Moon Times - VK

"Why in the world your 'Master' send you out into the woods with me is a mystery." The air quotes to "Master" could almost be heard as the half-elf spoke, "Considering the fact that I have got to be one of the worst people to teach anyone anything about the woods except how to ... ack ..."

Sinjan tripped over some dead fall and twisted about, bumping into a tree then sighing as he rested against it sideways, "Trip over stuff. Are we sure that your Master hasn't lost his brain cells somewhere between birth and god hood here? As you have more than likely been able to see I suck at being a woodsman. Or he might be wanting you to learn what NOT to do."

He fell to the ground suddenly and sighed, "How about if we rest here for a few moments, Shade?"

Shade walked through the forest behind Sinjan watching him and stepped to the side and went around the root Sinjan tripped over. "You are suppose to teach me about the woods? I spent years in these places why do I need a tutor? I will teach you a few things first of all shadows let you know most of the terrain and at night let the wind be your guide. Echolocation is also a useful tool try tapping your blade or staff onto the ground you can tell what is in front of you."

Shade walked over and easily climbed into a tree laying against the trunk on a extending branch. "Ok it is obvious that I was not sent out here to learn foresting especially from you, Tatsoo or Kai would have been better teachers if I didn't know enough already. So what's the real game?"

"Beats me. Oh Mister Mysterioso Master of yours only said something about teaching you and hearing wolf howls." He snorted, "As if there wouldn't be any howling out here with there being a freaking wolf pack following on our heels."

He put his hands behind his head and smirked at the younger man, "I just hope he protects me from Calliara when she finds out I'm out here instead of doing the eyes and ears thing for her. Then again, I did that all day. I should be able to have some time to myself." He shrugged, "And I'm kind of glad to be out here with you. Congratulate you on being accepted in this rag tag mess of Nyg's."

Shade shrugged looking at the sky. "I was dragged into this when all I was hoping to do was spend the rest of the day with my Golden Bird instead I'm out here in the woods with a man who can't seem to stay on his feet. Sorry that was mean but I was hoping for some alone time with Tatsoo. Oh welll as for the Howls I have no idea and my sympathies you have. Cali Scares the hell out of me she looks like she is gonna snap any second and try and take everyone with her to Hells gates. She needs to lay down kick back and relax."

Shade looked down at Sinjan and chuckled. "So Sin where is the girl for you? I noticed most people here have someone and I was lucky enough to find my Golden Bird. What about you, Any interests I noticed a few cuties. What about that red head chick the battle ready looking one. (Draconis)"

"If I remember your Golden Bird disappeared a few hours ago." Sinjan pointed out, "She's probably back by now though. As for Calli, well she's not used to taking on Nygozy's duties but our boss is a bit out of it right now and it's good training for her to do this while it isn't a war zone."

He chuckled, "Women for me? Well, I can't say I have one. Lithawen and I had something but I don't know about that. You haven't met her but she's a lot more against humans than you are. She only accepted me because I'm half. She broke a kid's hand just because he was human. Then there is Leliana but she's more a flirt than anything. Fremelda? I don't think I've even talked to her let alone thought of her one way or the other. Hmm. She is pretty."

A smile.

She crept along in the tree tops above the walking duo, more surefooted than any creature of the branch or bush, the forest eating the sound of her movements so that she was as silent as a leaf falling to the ground. She'd been enjoying watching them, listening to them talk. Here were two more of her companions, like the hunter from the previous night, the one who wore the Fade around him like a cloak, who'd traded his song for a sharp-edged war-cry.

Her smile widened.

One of the men, a half-brother, was no mage, but the youth beside him, a full-brother, was. The song in him was strong, but most intriguing was that song touched to it. It was an old, old song, and even though the melody had been forgotten and re-written somewhere along the way, it was no less pleasing to listen to. It wasn't a Symphony, but rather, a subtle tune, weaving its was around the mage-youth's own chant.

Should she appear to them, she wondered, or should she continue to follow, unseen. Showing herself seemed, thus far, to be working well for her - the Symphony and Harp had accepted her, as had the War-Cry, but would the half-brother and Chant accept her as well?

Shade laughed looking upwards. "I don't know half the time what is going on just one thing after another is all I can say, the whole world seems to be pushing down on me and everyone here there is so many problems. This is why I avoid large groups when i was alone here were no problems except what town was next and which chantry was first to burn. Here it's fights, arguments, different races different species different religions and rights and wrongs and just noise. You never see two bears fighting over which god was right they eat fish stuff grass corks up there ass and sleep for 6 months...My kind of animals."

Shade looked down at Sinjan and shook his head. "Too many women Sin I have had only two in my life one was....murdered a long time ago in another life and Tatsoo. I don't even bother to look at other women when my Golden Bird makes them look scrawny and unappealing. The thing is I'm not into marriage I don't believe in it but I want to be with her forever. I guess you can do that without getting married. But what if she wants too? I don't know her tribal ways last thing I need to learn is that the females ate the males the day they were married." Shade laughed realizing he hadn't really had anytime to be alone since he joined up with Nygozy and her crew.

"Now for Kraven that is a whole new world this elf is pulling me into one I don't understand yet for some reason i want it so badly. I don't know Sin I'm trapped between two lives one is with Tatsoo who I love and the other is with something I have always dreamed of. I want her to come with me but she is a Warden and I'm not. There will be places I must go where she can't follow and vice versa. I have made my choice to be Kraven's apprentice because I needed this. I made the right choice....I hope.

"The camp is much bigger this time because we are trying to recreate the Grey Wardens in Fereldan but it never used to be this confusing, or difficult. So many people and so many things that can and do go wrong." He sighed, "And you don't know who to say what to. It's abysmal. There is a reason I hang around the horses but then again, it is a lot easier for me out here. No noble women trying to tie me down to their apron strings. Bleh." He stuck out his tongue at the thought.

"You had a girlfriend before? I've had too many, Shade, I do have to admit but it has never been true love. I don't think so anyway. At least you and Tatsoo have something more. People can see it in your eyes."

Sinjan sat up, "Have you talked with Tatsoo about feeling like that yet? She seems pretty reasonable, I suppose. And I don't think ..."

The wind shifted and even Sinjan could tell something was different as the scent of blood drifted on the wind, "Is it just me or can you smell blood? I ... don't normally smell it so it has to be quite a bit if I'm not wrong."

Shade looked around and shrugged. "Tatsoo is very reasonable but these are waters I'm not ready to test yet. I can't tell you how I feel about Tatsoo I just know I can always rely on her. One day you will see her Sin and the world will glow for a brief moment and you will know your in love."

Shade looked over as the wind shifted and nodded. "I do smell Blood but it is faint maybe we should look into it...or not doesn't bother me this tree is comfy." he looked down at Sinjan letting him decide if they should go or not.

"I suppose it isn't unusual to smell blood on the breeze." Sinjan lay back again, hands behind his head as a long wolf call wailed into the air like a lost soul trying to find it's way, "Especially with wolves all over the place here."

He stood and dusted himself off then leaned against the tree, "I'm sure you're right. So that's how it was with you and Tatsoo? That must not have been long after Nygozy and I met you."

Kassina had been alerted by one of her pack to the smell of something odd in the forest. In wolf form she followed her pack sister to the area. Kassina sniffed around the area trying to figure out what the scent was. She had caught traces of it in the woods around the camp since they settled, but had yet to find the source.

She could smell others of the camp close by, but they were not the source. Frustrated Kassina continued to wander in circles following her nose.

Shade shrugged. "I met her on the same day Nygozy took me up to that castle we met there and I felt something like a flash of lightning s we talked and learned about each other and it kept getting more and more than we went flying into a great storm and afterwords well he rest was more personal. I hope you meet someone Sin." Shade looked over as a bird landed and chirped then flew off. "Seems we got company around here maybe we should go look."

Shade dropped from the high branch and landed with ease a flash of light and his staff appeared, The bottom half of the staff was missing and in it's place was a long double edged blade that ended in a tapered point the sides sharp enough to slice a leaf in the air. "Come on let's find the source of that blood." Shade walked forward holding his staff ready like a spear which was one way he had been trained to use the staff.

Sinjan grinned as he listened to Shade, amused and pleased that the young man found someone who could be a solid base for him. It was nice to have someone who would always be there for you, back you and be your companion in almost all things. He wondered if he would ever find that but then shrugged. There was no sense in squandering a good time to wallow over something you don't have.

As Shade came down from the tree Sinjan stood straight up, "You have the lead since you know much more of the woods than I do." He was armed as well with his shield and sword but he did not move to use them yet. They were a bit cumbersome when moving through woods.

Kassina's hunt was interrupted as the wind shifted and brought her the smell of blood. She left her pack sister to continue the hunt for the unidentified scent and went to investigate the blood.

Following her nose brought her first to the two she had smelled ealier. One was another elven mage like her, the other a half elf like Dartmoor. Obviously they had picked up the scent of the blood as well. The half elf was close with the small alpha and Kassina wondered if he would understand wolf like many of the others seemed to.

As she approached the two she barked a few times experimentally to say she was a friend and ask if they were following the blood trail. She really hated to hunt with a weak elf nose and didn't want to shift if she didn't have to.

Shade nodded and like smoke he vanished amongst the leaves floating in and out of sight as he ducked, bobbed, weaved, and slithered through the woods barley touching the soil, He left marks for Sinjan to follow so he wouldn't get lost. Shade reached up grabbing a branch and pulled himself up into a tree watching the area and smirked as he saw Sinjan and like a ghost he was gone again down the tree like a squirrel and moving with the grace of a hunting Panther.

Shade stopped as the scent grew stronger and in a blink he was gone and a large donkey sized wolf was in his place. he slid back into the bushes and waited for Sinjan to catch up and when he did he would reach out sink his teeth into the man's shirt and yank him into the bushes.