Bringing Rumors to Reality

[Verdan]

It was yet another morning in the Kingdom of Avaren. A faint fog was enveloping the lands in a silvery blanket. The rising sun was a bright yellow, sending rays of light stabbing through the fog. The city was beginning to awaken. Merchants were arriving, eager to set up their stands on the soon to be busy streets. Shopkeepers were opening their stores, ready to make business. The blacksmith was heating up his forge. Guards on the walls, getting drowsy, were waiting for someone to come and relieve them. It was a normal day for everyone, but Verdan had a different mindset.

This day was the day he was going to prove the rumors true once and for all. Nobody believed that creatures lived in the Caves of the Damned. Nobody but him. He heard many stories from the city dwellers, who were telling them as if they were myths, old wives tales, stories to scare children. Having listened to the stories, Verdan believed them, unlike everyone else. And he was planning to prove his beliefs.

Verdan was thoroughly prepared for a lengthy trip. With him, he carried his cloth satchel, the one he only took to long trips. In it were the necessary provisions to last him several days. He had a medicinal kit, filled with an assortment of herbs, several bandages, a needle with some string in case of the need for stitches, along with other things. In addition to the medicine, he had three days' worth of provisions, meaning food and water, though Verdan suspected there was going to be water in the caves. However, it never hurt to be prepared. He also had a small flask of something unusually strong. He wore his forest green cloak and was wielding a staff which reached to about his eartip.

Verdan left the city limits at a brisk pace and pointed himself in the general direction of the caves. He took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp morning air. It was going to be a fine day.

[Arianna Sherinath]

Caves of the Damned... Indeed. Surely a place was only named as such to scare off curious children... surely... Thoughts along that line skipped through Arianna's head as she eyed the supposedly haunted caverns. The sight of a green-clad mage leaving the still-drowsy Avaren and walking towards where the apprentice knew the Caves were located had been what had attracted the woman to the trail. Said Mage was a mere twenty yards before her.

The light breeze tugged loose strands of brown hair from the young woman's thick braid and drew them across her face, dancing in the folds of her cloak. The heavy dark blue material covered a much lighter dress of the same colour and also served to shield her from recognition by way of a hood which was currently down, exposing her sun-kissed brown hair and tanned face to the world. Dark brown eyes surveyed the scene before them, debating as to whether or not entering the Caves were enough to merit finding out what her fellow Mage was up to. The odds weighed heavily in favor of retreating despite the fact that Ari did not actually believe that the Caves of the Damned were inhabited by all the ghouls that took part in stories. She looked strangely small without her black-and-white shadow whom had decided to stay in the comfort of his padded basket instead of accompanying his mistress in roaming the City.

A quick retreat would be the best in case the Mage turned around and spotted her. Ari reversed, waiting for the moment when she would be able to turn and beat a hasty retreat from the area.

However, her plans were interrupted by a very unfortunately placed log.

A startled and definitely audible yelp escaped her throat as the apprentice tumbled onto her back, knocking the breath from her chest. A light flush spread across the young woman's cheeks as her eyes closed shut, unwilling to face the embarassment that surely lay ahead.

[Verdan]

Verdan was making his way towards the Caves, his mind set on adventure, adrenaline, excitement. This is going to be interesting... he though as the Caves slowly but surely got closer and closer to him. Verdan had long felt a pair of eyes on his back, but decided not to give it much heed. His business was his own, he was a free being and could go anywhere he pleased. If someone was following him, let them. If someone wanted to join him in his quest, the were also more than welcome.

Abruptly, the gaze was averted, however, and a split second later, a slight scream reached his ears, which were already alert for anyone following him. Hearing the yelp, Verdan whipped around, dropping his satchel and ran towards the source of the sound. As he neared the location from where the sound came, he saw a young woman, laying on the ground, her eyes tightly shut, a bright red flush spreading across her face. Nearby was a log. In a split second, Verdan calculated that she must have tripped over the object and now was laying there, either really stunned from the fall or just pretending to avoid further questions. Most likely the latter, but Verdan was willing to play dumb.

A gentle pair of hands picked the girl up from the ground and carefully sat her upright on the log. As she unwillingly opened her eyes, in front of her was a friendly young man, smiling a kind smile at her. He had long-ish blonde hair, just enough to cover his ears and piercing green eyes. He looked friendly. Having the decency not to go questioning her unfortunate accident, Verdan asks her as if nothing unusual just happened, "So, what brings you to Avaren? I can see you're no warrior, meaning you are most likely a mage, thus you should probably be up there." Verdan tilts his head slightly to look up at Aesir. He then looks back down at the young woman to await her reply.

[Arianna Sherinath]

'Perhaps he didn't hear me. Perhaps I can just get up and walk away.'

Ari grimaced inwardly; of course he had heard her. She had screamed loud enough to wake the dead. But perhaps he would ignore it and continue on his journey. The woman cursed herself and her clumsiness over and over again. However, all thoughts ceased when the feeling of a pair of hands picking her up and setting her on the log all the while acting as if she were made of porcelain. Ari's eyes opened fractionally, only to find herself staring into a pair of piercing green eyes. Green eyes that were just a bit too close.

Ari jerked backwards and just barely avoided toppling off the log a second time. Further back, she was free to take in the rest of her companion's face. The expression was kindly, loosening something in her that she had not realised was taut. His question was also quite innocent, he seemed not to want to question her about her apparent lack of grace. The apprentice thanked the stars he didn't. Experiencing it was embarassing enough, but to have someone witness it... A small shudder passed through her before she actually tried to answer the young man's question.

"To Avaren? Oh, I don't know. To gawk at young warriors, I suppose and to pick up a few stray cats..." Her eyes and tone were completely serious despite her ridiculous answer. Only a few who knew her well or those who were extremely observant would notice the slight deepening in the corners of her mouth that betrayed her humour. "Up there? Now what makes you think I should be up there? What makes you think I'm a Mage, come to that?" The young woman shot him a sweet smile before standing up.

"Now it's my turn to ask questions. Who are you and what spirit has possessed you to approach this place?" She was suddenly serious again, waving a hand in the general direction of the Caves of the Damned.

[Verdan]

As the girl nearly tipped back, Verdan jerked forward slightly, involuntarily, ready to catch her if she were to fall again. However seeing as she had regained her balance once more, Verdan took a step back, not wanting to alarm her with his closeness, as he did just now. Taking in Verdan's face, the stranger seemed to relax a bit, and when he did not question her fall, she was truly relieved. An involuntary shudder passed through her body. "Are you cold?" Verdan asked, concerned. It was a fairly warm morning. There was no way someone could be cold. Several seconds later, Verdan realized that it was not cold, but the memory of the past several minutes is what caused the slight convulsion in the young woman's body.

As she answered Verdan's question, he constrained himself from raising an eyebrow at the phrase. He noticed a slight change of expression in the girl's face, but did not realize that it was humor that ran over her features. Everyone has their lifestyle, though, and Verdan did not push the matter any further. Hearing her question, Verdan repeated his logic once more. "You're no warrior, that is obvious. You carry no weapon and your build is not one of a fighter. On the other had, your eyes read more than just bland ignorance, like those of commoners. That leaves one choice: you are a Mage." he finishes his deduction. As the girl stood up, a split second later, Verdan was up too, matching her smile.

Verdan listened carefully to her question before he began talking once more, becoming as serious as her instantaneously. "People call me Verdan." he said, addressing her first question and moving on to the next. "I'm sure you've heard stories about the Caves. I'm also sure you don't believe them. I do." he said simply. "And I'm going to prove that they are true and make everyone believe me once and for all." he finished his speech with a flurry of his arms, accenting his words.

[Arianna Sherinath]

Ari smoothed her skirt, not looking up as she absorbed his answers to her rather impertinent (If she did say so herself) questions. This young man seemed quite at ease with a total stranger. His deduction of her position was quite accurate, excusing the part about her build which had sent her eyebrows shooting upwards. Indeed.. "And pray tell, when did you take the time to inspect my build?" She teased, eyes sparkling with laughter. Arianna crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him with one eyebrow still raised though it was clear she was trying to contain her amusement.

The apprentice uncrossed her arms and blinked at the Ma- No, Verdan- when he told her of his objective for going into the Caves of the Damned. Surely he didn't actually believe that the stories told about the Caves were true? If then he must have been crazy. Ari shook her head incredulously. Proving that the rumours are true when they are just that: Rumours, Make everyone believe in the monsters that supposedly inhabited the Caves.... An admirable goal, to be sure, such determination was rare but it was just a tad misplaced.

The woman blinked once again before deciding to at least introduce herself. She knew his name, but he didn't know hers. "Well, people call me Crazy, but you can call me Arianna. Arianna Sherinath." She smiled at him before addressing his latter statement, "No, I don't believe the stories since they were probably exaggerated. Stories get extorted. Some child probably saw a strange rock and thought it was a monster." Ari shrugged, the corners of her lips curving upwards in a sardonic smile.

[Verdan]

Verdan's expression had not changed one bit when the girl seemed surprised at his words. She teased him, holding back an eruption of laughter. Clearly, she found Verdan's words amusing. However, Verdan cut her off with the complete austerity of his words. He spoke as if it was just another daily question that he was asked. "Do you find it unnatural for a young man to notice the body of a stunning figure such as yourself?" he asked, answering her question with another inquiry. The corners of his mouth twitched, giving away Verdan's the fact that he was not being as resolute as he showed himself to be. In fact, Verdan was a hair away from bursting into laughter. In reality, he noticed the fragility of the young woman when he had picked her up to sit her on the log with which she had such an unfortunate experience.

As Verdan explained his quest to the curious mage, she obviously did not take his seriously. She shook her head in disbelief. Even before she said a single word, Verdan knew that she did not believe the stories. Oh well. It was fine with him. Just another person to prove wrong. It was not unexpected for her not to believe him. And just to think, he was hoping for someone to accompany him there. Someone who, like him, believed the stories. Someone who is not to be found...

As Arianna introduced herself, Verdan inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Tis a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure." he says politely, his original friendliness flooded away slightly, ignoring her smile. As she continued speaking, Verdan's suspicions had proved to be correct. She, indeed, did not believe the stories. Truly, someone who, like Verdan, believed them was not to be found. In which case, he no longer had any business with Arianna. Time was precious and the day was slowly but surely coming to its peak. "Well, in that case, I guess there's nothing I can do." he said, addressing her statement. "You're just going to be another one of the people I prove wrong. Good day." he finished and abruptly turned around, heading towards the Caves, his satchel laying forgotten several paces away.

[Arianna Sherinath]

Arianna outright laughed at Verdan's statement, something she had done rarely since her arrival at Avaren a year ago. He himself seemed to be amused, if she judged the slight twitching of his mouth correctly. "Why, yes. I do find it unnatural since most men are not quite so observant even when it comes to the female body." She smiled. Most men indeed knew little about the life of a female and most women deemed it unnecessary that they do so.

Suddenly Ari saw the friendliness in his face disappear as her fell back to a blank politeness that made her shiver, goosebumps along her arms at the sudden change in manner. Obviously, he did believe in the stories. The apprentice sighed inwardly, plopping down onto the log as he turned away. She propped her chin on her hand, watching him as he retreated towards the Caves. There was nothing more she could do unless she accompanied him which was unlikely that he would allow. Suddenly, she noticed the satchel lying abandoned on the grass a little way away from her. If she recalled correctly, it belonged to the Mage who was now several yards away.

Walking over to the satchel, Arianna lifted it onto her shoulder, staggering slightly from the weight- Honestly, what did he put in there?- and opened her mouth, "Hey, you forgot something!" She waved a slender hand at the backpack, before starting to laboriously work her way towards the Mage, the pack weighing her down considerably. Truly, how had he carried it up here in the first place?

[Verdan]

Verdan raised an eyebrow at Arianna's statement of how 'most men are not quite so observant even when it comes to the female body.' He had thought differently. No, he knew differently, being one of the men that she was generalizing so freely. He half-opened his mouth to protest, but had thought better of it. Let her think what she wishes. It was not wise to start arguments over something so little. Moving on... he thought to himself, letting the matter go on untouched.

As Verdan's friendliness flooded away, only to be replaced with cold politeness, he noticed Ari shiver. Was Verdan that chilling? Apparently, he thought disconsolately. No matter. She was just like the rest of them, what reason was there to be so friendly? They laughed at him, he was cold towards them. It was the endless circle, and apparently it was never going to be broken, as Verdan hoped would happen.

He walked away from the girl, forgetting his satchel. However, she wasn't as forgetful as he was. Noticing the forgotten bag, she picked it up, calling Verdan, and began dragging it towards him. Verdan turned around at the yell and noticing her staggering under the weight hurried over to her, relieving her of the burden. "Thanks." he said coolly, nodding slightly. "I appreciate it. Have a good one." he finished before throwing the strap over his shoulder and heading off towards the caves once more.

[Protégé (Gone)]

OOC: If my invitation is still acceptable, I apologize for my lateness. IE has been real buggy for me lately, but I think I killed all the bugs.

IC:
It was not normal for Protégé to be wandering around this early. If he was moving before the sun had risen high up in the sky, then either there was trouble or he was in an exceptionally good mood. In this case, he was full of good cheer. Most of it leftover remnants of his mood yesterday, a mood fueled by some good whiskey and a good day. Fortunately, he hadn't drunk much, so he still had all of his skill, and he wouldn't have to worry about being hammered by a hangover later. The only sign of the whiskey he had the day before was his good mood, and only friends of his would know how to put two and two together. Or anyone who had seen him at the bar last night, they could've guessed.

Despite the fact that he was reckless when in this good of a mood, he still traveled the same way. Under his gray shirt was a tough leather jerkin, and he wore the usual dark gray pants, thick and tough. On his back was his travel stained cloak, ragged and tattered as ever. He'd have to think about replacing it some time, but that could wait until it really fell into disrepair. Since he wasn't in town, he had his buckler strapped to his arm and his spear in his hand, ready to be used. Lifting the spear up, he had it push aside some of the dirty blonde hair hanging down in front of his face, revealing dark green eyes. Dark and deep, yet piercing, intent and focused on the path ahead. But unlike normal, there was a gleam of happiness and good humour in his eyes.

He had no idea why he was compelled to go down this path today, but of course it was really simple. In his good humour state, reckless and free, he felt invincible. And what better to do when you feel as if nothing can stand before you than wander the stone halls said to belong to the devil himself? True, there was no proof that any demons or the like resided in the caverns known as the Caves of the Damned, but hey, why not? In his mind no harm could befall him, all his weaknesses and faults forgotten in his inhibition-free mind. He believed that even death would flee before him, and demons would bow to be spared of his wrath. Such a mindset could be good, provided it didn't end up giving him something long and sharp straight through him.

Despite the fact that his tracking skills were not at their peak with him being in his distracting good humour, he could still hear other people ahead. Raising the spear so it was no longer brushing on the ground, he advanced slowly and quietly, staying away from the open side and keeping close to cover. He was too far away to make out what was being said, but he could at least pick out that one voice was probally male and the other was most likely female. Hope I won't be intruding on something private, he thought as he continued onward. It was possible that this was a pair of adventurers, or it could be some young couple out for a morning walk. Or, it could be a pair of brigands waiting here to rob any would-be cave wanderer. Whoever it was, Protégé was prepared to fight them if need arose.

However, as he grew closer to the voices, he heard the feminine voice say something about forgetting something, then the other voice thanking her and wishing her a good day. Probably not criminals, just wanderers. As he came around a bend, he could see a figure in a green cloak, the same green as the area around them, throwing a pack over his shoulder and beginning to walk away from the figure in the blue cloak. Looking them over, he discovered the one in the blue cloak was female and the one in green was male, and they both had no noticable weapons. Turning his spear back to an angle perpendicular to the ground, he walked out in the open, saying in a joking tone, "What, a party and I wasn't invited? No matter, I shall join you now!" With that, he began to walk towards the pair, laughing at his own jest, weak and simple as it was.

[Verdan]

As Verdan began to walk away from Arianna he noticed a figure walking from around the bend, his spear at the ready. The warrior, if the man was indeed, a warrior, seemed in an unusually cheery mood. From past experiences, Verdan knew that fighters were rarely happy and always trudged around moodily. Had a bit too much to drink lately, did we? Verdan thought to himself. However, that thought was dispelled as he noticed the steadiness in the man's steps and the firmness in his grip. Hearing him speak, and then laugh caused Verdan to raise an eyebrow. What was wrong with this one? No matter. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as the man neared him.

"Party?" he asked, acting surprised, "Where is this party you speak of?" he inquired of the stranger, shifting his staff from one hand to the other and leaning heavily on it to relieve some of the weight of the satchel. Eying the poised spear, Verdan called out to the warrior before he got any closer. "And lower your weapon. We mean nobody any harm and there is no need to threaten us with that." Verdan says the last word with slight unintentional disgust, referring to the weapon and unwillingly expressing his disliking of melee weapons.

Verdan continued talking to the man as he walked towards him. "So, who exactly are you, to be joining this 'party?'" he inquired, using the warrior's word for his meeting with Arianna in a slightly mocking tone. "I know not your name, your status or your origin. Speak. Who are you and what business do you have with myself? Or her?" he adds, nodding towards the female mage, careful not to remove his eyes from the approaching figure as he awaits an answer to all of his inquiries.

[Arianna Sherinath]

Two eyebrows arched upwards, plainly broadcasting the young woman's surprise at the appearance of the far-too-cheerful soldier. Arianna inspected the newcomer and came to the conclusion that he mist be either tipsy despite the sureness with which he handled the spear clasped in his hand or just a bit touched in the head. A warrior, there was no doubt.

Arianna sighed and rolled her eyes. Yes, this young man was definitely a warrior regardless of the fact that his attitude was far removed from that of any warrior she knew. His brash actions left little room for doubt. Her dark eyes widened imperceptively when the Mage beside her spoke. Verdan's words had her applauding inwardly. The young man apparently had the upper hand. As the question of what business the blonde warrior possessed with either of them, Ari felt it time to assert herself once again.

"It is possible that this young man is simply taking a walk to the Caves as you were, is it not?" She said, addressing Verdan and gesturing with one hand towards the shadowed caverns. "After all, it is a lovely morning for a stroll." she indicated the blue sky above, the sun already having moved quite far since she had set out. The girl contemplated the sphere's placement for a moment before coming to the conclusion that if Verdan's quest were to be started, it should be done quickly before any more of the day was wasted.

[Verdan]

Verdan was still watching the approaching warrior intently as he spoke to the young woman. "Anything is possible, Arianna. Although, it is always wise to be alert and never to let down your guard. This could be anyone: a spy, a city watchman that has come to stop me, even a vision, something that does not actually exist. A distraction." he said wisely. As Arianna looked up to the sky, Verdan was tempted to do so also, but restrained himself, for he had just made a speech about letting down his guard. He was no hypocrite. However, out of the corner of his eye, Verdan saw that the day was about to reach its climax and he still didn't even go near the caves. He awaited the approaching man's response impatiently.

[Protégé (Gone)]

As to be suspected, there was distrust. Mages and warriors never did get along well at first meeting. Of course, that was something that could be overcome. Or maybe not. Deciphering the future was not Protégé's skill, unless it was strategizing for a battle. Then he had a chance. But aside from that, all he cared about was the present. Which meant dealing with the situation at hand. Two mages, both probably distrusting him. He could A) see if he could take them both out before one of them got a spell in anywhere, or B) be calm and careful and see if he could talk his way around. A, while it would probably be more interesting, was much more likely to result in him in severe pain. B, on the other hand, could just make them think he's insane. Looking at these facts, Protégé chose B.

Despite what the man said, Protégé kept his spear the way it was, pointing straight up at the sky. "Where's the party? Well, it's you two, of course! And now a party of three with me here. Unfortunately not a party with good food and good drinking, but you can't have it all in life. Unless you happen to have a flask or two concealed in those cloaks? Personally, I never travel with one except in winter, since in case of battle inebriation is not a good thing. Except a little as a morality boost or a slight endurance booster. And maybe to keep you awake. And brandy does have some restorative skills. But aside from that, not good." Even with what he just said, Protégé began to consider carrying a flask at all times. Just as insurance, in event of a situation where alcohol would come in handy.

Slouching, and leaning to the side so that he was leaning against a tree, he said, "As for my name, you can call me Protégé. Don't bother with a last name, you won't meet another person with a name like that for miles. As for my status and location, I'm a footman at Avaren currently, but I'm hoping to obtain the status of dragoon someday. As for my business with either of you, I have none currently. I just happened to pass by your party while on my way to the Caves of the Damned, for a merry little jaunt into the halls of hell. What's your business in this area?"

He didn't have to wait for the man's answer, however, for the girl spoke out then. Hearing her remark, Protégé burst out laughign once again. "It is a lovely morning for a stroll, but if half the stories of these caverns are true, then the only morning where it'd be good to venture there would be one where an immense storm is swooping in and you have the choice of staying out or life. Though that's not really an accurate thing, for who can be sure life can survive in there? Which, of course, is why I'm here. To stop listening to the rumours and stories and tell people exactly what's in these damned caves." Looking up, he noted how much time had gone by and said, "Of course, it is turning from a lovely morning to a good afternoon."

Hearing the suspicion with which the man regarded Protégé said out loud, Protégé had to control himself to keep from laughing once again. "You're exactly right, I could be anything! As a matter of fact, I could be nothing that I've said before, everything I've said before, everything you've said, or something neither of us have said! The possibilities are endless. I could be a demon from the caves who has come out in order to prevent you from wandering into those depths. Or I could be some sort of guardian angel trying to keep you out of the caves for your safety. Or, I could even be a demon, who stands in your way so that you are even more so determined to enter, where we could feast upon you!" Quieting down, he closed his eyes and spoke a bit more. "For now, though, you can only regard me as what I say I am. And I say that in this case, I am merely a huntsman. For how do you hunt a bear in winter? You go into its cave with spears."

Looking at that statement, which he figured was smart and simple, he was compelled to laugh again. "Despite the fact that we have no idea of whether or not there are bears in that cave, and that it is not winter."

[Arianna Sherinath]

Arianna clamped down hard on her lip to keep the laughter that threatened to bubble past her lips at bay. This young man was indeed somewhat touched in the head. His words were blithe and philosophic and made her predicament increasingly difficult. The corners of her lips twitched then deepened, speaking of her silent mirth. Despite her own and Verdan's doubts as to the young man's purpose and position, she found herself quite liking this frank warrior. Of course, a spy would be specially picked to be likeable, but Ari got the feeling that the odd young man was telling the truth.

She nodded in agreement, eyes dancing with amusement, "Very true, sir Protégé. You could very well be anything and we would not be able to do a thing except to trust you." She raised eyebrow at Vedan. "After all, misplaced paranoia accomplishes nothing but the wasting of time, does it not?" Arianna smiled sardonically and took a step forward, nearer to Protégé. "I am Arianna, as you may have heard." She jerked her head in her fellow Mage's direction while holding out a hand in greeting. Even though the warrior was one she did not know, she couldn't help but feel they could trust him. If only to a certain extent.

At his last remark, Arianna could not stop the light chuckle that escaped her. One corner of her mouth twitched upwards in a crooked grin as she inclined her head in agreement. "Ah, but since you carry a spear, one would assume you are prepared for anything, bears or otherwise." Then with a smile, she then turned and walked a little way away, towards the caves. Looking over her shoulder, she paused, rolling her eyes. "Well? Can we please not stand around chatting while the day moves one without us?" She called over her shoulder, grinning.