Birathi (No longer accepting)

Lamika

Lamika couldn't stop the heat that rushed into her face when Haven spoke to her. His voice had a hint of wildness, like the lion he was, but it was so gentle at the same time. She shivered as another gust of wind blew across her face. Godric was still buried in his pillow, but he seemed to calm down a little bit.
"What do you think his problem is?" she asked before realizing he had already asked her a question. "Questions? Are you kidding? I don't know anything about you, I have thousands of questions." Suddenly she stopped, "sorry, I don't mean to pry or anything."
Her words were followed by an awkward silence before she hesitantly continued. "tell me about your family? If... I know the king has killed a lot of people..."

Jenko

Jenko surpressed a growl as he glared at Haven over the fire. The interaction between Lamika and Haven was obviously quite innocent, but it still bothered him. He wasn't used to his baby sister garnering that sort of attention. He wasn't sure how to react.

His brother didn't seem to be have any of the same reservations. Firego was happily absorbed in his dinner, completly oblivious to the attention Haven was paying the youngest Resai sibling.

Jenko really didn't have a problem with the werelion. He'd made up his mind about that. Still, he needed to go get some air before his protective instincs got the better of him.

"I'm going to go see what's eating at Godric," he announced, and marched of towards the tents.

Haven

Questions? Are you kidding? I don't know anything about you, I have thousands of questions." Suddenly she stopped, "sorry, I don't mean to pry or anything."
Her words were followed by an awkward silence before she hesitantly continued. "tell me about your family? If... I know the king has killed a lot of people..."
Family, i thought cringing inwardly, It was bound to come up sometime.
I sighed, staring into the fire. "My father was a Rexguard. I guess you'd think of him as the king's bodyguard but its more than that. Anyway the Rex could no longer stand by and watch his people suffer, there was barely enough food for the pups. Of course he couldn't do anything, not with the King watching, so it fell to my father. To do what had to be done. To plot revolution. The plan was just reaching fruition when the Kings men struck. Killing any and all they suspect of being connected with the plot. My people call it the culling. I hid with my mother and young sister. When it was over my father lay dead along with many others. The kings men found me curled over his body. They whipped me, beat me, branded me until i released his body. I couldn't stand it anymore," my lip quivered and a single tear ran down my cheek. "Now the King must die, for my family, for my people, for my father. The King must pay." The last word escaped as a ragged growl.
"I'm sorry," Lamika looked genuinely distraught.
"Don't be," I wiped a tear off my cheek. "How were you to know? At least it's out in the open." I noticed the shocked look on her face. My sleeve had caught and revealed the brand on my right forearm, the only mark left by the kings men to have not healed away with my change. A capital T over a rampant lion. I pulled my sleeve down and smiled half heartedly. "But can we please talk about something else? Anything else. Something happy. What was it like to grow up around humans? Your brothers seem nice."

Haven

Questions? Are you kidding? I don't know anything about you, I have thousands of questions." Suddenly she stopped, "sorry, I don't mean to pry or anything."
Her words were followed by an awkward silence before she hesitantly continued. "tell me about your family? If... I know the king has killed a lot of people..."
Family, i thought cringing inwardly, It was bound to come up sometime.
I sighed, staring into the fire. "My father was a Rexguard. I guess you'd think of him as the king's bodyguard but its more than that. Anyway the Rex could no longer stand by and watch his people suffer, there was barely enough food for the pups. Of course he couldn't do anything, not with the King watching, so it fell to my father. To do what had to be done. To plot revolution. The plan was just reaching fruition when the Kings men struck. Killing any and all they suspect of being connected with the plot. My people call it the culling. I hid with my mother and young sister. When it was over my father lay dead along with many others. The kings men found me curled over his body. They whipped me, beat me, branded me until i released his body. I couldn't stand it anymore," my lip quivered and a single tear ran down my cheek. "Now the King must die, for my family, for my people, for my father. The King must pay." The last word escaped as a ragged growl.
"I'm sorry," Lamika looked genuinely distraught.
"Don't be," I wiped a tear off my cheek. "How were you to know? At least it's out in the open." I noticed the shocked look on her face. My sleeve had caught and revealed the brand on my right forearm, the only mark left by the kings men to have not healed away with my change. A capital T over a rampant lion. I pulled my sleeve down and smiled half heartedly. "But can we please talk about something else? Anything else. Something happy. What was it like to grow up around humans? Your brothers seem nice."

Godric

I had been laying on the bed for at least an hour when I heard a rustling noise from outside and the tent door opened. I didn't move my head but I pricked my ears hoping that I could identify who was at the door by the sound of the movements that they made- this was an old tactic my father taught me. After failing to recognize who it was I sat up on my bed and looked straight forward at the person.

"So Godric, are you alright." I heard someone ask in a concerned voice. I mumbled that I was fine and nodded my head obediently hoping this would make them go away. "Godric," The voice began again, "are you sure?" I sighed and cleared my throat.

Lamika

Lamika did not fail to see the cheek that rolled down Haven's cheek. Nor did she notice the t on his arm. Quickly Haven changed the subject, switching to Lamika's family. She laughed.
"What's it like growing up with humans? Well, Jenko is wildly protective, and Firego is just obsessed with books and non-humans and anything besides family. He's a lot of fun, but rather oblivious. I love them both though, and my parents. I mean, it's hard, we never have enough food. Plus, the taxes are always increasing and soon we won't be able to pay for the house anymore. Not to mention the draught that's been on that part of the world. And, we live near the forest, so I tend to sneak out with Firego and go hunting. Jenko doesn't know though, he would never approve! I love it though, the way I feel when I'm surrounded by trees and wilderness, with no thought of the king or his falling apart kingdom. I suppose that has to do with my elvish blood. Firego is convinced that I am 100% elf. And, if he says so he must be right. He spent a whole year researching elves in order to be sure that I am one. Anyway, it's your turn now. tell me something about yourself?"
Lamika pulled the coats tighter and moved closer to the fire while Haven thought of what to tell her. Godric and Jenko were off talking somewhere, Wyverus and Pelleas were talking, and Firego and taur were eating near each other, though for the most part everyone except Haven and Lamika was silent, bracing themselves for the cold night that had already begun.

(on an unrelated note, we should try and all write third person, since it's a bit distracting to have some in third and some in first person. So, if you wouldn't mind switching to third person?)

Jenko

Obiously the little man was lying. Perhaps he was just in a bad mood, like Jenko himself was.If that was the case, there was nothing to be done. But it was propbably something more serious.

"I've been told I'm a good listener, if you want to talk about it." He said. "If you have a problem with something, we should address it now, before it's too late to fix anything."

Haven

"Anyway now it's your turn. Tell me something about yourself?" She asked pulling the coats tighter around herself. There were certain advantages to running a little hotter than normals (or in this case Elves). I paused a moment trying to think of what to say.
"Well let's see. I'm not a bad farmer. I mean that where we all live. The Thronnos Rokke Pride. Oh and i know a little about blacksmithing. One of the Elders, Egron Hammerhands, taught me how to repair tools in his smithy. I'm sorry i must seem very boring but that is life for us. We work in the fields, the King takes most of our food, we shift, we hunt over and over again, month after month."

Godric

"I've been told I'm a good listener, if you want to talk about it." said the voice. "If you have a problem with something, we should address it now, before it's too late to fix anything."

Godric grunted and wrapped his blankets around him tighter, "it ain't anything important." Godric replied gruffly and he turned away. "I just don't like the heat and the crowds, is all." He replied and fell into the bed, the voice sighed and left the room quietly.

"If you ever want to talk Godric, I'm all ears." The voice said as it left the room.

Wyverus

Wyverus had snuck away from dinner without anyone noticing, he didn't want anyone to get him involved, he never was good at taking sides. Wyverus thought he was unnoticed until he saw Palleas approaching him. 'Hey', Palleas said, 'what's the problem?'

'I don't want to get involved with the groups petit squabbling', Wyverus replied 'that's the way it was headed'.

'I guess so' Palleas nodded as he joined Wyverus staring at the dark ground. An awkward moment brushed past.

'Well, I'll go tell everyone that I'm taking guard duty tonight' Wyverus said, breaking the silence.

'Do you want me to join you?' Palleas offered.

'No', Wyverus insisted 'I need time to think'. And with that Wyverus headed to the tents to inform everyone. He was starting to wonder if this whole journey was a good idea, the camp was practically swelling with problems yet they hardly come a couple of miles. 'No, Wyverus, you've got to stick by your friends' he told himself.

Pelleas
The frosty air writhed, a serpent of ice through the dry air, surrounding the quiet glade in a halo of mist. Pelleas breathed in the whispers of the wind, and exhaled the broth of his lungs, locked in a state of complete focus. No other living being had trespassed into the silent sanctuary, so the young Soulweaver had had plenty of time to meditate. His consciousness was a keen blade: poised to strike. For the first time in a few hours, Pelleas opened his eyes and let his feet extend outwards from the embrace of lap. He rose from the ground and gauged the time by the obsidian skies.

The walk back to camp was a short one, and Pelleas arrived just in time to notice the form of Wyrverus leaving the group. A breif conversation ensued, ending with Wyrverus going off to guard duty. The encounter with Wyverus left Pelleas in a maze of questions: there was a squabble in the group? Why had Wyrverus rejected his help? He wished he hadn't spent the last couple hours away from camp.

Of course you don't: you've honed your'e skills to perfection! The sly voice of Lupus oozed into Pelleas' head. You've wanted to best Wyrverus: now's your chance! Go, take him! Prove yourself the master of your craft!

As always, resistance was futile. Pelleas gazed almost in a third person view, watching in horror as his body morphed into the canine monstrosity of Lupus. The Spirit form of Pelleas sniffed at the air, catching the scent of Wyrverus. It's muscles tightened, it's fangs bared, Wyrverus was a dead man, until the presence of the enemy saved his life. A small waft of horse flesh, the stench of blood on steel, the faint shaking of the earth from the pounding of a dozen horses, it was a troop of Ranare's men: headed towards the camp.

Pelleas dove into his body, wresting control from the evil prescence. Hie body became humane once more, and his hands burst into Shade Hands.

"Ranare's men! A dozen from the southwest!" he bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the encampment.

Lamika

the quiet conversation between Haven and Lamika was shattered instantly. Lamika lept to her feet and had her bow ready before Haven had even caught the meaning of Pelleas' words. In less than a second he was beside Lamika, with a snarl stuck to his face that seemed to Lamika almost entirely his lion side.
"Lamika, find a tree, get out of here!" Jenko's voice sounded so detestable to Lamika at the moment. Her journey had barely begun, but already she was labeled as the weakest simply because she was a girl and the youngest member of the group.
"I'm not goint to hide, Jenko!" She snapped back, her heart echoing the pounding horses' hooves that somehow radiated up from her feet and through the rest of her body. "I can take them just as well as any of you!"
"No, we should all disappear, Ranare might not even know about us. But he will if a group of his men suddenly disappears." Firego's idea was logical and smart, but there was no time. the horses were close enough that everyone could hear them, and tension filled the taught air of the camp. No one breathed, and Lamika's arm hurt from the pressure of holding back her bow.
"Lamika, get out of here! You too Firego!" Jenko sounded almost hysterical with anger at Lamika, who remained poised and ready. Firego inched away with a look of disappointment at missing the fun, but he knew arguing with Jenko was pointless.
"Lamika, you should go," Haven whispered, and angrily Lamika ran towards the trees, throwing one last hateful glance at the party in general before she lept to reach a branch and was high in the leaves and out of sight just as the king's men were in sight.

Jenko

Unsuccesful in dealing with Godric, Jenko was steeling himself to return to the fire. Even if it did mean watching Lamika and Haven flirting. But then Pelleas burst through the trees, calling out his dire warning. Quickly he grabbed a stick from the fire. He didn't know much about actual weaponry, but he could defend well enough with a stick.

He couldn't get Lamika to go though. He knew the anger was irrational, but the fear was real. Could he really leave his baby sister in the middle of the fighting?

"Protect her," he barked at Haven. If the man was going to make eyes at his siter, now was a good time.

Wyverus

'An attack, already?' Wyverus said, emerging from Taur's tent, who closely followed behind him. 'We've barely moved from the farm! How would the king known we're plotting against him!?'.

'We cannot ponder in such questions for now Wyverus', Taur responded.

Wyverus let out a small chuckle. 'You going to defend yourself with a stick Jenko? Try this'. Wyverus snatched the stick from Jenko and muttered an incantation. The stick slowly became a ghostly purple colour. 'This should be a tad more effective' Wyverus grinned.