West Marches - Winter and Wood

West Marches - Winter and Wood

Azais sits on a slightly damp fallen tree just outside the camp, close enough to see the hut but far enough away for privacy. Focusing on nothing in particular, she continues to play with a small collection of continuously crystallising and melting snow flakes in a spot on the ground between her Ashwire boots. Ha…her boots, "What an annoying predicament these beauties have gotten me into hey grandma…"she laughs to herself. The thought was merely fleeting though, as she continues to make the ice and snow dance, for the majority of her attention was still upon the small wooden shard in her left hand. It slightly tingles her fingertips as she passes it back and forth between them. Perhaps it's because she is more attune to the sensation than last night, or perhaps it's because she is closer to tree line…she quickly glances up as she though she saw something move - just a rat in the roots of a far off tree... but the feeling is much stronger than last night

Azais:  "There is more to this shard than an ordinary tree…" she thinks to herself "…nothing in the Fellwoods is as innocent as it seems."

As she raises her head the ring of crudely etched runes to her left from the LeShock ritual catches her eye. "Ah yes, another venture to solve, but not until I am somewhere with books and the learned." She casts the task aside for a later time when she can seek answers to these seemingly endless string of questions and troubles.



Sedriks wanders over

Sedriks: "Ye've made ice? Yearning for winter are ye?"

Azais:  "Always.......and my drink was too hot".

Sedriks looks to the base of the fallen free, a small glass of water now semi frozen.

Azais opens her palm to show him the tiny shard of wood.

Sedriks: "What've ye got there?"

Azais: " I was really hoping you could tell me" she looks up quickly locking his gaze intensely.

Sedriks: "A piece of wood?"

Azais: "I took it from your hair last night after you emerged from the woods. It's the strangest thing, I don't even know why I took it, but it's been tingling my fingers ever since. It's magik Sedriks."

"Where exactly were you last night? I know these woods are more than they seem but this" she stands up quickly "THIS is something familiar." Azais is eye to eye with you now, you can't tell if she is frustrated with you or just not knowing the familiarity of this magik.

Sedriks: "Not here." The voice is different, and the accent gone. Sedriks turns on a booted heel quickly, making to leave the Outpost and looks back to see if you are coming.

Without delay Azais follows on high alert, noting the change in voice.

Sedriks: They walk for five minutes in silence, in the process of tracking through the forest, it's almost imperceptible but Sedriks becomes more lithe, lighter and even more agile if that's possible, leaping over logs and soundlessly navigating the forest.

Finally turning, Ceridwen steps into an open grotto of the forest. Her body language has changed completely, and the facade of Sedriks falls away like clothing.

"I found it, Azais."

Azais takes the smallest step back, scanning the open and unfamiliar area.

Azais: "Found what?"

Frowning "Who am I talking to?" As she brings her attention back to this foreign in front of her.

Sedriks: "Ceridwen, you know of me, but now you know me."

"I found another cabin, in the forest. Like the first one, but smaller. I didn't go in, but it called. It called to me and I knew it."

Azais: "so, I finally meet Ceridwen. I am honoured"

After a brief moment of silence the words Ceridwen just spoke register.

"This cabin, why did it call to you, how?"

Sedriks: "I learned so much, I don't even know if I believe it."

"Music, it listens to me play. It can hear me."

"Do you understand? The Lodge, the Lodge itself can hear me."

Azais pauses a moment, taking in the different stance and body movements – she sees it's the same features as Sedriks but somehow it's like an entirely new person is standing before of her.

Azais: "...you know, if I didn't have 1000 year old assassins with an ancestral aged grudge, and a corrupted forest protecting spirit to try and heal - I would think you've gone mad in your life of pretending to be someone else" Azais smiles, and relaxes her guard ever so slightly.
"What did you say to the lodge?"

Sedriks: "I didn't say anything, there was a caretaker. A gardener. He knew me, and told me things no one should know."

Azais: "No one outside of you?"

Sedriks: "No one."

Azais: "Then why did you tell me this much?"

Sedriks: Ceridwen pulls the Main Gauche from its sheath on her back, and plys the blade in a spinning fashion. Different from the juggling play of Sedriks, it's the casual blade movement of a killer.

"Why? Because you also knew. Besides, I'm not mad. I was a 17 year old girl once too, with no family. I became a man because it's safer, surer that way."

"The Lodge, Ioleth knows a lot about it, but she wasn't there willingly. She's happy to have left it, but it has more things to tell me, some day when I'm ready I think."

Azais: " That lodge we pulled Ioleth from was full of power, a magik that made me sicker than I have been a long time...."

"...but you know me well Ceridwen, as soon as I felt it I wanted to know more" Azais says with a smirk.

Sedriks: "We need to get more powerful then."

"We need to find you your places of ancestry, and I need to find myself a teacher."
Azais: "I wonder with my recent path in life if my ancestry would be pleased to see me or not..."

Sedriks: "I suppose they would dislike you consorting with a lowly human like me."
Azais: "ha, I suppose they would. Perhaps it's lucky they are not too close by then to see."
Sedriks: Ceridwen smirks, "I guess you'd know better than most if they were indeed around right now."

Azais: "Is this lodge why you want Quiz and I to teach you arcane?"

Sedriks: "Yes."

Azais: "Is there a particular trait or spell we possess you have in mind?"

Sedriks: "No, I don't know enough. But somehow, music is my connection to it."

Azais: "Music is a powerful thing, especially yours. One does not forget the power you wield when playing, I recall our performance to the Empress vividly on my ancestor's piano. Will you be telling this to others, Quiz perhaps?"

Sedriks: "Quiz already knows of me, but no one else. Tell no one else of me nor what I intend. I don't even really know what I want."

Azais: "I've not spoken who are to anyone yet, that isn't going to change. This Lodge though, do you think there is potential in me trying to get more information from Ioleth about her time there?"

Sedriks: "Maybe, certainly you'll have more luck than me. I think she doesn't like humans."

Azais: "Before I met you, I wasn't overly fond either."

Sedriks: Ceridwen laughs, a light and vibrant laugh.

Azais: "Well it seems we both have work to do"

Sedriks: "Yes, and you have assassins after you. I suppose that's a bit more pressing."

Azais: "Only if I want to live"

Sedriks: "I suppose I've more incentive to keep you alive now," *sighs dramatically "These ever increasing burdens for a poor bard."

Azais: Azais laughs, "You're as dramatic as Sedriks I see."

"You are right though, I need to head to town and soon. If I've a chance of ridding the Whisky Riders of these assassins I need more information on that bitch mad empress Aurica, and their swearing to her. I also need to see if we can find a cure for the LeShock spirit, this forest is becoming too corrupt even for my liking."