And Then Came the Dawn

[MoonRunner]

Karyna carefully listened to Karuka's lecture. Kyprith had laid himself down in the center of the room in order to take full advantage of the breeze and stay out of the strong sunlight, but still kept an ear pricked to the proceedings inside. As she listened, she realized that her original thoughts about the woman’s past were inadequate. This woman had been thrust into a life she didn’t want. She had been ripped from all that she had known and was forced to survive through adventuring. And she had accomplished a lot! Karyna was amazed and intently watched Karu’s expressions as her tale unfolded.

After the adventurer had finished her tale, Karyna was silent, mulling over how to best show Karu why she had made this decision. While doing so, she turned slightly to look out over the rooftops stretching out to the bay below.

Within a few moments, she turned back to face Karuka and began to outline her reasoning, “I apologize for giving ye such inadequate reasoning during our walk here, ‘tis what I always told myself since the rest was second nature tae me. Just as I was starting the transition tae womanhood, my Elvish father visited. During his visit, he took me aside an’ told me o’ an important tradition o’ his clan.�

Karyna paused, making sure she remembered everything clearly. Kyprith stretched before rolling over on his back.

“A person isn’t given a manual that explains her purpose in life, what she is meant tae do, how she is meant tae do it, or who she is meant tae be. Those are things that she must figure out for herself. To do so, follow the strong urges; albeit, not the ones that come an’ go, but rather those that consume ye. He told me that people have the tendency tae choose between the head an’ the heart; which means they ignore half o’ the recommendations necessary an’ half o’ the ones they do listen tae are inadequate tae say the least.�

Hardly pausing as her mother entered the room with a curious look on her face, Karyna went on to explain the next step in the reasoning.

“It’s nae that I want tae leave my mum, but we both understand that there is something missing for me here, an’ I need tae find it. Right now, I danna ken where my wanderlust is leading me; I probably won’t ken till I arrive there. But I have tae take this chance. I’m nae relying completely on heritage or drive tae guide me. I have experience in both hunting, scouting, an’ fighting; albeit, I ken I am nae expert. But I am a quick learner an’ I have tae start somewhere.�

During this, her mother had made a pot of a spiced ice tea and poured each of them a glass of the refreshing and invigorating beverage. Then she sat down next to her daughter. If one looked closely, one would notice the hint of a look that was pained, resigned, loving, and understanding in the depths of her dark chocolate eyes. When looking at the mother and daughter side by side, one would think they were related but distantly. While Karyna had pale tanned skin, brilliant rusty red hair, sparkling sea green eyes, and sharp but gentle features, her mother had caramel skin, raven black hair, deep cocoa eyes, and rounded features with a heart-shaped features. It was clear to anyone who was slightly observant that Karyna took after her father’s appearance more than her mothers, but if one was careful in their observations they would notice the similarity in the shape of the lips, the expressions, the way the two held themselves, and the broad shoulders that no graceful Elf would posses in his heritage.

Once she was done with her explanation, unless there were questions or comments, Karyna introduced her mother to Karu, mentioning the defeat of the Spider Monkeys. O’Feargail, or F’gail as she liked to go by, was friendly and gracious, following the normal customs before letting out a jibe…

“It’s ‘bout time those Monkeys jumped intae web of their own making. They have been muddling in things above their heads, an’ if they hadn’t had the muscle the collection of weak brains would nae have kept them alive this long. The only one with a decent level of intelligence that I met was their leader, that Draconian brute. Well, good riddance, an’ I hope ye danna get too much trouble from this,� with that she raised her glass, used it to salute the visitor before her, and took a gulp.

[Karuka]

Karuka took a sip of the tea, spices like cinnamon, pepper, cloves and nutmeg making an otherwise bland drink both delightful and refreshing. On an ordinary day, on a peaceful day, the softness of the chair and graciousness of a hostess would have made it wonderful. But the comfort of the chair embraced her with the cold of guilt, and the drink tasted cloying and bitter, like the blood of an innocent child. She could have choked on it.

One look into F'gail's eyes told Karuka that while she worried about what her daughter might be about to suggest, she wouldn't stop her, and that just made the Irish lass feel worse. Normally, she'd have welcomed company on any venture, but this felt too much like ripping a babe from her mother's breast.

Finishing the drink, Karuka stood up, looking Karyna's mother in the eyes with an apologetic sorrow.

"It would have been a great fortune had my own mother been as strong as independent as you are, bean-usail* F'gail. I knew the moment I set eyes on you that however much you feared for your daughter's life, you would tell her to go chase her destiny, to grab it and not let it slip her by. Opposition from you lacking, I will take your daughter. Know that I intend to return her to you in one piece."

Karuka straightened up, letting out a breath and looking at Karyna. "I must go and gather my belongings, and you must make preparations. There is an old Draconian potato vendor by the docks. Meet me at his stand in an hour and a half, as the sun approaches meridian."

Turning, Karuka walked to the door before facing the family again and addressing its matriarch. "Prosperity to your home and warmth to your hearth."

Then, with a heavy heart, she walked back down the steps of the shop and through the winding beige streets of Talmhaidh. The bustle of the streets seemed distant to her, despite the attention she seemed to be garnering from people whose lives had been disrupted by the gang she'd helped decimate the day before.

Gathering her belongings, she rubbed the bruise that lingered on her cheek as she looked on the small yet comfortable room that had housed her the night before. A small amount of bitterness wormed around her belly; she hadn't wanted to do this. She hadn't wanted any of it. She'd never wanted to be an adventurer. She'd just wanted her own people to love and accept her as the half-breed she was.

The door clicked shut behind her as she walked out.

Buying supplies was easier than it had ever been before. Shopkeepers and other merchants seemed more than happy to give her items at very reasonable - or even ridiculously low - prices, depending on how much they'd been threatened by the gang or who they knew that had been affected in Donnalaich that she might be saving next.

She found herself with more than half an hour left until Karyna's arrival as she arrived at the Draconian's stand. Unlike the previous day, he was beaming, and he handed her a potato with salt, pepper, and some butter, waving away the coin she tried to offer him in return as he offered some thanks for her bravery the previous night. He had seen it, he told her, every detail, and he'd been impressed.

But Karuka wasn't in the mood to hear her own praises sung. Instead, she sat down on a barrel beside him.

"Aithris mi an sguel, seanair, do le thoil. Mu an sÃ*r. An sÃ*r fior**."

*lady

**"Tell me a story, grandfather, please. About a hero. A real hero."

[MoonRunner]

Karuka had already left before Karyna and her mother could stand and bid her farewell. So, F’gail touched the knuckle of the first two fingers of her right hand to her forehead, then to her left shoulder*. With that finished, F’gail turned to face her daughter.

“So, ‘tis time for ye to leave now?” she asked quietly with a couple rapid blinks.

“Aye,” Karyna stood, her eyes starting to sting with repressed emotions.

“Then we’d best get yer things together. Go pack yer weapons and clothes. I’ll put together some food stuffs.”

The change was remarkable. Now her mother was all business. She had known this day would come; she had her moment of hesitation; and now she was ready to make sure her daughter would have everything she would need. Shooing Kyprith out of the way, she grabbed the glasses of ice tea (only the one had been fully drunk) and set them out of the way in the kitchen before turning it into a vibrant center of productivity.

With a nod mostly to herself, Karyna turned and ran up the stairs to her room on the fourth floor. There she grabbed a knapsack, rolled up two changes of travel clothes and one change of clothes appropriate for business. Then she changed into knee high, brown, leather riding boots; linen breeches with a hue similar to sand glistening with the rays from a dawning sun; a cream colored loose linen shirt; and a forest green cloak that covered her shoulders and offered the protection needed against strong sunlight as well as a brisk summer’s eve. Tucked into her belt was a pair of chocolate brown, leather gloves.

At her waist was the larger of her daggers, the one that most people called a stylized dirk: this was mostly for show because Karyna was better versed in the use of the smaller dagger that she hid inside her breaches on her hip. Her bowstring was in a pouch at her waist along with flint, needle, thread, and other useful tidbits such as small parchment rolls, a small ink jar, and a small quill. Also at her waist was a belt quiver full of arrows. Hidden within the folds of her cloak was a pouch that hung from her neck and held 50 gold pieces, her other 100 was distributed so she wouldn’t be left bereft if one stash was stolen.

After she was sure she had everything, she slung her quite light knapsack over her shoulder, grabbed her unstrung bow in one hand, and patted Kyprith’s back as he exited the room before her. Once she was in the kitchen, her mother snagged the knapsack and placed numerous packets within it, some of which looked suspiciously unlike food. Her mother gave her an inventory list, which, following habit, Karyna added her other items to as she looked it over.

“Do ye have yer amulet?” F’gail asked.

“Aye,” Karyna raised her hand to finger the stylized key hanging from a copper chain about her neck, “‘Tis here.”

Has it ever proven itself tae have magical abilities? Kyprith asked, scratching himself behind his ears.

Nae, ‘tis just a small trinket that my father gave tae me when I was a small tyke. He said that it was tae keep my mind open tae all the possibilities; but I’m sure he was talking figuratively. Karyna answered has she reached out and pulled her mother into a hug.

The hug was a long one, both using it to tell the other that they love each other. F’gail stood her daughter at arms length and looked her in the eyes, “Now, ye had better write often…visit when ye can.”

Seeing her mother’s eyes glisten, Karyna had to blink some tears back before saying, “‘O course, Mum, ye’ll oft hear from me.”

After the good-byes were completed, Karyna slung her knapsack over her shoulder again. Her mother patted her on the back as one last good bye before shooing her away, saying she was going to be late. As she descended the stairs, Karyna thought to herself, And now it begins: the dawn of my search for a true life. Walking briskly, Karyna and Kyprith neared the potato seller's stand within moments. Dispite their promptness, Kyprith scented Karu's presence stating that she had arrived before them.

*A rare custom to send a wish of good luck with the departing person.

[Karuka]

As she saw Karyna approach, Karuka stood up, buying a bag of potatoes for the road and getting a hot one for her new companion. She almost wished she had a way to send the young lass home, but she knew better. She recognized the resolve in the girl's eyes, the same resolve she'd felt course through her own blood with every obstacle she'd encountered.

Karyna would have gone her own way sooner or later, and sooner rather than later. At the very least, she wouldn't be on her own at the start of her journey. The Irish red-head knew from experience that traveling alone wasn't a particularly safe prospect for first time travelers - or any traveler, for that matter.

Leaving the vendor, Karuka gave the other woman the still-hot potato, looking over her carefully.

"Ready?" She didn't need the answer, she already knew it. "Then come on."

It was a mile or so to the outskirts of town, where they'd pick up the horses that the city was providing for them. Karuka's bags weren't heavy enough to require a horse, but it would mean they could get to Donnalaich and then back faster than without.

"From what I've heard, the walk to Donnalaich is about five days. It'll go down to being a two day ride. Maybe in that time you'd be able to tell me what you're capable of. Your knowledge of the city is a good start...but as they say, 'forewarned is forearmed.'"

She spared a glance at the other, slightly shorter red-head, giving her a hint of a smile. "Since I can't persuade you to stay where it's safe, welcome aboard."

When they finally reached the stables, Karuka showed the stablemaster the certificate. Within a few moments a sleek bay mare and a sturdy black gelding were brought forward, all tacked up and ready to go. While they weren't the best horses in the world and carried between the two of them not even a drop of Fallien or Raiaeran blood, they were healthy, working beasts, unlike the nags she'd seen in some other stables.

"The black has a bit of a temper, so you'll want to watch out for him biting," cautioned the groom, but Karuka already had one hand on the horse's muzzle and was looking it in the eyes. Something seemed to pass between them, and with a soft nicker, the proud beast settled under her hand.

"He'll be all right."

Friendship established, Karuka loaded up her horse and swung onto the saddle, looking to see if Karyna was similarly situated on her mare.

[MoonRunner]

After having finishing the pleasantly buttered and warm potato during their short walk to the outskirts of town, it lodged halfway between Karyna’s throat and her stomach after hearing just the length of the journey and starting to think about the fact that she was really on her way. Part of her was excited, but a small part of her that just reared its head was very nervous about what she had gotten herself into. It only intensified when she started thinking about her abilities and the information she knew about Donnalaich that would be applicable: they were not nearly as impressive now that she was thinking about them.

You’re just starting out; we’ll be fine. Kyprith said from a few yards ahead, traveling at an easy trot to get far enough away from the horses so he wouldn’t spook them.

While not the most beautiful horse around, the bay mare still looked like she would be light footed and have plenty of endurance. After quickly looking the bay over and finding her satisfactory, Karyna packed her things into the saddle bags and mounted. With a smile to her companion, she nudged the mare into a brisk walk and began her recital, her gentle lilt making it seem as if it was the prose of a bard.

“Well, let’s see; Donnalaich is the capital o’ the Fae, in the middle o’ a dense rainforest, an’ near a large ruined city filled with treasure an’ monsters. I went tae school there an’ so was able tae explore the city till I ken it almost as well as a local. I’m on friendly relations with the headmaster an’ many o’ the senior professors at the Syrésta Coligia de D’laich. Through my time there an’ my mother’s business ties, I ken many influential merchants, an’ therefore have ties tae the city’s chief o’ security, many politicians, an’ the key occupants o’ the grape vine. Any questions that we have, I should be able tae either answer immediately or have the answer before the end o’ the day.”

Here Karyna paused, looking up into the sky as she opened her senses. The sky was a deep, brilliant azure with only the slightest wisps of clouds flying from horizon to horizon higher even than the various soaring creatures. The planes outside the city were as a vast sea of grass, filled with assorted forms of life. Lazily floating on the air currants above the travelers was a pair of Fenghuang who were enjoying the plentiful summer days that made it easy to support themselves and raise a nest full of healthy young. Further ahead a family of Lepre Hares scurried into burrows to avoid Kyprith despite the fact that he was obviously not stalking any prey. The warmth and ease of the creatures surrounding them filled her with a gentle glow.

“I have an affinity with animals, especially woodland creatures. I am able tae telepathically communicate tae them through the conveying o’ emotions an’ images; though with Kyprith the bond is much stronger, an’ we speak tae each other, mind tae mind, as ye an’ I can verbally. I cannae control nor manipulate, even if I wanted tae. However, I can sometimes shift intae a wolf for a short while. This weakens the telepathic bond with all animals except for Kyp, but I can speak tae them in their own verbiage. By the way, yer gelding is about tae truly itch for a good run. ‘Tis been a while since he’s been given a free rein on a plain such as this.”

[Karuka]

"We can let the horses trot for a little and then canter," Karuka responded to the very true comment about her horse. "I'd rather not strain the horses this soon in, not when we need them so much."

She loosened the rein a little, letting the horse trot as she considered Karyna's skills and contacts. She would be useful, perhaps even more useful than she herself. All she had was experience and a few tricks up her sleeves. They'd likely be fighting in streets or buildings, she'd done that. They were likely to face numbers. She had been fighting opponents more skilled and numerous than herself practically since she'd first set foot on Althanas.

She didn't know how to seek people out, though. A few months before, she'd have used her pendulum, but that was useless. Had they been allies, she could have sought them out one by one with the device she'd gotten from Tura Preylor the day Damon Kaosi had destroyed the universe, but they were not. Karyna had contacts, but they would know mostly rumors. Kyprith was a tracker, but what scent or scents were there to follow, and how far?

The troubles weighing on her mind made her miss the beauty of the day. All she could do was hearken back to the vision she'd seen the day before. Talmhaidh had not burned in reality, but the outline of the city behind her did not match the one in the vision. Would Donnalaich? Was Donnalaich doomed to burn?

Can we save it, too? How much luck does one person get before it runs out?

"Let's hurry," she said to Karyna. "We don't want to be too late."

She gave her gelding more rein, letting his gait open up into a canter. She looked up, fixing her eyes on the road in front of her. She may not have set herself on this path, but she knew better than most that once a path was initiated, it didn't stop until it was done.

"All right," she called over to the other red-head. "I'm going to trust you to use what you've got in Donnalaich to try and get us to find our people. After that, we'll try and get as many of them as we can alive. We'll kill the rest."

Taking her eyes off the road for a moment to give Kary a piercing stare. "And if you don't have the stomach for killing, you'll find very quickly that there are many people that won't extend you the same courtesy. The trick is to kill who you must and spare who you can, and try and protect the good souls you find. Some days you'll swear that they don't exist, but they are out there...a few of them. That's why we're going to Donnalaich. Not because I've been asked, not because I've been forced, because if that was the case I'd be on a boat right now headed to Salvar or Raiaera, or somewhere else. But if we don't succeed here...Donnalaich will burn, and perhaps other places, too."

If Karyna was going to get life's hard lessons, she might as well get them as a warning before they happened to her. It was a warning that Karuka would have been glad to get at the start of her adventures.

[MoonRunner]

As their horses entered a loping trot, it took Karyna a few moments to get used to the rhythm, and she winced as her rump slapped against the saddle a couple times. But quickly she got into the posting rhythm, and the ride became as smooth as a trot could.

Too late? Kyprith piped up, having kept part of his mind on the conversation between the two women. Does she ken something she’s not telling?

Oh, come on, Kyp, she’s just worried that we might be tae late tae save those who were kidnapped.

As their horses eased into a smooth canter, Kyp sped up into the mile-eating trot-run that was typical of a traveling wolf. He slowly shortened the distance between him and the rest of the group, giving the horses time to get used to his sent. Karuka helped by sending a feeling of safety and ease to their mounts, letting her enjoyment of the smooth fast pace boost the feeling. Once they seemed to understand that Kyprith wasn’t going to attack them, Kary was able to relax and enjoy the warm breeze in her face and the gentle gate of her mare, who was enjoying the pace as much as she was.

Over the rhythmic pounding of the horses’ hooves against the soft turf and through the summer breeze intensified by their speed, Kary was just able to make out what Karu said to her. And it made her stop and think, her smile lessening the more she thought about what she heard. Killing? There would be killing of people? While she knew that adventurers often got into fights, she just never thought about that she would have to kill another person herself. Shaking that thought away, she could deal with that when she came to it, Karyna latched onto Karu’s last comment.

“Burn? What do ye mean? The councilman danna say anything 'bout a fire. An' why would other cities burn?”

As the conversation continued, the landscape slowly began to change. The soil began to grow darker, the grasses slowly thinned out while being replaced by shrubs, and the animal life incorporated more woodland edge animals and less prairie creatures. And, as the signs of the nearing rainforest increased, so did Karyna’s excitement. During her years away from Donnalaich, she had come to miss the social feel and the friends she had made there. What could be a better place for the next stage in her life to dawn?

[Karuka]

Karuka decided that the whole truth was probably less beneficial to her temporary charge than half of it. If the whole truth became necessary, she could tell it later. As she began to see the jungle sprouting up on the horizon like a hazy emerald, she tucked a curl behind her ear and looked back at Karyna.

"Because I have a hunch, and if that hunch is correct, the group we're after in Donnalaich is related to the Spider-Monkey Kids. In my clashes with them yesterday, there were threats of lighting Talmhaidh on fire. They were stopped and eliminated before they had the chance, but if that's a policy across the board, then if we don't make it soon, we might see punishment inflicted on Donnalaich. The violence there has already escalated to murders, after all."

Karyna didn't need to know about the visions, not unless she had one...and the Irish lass intended to stay focused so that wouldn't happen. Ordinary people got by without seeing the future, as did exceptional people. She was sick of the "gift" that ran in her blood, she wished to be rid of it, to never suffer it again and to never see her firstborn suffer it. But it wouldn't happen.

"We'll be in the jungle before dark, so we'll have to stop not too far in and set up some form of shelter, something that at the very least will keep the small animals out and make noise if the big ones try to get in."

Already it had grown from an emerald haze to a distinctive horizon line that was growing rapidly in the distance, starting to loom over them like a stirring dragon. Perhaps it was just as dangerous, but Karuka doubted there'd be too much danger from animals on the major trade route. The worst danger was from men too dishonest to earn money and strong enough to take it from lone travelers, but with so big a wolf traveling with them, Karuka doubted danger from them, either.

It just never hurts to be prepared.

A few hours later, the light was beginning to fade in the interior of Luthmor rainforest, and the horses had been slowed to a walk. The area was normally filled with sound - the chatter of monkeys, the hum of insects, the raucous calls of birds as one tried to establish its territory more loudly than the next. Some of the monkeys were chattering menacingly at them, and the insects hummed along as normal, but the birds cheeped only cautiously around them, afraid of Kyprith. The silence would have probably unnerved a familiar woodsman, but Karuka's concern was building a makeshift shelter from vines and branches.

"Karyna, see if you and Kyprith can't find some fresh water around here while I set up camp. Once we're settled, if you have any more questions, I'll try to answer them."

If Kary doesn't have questions, then take 'em to the town in your next post.