Opening up to something new. -Closed-

[loves.blessing.]

(Closed to Alphard)

Beinost a place of beauty and yet it's history was nothing but disgust and heart ache to thousands, this place was something like the woman that sat by a lake under a willow tree. Her past was nothing but pain and heart ache yet here she sat under a place of beauty holding her violin with her dire wolf Nymeria laying next to her. The sun was shining along with the reflection dancing of the surface of the water, the sky was almost cloudless with only a few clouds here and there. The air was warm for an autumn day giving off the feel of an Indian summer feel which was okay with the woman under the tree that was in dark faded washed capris with white wedged heels and a royal purple blouse that stopped a quarter of the way down her arms exposing her milky complexion that was splattered with freckles. Her fiery mane of hair fell loose in waves, flowing like a cascading waterfall stopping just below her shoulders.

McKinley closed her piercing blue eyes for a moment to listen to her surroundings, the sound of the water lapping against the shore while birds few around singing a song. Catching her plump lower lip in between her teeth for a brief moment before she brought her violin up against her chin and shoulder. Taking a small calming breath she grabbed her bow before she placed her fingers on each fret, drawing the bow across the string testing the pitch of each note. She looked over at her companion that gave her a wolfy like grin as if to encourage her to play, the white, brown, gray and black dire wolf rest her head on Kinley's lap closing her amber-gold eyes. After McKinley had adjusted the pitch just write she begin to play, her melody weaved in and out of high and low notes ranging from slow and fast as the sounds around her meshed well with the melody that she was creating with her fingers.

The song she played was beautiful yet in a dark haunting way, the harmony that came to her mind was reflecting from past along with the past of the area that she was in right now. Her fingers moved fluidly from one fret to another as the look of pure bliss laid gently on her angelic features. A few moments passed as the song slowly came to and end she let out a long breath before opening her eyes to reveal her piercing blue hued eyes. She looked up seeing the ruins and what was left of the city that had been destroyed by hate, greed and lust. A small frown danced across her full crimson lips as sadness twisted her beautiful features knitting her brows together with sorrow.

Setting her bow down in the case that set next to her she picked at the strings on her violin as the cherry wood of the instrument shined in the sun. The tune was more made of short staccato notes causing the up lift to be brief, the harmony was morbid sounding as she tried to describe the history of Beinost as it was beautiful once than war set the city to rubble and ashes. Though if you looked closely enough you could see the former glory of what it used to hold. The melody was cut short when her dire wolf Nymeria shot up sitting straight up, her ears perked up and the hair from her neck to her tail stood up with alertness. Setting down her violin in its case McKinley stood up her cheeks flushing with a tint of pink which brought out her freckles that were painted across her cheek to her nose and to her other cheek. Pushing back a strand of her hair behind her she waited to see if whatever was lurking around would or would she have to go see what it was.

[Ioder]

Traveling along the bandit ridden countryside in Raiaera could be considered tasking. It required supplies, provisions, and most of all courage. Because at any moment the calmness that you clung to for the journey can be stolen away. Instead a pit in your stomach or the feeling of eyes on you would plague your travels. The bandits or the region attacked on the command of their pirate like leader. They raped and pillaged the smaller villages along the way and any civilians caught on the road were robbed and killed.

So it wasn't surprising that Ioder found his way to the last remaining great city in Raiaera before his comrade Joseph. After all while the lands below were war torn, the skies which angels traveled were always calm. Ioder made it to the city in only a few hours time, a journey that would take even the crew of The Risen at least a full day. Even more curiously it would seem that a few choice members of Ioder's mercenary group were in fact already waiting for him at the lake outside the front gate of the city.

As the White Winged Warrior glided over the lake he could hear a pleasant tune kissing at his ears. Down below he could see a group of his men all sitting by a small fire opposite the line of willow trees along the city side of the lake. He proceed to bank sharply and dive down to greet his men. As he dove he could still hear the sounds of a lone violin being played with inherent beauty, and front the corner of his eye he thought he saw a young red headed girl sitting across the lake.

"Men," Ioder called as his feet touched the ground just behind his men. With a great wave of his mighty wings fresh dirt as flung in all directions. The gust from his wings was so great that the small fire wavered for a moment before raging on. "Where are we with the preparations?"

In a fraction of a second Ioder's most loyal messenger turn and stood at attention. Only seconds later the other men were up and at the ready. "Sir, only myself and the men you left stations here are ready. We are expecting the rest of the caravan to be here in the morning." The Runner sounded as he always did to his lord Ioder.

"At ease, then we have till then. Rest now for in the morning there will be blood." Ioder said as he half motioned to his men. "Set up a more proper camp site before I return."

"Yes sir," his men sounded in sync with one another before quickly scurrying to fully unpack their bags and straighten up the camp site.

Ioder didn't know why he was leaving his crew, he didn't know why he was heading to that girl. Maybe it was out of obligation to protect the civilians of the area, or was it the powers of the Deck of Fate pulling him to greet the girl. No matter what was the reason Ioder's wings carried him across the lake he felt compelled to at least speak to the girl. Destiny was a twisted seamstress intertwining souls together sometimes with purpose and sometimes without.

[loves.blessing.]

McKinley could feel her heart slamming against her chest the thumping pulsated in her ears as she couldn't stop from shaking like a leaf in a storm. Nymeria's growling only added more terror for the simple fact that it actually meant there was someone out there and it wasn't Kinley's imagination. A small whimper parted Kinley's plush pink lips as a twig snapped under the weight of something. The dire wolf lowered herself down into the stance that meant she was getting ready to pounce, taking off her gold bracelet around her right wrist. Oh God I can't kill any one even if they are trying to kill me.. She thought as her piercing blue eyes stung with tears as she took a shaky breath. A man stepped through the willow tendons he looked homeless almost his pants ripped and so much dirt was caked onto them she couldn't really decipher what the color they originally were. His shirt had holes in it and from what she could tell it used to be a flannel pattern to it. Nymeria growled getting as low as possible to the floor ready to pounce, holding her hand out Kinley signaled for her to wait.

The man's face had many scars as if he had been in a battle, one of his eye looked as if it was made of glass. The man looked old and tired Kinley's face softened as he held his hands up when Nymeria growled once more at him snapping her jaws. "I mean ya' no harm miss, I only heard ya' play that music and wished to listen to it and see who was making it." All at once McKinley snapped her fingers and the growling halted and she motioned for him to sit down. Bending down she picked up her violin and quickly rosined her bow before testing it out the sound. Happy with her pitch and choosing a minor key to start in she let the melody start slow and slowly build into a happy tune. Closing her eyes she rocked back and forth as her fingers fluidly moving to different cords as the hand holding her bow fluidly moved it in different positions to change the key and sound of the notes.

The tune was up lifting like a phoenix that had burned and was now rising from the ashes, the climax hit with a shrill of a note before the song slowed down to a stop. Opening her eyes she looked at the male, his eyes were shining with tears as his clapping rang out around the two. A small giggle left her lips that sounded so care free the old man's smile grew larger at the sound of her laughter. "Thank ya' miss I really do like the music you play." He sniffled a bit wiping the tears away as McKinley reached in her pocket fishing out a few gold coins handing them over to the male pointing to his close and than hers. For a moment he looked rather confused for a moment looking at the coins and than her clothes to his. "Oh no miss I couldn't take these from ya'.." Shaking her head vigorously interrupting him from speaking as she pointed fiercely at the coins and than his clothes. "My name is Randolph but ya' can call me Randy if ya' want miss and thank ya' kindly for the coins for new clothes.." Little did she know while she was having a conversation with a stranger someone else was lurking around listening to the male talk to her woman.