Closed The Red Sun [Cyna]

[Richard]

Winter 15, 513
Just after noon rest

Richard had suppressed the urges for today, there was something more important in his mind right now. He had spent the last few days following a peculiar woman, he didn’t know why he wanted to follow her, but he felt drawn to her, like there was something planning their meeting. He must find out about her, he must learn everything there is to know about her. She often left the city, spending many bells outside of its gate. Richard wasn’t skilled enough to risk leaving the city, he didn’t know how to survive on his own if something were to happen outside of the protection of the Shinya.

He followed the woman to the Shinyami peak, to the Temple of the Moon. The temple was very beautiful, and very serene. Richard sometimes came here on his own, but that only a few times a season. He didn’t know the name of the woman he was following, she seemed to talk to few people. And the people he talked to about didn’t know who she was, or anything of value. He would have to spend more time following her to get to know her. She was beautiful, like the city she lived in, and cold like the skyglass that surrounded them. And he had followed her to the very edge of the gate, but he couldn’t find the courage to leave.

The woman was unlike any other human woman he had seen in the city. She was beautiful, but with a touch of strength that intrigued him to no end. She was slightly shorter than he was, her slightly tanned skin and vivacious lips drew the eyes of the young boy. Her nose, and eyes melded together to create an almost perfect view of beauty.

Today? Today would be different, he had grabbed his sword, and was ready to follow her no matter where she went. He had his pack with him, and a couple days of food should the need arise too. He felt a deep resolve as he battled the chill winter, and permeating greyness that seeped into everything. There would be nothing stopping him today, her secrets would he his, and he would finally know her name.

[Cyna Redsun]

Cyna had a typical morning and early afternoon, but it was now time to check her traps she had set a few days before. She pulled her red cloak over her shoulders and looped the string over the button closing it to protect herself from the wind. Her rerebrace on her left arm clinked with her movement and her steel shield lie on her back. Her sword set on her left hip its hilt a brown leather that matched her scabbard, boots and belt. Her breeches were tucked into her boots to prevent them from catching on anything and her shirt tucked into her belt as to not catch her swords cross guard when she drew it. Her backpack she carried over her right shoulder it lying on her back, held by a rope that kept it closed the rope going over her shoulder. She held the rope with her hand keeping it tucked under the cloak to shield as much of her self from the cold as possible.

She pulled her hood up and over her black hair, her lime hazel eyes peering out from underneath her hood as she gave a silent nod to the watch men that guarded the gate. They knew her well enough, it wasn't uncommon for her to come through this gate several times a week. As she began her short journey into the local wilds that surrounded Lhavit, her memories of the traps began to flood back helping her navigate the wilds.

10th of Winter, 513

She had spent most of the day following game trails, and finally she found a promising one it was a quite used trail. Cyna jumped off her mare Rose and crouched to the ground inspecting the trail She could tell by the size of the tracks that it was used by smaller animals. Most likely small subterranean mammals or tree dwelling critters, she know from her time spent in the wilderness that this one would be a good place to lay a trap. She broke of a near by branch and dug a channel it had taken her a few good bells to finally get the channel dug to where the side walls would be high enough to be a nuisance for an animal to climb over. Her small trap she had sat at the end of the channel all she had gathered a few nuts and berries along the way and figured this was a good enough bait to draw a squirrel or to into the trap.

After placing the bait into the trap she stood up clapping her hands to knock the dust and dirt of them. She jumped back onto Rose putting a soft heel into her sides letting her know to proceed forward. She had started to head back to town when she noticed a few broken twigs and the caracas of a small animal, most likely hunted by a small predator. Patting her horse and talking to her with no intention of a reply.

"What do you think Rose? Shall we attempt another catch?"

Taking a few more bells and cutting it close to the emergence of the night she had bent a small yet sturdy branch and cut some rope and set a small snare trap. She then placed a small piece of fresh meat that she cut off the carcass of the kill that she had found on the ground. She might not catch the predator that had killed the poor animal, but she was likely to catch a scavenger looking for an easy meal. A quick jump onto her horse she headed for Lhavit arriving just as Leth's glory began to shine upon the land.

Present day

Cyna had decided today that she wasn't going to take Rose out with her and enjoy a stroll through the wilds. It had took her only a bell and a few chimes to arrive to her snare trap, but the only measure of time she had was the position of Syna's sun. Her snare hadn't been sprung but the bait had been taking, most likely by a crafty creature of the wilds, letting out a soft sigh of disappointment she stepped carefully over her trap and began heading deeper into the wilds, being careful not to disturb the creatures and foliage of the wild. She hadn't journeyed to far before she heard a disturbance behind her that almost sounded as if her trap had been sprung, turning quickly she began running back toward her snare drawing her blade. She was curious to see what had caused such loud noises.

[Richard]

Richard gave the woman a few chimes head start, before following her outside the gate. The Shinya guard gave Richard an odd look, but waved him on. Richard continued down the winding path down the side of the mountain. He tried stayed just out of sight of the woman, but close enough that he wouldn’t lose her. This continued for a bell, before she entered the alpine forest surrounding the Misty Peaks. Richard almost cursed himself, but paused only briefly before getting the courage to follow after her.

Another long walk, with the woman in and out of sight, then she stopped, and began to fiddle with something Richard couldn’t see. He furrowed his brow, trying to think of all the things that she could be doing, but he couldn’t think of anything. She continued on, and Richard gave her another few chimes before he went to investigate what she was doing. He walked into the general area she was working, trying to figure out what she had done. He noticed a small gouge in the earth, it was fresh, and certainly woman made, there were a handful of berries and nuts and what looked like a small wire. ‘Fascinating’ thought the spellsword, admiring the woman, looking in her general direction with a smile.

He stood, as a faint smell of decaying flesh entered his nostril, he scrunched up his nose but began to head after the woman. He took a few steps before seeing a gruesome scene several days old. He knew it was the way of the… he felt something tighten around his foot, a branch moved out of the corner of his eye, and in a chime he was knocked off his feet. The branch splintered, loud. And Richard fell hard, landing on his back and hitting his head. He tried to breath, but he gasped like a fish out of water.

He tried to get up, but he was stunned, the weight and awkwardness of his pack and sword kept him from getting up, he coughed and gasped, then started to reach for the snare on his foot.

[Cyna Redsun]

Cyna rushed through the brush sword in hand swiping the blade side to side in an effort to increase her movement through the forest. She knew better then to disturb the habitat of the ones that lived there, but she couldn't help herself. Something had been following her, no beast would stalk her and if a predator had been following her unnoticed he would have had more then one chance to pounce. So her pursuer had to be sentient, some one smart enough to know how to hang back and track her.

This worried her a bit what had she done to earn herself enemies, as far as she knew she hadn't stepped on anyone's toes nor had she done anything extraordinary or out of the ordinary to gain attention. All she did was fish and hunt day in and day out. Cyna knew she had to get down to the bottom of quickly and with that last thought she broke through the underbrush and arrived to the sight of a man hanging by his ankle trying to reach the rope that coiled tightly around his ankle.

Cyna had to stifle the fit of giggles that seemed to be determined to burst through her composure. Cyna took a few more cautious steps toward her captive stalker a slight grin tugging at the edges of her blush red lips. Raising her sword and mustering a confident commanding tone she spoke out.


"Who are-"

Cyna being cut off by the sound of the branch that held this man snapping and followed by a crash of a mans jumbled body. The whole ordeal was just too hilarious for Cyna to hold back the laughter any more and with that she burst into a laughter that echoed through the woods. She doubled over as the laughter began to take over the pain in her stomach from her muscles tensing up and the air being forced out of her lungs. It was to much as he placed a hand on her knee to hold herself up. After a few more seconds she resumed her stance holding the sword out towards the man and resumed her questioning.


"Now who are you? and what is your purpose?"

The humorous events aside Cyna was filled with worry and adrenaline as she looked upon the strangers mug he had a strange look to him. She wasn't sure what he wanted and was scared of what he might want with her, it wouldn't have been the first time someone had try and taken advantage of her and she sure wasn't going to let this man be the one to succeed.

[Richard]

The incapacitated spellsword listened in shock as the woman he had been following broke through the brush, her sword in had, with fire in her eyes. Richard stopped struggling long enough to enjoy the sight, before he renewed his struggle to get free. The snare was rather tight around his leg, and he could feel the twine of the snare starting to bite into his ankle. He had just regained his breath from being dropped on his head rather discourteously from a tree. But, now that the woman was near, Richard felt enlivened! It brought him a breath of fresh air…

Until the sound of her laughter echoed through the trees, rebounding throughout the forest. He watched in dismay as the woman doubled over, her laugh seeming to grow in intensity as Richard lay helpless, soon it felt like the trees, and the wind, and the leaves were all joining, in an orchestra of nightmarish laughter. He urgently tried to undo the knot, to get out of his awkward position. He felt panicked as her laughter reverberated through his head, this was no way to introduce yourself to someone.

As her laugher slowly died down, and the ringing of the laughter faded he could see her blade, a rather mean and sharp looking weapon, pointed at him. This was at least less unsettling than her laughter. He laid back, there was no sense in trying to struggle against the knot now that she was using the blade as a suppressive tool, she would most likely not like him to free himself.

He furrowed his brow, who he was simple enough to answer, ”My name is Richard.” the other part of the questions was a little harder to answer? Or was it more simple? He sometimes got them confused. He furrowed his brow, and thought for a chime. He came to the conclusion that is was fairly obvious what he was doing, but his purpose… that wasn’t something he could answer, “Well, as for my purpose”, he paused for a rather long chime, ”I suppose you could say I was bored.” he answered flatly, he wasn’t lying, but it did a rather silly reason for following someone now that he heard it aloud.

”And if it’s alright with you,” Richard stretched his arm to his foot and started to untie the knot again, ”I would like to get out of this snare, and go about following you again.” He said in an almost friendly manner, lined with caution, and slow movements.

[Brandon Blackwing]

Cyna Redsun

XP Award

• Tracking +1
• Trapping +1
• Observation +2
• Interrogation +1

Lore Award

• Trapping: using dead animals to lure others
• Trapping: Catching a man instead of scavenging beasts
• Richard: Stalker caught with a snare trap

Notes
Richard, your grade has been withheld due to inactivity.

Cyna, I must tell you that there are no horses in Lhavit since they can't get up the peak that connects the gate with the Misty Peaks, it's too treacherous for them, humans have a hard time getting up there already, so a horse wouldn't make it. If however, Rose is staying in the Peaks -which I wouldn't advice seeing as they are still part of the Unforgiving- I don't have any problems with it

About the thread then. Well, I liked where it as going and it's a pity it died so early. Because of that there wasn't much I could award, though I enjoyed the read.

Please edit or delete your grade request in the request thread.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments regarding your grade, please send me a pm.

credit goes to Adelaide Sitai