Abby - 2000-01-31

"orgive my haste," Muranog said. "It has been some weeks since I have seen one of our kind, and clearly I spoke too soon. As to leaving - clearly there is safety in numbers here, judging by yonder corpse's fate," he indicated the dead body nearby. "Warrior though you are, you cannot fight as well alone as two could together - or more, particularly with the young one to protect. And I would be pleased to help your young charge - Lexa, is it? - control her Gift. As our kind know all too well, the Gift of Fire is not safe to leave wild and uncontrolled."

He switched to Shenmiri one last time. "We have both suffered at Lord Talasar's hands, one way or another - you in years gone by, I more recently. You know these lands better than I, I would surmise. Where are you bound, with your charge? If our routes follow the same path, I would accompany you, if you will permit it."

Keleos stood silent for a moment. Kyril the Red, slain? She herself had had the brief opportunity to work with the revered Master Pyromancer--pyromancers being more common than electromancers--and respected him greatly. She had not known that he was dead.

Before she could reply, a new voice intruded, "I am glad you are all reaching a gentle conclusion to your talks. Do you always tell all your secrets in the forest where any of a dozen ready ears can hear them?" Turning, she saw a dark, lean man with the obvious heritage of a Kethiel elf, watching them with dark, impassive eyes. It occurred to Keleos to wonder exactly how many elven arrows were being aimed at her from the shelter of the trees. (I think it's time to get moving...)

Inclining her head slightly to the wild elf, she said mildly, "I have nothing to hide. I find things less complicated that way." Turning back to Muranog she remarked, "I think we will very shortly have worn out our welcome. Elexa and I were travelling into Torrigan when the disturbance here distracted us. I have no objection to your joining us..." she glanced down at Elexa, smiling slightly, "so long as Elexa does not mind."

---

Diana - 2000-02-06

erithiel uncurled herself and stretched, yawning. Her small claws slid from the flesh of her fingertips and into the ground.

Tiel rolled her shoulders and stood up. She glanced around her, searching for a morning meal, preferably meat.

Perhaps that squirrel...

Tiel stared at the grey squirrel until he happened to look up from his nut hunt. He flicked his tail and went back to searching, saying You don't bother me at all. No predator Presence to speak of.

Suddenly Tiel was on top of him and the squirrel realized his folly. Tiels gnashing jaws plunged between her hands, to finish him off, but the squirrel darted out of her grasp and immediately made for the nearest tree.

Tiel followed him up, keeping pace and gaining until he lept to a neighboring tree. Merely a sapling and sure to not support her weight.

Snarling angrily to herself she backed down the tree. Another missed morning meal. (Not to worry,) she thought. (I make more catches solo than my entire family does combined.)

Tiel stopped at the bottom branch, easily twelve feet above the ground and listened. She heard the spirited plodding of an iron-shod horse carrying a rider. A young stallion bearing a young man, by the smell of it.

Tiel stretched out on the bottom branch as only a cat can at such heights and waited for the man and horse to come by. Maybe he would have an easy meal in his saddlebags.

When the man, perhaps a knight of some sort, came into view, Terithiel pulled into herself, becoming 'dim'. If she did this while you were staring at her and you knew she was there, you'd see no change. Until you blinked. And you likely wouldn't see her again until she did something to attract your attention or she dropped the screen.

The horse trotted underneath her, not sensing her as he would a Llowra or another Felana. He smelled her, that much was a given, but he dismissed it because it didn't smell like food and it didn't have that 'I'm a predator and I'm gonna eat you' feel to it.

Wonder when he's going to let me stop for a break, he said.

To Terithiel, body language was as clear as the spoken word, if not more so. Smell played a large part, as well.

Man and horse continued on, unaware that they were being observed and stalked.

Tiel dropped to the ground silently behind the horse, so close she could feel the heat from the horse's flank.

She circled around the pair and came out on the path in front of them. She leaned against a tree and crossed her arms over her chest. They continued blithely onward.

"And where are *you* headed this fine day, stranger?"

Copyright (c) 1999-2000 Abigail Laughlin and the members of the Circle of Stone.