri looks over and nods.

"Any time Darian. Don't need to ask. Just knock first."

Darian

Darian nodded her thanks and disappeared upstairs once again with Longtooth at her side.. She changed back into her linen breeches and her blood stained linen shirt for an clean one. She frowned at the damage to her armor. She would have to patch it.

Back to "normal" clothing, she draped her cloak about her and took up the bows and quivers and her pack.

"We return bow to owner," she told him beofre padding back dwnstairs.

A quick inquiry told her where Daxia was, and they headed out to the stables. The redhead's back was to them as they approached.

"Dazi?"

Daxia
with Darian and Longtooth in the stables

Armor had been removed, inspected and carefully stowed with her other belongings beside Fern's saddle; her hair was still tied back with a thin strip of leather; surcoat had been replaced with her brown riding overtunic; her white leather belt was back in place with scabbard on one side, dagger and pouch on the other. Daxia stood by the wall, close to where Fern had been given her tiny bit of space. She had pushed the tip of her sword into a handy bale of hay, and was leaning her forehead against the hilt. One hand rested on the crossguard, the other gripped the tails of the bit of white silk that was wrapped around the hilt.

"Yah, Darian?" she whispered without turning, without moving.

Darian

The Hunter spoke softly, not wanting to disturb the woman but place too much value on her own bow to keep another's.

"Here be your bow and quiver."

Kadri also presently heads out to the stables, to care for and check on Lisica.

Daxia
with Darian and Longtooth in the stables

She lifted her head, took a deep breath and let it out ever so slowly before turning towards the Hunter. Her eyes were red-rimmed, though there were no tears or evidence of such on her clothing. "Ta," she said almost inaudibly, as she reached to take the bow and quiver from Darian. Her other hand still held tight to the bits of silk, almost as if it was a lifeline.

Darian and Longtooth with Daxia in the stables

Her brow furrowed at Daxia's countenance, and she looked her over.

"Did ye take injury?"

<Lia with those still in the inn: Cesare, Bekkah and the girl?>

She shrugged slightly and placed the solo order. She looked at the others left at the table after Darian and Kadri left. "So," she said slowly.

Daxia
with Darian and Longtooth in the stables

Daxia shook her head, then pulled the sword out of the hay bale to return it to her scabbard. She set the bow and quiver carefully with her other belongings, and sat on the hay, sighing.

"Only heart-sick. Maybe overwhelmed, tired."

Darian and Longtooth with Daxia in the stables

Darian worked backwards through each of the three things Daxia had said.

"Tired, aye. We all be I think. Overwhelmed? You have been Alpha for us. Much work here."

She tapped her head.

"Why heart-sick? You find sister where you not expect, aye? Not make heart glad?"

Kadri with Darian and Daxia

Kadri. . for the moment, stays quiet and tends to Lisica. Family was one thing that she did not care to discuss.

Bekkah

She turned to the young woman. She guessed that she might even be younger than Dazi. She could not imagine how she had become involved with this group.

She gave the girl her best smile, but it was clear she was weary.

"Tell me of yourself Lia. I like to get to know all the people I come across when it is obvious they are more than just passing through."

Daxia
with Darian and Longtooth in the stables

"Never want to be Alpha. Think not best for job, but only one who will do job." She shrugged. "If Daxia supposed to be leader, wish somebody teach a little how to do before leaving home."

She gestured for Darian to join her on the hay bales, apparently unaware of Kadri's presence, and sat quietly for a while. "Yah, very glad to find Bekkah again. Not see in many, many years." Daxia touch the silk wrapped around the hilt of her sword, and the two tiny bone carvings at the ends of each tail. "When tired, think hard about person who give this. Miss so much," she said, her voice catching. She paused for a few heartbeats to get her voice back under control. "Long time until I see again. Not sure how you say... mate, maybe? So Dazi glad and sad, all at once."

Again, Daxia fell to silence. "I warrior... no less than followers of Rames and Jvrill," she said finally. "Even better maybe, because no one laugh at them for carry sword, no one think... unclean thoughts for them because they carry sword." She took a deep breath and sighed it out. "Even though Dazi warrior, today first time kill man. Feel very... confused. Bad man want to hurt Kadri. I not allow that. I do what Dayala say; I protect Kadri from bad man. So, bad man dead. Dayala ok with that; she not come tell me I do wrong. And Kadri not hurt; I ok with that, Kadri ok with that. Not understand why feeling... very messy in heart." She shook her head. "Wish could talk to teacher Gilly. Or Verchovai Dandy. Maybe they say why Dazi feel confused."

Darian and Longtooth with Daxia in the stables

"I only simple Hunter. Dazi know more. Seems Dazi know more about..."

Darian stopped, struggled to find words to express what she meant.

"...things that happen in city. I only know woods. There maybe me Alpha, here you Alpha. You fit time and place."

At the word mate she looked away. "Is good to have mate, even one far away. The cycles will bring back together again. You have sister her, like pack mate for me. Like Longtooth. We run together. We no have mates..."

A shrug. "...maybe never will. All that left of pack."

"First kill always hardest, beast or man. Must tell heart be quiet, much worse if bad man succeed, like when Grey Men kill all Pack but us."

Kadri with Daxia and Darian in the stables:

She walks up, making her way from Lisica, almost silent until she arrives.

"Daxia. . ."

Her voice is quiet.

"If you didn't feel bad about killing him, then I would have a hard time trusting you. The day its easy to kill is. . . "

She pauses.

"Is the day you are a beast not a person. You are not a beast. I don't see why that should be bad. You are not a bully. You do not enjoy causing pain."

Daxia
with Darian, Longtooth and Kadri in the stables

"Politics," she said to Darian. "Yah, Dazi understand. Sometimes wish didn't, but have task... cannot do without know politics." She did say the word as if it was something foul. "This bad city. Don't like."

Daxia studied the Hunter when she talked of pack, and pack mates, and mates... nodding with understanding, even the part about killing -- though there, she sighed. But she looked confused when Darian spoke of the 'Grey Men' and would have asked about them when Kadri seemed to appear out of nowhere.

She blinked rapidly as Kadri spoke, then pressed the sleeves of her tunic against her eyes for a moment before speaking. "Ta, Kadri," she said quietly. "Thank you. That help. Very much." She tried to smile a bit, her hand again touching the talisman of silk and carved bone. "Sound little like what special person say, if here."

Several deep breaths later, Daxia appeared to be considerably calmer. "Darian, Kadri both help. I say both friend to Dazi. Not same as Pack," she said, looking at Darian, "but you, Longtooth not all alone. Have friend," she said, patting her chest. "But who these Grey Men who kill Pack?"

Darian and Longtooth with Daxia and Kadri in the stables

"Grey Men say Pack called Montague."

<Lia with Cesare, Bekkah, and Elise in the inn>

She smiled briefly and shrugged. "There's nothing much to say. It seems the currents brought us all together and they may take us apart as quickly."

The young woman nodded to the bowls, "You looked tired, Lady. You should have some food."

Daxia
with Darian, Longtooth and Kadri in the stables

Daxia curled her lips in disgust, and almost seemed as if she might spit. "Montague!" She jumped up and began pacing, rubbing her temples as she did so. "Again Montague! Always Montague!" She turned back towards the other two women, the heel of one hand pressed against her forehead. "They at center of web, like spider. They not stopped, all of Heartwood in danger. Dazi not exaggerate."

She looked skyward and said, "Lady, how..." She counted off on her fingers. "How five your Daughters outside Vale to protect all of Heartwood? No disrespect intend, but only so much time five can buy." She ran her fingers through her hair, dislodging much of it from the tie that held it in place. "Yah, Dazi know... you not tell Dazi. Dazi not Priestess. Dazi not even Starrider. Is ok. Just maybe, please, give little hint to somebody so maybe Daughters can spend long lives protecting people like you say, please? Thank you. Blessed be."

Daxia sighed and pulled the leather strip from her hair, tucked it in the pouch on her belt, and muttered, "Hoi! When Kisa say Cragside first nexus, not think there be so many connections." She eyed Kadri. "You not have bad connection to Montague, too? Or even Korie?"

Kadri: With Darian, Longtooth and Daxia

"I barely even know who they are. Unless that is what I was to be married to. Never found THAT name."

She pauses.

"You. . . you can read, yes?"

She says, hopefully.

Daxia
with Darian, Longtooth and Kadri in the stables

"Yah. Read, write," she said with a nod.

Bekkah

"I'll be fine in the morning. It has been a while since I've used that much power twice so quickly. I hope this evening is quiet, for I'd be sorely pressed to heal a scratch at this point."

"Do you have family Lia?" She asked in her soothing voice. It was probably hard to believe that her and Daxia were sisters. They could hardly be more different in looks, speech and mannerisms."