Wintry Encounters [Kendall, Hadrian, Ethan]

[Jaiun]

74th Fall 511 AV A couple days outside Avanthal The trees were still, the bushes were silent. The cold air was fraught with no noise save that of the brittle wind that echoed across the stones, no scurryings of wild animals or noises of human existence to disturb nature's quiet tranquility. For a second everything was peaceful in the land of the snow. It was at times like these that Jaiun really hated nature. The tranquil atmosphere was interrupted jarringly by a sudden crunching noise, namely that of a rather large polar bear crushing a handful of sticks underfoot. He strode forward without a care in the world, sideswiping branches and smothering bushes carelessly, his hulking white form sending resting animals scattering to and fro away from the bear. Needless to say, Jaiun was not in a good mood. It had been several days since Jaiun left Avanthal. While it had not been a banishment- Jaiun was due back in a mere two days- in Jaiun's mind it seemed just as bad. A recon mission for three days? Bah! A pointless waste of resources, in Jaiun's mind. He could have been better used inside the city, or, at the very least, a decent way near it. That was where he truly belonged. But, no. It was time to change Jaiun's schedule up a bit, or so his superiors thought. It'll be good for you, his supervising Icewatch officer had told him, Simply make a cursory note of the perimeter around Avanthal. Take the chance to get some fresh air. I'd say you need it. Oh yes, he had said that with quite the note of sagacity and wisdom, as though giving Jaiun an invaluble piece of advice. Well, he could take his advice and shove it up his- Jaiun stopped up short, as a new and completely unexpected smell flooded his nose. He paused, confused. Humans? Are their humans out here? While he couldn't say for sure, it seemed as if it were so; somewhere, most likely close (his nose wasn't that sharp), was a human, perhaps more. Now, for a second, Jaiun paused. Should he find these humans? Maybe they were travelers in search of Avanthal; Jaiun had encountered such a thing before. Or, they could be criminals hidding from justice in the anonymity of the woods. Or, on the other hand, it come be the scent of humans who had come and gone long before, leaving only a lingering scent behind. Well, in any case, finding the source of the smell was something Jaiun would prefer it much more than recon. A flash of light flooded between the trees, and suddenly a tall, slim, young man stood there. His curly blond hair and pale skintone put him quite at odds with the bear who had stood there only a second ago, though his dark blue eyes seemed identical to that of the polar bear. Stepping forward, somewhat uncertain after spending so much time on four legs, he began walking towards the source of the smell. "Hello? Is anyone out here?" He shouted out, a bit cautiously.

[Hadrian]

The mood had been fairly good of late since Ethan's backtracking had shown no signs of pursuit even after Hadrian's terrorist shenanigans before fleeing the city of evil. Sometimes they spoke, often they did not. It was not yet winter, but the autumnal chill of the northern reaches cut into their skin. Hadrian had his old winterbane coat on over his clothes, which kept him warm, and he supposed the favor of Ivak kept Kendall from freezing, but soon enough they would be in Avanthal. Ethan's forward scouting had proven as much. With just a few more days, they would be within the city of winter. He hoped he could find his old friend Kye among his people, the young ice reaver had always been friendly despite Hadrian's lack of social skills. When the call came out of nowhere, his head snapped up, alert. His senses moved outward, searching until he locked on the most complex aura within the span of his senses. "Kelvic," he muttered to his companions. He was not frightened, knowing between the three of them, they should be able to handle any comer. "Not looking for a fight." That decided, though a Kelvic could shift moods as fast as any wild animal, he called out, "We come in peace!" Gods, that sounded so lame.

[Kendall Saarinen]

While Kendall ran hotter than the rest of his party he would be flat out lying if he said he was not freezing in the permanent winter of northern Taldera. He was not the biggest fan of cold weather although he wouldn't complain. He knew that the freezing weather was always going to be in Avanthal. Why visit the city and expect it to be otherwise? There was one thing that was good about frosty weather though. The chance to be close to others and share warmth. Of course, this would wait until later. For now the party needed to reach the city. Kendall was bundled up as warm as he could manage as the group marched forward. Ethan had informed them they would reach the city soon enough but the Azenth could not help but crave a warm place to sleep. Living out of a tent was starting to wear on him. Perhaps there was still a small shard of the pampered little rich girl he used to be in him. A call sounded through the world around them. It would not be hard to hear, snow had a tendency of soaking up a good amount of sound. Before he had a chance to worry on the voice Hadrian spoke, explaining it's origins. "Thats good. The less fighting the better." Even though Hadrian claimed there was no danger the Azenth still prepared himself for the worst. He was not sure how his flames would fare in the snow but it was better than nothing.

[Ethan]

Petch the cold, Petch Kendall and Hadrian, Petch the flakes that were gathering in his hood. Petch them all and bugger em up the arse. Ethan kicked a rock and watched it fly right back into the snow with a sad crunch. Snow was depressing and his companions were quiet. He wanted to bug Hadrian or pester Kendall, but he had done that enough already. He wanted to change but he would probably freeze before he got a hundred feet in the air. He wished Sondra was here. She would of hit him if he bugged her, but it would of felt good. Got the blood pumping. His face reddened as he thought about what he wanted to do to Sondra. He was thankful for the warmth in his cheeks it brought. Ethan festered on his dark hatred of the North. When a shout snapped him back into focus. He clutched his spear and started looking around. How had he not noticed someone coming? He was the unofficial scout. And these humans couldn't see piss crawling down their leg.. Hadrian muttered that it was a Kelvic. Ethan wanted to check with his own senses but he wasn't as skilled as his teacher. Hadrian assured the new comer that they didn't come to start trouble. Where ever the person was he still wasn't visible. Ethan saw a bit of movement in the woods but nothing beyond that. ”"We come in peace!"” Said the Mage. Ethan laughed and patted Hadrian's chest with a padded hand. ”How about you let me deal with the Kelvic. 'We come in peace' will only get us snickered at.” He lowered his voice and looked at them both. ”If not, I'll skewer it and you two Magic it from afar. I do not trust these beasts with you humans. Do not hesitate or let it change forms.” He walked a couple paces from his friends and called out happily. ”Hello brother... or sister! I'm Kelvic as well. Me and my friends are traveling North. I hope we are not crossing anyone's territory? If so, tell us where we can cross safely. And we shall be on our way.” He kept his posture relaxed and tried to calm his pounding heart. God's be good if they had crossed onto anyone's land... He held the spear a little closer and kept his eyes moving.

[Jaiun]

Jaiun uttered a hoarse laugh when he heard the phrase shouted back at him. We come in peace? That was a new one. "So do I." he responded, instinctively looked for the owner of the voice. At first, all he saw was the whiteness of the snow-clad trees before he picked out the shadowy sight of two, maybe three, people. Was it them?- Unexpectedly, the voice of someone else rose up as well; it was male, like the first speaker, but, as it pointed out, Kelvic as well. That was...a bit unexpected. "Greeting, my Kelvic brother!" Jaiun cried out in response, once he heard what the voice had to say. Cautiously -for the speaker, or at least the Kelvic one, seemed to be a bit wary, and he didn't want to provoke any unnecessary conflict- he moved towards the travelers, hands loose by his sides and a -hopefully- reassuring expression on his face. "Someone's territory? I would think not, not this close to Avanthal. Is that where you are headed, by chance?" By now, Jaiun had gotten close enough to the figures to make them out clearly. There were three of them, all dressed warmly in coats and furs. That was good -while Jaiun couldn't feel the cold, and was in fact, not wearing anything-, as Jaiun didn't want to be responsible for unprepared travelers, as he had immediately thought of them as his responsibility once they had announced their intention to travel north. At the very least, Jaiun wanted to see them reach the icy gates of Avanthal, and at least they wouldn't perish from chill until they got there. They were also in human form, which made it a bit hard to pick out the Kelvic he was speaking to. Jaiun decided to focus on the one in front, a tall male with light brown hair once he picked up speaking once more: "No one owns this land but Morwen, I assure you. It is quite within your prerogative to -how did you phrase it?- cross safely. Especially now that's you've run into one of the Icewatch." Jaiun added, gesturing towards himself. "Perchance, may I ask your names? I am Jaiun."

[Hadrian]

Hadrian sighed when Ethan tried to take over. He was competent in certain things, but the mage had gotten used to the people in their group deferring to him, even strong-willed Sondra. But he had to wonder from their exchange if there was some sort of Kelvic fraternity that crossed the land of Mizahar. He doubted it, though. As the aura drew nearer, he was finally able to see the watcher approaching as well. At first he thought it was a doppelgänger of Kendall, but it was just a naked blond who claimed to be of the Icewatch. That would explain how he wasn't dying of hypothermia just then. It almost made Hadrian's teeth chatter to see him approaching through the alpine trees. Huh. "Ah, the Icewatch, good. Well met, Master Jaiun," he said politely. "My companions are Kendall Saarinen, the Kelvic Ethan, and my name is Hadrian Aelius. We are pleased to make your acquaintance. Avanthal is our destination. Perhaps you might accompany us if your patrol allows it?"

[Kendall Saarinen]

Kendall glanced from Ethan to Hadrian when the Ethan said he was going to take over the situation. While the Azenth was fine with anyone leading this effort, he wondered how Hadrian would do with someone taking the leadership role. Not even asking for it, taking it. Kendall was not a natural leader, not by a long shot. Even when he had traveled alone with Ethan the bird didn't really seem to take orders from him. He knew Hadrian though and he knew how he preferred to be in charge. He watched after Ethan, preparing himself to defend him if needed. A voice called back through the air, a friendly one. Unless it was a ruse, they were safe. Kendall watched as the man drew nearer. While Hadrian was watching the man's aura, Kendall was picking up on other things. Things at Hadrian and Ethan would not be able to see. It was a feeling and a burning one. He knew it came from the Kelvic but as always, he could not tell what caused it. It was a sad feeling, almost guilty. I worried Kendall a bit. A guilty kelvic in the middle of the wilderness. That seemed important enough to try and alert Hadrian. His hand gripped around the mage's arm. "Be careful. I don't know why, but this Kelvic feels guilty. I can feel it." He whispered as he looked down at his wrist, hoping Hadrian would understand what he was trying to hint at. Kendall's gnosis had uncovered some emotion within Hadrian as well in earlier times so hoped that would be enough for Hadrian to trust in it. "It could be nothing. Guilt about stealing a fish or something but… just be aware." Jaiun may not have even been thinking about it but Kendall could feel the underlying guilt of the bear's. The guilt about Kalgar and his sacrifice. Ivak's gift did not tell where the underlying emotion came from, only that is was there and bubbling under the surface. It had been used on many others before him and just as this time, the knowledge of the emotion without the reasoning behind it piqued his interest. He would not nudge the bear about his guilt but he sure as Ivak wanted to. Before Kendall could utter his name, Hadrian had done it for him. He smirked lightly, seeing his lover getting a small bit of control over the meeting once more. "Hello Jaiun. Nice to meet you. It's good to know that we are on the right track to Avanthal." He still was not sure how ecstatic he was about venturing into Morwen's city. He did not expect her to be too open to the idea of Azenth walking among her people, her children.

[Jaiun]

Jaiun, for a moment, simply watched the blond figure who so closely mirrored himself. Something about him...something Jaiun couldn't quite place. As he watched, the young man walked over to the other one, a tall dark-haired one in a winterbane coat, and muttered something. Then, they both addressed Jaiun, and the bear, who was still trying to figure out who this strange man was and why he struck Jaiun in such a way, turned slowly away to greet them. "Greetings, Hadrian, Ethan, and Kendall." He responded. "Glad to meet you as well. My patrol? There are none others with me, and my missive was simply to scour these woods, so I would say it would permit me. I would be happy to accompany you all back to Avanthal." Indeed, more happy then they would know. The initial greetings now out of the way, his eyes slid over the figures, silently assessing them. Now that he had gained a closer look, he saw that the lead figure, Ethan, he proposed was indeed the Kelvic; while there were no Kelvic fraternities to be sure, he could make out the bestial traits in him. The other two were a bit tougher to discern. While they weren't the most physically imposing people, there was a toughness among them, and the group in general, that made Jaiun happy they were not currently up in arms - though Jaiun was by no means unsure of his clearly prodigious skill in fighting, of course. Perhaps, then, they were skilled in magic? Jaiun had little knowledge in that area, beyond that of the magical abilities Morwen's mark granted him. If they were skilled in that area, and a conflict was inevitable (for bears always thought of conflict) Jaiun would be woefully unprepared. "Of course, with no way to prove my station, you might think that I am not of the Icewatch, but rather something come to waylaid you, which is a perfectly rational thought. However, if you wish to shift into my Dire Polar Bear form and prove it to you," Jaiun gave a feral grin, "You need only ask." Hopefully, that would assuage any doubts the travelers had about Jaiun. Hopefully.

[Hadrian]

OOCEthan says he doesn't have a lot of time to play these days, so I'm just going to keep us moving.

Hadrian nodded to Kendall, message received. Guilt could mean any number of things, none of which could be narrowed down as of yet given their dearth of information. This close to Avanthal, however, a polar bear Kelvic whose aura burned with the cold light of Morwen's gnosis could only be a member of the Icewatch, and therefore trustworthy in getting them to the Everwinter City as quickly as possible. "Thank you so much, Master Jaiun," he said politely. "And you needn't prove yourself. I can see what you are well enough." There was nothing proud in the way he said it, but he could tell a great deal about a person with only minimal exposure to their aura. In Jaiun's case, he knew what he was looking for and so it was quick and easy to verify. He could see the bear shape overlaying the man shape, and he had been able to recognize Morwen's touch ever since Kye had first shown him what gnosis looked like to an Aurist. "Then again, we have mounts, so whatever is most comfortable for you..." He took Adrasteios' reins and even though the ill-tempered Bloodbane was probably too tired from travel to bother biting him, he sent a soothing, calming thread through his aura and into the horse's attempting to keep him tractable despite the presence of a bear. "But please, lead on."

[Ethan]

OOCSorry to be late with posting. I was a little bogged with life, but i am back now. Ethan never thought highly of other Kelvics. From the ones he had met. They were either basic form of humans, barely house trained. Or they were murderous creatures with a taste for blood. They lacked logic and a sense of reality. Choosing to forget their human sides all together. All in all they were ill tempered and could of killed them all if their animal was large or quick enough. So when the man spoke in such a formal tone, it left no doubt that he was with the Icewatch. Ethan had heard plenty of the honorable men and woman making up their ranks. Enough to make his stomach sour in fact. Kelvics being bred for the sole purpose of bonding with a knight and becoming their mounts. They were beyond wild animals or treacherous creatures. They were pets. Born to love their masters. Hadrian and Kendall didn't understand his anger, and couldn't be expected too. Their race was one of the most dominant in Mizihar. They weren't born to serve or valued only as slaves or servants or mounts apparently. Even the Kelvics had no clue. They went along with it like nothing was wrong. Traveling through Ravok only solidified his hatred of his own kind. Half the cities slaves were Kelvics. All manor of animals, fierce and resourceful. But they didn't have the stomach to revolt. Hadrian sighed and spoke up. Meeting the pets elegant words with his own pleasantries. Master?! The dog at their feet more like. Ethan couldn't stand this shit and pulled his hood up, wrapped his face again. And went trudging through the snow back towards Kendall's mount. All the while clutching his spear to keep from cursing. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. This Juian did nothing wrong. The fact that he was born made Ethan sick. The Vantha's that accepted his breeding, deserved his scorn. Even his friends needed a piece of his mind. Although a much calmer and collected piece, but a chunk all the same. As Hadrian and the dancing bear spoke. He stood next to the horse silently seething. At least the mare knew it was a beast of burden. It didn't go gallivanting around on “missions”.