The Old, the Batty, and the Ugly

[L.D.]

Closed

You know it’s going to be just one of those days when you find yourself trudging tiredly through the poorly illuminated woods around midnight on some day of the week you’re not even sure ends in ‘y’. There are just some times when you know everything is going to go very badly very quickly, and unfortunately for one 'Laurel Delstrom', she was quickly getting that feeling. There were... noises behind her, and not the kind usually made by happy-go-lucky woodland critters scampering through the underbrush, either because they are heading for bed for the night, or heading out to catch breakfast. Perhaps, Laurel thought bitterly, perhaps whatever it was following her was one of those happy little woodland creatures out for a quick bite to eat. Except, she suspected, the 'little' in the sentence wouldn't pertain to the particular thing following her. It sounded large, heavy, definitely in excess of a hundred pounds - and therefore something big enough to easily make a meal out of her. Mist had noticed it as well, the horse nervously tossing her head from side to side, ears flicking in every which direction. It was an amusing sight, Laurel was sure, to see a pair of weary travelers embarking alone through the woods at night, a thing no person, animal, or Other Such Creature with more than six brain cells would usually be caught dead doing. Something told her, however appealing the image of her as such was, that which was following her was not a bandit - bandits, she figured, would've struck already, taken what they could, and run off. So it was probably a monster, or some creepy psychopath out to kill her, perhaps do something unimaginable to her dead -

The sound of something colliding heavily with the tree next to her finally sent her straight into the horse's saddle, Mist taking off without even being nudged.

Laurel's pulse was thundering in her ears, louder even than the wind whistling past her or the steady rumble of Mist's hooves contacting the ground. Maybe coming out here wasn't such a good idea. Maybe coming out here was something that should be put off until she was more comfortable with the skills she had, maybe after she had learned more. The only saving grace this night was the full moon sitting high and proud in the sky, casting an eerie, pallid light upon everything. It made it easier to navigate, not that Laurel was doing much of that as the horse beneath her turned sharply to avoid a fallen log, then turned again to avoid running headlong into a tree, all the while Laurel was busily gazing backward over her shoulder, watching as the brush to their back-left shifted and moved as whatever had been following them now gave chase.

She cursed under her breath and turned her attention back to the fore, barely getting the chance to nudge Mist into a jump as they ran across a fallen stone pillar. The horse cleared the pillar easily, but barely missed taking Laurel's head off as she ran beneath another large, fallen pillar, this one leaning against a sturdy tree a split-second later.

Go out to the old temple just a day's travel from the town, the old man had said. You'll find a relic there about those crests you wear, he said. Laurel thought his words over bitterly as she scowled and was forced to guide Mist over another blind jump. Something behind her cracked, shattered violently, probably under the weight of whatever was chasing her - if it hadn't collided with it. Of course, that would be too easy. The Gods would never allow such a thing to happen.

Laurel risked another glance over her shoulder and let Mist do the driving as they approached a bend in the path. Alright, now she could make out the hulking shadow of whatever the creature was she'd awakened accidentally. She figured it had to have been from the temple, probably woken up when she'd accidentally stepped on probably the one section of floor not able to hold any more than its own weight up. Afterward, she'd had the feeling of being watched, and had taken her leave of the temple only a few minutes later.


She wasn't paranoid. Not at all.

Just... cautious.

The horse slowed so suddenly Laurel had to grab the front of the saddle so as not to be sent flying over the horse's shoulder, and just barely managed to get a one-handed grip. This ended with her in the hilarious position of laying nearly flat along the horse's back and neck, one hand holding the front of the saddle conveniently positioned just between her legs, with her free hand clinging to the underside of the horse's throat. It took Mist snorting loudly, though in a rather strained manner, for Laurel to relinquish her hold and stop suffocating the animal. Now Laurel realized their situation - they were stopped. They were still being chased, but they were now stopped. And of course, they were stopped right before some giant chasm that the half-elf could've sworn up and down on both parent's graves wasn't there on the way in. Fantastic. So either they were lost, or the trail had magically fallen out sometime in the last couple hours. Stuck between a Large Monster and a Giant Chasm... be eaten or fall to your death... what a choice.

Whatever had been chasing them slowed down as well, obviously sensing that it had just won this little game of cat and mouse, and it was now dinner time. Laurel cursed, again, and wheeled Mist back around toward the shadow now approaching them at a slow, steady rate. She could run left or right, but she wasn't sure just how fast Mist could navigate through the thick foliage around them - or rather, she was sure, but she knew the situation looked bleak if the creature was any better at it.

Then the gods decided to laugh more and a cloud passed before the moon, sending the entire area into the sort of pitch darkness horror tales thrived on. She could hear the crunching sounds of the monster's feet approaching, even above Mist's panting and her heartbeat. So it wasn't just a big monster - it was probably huge, angry, and hungry.

Yep. One of those days.

Laurel turned Mist to the left and nudged her into a slow walk. The monster opposite them shifted its weight as well, and she heard it follow in their direction. She pulled on the reins, and Mist changed directions, now walking to the right. There was a slight delay before the monster shifted as well, coming back in the direction they were traveling. Back Laurel went again, nudging Mist a little more quickly as she did so, forcing the horse to pace at an almost trot around in a circle. The monster was tracking on sound as much as she was - and if the sounds she could barely hear beyond the noise Mist made while walking about, she had it confused. Just what she wanted. All she had to do was listen out for any sort of opening to either run past it or make her escape somehow else.

It didn't take long before the monster/creature/thing got fed up of playing Laurel's game and charged, thudding heavily along the path and into the underbrush. Laurel all but slammed her heels into Mist's side, but the horse had a better sense of hearing than even she did and seemed to be just a split second ahead. The cloud passed from in front of the moon and Laurel turned just in time to see a gaping green maw lined in nightmare-inducing numbers of nice, sharp teeth approaching her side very, very quickly. It was going to hit her if she didn't do something. She pitched her weight forward as hard as she could, nearly sending the horse nose-first into the ground, and she felt the whatever creature it was pass inches behind her back, scales or matted fur (she couldn't tell) catching on her cape slightly as they slid past her, along her spine, sending a frightened, sickened shudder through her entire body. The creature hit the ground with a rebounding thud-crunch noise, bounced into the air a good foot or more as it lost its footing, tumbled two or three times, and went careening over the edge of the chasm and into the darkness at its bottom.

A sigh of relief hastily escaped the half-elf's lips, and she collapsed forward, wrapping her arms loosely around her horse's neck. Mist snorted, and bobbed her head a bit before turning back for the trail. Of course they would need to retrace their footsteps in order to find the trail they'd come in on, or at least one that led back toward Radasanthe. She was going to have some words with that snarky old geezer when she got back. He'd sent her out for a 'ruined temple' to figure out precisely what it was the crests on her headband and necklace meant. However... the ruined temple had been just that - ruined. Most of it was inaccessible due to the many tons of rock and stone fallen as the walls had collapsed inward, and what little of it was accessible was dangerous to walk on as the floor was unstable, broken, or rotting, or a combination of all three.

Yeah. They were definitely going to talk. For now, she was content to slip off the horse's back and resume leading her along the trail - they were both tired and she wanted to save her poor horse's strength in case they needed to make another Great Escape no matter how Mist would try to deny she had any sort of endurance limit, and don't think the horse didn't.

Laurel had never seen a horse that could communicate quite as well as this one could, and if there was another one out there like her, well... actually, Laurel didn't even want to meet it. She hoped it was far away from her and her horse and preferably locked in some sort of impenetrable room. The last thing she wanted was a gang of over intelligent horses ganging up on her. Mist was a handful enough as it was.

A nose jabbing into her shoulder pulled Laurel from her musings and mental image of an entire herd of hyper intelligent horses sitting around a large table conversing about politics as they enjoyed a plateful of fresh grasses and vegetables without even saying so much as an intelligible word to each other, and she glanced to her side to find Mist nosing the air toward a side path that she hadn't noticed as they'd been frantically fleeing.

"That's it?"

Mist snorted and nodded.

"... Are you sure that'll lead back to Radasanth?"

The horse stared at her for a good, long moment, dark eyes unblinking. Laurel was being flat-stared at. That was definitely something that didn't happen every day, especially not from a horse.

"All right, as you wish. But if we get lost this time, know it's your fault."

Mist snorted again and tossed her head in a slightly circular motion. Laurel had long since figured out this was the horse's way of rolling her eyes: Where the horse had learned such an expression was entirely beyond the young woman, however.

Laurel sighed and turned down the trail, not even needing to lead her horse as it kept pace neatly next to her. She walked quickly, the faster they were out of this damnable place, the better, even if it meant walking all night through an unfamiliar forest full of Gods-knew-what kind of monsters and other potentially threatening carnivores stalking through the shadowy underbrush. Stopping would probably be the last thing Laurel would ever do if her luck held out. Point to the south and continue 'til dawn it seemed, and if the Gods had decided to turn their cruel games on someone else, they'd hit Radasanth just after the gates opened for the day.

Somehow, Laurel doubted it would be so easy.

[L.D.]

Laurel arrived into town late afternoon two days later, slumped so far over in her saddle it looked as though she was about to fall straight out of it and onto the ground. The horse she sat upon looked to be in much better shape than its rider, though a trained eye could quickly pick up the beginning signs of fatigue.

Two days, it had only been two days. Before coming to Coroné, the pair had traveled all over Althanas, been away from civilization for weeks at a time, but all the previous times, they'd been well-prepared, with better equipment and supplies made for long journeys. Laurel was now just thanking the gods that Mist had startled a poor rabbit into all but leaping into her arms, else she would be extremely hungry as well as tired. As it was, she'd had to divide the tiny portion of meat among some edible plants in the area and try to make it last for as long as possible. She'd quickly abandoned the plan, however, when she'd seen Radasanth rising out of the horizon, she'd abandoned that plan and eaten the rest she'd gathered.

Now, Mist's hooves clopped over the stone ground of the roads that criss-crossed the city, but the noise was lost to the chatter and bustle of the busy city's normal daily routines. Somewhere off in the distance, a crowd cheered, the sound rising from the rest of the noise like a phoenix from the ashes, only to be pulled back under and drowned beneath the foreground. Mist snorted in distaste, or perhaps just in some sort of recognition for the sound, bobbing her head up and down but once as she did so, then turning as a child ran before her hooves in order to keep from crushing it. The mother rushed out after the youngster a moment later, cursing and scolding the poor, ratty child as she grabbed it by the arm and dragged it back into the shadows between buildings.

Laurel smiled bitterly as she watched the scene play out. The mother cared enough for the child to have tried to stop it, and then reprimand it for doing something wrong. Sometimes, she wished there had been someone in Alternaq that had cared enough about her to do the same thing. But no, had it been her, they would've let the horse run her over if she wasn't paying attention and laugh at her afterward before punishing her for her lack of paying attention. If she hadn't been hit, she still would've been punished for getting in the way of whoever was on the horse.

As they traveled further into the town, the crowds began to thicken, until the horse was all but plowing through them on strength alone as though going through particularly large snow banks. The mounted half-elf knew that most people would've gotten off the horse at this point to lead it so no surprises ran into the horse's blind spot and caused any injury to either animal or person. Laurel, however, was too tired to care at this point. Two nights of barely sleeping on hard-packed ground with no shelter, with very little food and water had left her so exhausted she couldn't bring herself to care whether or not something or someone got stepped on or if someone decided to kick Mist in the shins, though she trusted the horse enough to lash back if something like that were to occur.

Finally, they reached their destination, a large, crowded Tavern. Laurel finally hopped off the gray animal's back and led her around to the side of the building - there were no stables this far in the city, so horses had to be stored where they could be - and left her there for a moment as she braved the thick crowd. The place was busy enough patrons spilled out the door, either waiting to be served or waiting for a seat to open up inside. Fortunately for Laurel, she was tall and thin, and managed to slip through the crowd fairly easily as she went for the murky dark corner of the place. If luck held out, the crazy old man would still be back there, likely weaving his wild tales to another unsuspecting sucker. She had skipped going to bed, had skipped eating even in her quest to take some sort of vengeance on the man that had led her astray, even if it was in the form of a simple apology. If she had to beat it out of him, then so be it.

Unfortunately for her, the corner table she'd been seeing the batty old man at for the past few months was devoid of his presence, instead, two others sat in the place instead. The first was a male elf, full-blooded as far as Laurel could tell, with platinum blond hair that started out a pale gold at the roots and faded to white at the ends. As she approached, he looked up to her, regarding her with dual-colored eyes - one was a dark brown, the other a pale, sky-blue. This was enough to give Laurel pause, and look him over once more... was he... she nearly stepped backward and into a burly patron that had occupied the sparse amount of space she'd previously vacated. His skin tone gave it away above any others - he was too fair to be dark elf, but was too dark to be a wood elf or any other breed. He was a mix like she was, except he was between the elf breeds rather than elf and human. His expression changed a bit when he noticed her staring, and he stood up, watching her carefully. "Can I help you?"

Laurel shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry, no. Unless you know what happened to the old man that usually sits at this table."

The male elf raised an eyebrow just a fraction of an inch. "He should be back any moment now."

"Oh," It was all she could think to say, and the elf sat back down before motioning to the table.

"If you have business with him, you are free to sit and wait with us."

Once again, Laurel froze, feeling her cheeks heating up just a bit. She didn't know why, but she felt somewhat embarrassed by the way the other elf was speaking to her. She willed herself to look away from him, and met the eyes of his companion, a female human, and a young one at that; Laurel would be surprised if the girl had even seen her second decade yet. Where her partner wore simple cloth for clothing, she was outfitted a bit more for fighting, with a leather breastplate and skirt-like apparatus. She also wore a pair of daggers strapped to either side of her waist, in easy reach for a quick, deadly draw. As far as Laurel could tell, however, the young human didn't seem like much of a fighter. Her eyes were a bright, welcoming brown set into an attractive face framed by short, darker brown hair. She looked too young and innocent to be a true thief, for that was what she appeared to be, for all intents and purposes.

It took another long moment before the half-elf answered, and she finally looked down at the table, unable to meet either of the other's eyes. "A... alright."

However, she wouldn't get the chance to do so much as pull out the chair before a familiar, almost braying laughter shattered the otherwise monotonous roar of the busy tavern crowd.

"Well, if it isn't the half breed!"

Laurel's hands clenched into fists hard enough she could feel rather than hear the way the leather strained over her knuckles. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw set tightly enough the tendons in her neck stood out. She turned an angry glare at the old man as he chuckled and approached the table. It was the same one who had sent her off alright, nearly bald, nearly toothless, and blind in at least one eye. She couldn't tell if it was both, his not definitely blind eye was so pale gray it might as well have been white, and it tended to twitch and shudder in its socket in some sort of convulsion fit. The old man grinned at Laurel, revealing what few, yellowed teeth he had left, but the look quickly disappeared from his face as she wound up backward, and knocked him clear through at least three other people in the crowd with a swift punch to the face.

She took a step forward as though to hit him while he was down, but was stopped by a strong grip on her right forearm. She knew it was the other elf stopping her from beating the old man senseless, and as much as a part of her thirsted for the violence of releasing the frustrations she'd been gathering over the past few days with her aimless searching, another part knew this was neither the time nor the place for it, nor would it be of much use for the man was old and likely not afraid of death or pain any longer anyway. So she stayed her ground, using the pressure around her forearm as a sort of anchor to reality, an anchor to keep her from being swept away in the current of her own rage. She let herself breathe deeply, willing the anger to subside, trying to let out the frustration. Not only for the others' sakes, but for her own sake as well. She knew that if she progressed any farther, the tavern keeper would likely throw her out, if the elf holding her arm didn't beat him to it. She could feel his strength as well, and she knew he was much stronger than a normal human - he could toss her quickly and easily if he so chose, but instead he'd grabbed her arm to stop her, and had likely known that would be enough to halt her.

The braying laugh began again, and the batty old man slowly stood from his position on the floor. No, the act of 'standing' didn't quite do justice to the way he bent backward before rolling himself up and onto his feet, somewhere between a serpent lifting itself off the ground and a puppet being hoisted upwards. His crooked nose was now just a bit more crooked, and blood flowed in twin strems from the hairy nostrils and down his upper lip into his mouth. He grinned again, and this time his upper teeth were colored red. "Touched a sore spot, did I?"

Black eyes narrowing at his form was the only answer Laurel dignified him with. The old man laughed again.

"No no, it's perfectly fine. Lunas, let her go, she can hit me all she wants, if it'll make her feel better, then all the more power to her."

The pressure on her forearm lifted, and Laurel let it fall limply to her side. She bit the inside of her lip against the blush that again threatened to rise. She'd succeeded in doing no more than proving herself to be some sort of violent brute, and here she thought she was better than that. Acting out in a blind rage, she thought, was beneath her, something only those xenophobic fools back in Alternaq would succumb to. She'd seen it often enough and had promised herself that she wouldn't become a part of. She'd been on the receiving end of it enough, she didn't want to put anyone in that position. And yet, here she had, here she'd proved herself no better than the animals she'd been raised among.

It was enough to quell the rage for the old man, to forgive him for leading her astray, even if he'd done it entirely on purpose. She was more angry with herself now.

The old man grinned again. "Well, it's a good thing you came back. I didn't think you would."

"You sent me to an abandoned, rotting temple, old man. There was nothing there but some brutish creature that tried to eat me and my horse."

The old man kept grinning and shook his head. "Well, that was just the first obstacle. If you run away from everything with your tail tucked, you'll never get anywhere."

Laurel shut her eyes, clenched them tightly against the rage that threatened to surface again, and cursed herself internally for every moment she thought she was going to once again give in.

"Ah, poor dear. You are so angry at the world, aren't you?"

She ignored the goading, and focused on keeping herself calm.

"But you know I speak the truth. You were ill-prepared going out there. If you'd given it some more time, some more thought... perhaps you wouldn't be in this position. Be better prepared next time, and don't turn tail to run from every obstacle that comes your way!"

The half-elf's black eyes opened once again, and this time they were carefully blank.

"That temper will get you in trouble some day," this time the other elf spoke, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the din in the tavern.

"Oh not true, Lunas m' boy!" The old man took an dirty old cloth from his pocket and dabbed at his nose, letting it soak in the blood. "But that's a discussion for another time. Listen here, young half-breed, go back to the temple, but this time, don't run away the moment things look like they're heading south! Keep a firm hold on your fear, fight against the monsters there, and I swear you will find what you are looking for. Yes, the temple is rotting in its own foundation, but there are still safe paths. It's up to you to find them!" He turned back to the other elf and his human companion. "So now, Lunas, what brings you back to Radasanth?"

Laurel sighed and stood from the table, taking the obvious dismissal as it was. It wasn't as though she could ask any further questions. So, she'd have to head back for the temple. Wonderful. Using her slim build to her advantage, she slipped through the crowd and back out to the busy street outside. As she stepped from the door, she felt as though something was watching or following her, and she turned back to find the elf's young female companion watching her from just inside the door frame. Laurel felt her eyebrow cock as she and the young woman watched each other for a moment. Finally, the young human took a breath to speak. "What's your name?"

This time, both eyebrows shot up as the half-elf regarded the human quietly. She hesitated before she answered, she knew giving your name away to strangers had the potential to bring danger later, but something told her that this one probably wouldn't be a threat.

"Laurel. Laurel Delstrom."

The young woman smiled, a soft, gentle expression that just cemented Laurel's assumption that the girl was hardly a warrior, let alone a cutthroat like a thief. "I'm Heralia, and as you know, that was my partner Lunas."

Now Laurel felt a bit uncomfortable, she wasn't used to formal introductions, and therefore let a long, uncomfortable silence descend between the two of them before she spoke again. "... Ah... Nice to meet you?"

Heralia laughed then, and it was a soft, girlish giggle that definitely didn't belong to any sort of warrior. "I hope we meet again some time." With that, she turned about and disappeared into the tavern.

Laurel was left more than a bit stunned and confused in the wake of speaking with the young girl. She couldn't decide if the human was just trying to be friendly, or if there was anything more to it.

Perhaps she'd never know, and the Gods would continue to laugh at her. Only They knew, after all, what the future held.

[L.D.]

Dawn came and went for yet another two days as Laurel contented herself to relaxing in her new home city, gathering together her old adventuring gear (a couple leather pouches that could be filled with food or loot, waterskin, a small knife, a couple lengths of twine, fire starting rocks. The basics, really.) and what food she had at her residence. Though she would still be traveling by herself, she fancied herself a lot better equipped than she had before. And heck, she'd survived longer trips on this small of an amount of supplies before. Hopefully this would be a more successful trip.

The half-elf yawned and looked out the window - dawn had barely broken, casting the world in a sort of warm gray twilight. Several early-rising birds were already chirping from somewhere nearby, no doubt out to hunt for breakfast. Laurel sighed as she cinched the last of the bags tight onto Mist's saddle, and the horse turned a single, dark eye upon her, before nickering softly. Laurel smiled and patted the horse's haunch.

"Dear gods," she muttered quietly to none other than herself and the chill morning air. "We're up before we'll even be allowed to leave the city." She gave a half-smile to the horse who gave a soft snort in return and jerked her head to the side, obviously beckoning Laurel up and into the saddle. The half-elf's smile grew a bit and she took the horse's invitation, swinging herself up and into the old, worn saddle. She pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders, and using only one hand to hold the reins and guide the horse, nudged Mist into a nice, easy walk. They passed through mostly-empty streets, the only ones out and about being the night guards, nearing the end of their shifts, and a few early merchants already beginning to set up their wares. She didn't regard anyone as she ventured toward the northern portion of the city, and they ignored her in turn, either getting ready for their day, or ending their night's shift. Somewhere near the center of the mercantile plaza, a rooster began crowing, its grating cry audible through the quiet over the sharp clacking of the horse's hooves.

Good... Laurel thought as she took a look around. They were passing one of the more affluent neighborhoods now, and the gaudy, white-washed grandeur of the higher-ranked citizens of the town brought a bitter frown to Laurel's countenance. She wondered what the point was of having wealth if all you were going to use it for was showing off that you had it. She knew most of the people in that particular sector didn't do anything else but sit on their laurels as their trusted advisors and workers or slave labor kept their money flowing in, only occasionally stepping in to turn an angry glare upon anyone who was costing them money.

But then, that was the privelege of being rich, was it not? To be able to sneer upon those less fortunate than you whilst doing the minimum of work for maximum profit.

She passed a small group of elves on her way through, one of the spritely young creatures obviously suffering from a distinct lack of being able to stand up straight. They'd been out at one of the pubs for the night, or perhaps had attended some sort of soiree.

Mist snorted, and Laurel's attention was brought to the fore, effectively stopping all previous trains of thought. She reached down and patted the horse's neck appreciatively, and receiving a nod of the head in return.

The sky began to warm as they passed into the northern-eastern quadrant of the city proper, the rising sun painting the clouds in hues of warm pinks, yellows, oranges that were so unlike the colors of the sunset. Laurel had heard several more roosters crowing, and now that dawn was beginning to fully break, more people filtered quietly into the streets, though it still remained a sort of sleepy quiet - she wasn't passing near any of the rowdier parts of the town where the taverns, brothels, inns and restaurants never really closed.

Now, the gate loomed before her, open for the day for any to pass in or out and already a few people moved in both directions, some heading out for the day, perhaps to deliver messages or tend to personal matters, while others came in - likely merchants from out-of-town or farmers with the previous day's harvest, ready for the excess to be sold off for some extra money for their own food or cloth. She approached herself, one of those ready to leave the big city, when something stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Laurel!"

That something was her name from an only slightly unfamiliar voice. She turned, frowning in confusion to the source of her name, and found herself looking down at the only slightly familiar face of what she assumed was the young girl from a few days ago.

"Hello," Not exactly the most friendly greeting, but the half-elf had nothing else to say.

The young woman gave the halfbreed another of her brilliant, gentle smiles. It was enough to make Laurel look away.

"Don't tell me you don't remember me," the young woman said a moment later, the smile morphing into something more like a pout.

White hair swished back and forth across her cloak as Laurel swiftly shook her head. "No... Heralia, right?"

"Right!" The chipper tone in the girl's voice all but made the half-elf flinch. It was too early in the morning to be that happy. "You're heading out of town, right? I've got some things to take care of in this little village just a ways up this road, and I have to go this way to get there. Mind if I join you on your adventure for a little while?"

Though she try with all her might, Laurel could not find a reason to refuse the company but for her own anti-social tendencies, so instead she nodded and dismounted her horse before motioning toward the gate. Heralia and Mist both gave her a strange look.

"You're not my servant," she offered by means of explanation. "It seems rude for me to remain mounted while you have to walk."

Mist snorted, and Laurel could practically hear the horse speaking you never had any problem with it before!

Heralia laughed, her voice the light, tinkering of bells. "Well then thank you."

They passed through the threshold of the gate and continued farther on in the soft morning light. The town was but a miniature representation of itself on the horizon before any more words were spoken, and it seemed Heralia was the first to become uncomfortable with the silence. "What are you after, if I may ask?"

Once again, Laurel nearly jumped at the sudden sound of Heralia's voice, so lost in her own mind after the assumption they wouldn't be speaking much to each other.

"I was left some heirlooms," she replied simply. "My mother is from this area, and I know they were modeled from something she'd been fascinated in since she was a child. I want to find out what they are supposed to do."

The reply gave Heralia more information than she thought she was going to get, but still left her with many questions. She tried pressing on a bit, to see what else she could learn. "Your mother huh? Does she still live around here?" The young woman knew from the way Laurel's face contorted slightly that she'd tread ground best left alone. "Oh... I'm s-"

Laurel shook her head and held up her hand. "No need."

"So I take it you live alone then around here?"

Another awkward pause passed as Laurel debated how to answer that question. While she knew fundamentally that these weren't anything of danger to her, she wasn't exactly comfortable with sharing any details about herself. Besides, people just weren't interested in her. Oh look, a half-elf, nothing to see here, just another - she shook her head and looked back at Heralia. "Yeah." Another short answer. She needed to stop the young girl from asking so many questions about her, so instead she did something she rarely ever did. She began asking the questions herself. "Do you live in Radasanth, too?"

Heralia looked a little surprised at the sudden turn in the conversation, she'd figured she'd be the only one to be asking questions. "No, Lunas and I are just visiting. We don't really live anywhere."

Laurel nodded a bit absently as they walked, her dark eyes watching the horizon distractedly. "Are you two together?" The question slipped out before it could be properly processed and Laurel immediately berated herself for it internally.

Heralia just laughed again. "No, no. Lunas and I would never do something like that. He's been around my family for generations. We're just friends." The blush that had spread over the young woman's cheeks almost immediately revealed the true nature. Perhaps Lunas wasn't interested in Heralia, but it was obviously not true the other way around. Laurel chose not to comment.

"And so what is an unmarried lady like you doing traveling around with an unmarried man?" The question slipped out just as quickly as the one before it, long before Laurel's brain could process it or check the small note of teasing that accompanied it.

"Just... adventuring. Lunas is investigating some... rumors about an old, old prophecy."

A nod. "I see."

And just like that, the brief spat of almost comfortable conversation between the two women was over.

Mist snorted in disapproval, though neither of the other two seemed to notice.

Finally, a crossroads was reached, and Heralia turned to Laurel with a strange smile as she pointed to a narrow path that diverged to the west of where they were. "Well, I suppose this is where I bid farewell to you. I hope we meet up again some day."

Laurel nodded without thinking about it, and turned back down the path they had been traveling upon, toward the old ruins. Something within her wondered if the young human girl would be alright heading down the path by herself, even though it was the middle of the day, and close enough to the city to have frequent travelers and scouting parties, a young, single female would make for a mighty tempting target for passing bandits. But then, Laurel realized she was exactly the same sort of target, traveling farther away from the city where there would definitely be less pedestrian traffic milling about, and she thought she was going to be fine.

Another part of her mind reminded her she'd probably never see Heralia again, and that she shouldn't be concerned with the fate of strangers.

That part of her mind won, and in just a few moments, she was lost to her own thoughts once more.