A new Adventure

[Bandoal]

Bandoal stopped, the edge of the forest standing in front of him. He had journeyed for many days and had nothing interesting happen. Feder had slept most of the time and his boots were now slightly worn down.

"Finally, we've arrived," he said aloud. Feder stirred in his place sticking out of Bandoal's vest. He smiled at the small fox pup, he had grown quite attached to the little guy on the journey. With one last glance at his map to make sure it was the right forest, he stepped forward and entered the heavily treed region known as the forests of Tarn.

[Bandoal]

After wandering along the forest path for a long time, Bandoal stopped in a small clearing and made a fire. 'I'll camp here for awhile' he thought as he let Feder run freely through the clearing.
"Don't run off now, Feder!" he called as the fox went digging in a small gopher hole. 'Like the animal even understands you.'

Night fell, and his fire gave a bright orange glow that made a large, eluminated boarder around his camp. Feder fell asleep next to the fire, and Bandoal laid down to rest in the warm glow. Crickets chirped in the distant night, and fireflies began to buzz overhead, like earthly stars. Slowly, Bandoal fell into a deep and restful sleep.

In the morning, Bandoal woke with the sun to go out and catch some food. 'Traps, I'll have to set traps, I don't have a sling with me' he thought saddly, 'oh well.' He set out several traps surounding his camp and laid back down next to the fire to rest a little more.

[Cherry]

A loud cry wrought through the air around Bandoal, and his little fox cub perked his head up, ears jerked forwards at the sound of the animal cry. Feder jumped up and began to bark, small, squeaky-kit barks, indicating that something had been trapped.

Unbeknowingly to Feder, that a small snake-like creature was watching from the trees, stony-gray eyes narrowed on the deer that was stuck in the trap. Feathered wings bristled slightly, but the Couatl remained unseen otherwise.

Meta, there's a ... thing here.

A thing? What thing?

A human hybrid... He looks a little like an elf. And he has a baby fox. Can I eat it?

Heaven's, no! You don't go eating people's pets, Haiban. Boccob only knows what he'd do to you if you went about doing so.

Why should he care? The snake telepathically snapped back to the voice in its head.

A sigh followed. And a rustling soon came, and a slate-gray squirrel appeared next to the winged snake. It bristled annoyedly at the snake, and chattered. Just don't! I don't have much longer in this form, so let's just stick to the bloody plan!

[Bandoal]

Bandoal rose from his place next to the fire and peered in the direction of the cry. 'Sounded like a...a deer maby,' he thought as he drew his dagger from behind his belt and went to check his trap. "Come on Feder," he called to his yipping fox and the little fuzz ball leaped after him.

At the trap he found a deer tangled in an impossible to escape way. "Looks like we have meat for awhile Feder," he said as he quickly killed the deer and untangled it from the trap.

He hauled the carcass over to his campsite and hung it from a tree with some rope and a branch. He quickly skinned it and staked the hide out to cure. He then cut all the meat off the carcass and stuck it on a spit to roast over his fire. He tossed the carcass back into the woods where he wouldn't have to deal with it anymore and sat down to monitor the meat, tossing Feder a raw chunk to chew on for awhile.

[Cherry]

The squirrel and couatl peered down at him from the trees, and then the little slate-gray squirrel slipped. It made quite a racket falling to the ground, but before it could hit the floor, the form shifted back into that of some form of humanoid. The couatl jumped in surprise.

Oi! What happened to the plan?!

I slipped, okay? I'm not the most graceful of people. The cloaked figure sat up, supporting her body with her elbows, and her blue eyes widened when she noticed that she'd be in the line of sight for Feder and Bandoal. The figure mentally cursed at her little mistake.

She stood up, dusting her dark green cloak and folded her arms, peering around curiously. We'll just have to do something different. You stay hidden for now, Haiban.

Whatever, 'Miss'.

The cloaked mage made her way to the clearing, though her features were covered by the cloaks, so it would be hard to tell what she was as of yet. She looked at Bandoal, and decided to just be up front. She cocked her head to the side, "Well, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't think I'd be seeing anyone in these forests..."

It was somewhat true. The Elves of Tarn were having a gnoll problem as of late - this adventurer must not have known it. Oh well, Meta figured, she was sure a ranger could take care of himself.

[Bandoal]

Bandoal stood and directed a curious gaze to the cloaked newcomer. He hadn't expected to see anyone out in the woods. Feder cocked his head at the newcomer and bared his teeth for a moment.

"Uh, hello," he said uncertainly, rising from the fireside and ignoring his meat. "I, uh, I didn't expect to see anyone around here." He scratched at his head and pursed his lips in thought.

"What's your name?" he asked, trying to be social. 'What is this person doing out here in the woods? Well that's a dumb question, what am I doing out here?' He smiled at the figure and sheathed his dagger behind his belt.

[Cherry]

Meta stuck her nose into the air, letting her true name roll off of her tongue in her native language - something that sounded quite demonic in tone. She noticed her mistake, and grinned sheepishly, pulling her hood back to reveal her pointed, grayish features. She whipped her head about, letting her long braided blue-gray hair spill over her shoulders. "Sorry about that, I talk in my...home tongue quite often without noticing. You may just call me Meta, I doubt you could pronounce the way it's actually said anyways." She prattled unceremoniously.

Care to be any more subtle? Hissed Haiban's voice in her head.

Oi, can it. I'm trying to be friendly.

Meta kept her smile plastered on her face as she twiddled her thumbs - one of her habits that she had. It was obvious from her choice of dress that she was a spellcaster of some sorts, but what kind remained a mystery. And no creature was making its presence known that would indicate that she had a familiar...

Yet.

[Bandoal]

Bandoal raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth as if to speak then closed it quickly again. 'Who is she? She doesn't look...natural' he thought as he tried to deside on what to say.

"Well," he finally made up his mind, "it's nice to meet you, Meta. I'm Bandoal Murynek." He looked around to make sure no other strangers were wondering in the woods. "Would you like something to eat? My meat is almost done cooking?" He asked politly. 'First impressions are important.' Feder slowly walked up to Meta and sniffed her leg quickly and desided she was friendly, so he sat on her foot and looked up at her with big pleading eyes.

"Heh heh, it looks like Feder has taken a liking to you," Bandoal said after a time. "So," he went on, trying not to stare at the womans unnatural skin, "you're a spell caster, I asume?"

[Cherry]

She waved her hand slightly, crouching down to stroke Feder lightly, smiling at the fox kit. "Your assumption is correct." She picked the fox up, and strolled over to the fire and plopped down next to it, setting Feder down again. She grinned - the young woman seemed to act genuiningly enough.

"Well, Bandoal, pleasure to meet you. I'm on my way to the Druid's grove, lookin' fer a bit of adventure. City life is boring, and people get mad whenever I try to prank 'em." She displayed a wry smile.

She heard a rustling somewhere further in the woods, and a loud cry erupted from the trees. She jumped up, looking alarmed. "Haiban?"

"Gnolls! Gnolls are coming!" A hissing voice drawled, and out of the trees came fluttering a couatl; a two-foot long snake with bright, red-orange- and yellow-feathery wings. It landed on Meta's shoulder, eyes wide as growling came from the trees, and out came three gnolls, two carrying crudely made axes... The third was carrying a crude hammer, but it was bigger then the other two and looked like a spell caster.

The Gnoll barked loudly in Gnollish at the two other hyena-headed creatures, and the two began to advance towards Bandoal and Meta.

Meta cursed, "It told them to attack, I think," she mumbled, searching through her limited knowledge on the Gnollish language.

"No bloody kidding. I mean, they're coming towards us, for Boccob's sake!"

"Shh. I wonder why Gnolls are in the forest...It isn't normal..."

"No time for normalicy!" Haiban cried out as one Gnoll suddenly charged forwards, towards the Doppleganger-Elf-Creature. Meta cursed, pressing her hands together and whispering a few words. Light green liquid acid splashed from her fingertips, spreading to the charging Gnoll's eyes as it advanced.

The creature howled, backing off a few steps while trying to shake the liquid out of its eyes. The Shaman-Gnoll growled, barking at the two of them. Though the lesser Gnolls seemed weary of advancing on the mage now, and instead turned their sights onto the ranger.

[Bandoal]

Bandoal stared wide eyed as the gnolls came out of the forest and attempted to attack Meta. He quickly recovered, however, and drew his broadsword from his belt and wielded his dagger in his other hand.

He fell back and joined Meta at her side, sword and dagger held in defence, ready for anything. 'Is that thing with her or the gnolls?' he thought, eyeing the strange lizard thing on Meta's shoulder. 'Well of course it's with her, it's on her shoulder!' he cursed at himself mentaly for being so blind and turned his attention back to the gnolls. Feder stood between him and Meta, yipping and bearing his teeth at the gnolls.

[D.Master]

_{OoC|| Bandoal, be careful how you role-play, Cherry is in control of the Gnolls.}

[Cherry]

ooc|| Yeah. Oh, and sorry that I was gone for like 3 days. The internet went boom :x

bic||

The Gnolls growled lowly to each other, before the bigger one barked at the two smaller ones.

One charged for Meta, but she flung the couatl off her shoulder and he spread his wings. "Haiban, revert to your regular size and take care of that Gnoll!" Meta then turned towards the Gnoll that was charging for Bandoal, and she began weaving her hands in intricate patterns while simutaneously pulling something from her spell-components pouch.

Haiban spread his wings out, quickly popping and growing in size, reverting from his 'travel-size' form to his natural size, basically more then quadrupling his size, and hissing warnings at the Gnoll. It ignored his warnings, and tried to slash its axe down one of his wings.

The couatl didn't take lightly to this. He hissed, curling into the air and looking down at the Gnoll. "Talking to you beasts won't do any good," he garbled, then he sprung and curled himself around the Gnoll, quickly, and crunched his jaws into the gnoll's arm. The gnoll screamed in anguish, and began a weird dance to try and shake the couatl. "Hurry up and kill 'em, or something, I can't remain this big much longer." Haiban mumbled through a jawful of fur.

"I'm working," Meta hissed as the Gnoll dove for Bandoal, slashing at his side with its axe, though missed when a loud roar sounded through the area right at the moment Meta finished her spellcasting. It made the shaman and the fighter freeze, though the gnoll Haiban had didn't have a chance, as it was already dead from the poison the couatl injected.

Meta smirked as the shaman gnoll barked at the fighter, and it turned tail and ran. The gnoll that was going for Bandoal barked in disapprovement, but before the shamanic gnoll had fled, he casted a charm on the gnoll and made it stay to attack the little group.

Haiban let out a breath, returning to his two-foot long state and shaking his head as he uncurled himself from the gnoll's body, turning and watching the charmed gnoll fight to get controll of its body again. "Kill it!" Meta nodded, looking at Bandoal.

"While its confused, I used a spell to make the roar sound like a roar the gnoll's know wouldn't bring any good." She shuddered slightly, glaring at the remaining gnoll as it stared at them intently. "But I've exhausted my magic..."

[Bandoal]

ooc: sorry, and don't worry about it, my internet takes a dive every now and again too.

bic:

Bandoal nodded at Meta and sheathed his dagger, moving his sword to his right hand. He charged the gnoll and Feder followed after him, but Bandoal didn't have time to shoo him away. He drove his sword deep into the gnoll's chest as Feder nipped at the gnoll's ankles. The gnoll fell dead and Bandoal had to pull his sword out of it's chest and Feder off of the monster's ankle.

"How's that for adventure Feder?" he said, looking down at his growling fox. He looked at the corpses of the two gnoll's and grimaced, he hadn't expected to need to kill anything ever in his life, his mother had always disapproved of killing.

"A good thing you showed up," he said, turning to Meta, "or I'd have been meat for those three." He glanced quickly to the coualt once before turning back to Meta. 'A very dangerous creature, glad it's on my side.' he thought. 'Is it?'

[Cherry]

"Eh," she brushed her hair behind her pointed, up-lifted ear. "Critter attacks are common in low populated areas. I can take care of myself... But, you... This was your first kill, wasn't it?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Gee, isn't it obvious?" The couatl drawled sardonically.

"You, quiet." Meta snapped at the couatl, and he snickered. After a bit he quieted down, however. "Well, introductions, I suppose. This great bothersome snake is my familiar. Haiban."

"I'm really a demon, you know."

"Don't flatter yourself." Meta shook her head, her pure orbs of deep blue searching the area. "Anyways, these Gnolls might be carrying something. Lets see." She bent over one of them to search it, while Haiban prattled on about how the gnoll will begin to stink after it starts to rot.

Meta grumbled about not finding anything besides rotten, spoiled milk and a half-eaten biscuit of sorts, but Feder was barking excitedly and yanking at a small pouch that was strapped around the other gnoll's waist. His teeth bit through the crude leather, and fifteen silver pieces and eight coppers spilled out.

"Shiny." Haiban pointed out delightedly at Feder's find.

"Thank you Mr. Obvious."

[Bandoal]

"Nice to meet you, Haiban," Bandoal said as he knelt down and patted Feder on the head. "Good boy," he whispered in the pups ear and his tail began to wagon affectionately.

Bandoal rose from the gnoll's side with the silver and copper in his hands. "Do you want to split this between us?" he said holding the money out to Meta. "Or do you want it all? I'm in no way against the idea of me taking it all either," he grinned as he recounted the money in his hands. 'Three drinks at least back home, and maby some better food than old bread and stale wine.'

"Well," he said looking from the money to Meta, "I say we split it, you can have the extra that's left over since you did more in that fight than I did." He counted out the money in his hands one last time before going on, "seven silver and four copper for me, eight silver and four copper for you, if you want it."