Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

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While Sylira is by far the most civilized region of Mizahar, countless surprises and encounters await the traveler in its rural wilderness. Called the Wildlands, Syliran's wilderness is comprised of gradual rolling hills in the south that become deep wilderness in the north. Ruins abound throughout the wildlands, and only the well-marked roads are safe.

Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jaeden Kincade on August 25th, 2010, 7:19 am

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82nd of Summer, 510 A.V.

Jaeden kept crouched low as he moved along the ground, a certain humidity in the air that caused a small amount of sweat to lightly sleek along his brow. It likely would have been far worse had he not had the various shaded areas of the forest. Summer was nearing it’s end, and Jaeden had spent much time in the city for the season. It was odd in a way, being in a prime season for hunting, only to spend much of it in the city. However, he had soon left the city and began his search for the camping sight of his mentor, Olevar. He had a rough idea of where the person who had raised him after his parents had been killed was, but narrowing it down to one area of the forest when there was so much of it, well that took some time.

At this time, however, Jaeden felt hunger. So he spent his time tracking down dinner, as his eyes slowly followed over the tracks along the ground. The tracks, almost resembling an upside down heart with spacing down the center and half circles at the back of it, were no more than four inches in the length, suggesting a yearling deer in age. It wasn’t huge, meaning the meat he was able to procure from it wouldn’t be too much, and enough to sustain him for at least a couple of days. He could continue his search for Olevar during those two days before needing to stop and grab some more food, unless he decided to dip into his survival rations. That wasn’t much of an option though in his eyes, and it likely wouldn’t be long before he began collecting more rations, especially in the fall, so any trips he took into the forest during the winter wouldn’t prove to hard when it came to remaining fed.

He had been following the tracks for about a chime now, albeit at a slow pace. He was likely no longer than a mile away from his camp in the end, so he could still move further without it wasting too much of his time in the day. He slowly stopped next to a bush sprouting a few remaining berries of the season, noticing a some tears and breaks along the leaves and stems of the bush itself, indicating an animal had been nibbling at it. He slid the tips of his fingers over broken steps and gnawed leaves, holding them up in front of him noticing a hint of moisture had rubbed off. He rubbed his fingers together along his thumb for a moment before slowly inhaling their scent. The deer didn’t pass by too long ago. Jaeden gave a slowly look down to the tracks, wiping his fingers clean along his pants then, before once again resuming his tracking.

About another quarter chime would pass before he spotted the yearling doe in the distance, standing at the edge of a creek as it’s head was dipped down taking a drink from the shallow flowing water. Jaeden slowly crept forward, bringing his foot down softly with each step, minimizing the sound he made. His eyes floated upward as a soft breeze hit him from his right, thankful it didn’t change direction and put him downwind of the animal. When he was satisfied with his distance, he dropped down to one knee, slowly raising his bow which had an arrow already nocked into the string. The feathers along the rear of the arrow lightly slid between his index and middle finger, tickling the flesh there lightly until his finger tips rested along the string. His arms then went taught as he slowly began to draw back the string, his strength battling against the resistance that the bow presented, until his fingers were lightly touching the skin of his jaw, just under his hear. His breathing slowed, his eyes narrowing as the yearling deer came more into focus. He lined the head of his arrow up with the animal, raising it only slightly to cover the distance. Finally, as he slowly released a final breath of air, he released the string of the bow as it suddenly vaulted forward, releasing that subtle twanging sound as it came to a sudden stop sending it’s missile through the air at high speed before coming to a vibratory stop.

The arrow cut through the air smoothly, leaving a whisper of death in it’s wake. It took no more than a second for it to clear the distance between Jaeden and the young deer, before the tip finally pierced through fur, skin and tissue that lined over the deer’s ribs. It pierced through one lung before it finally entered the yearlings heart, causing a jerked reaction and cry of pain from the animal. It took a sudden leap, beginning to run before the lethal shot finally caused it to come to a rolling collapse along the ground. Jaeden lowered his bow, taking his free hand off the other arrow he had been reaching for just in case his first shot had missed it’s mark. He was lucky today, only having to lose one arrow in the process of hunting his prey, and slowly began to feel that slowly, but surely, he was gaining proficiency in the use of the bow.

He stood, and slowly began to walk towards his fallen prey to claim it for himself. His hand slowly reached around his waist, pulling a small hunting knife free from it’s sheath. If the animal wasn’t already dead, a second wound with the knife would then be made to hasten such. As he neared the deer, however, he soon noticed it wouldn’t be necessary as the deer laid along the ground, void of any movement at all. Even it’s chest failed to rise and fall in final breaths, indicating that Jaeden’s shot had only taken about a chime, if not less, to kill it. Such was good, in Jaeden’s eyes, as there was no need for it to suffer needlessly, and Jaeden only wished all his shots could fly so true when he was hunting.

All the same, Jaeden circled around the animal, approaching towards it’s back as it laid motionless along it’s side. Jaeden crouched down slowly, slowly reaching out as his hand came to rest along it’s neck, testing to see if physical contact caused any surprise reaction from the animal. When it did not, Jaeden gave a slow nod, slipping the knife back into it’s sheath behind his back before he slung his bow over his left shoulder. He then slowly looked over it, noticing that the doe was smaller than he had originally anticipated, which was better in the long run for him. It meant less meat for him to turn to jerky and to preserve for breakfast lunch and dinner as he traveled. Another slight grunt was echoed, as he pulled the doe over his right shoulder and began to stand. He estimated the young doe weighed close to eighty-five pounds, which would likely yield him somewhere between twenty-five to forty pounds of deer meat after he field dressed it.

Jaeden soon began moving back towards camp, his foots stomping a little heavier as he walked from the added weight. It would only take him about a third of a bell to get back, having only moved about a little over a mile away from camp itself. When entering his clearing, he first checked for tracks not his own, for the most part making sure the campfire he had left burning did it’s job and kept the wild animals away. He then moved over towards the edge of his camp site, laying the doe along the ground before steps carried him over towards the northern side of the camp, not far from his tent. There sat a tall bundle of long, thick branches, that stood up to Jaeden’s chest and was twined together with a thin rope. They formed a wide tipi in their shape, having a small opening at the front as thick smoke bellowed out from the opening itself and large amounts of heat radiated from it. About another bell and it would be ready for turning the deer meat into jerky, which would take all night and a good part of the morning to complete the first batch.

Finally, Jaeden gave a quick exhale and slow nod to himself as he moved back towards his kill. He slipped his bow off his shoulder, laying it next to his tent. His belt and sword was soon to follow and finally his leather armor, as the short sleeved tunic clung to his chest and back due to the sweat that had been rolling over him throughout most of the day. Reaching down to his belt, he then pulled his hunting knife from it’s sheath once more before making his way over towards the doe. By the time he was finished skinning the animal and removing what meat he could cut from it, the smoker would likely be ready.
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jilitse on August 26th, 2010, 1:11 am

It was fair to assume that traveling to Priskil's Pond was a wise decision, even if Jilitse had to do it on her own. The path was safe, she was told, the trail into the wilds could be easily traversed even by a Nuit. Taking the advice that this would not be a dangerous trip, Jilitse dressed in her old robes and cloak - she did not want to use her new clothes for her body was soon about to be embraced by decay. She let her hair fall down her face, making her look like a sick tramp. Jil kept all of her important belongings in her room, taking with her the sickle she had recently bought - for protection, she told herself, if not to be waved around to scare small animals. She hid the weapon under her cloak, the handle visibly protruding.

She left early, leaving a note to Stitch without saying goodbye to the kids. They seem to be attached to Jilitse, especially Clarissa, who saw her as a mother figure. She made her way out of the gates peacefully and pursued the directions given to her by one of the greeters.

The forest appeared calm and serene to Jilitse. Although this was not her first time to traverse the woods, she still walked slowly and cautiously. From afar, she seemed to be a lady taking a worthwhile stroll in the woods... which was odd, of course, she was fully cloaked, gracefully fleeting across the trees. A young animal with four legs passed by her, stopping in its tracks before giving her an innocent stare. Although she was undead, the young animal did not see her as a threat, treating her like she was another creature in the wilds. It skipped away and Jilitse moved onward.

The woodland, so far, was kind to her. The canopy of leaves shielded some of the morning rays, and the sight was the raw beauty of nature. The Nuit could not appreciate it less, and as she took in each tree, each curve in the path, each shrub and mound into memory. Her clear memory would help her trek through the trees without a map, and she can never lose her way, unless she chose to. She strolled sluggishly finding herself in front of a small creek. At the discovery of water, she immediately scooped up some into her hands, feeling the cool clear liquid wash the dirt away. She felt her face with her hands and decided to take a pause from her walk. She threw down a small worn towel onto the flowing water and wrung it lightly. The Nuit looked around before opening her cloak, seeing nothing but a wayward animal from a great distance. She then proceeded patting herself with the moist towel, cleaning the body of dust and particles that might hasten her corpse to rot. The pond was still a long way ahead, but the Nuit, who was a stickler for being clean, could not pass up the opportunity to wash exposed parts of her body. After all, she promised Stitch to give back Clarissa's mother's body as recognizable as she can.

Out in the distance she heard a bleak cry. An animal was being hunted, and from the sound of it, it was gonna die. Jilitse gathered her things as quickly as she could, bag slung over one shoulder and the wet towel left behind. The hunter would be quick to come, and Jil knew, by the self-preserving instinct that she had for hundreds of years, that she must run and hide.

Running, of course, was an entirely different thing. A Nuit in panic was a comical being, as its body did not allow the right speed of sprinting. Instead, it galloped awkwardly, looking slightly petrified. In the state of confusion, Jilitse ran a direction without trying to get her bearings, and kept so until - she decided - it was safe. Safe meant being away from the--

And there she was in front of the hunter and the prey. How could she have missed the smoke and the camp? Clearly it was visible from afar. Dimwits, she whispered to herself. Jil halted, forgetting the sickle hanging under her cloak, a frozen corpse standing in front of the man. She swept a look around his camp, threw a terrified - although, a terrified Nuit did not look any different from a normal Nuit - look at the man with the knife, almost bleating in panic before seeing the dead deer (oh, poor poor thing, I do not wish to end up like you!).

"I'm merely passing by." Her shaky hallowed voice rang in the air. "I'm lost..." No, you're petched, she told herself. "Would you, by any chance, know which way it is to Priskil's Pond?" She kept her inert gaze at the man, hoping that he was a chivalrous gentleman willing to guide a damsel-in-distress in the forest. But, that did not keep her from thinking that the man was a follower of Dira, or was a Nuit-killer. In fact, before Jaeden answered her, she already conjured up ten ways to die in the man's hands.

It's not supposed to end like this, she cried to herself.
I. Vox Populi, Vox Dei
II. The Night the Watchtowers Cried

I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common woman with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jaeden Kincade on August 26th, 2010, 9:12 pm

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Jaeden had strung the doe up by the time Jilitse had arrived. It’s front legs were tied off and separated by a small branch as it hung there by an tree limb, it’s hind legs a mere few inches off the ground. Jaeden was in the process of slowly dragging the blade of his knife through the hide along the under side of it’s legs as Jilitse spoke up. His head poked out from behind the deer to see the face behind the voice. Her face didn’t display much of any emotion at all, but her body language seemed to give a hint of hesitation. He gave a subtle tug along the hide of one the doe’s legs, peeling away at it a bit as his moved along the side. “You’re not far off,“ Jaeden said, offering a smile as he looked back up to the doe, continuing his beginning cuts of skinning the doe. “It’s about six miles north, by northwest of where you stand right now.”

Jaeden then circled around behind the deer, his back now facing Jilitse as he slid the knife along the back of the yearling’s neck. He continued to circle, making his around the doe entirely before he began making beginning cuts to the other legs much the same way he had done the first. “Though I would wait a little bit before going there.” Jaeden then suggested as his frame crouched down, now working over the hide of the hind legs. “I was scouting for a bit before I went hunting. Spotted some tracks heading in that direction.”

Jaeden then began sliding his knife up along the belly of the animal. The movements were slow and careful, but not quite steady, showing a hint of inexperience when it came to skinning animals in the long run. “There were at least three different sets of foot prints, male I wager considering the size of the track and how deep the track ran.” Jaeden said as he began meeting the cut of the belly he was making with the cuts along the legs. Another slow tug was then giving to the hide as he began peeling it back, sliding the knife along bits of flesh that tended to cling to the skin when they appeared. “There was also signs of them dragging something as well. Nothing heavy, but a couple of slight imprints left in the soft earth and I’m thinking it was chain. Looked like such, but I’ll admit the imprint was faint.”

Jaeden had finally peeled away enough of the hide that he now circled around to the back of the doe once again, gripping the hide along the back. He paused for a moment, looking to Jilitse. “This isn’t bothering you, is it?” Jaeden inquired then, motioning to his skinning of the deer. “It’s a little necessary for a hunter to do these things, but I realize that it’s not for everyone.”

Jaeden’s eyes then caught the hilt of Jilitse's sickle, before a subtle sound of him clearing his throat was echoed out and he turned back to continuing his field cleaning. “In any event, if I had to guess, the group traveling was either slavers or bandits out on the prowl.” Jaeden then continued, pulling the hide of the doe downward as it peeled away from the flesh with quick, clean jerks, only pausing when a piece of tissue tended to cling to the underside of the hide as it sometimes did. “They tend to hit up the pond every now and then, knowing that a lot of others come out to either study it, revel in the history of it, or try to get a sense of the rumored magic it holds.”

Jaeden then crouched once again, cutting the hide away from the animal completely now as he cut through the hide just above the tail. “I’d give them a few bells to move on before going there by yourself.” Jaeden said before slowly carrying the skin over towards an open area of the clearing where he could lay it out to dry. “You’re welcome to waste some time here if you want.”

Jaeden then began washing his knife clean in a small tin can of water, looking up to Jilitse again. “My name is Jaeden Kincade, incidentally.” Jaeden then said, offering a smile.
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jilitse on August 27th, 2010, 7:13 am

Wow, he's too friendly for a predator. The Nuit could not find it in her heart to trust a stranger in the woods. Meeting a random stranger in a street full of people was one thing, coming across a hunter in the wild lands was another. She was still frozen as he continued mutilating the pathetic deer, listening to his words. He was alive and he had a knife. Jil was totally defenseless - oh, yeah, the sickle. One of her hands fumbled inside her cloak and held the hilt. She could at least throw it at him. Why was she so alarmed at his presence. The knife was really threatening. And he smiled before he told scary hypothetical stories about slavers or bandits. What a psychopath!

The Nuit was glued in her place. Six miles northwest sounded like an easy walk, she'd be by the pond by next morning. Jilitse had to agree that the man made sense in advising her to stay put for a while. If she couldn't trust his intentions, at least his skill as a hunter. He was a hunter, right? She eyed the deer and told him, "I do not mind." And then a little whisper, "It's just as dead as I am." She watched him tug and pull and peel off the skin, a little curious whether he did not find the blood and gore of skinning an animal revolting.

Jilitse was weighing whatever contradiction there was between this man's words and what she had heard so far. Who was more reliable, and who should she trust. If anything, Jaeden did not seem bothered by her presence, perhaps a woman in the woods, dead as she may be, was not exactly a threat to this person? She allowed a little animosity to fade away as she introduced herself.

"I am Jilitse." Finally, she slid a foot forward. Jil found relief in the thought that she was no longer petrified. "I apologize for stumbling into your territory." Slowly, she was regaining her composure. "I lost my way," she said as she faced the northwest. The Nuit had a pained expression in her face and altogether she looked like a corpse come to life - a slightly cleaner one, too. She eyed him as he continued to work the dead animal. "How long do you think should I wait?" The questions spilled out on their own, one after another, "What's to say that the slavers or bandits won't be around one, two bells later? I thought the path was relatively safe?" Her voice had the slight hint of anxiety, but hid well her frustration. The Nuit wasn't in a hurry to reach the pond, but this unchecked yet unverified information played against her odds. The Nuit didn't like the probability of encountering more hunters, slavers, and/or bandits. For the moment, staying with the human seemed a wiser decision. At least she wanted believe so.
I. Vox Populi, Vox Dei
II. The Night the Watchtowers Cried

I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common woman with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jaeden Kincade on August 28th, 2010, 1:46 am

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Jaeden stretched and staked the skin to the ground, until it was hovering about three inches in the air. He heard the phrase dead like me and noticed the dark color the skin was underneath her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Jilitse. Dead like you, you say?” Jaeden said as he scraped the edge of his knife along the fleshy part of the hide. “A Nuit, I think your race is called, then? Seen a couple here and there in Syliras, but I haven’t spoken to one yet that I can recall.”

Jaeden, after getting small chucks cleaned from the underside of the hid, once again washed the hunting knife clean. He slowly looked up at her, and noted the slight apprehension that still hovered over her like a dark cloud. It wasn’t as thick as when she had first spoken, but it was still there obviously as he saw her hand resting along the hilt of her weapon. A slow exhale passed through his smirking lips, mixed with a chuckle as he shook his head. “Listen Jill, do you mind if I call you Jill?” Jaeden said casually as he slowly stood back up. “If I was going to hurt you, I would have been moving towards my real weapons by now, not relying on this puny knife meant for field dressing the prey I’ve hunted. You can relax. I only react to violence, I don’t initiate it.”

Jaeden motioned to a short log sitting near his tent. Not far off, his sword, armor and bow still rested, neatly stacked in a pile. “You can sit next to them if it makes you feel better.” Jaeden then said as he began moving back towards the remains of the doe, a cooking pot in hand. “That way, you can reach them before me if you are feeling threatened in any way by something I do.”

Jaeden then went to work cutting away large chucks of meat from the carcass, working as casually as he might with someone he knew around him, rather than someone he had just met. Perhaps it was naivety on Jaeden’s part, which would account for the small scars she could see lining his arms, looking aged to a certain extent. “To answer your question,” Jaeden then said, placing a chunk of deer meat into the pot, “nothing really. They could move on in a bell or two, they could not. Patience seems to vary from bad element to bad element overall, and I didn’t really even head there to see if they were stalking around there in all honesty. I’ve just picked up on the most typical habits of Slaver’s in my experience with them over the years. Nearly been caught by them on more than a handful of situations.”

Jaeden then picked up the pot, which was now about half full of the deer venison before making his way over o the nature smoker had built earlier. “In the end, “relatively safe” is an illusion in the Wildlands.” Jaeden then finally said as began cutting the meat into long quarter inch strips. “It’s a big place, and the Knights don’t have the bodies to patrol it all. Most unsavory like people know this. Them aside, you still have your wild animals, creatures spawned by the Valterrian of animal and plant nature. They all present a risk when out here, though a camp fire will keep most of those creatures and animals away.”

Jaeden then began slipping the strips of meat into the smoker he had erected, starting with the small rack near the top. “No, I’m not saying that there’s too much danger to leave a city, but by no means would I call the open wild relatively safe.” Jaeden commented, placing the last strip into the smoker before moving back towards the deer to carve off some more. “In any event, the slaver and bandit factor prove to be more of a threat than any of the others. The creatures and animals can be predicted a majority of the time. Humans for the most part continue to change up such habits.”

Jaeden began slicing away another piece of meat from the doe, slipping it into the pot at his feet. “Enough about that in any event,” Jaeden then simply said, “what about you? What brings you out here and on your way to the pond?”
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jilitse on September 1st, 2010, 2:09 am

Jaeden's words seemed to calm Jilitse a bit. The suspicion and wariness in her mind kept bubbling up, Jaeden could be lying. She stalked towards the log that he indicated and sat by his weapons. She looked quite harassed, her limp hair draping her head. She looked sullen if not disappointed. How was she going to fight against a God if she would sprint away at the first sign of danger? Death was pretty scary, she told herself, I don't want to die. Sitting there without moving for even a tiny inch, she might as well be an upright log. Her eyes darted to and fro, observing Jaeden, shifting as if the man would rush at her and attack her any minute.

She listened to him as he talked about possibilities of danger. Somehow the more he talked about it, the more she seemed averse to conversing with him. Why couldn't she have made better choices? If the risk of meeting slavers on the way wasn't bad enough, Jaeden told Jilitse about wild animals. The deer was different, Jilitse mused to herself, it was not some rabid dog or angry bear.

The Nuit was momentarily distracted as she watched Jaeden place the strips of meat into the smoker he built. Having no need for food, the concept of stocking up was something she did not bother with. He was cooking for himself.

"I'm trying to look for Priskil." Jilitse answered, her face a cross between eagerness and pain. "Somebody told me to go to Priskil's Pond." The Nuit could not force herself to tell Jaeden she was going to pray. In the back of her mind, she was cursing the widow who told her to go to the woods alone. This was like ringing a dinner bell for death.

"How about you, why are you here?"

The Nuit then told the hunter, "I'm pretty defenseless. I relied too much on somebody's account that I can reach the pond without any problem." Stitch would have joined her. Although he was blind he could see and he was very warm toward Jil. She looked at him, a little bit defiant. Jaeden was the reason why she was sitting on a log, fearing for her life. "Would it be out of your way if I ask you to go with me to the Pond?"
I. Vox Populi, Vox Dei
II. The Night the Watchtowers Cried

I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common woman with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
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Jilitse
I just arrived (again). Please be kind.
 
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jaeden Kincade on September 1st, 2010, 3:50 am

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Jaeden pulled another flank of meat away from the deer before slowly walking over towards the normal camp fire he had burning. He looked up to Jilitse, giving a nod as he began skewering the meat in the pot along a long sharpened stick. “Well, at least you have a purpose for going there other than skipping stones along the lake’s surface.” Jaeden then commented as he placed the stick along the ‘Y’ ends of two thick branches that extended up from the ground on either side of the fire. His hand reached to a small rag nearby as he began to wipe his hand clean from it then. “Any particular reason why you’re looking for the Goddess, or is it just simple prayer?”

Jaeden then moved over to a medium sized sack nearby. Opening it up, he then pulled out a preservation kit from within, leaving the sack virtually empty without it. “Me?” Jaeden then said with a shrug as he began moving back towards the doe carcass. “I’m currently tracking down my mentor, the one who trained me to be a woodsman, for a visit. His name’s Olevar, Gin Olevar. He’s a bit of an introvert though. Doesn’t like big crowds or the cities their found in, so he lives as a hermit out in the woods here.”

Jaeden then looked up, giving a slow shake of his head. “Well, while there are dangers, the wilds is a pretty big place. If you know the area, and are able to spot the signs of danger, it can be avoided.” Jaeden then said, wrapping up some of the meat and setting it aside to be cooked or smoked later. “It’s just the famed landmarks that tend to be dangerous, simply for the element of the unsavory characters like the prowl it from time to time.”

Jaeden then slowly cleaned his hands once again after wrapping up the rest of the meat. He then looked to Jilitse when she asked for an escort before looking up to the sky, noting the sun’s position and how much daytime they had left. Finally, his gaze dropped back down to her again, giving a slow nod. “Sure, it shouldn’t be a hassle, but do you mind if I eat first?” Jaeden then asked, motioning to the meat he had roasting over the fire. “If we do run into trouble, I’ll be able to easily contend with it if I’m not feeling hunger pains.”
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Jaeden Kincade
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jilitse on September 3rd, 2010, 1:04 pm

"I want Priskil to help me help her." Jilitse said, nonplussed, "I couldn't really figure out where to look or how to start looking. Someone suggested the Pond, so off I went." Jaeden continued to tell her about the danger of the wilds, and the Nuit was conflicted if she should be thankful that she met Jaeden and not the slavers. At least it was a lesson learned for the otherwise reasonable Nuit: Never travel to the wilds alone.

"Are you out here often," Jilitse asked, unable to keep her silence. She looked around warily, sensitive to the faint rustling of leaves. It was most unusual for a Nuit to panic, most undead who have lived long lives tend to get bored of their life and go on a suicide. Not Jil. She was far too preoccupied with her quest. She had forbidden herself to even contemplate the notion of death. Too much was at stake. Will she ever find enough strength to save Mashaen and end the Grand Oath? Pulling herself back into Jaeden's presence, she listened about his master. "Tracking someone means going after them, right? Like finding out where they are specifically? Do you..." She was a little uncomfortable about opening the topic that she let silence hung in the air awkwardly before continuing with, "use magic?" She hoped to hear more about how he kept on surviving the wilds, wondering how humans could protect themselves against slavers and wild beasts. She thought of Olevar. What a great man he must be, living away from civilization, choosing whatever comfort there is in being a hermit than being in the city. Imagine the danger. What magic would someone like Olevar possess? She was now looking at Jaeden intently, sizing him up. She threw a quick glance to his weapons then back at him. He was a well-built male. A whisper in her ear: he would make a good body for a Nuit. The fact that Nuits do not blink did not help in concealing this thought. Unless of course, Jaeden could withstand the stare, or mistake it for something else. Female humans ogle at pretty men, don't they?

"Oh, I see." And then disdainfully, "You have to eat."

She looked around. Was it just her, was she over-thinking things, or did she have an intuitive notion that they were being watched? Forbidding herself such uncharacteristic and highly illogical thoughts, she asked Jaeden, "You manage to find your sustenance out here in the wilds?" Quite puzzled, she asked, "For how long? Don't you have to take a bath?" Jilitse was quite obsessive with cleanliness. She cautiously ran her gaze around Jaeden's camp once more, stopping shortly at the meat roasting in the fire. Then at Jaeden again. "You mean Olevar pretty much lives like... this?" Human beings were such curious creatures. But then again, some of them managed to survive the Valterrian. "How does he survive the wild beasts and slavers that you speak of?" She looked at the weapons. "Did he train you?" She shifted herself in the log, feeling the sickle hidden inside her cloak. The handle was sorely sticking out. She doesn't know how to use it, not at all. Maybe she could try to find Olevar and have him teach her a thing or two. Then again, Olevar might not be as civil as Jaeden.

She waited for Jaeden to have his meal and looked around beyond the trees once more. Jil could just swear she saw something move. Maybe it's just another animal?
I. Vox Populi, Vox Dei
II. The Night the Watchtowers Cried

I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common woman with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
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Jilitse
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jaeden Kincade on September 4th, 2010, 5:35 am

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Jaeden gave a slow nod as she explained her reasons for seeking out Priskil. He would ask further, but at that point felt it would be more prudent that she reveal more of it of her own accord if she wanted to, considering how uneasy she still felt in Jaeden’s presence. He soon finished packing the remainder of the meat, that he wasn’t going to eat or could fit into the smoker, in his preserves for later use The rag was once again wiped along his hands, cleaning off the blood that clung to his skin as he looked up at Jilitse when she asked him about his visits to the wilds. Another nod was given as he stood and made his way over towards the roasting meat. “Yeah, generally I spend close to a third to half of a season out here.” Jaeden said as he gave the meat a slow half turn, sticking his knife into the top as he opened the cut slightly, checking how far in it had been cooked. “It’s like home for me. It’s where I was raised for over twelve years.”

Jaeden then took a slow reach over to his pack, pulling out a small tin case. A slight popping noise echoed the lid of the case being opened as several small parchment packets lined the inside. Jaeden gave a chuckle as he began fingering through each packet, looking over the contents as he shook his head. “Nah, no magic involved. Afraid I don’t even know if I’m capable of Magic in the long run.” Jaeden said before pulling out a single packet from the case before laying the case itself along the ground. He opened the top and began sprinkling a find brown powder along the meat, spreading it over with his hands as light touches were given. A sharp scent of pepper entered the air, tickling at Jilitse’s nose if she was actually smelling the air at that time. “It’s just that I’ve known Olevar for twenty years. I know the paths he travels most of the time, and know the signs that he leaves behind, even unconsciously, for following. It generally takes me a while all the same, because as experienced as he is, he doesn’t leave much for me to track him by. The tip of a boot imprinted into the ground. A strand of his hair or clothing snagged on a branch.. A small growing out of an animal’s carcass, or slavers.”

Jaeden slowly looked up at Jilitse, as her long stare seemed to seemed to bring an amused smirk along his features, especially when she mentioned about his need to eat. He took a quick look around when she was doing the same before reaching up to the meat over the fire and giving it another turn. “Don’t worry about it.” Jaeden mention to that feeling she was getting as he sprinkled more spices onto the meat. “Just scavengers looking to pick at the carcass of the doe there. I’ll drag it out away from camp soon so they can have their fill.”

He took another check of the meat, seeing how close to done it was before he turned to his tin of spices, closing it up once again before slipping it back into his pack. “Yes, most of the food I eat I gather from the wilds.” Jaeden answered, that smirk reappearing on his face as she mentioned bathing. “And yes, I normally find a pond or stream to wash myself in. Why? Do I stink right now?”

Another check of the meat was soon taken before Jaeden pulled out a plate and fork from his pack. He soon pulled the meat itself from the fire as he began cutting strips away, leaving them lay along the plate. “Olevar’s a very skilled individual.” Jaeden answered, his attention directed more towards his plate than looking to Jilitse at that moment. “He knows every inch of the forests her and up in the cobalt mountains. He knows the tracks of every animal and monster out there and could follow them clear to the other side of the continent if they traveled that far and felt like it. He knows how to find food in the coldest winter days, where all life seems to be vacant from the forest itself.”

Jaeden reached out, pulling his water skin towards him before he slowly shoveled the first piece of meat into his mouth, chewing for a few moments before finally getting his first bit to eat for that day. A slow draw from his water skin was then taken before he looked to Jilitse. “Of all the individual’s I’ve met, and I’ve been around to many places and met many individuals over the past eight years, Olevar is by far the most skilled individual I’ve met when it comes to surviving in the wild. It’s as much his home and his natural element as it is for the animals. As well, he‘s skilled in the ways of the sword and there‘s no one better when it comes to a bow that I‘ve met. Especially his bow.” Jaeden finally said before taking another mouthful of meat and washing it down with some more water. “Yeah, he trained me after finding me nearly starved to death in the forest. For twelve years he raised me, taught me everything I know about the forest, the animals, how to survive in it. How to fight. As far as I know, I'm the only one he trained to. Everything that I am, is thanks to him in the long run.”
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"If I were to stop and take in the gravity of any serious situation I'm in, I'd likely fall to my knees from being overwhelmed by it. Things become much easier to deal with if you simply make jokes."
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Jaeden Kincade
Disco Jae
 
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Talking to the Dead(Jilitse)

Postby Jilitse on September 8th, 2010, 6:50 am

"No, you do not."Jilitse moved as if breathing in air, taking a whiff of Jaeden's camp. She smelled his smoked meat, mostly, but her dulled senses no longer craved the palatable scent. She listened quietly as Jaeden talked about Olevar, noticing how he expressed his gratitude towards this father figure. She still tried to keep an eye out for the scavenger animals Jaeden mentioned. They could be anywhere! She swung her head to scan the their surroundings.

"I just could not help but compare you pulsers with us Nuits." She mumbled, "I've never been around with so many humans since time immemorial."

The Nuit waited for Jaeden to finish his meal, although she was not in a hurry, Jilitse was a little fidgety. Perhaps the fact that she was defenseless made her feel uncomfortable. Once again, she threw a pointed look at the sickle she was carrying. She brought it out and stared at it. Jaeden had a bow and a sword. What use would a sickle be to protect her from slavers or wild animals?

She fingered the edge lightly. It was new and quite sharp. The Nuit wrapped her hand on the handle and told Jaeden, "I don't know how to use this, and therefore I am very useless companion here in the wilds." She continued, "If we were to come across any wild animal or slaver, I regret that you will have to handle them on your own." The logical thing to do was to ask Jaeden to teach her how to use a sickle, but wasn't that an impolite imposition on his hospitality? She stood up and let the sickle dangle on her side. Jilitse looked like a very weary peasant.

The Nuit then asked, "Are you sure it would not be a bother for you to join my visit to the Pond? I might be deterring your search for Olevar." She turned away from his eyes and faced the direction of her destination, waiting like a sentinel. "Would we make it today?" She asked, "Tonight?" Somehow, the Nuit once again forgotten (or neglected) that humans have a need for rest and sleep.
I. Vox Populi, Vox Dei
II. The Night the Watchtowers Cried

I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common woman with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
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Jilitse
I just arrived (again). Please be kind.
 
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