Rangers: Headquarters & Armoury

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

The meeting and the situation discussed were serious and required all of the attention; yet, quite unexpectedly, Kaylin's mention of the Palantir tickled Pele's funny bone. While she managed to maintain a serious expression, merriment lit up her blue eyes when she said: "A Palantir might be rather useful; however, the King only let me share his guards and not much else. I doubt I could persuade him that the need for Palantir should be satisfied."

While the silly note had seemed welcome, Pele turned her attention back to the matters at hand. Shamara. The Captain was quite certain that Kaylin might still feel inclined to put an end to the sly Umbarian, so perhaps Karis could question her. Though now, with Relic removed, Pele felt that she would almost want to go down there herself and see what could be done. She gave Arnyn a sideways glance wondering if her Lieutenant would think that a wise step or not. Whatever the case, it would have to be sorted sooner rather than later - it would not do to keep Shamara locked up here for too long since it would end up being an unnecessary drain of their resources.

In terms of resources, Pele was glad that they had a plenty with the offers for training coming in and Duinion's willingness to check for the traps. Pele gave a slight nod of satisfaction, though she did not hurry to speak and allowed Arnyn to tackle the matter and explain what was already done in terms of stolen weapons and hidden traps.

"Submission of written ideas would certainly work best," Pele chose to touch on the topic that did require her input. "That way none would be easily lost or forgotten as it can happen with simply talking about ideas." She paused, as her thoughts turned to Arnyn's offer of availability for Rangers to come and talk, discuss, ask... There was some level of unwillingness in her heart that she could not deny, but she also knew that it was something she should get rid of if she wanted to cultivate the atmosphere of being approachable and open, and set an example for Rangers to follow. "And as the Lieutenant said, you can ask more questions now, or there is always later - if you think of anything," she therefore added.

[Rillewen]

Tírdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters - Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Duinion nodded thoughtfully as Arnyn answered his question. So the barracks were checked, but, "Does that mean the north wing, south wing, or both?" He wondered out loud, wondering how extensive her search had been. Obviously, Relic would have had more access to the north wing barracks, but she had clearly been to the south wing at least once when she'd attacked Trastion. And then there were the officer's rooms. According to what he'd heard before, she'd had several hours on the afternoon of midsummer when she might have done anything.

"I do have one more question," He added, feeling a little guilty for asking so many, but he felt it important to ask this here where everyone could hear the answer, "Do we have any sort of description of this dagger that's still missing? So that if any of us does come across it, we'll know it's the right one?" He decided it went without saying that they ought to be cautious of it, because it could be poisoned. But it would be good to have that loose end tied off. The idea of a potentially poisoned dagger being hidden away somewhere was not a pleasant thought. Aside from that, he couldn't think of anything to ask here, as the rest of his questions could wait until he spoke more privately with Arnyn or Pele.

[Arnyn]

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters
Urimë 15

"It was a thorough sweep of the north wing, since I did not want to send in anyone else until the structural damage could be assessed," she replied Duinion's question calmly. "The common areas I checked more for traps rather than the missing weapons, figuring there would be more time for an extensive search later. What got the least attention was the south wing, the officer's quarters and the kitchen," she disclosed freely. She simply hadn't been able to cover it all yet, and had figured it would be best to start with the areas where Relic would have been passing through the most.

"The dagger that is still missing has a slightly curved crossguard, the handle is dark metal and the pommel is small, round and has thin vertical lines over it," she told the gathered Rangers. "I would also like to add that any unattended weapon you find, should be treated with caution. It does not mean that because it isn't one of the weapons we know she took, that it cannot be dangerous."

After a pause in which the room remained silent, Arnyn ventured to try and draw the meeting to a close. The Captain had confirmed that any ideas from the Rangers could be submitted to them in writing, and that questions were still welcome - now or later. "Trastion and Unalmis have designed a card for Mourgan. They are planning to deliver it to him at the Houses of Healing. They've asked us to tell you that anyone who wishes to sign it, with or without a few accompanyin words, is very welcome to do so." The Lieutenant smiled softly as her eyes sought out the two young rangers and she gave them a small nodd. "And to that end - I will retrieve the necessary tools." She bowed her head to the room and glanced at Pele to check whether it would be alright for her to go fetch ink and a quill from the office. Once Pele's permission was clear, Arnyn quickly set about the task. Soon she returned, along with pieces of paper for anyone to write their ideas on. The Lieutenant also immediately signed the card herself.

After stepping to the side, her gaze swept over the gathered rangers to then settle on Tirdinen Raedor. She had told him, before the start of this meeting, she wished to speak with him. She figured it was about time for that.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Pele listened to the specific questions asked by Duinion and appropriately detailed answers Arnyn provided him with and decided that there'd be no grounds to worry that something might go unchecked when actions would follow these words. She did wonder however if Relic had hidden some surprise in her room - she hadn't given it more than a quick look, spending more time at the Houses of Healing to make sure Mourgan and Lt Brian were doing all right.

When Arnyn brought the attention back to the card Trastion and Unalmis had prepared, a smile lit Pele's face and she nodded lightly to let Arnyn know she could fetch the writing utensils.

"I can add my encouragements that all of you sign the card," the Captain said, and hastened to do just that snatching the quill almost out of Arnyn's hands when her friend had signed the card and giving her a small grin. Then she stepped aside to make room for the others.

"The meeting is officially over," she then made it clear, "Feel free to sign the card and then head off for your duties - or rest. Or stay and talk with each other if you prefer."

While Pele felt tired, she did not hurry to leave; after all she had told the Rangers that she would be available for any further questions or conversations, so she lingered and merely moved closer to the window to see if anyone would jump at the offered opportunity or if she could slip away after a while.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Tírdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters - Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Hearing his questions answered, Duinion gave a thoughtful nod. He would definitely like to check the place more thoroughly, even the places that had been checked already. Just to be sure. He was already trying to think about what kinds of traps the Umbarian woman might have left, and wondering how much she might know about making them. There could be anything lying around waiting to get someone when they least expected it, from poisoned needles poking out of seat cushions to more complicated stuff rigged up to catch someone by surprise when they open a door or something. Or maybe he was just being paranoid about the whole thing, but still, it wouldn't hurt to check. At least it would give him something useful to do.

As the captain declared that the meeting was over, Duinion shifted his weight back onto the crutch. He'd caught the glance from Arnyn, and knew he was doomed to go have a more private meeting with her in the office. "I'll sign it," He spoke up while Arnyn was adding her name to the card, hoping to get a chance before going in the office. He managed to be first in line after Pele.

After adding his name, (and even included Erynneth just because he remembered her mentioning that she'd met Mourgan recently) he passed the quill to the next person in line and then got out of the way. Glancing around to see if the lieutenant was still there or not, he then moved toward the office steadily, neither rushing nor delaying. He thought back to Arnyn's answer and recalled that the office wasn't mentioned as having been searched. "Would it be acceptable to start the search here and now?" He asked her with a small grin, motioning around the office with his free hand.

[Ercassie]

Ehtyar Ilisys Azrubêl,
at HQ. Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

If Arnyn had led the meeting toward it’s natural conclusion, Pele clarified the matter by announcing it aloud. A lot had been said, and some lot more was clearly cavorting about minds now, as a consequence. Isys was less keen than Duinion to immediately launch into the matters which were left to now tie up. There was though some issue which had compelled her to seek out the Command even before she had heard of Relic’s shocking final act. She knew better than to assume today's debriefing would be a neat end to it all. Healing took time and corruption left it's stain. But for now, after so long they had danced about a knife's edge, the Belfalasian was content to grant the Captain and her Second a reprieve from any other .. considerations.

Thus dragging her half-formed intrigue away from the mystery of young Trastion, Isys found the waiting form of Unalmis heading in her direction and, aware of his tendency to be less than subtle, decided not to push the subject right now. Though it would not do to escape without signing the well-meaning card for Mourgan. Could she fool herself to believe that was what the young man was looking to see her manage ? Regardless, the lady found herself loitering in the queue, as had Pele, conveniently close by.


“I have a house,” she stated, rather suddenly turning to their leader, and then realised that the Captain was going to need more than that to understand her. “Your Barracks are crowded, Captain,” Isys added, calmly. “You said. And you can have no further need for informed eyes about the residents. So, I can lodge on the Fifth Circle, for a time. As it may ease even a little pressure on the limited capacity here.”

The threat she had endeavoured to keep eyes about for, in the barracks, was now gone. Many a night for months now, the Ehtyar had not slept, but kept out an ear for the resident In the next room. And nary had come of that. Then when she finally had gone home .. well, spent the night elsewhere, .. all chaos had descended on the Barracks in her wake. Isys was not so arrogant to assume that her being there would have made a difference, save perhaps she too might have suffered smoke inhalation. But she was not beyond feeling that she had failed in providing some use regardless.

“I should like to help in this regard, although it may be belated,” she spoke then, with a subtle lowering of her chin, at the offer. “There are two spare rooms. In the house. If you find you are still pressed for space here. I can take in two at least.” Arnyn likely had the contact address filed away somewhere. After all, they had known where to send a messenger to find her, when the Barracks had burned down.


“I do not have a question,” she added, turning back from an expectant Unalmis, to find Pele with the suggestion that she had not been quite done speaking. “I shall find you on another day perhaps, Captain. Know that I intend to do so, but that it can wait.”

The lady’s grey eyes flickered as though she were seeking through some list of things she ought attend to. “If I may suggest though, in the meantime,” she raised up both tired eyes and attended them on the Captain, suddenly too steadily. “An Umbarian with her back against the wall may prove as unwieldly as a Palantir in the wrong hands. Shamara shall undoubtedly show you what she wants for you to see. And what far more useful insight might be omitted, is no use to us, if it sits beyond all grasp or hope of ever being surrendered. Be careful with that one. ”

Her turn had come to sign the get well card for Mourgan, with the perfect of timing for Isys to award that her entire attention.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters
Urimë 15

Seeing Duinion moving for the office after signing the card, Arnyn slanted her head slightly. He had remembered her words to him before the start of the debrief, that much was clear. His clear-cut way to the office, however, was surprising.

Nothing of this visible on her face, the Lieutenant waited and watched the way he was walking now. One crutch, instead of two. More sure of his movements than when she had seen him last. After a slow intake of breath, she followed the Tirdinen into the office.

Lingering by the door, she was about to speak when he beat her to it. His small grin surprised her, and she could only look at him a moment as she processed it. Then a half grin of her own appeared in response. "Acceptable," she agreed with a nod, still wearing the half grin. "How thorough of a search were you thinking?" One eyebrow went up. "If it should take long, will you be needing some tea during our efforts?" The grin did not grow - but her dark eyes gleamed with silent laughter. "Do not worry. I threw out all things edible in the office yesterday - including the Captain's stash of tea ingredients. Even washed out the cups." Arnyn's voice grew more quiet. "It seemed wise to me for some reason, after Relic's demise. Despite the fact I never bothered doing such a thing while the threat was at large." Of course, Pele had had the beans... Well. It was what it was.

Her tone shifted to a casual one as she continued at a normal volume. "Given your progress in mobility, I was going to suggest we talk over a walk outside. But perhaps that is still an option once we are satisfied the office is clear of any... possible surprises."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Tírdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters - Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Duinion shrugged one shoulder. "As thorough as we must be, to be sure you, the captain, and anyone who comes in here, is safe." He answered. "I noticed you did not mention this office when you listed the places you had searched already, so I wasn't sure." he added in explanation, while letting his gaze scan the room for a moment, thoughtful about where to begin such a search. Hearing that the tea had been thrown out, and anything else edible, he gave a small nod of approval. Arnyn's offer of tea was a bit of a surprise. He paused and then shook his head, though offered a small smile. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, though. I doubt it will take very long, it isn't a very big room."

Her comment about his mobility, and the suggestion of going for a walk, his smile grew slightly. "That would be more pleasant, yes. I'm allowed to put a little weight on it now, so long as I 'take it easy'," He mentioned. Which meant that if it started to hurt too much he had to stop and take a break. Getting outside in the fresh air instead of sitting in the office would be very nice, but he still felt it important to be sure that the office wasn't rigged with traps, waiting for the ladies in charge of the rangers.

With that thought in mind, he took hold of one of the chairs and tilted it so that the sunlight from the window shone on it, and began inspecting it carefully, first with only his eyes, and then carefully feeling the arms, back, and seat. "If there is a particular area that has already been searched, please let me know so we can skip that." He paused and added, "At the moment I'm checking for anything small and sharp that might have been hidden in the chair." he explained, in case she might be wondering. "I don't know much about this woman or whether she knew how to do some of the traps I know how to make, but from what I have heard, I wouldn't put anything past her. Even a pin or needle laced in that poison she liked to use... well, something like that could be hidden anywhere and would be very hard to find."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters
Urimë 15

"Hmm. You're right, I did not mention it. I have only gone through the cupboards and the desk. Otherwise I've moved through the room and nothing was... sprung, let's say." She smiled faintly as she watched him checking one of the chairs. "But I have not checked anything other than the desk and the cupboards in detail." Taking his cue, though, she got started on the other chair, deciding to wait with the subject of his stay at the barracks this night until they were done with this task. It would be too distracting a topic, given his... sensitivities.

"I'm not sure we can protect ourselves from every possible trap she might have set," the Lieutenant mused. "No matter how thoroughly we go through the office." She sighed lightly as she slowly and gently ran a hand over the seat and back of the chair, feeling for anything that shouldn't be there which might be difficult to see. "Or the barracks."

Once she was satisfied with her perusal, she checked the legs and bottom of the seat. Satisfied there was nothing wrong with it, Arnyn straightened and frowned. "I just hope she proves to have been more of an emotionally driven enemy and less of a coldly calculating one. In my experience, it is more the latter who set up traps like this. The former have more of a proclivity to lash out in person." That was indeed her hope. For even trappers sometimes had a hard time finding their own traps at a later date, especially when set expertly.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Headquarters
Urimë 15

One of the rangers fell in line next to Kaylin and Thûllir to sign the card. He looked at the red-headed Hyandaner with a raised eyebrow. "I caught your comment about the Lieutenant's words not doing the scene justice?" he angled.

Kaylin smiled calmly. Excellent. "They most certainly didn't," she stated, rolling her eyes lightly and sighing in an almost too natural kind of muted exasperation. "But what can you do, with such a down-to-earth second in command?" The question sounded almost akin to a complaint. And then her expression grew pensive. "If only," she began, looking pointedly at Trastion as to garner his attention while raised her voice enough so he would definitely catch her words, "if ONLY there was someone... someone who had seen it with their own eyes, and who could tell it with some more... animation." The hint could not be more obvious.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Tírdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters - captain's office
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

"Hmm," Duinion paused, considering that. "Yes, it would be an enormous task to check everywhere with the utmost scrutiny, but... I'd like to satisfy my own concerns as best as I can, at least." He replied, setting the chair down. He felt satisfied with it, but then that was just one of the ones that someone might sit in while talking to the captain or lieutenant. He hobbled his way over to the chair behind the desk. "From things you said in that meeting the other day, with Unalmis and Isys and myself, I got the impression she was indeed a very cold and calculating type of enemy." he mentioned. "With that thought in mind... I would be worried about what she might have..prepared.. as backup. She must have known that you, as well as Pele, use this office, right?" He tilted the chair toward the light a little more, and surveyed all the surfaces he could see on it. "Hearing that she got into this office during the midsummer festivities... and possibly spent several hours in here..? That makes me very suspicious. And from what else I have heard," He frowned deeper, "she would have been quite pleased with herself, if something happened to you, or any one of the rest of us.. and Pele had no way of protecting or helping them."

He saw nothing out of the ordinary on the captain's chair, but he wasn't sure that he trusted sight alone. The cushions were a perfect place to hide some small sharp object. He was more familiar with the sort of traps that one might set up in the woods, but he'd also spent some time in his childhood leaving a few 'surprises' in store for a certain orphanage matron that he couldn't stand. But those pranks, while mostly harmless, could easily turn deadly with poison added into the mix. Not to mention that he'd spent a fair amount of time with Addhor in recent years, and he happened to know that the former ranger had a variety of indoor type traps set up around his woodworking shop at night, to deter thieves. Any of those same things could be applied in this situation, if one had the knowledge... and he had no idea if Relic had such knowledge or not. But sort of things he was looking for right now didn't take a lot of creativity or expertise to accomplish.

After the chair had passed his visual check, he felt cautiously of the cushions on the back and seat, and using the flat of one dagger, gently pressed down to separate the area where the two met. "I'm assuming you and the captain have used this chair at least a few times, since Midsummer, but I still feel better making sure," He mentioned, to explain why he felt it necessary to check. And then, just as he was about to deem it safe, a brief gleam flashed in the sunlight, catching his eye. He blinked, freezing in place. Where did that come from? He leaned in closer, balanced on his good foot, peering intently as he slowly moved his head slightly this way and that, trying to catch that gleam again. And, after a moment, he spotted it again and his gaze zeroed in on the spot. "Aha..." Duinion uttered under his breath, a little sorry to find that he might be right after all. "Have you or Pele been doing any sewing in here?" He wondered, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Lost a pin, perhaps?"

With his dagger still pressing the seat down, he indicated the tip of a pin or needle that was barely showing, protruding from the upholstery. It seemed to have slipped down into the crack between the seat and back of the chair, which would explain why no one had 'found' it yet, but it could have been just a matter of time. And he somehow doubted that either of the two women had been working on any sewing projects, so unless it had been there from the previous captain, it seemed pretty clear to him, where it had probably come from. "I'm not sure I can remove it without pricking myself... and I'd be afraid to find out what results that might have.." He mentioned, wondering if Arnyn might be able to get it safely. "Even if it's not poisoned, I'm sure you'd rather not sit on that," he added with a slightly teasing laugh, trying not to appear unnerved that this seemed to confirm the possibility that there might be other traps around.

(Consulted with Isolde, and it was confirmed there would be such a trap)

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Headquarters - Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Trastion's mind was reeling with all the information that had recently been shared. Questions that had been asked, and answered. All the words exchanged between the commanding officers and the rangers. He stood for a moment, seeming a little zoned out for a moment while he tried to absorb everything. He felt like his mind was racing faster than he'd raced around the mess hall, earlier. And he caught himself rocking back and forth on his heels and balls of his feet. He stopped himself, blinking as he raised the glass to take a long gulp of water.

"if ONLY there was someone... someone who had seen it with their own eyes..."

Kaylin's voice seemed to snap him out of his daze. Trastion focused his blue eyes on her, and grinned as he realized she was looking quite pointedly at him. "What, you mean like yourself?" He asked with a laugh. "Cause you were actually there before me," He reminded her. "So you know, like... what did YOU see, Hyandaner? Cause, I just came in at the very, very end, and I mean, yeah, it was really impressive seeing that, but I missed so much before that!" He laughed. "But, if you want me to tell about what I did see, I definitely can, but only if you're going to tell some of it too."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters
Urimë 15

She refrained from shrugging in reply to the Tirdinen's question about Relic knowing both Pele and Arnyn made use of the office. Instead, she gave a short nod. "It would not have been difficult to figure out." The barest hint of amusement seeped through her words. It disappeared when she responded to Duinion's words about Relic's pleasure at... well, basically inflicting pain and guilt upon Pele. "Indeed," the Lieutenant said quietly, although it would still be audible to the only other person with her in the office.

When Duinion commented he got the impression Relic was more the cold and calculating type, Arnyn hummed thoughtfully. "At first, so did I." She stepped over to the window to check the frame, in particular where it opened. "However... I cannot help but hope that she was driven more by impulse. I also find that her own presence here, either alone - as the prisoner implies she did not know Relic was here - or with only one of her people if we take the prisoner's words as lies, was ill-advised." Nothing was visible around or on the window frame. She ran a finger along the edges, checking for wires that might escape a visual inspection.

"Based on Pele and the prisoner's information, Relic was a woman of power and influence in Umbar. A more calculating... or logical... person would have sent others in her stead. Not go alone. Every tactician will tell you that it is unwise for a commander to be on the front line." The Lieutenant did not add her own personal views on such tactics, but stuck to the facts at hand. "She should have sent agents, with no emotional involvement at all other than fear for her retribution if they were to fail." The Lieutenant's words were steady and calm. "Agents who would, therefore, not lash out by a few loud and rash words. After Pele told me what little she had to do, in the end, for the Umbarian to lash out the way she did... which led to her demise... at the very least she also had a very impulsive side." No wires. "In all the time she spent here... if she had sent an agent,skilled at deception and unknown to the Captain, Pele would have had no suspicions. We would have had no warning. Even only one such agent could have killed several of ours before risking a chance of discovery."

The Lieutenant's smile was a bit hollow as she turned back to the room and looked at Duinion. "At the very least, she based some of her decisions on emotion and impulse. It is a hope of mine that it turns out most of her actions were driven by it, rather than only some." Just then she saw Duinion stiffening and leaning in toward the chair on the other side of the desk. She stepped closer. His question about sewing told her much, and she briefly shook her head in response.

A light sigh escaped her as she stepped closer still and crouched down on the other side of the chair, looking for an angle to see the tip of the pin he was pointing out. There it was. "A fool's hope, apparently," she muttered, so quietly that Duinion only heard it because of their current proximity. She was relieved that it had pricked no one; Pele, the cleaning staff, or anyone else. "No, I'd rather not," she mused, indicating with a small motion of her hand she would try and get it out. Her nails were longer than his, and strong. They just might do the trick. And even if she were to get pricked and it was poisoned, she knew what to look for and still carried the antidote. If it was deadly nightshade, of course.

Arnyn raised an eyebrow. "Though a pin like this might just as easily come from one of the rangers looking to have a laugh with the command," she noted, trying to bring some lightness to the situation.

She first edged the tip of the fingernail of her thumb against the pin and then slowly added the the fingernail of her index finger. Her movements were slow - they had to be in order to be precise enough not to get pricked. She pinched and slid off. Upon her second try, she succeeded in getting some grip and pulled part of the pin out before her nails slid off. Then it was simply a matter of taking the pin out by holding it a bit lower down. Arnyn held it up as she straightened. "Well spotted, Duinion. I suppose our butts have been lucky to miss it so far." The contrast between her earnest tone and choice of vocabulary was stark indeed.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Headquarters
Urimë 15

"I got there just a few breaths before you did." Kaylin waved Trastion's words away without missing a beat. "And you need the practice," she said with a little grin. "But alright. Alright, little brother..." She laughed. "I will set the scene!"

She took a step away from Thûllir, just to have a bit more room, and shoo'ed the other ranger back a bit - the one who'd come inquiring. "Perhaps even the Captain will find this of interest!" she announced loudly, with a complete and utter lack of stage fright.

"Keep in mind: when I arrived at the mess hall, I had just come from the fire," she began gravely. "Exploding oil lamps. Shards everywhere. Smoke, heat, salt, dirt. Chaos - drilled into order, mostly by the incessant yelling of the Barracks Master." She left out the detail that Lieutenant Brian had screamed at her to get out because she'd hurt him while trying to help. Ahem. "Ranger Elanor dragged me along with her to the mess, where her healing skills were needed. And so we left the noise and the multitudes of rangers running to and fro. We ran. To the mess."

"In contrast, the mess hall was..." Kaylin shook her head, and lowered the volume of her voice. "Quiet." She paused. "And almost empty. Apart from the blood." Her voice grew a bit stronger again, still sounding grave. "The blood was... on the floor in front of us. Yards away, to the side, missing a source - which we would later learn was Mourgan. More blood - too much of it - surrounding the motionless forms of two rangers. And three figures. Clustered together. Involved in a fight."

Her gaze swept the room, making eye contact with those who were listening. "The wolf was..." she gestured into the air. "Unnatural. Its coat, like fire made flesh. Its size, larger than any wolf I have ever seen. The air around it... thick. As if it were crackling." Kaylin swallowed. It was not for show. She remembered the scene well, and it made a shiver run down her spine. "Cali, the smith... she was on her knees, right by the wolf's flank. So close. Too close." The Hyandaner's eyes glanced at Pele momentarily. "And Arnyn... on her knees, as well. But not on the wolf's flank. The wolf was staring at her, and she was facing the wolf. She wasn't even simply right in front of it. No-- her head was right next to its head. Their eyes must have been only inches apart. We could almost see the wolf's drool dripping from its open jaws onto her shoulder." Kaylin drew a breath. "It was madness."

The Hyandaner started talking more quickly, building the tension as she continued. "One of the Lieutenant's hands was right by the wolf's throat, the other - out of my sight. Cali pulled back what turned out to be a blade from the wolf's flank. And the Lieutenant pulled back another blade from the wolf's throat." Kaylin's hand had gone to her own throat, and she pushed it away from herself as she went on. "Blood sprayed everywhere as she threw the dagger behind her-" Her face scrunched up as she told the tale, but her eyes were lit as she returned her gaze to Trastion. She was setting things up for him to take over, now. "Discarded. No longer needed. She had traded a weapon for an armour made of blood."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Tírdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters - captain's office with Arnyn
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Duinion was thoughtful as he considered the things that Arnyn had said about the late Relic. Such a fearsome foe, and yet.. she had gotten sloppy and made mistakes. Regardless, she had been there far too long for his comfort, and they had very little way of knowing just what she might have accomplished while she was here, waiting for her chance to strike. As the needle demonstrated, she might have done a lot of things that might harm others, even after her demise.

"We're lucky then, that she didn't send anyone in her stead," he commented thoughtfully, frowning slightly as he thought about the guy from 'the Hand' that had been sent after Firdaus' contact. He shook his head slightly, holding back a sigh as he watched Arnyn extract the needle safely. And then something else occurred to him. "Has the armory been checked at all?" He frowned. "I realize that would take a long time to do. And it sounds as if the armorer might be gone for a bit, recovering from her wounds, so there may be no rush on that. But.. I can't help but recall you mentioning that not only did Relic get into this office for a long while, but that she stole a few weapons from the armory." One of which had yet to be found, he remembered from the meeting. "Suppose the stolen weapons were merely a distraction from something else she had done? Suppose she put poison on a few randomly selected weapons.." He frowned as he trailed off, realizing he was speaking his thoughts aloud. While he didn't mean to be paranoid about this, it was still a concern to think of some sword or dagger sitting on the rack, waiting with poison on its blade for some unsuspecting new recruit to select it. Possibly even Eryn in a few years... And from that musing, he began to wonder if the poison would fade after a while, or if it retained its potency, or how it could be removed, if that were at all possible.

Despite the gravity of the whole situation, he couldn't help a little laugh at Arnyn's comment about the needle maybe being from one of the rangers trying to pull a prank. "I doubt any of your rangers are quite that malicious," He answered with a slight grin, "Even without adding poison to it, that's more than a mere prank." He put his dagger back in its sheath and shrugged. "That's the sort of thing you do to people you really despise," He pointed out, and cleared his throat. "Not that I ever did any such thing to anyone." He added, hiding a little amusement as his thoughts flashed briefly to the orphanage matron from when he was a child, and swiftly pushed that memory again to the back of his mind. That had been Dom's idea, if he remembered right. "Besides," he added casually, "if one of the rangers was going to do something like that as a prank on anyone, I imagine that pin would've been discovered in the other Lieutenant's chair..." He tried to hide some amusement at that, though he wasn't entirely successful.

---

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Headquarters - still with everyone else
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Trastion rolled his eyes and grinned, finishing off his glass of water and set it aside as Kaylin began to tell. But.. he blinked as she then skipped over some of the really good parts. Tilting his head, he tried to remember back, and sort it all in his head. No, there were definitely things missing from Kaylin's retelling. While she was definitely painting the scene quite well, it just wasn't as great without mentioning some of the stuff that he had seen. "Wait....wait, wait," he stopped her, interrupting her after moment, eyes wide. "You left out the best stuff!" That just wasn't acceptable! How could she not include the good stuff?

And that was when it hit him. He had stepped in there before, for a few seconds, saw some stuff, then left, then came back and saw the end, but Kaylin had only seen the last little bit. Somehow she had missed the epic slide across the floor, apparently, but he hadn't. He stepped up next to Kaylin. She wanted him to tell this, so he might as well tell what he could. And add in the stuff she left out! "Right, so.. let's see," he paused to try and gather his thoughts a bit. "Yeah, so, there was a lot going on. Like she said, the fire was raging. Smoke was everywhere. We were desperately needing more stuff to smother it with, and Mourgan had gone down to get more. But he was taking a long time, so I went to see what was keeping him," He began.

"Then..." His eyes widening as he continued, "as I came into the mess hall, it was like she said, with Mourgan bleeding on the floor.. the other two.. well," He cringed slightly and decided not to dwell on that detail. "But at that time, there was no wolf! Not yet. Instead, I look over, and there, on the floor right in the thick of things, is our beloved lieutenant... on the floor, pinning down... HERSELF. Or rather, the sorceress in the disguise of herself!" He described. "Cali kneeling on the floor next to her, holding the evil Arnyn's arm down. It was astonishing how alike they looked. Like identical twins!" He glanced at Kaylin. "Too bad you missed THAT part," He informed her. "I wish I could've seen more... it must have been an amazing battle, but alas... I missed most of it. The captain was asking for medical help for Mourgan, and we needed salt to smother the fire... and I couldn't do both, so I went to get others to help in ways I couldn't. I didn't see what happened next." He sighed in disappointment before brightening again.

"But then! THEN, when I wasn't needed for the fire anymore," He continued excitedly, "I went back to the mess hall, thinking maybe they could use my help there. And that's when we saw the wolf... it was just like Kaylin said... enormous! And Arnyn... she already had blood on her. I couldn't see Cali from my angle. But Arnyn..." He widened his eyes again. "This was just incredible," He still couldn't quite believe it. "When I came in, the wolf was there in place of Evil Arnyn. It was huge. Bigger than any wolf I ever heard of. Its fur was fiery red. Its teeth, glistening red with blood. Sharp as daggers. Its eyes burned with fury and hate. It wanted to rip and tear and kill..."

He paused. "And Arnyn was running. Straight toward it!" He was surprised Kaylin apparently hadn't seen this, because that was the first thing that he had seen when he reentered the mess hall. She had apparently seen Cali though, when he had not. Maybe it was a thing with different angles. "So, all I could see of Cali was that she was clinging onto the wolf from behind," He went on. "But the wolf was ignoring her now, staring Arnyn down instead. Its massive jaws open, waiting, ready to rip her apart. One giant paw held a sword flat to the floor. It stared at Arnyn, like it was daring her to come and get the sword. She stared back, determined. Then, just when it seemed Arnyn was going to run straight into its waiting jaws..." He backed up a step or two, "She dropped to her knees and sliiiiiiiiiid across the floor toward the monster, and stabbed!" He actually dropped onto his knees and mimicked the upward stabbing motion, trying to demonstrate just how epic the move had been.

"Her blade was small, but it pierced deep into the wolf's throat. After that," He went on, "is when she yanked the blade out. Blood gushing all over her." He had caught up to where Kaylin had stopped, now. "She slammed her elbow up into the beasts jaw, snatched up the sword, and impaled the monstrous wolf right through the chest!" He had to pause for breath there, and glanced at Kaylin to see if she wanted to add anything from her own perspective at this point.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Headquarters
Urimë 15

She wished she had a drink of her own when Trastion stepped in. With an almost smug look on her face, as if she had somehow expected him to take over the story, the redhead took a step back and let the recruit take center stage. A content smile played around her lips as she watched and listened. Here and there, she nodded, or the smile grew momentarily. He had gotten better. His excitement was contagious. It was an innocent retelling, an enthusiastic one. It was obvious to her that when he called Arnyn 'their beloved Lieutenant', he did not mean it in jest. She slanted her head. Those two had bonded rather well, it seemed. Kaylin would admit that Arnyn had won her over as well, with her flashes of humour and the way she handled things, despite the blonde's at times annoyingly analytical tendencies.

It was interesting to hear Trastion's description of Arnyn holding down Arnyn. Or Relic. That must have been a bizarre sight. And the way he described the Lieutenant running for the wolf... The Hyandaner really wanted a drink then. She would have taken a rather pleased sip at that point. Her lips spread into a white-toothed grin when Trastion said Arnyn 'sliiiiiiiid across the floor'. When he dropped to his knees and faked the stabbing motion, Kaylin's eyes lit with approval and - yes - shared enthusiam.

"Slipped into the damn thing like it was butter," Kaylin added, eyes twinkling, though she had the decency - albeit barely - not to grin at this point. "The wolf howled so loudly it felt like it pierced through you. It was angry and sharp - and turned into a scream that seemed to go on forever, even as the red wolf started shifting into the shape of a woman..." She shook her head and ran a hand down her face. "I saw it with my own eyes and I still find it hard to believe!"

"And Arnyn... she... held onto the wolf - the woman. The sword was still embedded in Relic's chest, as the woman's head sagged onto the Lieutenant, staring up at her. Arnyn just looked back at her. So calm." Disconcerting. Eerie. "I think the witch still tried to say something. There was more blood. And then, finally - silence." Kaylin's blue-grey eyes rested on Trastion. She raised one eyebrow, almost as if challenging him if there was anything else he wanted to tell.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters
Urimë 15

She carefully put the în on the desk. When Duinion asked whether the armoury had been checked at all, she avoided his gaze. "It has."

The reason for the sparsity of words in her reply was twofold. The main reason was instinctual: the question alone reminded her of the long and tedious process, which had taken hours, and brought the tedium and weariness back to the surface for just a moment. The secondary reason, perhaps, was to see if Duinion would decide whether or not he was content with such a simple reply. If he would not be, he'd prove either too curious or too sceptical of her claim to let the matter be. And while Arnyn would not be able to tell which of those two options the main reason would be for his continued questions, she would at least know he was not - or not yet - one who would just take her words at face value.

"Of course," she then added, unable to shut down the analytical part of her mind, "if Relic managed to get into the armoury again, at a later date, it might still have been able to cause harm to someone." The Lieutenant refrained from wiping at her face in muted frustration. But since she'd already been lifting her hand, she ran it through her hair instead. "But, meanwhile, such a threat has passed. I can tell you for certain that her poison of choice loses its potency with time when coated over a blade's edge," she disclosed, wanting to set at least a part of Duinion's mind at ease. "It would no longer prove dangerous now."
Her right hand distractedly touched the left sleeve of her uniform, where her bracer would be if she had been wearing them.
"It has no effect at all after three days. After two days, you might think you're feel a bit under the weather, but no more - and that is where we would be now if she poisoned any weapon the day of her passing." She hesitated. "But I advised everyone caution because if she decided to use certain venoms instead, those could still wreak more havoc. It's hard to test those."

Realizing she had now said more than she'd wished, but it wa too late to take that last sentence back, her only option was to give the comment no more attention. And since it mildly surprised her to hear Duinion explore her jesting comment, that was what she focused on next. A faint smile returned to her face, though her eyes were clearly more amused than the rest of her expression would let on. "More than a mere prank?" she repeated questioningly. She wondered what he might say of some of the things she'd pulled in her early days at the barracks, years ago.

"Not that I ever did any such thing to anyone."

Arnyn raised an eyebrow. "Of course you didn't," she said, her faint smile growing into a grin she did not hide. "And, assuredly, neither did I." It did not sound very believable. But it sounded exactly like the Lieutenant meant for it to sound.

That small gateway to a lighter frame of mind, made it that the Tirdinen's words about a certain other Lieutenant drew a short and quiet laugh from Arnyn. "I cannot imagine why," she said, just as casually as Duinion's words had been, and she had to hold herself back from commenting any further. Alas. He gets along so well with everyone would not be appropriate for her to say as second in command.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Pele had taken to observing the Rangers quietly, so she was saved from some of the surprise effect when Isys suddenly turned and spoke to her.

"Ah, yes," she responded, remembering that the Belfalasian did in fact have a home elsewhere, though she had gotten used to seeing the woman in the barracks - as much as she did manage to see her, since they were both busy with different things. "You can certainly do that, and I can see if any of the ladies are willing to take you up on an offer of lodging with you." While Pele did not say so aloud, she wondered how many would actually make use of the opportunity to reside in the 'forbidden' wing. A faint smile briefly touched her eyes when she remembered a certain adventure she did not care to admit to.

The other matter Pele considered for a few moments and left it without an immediate response as she studied Ilisys closely. "I daresay you are right on account of Shamara," she eventually remarked. She did not like leaving the woman locked up without any use, and yet it was true - she was likely to simply play along with any interrogations as she saw fit for her own uses. "Perhaps something I'd like to speak with you about," Pele added more quietly. "When you come with the matter you mentioned. Perhaps in a day or two?" She left it at that since the Ehtyar had now turned her attention to the card.

The mention of her rank distracted the Captain from thinking over the unfinished business with the Umbarian adversaries, and she looked at Kaylin to see what the matter was. Seeing that it was a beginning of a retelling of the story by combined forces of her and Trastion, Pele opened her mouth to request that it be stopped immediately. However, she reconsidered quickly and only sighed deeply and settled against the edge of the clerk's desk to watch. Whilst she considered the details received from Arnyn sufficient, it could be helpful to see the situation from the viewpoint of others, even if it came with some embellishments for the storytelling purposes.

Even though Pele had just promised herself to take everything with a grain of salt, the good storytelling, the pathos, the details... stirred the carefully sealed emotions in her and made her revisit the reasons why something like this had happened in the first place. Meeting Kaylin's eyes just for a moment, the Captain quickly diverted her gaze. It might not have happened, there would be less injuries, Cali would not have needed to be involved so closely - if Pele had ended Relic's life when she had the perfect opportunity. She regretted her choice to turn away from it only for a fleeting moment before reminding herself that those same moments she would spend stabbing Relic had been needed to save Mourgan's life. Besides, her trust in Arnyn's abilities was well placed and had paid off. Though it had been a close call, very close.

Suddenly Pele felt extremely tired: tired from making decisions, tired from facing the consequences, tired of seeing how it affected others - and yet it appeared nothing was really ended yet, and there were things to deal with. She sought support in the stability of the desk, doing her best to keep her shoulders from slouching while she looked on at the more colourful presentation of the events.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Tírdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters - captain's office with Arnyn
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Hearing that the armory had indeed been checked, Duinion nodded slightly to himself, thoughtful as he peered underneath the desk, just in case. He wasn't entirely surprised to hear that the armory had already had a careful search done on it. It had been two days now since the fire and everything had happened, after all. He figured there were many rangers who lived in the barracks who had probably pitched in to help in the search, as it was surely too large for one person alone to manage it. Meanwhile, Duinion had been out gathering wood from the forest, and hadn't even known there was a fire until he returned later. He felt a little twinge of guilt for not being more involved in that incident, but then again, he was still injured and doubted he would have been of much use anyway, even if he had been here.

"Of course,"

The lieutenant's comment seemed to be leading up to a potential need to check again, and that made him pause and glance over at her, but the words she did say.. did she mean that the search was conducted before Relic's demise? He wasn't entirely sure if that was what Arnyn meant, but soon she assured him that the threat of poisoned blades should be gone by now. Duinion relaxed slightly to hear that. "Alright, good. That was the main thing I was worried about." he frowned as the lieutenant then added some mention of venom. He happened to be looking at her when she touched her arm. It almost looked to him, as one might do when thinking about an injury, current or old. A tiny frown crept onto his face, but he held off from asking her whether she was speaking from personal experience when she mentioned how the effects of the poison would feel to someone, now. The thing she said about venom drew his attention away from that, for the moment. "Was she known to use venom?" He wondered as this new concern rose up. That was the first he had heard of venom as a possible threat. He knew of a few substances of that sort which the enemy could use to cause harm, but if this particular enemy had never previously used venom before, it seemed unlikely.. but not impossible.. that she would venture out to use it now.

He was a little surprised to see her grinning after his comment about the pin prank. He smiled back slightly. It was a little bit of a relief to hear that maybe she wasn't always so responsible and dutiful, and maybe had a little fun now and then. And, while they probably ought not have jested about Lt. Brian, it was difficult not to be amused as she commented that she couldn't imagine why anyone might consider doing anything to him. Duinion's smile grew ever so slightly as he turned back to his searching, attempting to hide the amusement. "Absolutely no idea," He replied in as convincing a tone he could manage. Which was.. not all that convincing, really.

Trying to remain focused, he took a moment to think over all of the areas in this room alone, which Arnyn said they had already checked. He figured there was no point in wasting time checking things that had already been checked, and besides, it might appear as if he didn't trust the captain and lieutenant to do that themselves if he went behind them and checked again. The chairs were probably safe now, he decided. He somewhat doubted the Umbarian woman would bother setting up pins in each of the chairs, and he had already checked one, while Arnyn checked the other. So, it would likely be just the one her target used the most, he figured, and that was the one they had found the pin in. Arnyn had looked over the windowsill, and the drawers and cabinets had been used without setting anything off, she said.

He carefully made his way around to inspect the bookshelf, and the books on it, along with any decorative items. Checking for wires, tiny blades or any other indication of something harmful waiting to catch some unsuspecting person. There was no dust to tell him whether things had been handled recently, and he figured someone must have cleaned it already. So, he figured it was safe, but he still took the time to take out each book (thankfully there weren't a lot of them) and check them individually before placing them back on the shelf. He took a look at the lamps in the office next, thinking of how he might go about rigging one to explode when lit, if he was going to set a trap of that sort. That helped him get a better idea of what to look for. But the lamps looked fine. The plants looked fine. The things on the desk looked fine.

After a while, he moved to stand in the middle of the room and did a slow, visual scan of the office, looking all along the floor, baseboards, and the walls, the ceiling... checking to see if there was anything he might have overlooked. But he couldn't find anything that didn't belong, and slowly let out a small sigh. "Well, I can't find anything else to be worried about. If there are any other traps in this room, they're very well hidden. And I suspect, from what I've heard of her, that she wasn't really the sort to study the intricacies of trap-setting, as I have..." He mentioned, though of course he could always be proven wrong. "So, unless you can think of anything else to check, I would say it's probably safe enough in here, now."

---

@Ercassie

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Headquarters - still with everyone else
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

As Kaylin gave her input on the scene, Trastion nodded, standing up again after his demonstration. Her descriptions were better. 'Like butter'. He almost grinned at that, but refrained after he caught sight of what might have been a disapproving look from the captain. Blinking, he wondered if he'd imagined that, because it was gone as quick as he blinked. Well, if he was in trouble, he probably would've heard about it by now. Right? Probably. Anyway...

Turning his thoughts and attention back to the captive audience, he hoped the others were as deeply impressed and astonished as he was, by their lieutenant's bold, daring move. And the fact she had put a definite end to the threat which had been hanging over them all for a long time. She was a hero! And now everyone else could know about her heroic deeds, too. He glanced around while Kaylin finished the tale, wondering how many of their fellow rangers were interested in the story, whether any looked skeptical, or amazed, or what.

The tale had come to a close rather quickly, he suddenly noticed, after realizing that Kaylin had stopped and was looking at him. What? Why? He turned back to her, wondering if there was something that he was supposed to tell now. All the exciting stuff had been told. The parts after were not really that interesting; getting the injured to the houses of healing. Having to get his arm bandaged. Nothing really interesting had happened after that. One thing did pop into his head though. "After it was all over," he turned back to the audience, "we found out that the wolf..witch..whatever... had bitten Cali's leg nearly in two," (alright, he exaggerated that slightly,) "and yet despite being unable to walk, she kept on determinedly assisting the lieutenant, and somehow managed to get that sword to Arnyn, so she could use it on the beast, and thus, helped to defeat it." He found it harder to portray that as epically, since he hadn't seen it himself. But, he felt she deserved some credit, and thus far had barely been mentioned in his and Kaylin's retelling.

After that, his mind drew a blank on whether there was anything else to add. "So that," he decided to conclude, "is how this fearsome foe came to be defeated, at long last." he declared, triumphantly. He raised his hand up as if to take a drink from a glass, only to find nothing in his hand. He glanced down at his empty hand, puzzled for a second about what happened to his glass of water he'd had, before remembering he'd set it down somewhere. "Where'd my water go?" He muttered under his breath, then spotted the glass set on a decorative pillar next to a vase. But it was empty. Right, he'd finished it before setting it down, he remembered. With slight disappointment, shrugged and looked over to see whether anyone was signing that card, or if everyone got distracted by the story. "Oh! Speaking of Cali... Nal, where are you? Nal?" he asked, glancing around to find the other young man, until he spotted him. "How is Cali, by the way?" He had heard they were good friends, so he seemed the most likely person to ask. "Is she recovering well?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters
Urimë 15

No questions about the armory. He took her word for it. Just like that. While she knew Duinion had a tendency to check, double-check - and be thorough about things. That is why he was checking this very office, was it not? He was being thorough. It felt encouraging to Arnyn that the ranger did not question her any further about the safety of the armory, at least. The image of his fist-to-heart salute the last time they were in the office, two weeks ago, suddenly returned to the forefront of her mind. Respect? Even after having played it fast and loose with his trust (at least, she figured that is how it must have felt like to Duinion).

"No, no, she wasn't known for the use of venom," she reassured him. "That's just the way my mind works sometimes. I can have a need to be..." She blinked. "Thorough." Ha. The irony. "As in - it isn't because she wasn't known to use it, that she would not. Who knows. The only one who can really tell us for sure, would be Relic herself."

Curious to see how Duinion would go about checking the rest of the room, Arnyn slowly walked around the office, watching the Tirdinen as he continued his inspection, first of the bookshelf and everything on it, then the lamps, the plants, the items on the desk, and finally the floors, walls and the ceiling.

When he declared it safe enough, a faint smile mastered her face. She nodded in earnest. "I would agree. Well then. Since that has been taken care of, let's get some air outside." She waited for a nod or other indication that he agreed, and then moved toward the door.

"So that is how this fearsome foe came to be defeated, at long last," she heard Trastion declare triumphantly. Arnyn raised an eyebrow as she and Duinion returned to the main hall of headquarters. Had the recruit taken it upon himself to tell the story again? Just what had he been telling those who had remained? Arnyn's eyes flicked around the hall, finding Pele near the clerk's desk, where some rangers were lining up to sign the card for Mourgan. Arnyn wasn't sure whether she liked Pele's demeanor. Yet there was only so much she could do without seeming entirely overprotective.

With some difficulty, the Lieutenant forced herself to focus back on Duinion as they steadily made their way through the hall, heading for the exit. "You have lost one of your crutches, I see." Her tone was one of genuine interest. "Did the healers already tell you that one crutch would suffice, or was it something you have figured out yourself and will this be news to them tomorrow?" If the healers had told him, then he had lost one of his two crutches almost immediately after their last meeting at headquarters. Arnyn tried to remember whether he had been using one or two crutches during the meeting with Isys and Unalmis. He had still been using two, she thought.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Tírdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters - captain's office with Arnyn
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

It was a slight reassurance to hear that the vanquished foe was not known for using venom, although, as Arnyn pointed out, that didn't mean she didn't. He nodded slightly, trying to feel hopeful that she had stuck to what she knew best, and not branched out to things she had used less. "Yes, I know what you mean," He offered a faint smile when the lieutenant said that she felt a need to be thorough. Let us hope she kept with what she was familiar with, and, even more hopefully, only left that one trap. If that was indeed left by her. I suppose we couldn't really know, unless someone gets pricked and has symptoms from the poison. Which we would definitely prefer to avoid."

Thankfully, according to Arnyn, the stuff would lose potency after a while, and by this point it shouldn't cause a lethal reaction, but it was still best to avoid it altogether. Still, that thought reminded him of the way Arnyn had touched her arm when speaking of the fact. He'd become distracted at the time, as he had been venturing into another line of thought, but now he took a little closer look at her as they moved for the door, after agreeing that the office seemed safe enough. Once back in the rather crowded main hall, he tried to avoid getting distracted again, even as he heard the energetic young man wrapping up a story, it seemed. He was curious what he might have missed, but wasn't exactly willing to linger around in the hall to find out. It did give him a chance for a better look at the lieutenant while she was looking elsewhere. While trying not to stare at her. However, he didn't observe anything noticeably off about her, and wondered if maybe it had just been his imagination.

About the time that Duinion turned his attention back toward the exit, he stopped as Arnyn spoke to him about his crutches. "Hm?" he glanced down at the crutch he was using, when she brought it up. "Oh, um," He answered, hiding a little amusement at the way she'd said he 'lost' the other crutch, as if he'd misplaced it or something. Which was uncannily accurate, as it turned out. "Yes, I'm allowed to put some weight on it now, as long as I'm careful not to overdo it. So, two seemed unnecessary." he shrugged, and decided not to mention that a certain friend of his had decided to throw the crutches off into the woods before he could stop him, after joking that Duinion was only faking needing them, and that afterward, they could only find one of them. On the plus side, that was how he had discovered that he actually only needed one now...

He cleared his throat, relaxing slightly as they moved outside at last, to where the air seemed easier to breathe. "I suppose it might be a small surprise to the healers. But, I've been managing well enough without the other, for.. a couple of days now." He added with a slight shrug of one shoulder. "Also, I started on my new bow, yesterday." He added, brightening slightly as he brought that up. "I hope, by the time I'm cleared to return to duty, it will be finished and ready for use." He was a little excited about starting on a new bow already, and hoped it last him as long, or longer, than the previous one.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Headquarters
Urimë 15

She chuckled audibly when Trastion said the wolf had nearly bitten the smith's leg in two. The door to the office opened to reveal Duinion and Arnyn, just as Trastion wrapped out the story 'officially'. The recruit then seemed to fall apart a bit, allowing himself to fall prey to distractions and seeking out Ranger Unalmis. Smiling, Kaylin glanced first at Arnyn, who was walking toward the exit with Duinion, and then at Pele. The smile on the redhead's face faded quickly.

"Maybe we should get out of here," she told Thullir quietly, stepping back to his side. "I might have put my foot in it with that story." Too soon, perhaps. Before long, it was their turn to sign the card for Mourgan. After they had done so, Kaylin looked back at the Captain and offered a smile as well as a nod.

---

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters
Urimë 15

"Progress," she noted after his reply that he could put some weight on it now, and looked at Duinion with a soft smile. She remembered his lack of positivity during their first real conversation at the farm out on the Pelennor a few weeks prior. "I'm glad to hear it." Her words were genuine, and so was the smile along the corners of her eyes.

His news about having started on his new bow, made the smile grow. "Really?" she questioned as she opened the door and gestured for him to go first. "And the good news just keeps on coming!" She'd been planning on asking him about that, and in case he hadn't started, she might have made a project of going out and finding a few options to present to him. But since he had already begun, such plans were easy to claim and would sound hollow. Therefore she chose not to mention them. "You found a piece of wood to your liking then? What kind of tree is it from?"

They stepped outside.

[Ercassie]

Ehtyar Ilisys Azrubêl, at HQ.
On Urimë 15 (two days after the fire/Relic’s death)
@Pele Alarion

Isys had given but a nod of acknowledgement to her Captain’s approval. There was little need for any more. Perhaps naught might even come of the invitation, but duty was duty and a lady with room to accommodate the needy had no right in this world to turn them away. The entire reason she had purchased the house at all was to oblige her mother’s (thankfully rare) visits. Lady Eressild simply did not ‘do’ public guesthouses, and always brought a faithful entourage along with her when she travelled from home, but of course. Such a guest could be entirely catered for by the devoted though small number of staff. So there was really little difference between sharing an occasional tea with her fastidious parent, or some few of her new peers and it was an acceptable cost to pay for the privilege. After all, in her own home, she could shut her door on the rest of the world, at will, and be assured privacy. Her people knew by now when to give her space and time. Today she was craving both. But again, duty came first.

The Ehtyar had not expected Pele to remark about Shamara in response. The feeling she had gauged was that their leader wished to think on nothing less. But Isys could not have departed without having divulged ‘some’ degree of wariness to be maintained. Even in the wake of Relic’s end. It was as far as she could take herself along that path, this day and would have to do. For clearly neither woman was in a place to further delve about that matter today.


“You are my Captain” the Belfalasian mentioned gently, covering all bases in reply to Pele’s suggestion. Having accomplished her contribution to Mourgan’s get well card, she noted that both Trastion and Unalmis were beginning to converge around Kaylin. There was no inspiration then to demand she address any of those issues either, for all of those three at once was fair cause to postpone all for another more fitting occasion. The notion that Isys might instead go and visit Lieutenant Brian, at the Houses of Healing, meant that she left the Headquarters with a new sense of purpose. There were various practical matters which related to her lodgings, and belongings, which the man was far more fitting to discuss, than either of the other officers today. And likely both the Ehtyar and the Barracks Master would appreciate the distraction of even mundane business to ground them back in the day to day, right about now.

Ranger Unalmis Raxëlilta, at HQ
On Urimë 15 (two days after the fire/Relic’s death)
@Rillewen @Arnyn

As the Officers called a close to their address, the spotlight was swiftly stolen by Kaylin and, unsurprisingly, Trastion, who had together wasted no time at all in launching into a rather more spirited account of what had happened. The consequences of an ill-advised coffee were clearly still prevalent. Even more unsurprising was the timing of the dramatics, which quickly followed Arnyn and Duinion’s departure from the hall. Unalmis did not particularly expect that he would hear anything more now than he had already, from his current room mate. And was satisfied with the answers from the Command, which had met the many questions. Those things which had not already been taken care of, were clearly now set up for future goals. All was in hand.

Yet he lingered all the same, curious whether Isys was going to share what she had very recently told him, with the Command team. Observing from his distance, he noted the Ehtyar break some small but quiet amount of words with Pele, and soon supposed that might now be taken care of. So, having already signed the card for Mourgan, in the very early hours of that morning in fact, he did not bother joining the current queue.


There was plenty else to be about while they waited for the signings to be done. For one, Kaylin, in not so subtle tones, had just referred to his new room mate as her ‘little brother’. And that was certainly something he had not heard before ! But Trastion was very easily distracted right now, with his own take on the tale.

“Well a leg bitten near into two doesn’t heal overnight,” he pointed out, meeting the Recruit’s over-enthusiasm with a half laugh. “She’s bored and complaining about having to sit around a lot. Which means she is definitely on the mend.” Unalmis might have added that Cali seemed more worried about Mourgan than about herself, but he wasn’t sure that leading this particular duo toward the image of wounded lovers, on top of everything else, would please his friend.


“You should compose an epic ode to this mighty and terrible battle,” he shrugged, recalling how he had sent Eryn upon such a path to entertain the Hyandaner, when she’d been bed-bound. The reminder of the Smith sat sullenly at home when she wanted to be at work .. was equally inspiring. “In fact, I know someone who would probably be able to help put it to music, play it all through the city in fact to spread the word.”

If Cali had been at work he might have had to consider going by to see her and pass on Isys’s bad news. But since his friend was meant to be relaxing, at home, and Trev could be absolutely anywhere in the city right now as he went around on his job hunt, it would have to wait until tonight, to break the news to them both. Unalmis was all too happy for the delay.


“How long have the pair of you been siblings anyway ?” he asked Trastion, raising his chin in the direction of Kaylin, who had just stepped off to speak with her husband. Amazingly it seemed that there was still a whole lot which the excitable younger man had not gotten around to sharing with him yet. “And do you need another drink ? Water, I mean. Would you like some more water ?” The offer came either from a place of feeling at least in part responsible or, rather, ensuring that a dry throat would not impede the new tale.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Headquarters - still with everyone else
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Trastion nodded with as much seriousness as he could muster, as Unalmis replied to his inquiry about the smith, then when Nal laughed, he grinned in response. "I'm glad to hear she's recovering." He declared, honestly. He definitely remembered sitting around in boredom, waiting on a healer to say he was recovered enough to go do more fun things again. The suggestion, then, to make up an epic ode of the tale, struck him as very intriguing. "That," he said, widening his eyes, "Is a great idea! Unfortunately, I'm really not good at music or.. you know, anything of that sort." He added, with some disappointment. As Unalmis then brought up the fact that he knew someone that could help, he brightened a bit. "Oh? Maybe we could come up with something, then!" He grinned, imagining how something of that sort might go, but was drawing a complete blank on that.

"Later, maybe?" He suggested. "After everyone finishes signing the card, I was going to go take it to Mourgan. But we definitely should talk to this person and see about making this into some sort of epic ode," he declared, feeling as if this thing should definitely happen. He glanced around to ask if Kaylin wanted to get in on this, but she'd wandered off to talk to her husband. Oh well, maybe he'd have another chance to ask her.

Nal's question caught him a little by surprise, and he laughed a little. "Oh, uh.." He swiftly tried to count back to that quest adventure he and Kaylin had done. "Maybe a.. week and a half, or something like that?" He guessed, trying to recall. "Not long... it was that same day that you were coming in as we were leaving. The inn, I mean, that one on the second level?" He shrugged. "It's sort of.. an inside joke, you might say." He grinned, then glanced at his empty glass when Nal asked if he'd like any more water. "Ummm," He blinked, trying to decide if he wanted any more water. "No, I'm good. Thanks though." He glanced around to see if people were almost done with the card. "Are you coming along to see Mourgan too, or... wait, did you say you have some sort of training today? You do, don't you?" He felt like that had come up at some point but could not quite remember when this was supposed to be happening, or he might be mistaken.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

Pele lingered near the clerk's desk, listened to the story, and watched the Rangers sign the card. Everything seemed to work fine without her participation or interference, and she figured she could just as well leave and let the others mingle some more if they wanted.

"Well, you know where to find me, generally," she mentioned quietly to Isys in response to her statement, indicating that she could come whenever she found it convenient. Then she briefly met Kaylin's eye and managed a small return smile.

It seemed that Arnyn and Duinion had finished their business in the office, so after another brief look at the card signing, Pele moved away from the desk as inconspicuously as she could and slipped into the office. Yet she did not close the door leaving it open in case anyone wanted to talk with her. To keep herself busy, Pele set about tending to the potted plants, picking off leaves that looked dry. The activity did not take a long time since there were only two small plants - no one would probably be happy if she brought half of the forest into the office.

[Ercassie]

Ranger Unalmis Raxëlilta, at HQ
On Urimë 15 (two days after the fire/Relic’s death)

“Leave it with me,” Unalmis winked, in the face of Trastion’s doubting musicality. It would certainly be a project that Trevadir might enjoy, and it would allow for Cali to be involved too, sharing her knowledge of the incident with their musician friend, or more likely correcting a too ‘dramatic’ recounting of what had really happened, whilst still managing to ensure it would be entertaining. Knowing his friend’s skill in composing, there was a real chance that any end product would be both thrilling and heart wrenching. Which was just about fitting really, under the circumstances.

Whatever the explanation was behind Trastion and Kaylin’s new found comradery, it seemed that one was a story not likely to be shared any time soon. Trying to hide his disappointment, and surprise, Nal found his eyes went to the empty glass which now held no more water. The simple stirring prompt, when combined with mere mention of a certain inn and a certain day, helped him to recall how confidences worked and he didn’t press the matter of mysteries any further.

“I’m not sure they’ll let the both of us in to visit Mourgan at the same time,” he figured, encouraging the change of subject. The young man’s tone suggested that it might have been who the two of them were, rather than the fact that there were two of them, which was most likely to see such a ‘crowd’ chased off. “You take it,” he shrugged, referring to the get well card. “I don’t want them re-assigning me to play visitor to a lonely Barracks Master if there’s a limit for each patient !” he shook his head, even as he lowered his voice. But the Captain had just turned into her office, and the other Lieutenant was nowhere to be seen. Really he was doing Brian an immense favour by keeping his distance, regardless what Pele might hope for.

“That was you, I think,” he laughed, as Trastion struggled to recall if Nal had training due this day. Unalmis had no idea where his own training partner had gone off to now, and was not in the mood to go running after her. If he had even suspected her true destination, to visit with Lieutenant Brian, as it turned out, he definitely would have been only further disinclined.

“I’ll take this back to the kitchens for you,” he vowed, as per taking Trastion’s glass back to over to the Barracks building where it belonged. “Tell Mourgan we’re all missing him,” he tacked on. As well as .. “Romeran, if you want a hand taking any luggage or what have you, in the direction of the Barracks, I’m headed that way,” he offered, rather than leave the other young man abandoned in the swiftly emptying chamber. Regardless, the door and glory of the day outside beckoned.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel
@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Headquarters
Urimë 15

"Tell Mourgan we're all missing him." Kaylin caught Unalmis' words to Trastion just before he prepared to leave. "Oh!" The sound escaped her before she'd good and well realized. "Tras, hold up!" she called out to him, to avoid the young recruit running off already.

Her gaze suddenly intent on something, she looked up at Thûllir. "Seron, I've been wanting to see Mourgan but they turned me away at the Houses yesterday on the account of 'too many visitors'. If Trastion is going to try and see him with the card... it's a good excuse," she mused. "I might just get in with him. If he's going right now - can we postpone our planned session at the grounds for an hour or so?" It shouldn't be a problem, she thought, trying to recollect the day's schedule. But Thûllir was the better organizer between the two of them, and she'd learned it never hurt to make sure.

[Karis Ziranphel]

Cúner Karis Ziranphel & Ranger Thûllir Bregedŷr
Headquarters - Urimë 15

Ziran had listened quietly to the further explanations and answers to questions, halting though they were. She hadn’t liked to push Pele in that way, and she caught the stare of disapproval that Arnyn had given her, but the replies did finally shed more light on the situation and the events that led to these deaths that had been announced. It was an amazing tale of sorcery and shapeshifting, fire, ambush, and seemingly impossible odds, but a victory had been won despite bitter loss. Ziran knew that for some the tale was likely straining credibility, but she had seen for herself that strange and wondrously terrifying things both good and evil did exist. This was no different. Relic was indeed definitely dead and gone, and this chapter of the saga was closed. There were potentially other pieces in play, and she felt the need to go question Shamara again with this new information as part of her weaponry, but it was good to have some resolution. This had been a shaking and a new grief, but perhaps it could lay to rest those griefs from the past.

The sudden shift in Nal’s comments to talking about Shamara after Romeran asked if Relic was working alone caught at her attention, and she shifted to watch him. She was interested to know his involvement, but guessed Arnyn or Isys must have shared with him at some point. Pele’s and Arnyn’s words on the matter were interesting, and Ziran found herself giving a slight nod at their conclusions. She caught Kaylin’s mention of finding someone to question Shamara other then herself, and couldn’t help the quirk of her lips in a small smile before she gave another nod to Pele. There was no need to volunteer that she had already been questioning the woman, and only the officers really needed to know that she was willing to continue unless they changed their orders. Where the woman was held still needed to be classified after the easy escapes that had been brought about from regular detention.

Ziran listened to the further questions and suggestions without comment, processing all that she had heard over the past half an hour. It was a lot to take in, and she knew that time would give her a more settled spirit once she had time to process. Her gaze strayed to the suddenly talkative Tirdinen with curiosity, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Once they were dismissed to go, she moved forward quietly to sign the card and then slipped out as the line grew longer.

Thûllir had also listened quietly, watching each speaker and weighing their words. He had seen some of what occurred in the dining hall with his own eyes, but it was strange to hear of what transpired after he left. It explained the injuries and bandages a bit more, as well as the strong reactions of those who had been present. He remained silent other than giving a slight huff of wry amusement when Kaylin commented, alluding that the event was more dramatic than Arnyn had described. They hadn’t discussed it, but he did know that she had been there to witness the very end. She hadn’t wanted to talk before, but she did love her tales, and perhaps now would be willing to share. However nothing came of it until they had gotten into the line to sign the card and another Hyandaner asked her about it. He bit his lip as she called out to draw attention and set up the narrative, and merely turned to watch and listen as she stepped out to tell her account.

He rested his thumb in the wide band of his belt as his eyes traced from young Trastion to Kaylin and back as they told their observations with gusto. It wasn’t his manner, but the tale telling suited them both, and he knew that it was cathartic to share the battle stories. It was the same with soldiers in every land that they often dealt best with making sense of their traumas by sharing the events with others like them, who would understand. He gave a shake of his head when the lad mentioned the smith’s leg being bitten in two. He had seen her injuries in passing and they were not good, but nowhere near that bad. The description took it a bit far, but there was always that temptation to exaggerate which then would call the rest of the story into question. A sigh passed his lips, but then Kaylin moved back to indicate she was done and they should sign the card. “Aye.” He acquiesced to getting ready to go, and soon added his signature after hers. They were near the end of the line, so it was completed shortly afterwards.

A few moments later they were about to head out the door after Trastion and Unalmis, when Kaylin called for Trastion to wait. Thûllir’s eyebrows rose at her explanation, but then he nodded. He had wanted to visit Mourgan himself to check on the young Ranger and see how he was doing, although he would be content to glance in if the room was busy. “I’ll come with you. Training can wait a while longer. If there is trouble getting in I can wait in the gardens, but I wouldn’t mind seeing how he is.” The last he had seen of their friend had not been good, so although the reports were encouraging, he would like to see for himself.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie @Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Headquarters - with Unalmis, Kaylin, & Thullir
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

The new idea about turning this exciting tale into a story told in song was rather intriguing, and a grin spread over his face as Nal exhibited such confidence in being able to set it up to make it happen. "That'll be great!" He answered, already trying to envision such a thing. He could remember plenty of things like that, learned in his childhood. Mostly about elves, like Luthien and Beren, and tales of other exciting deeds and adventures of brave warriors and people from long ago. Nothing ever from present day people, so this would be great!

What was not so great, was the thought of either one of them being sent off to visit the wounded barracks master. Trastion's eyes grew a little wide with horror at the very mention of such a thing. "Yeah, best not risk that." he agreed, barely suppressing a shudder. The idea of someone (especially someone like himself or Unalmis) going to visit Brian willingly was both laughable and horrifying. Not to mention the thought of what it might do to the man. "Do you suppose he's yelling at the healers about how they ought to make the beds to his standards?" He joked, unable to resist making some small crack about the man's tendency to overreact about something so trivial.

As his newfound friend declared that he would return the glass to the kitchen, Trastion blinked in some surprise, finding himself liberated from holding said glass. "Oh, you don't have to do that," He made a mild protest, but it seemed Nal was also volunteering to help Rome with any baggage. Right, another new roommate! He wondered what it would be like having more than one, and whether the other guy was as much fun to chat with as Nal turned out to be. He'd find out soon, he figured.

"Will do," He vowed in return, in answer to Nal's request to pass on the message to Mourgan. He was about to set out for the houses of healing when Kaylin's voice caught his attention, hailing him to wait. Stopping in the doorway, he glanced back at her, then suddenly laughed as he smacked a hand to his forehead, realizing he'd nearly taken off without the card, after waiting all this time for everyone to finished signing it. Shaking his head slightly at how absent-minded he felt today, he hurried over to get the card he and Nal had put so much work into making. Noticing that both captain and lieutenant had made their exits, and the receptionist person wasn't anywhere that he could see, he took great care to put the ink and quill away without spilling any of the former, while waiting for Kaylin.

[Arnyn]

@Karis Ziranphel
@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Headquarters
Urimë 15

A bright smile lit her face when Thûllir said he'd go with them. She lightly touched her fingers to the side of his bearded face and gave him a nod. A bit slower in turning to Trastion, she only regained her full speed by the time she caught up with Trastion near the door. "Mind if we tag along?" Kaylin indicated Thûllir. Not that it was necessary - he was the only one who had approached along with her.

"You were saying you're going to give the card to Mourgan now?" she inquired eagerly. "I got turned away by the receptionist yesterday," she explained and complained. "I'd really like to see how Mourgan is doing. And Thûllir was one of the people who brought him to the Houses in the first place. So... if you don't mind?" Her eyes hopefully glinted at Trastion. "Little brother?" A grin.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Karis Ziranphel

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Headquarters - with Kaylin & Thullir
Urimë 15 (two days after the fire)

He was curious what Kaylin might want, when she asked him to wait. And he was glad she had, because it had helped remind him to get the card. Then he thought it might be a good idea to let the ink dry before messing with it. He recalled how many rough drafts of the card had gotten ruined when he or Nal tried to work on it before letting ink dry, which was part of why the project had taken so long. The other part.. well, having a paper-wad war took time, if it was to be any proper amount of fun.

After a short moment where she appeared to be conferring with her husband, Kaylin turned back to explain what she wanted, to Trastion. "Oh, sure!" He smiled at the request. "I hope they let us in," He added with a tiny bit of worry, as he glanced to make sure the ink from the last signature was dry before folding the card. "Nal seemed unsure they'd let both me and him in to see him." He hesitated, thinking, and laughed. "We could tell them it's official ranger business, maybe?" He suggested jokingly. "Well, let's hope for the best, anyway." He grinned and headed for the door.

[Karis Ziranphel]

Ranger Thûllir Bregedŷr
Headquarters - Urimë 15


Thûllir returned Kaylin’s smile, and followed just a step behind as she caught up with Trastion. He cocked an eyebrow at Trastion’s hesitation and explanation for it.

He suspected that the potential concern at the Houses of Healing might be due more to the combination of individuals than number, knowing the nurses. They liked things quiet and calm for their patients, but he kept his peace instead of pointing that out.

Instead, he nodded in response to Trastion’s grin, and after placing his hand on Kaylin’s shoulder to indicate she should precede him as well, followed him out the door.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

She entered to the familiar clang and bang of some sturdy tool on metal.

While Kaylin didn't need much for a good mood - this was true - for some reason the sounds of a smith at work tended to feel... uplifting. She wasn't sure why that was. But why would she question it?

"Helloooo!" she called out as she made her way further into the armoury, toward where she knew the actual forge was. The smithy, Cali, was sitting on a stool, positioned just so she could hammer something out - at a high table not far from the forge. Kaylin grey-blue eyes quickly assessed the woman's leg - or what she might see of it underneath the leather apron and the woman's skirt. Suffice it to say, Kaylin could not make any sort of assessment at all. Ah well.

"Ahh, the smith who is already making a name for herself!" Kaylin greeted Cali. "I'm obviously interrupting." The redhead grinned. "Sorry. But I was hoping to pick up a blade or two." She had only lost one, but you didn't go to the armoury for one small blade, did you now?

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

"Helloooo!"

The cheerful greeting came from a voice Cali was unfamiliar with. She paused, looking up from setting a rivet on a leather bracer. She'd had to pull out the original, which was damaged and liable to break at any moment, and now was finishing up with the replacement. And once she saw the red haired woman standing there, she remembered her from right after the wolf thing. She couldn't remember if she'd given her name, but she had been the one to help Cali up after it was all over. "Hello again." She greeted her. A slightly shy, yet curious, smile crossed her face at the woman's next words. Making a name for herself? "Am I?" She wondered with a faint laugh, rather curious whether that was due to her working here at the armory, or.. the recent incident in the mess hall.

Shaking her head at the next statement, Cali assured her, "You're not interrupting. Let me just finish this rivet, and I'll be done with this bracer." She smiled, then with a couple good, strong strikes with her hammer, the rivet was satisfactorily set. She inspected it briefly, then nodded to herself and set the piece aside. "There, all done. So, a couple of blades? What sort of blades are you talking about?" She asked, laying her hammer down. "And do you mean something pre-made, off the shelf here," She waved a hand toward the various weapon racks, "Or something made especially for you?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

"Yes, you are, Cali Dringolben!" Kaylin laughed. "Rangers like having a smithy who has the guts to battle a direwolf, you know?" Her grin softened into a smile. "So, hi. I'm Kaylin. If I haven't said that before of if you haven't heard it yet," she added, somewhat uncertain of whether Cali did or didn't know her name.

At the smith's question, Kaylin seemed hesitant for a brief moment. "Well. I'm a Hyandaner Ranger, but I'm not looking for a sword today. I'm looking for something.... a bit more delicate." She pulled out a knife from her sleeve and carefully put it on the table in front of the other woman.

"Brastor couldn't or wouldn't make anything as small as this," she shrugged. "So I've been procuring these elsewhere. But... after everything that happened at the mess, you seem like you might be open to more out-of-the-box requests. So I thought I would at least ask." Her finger tapped the very thin blade carefully. It was thin, but sharp. "Apparently it's a tough balance to find between size and strength - so it doesn't break too easily but can still be worn under the sleeve.. and such.. without showing all the time. And not every armorsmith is keen on making something like this." Kaylin somewhat self-consciously scratched at the side of her neck. "As you can see it's metal the whole way through. Only the blunted end isn't sharpened at the edges, see?"

With a shrug, she looked back up at Cali. "If you don't make any of these either, it's not a big deal or anything. I can get them elsewhere. But it's very convenient if I were to able to get them from here." Kaylin slanted her head, kind of awkward about what she was going to say next. "Full disclose? It's not... standard Ranger equipment. But it's not forbidden or anything."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

Initially, Cali was mildly surprised to hear her calling her by her full name, but then almost as quickly, realized.. yes. Of course people would have been talking about that, and her name would have gotten mentioned. Having only recently returned to work after her injury, she realized maybe it was a wonder that more folks hadn't already come in to meet her. Maybe they didn't know yet she was back at the forge already. "A dire wolf," She laughed slightly, shaking her head slightly, feeling it was a bit of an exaggeration. "Well, I don't know about all that.. I was just.. trying to protect a friend." She explained, going a little quieter as she looked down, wishing she could've been quicker at stopping the sorceress from stabbing him. "I didn't even mean to get mixed up in all that craziness. It just..happened so fast." She shrugged, but smiled faintly as the ranger introduced herself. "Nice to properly meet you, Kaylin." She offered out a hand to shake. "And thanks for the help, the other day. I don't remember if I said that, then."

Shifting slightly in an attempt to find a more comfortable position on the stool, Cali listened to the explanation about what Kaylin was hoping to get here. Not a sword, then. She gave a small nod, intrigued as she kept listening. As the hyandaner produced a small knife, and put it on the table, Cali leaned a little closer to examine it with curiosity, keeping quiet as Kaylin explained a bit more about what she wanted. As she talked, Cali carefully picked the small blade up and studied it, checking how the balance was, and about the thickness and weight of it. After a moment, when Kaylin paused, she glanced up at her in slight amusement. "Have you been talking to Unalmis?" Cali couldn't help asking, a tiny smile playing about her lips. It would be just like him to send someone to her for something like this. She grinned slightly and set the knife back on the table. "He uses throwing knives as well," She mentioned with a small shrug. "And he would know how much I love a good challenge..." She laughed.

"Anyway," She smiled, tucking a section of hair behind her ear. "As for Brastor.." She hesitated and glanced around as if to make sure no one else was around, then leaned closer with a hand up by her mouth as if to share a secret, "No disrespect to the man, but.. he did retire because he was getting old." She pointed out, then dropped her voice to a mock whisper. "Maybe he just couldn't see what he was doing." Though she kept a straight face, she couldn't stop the teasing glint in her brown eyes from showing. Sitting back up, Cali smiled innocently, and hoped that comment would be taken in the teasing spirit it was meant in. Clearing her throat as if nothing had been said of that sort, she reached over to grab a notepad she kept nearby. "So. About these not-forbidden blades that aren't standard..did you have any particular time you'd need this done by? And also, how many were you thinking?" She asked, flipping through some pages of various designs on weapons and armor that she'd sketched out while stuck recovering at home, until she found a blank page so she could sketch out the shape and specs of these blades. Glancing up, she smiled slightly. "Sorry.. it feels like I've done nothing but fix things since I started here... so I'm not about to pass up a chance to make something new. Especially something that might be a bit challenging. Even more especially, something that another smith wouldn't attempt." She grinned, eager to have a chance to do something more interesting than repairs.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

"Things like that do tend to happen fast," she agreed. When Cali said it was nice to 'properly' meet her, Kaylin laughed. "What's a proper meeting, anyway?" she shrugged. At the smith's words of thanks, she smiled easily. "That's okay. It was no big deal."

"Unalmis?" Kaylin repeated, not sure why Cali would think of him all of a sudden. "No?" After listening to some of th smith's additional thoughts, Kaylin nodded. "Oh. Well. I mean. The Lieutenant also uses throwing knives, but not like these. If Unalmis uses throwing knives like these, I think I should definitely go talk to him, though." A grin.

Oh, so Cali loved a challenge? Kaylin chuckled. It did seem that the newer and younger generation was a lot of fun. Better than bitter old men who avoided any and all conversation and stuck to their old habits, for sure.
It seemed that Cali at least partially shared Kaylin 's opinion. At the woman's comments on Brastor, Kaylin raised an amused eyebrow. "Well. Getting old is much better than staying young forever," she said somewhat cryptically - although it wasn't meant to be. Kaylin smiled. "It is good for a smith to retire before they get rusty," she declared in a serious tone.

Cali's turn of phrase ('not-forbidden blades that aren't standard) made her smile grow into an outright grin. "Not really," she mused, thinking about the timing. "I still have more than enough left, unless I were to suddenly lose a bunch more. I was thinking four. To start." She kept the grin. "If that's alright?"

Kaylin's eyes were drawn to the notepad that the smith was flipping through. Her eyes caught on one design in particular, and she only half-registered Cali's last few sentences then. "Wait, wait-" Kaylin said, raising a hand as if pleading. "Go back," she instructed. While she had no authority over Cali, her words hadn't sounded like an order, but more like how a friend would request it. "A little more," she nodded. "Yes - there!"

Her eyes widened and almost seemed to brighten upon further inspection of the sketch. "What is THAT?" she asked, crazy curious.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

"Oh, you know.. getting each other's names is a good start," Cali replied when asked what a 'proper meeting' is. She shrugged, and considered the question about Nal. "No," She answered with a little shake of her head. "His are more..the usual kind. But, seeing those made me think of him." She explained, not mentioning how he'd made some mention of trying to talk Ranger Isys into coming to Cali for smithwork. So it had honestly crossed her mind, when Kaylin appeared.

The comments about aging vs staying young left her a little unsure how to reply. She suspected Kaylin meant dying, and absolutely agreed that she'd rather live to get old. But it was still a difficult topic to broach for Cali. She was trying not to think of such things, and so she decided to merely give a small nod of agreement on that, growing a little solemn for a moment. Thankfully, the topic swiftly changed to retiring, and she smiled at the pun about a smith 'getting rusty'. "Yes, it is indeed." She agreed wholeheartedly. "Although some of us do find it hard to..step back and retire when they ought to." She added, holding back a sigh. "Or even to stop and get some rest when they're tired.. something I'm working on." She admitted with a slightly self-conscious smile. "I'm glad that Brastor had the sense to know when it was time, for him. Of course, I think his joints might have been bothering him, anyway." She shrugged. "He seemed nice enough, of course. I spent a couple of weeks shadowing him, to learn where everything is and all that. But I barely knew him. As I said, I didn't mean anything against him." She smiled, meaning that sincerely.

As the hyandaner requested four such small blades, Cali nodded while she was seeking a blank page. "Sure," She smiled, then hesitated in confusion, looking up when she heard the 'wait, wait' burst out of the other woman. What? Was something wrong? The confusion quickly vanished though, when Kaylin asked her to turn back a few pages, looking rather excited. A slightly awkward laugh slipped out, but she obliged, stopping at the requested page. "Oh," She looked down at the page, a tiny bit shy about her sketched designs. But Kaylin asked what it was, and she tried to explain. "Um, I just got bored, sitting around at home, resting my leg and all." She turned the notepad around and slid it toward Kaylin, so she could take a look. "So I sketched out some thoughts and ideas.. got a bit creative. That's just something I was toying with on paper... I haven't tried making anything like that, but it was.. just an idea I thought might be neat." Shrugging, she sat back slightly while letting Kaylin examine the drawing. "I'm not even sure quite what a weapon like that would be called, to be honest." She admitted, curiously watching the ranger's expression.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

"Neither do I," Kaylin said, eyes gleaming. She wondered if it was supposed to work like she thought. "It looks like it could be... either aquarterstaff... or a two-ended polearm... or two very short..um..." Giving up for the moment, the Hyandaner shrugged and laughed. "You must tell me more about this and how it would work!" Suddenly figuring it might sound strange for a Hyandaner to be so interested in a weapon that may be more suitable for an Ehtyar, Kaylin thought to explain a bit. "I've had extensive cross-training with one of the Ehtyar, for many years now. And so far I have been remiss in adding any weapon of that kind to my... arsenal. But I mean..." she gestured at the page. "When a woman sees a gem like this..."

Expectantly, she looked at Cali. "You did say you loved a good challenge?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

Cali laughed lightly, feeling less self-conscious after seeing the enthusiasm from the hyandaner. "It would be like.. short swords with long handles. I'm.. well, not personally very familiar with using weapons, so I'm not completely certain how efficient it would be in action." She explained. "I..uh, haven't really showed this to anyone yet because I was still trying to figure out the details." She smiled a little shyly, glancing down at the paper. "But yes, my thinking was that the two blades would be sheathed in the opposite's handle, so they fit together and become one solid rod. Or, you could turn each piece around and secure the other ends together, and it becomes a staff with blades on either end."

Hearing the explanation about how Kaylin would like to add a polearm type weapon into her 'arsenal', Cali smiled, nodding as she listened. It made sense, and she could see where a thing like this would have great appeal to Kaylin for those reasons. She laughed lightly at hearing her call it a 'gem', and grinned. "I do like challenges." She confirmed, amused. "You should hear about the time..or, um, well. Maybe not." She blushed faintly and cleared her throat, turning her attention back to the unnamed weapon on the page. "I could try to work up a prototype of this, after I've finished your blades, if you like?" She suggested, thinking she might prefer to have what she actually came for, first. "I'm a little slower getting around than usual, so it might take a bit longer than usual.. I hope that's alright."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

"Brilliant," Kaylin breathed, staring back at the sketch. The only thing that managed to distract her was what sounded like the beginning of a story. Kaylin did love a good story, after all. The disappointment when Cali voiced her hesitation and then withdrew the offer altogether, almost made her pout. "Really?" she asked. "I love hearing about times." Shrugging, she tried not to look altogether too eager. And failed. (Honestly, she was not really trying.)

The comment of a prototype... served well as Kaylin's next distraction. "You would? Why, yes, you should! If it works out, you'd have made an orginal weapon, Cali!" Kaylin was getting excited in the smith's stead. "And I could test it for you!"

A thought came to her. "If you are going to work on this, Cali, you need a name for it." A pause. "Maybe ask Unalmis. It sounds like he'd be good at that sort of thing."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

The more she spoke with Kaylin, the easier it was to feel cheerful and carefree, and Cali liked that. She smiled, finding it hard not to, when Kaylin was so animated and enthusiastic... about Cali's work, and her ideas, no less. Her blush grew a little when Kaylin seemed so eager to hear what she had started to tell about, and she grinned. "Oh, well.. if you really want to hear about it..." She wasn't totally opposed to telling some of the silly things the friends used to get up to, but had just figured she ought not divert the conversation away from where it should be.

She was rather happy to see how excited Kaylin seemed about this prototype idea, and her smile widened a little. "Yes, it would be nice to have someone to test it. I.. well, Mourgan was helping me learn a few things before he..got hurt. And my friend Trev has been showing me some defensive moves, too. And Nal, when he has a chance. But, well.. that's nowhere near the same as an expert like you testing out a weapon, you know?"

"Hm, Nal, or Trev, or both." She nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure they'd come up with some sort of name, between the two of them." She agreed, vaguely. She wasn't sure what sort of name they might think up, or if she would regret it. "Nal is rather creative," She added with a little smile. She vaguely thought of the various creations that Ryn used to come up with, and how he had invented plenty of things, blending his skills with his creativity. It was nice to think maybe she was on the same level of skill as him, now.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

"Well, I'm sure Nal could also make sure it works well and can take a beating!" she said, convinced. "Plus, hasn't he been training with Isys? She's a proper Ehtyar and everything - so he could definitely test it in a sparring match against her. But um..." Looking for a reason to be the first to get to test such an extraordinary weapon, Kaylin paused momentarily. "The test would be most comprehensive if it's two rangers who are adept at the spear? Unless Unalmis has that down as well. Honestly, I'd just really like to be involved in the testing," she laughed, giving up on finding logical reasons and just being upfront. "Two swords or a double bladed staff, I mean, it sounds right up my alley." She was all but drooling, really.

"Maybe 'Nal' and this Trev can come up with the name, and then I can be the one to test it? That way everyone gets to do something!" A huge grin accompanied the suggestion. That arrangement would suit her perfectly.

It was interesting to hear that Cali had had several rangers, and another friend, teaching her things. "Mourgan? AND Unalmis? And then this Trev? Careful, Miss Dringolben," Kaylin warned the smithy amusedly. "Before you know it, you'll be wanting to leave your forge behind and join up or something."

Her smile widened when Cali indicated she might still be open to telling the story. "Yes, yes, of course! Stories add flavor to life, don't you think?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

Cali laughed lightly. "I actually... don't know what sort of training he's been doing with her," She realized, tilting her head thoughtfully. "I thought it was the throwing knives.. because, well, as I heard it, the barrack's master was... displeased to find out that he had been practicing his aim in his dorm room," She explained. "So, I thought that was what he was working on. But I could be wrong. I didn't really ask," She shrugged. "Don't worry," She added with a smile. "I already suggested you should test the.. whatever it is." The thought of having Isys help was a good one though, she thought. But she would leave that up to the two of them. She decided that the prototype would probably need to be blunted, so it would be safer for the sake of testing. Especially if Nal was going to be involved in that.

She grinned slightly at the comment that everyone would get to do something in this arrangement. "Just don't complain if it ends up with some ridiculous name." She couldn't resist. She'd tried hard not to make any sort of teasing remarks about her friends... not that she would've withheld from it if they'd been present. But it wasn't the same when they weren't there to laugh or roll their eyes at it.

She hesitated slightly when the hyandaner joked about her joining the rangers, and shook her head. "No.. sorry to disappoint you, but that's..not really for me." Her smile faded slightly but still remained, faintly. "This is what I'm best at." She considered explaining more about the situation with the self-defense stuff, but felt like it might lead down a road that would leave her feeling a bit sad. She switched her focus on the other topic. Kaylin wanted to hear about 'the thing', so she let her smile grow a little, thinking back. "Alright. So, let's see..." She leaned her hands on the table's edge, one on either side. "It was me and my brother.. Ryn," She tried not to let herself feel an ache at the mention of his name. "and the others.. Nal, Trev, and Iole." She paused, trying to remember if Toby had tagged along for this one. "Um, the boys had this.. "great" idea to race handcarts down through the streets... We were like.." She paused, trying to recall, "I dunno, eight to ten, maybe? Anyway." She shook her head slightly, smiling at the memory.

"So, they had these two carts.. borrowed from.. well, my father, and.. gosh, I can't even remember where they got the second one." She blushed faintly at the memory, pausing to think of how to continue.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

She laughed loudly when Cali said Lieutenant Brian hadn't been happy with Unalmis practicing with throwing knives in his room at the barracks. "I would imagine not!" If not for trying to collect herself early, Kaylin might have ended up in stitches over this, now also remembering all too well the story involving Unalmis, Trastion, Eryn, Lieutenant Brian and Hattie. "He's really making a name for himself with Brian," Kaylin commented happily.

The smith's reassurance that Kaylin would be the one to test it, made the redhead exceedingly happy. "Great!" She shrugged then. "An interesting name for an interesting weapon," she rebranded the word 'ridiculous'. "It would fit."

Her attention was on the story the moment Cali started telling it. Kaylin counted five protagonists in the story. And the 'boys' had an idea. And what an idea it was. Kaylin grinned. She loved the story already. It had great potential. Races always did, and especially when they involved the streets of the city - and even more so when a vehicle of sorts was involved. "Handcarts? Excellent!" she interjected while nodding for Cali to go on.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

Cali smiled, wondering if it was a good idea for Nal to be 'making a name' for himself with the barracks master. She shook her head slightly in amusement, but didn't comment. She didn't know much about the guy, personally. Just what she'd heard from a few others. But from what she had heard, he was just the sort of person to make Nal want to push his buttons, and she just hoped he wouldn't end up in trouble for it.

"Right, so.." She continued, "I was in the forge with my dad and my other brother, Berthion. He was about.." She paused to take a moment to count it out and remember. "Fifteen or sixteen, I think? Somewhere around there. He was helping Dad in the forge, and they'd just finished the last piece of this rather large order for the army.. I think it was several sets of armor or something... not the sort of thing you'd want to have to carry, right? He was going to have Ber deliver it to headquarters, but he couldn't find the cart he used for stuff like that." She grinned. "Anyway. So.. he's searching all over the place. No cart. He's getting frustrated, as well as baffled." She sat back in her seat, picturing the scene in her memory. "He was standing with his back to the street. Berthion and I were facing him.. so, facing the street. I remember it so well. Dad had just asked Berthion if he'd seen the cart anywhere..."

Cali managed to hold back a laugh with some effort. "And just then, almost as if on cue... Ber and I watch Nal and Trev zoom past the open doorway in one cart.. Ryn in another... just flying down the main street." She finally gave in to giggling at the memory of that sight, and had to take a moment before she could continue. "It was so funny... Ber and I just.. blinked and glanced at each other, then back at Dad. And he goes, "Yeah, I'm sure it's around here somewhere. I'll help you look." as if he hadn't seen anything." She grinned, a little surprised how easy it was to tell such a story, since she hadn't really talked about memories like this for a long time. But it felt nice, and it was better to remember the good times than to continually think about how much she missed them, she decided.

Getting her amusement under control for now, she took a deep breath and carried on with her tale, although her brown eyes still sparkled a little with suppressed amusement. "So, Ber glanced down at me. I looked up at him, both of us trying our best not to give anything away. He gives me this nod toward the street.. you know, like 'go'. I nodded back, and slipped out of the shop while Berthion kept our dad busy.. pretending to search for the cart to stall for a bit more time..."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

When Cali continued and said one of her older brothers was named Berthion, Kaylin's mirth faded a little. Her blue-grey eyes lit with recognition at the name, and while she wasn't immediately sure that this was the Berthion she'd known, things started connecting. She still giggled when Cali described the way the carts had just flown past the open doorway - while their father was looking for one of the carts. If she hadn't been wondering whether Cali's Berthion was the Berthion she'd soldiered with, Kaylin would have laughed out loud at the way Cali's brother had pretended he hadn't seen anything. As it was, Kaylin merely grinned. She tried to remember soldier Berthion's last name, if he'd had one. The officers hadn't called him 'Dringolben' at all, to her recollection. Then again that might have been to avoid confusion with his older brother.

Kaylin watched Cali with a bit of a different look as she continued the story, looking for similarities. She could see some, actually. Despite logic telling her that might just be a coincidence, the feeling that the Berthion she'd known was the very same as Cali's brother grew. Even though Kaylin really wanted to be wrong. And she also didn't want to ask, because if Berthion was Cali's brother, then so was Dawion. And that... that would shift the conversation to a very sad place. A place she chose to avoid, for now.

"So, did you manage to catch up with the carts?" Kaylin asked. "If they were going so fast?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

Cali grinned. "Eventually... sort of." She answered, a little mysteriously, but then explained. "When I finally caught up to the boys, they were already hauling the carts back up the street, just laughing and having a great time. I told them how dad was looking for his cart, and Ryn was all, 'Oh, don't worry, we just borrowed it. We'll bring it back.. we just want one more time down, the race was a tie so we couldn't declare a winner!' " She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"I tried, the whole way up to the top of the second circle, to convince them to return the carts before they got in trouble.. no luck." She shook her head. "So we get to the top, just before you'd pass through the gate into the third circle. Then they started arguing about who's going to ride with whom, and about that time here comes Iole... she's like.. the quietest of us all, I guess you'd say." She paused, wondering if she needed to explain that more. "She's my best friend. And.. well, her father was always very..um." She paused again, trying to think of the best way of putting this. "Overprotective? Always acting as if she were made of glass.." She rolled her eyes but then shrugged.

"So, anyway. Ryn suddenly pops up with the idea that Trev and Nal and Iole should all ride together in one cart, and he and I will ride in the other, and we'd have a race. And that started a new argument about who wanted to ride with whom... until I reminded them, trying to be the practical, responsible voice of reason, that we really needed to return the carts before we got caught..." She sighed. "So, of course, one of the boys pointed out that we'd have to go back down the street to return them anyway, so we might as well ride them down.." She rolled her eyes. "That might've been Nal, I don't remember now." She added, pausing to try and recall, but decided it was unimportant.

"Anyway. So, at that point, Ryn says, 'we might as well just arrange ourselves how we were last time, because the girls aren't going to do this. And we already know we'd win anyway because they wouldn't go as fast as us.' "And so, I was like,
"Wait, what did you just say?" So, he says,
'You heard me. You girls don't ever want to do anything fun, so just go on and play with your dolls or something. We all know you couldn't beat us guys anyway, even if you did race. We'd win, cause you girls are too scared to go as fast as us."

Cali paused, realizing Kaylin didn't know much about her brother. "You have to understand," She felt a need to defend him, "Ryn didn't have that kind of opinion for real." She explained. "He just.." She smiled slightly. "He knew exactly how to push my buttons," She blushed faintly, and laughed. "Because, of course, once he'd said that, I got mad, just as he planned. And I naturally, I had to prove him wrong. The challenge was accepted, you might say." She grinned.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Armoury
Early August

Her amusement at the story would have been substantial, if it weren't for the joy-crushing question of whether the Berthion she had known had been in fact Cali's brother, and the dilemma this posed for Kaylin.

If they were one and the same, asking about it would definitely kill the mood. If they were one and the same, it would doubtlessly be a source of great sorrow for Cali - and Kaylin didn't want to ruin the smithy sharing a fun memory by reminder her of her loss. On the other hand... if they were one and the same... then not saying anything at all right now might be construed as rather rude, once Cali found out Kaylin had known Berthion. And Dawion, for that matter - although Kaylin hadn't been in contact with the older brother that much. It could be thought of as very inappropriate to keep laughing, if...

So. She was stuck. The dilemma might have shown on her face if she hadn't been so good at acting. As it was, her expression was one of amused interest, while she was parsing Cali's words after the fact to try and deduce whether she had spoken of Berthion in a way that would indicate he was no longer among the living. It was difficult to be sure, though, since it was a story about the past.

She blinked when Cali explained that Ryn didn't really think girls were too scared to go as fast as the boys. "Right," Kaylin said, although she smiled when Cali explained he knew how to push her buttons. "Ah, I've heard brothers can be like that," Kaylin nodded. She also couldn't help a short laugh at the smithy's admission. "Naturally. What else is a girl to do upon such a challenge?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Smith Cali Dringolben
Armoury
Early August

Cali smiled back. "Right?" She agreed. There was nothing else to be done but accept the challenge and prove them wrong. She shook her head slightly in amusement, thinking back. "I pretended not to notice this," She mentioned, "But as Iole and I got into one cart, I could've sworn I saw Ryn, out of the corner of my eye, give the other boys this.. triumphant look, and I might have imagined it but I think I heard him say 'I knew it'd work.'." Taking a brief pause, she looked down and took a deep breath, determined not to be saddened, but rather enjoy this memory. She took a drink of her water before continuing,

"So, Iole and I were in one. The boys all in the other. And we set off." She couldn't help a little laugh. "Honestly, it was great. The wind was just.. rushing past our faces. The carts picked up speed the whole way down. We were laughing and shouting with delight as we went zooming down the main street, people jumping out of the way... Guards...not so happy, chasing us, yelling." Her face grew a little red with a blush as she described that. "It was... not my finest moment as far as the law is concerned," She admitted. "But it was so much fun. Annnnnnd, after we got going, I realized.. I had no idea how to stop this thing. I looked over at Ryn and the others, and I started trying to get his attention. Yelling, 'how do I stop!' But they were busy whooping and cheering with all the excitement and thrill, and there was so much other commotion all around, they didn't hear me!"

Taking a brief pause to shift into a more comfortable position on her stool, she let the story hang for a few seconds. "So.. closer and closer we got to the gates at the bottom of the second circle." She went on after the brief pause. "Iole was screaming.. I think I might have been, too, by then. The guards at the gate were staring in astonishment.. probably couldn't believe their eyes." She laughed. "And I think they were trying to signal us to stop, but then I guess they must've realized I couldn't get the cart stopped. It was like.. in slow motion or something. I could see what was going on in their expressions. They looked at us. Then at each other, like what do we do? Some words passed between them.. all the while, we were zooming closer and closer to crashing into them and their gate. And then, just as all hope seemed lost,
they seemed to reach a decision, opened the gate, and we flew past them into the first circle!"