On The Road To Nowhere: The Beginning

[Theore]

The two creatures jumped in surprise when the large wolf appeared near them, the female making a little squeak of shock, the male merely backing off quickly.
“Stupid animal.” The male hissed, looked up in time to see Liath moving towards them, “Stupid creature.” The words were aimed at Liath as he lunged, and soon the male had disappeared, with a blink of an eye he was no longer in the clearing.

Meanwhile the girl stayed frozen in place, and did not move when Liath made a grab at her, she soon found herself in the grasp of the large man, still recovering from the appearance of the wolf.
“Please leave me be.” The girl whimpered, struggling against Liath’s grasp, and upon further inspection she did not seem to be human at all. Her body was that of a child, her eyes large and blue and her hair a pale blond, her ears were the most peculiar; faintly pointed at the tip, “I apologize for wishing to play a trick upon you.”

Matthias pressed his palms into the ground, then brought his fingers in slowly, clutching handfuls of dirt as he slowly began to dig up the body of the woman, his victim earlier in the evening.

- Theore

[Tessa]

Yalene gave a shrug, “They are good company.” She responded, “Don’t make it ‘abit t’bear judgement on others, not my place.” She shifted, stretching her legs out in front of her letting the fire warm the soles of her boots. The young woman didn’t feel the need to move from her spot, it was comfortable and she nothing to watch. She knew that Seregon was safe in the makeshift pasture, she also knew that the big steed would make noise if her were in danger.
“What is your opinion of them?”

[Harley]

"Yes, yes!" Matthias cackled in his constantly detoriating delirium as his fingers digged into the cold earth "She's here, and I'll live." As he continued to dig he looked around in a paranoid fashion "To hell with the bloody rules, I'll live." Getting closer and closer to the remains of the woman, Matthias could smell the dried up blood by her neck and it was another sensation that befell his body "Yes." he said, his finger running down her cheek. With his growing anxiety, a pain stabbed in his head for a split-second as his face again twisted in form and transformed into the monsterly visage of the ridged brows. "No, must torch the body."

His walk wobbly, Matthias reminded himself of how many vampire rules he was probably breaking Not just a soul, but the Anagog mark. It's like fate is making me out to be bloody Cain. He made a little circle around the body, collecting small pieces of wood and grass and placing them on the body. Slowly, the body was covered in tinder and any other flammable materials he could find, with a few branches next to it.

After placing the needed materials on the body, Matthias started to create his fire, by rubbing two sticks together, hoping it would work. His plan to light the branches, and then use the branches to set the bed of tinder alight.

[Solace]

Mila ran a hand through her long curls, her amber eyes focused on the center of the fire as she let Yalene’s question drift through her mind. How did she feel about the company she was keeping? Tilting her head back a bit Mila let out a deep sigh and glanced towards the makeshift pasture in which Roval and Seregon were kept, listing to the soft sounds of them munching away on the grass. “Much like you I have found it much more wise not to judge your company to deeply. The night dwelling makes me uneasy, I cannot read him and far to many times have a dwelt with men of his kind.” Mila wasn’t necessarily speaking of vampire men, but just men of Matthias’ nature: arrogant and vain two things that could be the downfall of any man.

“But then many would say the same of me, for my heritage is a mixed one and many would be made uneasy if I were to tell them what it was my mother was.” She was not going to give away all her secrets just yet, but if Yalene asked her to give a better explanation of her heritage Mila would not withhold the information.

[Enchantress]

Tatyana looked more than a little offended by the fact that she had been ignored, but brushed it off. Men were like that and it was a fact she had gotten used to some time ago. Women were, as society gathered, seen and not heard.
Standing, she shook her skirts hard and headed back towards the encampment, slinging her bow across her back once more.
Entering the circle of firelight, she smiled at Milla and Yalene.
"Apparently, My Ladies, it seems we are not needed at this point. Be that the case, I think I shall make my rest here with you and let the men worry about themselves." she smiled polietely to them both and sat herself down.
Pulling the tambourine from her waist, along with the purple velvet pouch containing her tarot cards, she lay them beside her and glanced over her shoulder for a moment, back into the darkness.
"I often wonder if it is of the male sex persuasion to use their brains? Ladies? For example, they go out into the darkness, frought with peril, unarmed and unawares. Methinks the mead has soak their brains throughly!" her soft laughter sounded as melodic as her speech as it echoed into the night.

[Local Hero]

Content that his grip on the now struggling imp was firm, Liath looked around at Tatyana in time to see her stride away towards the camp. His brow furrowed slightly over his azure eyes, exhibiting that he was more than a little confused. Despite his long years, women could still prove a mystery. "She seems tae have taken offense at mah actions." he thought to himself as he watched her walk away. "There was none intended. Mayhaps the lady did nae see see the creatures." He turned his attention back to the creature dangling from his fist, making a note to talk to the Lady Tatyana about it later. "And jist what sort o' beastie are ye?" he asked as he held it up in the moonlight for a closer look as he began to walk after Tatyana towards the camp.

[Tessa]

Yalene laughed, “Ye get t’learnin’ men when ye live wit’ close t’forty of them.” She commented, “Most certainly the mead ‘as taken control o’their actions.” She rekindled the fire which was waning, they would need a good fire if they expected to sleep during this night, she knew that much at least.
“Think I’ll be takin’ my leave t’sleep soon.” She said softly, blinking her eyes furiously, she wanted to make sure the men returned before she fell asleep, but if they did not return soon she would not be able to fight off to see them before she took her rest.

[Solace]

“Men have never changed their behavior, nor do I believe they ever will.” Mila added into the conversation as she stretched her arms above her head and listened as her back made a cracking noise as she tried her best to get the pain that had been caused from sitting on her makeshift chair for so long. Turning in for the night did sound like a very good idea indeed, but much like Yalene she wanted to make sure that the men made it back to the campsite in one piece and without any sneaky visitors. “Mead is the curse of human kind.” She gave a soft smile and allowed her eyes to flutter closed for a moment taking in the blackness that washed over her vision as she sat there, although she had not yet steeled herself from the emotions that were floating around the campsite. But soon once she turned in for the night she would sever all connections she had with her empathic abilities so that she was able to get a peaceful nights rest.

[Local Hero]

"Dae any o' ye ken what this is?" asked Liath as he strode back into camp waving the unfortunate creature in his hand. "It was lurking in the woods. There was another but it disappeared."

[Theore]

As Matthias had hoped the tinder caught and set the corpse ablaze in a cloud of orange and red, as the smell of burning flesh began to slowly permeate to Matthias’ keen nose. Soon, his worries would be put to rest with this woman’s smoldering body.

As for Liath and his captive, things were not going nearly as well as he would hope; She was still struggling as they entered the camp, and had been whimpering one name repeatedly, Fhadeel. She spoke it in a foreign way as if it were of a different language; her eyes that were so very large seemed to encompass the look of a caged and scared animal.

“Can’t say I’ve seen anythin’ of the likes of that.” Yalene commented, glancing at Tatyana and Mila as if trying to see if either one of them recognized the little creature in the large man’s grasp, “What d’ye intend t’do with it?”

-Theore

[Enchantress]

Tatyana had been letting out a languid stretch when Liath reappeared holding the little creature.
"It's my hopes he doesn't intend to eat it, whatever it may be." she snickered at Yalene and smiled at the small being in Liath's large grip.
"I fear it doesn't look as though to have much meat on it's bones, Milord. I'd throw it back for something larger." letting her arms drop out of the stretch, she leaned back against the tree she had seated herself again and proceeded to watch. She was vaguely aware that Matthias still hadn't returned, but for now, her curiousity was piqued by the events playing out before her.

[Local Hero]

Liath frowned at Tatyana. "M'Lady. Surely ye jest at mah expense." he said, slightly annoyed at the suggestion he would consume a creature which was obviously intelligent to some degree. He looked down at the creature in his hand. "Are ye hungry? We have some boar left. It is probably a wee bit on the well done side but filling nonetheless."

[Enchantress]

Tatyana rolled her eyes at Liath's frown and picked up her bow and began to polish it.
"I merely jest Milord." she let out a sigh and continued to wipe down the fingerprints that had gathered on the fine piece of birchwood.
Humming to herself as she did, she paid careful attention to what the group was doing, her ears perked to hear any sign of Matthias returning.

[Theore]

“Not hungry.” The small creature said tersely, obviously given up on fighting and resigning herself to be a captive of these people. If they were keen enough they would realize that her gaze kept straying towards the makeshift paddock that housed the two horses, as if she was waiting for something to happen.
“Release me please, I assure you I will not run.” She said in a small voice, “I’ll even answer any questions you seem to have.” She eyed Tatyana’s bow with large doe eyes, “And please do not shoot me.”

-Theore

[Local Hero]

Liath did not miss where the creature's eyes were straying. "Ah think it is safe tae say that naebody has an intention tae shoot ye, sae lang as ye dinnae make any sudden moves" he said as he lowered the creature to the ground. "If ye are willing tae give yer word, I am willing tae accept it for now. Ah jist hope ye're nae trying tae trick us."

Liath sat down near the remnants of the fire, watching the creature closely. "Dinnae mind Stràcair , he is jist being careful." he said as he watched the wolf settle down at the edge of the firelightt watching the creature intently. "So/ hat were ye up tae?" he asked as he settled back against one of the cart wheels

[Enchantress]

Tatyana smiled slightly at the small creature and laid the bow aside.
"Have no fears, my arrows are not for you. But should you cross my companions here, have no doubt that they very well could be." Her golden eyes narrowed just slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest and watched the tiny being.
Looking to Milla and Yalene, she waited to see if the two ladies had any clue as to what this was about.

[Solace]

“The creature in our company is a mischief maker, I would advise that we keep a keen eye on this little one.” Mila watched the child-sized creature that graced their campsite; her interest peaked at seeing such a creature after so long. “Why is it you are here?” She let her question hang in the air waiting for and answer from the tiny being, her large amber eyes following every move it made.

“I have not seen one of your kind in many years, I had thought that you might have all given up your mischievous ways for a far more productive way of life.” Mila spoke as if nobody but herself and the nymph like creature was around, having been caught up in seeing a mythical/fairy tale creature after so many years of them being absent from the waking world and from the stories mortals tell.

[Local Hero]

Liath listened quietly for a moment. "Well, there's nae a lot more can be done about it jist now. If ye ladies were about tae retire, ah'll take first watch." He looked around the camp for a second, realising something was missing. "Matthias has not returned?"

[Tessa]

Yalene shook her head, “’e ‘asn’t.” She confirmed as she stood up heading for bed, “Ye’ll be keepin’ a close watch on ‘er?” The young woman asked as she gestured towards what Mila had confirmed as a nymph-like creature.

[Enchantress]

With her golden eyes on the forest around them, Tatyana barely listened to her companions.
"Hmm? Oh...no, he hasn't." she said as to reaffirm what Yalene had just told Liath.
Picking up her bow again, she shouldered it and stood up.
"Excuse me, I feel the sudden urge to check on the horses." Giving a half curtsey, she pulled her cloak about her and headed away from the fireside.

[Harley]

Matthias almost cackled at the sight of the burning woman. If he could also his predicament from the others, all would be fine. Slowly, he stood up, still a bit staggering, but his state had definitely improved as his senses had started to return to normal, and made his way over to the camp, silent, letting his mind realign with the environment around him.

He snickered as Liath held the strange creature and the group conversed amongst themselves. Especially when his name came to mention, Matthias could barely hold his laughter. The aftermath of the woman's burning had left him in an almost euphoric state, and he was about to jump forth, scaring the wits out of Yalene, before he regained himself and instead silently followed Tatyana towards the horses.

[Enchantress]

Tatyana's footsteps were silent as she moved across the lush forest floor towards where their horses stood lazing about.
"Look at you." she muttered towards her own horse. Running her hands down his thick shaggy blonde mane, she let a soft gypsy song flow from her lips. For what seemed like a very long time to her, she stood stroking the beautiful animal finally whispering to it.
"Rest now, I have a feeling that the morrow might bring more excitement than either of us have ever seen, Gareth."
She was weary from the day, but something stirred within her that made her want to move about this night. As much as she hated the nighttime hours and the dark anymore, tonight something pulled at her to enjoy the night.

[Harley]

Matthias looked on silently as Tatyana cared to her horse. Might make a fine meal someday, won't you Garet? he thought to himself, his eyes twinkling in the darkness. Without a sound, he moved over to stand behind Tatyana, enjoying to look simply look at her beautiful hair and smell her scent, filled with a form of excitement. Before his visage would change, he quickly contaned himself, and put his hands before Tatyana's eyes. "Guess who?" he slowly whispered in her ear.

[Enchantress]

Tatyana was mildly started by Matthias but did her best not to let it show.
"Let me guess...I do not think you to be Yalene, simply because her accent would have given her away. Milla isn't one for game and from what I've seen of Master Liath, I doubt much he is either. So, that would leave only one...and I've been wondering where you had gotten yourself off to, Matthias." she didn't turn around from where she had been pampering her horse. She only stood there and awaited patiently for him to remove his hands from her eyes, a smile of mild amusement curving her lips.

[Harley]

"You're powers of deduction are as amazing as ever." He said and chuckled as he let his hands slide to her shoulders "So, you were worried for me, milady? Good to know." he spoke softly "The night is getting darker... and maybe we shouldn't leave each others side again. I could not live to see you bear worry over my fate again." A devilish grin appeared on his face as he spoke.