Sleeping Handsome

Woods of Cuole Archive 1







We now follow the journey of Princess Samiya and the three sprites deep into the Woods of Cuole...

Eon was hunkered low to the ground, his ears perked forward and his tail down low, tracking through the woods using the scent he'd acquired from the bloodied spoon back in the Kingdom of Layfette. It was late now... past midnight, and they were far from the grounds of Layfette and her kingdom therein. He had led them this far out and didn't seem to have any intention of stopping.

"Dear Gods, does this mutt ever stop?" Iswe grumbled tiredly as she trekked after the other sprites and Samiya. "We've been walking for hours! We're far from the kingdom... and it's really late. How about we stop and make camp, huh? I don't think the prince is going anywhere tonight..." she whined, adjusting her strapless blue top and the belt around her waist. "Besides, I'm hungry... of all the things we could have--and should have--left with, food was not one of them. Whose bright idea was that?"

Idre simply smiled at Iswe and she patted the pocket of her skirt. "You forget about the seeds the gypsy gave to me, sister." she told her softly over her shoulder. She was walking briskly, staying close to Eon and listening carefully to his thoughts. "If we use them too quickly, they will disappear before we know it. We must not be greedy. We shall eat when the princess is hungry." Idre added to Iswe. "Being sprites, we do not need to eat as much as humans."

Sein shot a swift glaring glance at Iswe as she listened to her complaints. "We walk until we're told to stop." she said in a disgruntled voice. She felt tired too but if the princess was prepared to push on then so would they.

"Please don't fight. Iswe is right we should stop and make camp.." Samiya responded after stumbling once more over a hidden tree root. "Its late and I bet even our canine friend could use a little rest." She said then looked at Sein. "Can you build a fire?" She asked and the fire sprite simply nodded and got to work in the small clearing they had come to a stop in. Samiya glanced round and couldn't help but wrap her arms protectively round herself, the dark shadows of the trees making her feel nervous. Once the fire was blazing she moved to sit next to it, setting her bow and quiver beside her.

Noctis had tailed the group since they had left Layfette, being sure to keep to the shadows. When they had stopped he climbed a tree overhead and settled down onto one of the upper branches. He grinned down as he watched them. Let the fun begin.

Iswe gave a huff at Sein and rolled her eyes, but was grateful when Samiya backed her up and suggested they stop. She moved to sit next to the fire as well, opening the "endless canteen" and tipping it upside down, watching again as a mere drop fell out. "Hmph. Some gift." she muttered, then closed it and looked at the princess. "Never been out in the wilds on your own, eh? You seem nervous, princess..." she said, sounding honestly concerned.

Eon, after he'd realized the girls had stopped to make camp, turned back around and trotted back over to them. He moved to the princess and sat beside her, tilting his head at her with his ears perked forward. He gave a small gruff bark, but it was a quiet noise, and wagged his tail a little. He then looked at Idre and made the same noise. "Stopping already?" he asked her mentally. "Alright... shall I go hunt for food?"

Samiya looked up at Iswe when she addressed her and shook her head lightly. "I was never permitted to travel this far alone. Even Dyllin made me promise I would never come here alone when I told him once that I wanted to." She smiled softly as she pulled her legs up then wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on them as she did. "Now I know why..they are a little frightening."

Idre nodded at Eon and scratched him behind one of his ears gently. Yes, but please be careful and do not stray too far. I can still contact you if you stay in a certain perimeter. If you find anything, you can tell me right away with ease. the earth sprite said in reply. Idre took a seat down on the ground and sighed in relief. It felt good to rest. "Eon is going to hunt for us. " she informed the others. "He won't go too far, so I can contact him if we are in danger or feel uneasy."

Iswe nodded at Samiya's words and frowned seriously. "That they are." she agreed. "They were wise to tell you not to go out on your own. They're dangerous too... demonic plants that can eat a whole man, and theives and thugs!" she said, but stopped when Idre spoke up about the dog going to hunt. "Oh? Have him search for water too." she said absently.

Eon huffed at Iswe and lowered his ears with a small growl, then gave Idre a lick of her cheek before turning and running off into the woods to hunt. He was an excellent tracker and hunter, and it wouldn't be long before he'd spotted a rabbit or two, and perhaps even a small boar or a pheasant or duck.

"Iswe.." Sein said and couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly as she too slumped down next to the fire. "Telling the princess what evil things live within this forest is surely not going to make her feel any better, now is it?" She said raising an eyebrow before shaking her head. "We are safe your highness. You have nothing to worry about."

Samiya swiftly nodded her head but her heart was beating rapidly with the thought of all the things Iswe had told her. We're safe. she kept telling herself over and over again though her eyes kept darting round as if expecting some hulking monster to appear at any minute.

Noctis grinned as he listened to the talk below him and could help but cup his hands around his mouth and let out a long and frightening howl that echoed through the trees. I wonder if I should go down there? Have a little fun in disguise..

Iswe gave a small laugh and rolled her eyes, waving a hand at Sein and Samiya. "Oh, calm down! I was only jok--" she started, but stopped when she heard the long, drawn out howl. She shuddered and grit her teeth, glaring around the trees slowly. "Probably just a wolf... one of Eon's kind, no doubt." she muttered. "No worries, you heard the gypsy. She'll keep us safe from her caravan. Spells and whatnot." she muttered, poking at the fire absently. "Besides, I'm sure Eon will keep us safe, as well as this fire. No stupid animal will come this close to us."

"That was no animal..." Idre whispered, her eyes looking around cautiously. "I don't like it." she shook her head and stood up in a flash. "Who is there? Show yourself!" Idre demanded as loudly as she could, though her soft voice was far from intimidating. "You sound like no animal I have ever heard, and I, of all people should surely know that." Idre said in a small growl.

"Oh well I guess I better get down there then." Noctis whispered still grinning then quickly began his descent down the tree. "I suggest you keep your voice down unless you wish to attract some real monsters to your fire." He said stepping out from behind the tree, his hair straggly blonde and now in the attire of a hunter. He folded his arms across his chest then looked at the people in front of him, an eyebrow raised.

Samiya gasped at the arrival of the stranger but before she could speak Sein had stood and moved in front of her, narrowing her eyes. "You have no business here stranger, I ask that you move on." She said as she clenched her fists ready to fight if she needed to.

Iswe stood up and turned to face the new blonde hunter, flipping her black and blue hair over one shoulder, and frowning at him firmly. "Mind your own business and step on, hunter." she snapped. "We don't want any unnecessary trouble." She grabbed for her bottomless canteen and she couldn't help but shudder at the feel of it suddenly sloshing fully now.

"Trouble? Who says I was here to cause trouble." Noctis replied before taking a step forward. "I was simply going to ask if I could share the warmth of your fire and maybe a small scrap of food." He said. "Are you going to deny me that?"

Idre's eyes narrowed at the stranger. "And if we did?" she questioned him quietly. She turned her head and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to reach Eon's mind with her own. Eon... Idre called out to the wolfdog gently. We need you. There is a stranger here. Approach silently. the earth sprite advised him slowly.

"Please." Iswe scoffed, wrinkling her nose at the hunter. "A big bad hunter like you? I'm sure you can find somewhere else to build a fire of your own." she hissed. "Move on! We don't have any food or water for you to have, we don't even have any for ourselves!" she snapped. She took a threatening step forward. "Now go before I decide to drown you!"

"Yes, mistress. I'm already close by." Eon's mind echoed back to Idre's followed by a soft snapping of branches in the distance. A soft wind blew through and rustled the trees and bushes around them, making the fire flicker and crackle.

"Do you's own this piece of wood that you are camping on?" Noctis asked seemingly unbothered by their threats. "Because if you don't then I have every right to stay here if I so wish it. Do not worry about giving me your food ladies, I was only trying to joke. I filled my belly with beautifully cooked boar not even an hour ago." He moved to a tree and sat down at its base, propping his back against its trunk. "You's seem very edgy, is something wrong?" he asked with a small smirk causing Sein to growl angrily from where she still stood protectively beside the princess.

Samiya quickly placed a gentle hand on Iswe's shoulder in the hopes of calming her down. "Please be careful, we do not want to fight. Maybe if we leave him alone he will not trouble us." She spoke softly though she now gripped her bow in her hands.

"You heard the girl. Your presence is not wanted here." Idre told Noctis, taking a confident step forward now that she knew that Eon was on his way. "Leave. Before we make you." she said coldly, her voice low as she twisted her hand in the air, causing one of the branches of the tree that Noctis was leaning against to bend downwards and wrap around his torso like a snake.

"Mm, I like the way you think, sister." Iswe said sharply, stepping forward as well and popping the cork top off of her canteen, and with a flourish of her hand, water was pulled from it, levitating in the air around her in a wide circle. "I suggest you take your leave now, sir." she warned firmly, grinning a little.

Sein grinned and slowly stood up, moving to stand beside the other sprites. "We gave you fair warning stranger." She said her eyes glowing red like fire. Noctis was a little surprised by their advances but he kept his smile upon his face as if daring them to make a move.

"Stop!" Samiya suddenly cried running in between the sprites and Noctis. "What are you's doing? Are you going to kill him for happening upon our fire. He has done no wrong to us yet!" She said her eyes looking between the three sprites. "If he were going to hurt us would he have not done it by now?"

"The key word there, your highness, is 'yet'. And another rule to being out in these wilds is not to trust anyone who merely happens upon your fire." Iswe lectured, the water still swirling around her.

She opened her mouth to continue, but there was a sudden barking growl, and Eon showed himself from between the trees. He had blood around his muzzle from a fresh kill, and his icy blue eyes instantly locked onto Noctis. He laid back his ears, his tail up and stiff in a fighting position, and he bared his fangs at the man. He also seemed to be letting off some sort of aura.. Magic perhaps. "This man is not what he seems." he told Idre mentally.

I knew that from the moment I laid eyes on him. Idre replied to Eon, her eyes narrowing still at Noctis as she watched him closely. "Who are you?" she questioned the stranger, stepping forward beside the wolfdog with her hand still raised as the tree branch continued to bind carefully around Noctis. "Your real name, if you please. We will know if you are lying."

"You'll have to guess my name.." Noctis replied grinning. "I don't need to ask you your names though. Iswe, Idre and Sein the three sprites of Layfette and of course her majesty, little princess Samiya. I would bow to you if I wasn't being restrained like this." He smirked then suddenly disappeared, changing into the shape of a small fairy and flew up from the tree, landing on one of the higher branches and changing into his own dark haired self. "You ladies don't know who your messing with. I'm going to have so much fun with you's!" He laughed menacingly then suddenly jumped backwards disappearing into the darkness.

"A shapeshifter!" Sein growled and the camp's fire suddenly erupted even higher, blazing brightly. "This is bad. They can be dangerous creatures and won't hesitate to cause as much trouble as they can manage. We all need to be on the lookout.." She looked off to where Noctis had disappeared then slowly moved back to sit by the fire.

"A..shapeshifter.." Samiya repeated slowly. No..It can't be. There not real. she thought but she had seen him change for herself. She bit her lip then looked at the three sprites. "He knew our names.." she said nervously then moved to sit back down grabbing her bow and quiver and clutching them tightly.

"Tch... I doubt he'll be too much trouble. He ran like a dainty female on its first encounter! What sort of nemesis does something so cowardly so quickly?" Iswe taunted to the darkness where Noctis had disappeared to. She turned back to the fire once her water had returned to her canteen, and she sat down cross-legged with a grunt.

Eon had watched Noctis disappear as well, sniffing the air to make sure the enemy was well and truly gone before looking at Idre. "Be on your toes, mistress. I fear he will not go far from us during our journey. I caught two pheasants and a small deer. I'll start bringing them around." he said gently, then loped back into the brush quickly.

Idre nodded after Eon and she sighed, slumping back down on to the ground. She leaned against the tree trunk and tilted her head back, looking up at the night sky. "This is bad.." she whispered softly with a solemn expression on her face, her eyes watching the stars. "But at least we will have a good meal this evening. We can sleep with full bellies. However we must stay alert tonight. I'm sure Eon will stay guard."

Samiya listened to the sprites talking and relaxed slightly. She was glad to have them with her. "I am ready for something to eat. I didn't have the time at the ball." She said as she tried to change the subject from Noctis. "So when we reach Dyllin..how do you think we're supposed to wake him?" She asked frowning lightly. "Jollel didn't tell us."

Iswe gave a haphazard shrug, moving to take a sip from her now replenished canteen. "Perhaps she plans on sharing that information with us later on down the road when we get closer to him? It's very possible that she didn't want to overwhelm us too early in the journey... Who knows how long we'll be out looking for him." she shrugged. She offered her canteen to Samiya, raising her brows. "It's clean." she said with a nod at it.

"I think it will be for quite a while. I don't want to admit it, but this won't be easy for us..." Idre said solemnly, looking into the brush for Eon, hoping that he wasn't struggling too much. The princess was hungry, so they needed to cook the meat fast. Plus, the fuller their bellies were, the easier it would be for them to fall asleep.

Sein nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this isn't going to be an easy trip." She said as she lounged back on the ground and watched as Samiya gratefully accepted the water canteen and took a sip. "But as long as we stick together we'll make it through.." the sprite continued.

Iswe gave a nod at Sein and a small momentary gaze of contemplation, then looked up at the rustling in the bushes. She stood up, hand out towards the canteen Samiya was sipping from, but before the water could worm its way out of the bottle in defense, Eon appeared through the thicket, dragging a small deer through by its back leg in his strong jaws through the dirt. He growled with the effort, dragging it right up to the fire beside Idre, then ran off into the brush again, returning a few moments later with two pheasants in his jaws as well, hanging by their necks. He dropped them in front of Idre as well and then sat, panting and watching her. "Is this good, mistress?"

Idre nodded at Eon and she smiled at him, reaching over and scratching him behind the ears gently. "It's wonderful." she said to him softly. "Isn't it girls? Eon has brought us a feast!" she cried gently, smiling around at Samiya and the other sprites before clasping her arms around the wolfdog's neck and hugging him tightly. "This will make the princess very happy. She will sleep well tonight because of you, Eon. Thank you." Idre told him.

Eon wagged his tail happily behind himself as he was hugged, panting through his mouth with his ears perked and he smiled mentally. "It was the least I could do, mistress!" he said happily and jumped up on his hind legs to hook his forelegs over her shoulders in a return hug. He licked her cheek, then dropped down again and moved towards Iswe. "May I have a drink, mistress? Chasing that deer and those pheasants has left me parched."

Iswe blinked down at the wolfgod, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head at him. "Uh... what? What do you want?" she asked with a not-all-too-pleasant tone. She wasn't a particularly huge fan of land animals... Fish and sea mammals were wonderful creatures, she thought, but.. these animals were just so dirty. And they smelled funny to her. "I don't have any food. It's all over there." she said, pointing at the deer carcass.

Idre giggled, holding a hand to her cheek where Eon had licked it. "He would like some water. He's thirsty." she explained to Iswe with a nod, placing her hand back into her lap. "I'll start plucking the pheasants." Idre announced, leaning forward and scooping up the said pheasants. She placed one of them across her knees and began to pull out all of its feathers in a quick and orderly fashion. "Sein, perhaps you should make this fire a little hotter." Idre suggested with a smile.

"No problem." Sein said with a grin before the fire suddenly blazed up, the red glow illuminating the area around it and reflecting of the leaves of the trees.

Samiya had heard Idre saying Eon was thirsty then moved to him and cupped her hand before beginning to pour water into it. "There you go. I'm sure you're thirsty after all your hard work."

Eon moved to Samiya with a wag of his tail, leaning his head down and lapping the water from her palm eagerly, demonstrating his obvious thirst. Iswe just watched with a small wrinkle of her nose in disgust. "That's gross. Do you have any idea how many germs are in a dog's mouth? They're so dirty." she mumbled, rubbing her arms, but letting Samiya have the endless canteen. "But whatever, they're your dirty hands, highness." she shrugged, moving closer to the fire to keep warm, but not TOO close as to get overheated or burned... she tended to dry out easily.

Idre hummed to herself as she finished plucking the feathers from the second pheasant and she stood up once it was done. "Here we are." she said and then raised her hand and whipped it around, snapping off a strong, thick branch from a nearby tree. "I'll just put these two on this and we can cook them over the fire. The branches shouldn't burn since I have control over them and if you can keep control of the fire Sein, it shouldn't overcook the pheasants either." Idre nodded and placed the pheasants on the branch. "I haven't tried pheasant before... I'm quite excited." she giggled.

Eon raised his head to look at Idre, licking his maw of the water from Samiya's hands, and he wagged his tail at Idre. "It's supposedly a very eloquent dish... served to royalty." He would smile if he could, but instead his ears perked forwards and his tail wagged happily, giving away his happiness and hope that it would make them all feel better about their situation.

Iswe frowned a little at Eon as he looked at Idre, getting up and leaving her canteen with Samiya and Eon, moving to the deer. "I guess I'll work on skinning and gutting the deer then." she nodded, sitting beside it's small body and pulling out a large hunting knife.

"Oh pheasant's delicious." Samiya remarked happily as she tickled behind Eon's ears after he had finished drinking the water from her hands. "And deer as well. You did a good job hunting." She said to the dog, smiling brightly before looking up at the three sprites. "Is there anything you want me to do? I can help prepare the food if you like.." Sein glanced at her with a raised eyebrow then looked at Iswe. "She could help you, right?"

Iswe gave a snort and rolled her eyes. "If she thinks she can stomach it." she grunted as her knife broke through the deer's small, delicate sternum and several ribs as she sliced it from its neck to its pelvis, just letting the blood drain out and run downhill. "This is no work for your beautiful and fragile, manicured hands, highness." she mumbled.

"Pardon my rudeness, Iswe, but... perhaps we should let the princess do what she wishes." Idre said softly, looking at the water sprite carefully. Her eyes then shifted to look at Samiya and she tilted her head at her slightly. "Within your castle walls, you are forbidden to do many things because of your heritage, being a princess and whatnot." Idre said with a small frown. "But now that you are wandering and free for this length of time, I believe now would be a good time for you to explore and do what you wish. Just so long as you are careful. After all, that is why we are here. To protect you." Idre smiled, motioning to herself, the other sprites and Eon.

Samiya frowned slightly at Iswe's mumbled words then looked at Idre as she spoke and finally gave a small nod. "Thank you. I wish to explore and experience as many new things as I can. So please you mustn't feel you need to treat me like a princess for the duration of our journey. If there is a job needs doing, no matter how dirty or disgusting don't think you cannot ask me." Her eyes travelled over the three sprites as she spoke before she moved to Iswe and knelt down beside her. "Let me help you."

Iswe gave a snort at Samiya's speech, rolling her eyes before scooting aside to give her room. "Very well. I'll show you what you're looking for... what to remove. But don't get mad when you lose your stomach and I start laughing." she grumbled, then motioned to the deer carcass. "Go ahead and reach in. Grab a handful and start yankin'."

Idre giggled a little. "Just.. be careful of the smell.. It won't be very nice at all." she warned Samiya with a nod and she looked at Eon, giving him a knowing look before scratching him behind one of his ears. She had really taken a liking to this wolfdog. Idre tilted her head and stuck her tongue out slightly as she concentrated on fixing the two pheasants to the two branches. Soon enough, they were roasting nicely over the fire.

Samiya slowly rolled up her sleeves then carefully reached into deer's carcass. Her complexion paled slightly at the feeling of the creatures innards but she carried on, refusing to give up on the task. Finally she pulled a handful out then looked at Iswe. "What do I do with it?" She asked quickly.

"You can give it to the dog." Iswe shrugged lazily as she continued to dig and pull out innards as well, setting them aside. "Or we can save them and cook them too. I can make a good liver stew." she shrugged.

Eon gave a small groan of what seemed like disgust at Iswe's comment to give him the raw innards. He snorted at Iswe, then looked at Idre. "She's kidding, right? I may be a beast, but I'm not without taste." he said to her mentally with a small bark. "I'll wait for cooked meat, thank you."

Idre frowned at Iswe and she looked at Eon. "Eon will eat with us." she said with a firm nod and shifted over to Eon, cuddling him around his neck protectively like a small child. "He went through the trouble of catching the pheasants and deer for us, so he will eat like a prince. He deserves that much." Idre added.

"I thought I was supposed to be the bad tempered one.." Sein commented as she glanced at Iswe with a smirk. "But I think I might have competition from you my sister." She chuckled lightly then turned back to the fire, making sure it was still burning bright.

Samiya smiled at Sein's joke then carefully laid her handful of innards with the pile Iswe had been creating. "I wish I had brought a journal or even some pages. I would so have loved to have written our adventure down to show Dyllin when we find him. He will not believe me.." She smiled as she looked round at the three sprites. "I hope we have a great adventure."

"It would not be hard to grow some papyrus stalks with those magic seeds of yours, Mistress Idre. We could easily make some papyrus paper for the princess to use." Eon explained lightly in her head, looking at her and flicking his ears this way and that.

Iswe gave a snort at Sein's words, glaring at her lightly, then standing up. "I need to go meditate." she grumbled, moving to lift her enchanted canteen from Sein's side and hanging it around her neck and over one shoulder as she turned and trekked off a little ways into the woods.

"Don't tell me theres trouble in the camp already.." Came a voice from above her. Noctis sat up on a high branch of a tree, reclining back against the trunk. He grinned down at Iswe. "How unfortunate.." He chuckled lightly then relaxed back, placing his hands behind his head.

Iswe looked up at the source of the voice and her eyes narrowed, her body instantly going into a stiff defensive mode, though it was a subtle movement. "Still hanging around? You must not have anything better to do." she grumbled. "Shoo, fly. Don't bother us... or else you'll get squished." She turned and hurried on, following an inner pull towards a water source and hoping it wasn't too far away. She felt dried out and she wanted so badly to meditate.

"Such an empty threat little sprite..you don't have the heart to hurt anyone." Noctis replied as he jumped down from the branch and began walking casually behind her. "You don't seem to be having much fun so far on this little adventure.." He said in a conversational tone though he was smirking.

"I have the guts to defend myself to the death, especially against the likes of you." Iswe snarled over her shoulder at him, aware that he was following her. Perhaps if she got him well enough alone with her... near a major source of water, she could just take care of him herself and get it over with? Drown him clean and fast.

"Against the likes of me? A little judgemental aren't you?" Noctis replied in a sad tone as he quickened his pace until he was walking beside her. "No matter..I am used to it. Now little sprite why are you here when you so obviously don't want to be?"

Iswe shot him a hard glare now that he was walking beside her, and she stepped sideways as they moved to put space between them. "That's none of your business, shapeshifter!" she snarled. "And as far as I'm concerned, you're my enemy, so you better back off or I'll down you right here and now!" she hissed, quickening her pace.

"Alright i'm your enemy.." Noctis repeated with an eye roll. "I'll make sure this little adventure you're going on is as tough as I can possibly make it. And if I can manage it i'll make sure you never reach your destination..or at least the princess won't. Is that what you want me to say? Happy now?"

Iswe paused, stopping her walking to look at him then, still frowning but not nearly as harshly as before. "That was far too sarcastic. What are you playing at, shifter?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why are you following me, if the princess is your ultimate target? And please, don't tell me it's because you're afraid of the mutt."

"Of course i'm not afraid of the dog and yes the princess is my ultimate target but i'm not so stupid as to try and take her right under the noses of two other sprites and your canine companion. She can wait." Noctis replied with a casual shrug. "I am not following you, it is just coincidence that we happen to be going the same way." He grinned before once again shifting into the fairy form and flying up to a low branch where he changed back to normal and sat perched quite comfortably against the tree trunk. "Shifters aren't as evil as people think they are..."

"Yeah, right, because I totally believe that." Iswe grumbled under her breath with a glare after the shifter as he flew off. She turned on her heel and continued on with a huff, heading towards where she was being pulled towards water. Finally, she stopped and smiled at the stream in front of her. It wasn't a major water source... but it would work for meditation. She could even still see the glowing flicker of their camp fire, meaning she hadn't gone too far off at all... even though it felt like she'd been walking for so long. She frowned in confusion at this, but shrugged and moved to sit beside the stream, breathing deeply as she dipped her feet into it.

"You should believe it!" Noctis snapped suddenly, his voice echoing through the trees. "The only reason we act the way we do is because that is what you people have made us! Banishing us to live woods and caves like animals! While all you 'good' creatures live in homes and castles. But not for much longer, my people won't be forced to hide anymore."

Iswe tried to ignore him, continuing to soak her feet and sighing deeply as she tried to meditate. Great story. she thought sarcastically, just breathing deeply. She could feel the water starting to crawl up her legs, wriggling under her clothes and just enveloping and massaging her skin, soaking into her easily.

"You are very rude for a sprite, do you know that." Noctis said in an annoyed tone as he slumped back against the tree. Finally he leapt down onto the ground and moved to the water. He sat down and dipped his fingers lightly into it. "I wonder if its deep enough to swim.." He said casually.

"And you're very touchy for someone who's supposed to be evil!" Iswe snapped back at him, giving him a firm glare. "I'm trying to meditate, you asshole, now if you wanna swim, by all means, go ahead! But just a fair warning, if you step foot in that water, there's a good chance that I'll drown you in it!" She huffed and closed her eyes again tightly, but before she could concentrate hard enough to get her meditation started again, there was a bark from Eon that made her jump, causing the water in the stream to slosh unnaturally. "DAMMIT!" she growled.

"Mistresses, your sister has been gone a while." Eon said to Idre and Sein mentally, looking between them both with a concerned drop of his ears, his tail low between his legs. "Shall I go hunting for her?"

Idre frowned a little and she looked back in the direction of where Iswe had disappeared to. "Perhaps you shouldn't.. It might irritate her." she said with a nod. "You know how Iswe can get." Idre said to Sein softly with a knowing look. "If we belittle her even slightly without actually intending to, she becomes a tidal wave, and it isn't very pretty."

Sein nodded in agreement with Idre but Samiya couldn't help but look worried. "I do hope she's okay.." She said softly as she looked off in the direction that Iswe had wondered off.

"Do you not remember what I am fair sprite?" Noctis replied with a smirk. "If you tried to drown me it would not work for I would just change into a water dwelling creature." He chuckled lightly then glanced at her. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"

"I would rather you didn't." Iswe grumbled, trying still in vain to concentrate. Everytime he spoke to her, her concentration was broken and the water that was slowly crawling up her legs would recede. She knew he was probably deliberately trying to break her concentration and keep her from recovering from her current.... mood.

"Fine.." Noctis sighed in irritation. He moved to stand right next to her and folded his arms across his chest, his dark eyes staring at the water. "You're no fun, do you know that?" He said unhappily. "Here I am trying to lighten the mood before I kill you but no..you're to busy."

Iswe's eyes opened and she scoffed again. "You're going to kill me? I don't think so." she said firmly, suddenly sweeping her legs towards his quickly, water trailing after her in thick waves so that even if her legs missed him, the water wouldn't.

Noctis had anticipated her attack and had moved to step backwards managing to avoid her legs but not quick enough for the water. He felt the pull as his legs were lifted from underneath him and he hit the ground with a thud, landing hard on his back. "No fair.." he groaned from where he lay.

"GUYS! I caught the shapeshifter!" Iswe called back towards the fire as her water began to envelope his body, pinning him to the ground with the majority of the weight and pressure on his chest. She looked back down at him and glared hard. "You're in for it now."

Eon's ears perked at the shout and he lifted his head from where it had been resting on his paws. "Mistress Iswe says she caught the shifter?" he asked to Idre and Sein, then looked at Samiya. "You two go help your sister. I'll stay here and protect the princess."

Sein looked up at Iswe's shout and stood up quickly, a triumphant grin on her face. "Come on Idre lets go deal with this menace." She said then took off in the direction of the water, skidding to a halt when she saw Noctis restrained under the water. "Good job Iswe."

Noctis growled in anger at Iswe's shouts to the others and his eyes flashed a dangerous yellow colour before he suddenly let out a terrifying roar that echoed through the trees. His body began to shift beneath the water growing larger and steadily a thick dark fur cover him and his face became wolf like until finally he lay as the large hulking figure of a werewolf. He growled again then let out a loud howl which was quickly followed by responding howls from the surrounding forest. "You might want to run little sprites before my friends arrive.." He growled as the howls grew louder around them.

Idre frowned at Noctis and she folded her arms at him, looking strangely enough, rather calm. "Not if I have anything to do with it." she said softly. "You forget how powerful we are, shifter. We may not be completely indestructible, but we certainly have a few tricks up our sleeves." Idre explained and then looked toward the trees. "You heard him. He wants to invite you to a little gathering he's having." she called out, still remaining extremely calm.

Iswe had stumbled back when Noctis had suddenly broken from her water grip, but she managed to catch herself on a nearby tree. She grit her teeth with a growl and glared at him, her hand hovering ready over the nozzle of her endless canteen. "Bring it on, puppy!" she snapped, hearing the other howls in the woods.

Noctis climbed to his feet until he was towering over them, a hungry look in his eyes. He howled again and this time the replies came sooner and from alot closer than before until the unmistakeable glint of many pairs of eyes could be seen amongst the trees. Sein's fists tightened and a small glint of fire enveloped them both. "You may have great powers little sprites.." Noctis growled as he looked at the three of them in turn. "But i'm pretty sure your princess will not fair so well when faced with a werewolf when all she has to protect her is a dog.." He let out a loud laugh before howling again.

"He isn't just a dog, you forget. He also has wolf blood running through his veins, so in a sense, he is related to you. Isn't that lovely?" Idre answered Noctis with a rather smug sounding tone, but her voice remained very collected and soft. She turned her head and looked at all of the eyes staring at them from within the trees. "Come on out." Idre said to them calmly. "He is just using you, friends. Don't become his pets. You all deserve to be free, just as much as us. He is going to use your bodies as shields so he will not be hurt. Do not him do that." Idre told all of them mentally.

Just then there was another, lone howl, but it was loud and deep, very unlike the other howls of the surrounding werewolves... Eon suddenly came bursting through the trees at a full sprint, his fangs bared at Noctis. He let out a snarling bark and just as he leapt through the air to attack Noctis, a blast of light eminated from his body. He collided with Noctis violently, his claws scratching through his fur and his teeth searching out his shoulder easily, clamping down on any piece of flesh he could find. His entire body seemed to be made of brightly-glowing white light. It was so bright that it sent the other werewolves in the trees running, the pairs of glowing eyes disappearing quickly.

Noctis growled as Eon launched himself at him and as they wrestled in the blinding light he wrapped his arms round the dogs chest, squeezing tightly and sinking his own fangs into whatever part of his body he came to first whilst he kept his eyes shut. He finally let go and threw Eon away from him, tearing the dogs fangs from his shoulder and wincing as he felt the fresh flow of blood from the wound. "Do you really think you can beat me?" He growled at Eon ignoring the sprites now.

There was a loud yelp of pain as Noctis had bitten Eon back, though the white light did not falter as it illuminated his body. Even as Eon was thrown aside where he collided with a tree, he stayed lit. He slowly and painfully pulled himself back up to his feet, growling at Eon sharply and glaring at him. "I have a better chance at beating you than you give me credit for. Now leave!" he barked, the light giving a brief flourish brighter and fading off of his body like wisps.

Noctis laughed loudly but as he did he shifted back into his normal form, clutching his bloody shoulder as he did. "Do you people really think you're going to succeed in your mission?" He growled as he spun in a circle looking at the three sprites and Eon. "You should just turn around and go back to where you came from, realise that your precious prince is gone!" He laughed out loudly then stopped and looked at Iswe, Idre and Sein. "Seriously do you think three little sprites are any match to the dark forces?" He laughed again then shifted into Dyllins form, grinning at them as he did. "Go on kill me!"

Iswe gasped, her eyes wide on the sight of Noctis in the form of Dyllin. It was... jarring. She hadn't met the prince yet, but she figured this is what he looked like.... She felt herself frozen at the sight, unable to move. Eon stood there, simply growling, his body still glowing brightly. He inched closer, his teeth bared and tail low, threatening to strike again. "Your demise will come swiftly and all too soon, shifter... but I'm afraid it's not destined for tonight. Go! Before the Fates change their minds!" he barked angrily. "This is your last warning!"

Just then, a loud buzzing filled Noctis' ears. Within moments, he heard the voice of the prince he'd sworn dark allegience to. "Noctis. Stop playing with them and return to the castle. I have some delightful news to share with you." With that, the voice faded, leaving the echo of the buzzing noise in his mind.

Noctis had been laughing at Eon when the loud buzzing had erupted in his ears. He froze his eyes searching for the source until he heard the princes voice. "Seems my fun is over for I am being summoned. You got lucky." He said to the sprites and Eon before shifting into a flying creature and disappearing into the trees.

Eon watched Noctis as he disappeared into the darkness, the white light that surrounded him going out suddenly. It was only then that the blood from his neck and shoulder wound became very visible. He panted heavily, limping towards the three sprites carefully and giving a whine of pain. "He's gone... but I can't be sure for how long. We need to move quickly." he said, looking to Idre mostly, knowing she was the only one that could understand him.

Sein couldn't help but feel triumphant when Noctis scurried off into the trees. She looked down at Eon and her smile turned to a frown when she saw he was limping. "He's hurt." She commented then suddenly looked at Idre and Iswe then back down at Eon. "Whose watching the princess?" She said suddenly in a worried tone.

Idre blinked at Sein and her mouth fell open as she gasped. She nodded at Eon's advice and jumped instantly into a run. "Hurry!" she yelled to Iswe and Sein, dashing through the trees and bushes, using her sprite powers to push them aside to make a clearer and much safer path for herself and her sisters so they could reach the princess a lot faster without any obstacles obstructing them.

Iswe turned and raced after her sisters, Eon close on their heels, despite his heavy limp and bleeding shoulder. He was able to run just as fast on three legs as on four. They broke through the trees into the clearing where the fire had been, and they would see Samiya untouched. Eon seemed to heave a sigh of relief. "My mistress had said she would place a cloaking charm on Samiya... I'm happy to see it worked." he panted, limping to the princess and starting to lightly lick her cheek.

Iswe panted a relieved sigh and looked at her sprite sisters. "She's fine." she groaned. "Great news. Now we can sit on the edge of our seats for the rest of the night and not get any sleep. We had might as well just get up and keep walking!" she huffed, throwing her arms up. "Gods know that bastard shifter will keep harrassing us the entire trip..."

"What happened? I was beginning to get worried." Samiya asked after she had stood when the sprites and Eon had returned. She smiled at Eon when he moved to her then gasped when she saw he was hurt. "Oh you poor thing. Here lie down and let me take a look at you." She said to him as she knelt down on the ground beside him.

"It was that stupid shifter..." Sein growled as she collapsed by the fire. "Maybe we should just keep moving, try and get away from this place and maybe even lose him." She said looking at Idre and Iswe. "We can rest when we're out of this awful wood."

Iswe nodded firmly in agreement, looking at Samiya and Eon as she heard the wolfdog groan as he laid down and allowed the princess to look him over. His wound wasn't bad... just several punctures from Noctis' teeth and claws. "Here, use this to wash it out." she said and offered Samiya her endless-water canteen. "There's a lake just a dozen miles or so to the North. We can get a couple hours' rest... but we should head that way. The woods would clear out... less hiding places for thieves or enemies." she shrugged. Not to mention, it would be a great source of water she could control... She would be a force to be reckoned with. "I say we head that way."

Samiya took the water canteen then carefully began to rinse out Eon's wounds. Once they were clean she ripped a few strips of fabric from her long tunic then wrapped them around the affected area to protect them from infection. "There you go." She said with a soft smile as she tickled his ears before looking up at Iswe. "A lake? That sounds perfect." She said and couldn't help but feel a little happiness at the thought of getting the chance to bathe. Sein also nodded in agreement. "Are we settled then? We shall go to the lake?" She asked looking between Iswe and Idre.

Idre nodded in agreement. "The lake sounds wonderful. It will be nice to have some fresh water to bathe in." she said, smiling over at Samiya since she had pretty much spoke her thoughts out loud. "But please, Iswe, do not splash me too much. I know how excitable you will become around your element." Idre said, her voice almost a whisper. "If I am around water for too long, my skin becomes very wrinkly and it is quite embarrassing.." she said with a small blush, looking down at her feet.

"No worries there, sister." Iswe whispered back and smirked, then looked at the others. "Alright then. A small rest, I'll take the first watch, then we'll head out at sunrise."

Eon had pulled himself up from the ground after Samiya tended his wounds, but he was still very tired and only ended up resting his head on his paws. He yawned widely and looked at Idre. "Sounds good to me." he said mentally and his eyes drooped. He would sleep beside the princess that night. He wanted to be sure she would be safe.

Sein nodded then watched as Samiya curled up beside Eon, then lay down beside the fire herself. "Wake me up in a few hours and i'll take the next watch.." She said to Iswe before yawning and closing her eyes.

---

---

The Next Morning...

Iswe found herself rising at dawn to an unwelcome sound: Eon was dragging the body of a boar behind himself--his catch of the day. He had been unable to sleep during the night after his wounds had healed miraculously quickly, and had gone out to hunt for something they could take with them for the trip. He let the body drop to the ground beside the firepit with a pant and looked around at the princess and the three sprites. He moved to Idre and nudged her with his nose, then moved to Sein and did the same thing. He paused at Iswe, but she was already awake and waved him away before his cold nose could touch her skin, and he trotted over to Samiya to wake her as well. He then moved to the boar and sat down beside it, waiting for the four women to rise.

Samiya slowly opened her eyes after Eon had nudged her and couldn't help but groan lightly as she remembered where she was. "I was hoping i'd wake this morning and find that yesterday's events were all just a bad nightmare." She said as she slowly sat up. She imagined what it would have been like if the twins birthday celebrations had went normally. She hoped Dyllin would have made the announcement that he no longer wished to be king and that maybe by now she and him would have set off to experience a great adventure together. She sighed sadly at this thought then looked over at Eon and his catch. "Oh..looks like someone's been busy." She said in a surprised tone as Sein slowly sat up, yawning and stretching as did. "I expect you want a fire lit for that?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

Eon looked around at them all, then at Sein's question. He seemed to shake his head and looked at Idre. "No. We will cut this boar in half. One half can go to the group to eat... but we should preserve it for now and save it for later in our journey. The other half must be kept whole and unpreserved. We will need it." he explained cryptically, expecting and hoping that Idre would explain this to the others.

Sein raised an eyebrow when she caught Eon giving what she thought was a shake of his head. "So you expect us to carry that thing with us? Surely that will slow us down?" she said then sighed. "I'm talking to a dog..I must be tired." She grumbled and couldn't help but shoot a small glare at Samiya when she heard her chuckle. "Someone just tell me what we're doing so I can start preparing." Sein continued, after the princess had finally hushed with an apologetic smile.

Idre woke rather quickly after Eon's nudge on her arm, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She had woken up just in time to hear Eon's explanation and she breathed a tired sigh before looking at Sein, Iswe and Samiya. "He said we have to cut it in half... one half we can eat, but we'll need the other half for later.. Unpreserved." If the other half was going to remain unpreserved, it was obvious it wouldn't be for them to eat and she wondered just what it would be left for.

Iswe scoffed a little and rolled her eyes, drawing her knees up and apart and resting her arms on them, frowning back at the dog. "Figures. More cryptic magic stuff." she grumbled. She looked at the princess and offered her the enchanted canteen to drink from. "Princess." she greeted, shaking the canteen at her gently.

Samiya smiled gratefully then took the canteen from her and gulped back a mouthful of water. "Alright then..does anyone have anything we can use to cut this thing in half?" Sein asked in a still unhappy tone. "I didn't exactly bring my cooking tools with me from the castle." She frowned when she finished speaking. Who knows what predators we're going to attract dragging a dead thing along with us..

"Don't look at me. I could use water, if the current is strong enough... but it would be messy... far too messy for what it's worth." Iswe said with a shrug and a frown. "No one has a knife? Of any sort? Or a sword?"

Idre thought about this a moment, then she looked at Samiya. "You have the bow and arrows that the gypsy gave you... right? Do you have anything else? A dagger, perhaps?" she asked with a shrug. "Perhaps those magic arrows would do the trick?"

Samiya moved to her arrows and pulled one free, inspecting the blade as she did before looking up at the three sprites. "Do you really think this could be sharp enough to slice through the animal?" She asked curiously. "Maybe theres some kind of magic on it that makes it more than just an ordinary arrow..You want to give it a try?" She held it out to Idre.

Idre held up her hands and shook her head with a warm smile. "I couldn't. It breaks my heart to harm an animal, whether it's alive or already gone.." she said with a small, sad look at the boar. "Besides, the gypsy gave them to you. They're yours to use. They probably won't work as well for any of us." she said with a motion to the other two sprites.

"Don't be a chicken, just do it!" Iswe said with a wave of her hand at the two women, frowning. "We need to get a move on as quickly as possible, but skinning, deboning, gutting and slicing the half we DO get to keep will take time!"

"Okay i'll give it a go.." Samiya replied then knelt down beside the animal. She glanced at the arrow in her hand and bit her lip, unsure of how to do this. This won't really work will it? she thought then reached out and sliced into the meat like she was using a dagger. Her eyes widened with how easy it was and in a matter of minutes her job was done as if she had only been cutting through paper. "Finished." She said standing up and wiping the blade of the arrow clean. "Good." Sein replied. "I'll get the fire going."

Iswe smiled widely and nodded as she stood up, clapping her hands. "Great! I'll gut the half we DO get. What do you think, ladies? Breast or rump roast?" she asked as she moved to the sliced boar, glancing at Eon, who trotted to Idre's side.

Idre reached down and lightly stroked Eon's scruff, shrugging and shaking her head. "I'm not a huge fan of eating meat... I'll stick to eating off the land, thank you." she smiled, shaking her small pouch of enchanted seeds at the group. She then sat back down with Eon at her side, just petting his head, smiling at him.

"Who cares just pick an end Iswe!" Sein said with a roll of her eyes as she worked on getting the fire started up again. Samiya smiled as she looked between all the sprites then sat down beside Idre. "Do you really think we'll find Dyllin?" She asked softly.

Idre gave Samiya a confident smile and nodded at her, still combing her fingers through Eon's wolf-like fur. "I really think we will." she smiled at her. "There are only so many places he could be... and we have the gypsy Jollel, Eon, and the King's entire army on our side! We'll find him."

Eon looked between Idre and Samiya and then back at the princess and gave a gruff bark, as if agreeing verbally. His tail began to wag and he flicked his ears at her back and forth, then jumped onto Samiya and gave her a dog-like hug with his paws on her shoulders, then began to lick her face excitedly.

Samiya laughed as Eon licked and jumped up at her, tickling his chin when he did. "Okay, I believe you, we'll find him!" She chuckled. "I'll not give up on him, no way. He's my best friend." She said then smiled softly. "He was the only real person who was happy to let me be me..we had so much fun together." Sein paused and rolled her eyes before carrying on building the fire before placing the meat onto it.

Idre gave Samiya a soft, knowing smile. "It sounds to me like he truly means a lot to you..." she prodded gently, watching the other girl curiously as she coninued to stroke Eon's fur. "Perhaps... you even love him?"

"Wh-what?! No, of course not!" Samiya stuttered in shock as her cheeks blazed red. "We're just friends. He doesn't think of me in that way..you know that. We didn't want to get married even though we were betrothed." She sat on the ground trying to cover her red cheeks.

Idre gave a giggle and shook her head. "If you say so. But in my opinion, if you didn't love Dyllin, even just a little bit, you wouldn't be so red right now." she winked playfully. "Besides, lots of couples hate the idea of being betrothed, but given the chance to marry of their own free wills, it's amazing what kind of affection can bloom."

Iswe rolled her eyes with a grunt from where she was cutting open the chest of the boar's upper half. She grit her teeth, her arms already covered in blood up to her elbows, and she gave a scoff. "You also wouldn't be so dead-set on traveling across Cuole to find him, at the beckoning of some crazy gypsy witch and three sprites." she grumbled. "Sounds like a crush to me."

Samiya's mouth dropped open in surprise and she sat speechless for a few moments before covering her face with her hands causing Sein to chuckle. "I think we've forced the princess to think about things." She commented. Samiya finally let her hands drop and she looked at the three sprites. "It can't be a crush..I just..He's just a friend."

Idre gave a slightly concerned frown and she shook her head, reaching out to pat one of Samiya's hands. "We're not trying to convince you of anything, princess... I'm sorry we're being so... impersonal. We'll stop the teasing. If you say he's just a friend, then we believe you." she smiled sweetly. "Don't stress about it, alright?"

Samiya nodded with a weak smile. "Can we just hurry now and then go. I'm a little tired of this place and would rather leave it behind." She said before moving and busying herself with studyng her new bow. I don't think i've ever felt like I had a crush on Dyllin..but then that horse ride we went on the other night, he was so sweet.. she shook her head deciding she would need to take time and think about it.

Idre nodded and frowned a little worriedly, feeling guilty for having teased Samiya. She looked at Eon, and sighed, then stood up and moved away to give Samiya some room to breathe and think.

"Here's the first slices!" Iswe said as she sliced meat off the bones of the boar, offering them to Sein to cook. "Mm, steak for breakfast! A dream." she winked and chuckled. "Don't worry, princess. We'll eat really quick, fashion a sled of some sort to pull this other boar half with us, and we'll be outta here in no time!"

Sein took the meat from Iswe and began cooking them. They were ready in a matter of moments from the intense heat of her magical flames and she moved to offer them to the princess. "Eat up, we have a long trip ahead of us." She said and Samiya nodded as she took the meat and began to eat. Sein turned and busied herself cooking more for the others.

Idre fingered her bag of seeds lightly, wondering if now was a good time to use one... Grow herself some food. She finally decided it was and she knelt on the dirt, digging a shallow hole with her finger and doing a seed into it before covering it over. She took Iswe's proffered canteen and sprinkled some water on it, then watched and waited.

Samiya paused in her eating and looked towards the earth where Idre had planted the seeds. "What do you think's going to happen?" She whispered to Iswe not wanting to distract Idre.

Iswe gave a weak shrug as she carved off more slabs of meat to be cooked and preserved, offering them to Sein in a neat stack on a piece of skin. She looked at Idre over her shoulder, then shrugged at the princess. "Hell if I know.. They're Idre's--ugh--gift." she grunted, pulling out a couple of bones still covered in meat and tossing them towards Eon. "Here."

Eon's ears fell back a little and wrinkled his nose at the sight and smell of the bloody bones, looking at Iswe shortly, but he bent and picked them up into his mouth, trotting over to Sein and dropping them beside her obediently. The bones could be used to make new weapons--daggers, arrowheads, picks and other useful things.

After a short while of concentration and just patience, the ground where Idre had planted the little seed began to shift. A little green bud was sprouting, slowing uncurling from the earth and fanning out a few leaves to soak in the sunlight from between the trees. Within minutes, it was growing again, the leaves getting bigger and the stem thicker as it stretched upwards, and finally, a few little buds began to sprout. They bloomed into flowers, then grew into fine, ripe strawberries. She smiled proudly as they shimmered a plump red in the sunlight, then gently picked one from the stem, looking it over and taking a careful bite. She blinked, then moaned and giggled with a blush. "My goodness! It's so delicious! Here, try one, princess!" she said, offering one to her after picking it off the stem. "Iswe, Sein, you two should have some too!"

Samiya smiled and took the strawberry gratefully then bit a large chunk from it. Her eyes lit up and her smile widened. "These are delicious..the best i've ever tasted!" She exclaimed then carried on eating until the strawberry was finished.

"No thanks i'll stick to nice cooked meat.." Sein stated as she scrunched her nose up at the sight of the strawberries. She turned and finished off cooking the last of the meat then sat down and began eating her share of it. "Lets eat and then move.."

Iswe took a strawberry from Idre and looked it over suspiciously before taking a small bite. She chewed thoughtfully, studying the taste, then she shrugged and nodded. "Good enough." she lied. In truth, it was the best strawberry she'd ever tasted. She ate it hungrily, then turned and took a slice of meat for herself, eating that eagerly as well. "You certainly are a good cook, Sein. If only I'd served in the castle long enough to taste finer dishes." she smirked.

Idre giggled at her sisters and the princess, offering her another strawberry. "I'm glad you like them! I think these magic seeds do far more than just grow quickly... I think they also enhance the taste of the food." she nodded matter-of-factly as she ate another berry herself.

Eon moved to sneak a steak from beside Sein. He chewed it modestly, then suddenly stopped, lifting his head and perking his ears this way and that. His eyes seemed... cloudy. "Jollel is in trouble... Trolls." he said to Idre silently in her mind, then growled lowly. "Her home has been destroyed. She's run to the king and queen for help, but she fears they may not listen to her anymore. She needs help." he said and looked at Idre. "I cannot go to her... It is my duty to stay with the princess and protect her."

Idre gasped, covering her mouth in worried shock as she listened to Eon, even if it warranted strange looks from the others around them. "Eon says Jollel was just attacked by trolls! She's in trouble and needs help, but he can't go!" she whimpered, looking around at the others.

Iswe frowned deeply, then shook her head. "What can we do? We're already so far from the castle..." she frowned. "We can't just go back."

Sein frowned then stood up. "We might not have a choice..Some of us may have to go back to help." She said as Samiya sat wide eyed listening to them. "We could split up and meet back up again later. Unless anyone else has any other ideas?" Sein finished looking at her sisters.

"No, someone has to go back." Iswe said and nodded firmly. She took another bite of her steak, then looked at everyone. "But who? We're going to the lake... so perhaps whoever would be less useful there?" she asked and looked around at everyone.

Idre bit her lip, then nodded and stood up. "I'll go. Alone. You all need to stay here and keep looking. I'll be fine alone, I can find my way back. The trees will tell me where to go." she said and looked at them all. "I'll reunite with you all once Jollel no longer needs my help."

"No you can't go on your own, what happens if you were attacked?" Sein replied with a shake of her head. "I'll go with you..my powers are useless around water anyway." She looked at Iswe. "You and Eon go on with the princess..Idre and I will return soon."

Iswe watched her sisters seriously a moment, obviously thinking about this. Just her, the princess and Eon? With that shapeshifter on their tails? She wondered how safe that would be. "Idre has a better chance of not being attacked if she's on her own... Remember, that shifter is still after us. What if he attacks us again? He's after the princess, remember? We need all the able bodies we can get to protect her."

"And what if the shifter decides to go after Idre instead? Pick us off one by one?" Sein replied with a frown before sighing and turning to look at Idre. "Are you truely happy to go alone?" She asked slowly.

"I'm not happy to go alone, but it's necessary and for the best. I'll be alright... the trees will help me." Idre said to Sein confidently with a warm smile. "I'll be faster alone as well. Please, stay with the princess and Iswe... Eon will help you all." She moved to hug Iswe, then to Samiya and lastly to Sein before giving Eon a scratch behind his ears. "Good luck to you all, we'll meet up soon!" she said and turned, running into the forests, leaving them all behind.

Iswe had flinched a little at the hug Idre had given her, and watched her run off with a worried glower. She sighed once Idre was gone and whispered, "Gods speed, sister." She then looked at the princess and Sein and Eon. "Well... let's go." she said and moved to grab large pieces of brush and sticks to fashion a sled with which to drag the other half of the boar behind them. She figured the three of them would have to trade off that task as they went.

"I still think it's a bad idea letting her go on her own." Sein grumbled as she extinguished the fire, then set to work wrapping and packing the last few pieces of meat for their journey. "Who knows what troubles she may face out there." Samiya looked worried as she listened to the sprite talk. "But I tried to go with her and she didn't want it..so we just need to concentrate on or own journey and hope we meet no trouble." Sein finished once she was finally ready to go. "So are we ready to go?"

"Yeah." Iswe said with a final grunt as she pulled the boar onto her manifested sled. She adjusted the rope around the combined ends of the branches, then slung it over her shoulder with a glance at Samiya and Eon. "Let's go, princess." she said softly. "Though I gotta say one thing... I will miss having her around to translate for the mutt." she said with a smirk at Eon.

Eon gruffed at her with a small groan and a roll of his eyes, then lightly grabbed the hem of Samiya's pants in his teeth and pulled on them gently in a motion for her to follow him. He then broke ahead of the group, scouting on ahead and heading towards the lake.

---

---

Scabbar Dross was filleting a dog. He wasn't certain whose it was, it had had a collar, but that had been lost somewhere under a pile of entrails and he really didn't fancy going after it. His blade sliced through the flesh with practised ease, sliding along the inside of the ribcage and carefully taking out all the parts that wouldn't be nice to eat. Though these days, there was very little he didn't mind eating. Busy hands sliced off the kidneys, then put them to one side on the table he had outside his house. He wouldn't do this inside the house any more, because blood got under the floorboards, and into the wood, and it attracted flies. He held the dog's rib cage open and shook it repeatedly, spraying blood over his feet but managing to get the lungs, heart and stomach to flop free. He would have haggis in a few days it seemed. Dog haggis.

He didn't usually like working with small blades, but axes were difficult to skin things with. Alright, he could probably do it, he wouldn't contest that, but he was doing this to relax, to feed himself, rather than to hone his skills. He slipped the fur from the meat carefully, making sure to take his time as he separated flesh and muscle, trying to leave a bit of fat on. The dog was surprisingly lean, and very hairy. He would need to wash it before he tried cooking it. He didn't fancy getting any hair in his food.

"Hmn.. Dog is such a stringy meat... I'm not a fan myself." Came a smooth voice from behind the hatchet man. Reise stood beside the small house, dressed in his royal clothes, his hands folded rather innocently behind himself. He looked at the man, his cleanly shaven face somewhat expressionless, then it curled into a grin. "Though, if you have a taste for it... I know where you can get a fantastic wolfdog.."

Scabbar paused, his knife still in his hand. He put the body down beside him, wiping the bloody knife on his trousers as he stood up and turned to face Reise. He was still wearing his hood, and though it had some blood on it, otherwise it was meticulously clean. "You sound like a person in need of an executioner..." he said slowly. This could mean two things, that he suspected Reise would employ him, or he was going to try and kill Reise.

Reise gave a dark chuckle and nodded, his hands resting at his sides now. "I am in the market for one, yes." he said noncholantly, clearly not afraid of Scabbar. "If I recall correctly, you once worked for my father... The royal executioner. That was... before my father outlawed steel and dismissed your services for the safety of my damned twin brother." he growled. "Well... I'm here to welcome you back under my employ. I need quite a few people executed... If you're up for the job."

A thumb gently ran across the edge of the small knife, Scabbar taking care to feel the steel there. "What kind of people?" he asked, as if it mattered. So this was a prince? One of the damned twins that got him kicked out? Oh it was likely that they both knew what Scabbar was going to do the moment there weren't any people for him to kill. Reise was a part of this as much as his brother. But Reise was offering him a job, and that could wait.

That grin on Reise's face quickly returned and his hands rubbed together a little excitedly. "Three sprites. One is currently in my castle, and the other two are on the road with the wolfdog and a princess. I need you to kill the three sprites, the wolfdog and.. a shape shifter." he said firmly with a displeased frown. "He was under my employ... but he has been getting on my nerves lately. I want him disposed of." he sighed. "The princess is to be spared at all costs. Understand?"

"Why?" Scabbar asked, finger pausing on the blade as the hood looked up towards Reise again, the eyes inside it invisible, but still piercing. He didn't like letting people go. He only needed to know one other thing really, but that could come after he found out why he had to let someone live.

Reise scoffed and his smile quickly disappeared, his arms crossing over his chest. He was obviously displeased about the fact that someone was questioning him. "Because if my brother dies--or simply never resurfaces--then her betrothal to him is transfered to me. I am the heir to the throne as long as my brother is gone, and I get everything my brother had--including his wife." he grinned. "The princess is a lovely little piece, and I would really rather she went undamaged." he said, giving Scabbar as harsh of a glare as he felt he was receiving. "However... there is another party member that I really wouldn't care much for sticking around: the desert princess, Ziane. She's Cha'najiit." he explained, hoping the executioner would know that meant she was feline. "She's another threat that needs wiping out."

"So... don't kill the pretty little princess." Scabbar said slowly, still staring at Reise. He then turned around and picked up the corpse of the dog he'd been working on, carefully putting it on his knee and carving again. "And what will you give me for doing this?" he asked. The man needed his help. You didn't come to a killer and tell him you wanted to hire him for nothing.

Reise kept his arms crossed, humming a little as he pushed off the side of the house, strolling leisurely to Scabbar's side and looking down at him. "Hmmm... Well, what would you like?" he asked and grinned. "Remember, as king, I can give you anything you desire."

There was a silence. If Scabbar was going to get his revenge, then Reise wouldn't be around for long afterwards, would he? "I need something up front." he said flatly as he still cut away at the flesh of the dog "More than just a promise."

"Name it." Reise countered confidently, his smile vanishing again, now replaced with impatience as he watched Scabbar. "And make it quick, I have spells to cast, armies to build, and a kingdom to undermine." he sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"An axe." Scabbar said flatly. "My axe. Your parents took it from me when they threw me from their kingdom. I've made do with these... imitations..." He waved towards his shack "They kill well enough. But I want my axe back." That would be the first fee.

Reise gave a quirk of his lips, a curling, sneering smirk. He raised a hand, and with a flourished twist of his wrist, Scabbar's axe appeared from nothing but a plume of dark sand and smoke. "This axe?" he asked, holding it up and out for Scabbar to see. "I thought you would make that request. This is surely a one-of-a-kind piece."

"That's the one." Scabbar said with a nod, turning his head and standing up slowly, moving over towards Reise, bloody knife still in his hands. "Give it to me." he said, palm outstretched, blank hood staring at Reise, waiting for him to hand over the axe. It wasn't very special. It was a normal executioners axe, well maintained, polished wood beneath the neglect of being abandoned for so long. The blade was oddly sharp looking however, for something that had been sitting unused for quite some time.

Reise chuckled and held the axe out towards Scabbar, but not quite handing it over just yet. "Only if you promise to use it to kill those damned sprites." he said sternly, then gladly placed the handle of the axe into Scabbar's hand.

"It's my fee," Scabbar said, whipping the axe from Reise's hand and sliding his thumb up the blade. His thumb came away bloody. "I'll do what you ask." he said gently, twisting the axe handle, running his hands up it slowly, dusting it off carefully "Where did you say I'd find them?"

"One sprite is in my home. Idre. She's the earth sprite. She is of no immediate threat... It's the others I want you to find and take care of immediately." Reise explained. He pulled out a small Amber amulet, holding it up to Scabbar. "Take this. It will lead you to them. From what I've seen, they're at the hidden tower in the cursed woods. I'll move my brothers body from Raelm... Hide him somewhere new. You kill off the pests. Leave the princess alive, as well as a rather pretty drow by the name of Alavara." he nodded. "Understood? Report back to me with this amulet when your task is complete."

"You're asking for a lot of people alive..." Scabbar said flatly, taking the amber amulet and raising it up to his eyes to stare at it. He then wrapped it around his wrist, then held it out in the air, jiggling it slightly, trying to get it to work and lead him to wear he was going.

"Two lives. I could care less how you deal with the others." Reise grumbled then raised his eyebrow at Scabbar's attempts to make the amulet work. He sighed and snapped his fingers, and the amulet came to life, humming softly with a bright glow before a glowing trail erupted from it, leading away from his home and through the trees.

"Two lives can change the world." Scabbar said as he hefted up his axe, starting to follow the trail already, without getting anything else. He had his target, he would now kill them. It was simple. But he was also very good at it.

Reise watched Scabbar start to walk off between the trees, and he grinned evily to himself. "I'm counting on it." he said softly, mostly to himself now since Scabbar was walking away. He chuckled lowly, and in a cloud of smoke that shrunk in on itself upon his exit, he was gone from sight.



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