06-19-05

Characters involved: Taye & Audri

Salamandastron: Western Side

A cool breeze blows along the Western Shores, the faint outline of a figure walking just downshore from the great fire mountain. Audri's bushtail flicks, the lass busily rummaging through her satchel while she meanders down the beach. She pauses, glancing back at the mountain with another tail flick before plopping down onto the sand with a huff.

Another lone figure walks along the beach, but this one from the other direction. It does not take long for this other creature to notice the other, and his wanderings turn him in her direction, a staff in paw and balanced over his shoulder. He whistles a few greeting notes to the other, to give her notice of his presence.

Audri's ears cup forward, hiding the object in her paw while her eyes turn up to the whistling. A faint smile graces her muzzle, Audri giving a quick wave of her tail in greeting. "'lo Taye."

Taye waves an ear in reply, and trudge-slides down a small dune to meet her. Stabbing his staff into the stand so that it stays upright, he then drops down into a sitting position beside her. "How's it goin'?"

Audri places the object in her paw back in her satchel, tail giving a few flicks. "Pretty good. How's ya training for exams goin'?"

Taye siiiighs explosively, but with a grin. "Ah, it's all righ'. Just want it t' be ovah at this point. So whatcha doin' out here?"

Audri nods, tugging on her braid. "Well, it'll be over soon enough." Her ears flick back, eyes drifting off to the shore before returning to Taye. "I..thought I'd go to Halyard. I wanted to buy something."

Taye looks in the direction of Halyard, his ears standing straight atop his head. "Halyard, eh? Well, I know the way, sure 'nough. I could escort ya if ya'd like."

Audri blinks, canting her head to peer curiously at the buck. "Won't ya get in trouble? Plus ya in trainin' 'n everthin'. But, some company would be nice."

"Don't see why I should get in trouble. Know 'nough bucks who go there aftah they're off-duty. Besides, 'tis only a coupla hours, 'n' we could stay ovah night if we had t', come back early next mornin'." He nods, having considered everything so far as he's concerned. ;p

Audri looks thoughtful as she considers this, before giving a nod. "Sounds good to me. Hopefully they'll have what I want. And ya sure ya won't get in trouble with no one?"

"Whatcha lookin' t' get?" He stands, un-sticks his staff, and holds a paw out to the sitting squirrel.

Audri takes the paw, hoisting herself up, grabbing her satchel in the process. "Some throwing knives or somethin'. I'd like to practice with my own set instead of borrowin' em from other hares."

Taye hms, "Ya any good with the throwin' knives?" He turns in the direction of Halyard, resting his staff over his shoulder for the journey.

Audri shrugs. "Well, I can sorta juggle em but I still need ta work on my throwin'. But, if I get my own, I could get use to them and it might be easier."

Taye considers this, as he considers everything else. He's a very considering sort of fellow. "Well. We'll have t' make sure t' find ya a good set. Don't know as Halyard's got a blacksmith s'good as the weapons made in Sala."

Audri nods. "True, but we might run into a peddler or something there. I've got some things I can trade for a good set."

Taye glances sideways at Audri. "Some things?"

Audri nods again, a small grin appearing. "Yea, some things. Things I had when I was brought here."

Taye chuckles and continues to look at the other with a small grin. "Things ya had when ya were brought here. Uh huh. Ya know, I'll end up seein' 'em one way or anothah, 'less ya plan on havin' me close m'eyes and pretend t' be blind while we're at the peddler's."

Audri giggles, tail flicking. "I could very well have ya do that. But, I suppose I'll tell ya. I have some jewels that I'm gonna trade for a real good dagger set. A nice fancy one." Stopping, she pulls out one of these jewels, a bright blue sapphire a pretty good size.

Taye's eyes widen, and his chuckling cuts short. "Wow - c'n I see it?" Pause. "Promise t' give it back. 'Course."

Audri nods, holding it out to him. "Sure. Just be careful with it. But I have a whole bunch so I'm sure I can get something nice."

Taye takes the jewel carefully in his paw, turning it this way and that as the dying light of the evening sparkles upon it and in it. "'Tis beautiful, Audri. Ya could get a nice set fer jus' /this/, I bet." He returns the finery to her paw.

Audri says, "Probably, but that one is my favorite so I'll use one of the others. But don't tell no one about em please." She takes the gem, giving it one last look before placing it in her satchel. "

Taye shakes his head and re-settles his staff upon his shoulder as they continue along. "I won't." He begins to hum quietly to himself, some tune or other he heard in the rec room recently.

Audri mumbles a 'thanks' falling into step beside him. Her ears flicker, listening to the tune quietly, paws going into her pockets.

They continue along like that for a bit, until finally a thought occurs to Taye. "How'd you come t' have those, Audri?"

Audri tail flicks, eyes turning to Taye. "Brother stole em from the rats onboard. When they took him away, I guarded them till I was rescued."

Taye was too young when Audri came to the mountain to remember the circumstances of it all, but he's not too surprised. "D'ya remembah yer brothah much?"

Audri shakes her head. "Not really. I know he always kept the rats from hurting me to much, and he got the gems so I could have something to play with."

They continue on for a bit before Taye responds. "If ya don't want t' part with 'em, Audri, I've got a bit of coinage we could use t' get ya a set o' knives. No need t' give up the gems, 'n' all. 'Tis a family thing."

Audri says, "Oh, you don't have to do that Taye. I just want to keep the sapphire. That was always the favorite of them. Sides, you might want to get something for yourself."

Taye shrugs, and shakes his head. "Ah, I don't need nothin'..." He looks down at the sand before them quietly for a bit, as they continue on and on. A thought then occurs to him, and he glances to her. "Are ya gettin' tired? We c'n rest, whenevah ya want."

Audri watches the stars, fingers toying with her braid again. "Nah, I'm fine Taye. I don't mind the walkin'."

Taye nods, and looks in the direction of Halyard as the small village begins to show in the distance. "Have ya evah been t' Halyard before?"

Audri shakes her head. "Nope. I've been right outside the mountain. Dark really didn't take me to many places. Is it nice?"

Taye has a moment to consider that he's probably setting a bad example for Audri, wandering off late in the evening to purchase throwing knives, but it's just a moment and the thought subsides. "'Tis nice. The village folk 're simple, and they do simple things, like fishin' 'n' workin'. There's not all the fightin' 'n' trainin' 'n' bustle o' the mountain."

Audri nods, linking her paws behind her head, looking skyward. "Sounds nice. Course I don't mind the mountain, though it can be boring at times."

Taye's grin is just visible in the moonlight. "The mountain c'n be a bit borin', at times, but yer lucky t' live there. I used t' live in Halyard when I was little, 'n' while I like it, 'tis much... hardah. Yer nevah as safe as when yer in the mountain, 'n' yer hungrier and 'tis just generally not as good, I s'pose. There's vermin 'n' woodland creatures livin' t'gethah there, ya know."

Audri yawns, nose crinkling up as her tail gives another flick. "Mm..that's what Earblade said when I was little. That'd I'd always be safer in the mountain. But I might want to check out that Mossflower sometime. Are..vermin nice in Halyard?"

"They're a fair lot, I s'pose. They keep t' themselves, mostly, 'n' mostly ya just mix in the streets and in the tavern. There's separate areas they live in, 'n' all that. 'Tis not s'bad, but I don't s'pose I'd want t' live there again. Doesn't seem natural t' be bumpin' int' ferrets 'n' rats 'n' the like." As Halyard moves closer on the horizon, he yawns. "Figure we ought t' get a place t' sleep fer the night 'n' look fer yer knives in the mornin'."

Audri nods, a small unsure look on her face for a brief moment before it fades. "Won't be that bad I suppose then." Another yawn escapes her muzzle, while she starts to slow down. "Yea, its not safe to travel at night anyway."

Taye takes a quick look 'round - fortunately, they're near enough to Halyard that they're also near enough to the forest around it. "How would ya feel about campin' out in the woods jus' there? I'll stay awake 'n' keep a watch."

Audri glances towards the woods, giving his side a quick poke. "We'll take turns. Ya need yer sleep too."

Taye grins a bit, "Fine, but yer t' wake me if'n ya hear anythin', righ'?" He turns towards the woods, and returns the poke to her side.

Audri giggles, moving aside at the return pokeage. "If I hear anythin', I'll give you a good tug on ya ear to wake ya. But, ya can take the first watch if ya like."

Taye nods, satisfied. They enter the forest, and he keeps his silence 'til he finds a suitable place, and there he leans his staff against a tree and sits down with his back to the tree. "Sleep, then. I'll wake ya."

Audri follows along behind, sinking to the ground with a wide yawn. "Mmkay. And don't forget to either. I want ta help keep watch." Placing her satchel down, she curls up on the forest floor, her tail draping over her like a blanket as she starts to drift off.

Watching her 'til her breathing levels out, Taye smiles with the knowledge that he is to be dashing, and that he will not wake her. Sitting back to find a comfortable spot, he draws his knees up to his chest and draws his arms around them, and begins the task of keeping watch, as the night goes on quietly around them.