Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 16, 2006 20:36:51 GMT -5
Bandoal walked into the welcoming camp with a smelly hide over his shoulder and a fox pup nipping and yipping at his heals. He would seem happy to anyone around him, but his warm smile never touched his eyes. 'Oh mother forgive me, Ehlonna forgive me!' He never looked at the camp as he walked around, lost in his thoughts, he never even considered the possibility of leaving Meta and Haiban behind. 'Bah, who cares. She's probably the one who got me into that mess.'
"We can camp here Feder," he said as he dropped his hide on the ground near an old fire pit. "We need wood," he said as he sat down and stroked Feder's back, who was knawing on an end of the hide Bandoal had brought with him. He pulled the ring of shadows out of his pouch and rolled it between two fingers. 'You could lose her, lose all the trouble she had caused you. I just have to put it on and leave.' He shook his head violently. 'No, no more running, no more hiding and whining like a baby. I'm a man now, and I wouldn't run and hide from anything any more.' he thought as he drew his dagger and began widdling a small stick he had found near him. 'Must think this through, I came out here to find dragons, not to kill or be killed.'
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Post by Cherry on Aug 16, 2006 20:47:01 GMT -5
Meta marched mechanically behind him, her features looking less then happy now. She seemed - Haiban too - to sense the feelings generating from others. Either way, she could tell that this half-Elf was new when it came to adventuring.
Fact be facts, it is a kill-or-be-killed world.
"So," she mumbled, stumbling out of the bushes after him, her eyesight catching the ring of shadows, but she dismissed it. She could probably see past invisibility anyways, with her special circumstances. "Why did you begin to adventure...?"
She blinked. She'd be slightly amused if this one turned out to be another dragon-chaser. There were so many dragon-slayers... What if he was one that wanted to be a tamer, though? Oh well. She pushed it aside for now, wondering what he'd say as Haiban slithered off her shoulder and curled up in a tiny coil by the dead fire pit.
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Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 16, 2006 20:57:32 GMT -5
"Why'd I start?" he said as he tucked his ring back into his pouch. He shrugged and sheathed his dagger behind his belt. "I suppose to get away from the city. I was also out here looking for a dragon. Heh, wouldn't it be something if I could actually tame one," he said with a weak smile, a smile that still didn't touch his eyes.
He set down his whittled stick and stood up. "I just needed to get away from that confounded city. Too many memorie..." he stopped himself short and ran a hand through his dust covered hair. 'Don't tell her too much, you still barely know her!'
"I'm going to fetch us some wood," he said, stumbling as he made his way through the bushes. "I'll be back in a moment." he called over his shoulder as he wondered the bushes and copses near the clearing.
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Post by Cherry on Aug 16, 2006 21:03:44 GMT -5
She smiled slightly, and nodded. "Alright. I'll make sure Haiban stays out of stuff! Oh, and watch out for those confounded Gnolls. They like to suprise attack things!"
The couatl opened one, slitted eye, grumbling about her first comment. "Oh come on, I'm not that bad."
"You'd be a Rogue if you had a choice," Meta snapped, sitting on her rump and crossing her legs, peering into the dead fire pit in concentration for a moment before biting her bottom lip.
Things would get interesting. She wondered briefly if he was putting up a facade. People did that around her. She was just so...different. Though they'd never know. Never know the rough realities of having a Dopplerganger as one of your parents.
Haiban looked at her wearily, before coiling up again and falling to sleep while Meta began to meditate to regain her spell usage.
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Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 16, 2006 21:23:50 GMT -5
"OW!" Bandoal yelled as he tripped over another root, tossing his armfull of branches out in front of him. He landed with a thud, his straw hat rolling off his head and landing in the middle of his wood pile. 'Oh, it's just been my day,' he thought bleakly as he deposited his hat back on it's perch and regathered his pile of wood.
"Sorry about the yelling," he said as he came back into the clearing with the wood. He some of the wood into the fire pit and laid the rest near the edge for later. He then pulled a fistful of dry grass out of the ground and piled it neatly on the wood. He set one stick upright in the center of the pile and began to spin it back and forth rapidly. Soon a whisp of smoke rose from the pile of tinder. He leaned forward and gently blew on the ember until it was a warm, glowing flame.
"There," he nodded to himself and pat Feder on the head, who was still chewing the end of hide. "I told you what brought me out here," he said, quiet randomly, after awhile, "now tell me, why are you out here?" His stomach rumbled momentarily, and very audibly. 'I wish I had my meat right now.'
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Post by Cherry on Aug 17, 2006 8:36:14 GMT -5
She chuckled slightly at the sound his stomach made, then proceeded on to answering his question. "Well, I've actually also stated my reason. Before the Gnolls. I had to get away from the city. I like to just travel, too... And..." She faltered.
She couldn't say she was running from her father. Her father being the Doppleganger side of her heritage. She frowned, and Haiban lifted his head up after hearing them talk. "How about I go and find some woodland critter to gnaw on and bring it back to share?" He suggested, slithering upright and fanning out his wings slightly.
"You do that." Meta said, almost absentmindedly as she withdrew into her thoughts. Her father was the true reason she was away from the city, besides the prejudice that humans usually have against her, because she was running away from him...
"I'm not after a dragon," she prattled, "or treasure...just adventure." She pulled herself from her slight rut and smiled, "Be honest. Who can't resist some adventure?" She chuckled, having already recovered from whatever thoughts that would've been bugging her.
Haiban returned sometime later, carrying three fat rabbits in his jaws... dragging them along. And grumbling to himself about it the whole time. Meta didn't look at the dead creatures twice. She didn't have any feelings of wrong-doing when Haiban brought them back.
"HHere," Haiban mumbled through a jaw full of fur, then spat the rabbits out, "Me and the fox can share one. I'm not particularly hungry."
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Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 17, 2006 8:44:16 GMT -5
Bandoal picked one of the rabbits up that Haiban had spit out and looked it over. With a nod he drew his dagger and quickly cleaned the animal before sticking it on a spit to roast over the fire.
Feder cautiously stepped up to the third rabbit next to Haiban and sniffed it. Bandoal sat down next to the fire, sheathing his dagger again as he did. 'My feet are killing me,' he said as he removed one of his boots. A pungent odor quickly filled the air around him and he coughed.
"I need a bath," he mumbled to himself as he removed his other boot and set it next to the first one. "Say Meta," he said looking up from his sour smelling boots, "you wouldn't happen to know if there is a stream nearby where I can clean up a bit, would you?"
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Post by Cherry on Aug 17, 2006 8:49:58 GMT -5
Meta looked up, and placed a finger on her mouth. "Hmm. Yeah, that way." She pointed to the west, "It's about a half-mile away. Its curvy, so we didnt spot it while coming from the north." She shrugged, and turned to Haiban. "Care to show him?"
The couatl looked up through a mouthful of meat, and swore. "Do I have too?"
"Yes."
The couatl grumbled, swallowed his skewered rabbit, and picked himself up. "This way." He turned and began to slither off to the west.
"Just be careful, the other side of the river is boundary to the druid groves. Creatures don't usually come about on this side of the river, but who knows what Gnolls will do. And goodness knows what else is out there in those woods."
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Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 17, 2006 9:04:50 GMT -5
ooc:WARNING! Bandoal undresses to take a bath (I would hope everyone else does too,) if you don't want to read it, then don't, but it's not graphic, just thought I'd warn anyone with an over active imagination.
"Thanks," he replied and followed Haiban into the woods, about seven or eight minutes later he came to a stream that wound its way through the forest. He sat down in the grass and removed his socks and set them next to his boots, he stood up and removed his belt and set it next to his boots and socks. He set the rest of his clothing next to his weapons and waded into the shallow stream, the cold water felt very refreshing after a trying day.
He dove into the water, the dust and dirt sliding from his hair in streamlets of mud. He looked around to see if anyone was watching him, an odd sensation of eyes watching him. 'That's funny,' he thought as turned in a complete circle. 'I wonder if Haiban is still hanging around?'
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Post by Cherry on Aug 17, 2006 9:11:09 GMT -5
ooc || I doubt it's an issue xD
bic ||
Haiban had retreated into the high branches of a tree, but by no accounts took any interest in watching the half-elf bathe. He was making sure nothing would pop out and try to skewer or behead him. The Gods only know what Meta might do to him. It wasn't everyday she made an... acquaintance.
Haiban didn't know whether to call him 'friend' or not.
~
Meanwhile, back at the Druid's camp, Meta noticed a rather frantic young woman pop out at random. "Hello?" She cocked her head to the side.
"Oh, hello," the elf breathed, rubbing the back of her head. "I thought I heard something over here. We thought it was those damn gnolls again...Sorry to bother you." She bit her lip, turned and ran back in the direction of the main camp.
Meta rose an eyebrow. "Odd. I wonder why she seems so worried about it."
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Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 17, 2006 9:22:50 GMT -5
Bandoal got out of the water and shook his head to get some water out of his hair. 'Now what can I dry off with?' he thought as he gazed around. 'Ah, that'll work,' he picked up his wool shirt and dabbed his hair and body dry and tossed it to one side. He dressed quickly and put his vest over his bare chest. He picked up his belt and strapped it on, sheathing his weapons in it when he finished. He then pulled a clean pair of socks from his pouch and put them on with his boots.
'I should clean my other clothing before I go,' he thought as he took his old socks and shirt and dipped them in the stream. He rung them out and tossed them over his shoulder and walked back to the camp.
He arrived back at the camp a short time later and set his wet clothing out next to the fire to dry. He pulled the spit with the rabbit on it from the fire and examined it. "Not quite done," he said as he placed it back over the fire.
"Did anything happen while I was gone?" he asked as he sat down and stroked Feder, who was chewing a chunk of raw rabbit meat.
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Post by Cherry on Aug 17, 2006 9:27:45 GMT -5
Haiban fluttered back onto the scene a few moments later, ignoring the questioning glance from Meta and curling up to sleep once again.
Upon Bandoal's question, Meta shrugged and explained the odd behavior with the female elf that wandered into the camp to 'see' if she was a gnoll or not.
"Gnolls are creatures that usually live in plains," Meta mumbled to herself, her arms crossed as she gazed thoughtfully at the fire. "I can't imagine why they'd migrate here. Well, the plains aren't too far off from here, anyways. Maybe something chased them into the forest..." She pondered on it for a moment, and shrugged again.
Haiban opened a lidded eye, and grunted at her. "Care to be any quiet?"
"No, put your nose back in the dirt and sleep."
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Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 17, 2006 9:49:11 GMT -5
Bandoal looked around the camp questioningly, 'an elf, thinking we were gnolls?' He poked the rabbit with a stick and nodded. He pulled the rabbit off the fire and began eating it. 'Finally,' he said as he stuffed his mouth with a hot chunk of meat.
"It'd be better in a stew," he grumbled as he licked his fingers. 'It's still food,' he thought as he laid down next to the fire to rest. An eagle called high overhead and Bandoal turned his head up to the sky.
High up he could see a large eagle, circle slowly for a moment before turning off and flying away. Bandoal smiled slightly as he laid his head down and stared at the darkening sky. 'I'd love to soar like an eagle.'
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Post by Cherry on Aug 17, 2006 9:54:52 GMT -5
Haiban lifted his head with a jerk, and looked up at the eagle suspiciously. Meta frowned slightly, "What is it?"
The couatl watched the eagle fly off, and shook his head. "Nothing..." He snorted, and laid his head down, wide awake now.
I think I sense another familiar. Haiban declared telepathically to Meta, and the Doppleganger-half pursed her lips.
Are you sure? Cause I don't.
I'm a demon stuck in a couatl's body - I can sense these things.
Fine. Meta looked around wearily, and shrugged. "Food is food either way. I'm not hungry, so I don't care either way..." She seemed mightly distracted, and she fidgeted in her seat.
ooc | | I'm assuming that eagle was your other character's familiar. xDD'' I dont remember correctly... -goes and looks- If not, Ill edit this
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Bandoal
Junior Member
Life is a dream, and death the waking
Posts: 64
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Post by Bandoal on Aug 17, 2006 10:08:49 GMT -5
ooc:You would assume correctly, and I'm running out of ideas! I hate writer's block.
Bandoal propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Meta.
"What's wrong?" he said as he looked back at the sky. 'Is it that eagle? It's just an eagle,' he glanced from the sky, to Meta, to Haiban and back to the sky. 'Was it?' he thought as he stroked Feder's head.
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