Archery, Fire & Music

[Ely]

(This thread is for Perry, Dominic, and Dani should they chose to join.)

Ely was in the field where Perry's fireworks show had been months ago. The grass was dead now and snow lay in little clumps on the fallow earth. She had not come out here very often since Perry had left, it made her unhappy. Ely made a gesture with one hand as if snuffing the flame of a candle between her thumb and index finger.

Ely had been very close to Perry once upon a time. She thought she knew him rather well. However, his quick departure after the fireworks show had made her wonder if she knew him at all. The old Perry would have never left without saying goodbye. Beyond the fact that it was quite unlike him to be inconsiderate, he knew just how being dragged out of Wistvale had effected her years ago.

Perry had been a mercenary before she met him. It was not unheard of that he could be seen, caught, and held by someone with a grudge against his old company. She had said nothing to anyone, though, preferring to hope for the best. And now he was back, but from his actions in the Tavern last night, she was not sure it was best. Ely chewed on her lip and then slid off the bale of damp hay.

With a little concentration she could easily coax a ball of flame from someone's hearthfire to her hand. The wind was right direction to carry one from the farmhouse and surely that would ease her frustrations. Her tail curled tightly around the back of her thigh. She had not ignored her fire magic but she had pushed it aside to practice medicine instead.

Fire and fireworks reminded her too much of Perry.

[Dani]

Dani had left the confines of the town behind to find peace in the open farmland that spread around Wistvale. She just could not get used to all the walls and buildings and needed this time to gather herself and maintain her touch with nature.

As she wandered, she found herself coming up on the redhaired Cathian and was curious as to what would have brought her out here. Perhaps she suffered the same discomfort? Quietly she approached. She woman was clearly lost in thought and she did not wish to intrude. Instead she simply slowed her pace and waited to be noticed.

[Dominic]

On the outskirts of town a familiar figure ambled, long staff sweeping the floor before him. It had been an important Vanguard assignment, that was it. That's why he'd been gone so long.

It was such a convincing untruth that Dom almost believed it himself.

Oh the assignment had been important allright. Covertly deliver documents from Wistvale to an outside contact. It hadn't been time sensitive, but discretion had been of the most importance. So he'd travelled on foot and made a three day carriage ride into a two week amble. But the other months he'd been gone?

It had been musing on his failure to properly protect his friend Chaz, who was now out of his reach with the Drow, living who knows what quality of life. It had been pondering how he'd never gotten to properly teach Anri how to play. It had been scolding himself for not being strong enough to stand up to the threats on the road and needing Kiko to save him that he'd encountered Pat. Pat was a veteran of the military, a retired pikeman, and that was about as much as the grizzled bugger would give him. But they'd ended up practicing together. Pat had drilled him over and over.

He was just thinking of how Kiko was going to react to his newly honed abilities when he scented something familiar on the cold air. Spellfire. He remembered that particular smell very well and shambled toward the field and Ely, happy to be running into a familiar person. It made him feel more like he was coming home.

[Percival]

Perry hadn't been stalking Ely. Nope. That was absolutely not what he was doing. He had honestly been looking for something to do without going to the trouble of setting up another show. Maybe find that Ivy girl he'd seen at the tavern and see if she could shoot that bow of hers or if it was just a toy. He'd just seen her sullenly moping and slouching out of town

She wouldn't have seen him following her, he thought. She seemed far too preoccupied. Then he recognized where she'd been going. The field where he put on his show when he'd arrived here first. That was a good memory, and it had kept him going on his latest job. This one had been pretty bad, reminding him of a life he'd rather have forgotten. A life where he'd simply been called Boy. That life woke him up at nights. But never when she'd been around.

She looked almost ridiculously underdressed for the weather, but he knew that the snow wouldn't affect her. She was warmth incarnate. Feelings warred in him as he watched Ely toy with the little firebally. Well that did it. He didn't have any metal filing arrows prepared, but ah well.

"Heads up!" he hollered, notching an arrow, drawing and firing in his customary smooth rapidity, almost a blur, sending the wooden shafted arrow in a high over her head. He'd had plenty of practice shooting lately.

[Ely]

Ely jerked and flung the fireball toward Perry's arrow. She'd been shocked out of her musings something that was not a good idea when holding a ball of fire. The sphere of flames went streaking through the air and missed the arrow altogether. When Ely saw where it was headed she yanked her hand back, curled it into a tight fist, and shouted out the command.

"Desino!"

The fireball ceased to exist, leaving only wisps of smoke and a shower of tiny little sparks that fell to the snow wet earth. She shuddered, wrapping her hands around her upper body. Her ears were laying flat to her head as well. She did not look happy. In fact, she might have reminded one of a cringing cat.

"Perry!"

She was rather surprised to see Dominic standing just a few steps away, too. It never occurred to her that he would be out in wet field. She spotted Dani, too, now that her eyes were focused on the present. Though the elvish girl seemed quite unsure of herself. Ely gave her a wider smile and waved a hand to bring her closer.

"Hello, Dominic. I've not seen you around in quite some time. Were you singing in another tavern?"

Ely waited until Dani got closer before grabbing Perry by the hand and pulling him over. She was careful not to get in Dominic's way.

"Perry, Dom, say hello to Dani. I met her several days ago on my way to Galena's."

She was still sort of dismayed about the fireball missing it's mark. Maybe Perry would forget about it while saying hello. Yeah. Right. And pigs will take up flying through the air.

[Dominic]

Dom had heard the commotion as he had approached the field. He'd not expected a reunion with more than one person on the way in, but he'd rarely found that Perry had been far from Ely in the brief time he'd been around Wistvale. The bard raised a hand in greeting, a smile blooming over his face. Ah yes. Good to be home. He didn't miss a beat.

"No my dear I was on a perilous and exciting adventure." came the rich, low drawl. He leaned on his staff, head cocked and slightly bowed. "I'm far from out of practice though, and I'll be resuming my usual performances once I've settled. We never did get a chance for an encore show before fate split us apart eh?" He turned his face toward Perry, having heard his footsteps and figuring he'd be the one nearest Ely's voice.

"I even purchased some special ear plugs if ever we were going to make another show of it Mr Marksman." He nodded toward where he guessed the archer was, though of course he didn't make any kind of eye contact.

"Dani. A pleasure." He turned to where the third set of footsteps he'd heard had come to a stop and extended a hand a little, still with his head bowed a little and eyes beneath the wide brim of his hat.

[Dani]

Her first reaction to seeing the arrow loosed was to stop and reach for her bow. Was this an attack? So close to the walls and so... badly aimed?

But then the fireball came in response and instincts were replaced with a moment of wonder at the sight of the flaming sphere as it rose. She had been reaching for an arrow to notch when the archer approached and spoke with Ely like a friend. Dani felt a flush in her cheeks for such a hasty response and droped her arrow back in its quiver and placed her bow at her side before greeting everyone.

"Hello, Ely.

Perry.

Dominic."

She took Dominic's hand in hers and shook it. Judging from the way he had used the staff to guide himself, she guessed that he was blind, but chose to keep such thoughts to herself.

"Friends of yours, I take it? For a moment I thought someone was attacking you. Then I realized no one could miss that badly."

She turned to look at Perry with that last comment, a jesting smile on her face.

[Percival]

Perry had managed to compose himself a little, even when Ely suddenly grabbed his hand. She was always fever hot it seemed. At the appearance of the elven archer woman his brain switched immediately from calmed to calculating. The part of him that was hard-wired for combat, that he'd stuffed down with flippant manner and distraction, was still not dormant from his recent excursion.

His brain didn't see a young woman, it saw an archer. He quickly noted the corded muscle on her arms, the set of her shoulders, her stance. He spotted how well kept her bow was and that the hilt of her sword was well worn. He couldn't tell what her battle acumen might be, but he could see just by looking at her that she had the physique and mein of someone suited for handling bow and blade.

His social graces kicked back in, bringing a smile to his face and distracting him with the warm hand in his. "Hi." he chirped, flippant as can be. "Nice to see you again Dom, your help made sure my last trip was mostly comfy. Feather beds and hot water all the way." Then to Dani "Hello, Dani. Good to meet another shooter. And yeah, I wasn't trying to shoot my friend here in the back."

[Ely]

"Gosh, no."

Ely gave a half laugh and shook off the rest of her nervous tension. Now she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She felt like pacing back and forth, plus the energy from the fireball lingered in her. She was hot, blazing hot, and it felt as if every bone in her body might suddenly ignite. Ely reached down and snatched up a handful of wet snow. It was not nearly cold enough to do anything but make her wish for the fireball back.

"Perry would never shoot me in the back. Shoot an apple off my head, a piece of a tree branch out of my mouth, or at least a leaf on the tree branch, and once he shot a bee right out of my hair. Never, in the back."

Ely stopped talking. She had this weird feeling everyone was staring at her. Which was impossible. Dom certainly wasn't. She shook her head a couple of times and then brushed the hair off her face and tucked it around her ears.

Behave Ely. People are going to think you are a scatterbrained goose if you keep acting so oddly. She belatedly noticed the snow in her hand had turned to slush. She tilted her palm to the side and let it drain off.

[Dominic]

'Scatterbrained little goose' thought Dom, his smile broadening by a degree. It was this that he'd missed. Familiar voices, scents and feelings. The very aura of Wistvale was something he'd come to feel homely. It's why he'd taken the blue cowl and pledged to help in any way he could. He felt, somehow, he owed this place something. He didn't know what.

"I didn't actually see any feats, as such, myself when we performed But the crowd sure loved what you were doing. Don't know as I'd trust anyone to shoot an apple off my head or a branch out of my mouth though. I don't care if you're a demigod of archers with the all-powerful Bow of Unmissing or something...though if you *were* then maybe you'd be worthy ov a ballad...." He paused, turning his face to pan between Dani and Perry's positions "...or at least a limerick."

He was noticing Ely's heat too. He was constantly trying to hone all his working senses to make up for the one he'd lost, so the fact she was putting off heat like the embers of a fire made her very easy to locate. If only everyone was so obliging.

"So why're you all standing out here in a snowy field? Did you hear I was coming back? Is this a welcoming committee? Are the rest of the town gonna jump out of the treeline and yell 'Surprise'? Cos I know y'all missed me." He grinned.

[Ely]

"I heard you were back, Dom. I don't have people hiding in the tree line to capture you, though. Though, knowing you I should change people to valiant and half dressed girls, hm?"

Ely giggled. Her nerves were gone and her humor restored. Perry had not meant to shock her. She knew that, but after her mind had started thinking about the night before it contemplated all manner of crazy theories. Those crazy theories had her so distracted she had missed not only the arrow, but three people walking into a snowy and muddy field, too.

She should not have been surprised by them. It was over with now, though, and friends were much better to spend time among than moping over bad memories and things she could not change.

"I did not come out here for any reason, really. But, seeing how you two are here how about we show Dani around town? You can entertain her with some of your stories, Dom."

[Dani]

She smiled at Perry.

"Well that's good to hear. I would hate to to think you were that bad of a shot."

Listening to these people talk, she could tell they were indeed close friends. Perhaps in time she would come to know people in this town well enough to have friends such as these. That would definatly make being away from home much easier.

"I would love to hear some stories, Dominic. They make for good entertaining on long nights. Do you have any about Wistvale?"

[Dominic]

Dom indeed had some, but thinking on most of them was a little raw. He did manage to raise a smile despite the onrush of the negative feelings. "Oh, a couple. Mostly drunken shenanigans at the Tavern, or just recounting how us three here made a pretty penny wowing the audience..." He turned his head slightly toward where Perry was "...until Mr Take-the-wings-off-a-fly-at-thirty-paces here up and skeedaddled for months."

He sighed lowly, as he'd pretty much done the same "But we all get called to do things, and a bunch of us were wanderers before we came here. But we all always seem to come back...well...almost all of us." His tone became sad at that, the memory of a frightened girl and her far-too-brave father. Gods he hoped they were okay.

The jovial nature came back quick though "But that truly is another story."

[Percival]

Perry didn't really know what'd made Dom sad, though did notice that it was an almost palpable sensation about the singer and storyteller. The cold core inside him was receeding further. Being in friendly company, being touched by someone who wasn't just trying to kill him, feeling emotions other than fear and battle-lust and not having to shunt them aside to get on with the job. All these things made Perry feel more like the man he wanted to be, rather than the one he'd had to become.

He promised himself then and there to feel more, and to try and let the bad things go. Bury them in affection and song and just making people smile. Oh, he still intended to use his skills selfishly, but really only to show off. So in the spirit of that he raised an eyebrow at Dani. "I never met an archer who could outshoot me. You can tell by how I'm not full of holes...well..." He turned to Ely. "Except the ones not made by arrows. But I think they make me look cooler. Girls like scars, right?" He looked between the two women, as if expecting an answer.

[Dani]

She smiled a playful smile that reached up to her eyes.

In truth, she did like scars. They told stories, not the least of which being that you could survive a fight. But she wasn't about to let this man know that just let, if ever.

"I suppose it could create a certain pity. For an archer that let his quarry get close enough to give such wounds. Some girls go for the that, I hear.

Your friend talks you up quite a bit, Perry. Perhaps I should ask him to tell me a story of you. I'm sure he has a few."

Baudy tales the lot of them, she was sure. She was begining to like these friends of Ely's.