Closed Stormy Weather (Clyde)

[Sayana]

Spring 46th - Bronze woods

3… 2… 1…

Sayana leapt out from the cover of the bushes and flung a dagger at the grazing fawn in the clearing. But whether it was an unintentional snap of a twig or the rustle of the leaves, the young deer was alerted just soon enough to prance to the side. Sayana had a second dagger in her left, and she let that one fly too, but already the deer was darting into the undergrowth and all she hit was birch tree just behind where the fawn had been.

The Eypharian let out a sigh and went to recover the daggers. It had taken time to track down the animal to begin with. Now, all that was left were the occasional deer droppings along the forest trail that the young deer had fled down. She surveyed the area looking for any other potential prey but then it dawned upon her that she had made enough noise to scare off anything worth hunting and she’d surely have to start again.

After sheathing her daggers alongside the two other small throwing daggers and the four regular sized ones, she gave a brief whistle to her horse. No response. She’d have to work on that one. After a couple chimes she found the white windrunner grazing on some shrubs. With a second whistle she caught the mare’s attention and she grasped the reins with a fond pat to the neck.

“That a’ girl Stardust,” she spoke softly and mounted up with ease. Just as she gave a kick with her heels to start into a walk, she heard the distant rumble of thunder. It was only then did she realize how overcast it was. As she picked her way through the forest, avoiding low hanging branches and keeping to areas that were clear of shrubs and vegetation, her eyes roamed in search of signs of animals. The bark of one tree looked like it was scratched up by antlers and with a particularly noisy step of her horse, a chipmunk darted under a log.

However, just as she caught sight of what might be another game trail, the wind began to pick up. The young budding leaves blew noisily in the gusty air and there was another rumble of thunder. She gave a faint sigh. Perhaps it was best to return to her camp. For a couple ticks she was somewhat disoriented. Often she used Syna for a rough direction but there were no clear shadows except for the slowly darkening sky. She had to find a clearing, a pretty big one too, or another landmark mark she knew. She kicked off to a canter, sticking to the trail and only veering off when the trees were tall enough to provide substantial clear space along the forest floor.

There was another crack of thunder, this time much louder. Then more rustling of leaves. But wait, was that just the wind or was it… Petch. The tree cover had briefly sheltered her from the rain but now she began to feel it filtering through the foliage. She pulled up the hood of her long black robe and instinctively tightened the fabric about her frame, keeping her low and mid arms shielded from the weather.

She was probably about half a bell or a bell from her camp on the banks of the Avitar. But the storm was coming in fast. If she could just spot a glimpse of water or hear the gushing of the rapids, she could reach the river then follow its banks. But was there even time to get back? Her eyes scanned the darkening forest and she felt the rain increase on the back of her hands. Her horse was becoming restless beneath her, and she urged it to a trot towards a particularly thick evergreen tree. It was dry beneath the branches, but she didn’t know how long that would last. Quickly she dismounted to get under the meager shelter of the evergreen tree. She couldn’t stand up straight but at least there was room for her horse. What she needed was real shelter, and soon.

[Clyde Sullins]

46 Spring 516

Clyde was coming to find out he had picked a poor day to go outdoors.

He tried to get away from the castle every now and then, and after being cooped up inside for most of winter it was nice to get out again and enjoy the spring air. Air not filled with knights and others he had to constantly be on guard near.

He still had to be cautious that there wasn't a kelvic spy hidden nearby, pretending to be an animal, but that seemed like a bit unlikely. Even so he assumed he was being watched, and guarded his actions accordingly, better he felt to ere on the side of caution.

He'd gone out early in the day, packing his tent and camping gear into his backpack, along with a few simple Glyphing supplies and a single steel sledge in case he wanted to practice. It was a simple overnight trip, but still he liked to be prepared.

His guard dog Rye was at his side, a well trained hound good at detecting things his human senses couldn't. In his hand he held Cha as usual, the staff always at his side as the true extension of himself it was.

However as the day trailed onward and his legs began to tire from the walking, he wasn't in the best of shape and he could certainly do with some more training to increase his stamina, the sky began to darken. Rain appeared to be coming, along with the other related happenings of a storm.

Preferably he would try and find a cave, a nice dry place to weather the storm, but those weren't so common as to be found on demand.

Otherwise he could always find a small open spot sheltered by trees, and break camp. His tent was somewhat waterproof, and in a pinch could serve as a shelter from rain.

He cold also simply keep himself dry using Reimancy to keep off the water, but he didn't want to risk using that magic so close to Syliras where it might be seen.

When the rain began Clyde let out a sigh, dropped his pack, and finding the nearest somewhat sheltered area began to set up camp.

There was no time for a fire, and besides that the rain would put it out, so he'd just have to make due with his tent. It was a simple set up, some poles and such with a fabric of sorts that went over it forming as a covering. The poles gave it form and shape and kept it from collapsing. The fabric was thick and likely coated in some substance that kept out water, an oil or something perhaps commonly used for outdoor supplies.

Once he got the tent set up, managing to only have it collapse upon itself once when he put in a pole wrong, he set his pack inside and pushed it to the back, making sure its contents would stay dry. His bedroll was atop it, and there was a warm thick blanket inside.

Clyde was just about to head inside himself, and to then order Rye inside, when the dog began to growl a low tone, pointing off into the tree line at some hot spot his special eyes could see.

“What is it boy, you see something?”

Clyde peered off into the trees, staring but unable to see anything within the gloom of the rain and the shade of the trees. But then that's why he had Rye, his breed could see things normal dogs couldn't.

A warm body of a person would be hot within his special sight, as would any other living thing.

[Sayana]

Sayana weighed her options. She could either try to return to where her tent was set up and risk getting drenched along the way and potentially not finding it for a bell or two, or she could attempt to make some sort of crude shelter and hope she had enough time to make it strong enough to resist the rains. However, even if she got back to her camp, there was nowhere for her horse to take shelter. And time was ticking.

She quickly rummaged through her mare’s saddlebags. There was some rope and an axe. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t completely ill equipped to deal with the outdoors. Plus there was her flint and steel tucked into her vest pocket. If she was going to do it, she had to do it fast.

She led her horse out from the cover of the evergreen and searched the forest floor for a long sturdy branch. When she found something suitable, she quickly stripped it of twigs using nearly all her hands except for the one holding the reins of her horse. This would serve as the main support of her shelter. Now to find some place sturdy to lean it against. Her eyes scanned the forest and curiously she glanced at a fallen tree. It wasn’t what she initially had in mind, but the way it leaned against another tree and formed a triangular shape was exactly the sort of support structure she was attempting to create. She rushed over to the fallen tree and hefted her branch to lean against the angled trunk.

Bending down, she quickly scooped out dried leaves and twigs from beneath the trunk set at an angle, and judged that there would probably be enough space for it to be used as a shelter. Then she got started on making the walls by leaning more and more branches against the trunk. Several times she swung her axe to crack off a branch from what it was attached to, but there was enough fallen debris in the near vicinity to allow her to work fast. It was exhausting work especially when she had several arms laden with wood at a time but the initial drizzle was turning into true rain.

Just as she was about to pause to properly tie up her horse, the mare let out a whinny and pawed at the ground. “You’re nervous, I know. Just let me get some shelter for us both and we’ll last out the storm.” Sayana spoke in an agitated voice. She was about to just leave it at that, but it would be distracted if her horse kept it up. Placing two hands on the white mare’s neck, she moved to face the horse rather directly. The wet fur of the horse reminded her just how urgent the situation was, but nevertheless she reached within herself and pulled at her djed. She wrapped the magic in a blanket of warm thoughts. Calm, soothing, and a hint of courage. It was soft and warm as she looked deep into the horse’s eyes pushing the djed up against the creature’s aura and soul. She felt a momentary headache as she released the magic but some of the soothing thoughts seemed to permeate her own mind too.

With a deep breath, she tied up the horse and was about to get back to work on her unfinished shelter when she heard a low growl. Now what? If something was going to attack her in the middle of a storm it better have a damn good reason. Her mood was beginning to darken with the weather and she placed another three branches against the trunk to roughly finish the first wall. She then squinted through the dripping forest to try to spot the source of the noise, except her eyes fell upon a tent. If there was a tent there must be... Her hands itched for her daggers but she didn’t want to appear immediately aggressive. “Who’s there?” She called out.

OOC Note :

Her robe is only designed for two arms so the rest of the robe partially obscures her mid and low ones. However, she's not making much attempt to hide them and was using all six to work on her shelter.

[Clyde Sullins]

It was as Clyde stared out into the wet air that he felt a hum upon Cha's skin, one which reverberated down her flesh and along his hand and arm.

He could hear the hum, and the tang on the air, though without hearing truly hearing it in the normal sense.

Cha acted as a conduit, feeling the sensation upon the air and directing it to him.

The light hum of djed on the air, nearby. Considering Rye was still pointing in one direction and giving off a low growl, he couldn't believe the two were unrelated.

Of course, djed was a rather vague notion. It could be a person casting a spell, raw wild djed coming about, or some other unexpected event.

Clyde was just pondering seeking out the source of the feeling, of the djed, when he heard a voice asking who was there.

His eyes focused on the direction the sound came from, the same way Rye was pointing. Standing up Clyde walked around his tent, focusing outward toward the direction, willing his reach outward through Cha within his aura sight.

He would leave his pack there for now, dry within his tent, heading towards the sound with nothing but Cha in his hand.

Reaching out within his aura sight which overlaid and overlapped with his mundane sight, Clyde felt about. He could feel the wetness of the grass at his feet, and the dirt of the ground it sat in. Trees bloomed weakly in his sight, stronger than the grass but weaker than a person certainly.

Being aware of his surroundings helped him navigate somewhat, though it wasn't a replacement for a sunny sky and sunlight. It meant he'd not likely run into a tree, not that he wouldn't slip in the mud in a wet hole or trip on a root.

As he walked he pushed some of the aura aside, pressing forward and in the direction Rye still growled as he paced alongside his master.

He didn't need to see them all, and even with his great skill there was a limit to the number of aura he could examine. That and the focus and djed expenditure of each one, small by themselves by adding up eventually. He didn't know what else he'd be facing and so he knew it was better to keep strength in reserve and not waste it uselessly. Along with that focusing on aura tended to make him a bit near sighted, as he focused his intent closer to himself instead of the normal far off look he would use when simply walking along without the magic.

It was as he was passing another tree, just as Rye's growl grew a bit louder, and just as he saw a few blobs within the wet air near some more trees, that he reached out with his aura sight and felt two brighter spots.

Brighter at least than the dumb trees without thought. His eyes also focused on the sight as his aura sight narrowed to the two things. A person and a horse, he saw within his twinned vision.

Casting aside half a dozen other auras, mostly of trees and the grass below him, he focused upon the two new living aura, alive and breathing and aware.

Turning to Rye, Clyde gave a simple command. “Rye, sit.”

As he did the dog grew quiet, his growling stopping at the command, though he still stood and stared at the two before them.

Letting out a sigh, Clyde stared at the two with his mundane sight, wondering what they were doing there. Then he voiced his wonder.

“What are you doing here? This is my campsite, I was here first.”

As he spoke, he felt further within the two aura, and felt a gentle hum. Not the lively hum as he'd heard before, not the one that had Cha vibrate almost in his grip which was the hum of active djed twisting about.

No, this hum was more of... An echo... An echo of the hum from before, echoing on and off the two here before hm. A curious thing to find, though one he didn't fully understand.

[Sayana]

“Your campsite?” Sayana asked incredulously. To have the nerve to claim part of the forest… But then her tone immediately lightened with a quirk of a smile. “Let’s just say I’m borrowing it.”

Her eyes flitted to his dog and the man himself. He was tall, much taller than her own short stature. And he seemed unmiffed by the rain. Whereas she was starting to feel the wetness seep into her robe despite keeping the hood up. Her horse gave a snort behind her and she sprang into action once more.

“Unless you want to deny me of any hope at some shelter.” She added but without expecting a response as she gathered more branches to lean up against the other side of the fallen tree. Her robe was half open as she used her high hands along with her mids and lows to pick up sticks and branches and anything to build from. Despite her best efforts, there were still gaping holes in her ‘walls’ and it was only then did she remember the evergreen tree she hid under that had blocked much of the rain. She spotted some low cedar branches and hefted her axe in her right high to crack off several branches. She piled them onto her slowly forming shelter and glanced around looking for more.

“But…” Sayana spoke to the man once more, trying to keep his attention even while she worked. “If you would consider sharing your tent, I do know how to start a good fire even after it has rained. And I am a rather good cook.” She let that sink in as she began gathering wet leaves to pile on top of her make shift shelter. Not all of them stayed on the slanted slope properly but overall they seemed to provide additional protection against the rain.

“I know where to find fresh water and I make rather warm company.” She added as she glanced over her shoulder coyly at him. The situation was far from desirable for flirting but if there was a chance she could get some dry shelter, she would take it. Her own might be sufficient for her horse to take cover, but it would be hardly comfortable if she had to use it herself.

She went around to the other side of the shelter and began adding more leaves. However this time, she started drawing upon the djed within her as she worked. She needed an unfair advantage. Especially if he didn’t seem like the amiable sort. She did not choose a direct route, as that could be detected even by the unobservant. Instead she focused on feelings of wonder, interest in the unknown, and ultimately boil into a single emotion – curiosity. As she fused the feelings with her magic, she gradually let it seep out from her aura. But it could only go so far without a focal point. She turned to look up at the man and caught his blue gaze. She released the djed with a spark and sent the feelings of curiosity to his soul. It was but a nudge, and she smiled briefly before finishing the remainder of her shelter. A loud rumble of thunder echoed in the forest as rain dripped off her hood.

“So what do you say?”

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde let a small smile cross his lips in response to her response. At first she'd been a bit surprised by his statement of saying this was his campsite, or perhaps indignant was a better word? It was hard to say which emotion was coming across her face.

He was pretty sure he'd been here first, so he felt it did belong to him as far as a campsite went. After all, the woods was a big place, surely it wasn't unreasonable for someone to not camp right next to another person.

Her response to his statement though of saying she was borrowing it, while a bit offhand, was perhaps also a bit funny, at least to Clyde's mind. A fair return barb to his own blanket statement.

While the damp was beginning to set in, soaking through his robes, Clyde wasn't outwardly perturbed. He had a nice thick blanket to wrap around him back in his tent, and he was far to distracted as he examined the woman's and her horses aura to care about some wetness.

If he was better with shielding he'd make a water warding shield, perhaps coating his robes in one to ward off the wet, but alas he wasn't nearly that skilled with the magic. So while the idea occurred to him, he didn't have too much confidence in performing it.

As she moved about building her shelter, Clyde noted her extra arms, pondering on that but not letting the question show on his face. He examined them with both mundane and aura sight, the latter letting him look at them from multiple angles in a overview of sorts, not limited by line of sight like eyes were.

He was most curious about how those worked, how the joints and such connected to the torso and allowed extra arms in a body that wasn't any larger than his own. The connections didn't really make sense to him, and he knew it'd take further examination and puzzled to work out how the limbs could function properly on a normal sized body.

Her request though of sharing his tent, Clyde almost laughed at that. His tent wasn't full sized, it was only meant for one person. He doubted the two of them could fit in the tent, and if they did they'd be wedged in so tight she'd nearly be sitting on top of him. It was all Clyde needed for himself, and so he'd had no reason to get a larger multi-person tent.

Clyde began to answer her question, but didn't quite finish before he felt... Something...

“Share? I'm afraid my tent isn't quite large enough for two... Two...”

Clyde's eyebrows would narrow in consternation, as he felt a humming begin to emit from within the woman's aura which he was currently inspecting. He also felt a buzz against his own skin, akin to static from rubbing ones feet on a thick carpet.

Even if he hadn't been actively watching the woman's aura, he would have detected something as the foreign djed invaded his own aura and personal being. He was skilled enough of an aurist that active djed use in his presence, let alone djed being used on him directly, was pretty obvious. This was even more so obvious.

As he stared at the woman within his aura sight her visage seemed to hum with the sound from earlier, only stronger now as it was closer and directed at him. Cha almost vibrated in his hand as she collected the non-sound echoing across him, as the magic took effect and slid across his being.

It wasn't subtle, which meant whatever she was doing she likely wasn't too skilled, at least not compared to his own masterful use of Aura reading, but then few other mages were.

That however didn't tell him specifically what she'd done, only that she'd used magic, twice if his earlier supposition was correct, and in the latter case she'd used it on him.

From his own personal experience the most likely source of that was hypnotism, a magic he'd met quite a few times.

It was something he particularly disliked having used on him without permission, as he'd had some rather powerful instances of it used upon him. One of which was so strong, its effects had lasted for years before he'd been aided by another user of the magic to throw off its effects.

His demeanor grew darker as he stared at the woman with his mundane eyes, a frown crossing his face as his unfinished sentence was left unsaid. When he spoke again it was with a new sentence, and with a mix of annoyance and slight anger fitted in.

“What do I say? I say if you try that again witch woman, you'll regret it.”

“I'm not to be trifled with, so keep your djed working to yourself, and off of me.”

“I'm not as blind as most, and that was about as subtle as an infant trying to steal a ten pound bag of clinking coins.”

[Sayana]

“I didn’t…”

But immediately she was cut off by his second statement, and more importantly the word ‘djed’. Rarely had people noticed her use of hypnotism and the couple times that it had happened, she had simply received a hard stare. Not at all like the dark anger that showed on his face. Heat rose to her cheeks as he commented just how subtle it had been and almost to intensify the feeling of being scorned she tasted the tang of iron in her mouth.

Despite his words, she found herself growing more and more curious about him. How had he known so distinctly? How had he known it was djed? Was he a magic user?

“I, I shouldn’t have. It was merely a friendly suggestion. That’s all.” She stammered, trying to make up for her initial silence due to her confusion. She stood up to properly face him instead of tending to the crude shelter. “I promise I won’t do it again.”

She found her curiosity gnawing at her some more. How did he know, and why was he out here? “You use magic too? To influence people’s minds?” She asked before she had the sense to clamp her mouth shut. There they were, standing in the rain talking about magic. Something that she had planned not to mention to anybody, especially that she had acquired it. It was only then did she realize the side effect of her hypnotism had been sparking her own curiosity and with a quick shake of her head she managed to clear the effects.

There was a sudden flash of lightning and a whinny from behind her. She quickly turned and grasped the horse’s reins. With a hard pat on the mare’s rump she ushered the animal inside the shelter. There wasn’t really space for it to turn around so it ended up laying on the ground with part of its rear sticking out the front. She ducked under to tie its reins to the tree trunk and that’s when she noticed the dripping nature of her shelter.

“Please, I’ll owe you a favor. Just for a bell or two until the storm blows over. I have my own camp but it’s at least a couple miles away.” She hadn’t necessarily made the best first impression but the rain was starting to come down in buckets and she really didn’t want to try to wait it out under her attempt at a shelter. Although, she was getting to the point that if she got any wetter it wasn’t going to matter anymore. Her robe was starting to get soaked through and soon her clothes underneath would be too.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde nearly rolled his eyes as the woman instantly tried to deny her claim, though even she wasn't able to complete the sentence so full of bald faced lies.

She knew she'd been made, clearly, though it was also clear that she'd not expected to be detected. In and of itself that was interesting to know, and told him a bit more information about her.

Likely she wasn't as trained as he was, having been schooled in Sahova and Ravok to name a few places. He'd had some formal training, at least with world magics, and he'd been able to access the various cities libraries and expand his knowledge beyond that base simplistic information everyone knew who practiced a magic.

One didn't have to know how djed worked after all, or any of the deeper theories, in order to do magic. This was particularly true with personal magics, which were possible to learn and master with nothing but hard work and training and not a lick of formal education in them.

This seemed to hint that if she was a mage, she was only a personal mage and not anything else.

Clyde was a bit of a dabbler, but then he also had quite a few skills that he was quite prodigious with.

He did however let a small bit of a smile leak onto his lips as her face reddened, shame or embarrassment perhaps at him calling her out for her magic use? Or perhaps for calling out how unskillfully it was done.

His small smile was a stark and almost dramatic change compared to the anger he'd shown but moments before.

For a moment he considered killing her right then and there, as he knew whatever she'd done it probably wasn't good, but he pushed aside the urge. He was more interested in finding out about her than killing her.

If she proved a true threat, he would end her, he wasn't that swayed by the unnoticed suggestion slightly tweaking his action, as it was possibly an action he'd have taken anyway. While the djed usage had not been subtle, and he'd easily detected its usage, he even then didn't know what effect she'd used. Suggestions after all were one of the simplest and hardest to pinpoint of changes and effects that hypnotism allowed, so even knowing to look and knowing magic was being used on him didn't give him full knowledge.

With a smile still on his face, Clyde laughed a bit and shook his head.

“You try to weave your magic on me, and it is noticeds, and now you have the gall to say it was but a friendly suggestion? There is no such thing with magic. The fact that you used it on me at all shows me how unfriendly it is.”

Clyde of course had only a cursory understanding of hypnotism, knew that it affected the mind and could shape it. He didn't know of the specific techniques, and the use of the name of one was lost on him. A keen observer who knew such specifics about the magic and its terms might note this fact, his inadvertent admission of a lacking of full knowledge about the magic by his words spoken in response.

His latter words were spoken in a tone that conveyed laughter and perhaps a jocular nature, though his eyes stayed hard and focused on the woman.

“As for saying you won't do it again... Well of course you won't, not know you know I've the ability to detect it. Thats like telling a knight you won't steal again, now that he's caught you and has seen you thieving.”

Her next statement though was a bit confusing, and puzzled Clyde. She apparently thought that he also influenced minds, her statement of which confirmed his earlier assumption that she was using hypnotism. She however apparently thought that as a hypnotist he'd be able to detect other hypnotism users. A somewhat logical thought process, if somewhat flawed and based on incorrect information.

“I am a mage, aye, though I don't use my magic on peoples minds. There is more than one type of magic in the world after all, with many different effects. Your hypnotism is but one.”

From his own time using Reimancy the lightning didn't bother him overly much, though he did shield his eyes with his free hand as one would from the sun. The lightning echoed across his aura, a short tingle that buzzed along his body once before fading and vanishing.

Soon enough though she was begging shelter from him, after having tried to control his mind. She certainly had some gall, that Clyde knew for sure from the short time he'd been around her.

“Fine, but it'll be a close fit, my tents only meant for one person. It'll be cramped and crowded, and there won't be any room. Just mind yourself, I'll not be so nice if you try and funny business again.”

With that Clyde headed back to his tent, having nearly been soaked to the skin himself. His pack had been shoved to the back of the tent, taking up a good chunk of the back. Someone would likely end up with that in their lap, and neither one of them would be able to lie down with both of their bodies and his gear inside, and their heads would have little clearance from the roof of the tent. Along with that they'd likely literally be right on top of each, without even a hairs clearance separating them.

Clyde motioned for the woman to get in first, having her take up the back end near the rear wall where the pack was, so that he himself could take the end near the exit. Just in case something unexpected happened and he needed to leave quickly.

If the witch woman tried to bring any of her own gear inside the situation would likely become hopeless, which meant she'd have to leave anything she had with her out in the rain, along with Rye who'd obediently stand guard outside the tent.

[Sayana]

He was forceful with his words, yet a smile flickered to his face as if he was proud to have caught her in the act. There were a couple chimes in which her stomach sank into a deep pit and she wondered if he was of the knighthood and if she should make a break for it. She remembered rather distinctly when she had first had hypnotism used on her. It was only then did she realize that he was taking it quite lightly compared to how she had reacted, rather violently.

She looked at him curiously as he admitted that he was a mage, but not one of hypnotism. In many ways that was a relief. That is, if he was speaking the truth. And his fervent dislike for it, and the idea that magic could not merely be a simple suggestion, further supported that he probably didn’t know how to use it. Which meant he somehow knew she was using the magic without being well versed in it.

Just as she was sure she’d be resigned to her attempt of a shelter, he relented. And thank the gods, as the rain was coming down harder than ever. She nodded her head vigorously in agreement and acknowledgement, and followed after him. For a moment she hesitated, axe still in her right high hand. Then she darted back to toss it in her shelter before quickly joining him at his small tent.

At his gesture, she ducked her head under and made her way to the back of the little tent. “Thank you. Thank you.” She spoke breathlessly as he slipped inside. It truly was cramped and she attempted to make space for him by budging over towards his pack.

“May I…? I won’t look inside or anything.” She asked as she carefully curled her legs over his pack, trying not to disturb it but at the same time find room within the tent. It wasn’t quite putting the bag on her lap but it was still making the most of the little space they had. As she adjusted to the new position, her mid hands moved to better support her against the tent floor. There was a brief feeling of warmth and pressure until she realized and snatched her hand away from his. “Oh, sorry about that,” she spoke quickly.

She was agitated and also well aware that he might still see her as a threat. She had managed to garner some generosity from him but she wasn’t sure how long it would last and she didn’t want to cause any further suspicion from the man.

“You know, if your dog needs some shelter from the storm, there’s some space in mine even though it’s not the best. I could suggest to your dog… Or maybe it’s better that I don’t.” Sayana spoke as she hastily cut off her own sentence. The rain pounded upon the tent’s surface and she couldn’t help but feel bad for the dog stuck outside.

As she settled in a little more, she realized just how wet her robe was and how it clung to her arms. Carefully she began to take the black garment off, one sleeve at a time, and then bundle it in a ball near her feet. Underneath she had simple beige pants and a black vest with many pockets over a red sleeveless top. She was about to undo the vest too, but then stopped. Its high collared cut kept much hidden from view and more notably a scar placed high upon her chest. “No need to be too revealing,” she muttered softly to herself.

She looked up and her eyes flitted about the tent, starting with the man who was less than an inch away from her. His hair was neatly cut and his eyes were blue as the sea. Kind of like… her eyes glanced towards the blue quarterstaff he had brought in with him. The rest of the tent was small and rather low, but it looked like he had a blanket with him as well as the pack under her curled legs.

“My name… is Sayana,” she introduced. She held out her high right hand as a sign of respect in her culture, while she leaned against her mids and lows which supported her. Her moment of hesitation was due to her indecision as to whether to use an alternate name. However he had already seen through one of her tricks and she wasn’t going to try another just yet in case he had a magical means of detecting lies.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde just shrugged as the woman asked for permission. He didn't really care, as he didn't really keep anything of value in it that he couldn't replace, or at least that he wouldn't notice being taken.

He kept from letting his mundane eyes stare at the woman's extra arms, but within his aura sight he was quite pointedly staring. He watched mainly the joins, curious how they moved ansd bent in unison or in variance, and how the limbs fitted together on the normal sized frame.

If nothing else it could perhaps be of use later for morphing practice, in order to give himself extra limbs. He wasn't anywhere near good enough with the magic to do so now, but perhaps some day...

With that thought line the extra armed woman might be an interesting and useful model to copy.

He was curious though how she had the extra limbs, if they were normal for her or something done to her? He wasn't familiar with all of the races, and so didn't know of her multi-armed desert race.

As the two of them crowded into the tent, they repeatedly banged up against each other or made contact. It was inevitable, and Clyde made no comment after the first time of touching knees or hands or other bits. The tent really wasn't made for two people.

Clyde shook his head at her next question, offering to let Rye take shade with her horse.

“Rye stands guard, he'll be fine. Its what he does. He's a dog, he's got fur, he can stand being wet better than either of us. He can just shake it off when it stops raining. Besides, It's not like I can just order him to go take cover in the tent, I'd have to go over there and take him there and make him stay. Which would mean getting even more wet.”

“Besides, as you say, it'd probably not be the best idea for you to try and use magic on my dog. Not good for trust building to have you doing some unknown magic thing to him.”

Clyde simply met her yes in a gaze as she spoke, ignoring her hint of bashfulness followed by the telling of her name. If it was true. He'd had enough people he'd met give false names to not fully trust someone as giving their true name.

“Sayana... I am Clyde.”

Finally breaking his gaze from her eyes, Clyde flicked his view to her arms for a moment, before returning to her eyes.

“So, what are you doing in Syliras, why do you have extra arms, and where did you learn magic? And why did you use it on me?”