Ely did not like scars. Scars, especially burn ones, made her remember the time in Brindisi and exacerbated her guilt for the fire she had started years ago. Still, she smiled at Perry.
"Of course we do. Scars make a man look like a rogue. Every girl likes a rogue, right Dom?"
Ely had started to leave the field. She followed the wide fence until it stopped and turned to the rest of the group. She was giving Dom a chance to reorient himself and made a gesture with her hand.
In case I haven't mentioned it before? Ely was one of those people who could not speak without making some gesture or another. Tie her hands together and she would be unable to talk coherently.
"Dom the road is two paces in front of you. No more snow or mud, just packed dirt. Oh... um... you probably already know that..."
Ely flushed and her ears turned red or redder.
"How about it Dani? Can we show you around Wistvale?"
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Well that confirmed it for her. Dominic was blind. She thought for half a second to offer her arm to him for guidance, but quickly brushed off the idea. Obviously he was capable of getting about himself and such an offer could be seen as an insult.
"I would love the opportunity, Ely. Are you sure I won't be intruding on you and your friends?"
Dani was the opposite of Ely in that she hardly ever made a motion unless it was needed. Too much time spent alone in the woods hunting game where you had to be still as stone to not alert one's prey had hammered home the lesson of wasted movement.
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom simply inclined his head with a smile. It was nice that people thought about his needs, though he always had to bite back a little feeling of being patroized. It wasn't basic mobility, or even fighting these days, that troubled him. It's that he was uniquely gifted to describe things, but unable to actually see the glory of a sunrise or the majestic plunge of a waterfall. He couldn't know what 'colour' really was, although he knew things about colour and when it should be used. Nevertheless, it was still sweet.
"Don't you worry about me none, miss. I'll make my way just fine, though thank you for lookin' out for me." He swept his staff back and forth, almost absently, his gait still something of a shuffle but far more confident than before. "I'm sure we can show you the sights. Well. They can. I'll mainly be taking you through the sounds and smells. Heck you can even go for the tastes if you like, though I can't say as I think licking a building is gonna help you figure out what this town's about."
Levity. He'd not had quite enough of that recently.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
He'd stayed quiet through this little exchange of banter, very quiet. Perry didn't trust himself to utter a word at the moment because he was sure it'd just come out as a snarl. Just went to show you exactly how much battle experience the elf had.
Being told to cover a raid only to get flanked by mounted lancers bearing down at full gallop from the crest of a hill. There'd been a score or more and though he'd taken a couple they'd crashed into his party like a wave on a picture in the sand. He'd been a hireling, and therefore expendable. He desperately wanted to scream at her for that barb, even if it hadn't been serious.
His hand gripped Ely's fiercely for a moment, his whole arm trembling before he forced a long breath and marshalled himself. "Okay...but can we stop by the tavern or a shop as we do so? I think I could do with a drink."
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
"Sure, Perry, we could all use a something to drink. It will warm everyone up."
Well, she did not need anything to warm her up and Ely pulled a fierce looking face at Perry for squeezing her hand so tight. She was not sure what that was for at all. Oh, sure, they had special hand signals some years ago but there was no trouble here.
She promised herself to get him alone and find out what the hell was going on. For now, though, she was determined to show Dani the enjoyments Wistvale could provide. She liked the elven woman and found her both interesting and beautiful.
Ely was still occupied with these thoughts when a young boy about ten years old came running up to them.
"Miss! Miss! You haven't seen a lop eared white dog have you?"
Ely blinked in surprise and make a quick glance around.
"No. I'm sorry. I haven't seen any dog. You guys? Ely glanced at the other three with her."
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
Dani noticed the change in Perry's behavior. He had seemed easy going to her at first, but now he seemed tense. Upset.
She feared she had gone too far in her jests. Something that was a problem for her in the past, much to the chagrin of her family and the village Elders. She was just about to voice an apology when the kid came racing up.
She knelt to get closer to the kid's level to speak with him.
"I have not, I'm sorry."
Her eyes darted to Perry at this statement. How funny that the words she had wished to say to him had now to be directed to someone else instead.
"My friends and I were just about to go for a walk though. Perhaps we could look for your dog for you? Where did you see him last?"
"Is there some place he or she likes to go?"
Dogs, like most animals were creatures of territory in her experience. They preferred places familiar to them and to mark their territory against other animals. There were always the exceptions, some just liked to run and be free. She hoped this child's pet was the former.
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom shrugged "I just got here. Didn't hear an animal of that size anywhere closeby. Plenty of squirrels and birds. Well..." he pondered "...there was one sound but it was coming from beneath a tree...I'd wager it's likely a skunk so you're not gonna wanna chase after that."
He crouched down as well, turning his face to the child. "We'll be ambling round town, so you can come find us. We'll keep an eye and an ear and a nose out for your dog. Meanwhiles, why don't you run home and get his favourite food, or toy, or both?" He also idly wondered if music might soothe the savage beast...hmm....his mind started to run with that idea.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Perry winced when he spotted the look on Ely's face. He hoped he hadn't hurt her hand, and hoped more that she'd not be angry. His eyes were apologetic as he mouthed 'I'm sorry' and loosened his grip, brushing his thumbtip across her fingers. His own hands were, as always, calloused from use.
When the kid ran up asking about a dog he smiled again. Something more pleasant to think about and do. He chirped up. "We're a regular band of adventurers, and finding things are a specialty, right?"
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
The young boy whose expression had been very downcast visibly brightened. He turned a gaze on Perry that could best be described as hero worship.
"Oh! Thank you, thank you! Will you find her, Sir? I'm terribly a'feared for her. She so close to having her babies and I'm suppose to be taking care of her. Please, Sir? I don't know where else to look. She's no where to be found at the farm and she wouldn't go very far with babies in her belly, would she?"
The boy was chewing his lip and a closer look at him let anyone see he had been crying. Ely slid her hand from Perry's giving him a faint smile before turning to the boy.
"We can certainly try. What's your name young man? Can you tell me what your dog looks like other than white? There might be more than one white dog around."
"My name is Jax, Ma'am. And she's white with a little black tip to her tail. But, I should go with you. She'll never come out of hiding otherwise. Not with the babies she is carrying."
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
"You're a smart boy. You're right, she won't have gone far. She'll look for some place quiet and safe to have her pups."
She waved the boy towards her and held out her hand for him to take.
"Come, Jax, you can walk with me on the way to your farm if you'ld like. You can tell me stories about your dog. What's her name?"
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dominic had almost tasted the sudden tension in Perry. It wasn't any kind of psychic ability, and he didn't get the whole idea of it, but the forced joviality told him enough. Ely, too, had gone suddenly tense and now seemed - at least to him - to be distracting herself with the lost dog.
For his own part he couldn't resist kids in trouble, plus a lost dog was not exactly the kind of thing that might get him killed. So why not? Plus he might get to catch up with some of the people he knew. Maybe they'd run into Kiko. And of course there was getting to know this elven girl.
"If she's with pups she'll be looking for somewhere sheltered, warm and safe. It's bitter cold out and she doesn't want her new babies turning into pupcicles. Sound about right, Dani?" He wasn't an animal husbandry expert, but he'd heard enough talk about them, and even learned to catch and clean a few while out on the road. Mainly with snares and lures, not really one for taking them out with a bow or anything. Though he'd been practicing spear-fishing by feel, at that old bugger Pat's suggestion.
His foot still ached from the gash he'd put in it practicing.
He hoped sharing some knowledge might give him some insight into what this girl was like. Also perhaps give Perry and Ely a little time to let their sudden anxieties go.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.
Marshalling himself more, Perry was able to put on his more showman swagger. Negative feelings aside, he was among friends and didn't have to go to those places. And the look of hope the boy gave him, those shining eyes made him feel a little lighter. After all, if he could make a kid smile, how bad could he be.
"Oh between the four of us we can find her I'm sure. You've got two experienced hunters, a guy who seems to have ears better than most folks eyes and a combination space heater and bait." He nudged Ely with a jovial elbow "Dogs love chasing cats, right?" Yes, that felt more like it. Casual jesting was much more the man he wanted to be.
Ely [M:164:1653:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=394&page=1#14814][b]A soul on fire...[/b][0:Snuffed][1:Flame On!]
Ely was having a hard time recovering her equilibrium nor did it have much to do with any fatigue from the quick flash of magic she had used. No, Perry was acting odd. He had been acting odd. He was trying to be his usually chipper self but the more she saw of him the more she was certain something was wrong.
She heard Dani and Dominic speak to the young boy, Jax, without really hearing what was said. She also saw him walk closer to Dani and take hold of her hand.
She heard and understood Perry, she was studying his face, probably way too long. When he jostled her at the elbow she gave up. He obviously was trying to ignore it and she was not going to press him in front of the others.
Ely smiled to the rest of the group. She took care when facing the young boy, too. Ely's vivid green eyes took a look into his warm brown ones.
"Don't worry, Jax. We will find her. What is her name?"
Maybe looking for the dog would give her something to think about besides Perry's weird behavior. That was going to drive her nuts if she kept worrying at it.
Catgirl Extraordinaire
“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
She took the boy's hand in hers with a reassuring squeeze and a smile. She stood up and looked at the others before looking back down at Jax.
"Shall we begin our adventure then?"
As much as she was looking forward to the tour of the town these friends had offered, she was now much more concerned with the boy and his dog. The tour could wait.
"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye.
I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart."
Dominic [M:123:1420:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=382&page=1#14144][b]Let me tell you a story...[/b][0:No encore today][1:You have my attention]
Dom moved into his usual loping amble, feet close to the ground and staff sweeping back and forth. He was still getting used to some of the gifts he'd been given on his more recent adventures. He's not able to seee, but the 'sense' of those around him is far clearer than before. It takes focus to keep it all in context though, as he moves forward. He shifts over toward Dani, intrigued by her.
"New around here, hmm? You've chosen quite the place to stop over. Never a dull moment here, plenty of comings and goings. You should've been here when it was little more than a frontier town. Amazing to think how fast it's grown." He smiled, tilting his head "So what brings you to Wistvale? What're you looking for?"
The question hung there. It was his standard inquiry. Everyone is always looking for something.
Love, like Hope, has too few letters for a word so powerful.