[Base Camp] Exhaustion, food and rest (open)

[Stigandr]

78th of Spring 512 A.V. Every muscle in his body was sore and ached. The trip from Sunberth had been relentless, with only enough rest to keep going until the next resting point. He could barely place one hoof in front of the other at this point, his legs ready to give out from how hard he had pushed them at the end of the trip. With only a third of the trip remaining, Stigandr had foregone riding his horse any more, taking his horse form and running himself, carrying Sahashkalila in snake form in his saddlebags for the last leg of the trip, sparing her horse as well. They had lost several horse along the way, the brutal and unforgiving pace coupled with the weight of gear just too much for some to handle. With every death of another equine, Stigandr had grown sadder, feeling like he was losing a dear friend each time. Thus he volunteered to spare two lives, if he could, by carrying himself and his friend in her smallest, lightest form. As the group came to a halt, a large Jamoura came forward to greet them, "A bit rough around the edges, but they will do just fine. All of you, you can rest today over in the longhouse. A few things of importance. For every bell you spend within any fog, most prevalent is that within The Spires proper, you must spend two bells outside of it. The effects of the fog are magical, and will change you if you do not wean yourself off of it. Also, many of you are here to capture the citizens within the city so we can get them out of the fog. We want them alive. Assume every animal is a Kelvic, so do not hunt for food in the mist. We have several guides that will show you the layout of the city and assist you if necessary. If you have any questions, or need anything, ask one of the Hahk'Shatara members around, recognizable by the large, carved staves they carry. Go rest in the Longhouse, grab a meal in the Mess Hall, tomorrow, you work." His voice was deep and he spoke slowly, every word seeming to carry with it more meaning and depth than any human could ever project, not to mention how much Stigandr felt it in his chest, reverberating against his ribs. Food and rest, both so important right now and much needed by the Kelvic as he had run so long, staying in horse form to conserve as much energy as possible. Looking around for the first real time since entering the forest, Stigandr took great admiration in the large trees around him. They dwarfed the buildings in Sunberth, the trunks so large in diameter he would take him a good minute or two of walking just to get around them. They were so tall as well, rising well above the heads of the group, causing Stigandr to wonder what was up there, what kind of danger might find him, or what kind of friend might he find among the Jamoura? Slowly his legs began to move, his hooves pressing into the ground gently as he moved forward, feeling Sahashkalila swaying on his back gently, heading towards the Longhouse and Mess Hall. Both buildings were...magnificent. To the Kelvic, who felt at home in this forest, the design of the Longhouse and the Mess Hall both so natural and beautiful. They appeared to be sculpted of the wildlife around them, various vines and wood, even connecting to a couple of nearby trees. There was none of the harsh brick and stone look found in Sunberth or Syliras. It was all beautiful, natural and welcoming to the horse's eyes. Nearing the Longhouse proper, Stigandr stopped and waited for Sahashkalila to slip off of his back before shifting into human form, the horse blanket he was wearing draping his naked body. It was still nice and warm compared to the chill air around him, but he moved out of it and folded it up, moving to find his clothes from the horse that had his stuff, getting dressed in his wool pants and cap, his cotton shirt and his slippers. "How are you doing Sahas?" he inquired of his friend, wanting to make sure she was still warm enough.

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila did not spend much time looking at the sites on the last leg of the journey, she was much to worried about trying not to slip away into hibernation. The atmosphere around her was getting steadily colder, something that she had expected and dreaded all at once. She sat bundled atop Stigandr, her body weary from the hard pace that they were traveling at and from riding an animal that she had never ridden in her life. What little of her surroundings she had managed to pay attention to were absolutely stunning, the trees larger than she had ever seen before. Actually, she was surrounded by more vegetation and moisture than she had ever seen in her long life, having spent most of her time in a harsh desert where all she saw was sand. She felt....claustrophobic with all the tight knit vegetation surrounding her, and that made her feel even more miserable than she already was. She muttered curses under her breath, thinking that she should have just stayed at her home....but she could not deny anyone her help if they needed it.

The were stopped by a group of Jamoura at the base camp when they finally arrived, their company slightly smaller from the loss of several horses because of the urgency in their pace and she stared at them blearily from her seat. She tried to remember as much as she could from the Jamoura's speech, but her eyes felt heavy as she listened, only picking up bits and pieces as she swayed on Stigandr's back in exhaustion. She was grateful when Stigandr started moving again, walking towards the ramshackle buildings that seemed to be made out of the wildlife around them. Which was really all that they had.

She slipped of his back when he came to halt with a groan, her muscles protesting as she hit the ground. She stretched and her back cracked and she winced, thinking that she could really go for the hot springs at the moment as she clutched the blanket around her. She adverted her eyes from her friend as he shifted back, not exactly sure why she did it, but felt that it was polite to do so, and turned to answer him with a sleepy smile. "I...am fine Sstigandr,"she said rather slowly, amused with his named for her. A nickname that he had picked up and continued to call her, and she was rather fond of him using it. "I am jussst not ussed to riding for sso long, my body iss cramped and tired." She looked up at him, noticing that he looked a bit sad and exhausted as well, and she reached up to brush a few strands of hair from his face. "Are you alright though? You sseem disstresssed."

[Roka]

Roka had practically dragged his body the last few miles. He had treaded through the sore phase when his muscles began to burn, and now they were a sloppy tangle of limbs throwing themselves begrudgingly into each step. His tongue hung from his mouth in a labored pant as he trotted clumsily beside a group of horses. His tail flagged behind him with the passing fresh air, tossing his fur in unnatural directions and cooling his warm skin. At long last their destination seemed in sight, but most of what he could see was low laying foliage and gentle padding of cooling soil pressing into his paws.

Those ahead began to halt and his final burst of energy slung him toward a familiar group. His ears perked listening to the Jamoura's passing warnings. An excitement washed over his brazenly defeated body that they had finally arrived, and his eyes searched to find some familiarity. Only paces away was Stigandr and Sahashkallila, his mouth hung open in what could easily be described as a toothy grin of sharp teeth and pale pink tongue. He walked to them with a cheerful yip, planting himself beside Kalila. He caught his breath and spotted the steed carrying a sack of his things approaching. He wobbled toward the animal and without hesitation let the light engulf him to replace long dark fur with pale, chilled skin. He dug through his bag and pulled his garments free, slinging them over himself one by one. He grabbed his boots and headed back to them, hopping on one foot and then the other, to slide his footwear onto his ever moving feet.

Once back in their company a faint smile came to his lips as he looked around the area in admiration, it did appear more beautiful from a higher eye line, with endless trees and a cooling breeze that filled him with a sense of nostalgia.

"That was quite a trip" he stated almost too enthusiastically. He looked over to the other two and caught the end of their exchanging words; a slip of jealousy sparked in him but was quickly extinguished. He knew them both too well and too fondly to allow himself to harp over these things. He already understood the nature of Kalila enough to know that he would not try and change her to keep her caged inside his arms, not when she seemed so happy coddling over the concerns of others. As for Stigandr, he deserved some caring for, even without words he could see the long and tedious life of the stallion reflected in his pale eyes, but was still impressed that he had been become a close friend, finding him less jaded than he was likely entitled to be. In their short time together they had already been through much.

He simply looked away allowing them a private moment, his golden eyes sinking into the worn and weary group.

[Chamaeleon]

Finally, they had arrived.

Chamaeleon dismounted from her horse sleekly, the red-tinged blonde cue bouncing slightly as she landed upon the ground and promptly stretched, relieving the aches and pains her body had accumulated for a few moments. Without looking, she ran her fingers over the smallest of scratches that dotted her skin, healing them into faint pink lines, before she moved to her poor, gasping pony and did the same for him, stroking his shivering body gently and removing her belongings from him.

She listened to the warning of the Jamoura, her eyes heavy lidded as she continued to soothe the beast, and once he had finished his introduction, she looked around.

These people she had become close to during her time among them. She could see the weariness in their faces and that caused a seed of worry to take root in her stomach. She would have to watch them, and tend to them when they needed it.

Her eyes then settled on a familiar group. Kalila, Roka, and another Kelvic by the name of Stigandr whom she had seen galloping valiantly during the last leg of the journey.

The Ethaefal smiled brightly, bringing her own form of sunlight and cheeriness to the weary group, and skipped forward to stand with them. She was easily fond of these people and immensely glad they were here with her. Kalila and Roka especially were a good sight, although for somewhat different reasons.

She was content to not say anything and just stand there, observing her friends for any open wounds she could touch and assist in healing. She felt her gift would be useful here.

[Rail]

His paws bled and cracked, muscles burning and crying out for relief but he refused to let up. This trip it represents a certain freedom that he had never had before. A chance to prove himself more than a mere useless slave or common ruffian, a chance to show the proud creature he knew was the true measure of his soul. He was long since past the point of exhaustion, the only thing bringing him step by step along the trail his inhuman determination to prove his worth. He had been offered a steed multiple times along the journey but had refused them each time. The only concession he allowed himself was to place the few belongings he owned in a small pack upon one of the more unencumbered horses so that he could move freely. Despite this he had somehow managed to keep up with the column of Berthians riding hard for the Spires. Not even for a moment did he allow himself to fall behind and ,finally, the fruits of his labor were in sight. The trees had been steadily increasing in size until, at long last the greatest grandfathers of the forest stood tall and proud to either side of the winding trail. The beauty of the place was such that he could recognize it even through his exhausted haze. Something about the place spoke to him all the way down to the roots of his soul. It was an amazing feeling and it gave him renewed vigor as well as a final determination to finish the last leg of the journey. With heavy desperate breaths Rail plodded into the open area of the base camp and gratefully moved himself to a nearby tree. The grandfather was enormous large enough that It would have taken the big cat quite a while just to walk around the base, with a start he realized, it wasnt even a tree.... it was but a branch of a much greater ancestor. His awe mounted as he slowly let his eyes rove around the camp constructed for their use and he couldnt help a pleased growl. Everything was beautiful all seemed drawn out from the very trees around them... amazing. With a flash of light and a small pop Rail returned to his human coil and slowly let himself slide down the side of the great tree er.. branch, to land with a slight thump at its base. He slowly lifted his hands to inspect the damage done to them. They were worn almost to the bone, dirty and bloody, he was almost certain that the bones were intact but he could not be sure... Well no matter.He thought with a proud gleam in his eyes I have made it... on my own volition He let out a smile, blinding in its obvious glory and leaned back against the tree. Within moments his mind had fallen into the great abyss known as unconsciousness the smile still playing across his handsome face.

[Stigandr]

Sahashkalila said she fine. That was enough for the Kelvic. He trusted her words as they came out, having no reason to not believe her. It was nice trusting someone again. After her answer, she reached up to move some hair on his face, "Are you alright though? You sseem disstresssed, she asked as her finger brushed the hair aside, his head moving against her fingers momentarily without though on his part. His eyes looked down into hers, sad and filled with pain. "So many died on this trip. I wonder if it was worth it. Were their deaths worth what we do here?" He stood with her, feeling some peace in her presence for the moment, happy for it. As others began to shuffle in, he looked up to see who was moving around them, and who might be moving closer to them to talk. The first he saw was Roka, a new friend he had made in the Sunberth wilds. Their first meeting was a bright day that turned dark and bloody by the end of it. So much death that day, so much pain and blood as well as innocence lost. He seemed to be moving in a different way, but Stigandr yelled out to him anyway, "Roka! How are you, friend?" Next he saw was was Chameleon, an Ethaefal. She was the first he had ever seen and was intrigued by her. He had seen very little of her on the trip to the Spires, and there was little time for talking on the trip or making new friends. She came up to the group but stayed silent, seeming to study every one of them. "Hello...Cham? Is that what I heard you called?" He was not sure if her name was right, but he was sure he had heard someone call her that at least once. It was odd looking at her. He could see it was mostly blonde, but a third or so of it was a dark greenish color. He knew it had to be a color similar to one color named red, but he only ever saw greens in place of the red. He had accepted he missed out on a color, but it was still interesting seeing her hair with those two colors. Last the Kelvic's eyes came up to a tiger running in. It was slave named Rail. He was here with his mistress, though Stigandr did not know who she was. That was probably good as he would have fought her immediately to free the slave. He watched in contentment as the tiger made his way to camp and moved to go lean on a tree comfortable. He had run a good part of the last leg, determined to do it himself. Stigandr wondered why and had started to move towards the tiger when he saw him slip into sleep and stopped, taking his place back by Sahashkalila, letting the tiger sleep for now. Everyone was tired and this was as safe a place as any to sleep out in the open. oocHorses see most/almost all reds as green. That is why Cham's hair is green instead of Auburn

[Jean]

Her clothes were crumpled and needed a good washing, and her muscles felt like they'd been site fire to, doused, and set fire to again over and over. Lebanon, her mare, walked as slow as she could without actually stopping, her head hanging so low that her nose was only a couple feet from the ground. Jean had thanked the Gods and Goddesses over and over for their luck. Lee hadn't died during the hard journey like several other horses had, and she was thankful beyond words. She didn't know what she would have done if the mare had been killed merely because she'd been run too hard. The deaths other of the other horses had hit her hard though, and she'd shed tears for each one. They had lagged behind the main group, mainly because Jean was trying her best not to push Lee to the extreme. She had lost sight of the others for the better part of the day, but she finally caught sight of them again when the journey's end was in sight. A group of people were clustered in the camp near a large longhouse, and she realized she noticed them first because one was Stigandr. A tired sigh puffed from her exhausted lungs - one of relief. The trip was finally over, and one of the few people she'd worried about was safe. Another good look showed her that Kalila was with him as well. A crooked smile hitched up the corner of her mouth. With them were several others that she didn't personally know yet. There was a tiger stretched out on the ground, which is what he noticed first. But she was past the point of being surprised by anything and anyone involved in the Crimson Edge. She assumed it must be a Kelvic, seeing as no one was paying any ill attention towards the giant cat. Jean just hoped that Lee wouldn't spook, seeing how the mare was afraid of any feline bigger than a house cat. She stopped the exhausted horse with a gentle pull on the reigns, making the bit tug back her drooping lips. Slowly, she slid from the saddle. It was the least graceful dismount she'd ever performed. Her legs nearly gave out underneath her. They shook violently for a moment, but held. Wrapping the reigns around her fist, she led her mare the rest of the way. Finally, we can rest. The thought whispered through her tired mind and she smiled again, feeling like she'd been given the wold's finest stallion instead of an opportunity for rest. She skirted around the group, noting that Lee was too tired to even care about the tiger lying near them, and stopped at Stigandr's shoulder. Her mare hung her head lower and closed her eyes, moving the bit around in her mouth with her large tongue. A shaky sigh blew from her lips and nostrils, spraying her rider's leg with a fine mist. Jean touched Stigandr's fingers lightly for a moment, letting him know where she was. She felt better now that she was with someone she was close to, and she closed her eyes for a rest. Her hip stuck out as she slouched her weight to one leg, and if it were possible without falling over, it'd seem like she'd fallen asleep standing up, much like her mare.

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila smiled at all of the arrivals trickling in, all of them weary and exhausted, but they had made it there without much hardship. The pace of the journey was what tired them all and she could see it in their faces, along with the happiness of finally arriving. Kalila did not feel much better than the rest of them, her body stiff from the cold and all she really felt like doing was curling up and sleeping...but she risked hibernation if she did that, and so she forced herself to move about.

She ended up by Roka, someone who was dear to her heart, and she could see the exhilaration that was on his face along with exhaustion. She reached out to slip an arm through his, resting her head against his shoulder for a moment before she pulled away, a soft smile on her face as she looked around the base camp. It was lovely, in its own way, but was still to densely packed for her, the trees make her feel claustrophobic.

"Are you alright ass well Roka?"she asked him, looking up at him in concern as she took him in, she was not about to neglect him. He looked well enough and she brushed some dirt from his clothes and brushed aside some of his soft strands of hair to the side, fussing over him just as she had Stigandr. "It iss hard to believe that we made it here, and I have to confesss that I do not really care for it. My body iss not made for thiss weather,"she said with a chuckle, clutching her cloak to her tighter as she watched the others look at their surroundings and unpack their things, trying to get the feel of their new temporary home. She kept a close eye on everyone to make sure that she was not needed in some way, for no one seemed to have any real injury that needed attending.

[Chamaeleon]

"Yes, I am Chamaeleon, but a favoured name people use here is Cham." Chamaeleon smiled at Stigandr, rolling her shoulders and feeling a satisfying relaxing calm settle over her. She took another opportunity to look around, still in admiration at their surroundings. Her eye caught sight of another of their party, a third Kelvic male, and she saw the blood on his hands and felt sorry for him, just the slightest.

Leaving Roka to the attentions of Kalila, something that had begun to nag at the possessive and protective feelings she was developing for him, she approached the Kelvic, the slave, and leaned down to inspect him, delicate hands reaching forward to lift his hands and turn them palm side up. She noted he was nude, but she had also seen Cade nude, and was no longer so impressed with the shapes all people here seemed to be given. She didn't much like dirty men after living in such a pristine place as her true home, but she didn't exactly dislike them either.

Blue eyes watched to see if he was awake after her touch, her fingers slid through the stained palms of his hand. His wounds didn't close but the edges sealed together, held still by a new growth of scabbing that she hoped he wouldn't lick off. Now that she thought of it, she hoped his mistress wouldn't lick it off either, but when it came to Zith, this one in particular, she couldn't be sure.

Chamaeleon rose and went to her pack. A worn cape, half of what it had once been, sat in strips at the top of her bag. She felt like she was doing something she always did as she returned to the slave and bound his hands. She would have to make sure to purchase real medical supplies here and new clothes. She needed new clothes before she caught sickness.

Rising again, the Ethaefal surveyed the group, trying to not be too jealous of Kalila when her eyes slipped over her form held against that of Roka. She gave a smile to them both, and returned to the group to let the unconscious Kelvic rest.

"Shall we go set ourselves up?" She asked her comrades.