Amongst the throng of unusual new folk entering Jastrey a rather unusual couple make their way into town. A small...very off looking male fairy rides on the shoulders of a brutish looking female angori, like a child. Turning heads as they shoulder their way through town, Laughing and shouting obscenities at passer bys.
"Jastrey." Answered a dark voice from behind the Angori. "Welcome." The warlock's tone, though dark, was not unkind, remaining as even as her gaze upon the newcomers. Her eyes roamed over the pair, a slight quirk coming across her brow as she noted the short Angori. Though the Uordeq herself was tall, she wasn't used to being taller than the horned tribal inhabitants of Angor.
Annaleigh turned on her heel to see the tall Uordeq woman. She seemed to mean well enough and wasn't cruel in her greeting. Still, the young woman remained wary. "Thank you. My name is Annaleigh, a druid of a Sylvanesti enclave some good distance from here. On another shard, I should say. And your name, if I can I ask it?"
As always, she found herself looking up at those around her. It unsettled the Dregoth girl, but she didn't show it outwardly. Instead, a gentle, friendly smile rested on her face. Her grip on her staff was relaxed, but her inner Bengal twitched a bit, anticipating any nasty remarks that might come from red-eyed Uordeq. She had narrowly escaped slavers of her kind since leaving the enclave and held more than a touch of mistrust for the race.
Thundering foot falls can be heard coming from the direction of the Crimson Quarter.
"DERE HERE!!! I SEE DEMS!!! HORNEY WOMEN!!!!"
Ohren can be seen pounding his way as fast as he can to the tavern, his chainmail gimmering in the sunlight. He would stop infront of the two Angori women smiling dumbly.
"Well... Hello dere ladies. I is Ohren Tamal. I joosed to be de Chaman round here.. Now I is a doodad. Nice a meetcha."
He grins widely at the two women.
Annaleigh blinked up at the male Angori as he rushed over. It seemed this was quite the bustling, welcoming town. She looked to the Fae and other Angori female, then to the Uordeqi woman and back to the male. She balked mildly at his loud proclaimations of "Horney Women" before listening closely, trying to discern exactly what he was saying. His name was apparently Ohren Tamal and something about shaman and now druid... She at least easily understood his last sentence. Perhaps she had spent to long with Elias and the enclave, even though it hadn't seemed like it.
She returned her customary, calm smile to it's place on her face. "It's nice to meet you too, Ohren Tamal... I think... As I was just saying, My name is Annaleigh. I am a druid as well, with an Elven enclave on another shard."
She turned back to the Uordeq woman, still wondering if she was going to extract a name from her. Studying the woman's demenor and posture carefully, for any sign of ill will.
Ohren seems eager to see an Angori woman. He grins brightly at them. "Nice-a meetcha Ahlee. I see you meet Bacon... She nice for a Deki... You come... you come inside I get you drink." Ohren reaches out to take the little Angori by the hand and drag her into the tavern.
Annaleigh rapped Ohren lightly on the wrist and shook her head with a chuckle. "Slow down, slow down. What are you in such a hurry for? Ahlee, huh... Interesting... At any rate, I would certainly hope that her name really isn't Bacon... Though, if it is, my apoligies, m'lady, I meant no offense."
She nodded to the Uordeq, and glanced back at the pair she had originally approached, "Besides, I've yet to properly meet them either. Judging from your comments, I'd say they're new like me. Calm down, and we can go get something to drink in a few minutes. "
Annaleigh returned the woman's bow. The woman's bland expression served to stay the wariness of the Angori, progressing it no further, but not causing it to regress either. "I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Nivarian. Thank you for the welcome. You'll pardon my earlier comment, I hope. It just seems that Bacon would be quite the awkward name to have. I didn't mean to be rude. I'm afraid tact was not one of my strongest subjects among the Elves, and my tribe certainly had no use for it when I resided with them."
Patting Ohren on the shoulder, she turned to look at the rather brutish female and her fey compainion, "It's nice to meet you both as well. What are your names?"
Delvin's dextrous digits deftly drove his dirk over the chunk of wood within his hands, diligently devising a new dart for dear Sanguine. He sat straddling the branch of a nearby tree, though his eyes were not on his work. Brilliant blues were cast upon the ongoings of the newcommers, curiosity being one of his most driving of traits. He was silent as usual, the only thing giving him away being the wood shavings that fell to the ground below. Pointed ears were keen to the conversations below, but for now he'd just widdle and listen.
He'd cringe slightly at the unmerited obscenities hurled from the tiny one perched 'pon the Angori femme's back, noting that it wasn't the best tactic to avoid a dagger in the spine. He watched the less brutish Angori femme's approach as well, smirking as he saw Akon greeting the girl and then outright chuckling as Ohren tried to ply her with liquor and went on about horney women.
As Annaleigh mentioned the Sylvanesti he would cease his work entirely and simply listen, his gaze intent on the girl as she spoke. Perhaps she'd have the words he longed to hear, or those he dreaded. He pocketed his wares and dismounted the tree with the agility his kind had in abundance. Casually he made his approach, nodding in greeting to Akon and Ohren before addressing the new Angori, "Annaleigh, was it?" he'd ask, knowing full well the answer, "My name is Delvin, of the Maenesti tribes of Sirison, you wouldn't have any news from there would you?" his words were calm and collected as usual, though his eyes would hint at urgency.
After hearing Ohren making a large commotion about "Horney Women", Glimmer hikes up her tutu and thinks of Taklinn. She rushes to the doors of the tavern and pops her head out.
"OHREN! BY THE WINGS dear what IS you are hollering for?" Glimmer then sees the shorter of the two females and says "I see. Well aren't you just MARVELOUS! And so little, too. They have you just bamboozled out here. Good lord everyone, let her breathe." Glimmer begins digging in her pouch, continuing on.
"My name, darling, is Glimmer. Pardon me, but I've never seen an Angori smaller than me. Can I keep you? I like playthings. I have cookies. Have some!!! You simply must!" Glimmer shoves a handful of cookies into the Angori lady's face, then hands a small pouch of them to Ohren and Delvin, then a little larger pouch slyly to Akon. "Now then dear. Do come inside, rest your weary soul. Elven enclave, you say? Unfortunate souls, the lot of them. They just haven't been granted glorious wings yet!" Glimmer offers her hand to the girl and says "I do however have proper tea inside if you'd care for some."
Glimmer eys the other female Angori, noticing the male fae atop her shoulders. "Well, well, well. We are quite the town now, yes quite. Yet another male of my sorts has come to play." Glimmer awaits the girls response before going in.
Annaleigh was about to greet Delvin, to answer the urgency she read in his look, when suddenly a Fae came running out of the Tavern. The barest flicker of irritation crossed her features at the word little, but listening to Glimmer's rambling indicated she meant no harm by it. She took the cookies shoved towards her and returned her attention to Delvin while Glimmer handed out the other two pouches of cookies, "I have been on Sirison, yes. In my travels I wandered it waiting for a span to open. Sadly, however, I heard nothing of the Manesti tribes, for good or ill. My own second tribe, the enclave of druids, resided on another shard entirely. I am sorry. Will you care to come in with us?"
Turning back to Glimmer and Ohren, she let out a chuckling sigh. It would seem that, between those two, she had no chance of escape to wait on the strange pair to answer. She supposed if they wished, they could follow and talk inside. She grinned as she followed the fae inside, gesturing to Ohren to come as well, "Tea sounds wonderful, Miss Glimmer. Also, I'm not quite sure I'm pet material, being a person and all."
Glimmer looks mildly shocked and offended at the prospect of not having a new pet, but she takes Annaleigh by the arm and skips her inside the tavern. 'Well of course you are a person, dear, all my playthings are. I have a Grishal. He's a fine gobbo gentleman I say. Certified. Dignified. Bonified, even." Glimmer sits at her table and pulls another tea cup from her pouch. She loads the bottom of the cup in a heavy coating of sugar and pours the tea, sliding the cup to the Angori when through. "Now then dear, tell me what brings you here."
Delvin was caught offguard entirely by the cookie bearing Fae, he glanced down at the pouch of cookies he was now holding with a slight tilt of his head and a shrug of his shoulders, "Thank you Miss Glimmer. You are as wonderfully erratic as all accounts have held" He gave her that playfully wry smile he was known for before nodding to Annaleigh's request to join them, shadowing the two as they entered arm in arm into the tavern.
He'd looked almost relieved to have no news of Sirison, for indeed in this case no news was good news. "Perhaps there is still time" he'd mutter to himself before making to sit by the two. He'd wait patiently for his own cup of tea to be offered, in no rush now that his question had been more or less answered. He would however fire another as he waited, "How long has it been since you were on Sirison, if I may ask?" he was more relaxed now, and quite happy to have the company.
The young woman took the tea that was offered, taking a sip before making a reply to either, "Thank you. Now, shorter answer first, it's been no more than a mest since I crossed the span from Sirison to here. Well, here being a relative term, since I had to travel a good piece north to reach Jastrey. As for why I am here, occasionally when one of the Druids of my enclave- my second tribe, if you will-completes their rite and gains his or her spirit animal, that spirit will call him or her away to another land that needs help protecting. I'm not sure how other Druids work, but this is where my wanderings have brought meand it feels right. So, here I am."
She took another sip of the sugar laden tea and leaned her staff on the bench beside her. Nibbling at one of the cookies that had previously been pushed at her, Annaleigh quietly hoped that no one would ask about her original tribe. It was enough that she was already an obvious runt without anyone knowing she hailed from a tribe of the giant Angori.
As the mis-matched group entered the tavern after hogging the steps, Cail entered behind them and grabbed a small cup of hot water from the bartender and he sat down near the window in the back of the tavern. Producing a small tea bag from his pouch, He placed it into the cup and let it steep in the steaming water.
In the meantime, Cail watched the female angori get bombarded by questions, hardly blinking as he stared in her direction and thinking to himself.
"Hmm... strange," he said to himself as he took a small sip of tea.
Annaleigh noticed the man who appeared to be making tea out of the corner of her eye. When she noticed him looking in the direction of her group, she offered him a small smile and a nod.
Looking back at Ohren she chuckled a little, "A bear? Yes, I can easily believe that. I take after an interesting feline called a Bengal. Which is basically a cross between a leopard and what, I suppose humans would call, a house cat. Soo... Hmm.. It's about a foot and a half or two feet tall at the head and weighs about two stone (30 pounds), like a medium sized dog.... Only a spotted cat. It's not really common, I guess, since not many people I've met know what it is unless they really love cats."
Still watching as the female Angori apparently named Annaleigh as she nodded and smiled in his direction, Cail returned her nod and instead of a smile pulled the cup of tea closer to him for another sip blowing the steam off of the top of the light liquid around his face.
"Perhaps her... no. Involving children would be... immoral," he thought to himself with a slight chuckle, clearly mistaking Annaleigh for an adolescent Angori.
The miniscule Dregoth raised an eyebrow at Ohren as she ducked from beneath his hand, "Um... No, no I don't think so. Perhaps, one day if you catch me in my animal form. For now though, no."
Annaleigh's face wasn't cruel when she refused Ohren; instead it remained calm and pleasant, but a touch firm. She noticed the returned nod from Cail and also noticed he continued to watch them.
"Are you going to continue to lurk and stare from behind your tea, or would you like to join us?" Her voice, decidedly not that of a child, drifted over to Cail. Her expression was a friendly and somewhat mocking grin as she awaited his response.
Still listening to the conversation across the room, Cail was in mid-sip when he heard Annaleigh's voice. Half choking on his tea, he almost spewed it across the table he sat at. As his coughing fit subsided, he slowly raised his gaze while he wiped his mouth. Looking straight into Annaleigh and the smirk she had on her face, Cail raised an eyebrow and said, "I um... sure." Cail stood, straightened his tabbard, and walked over to their table. "Pleased to meet you, Annaleigh. My name is Cail," he said with another nod.
A soft laugh left Annaleigh's lips when she realized she caught Cail off guard and he sputtered over his tea. The brunette smiled and offered another courteous nod when he introduced himself. "It's nice to meet you as well Cail. Something on your mind, perhaps?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. As always, she assumed he was taken aback to hear an adult's voice leaving her small body. Most people were. In fact, Annaleigh was surprised the fae had been the only one to voice any comment on her size. It was somewhat pleasant.
Cail did a double take at the look Ohren was giving him and thought to himself, "I wonder what his problem is." He then heard the angry Angori yelp in pain just as Annaleigh began to speak.
When she finished, a small, embarrassed smile appeared on his face as Cail said, "No, no. Nothing at all, heh heh." as he straightened his look back out he asked, "So have you found Jastrey to you're liking so far?"
Annaleigh shot a sidelong look at Ohren. She grinned and remarked quietly, "I bet you'll keep your growling and tempers to yourself next time, won't you? No one's marking your territory, Ohren Tamal. Calm yourself, silly bear."
She looked back to Cail, "If you say so, and thus far, yes. I've only just arrived today, but this place just feels right and the people seem welcoming. How big is the tribe of Angori here? If it is a tribe, that is. Do you know?"
Ohren continues to grumble lightly under his breath, pouting. He begins munching on the cookies given to him by glimmer. He looks to the bar tender. "I wanta milk please..." He would begin dipping said cookies into milk and devouring them as he stared at the horney woman infront of him.
"More like a rabble of random Angori, I'd call it," thought cail to himself. "The tribe, if you would call it that, consists of Mr. Tamal here, a giant named Nakigahara, a mixed breed of angori Morzoth, and his brother Barbaal. To my knowliedge I do not know of anymore. I havent met any others. And you, now that you have arrived, if you choose to join," said Cail. "I think Ohren would enjoy that."
"To say it is a tribe would be a far cry....it is more a group which hails from various heritages, must like us all. The angori here are as united as any other of the citizens amongst us. We are all a bit of our own breed here in Jastrey." Said the tall dark woman, hidden mostly by the folds of her robes. It was unclear as to when and how exactly she got inside the tavern, mostly because of her silent movements, but her presence was readily there, leaning with her back against the tavern wall behind the gathered crowd. She had slyly slipped the bag of cookies Glimmer had given her into her robes, with a nod towards the Fae.
Annaleigh noticeably balked when Cail mentioned "a giant" Angori. Granted some humans saw Angori as a rather large group altogether, to single one out as "giant" among a group of them, often meant one of her kind was about. She cringed slightly at the thought of another Dregoth, a normal sized one, finding out what she was or even being around really. I painful reminder of the past she had worked so hard to free herself from under the watchful eye of Elias.
Regaining her composure, her eyes turned to the woman who had introduced herself as Akon Nivarian. Her words were a slightly more comforting thought, though she was unsure exactly how united the various subraces of her culture could be. After all, she could easily recall the way she was raised. This would be something she had to see for herself. She swallowed the last of her discomfort with the topic with a sip of tea before speaking, "I see. Are there any others that perhaps Cail hasn't met yet, then, Miss Nivarian? You seem to know Jastrey well enough."
The dark woman's eyes rested gently on the woman, a subdued red. "Aye, there is another. One to be wary of. His name is Kirell. Each of those which hail from Angor among us come from various heritages and lineages. Is there something in particular you seek?" The woman lifted her own skin of water to her lips, sipping from it lightly as she awaited a response.
"Not seeking so much." Annaleigh finally mumbled out at last. "More sizing up the possibility of Dregoth in town. I have had... bad expierences with some in the past."
The Angori woman's eyes seemed far away for a moment before she returned to the present with a shake of her head. Fool, she scolded herself, none of your tribe would have ventured out here and you know it. She looked back to the Uordeq and ate another one of Glimmer's cookies. "From the sounds of it, this Nakigahara may be one?"
(Insert after Cail's comment lol)
Akon inclines her head in a slow, solitary nod. "Aye....though he has not publically stated so, I do not think you would be incorrec to assume so." She said gently, as she wiped the drip of the waterskin's lip from the corner of her mouth with the backside of her wrist.
"I see. Thank you, then." Annaleigh nodded to Cail and Akon.
She shook her head at Ohren when he offered reassurance and, sort of, protection, "No, no. You misunderstand- granted it's my fault. I don't fear them, because they've never physically done harm to me in the past. Well, not that they weren't supposed to. Either way, the point is, I don't really fear Dregoth Angori. They make me rather uncomfortable because of the beratings and vile names I earned from them as a child. Call it generalizing, but I'm just not a big fan of them."
Annaleigh's expression, for the first time when directed at a person, broke it's calm, friendly smile and exchanged it for a flat look of disbelief, "Cail. I may have just walked in to this town a few hours ago, but even I'm not clueless enough to think anyone that mad. I am well aware that I stand shorter than most humans, let alone my own kind. There were children in my enclave taller than I when I left it some two years ago, now,. You're trying to hard."
"That, Miss Nivarian," Annaleigh turned back to the Uordeq with a somewhat wry smile, "is something that is very comforting to hear, but at the same time, I am eager to see it for myself. There's always one in every town."
It was likely clear, to any one observing, that the Angori had an issue with her height, something seeming almost jaded and bitter. She had also proven, more quickly than she had hoped, that she was far more than just a calm Elven-taught smile and kind laughter.
"I'm comfortable enough with out false compliments and placating, but thank you for trying." She replied returning to her previous state of calm, even if her smile was not quite as large nor her eyes as bright.
"What do I like to do? Hm, that's a rather good question... I'd nearly forgotten I've been wandering so long. I enjoy a good hunt, and some training time. I'm also fond of herb gathering and reading history, thanks to the other druids who taught me." Annaleigh answered Ohren second, after a few moments' thought.
Delvin's eyes widened as she mentioned having been there only a Mest or so ago, "Your words bring me more comfort than you could ever realize, you beautiful benevolent creature!" he had to restrain himself from hugging the poor unsuspecting Angori tighter than she'd ever been held, "By the shifting sands you've just made yourself a friend!" he gave her the most genuine smile he'd offered anyone in town thus far.
He cast a glance down towards his still empty cup, raised a brow and shrugged it off. Normally the elf remained sober but now was as good a time to celebrate as any, time of day be damned. He'd withdraw a medium sized glass flask from one of his many satchels. The flask was filled with rich amber liquid, as he uncorked the bottle the sweet scent of honey filtered out, admittedly it was more sweet than stout. He gave a quick head count, motioned for the bartender to bring a few extra glasses, and proceeded to pour several glasses about a fourth of the way full with the flavorful liquor. "To the sweltering sun, to the shifting sands, to life, and to home!" He'd raise his own glass to his lips and take a mighty swig. The swig tingled all the way down, hitting his gut and warming his soul.
An oddly dressed woman--at least for these parts--cautiously strode down a long worn dirt road. Her head was shaded by her cloak's hood, and her eyes were covered by some sort of visor. She kept a sharp eye out for anything and everything, as her body remained tense, ready to react at a moment's notice...quite the fish out of water in these wooded lands. Eventually as she continued down the road, she could make out voices. The woman froze and her hand itched for her blade. Gripping the handle behind her, she closed her eyes to try and make out what was being said. It was yelled obscinities, then some other calls to silence whoever was cursing. A few moments later and she could hear the loud thump of charging foot steps and something about 'horney women'.
At this point, the woman debated whether to divert her path...but the hunger pains of her stomach urged her to investigate further. Hopefully she wouldn't get caught up in whatever she was hearing and manage to find an inn or a tavern close by. Drawing in a quick breath to relax herself somewhat, the woman pressed on. She kept listening for the voices trying to figure out what could possibly be going on. Though, as she walked they died off, but new sounds came in. Those of footsteps on wooden stairs and a door opening and closing. She followed the sounds, and the road eventually came upon what had to be a town. And much to her relief, a tavern right in the heart of it. A sign swung a bit above the main door, which read 'The Shady Corner'. 'Well...that's...lovely. Not like I really have a choice right now. Just get food, and get out.' she thought to herself.
She adjusted her hood and cloak to keep herself as covered as possible, then stepped out of the treeline towards the large wooden building. As she made quick strides to the front door, she couldn't resist the urge to glance about her in a feeble attempt to make sure no one really saw her. Once she made to the door and swiftly let herself in, a moment of relief washed over her. It was then that her attention was immediately drawn to a rather crowded table. An elvish man was pouring some kind of liquor for those around him and making celebratory declarations about the desert sands. The desert...Sirison! Her home! Where she had to get back to at all cost! Her feet started to carry herself towards the large party impulsively when she caught herself with a quiet gasp. 'What are you doing?!' She scolded herself, then managed to turn the action into moving towards the bartender a little ways to their side. The desert woman placed herself up at the counter near enough to listen in on the conversation, but hopefully far enough away to not draw much attention. With a quick tap of her fingers against the smooth surface she leaned against, she got the barkeep's attention and ordered herself a small meal.
Annaleigh blinked in surprise at Delvin's excited reaction to her lack of news. "My dear elven friend, are you quite alright? I brought no news to you of your family, yet you are celebrating as if I told you every man, woman, and child lived peacefully. The residents of Sirison are an enigma to me. Nomads and Uordeq..."
Out of manners she took a sip of the liquor when he raised his glass in toast. The liquid was sweet and tingled as it slid down her throat. It was not altogether unpleasant. Her gaze drifted to the cloaked figure at the bar that seemed intent on staying covered. The person's steps had suddenly changed course from the group durning Delvin's toast, as if thinking better of something. She looked quizzically at the odd character. She ponders approaching her for a moment and then decides to take the chance. Rising from the bench and taking up her staff, she walked over to the figure.
"Excuse me, this may sound silly, but did you want to talk to someone in the group over there? Maybe I'm imagining things, but it seemed like you were walking our way when my new friend gave his toast. Then again, I may just be a tad too nosey in this new place, and if my imagination has proved the case, I'm sorry for bothering you." The small woman tapped lightly on the cloaked shoulder.
Delvin gave Annaleigh that warm smile of his again, "Oh yes, but no news is the best news in this case, you'd know if my fears were true!" he chuckled lightly, though he restrained from divulging the entirety of his situation, loose lips sunk ships, or in this case brazen Elves with a miscontrued sense of valor and a temporairy lack of forethought. He brought his glass once more to his lips and drank the rest of the warm honeyed liquor down in a few swallow, reveling in the warmth that tingled throughout his form and fogged his brain only slightly.
He of course was a perceptive being if nothing else, he watched from the corner of his eye as the stranger entered the tavern. He was new here of course and many faces which should be famiiar were unknown to him, though this one seemed different, indeed he didn't even spy her face. Pointed ears were keen to the stranger's footsteps, they seemed light as though they were being careful. His nostrils flared ever slightly as he ran through the stranger's potential reasons for treading so light. The stranger didn't want to be seen, which was more than enough to bring his attention to them in the first place.
As Annaleigh moved to greet the newcommer he'd almost move a hand out to stop her, wary for his new friend, instead however his digits moved over the hardwood handle of dear Sanguine, inching slowy along the stock and towards the trigger in case he'd have need to draw down on the newcommer. His demeanor however was quite jubilant, offering no trace of distrust in the least. "Yes!" he'd shout over to the newcommer, "Come sit, Have some liquor and cookies!" He positively beamed at them.
The woman tensed up when she could feel a presence approach her. Then they tapped on her shoulder and asked her a couple of questions. She paused, quickly going through what options she had in order to react. It seemed safe to assume these people were potentially from her homelands. If she acted in certain ways or let certain things show...well things could get ugly pretty quick. Normally she might have tried to play dumb by acting like she didn't know the language and speaking in one of the desert dialects she'd picked up; but someone here might recognize it, making that a no-go. But as her mind continued racing for a way to respond, the elf from the large party called out to her and the small statured angori woman. With her face away from them, she winced. What was she supposed to do now? With a deep breath, her years of trainning kicked in. She turned to face them, "Well I...I just wasn't paying attention before and realized I was about to walk into you all...erm. I don't want to intrude on your celebration. Just grabbing a meal before I make my way onwards."
"Right, then." Something in Annaleigh's tone suggested the Angori did not believe the other woman. That, and the fact that she muttered rather distinctly something along the lines of 'mmhmm and my mother really named me Annaleigh.' She smiled kindly as she had before, "There's no intrusion to be had, really. Apparently that I brought no news was good news, is all. I just seemed to have attracted a touch of attention with my arrival. No private party, really."
The small Angori leaned in and whispered something low enough only for the cloaked female to hear (sent in message). Her smile was friendly and warm when she drew back, eyes brighter once more. She chuckled as she continued aloud, "Now, that aside, please feel free to join us. I can't vouch for the others, as I've just met them, but I don't bite. Not in this form anyway."
Delvin's broad smile never faded, though with the lack of offense directed towards his new diminuitive Angori pal he would ease his hand slowly away from his crossbow. "I've long dismissed with ideas of coincidence, I say your nearly running into us is a sign that you must join us, fate deems it so!" he filled another glass with his flask and sat it at an empty space at the table, "Come! Drink to the shifting sands with me for surely this is a blessed day!" he laughed heartily though inwardly he was still quite on guard, t'was best to keep those you were unsure of as close as able, and always at your front.
He'd withdraw a gold from his pocket, nod to the tavern keep, and flick it their way. "Food for our hungry companion, and myself, an elf cannot sustain on cookies alone" he shot a glance towards Glimmer and smiled respectfully, "No offense of course, your cookies are delightful" he'd been munching them with a certain degree of discretion. It was only a few moments before the tavern keep brought forth several dishes served grab'n'growl style with extra plates at the side. He dug in, fetching a plate and piling it high with the savory foods sat before them.
He took a moment of silence before eating, silently offering thanks to the powers that be for his new friend and the news she bore. He typically wasn't a religious man but in certain times when things aligned he would indulge the weavers of fate. "May the flames of passion guide our path" would be the only words he spoke aloud before lifting his knife and fork, prying into a chunk of roast, popping it into his mouth, and masticating silently. Lids fell heavy over those brilliant blues as he savored his first bite, though keen ears were trained in the direction of the newcommer.
"Of course my cookies are delightful. When you earn your wings, you'll understand then. I just simply don't understand how one gets by without them!" Glimmer turns her attentions to the new woman now before them.
"Hello, my dear. I am Glimmer. You must have some tea and cookies. Don't mind these boys. We're all friends here." Glimmer pulls yet another cup from her seemingly never ending pouch and places it before the woman. She then heaps sugar into as she had done with Annaleigh. Glimmer digs for a pouch of cookies and places them before the stranger before continuing on.
"Now then, dearest. Do let down your hood so that we may look upon you properly. What brings you here. Where are you from?"
The hooded woman studied the shorter angori woman as she spoke, then was mildly surprised when she leaned in towards her ear. Under the cover of her visor, her eyes widened. Had she already been discovered?..No. She had to keep calm. The woman seemed to merely make observations on her rather flubbed performance at playing coy. She let her eyes relax and was about to respond quietly when the desert elf called to her again. He insisted that it was fate that she celebrate with them. 'tch...fate. Fate can burn in the pit for all I care.' She thought bitterly, which left a bit of a sour taste in her mouth. Though the woman kept her face smooth and devoid of her true emotions.
Without another word, she slowly crossed over to the crowded table trying not to flinch under all the eyes that were trained on her. She never liked attention, and now really was not a good time for it. But it was too late for that now and she quietly took the seat they seemed to prepare for her. Her eyes slowly turned taking them each in only to land on the bubbly fae who sat diagonally from her. Her head tilted a bit, like a child might when looking at something for the first time and was filled with curiosity. The fae spoke to the elvish man next to her as food was brought to their table. The bubbly woman introduced herself as Glimmer and started preping a cup of tea for her and laid out some type of circlular food. They looked like the biscuits she usually ate on the road, but were clearly made from very different ingredients. The hooded woman guessed that these had to be what they were calling 'cookies'.
At the fae's requested, the woman slowly pulled back her hood and slid her visor up on top of her head; thus exposing a soft faced Ixifarian woman. There was a look of uncertain shyness that clung to her features and she nervously stroked the white plumage around her neck. Her dark curious eyes lifted from the tea and cookies before back to Glimmer. There was clear, quiet awe being exuded as the Ixifar studied the woman's wings. She squinted as if trying to recall something. "Fae...you're a fairy?.." She asked quietly, ignoring the lady's questions and the other happening around them.
Annaleigh resumed her seat and rested her staff back in it's place when the woman slowly moved over to the group. She chuckled at the energetic Glimmer, taking note that the fae seemed to have an obsession with passing out cookies. Over all, the fae seemed quite motherly when she spoke, if not a touch... well... touched.
The Druid sat quietly and observed the actions of the cloaked woman who turned out to be an Ixifar. It made her curious as to whether she, if she hadn't been just spaced out, as her previous and somewhat hard to believe words suggested, had been initially attracted to the group by Delvin's mention of the desert. A soft smile settled in place as the woman questioned Glimmer's race. She nibbled a cookie and took another sip of of her tea.
"Have you never met a Fae before?" She asked softly. "I'm Annaleigh, by the way. Do you have a name you care to share with us? I'm afraid 'hey you' is about all I can come up with aside from perhaps 'Ixifar' or 'Feathers' and that just seems awkward."
Delvin eyed the Ixifar curiously as she made her way to their table, a small smile curling at the corners of his lips as dropped her hood. He was suddenly quite glad he'd saw fit to spare her Sanguine's song, she was much prettier without a plethora of bolts protruding from her person. "I do hope my wings will be as marvelous as yours" he gave Glimmer a warm smile before he continued to eat, spooning up some mashed potatos and gravy and enjoying them to their fullest.
"So, A Fae, a Cat-bull, a Birdy, and an Elf walk into a tavern..." he couldn't help but chuckle, at least he could amuse himself. He observed the way she watched Glimmer, it was his first time meeting her as well but he wasn't keen to stare. "So yes! I'd much like to learn from where you hail, dear Ixifar" his countenance was warm, he really was a friendly sort when it boiled down to it.
"Of course I'm a way. My my, are you feeling okay?" Glimmer nudges the cookies closer to the Ixifar and says "I like your feathers. EAT THE COOKIES!" She hiccups as if she's forgotten herself and continues on. "Now then. Trouble finds us all from time to time. But you're hear now and there's no need to look back or be afraid of whatever has spooked you. Should you need a Scout to track or trap someone however, I'm your Fae." Glimmer pats her bow, hiccups again, and replenishes everyone's cookie stash.
"... and they all happen to sit down and make one heck of a ruckus," a voice echos from the rafters across the tavern. "You'd think I'd learn to find a better place to frequent than the Shady Corners," Wreynn pauses mid sentence, "ehhh, but the name has a certain sense of home. And the kitchen's not bad either. Besides, it's amazing what you can learn about people by just listening."
The voice trails off and no sign of the man who spoke appears to be seen in the tavern, however several of the cookies that Glimmer just set out appear to be missing.
Ohren looks around dumbly. Apparently he spaced out for a while. "WOAH! Where dided ebery body comed from?" He looks around wide eyed. He then looks down into the empty cookie pouch. "Gggliiiibbbbeerrrrr... I is outed of cookieeesssss." He whines at the little fairy. "I needed some mores to finished my milk..."
Annaleigh blinked at the voice, looking around for the source of the sound. It had seemed to come from the rafters, but they were empty. She shook her head and looked around the table. "I'm not the only one that just heard that right? What in the pit was that? Or rather who, I should say."
The Angori's hand, that had automatically reached to grip her staff, relaxed it's grip. Her posture had straightened to a more stiff alertness, however, and remained that way. The episode had been mildly unsettling and she had realized that she had allowed herself to become far more relaxed than she should have. It would be quite easy to imagine the woman with cat's ears turning a twitching to catch each sound, now, even though her outward calm had returned almost completely.
Edited))
The Ixifar woman blushed a bit from all the comments and questions that were poured in her direction one after the other, and a little from embarrassment due to her ignorance. She shook her head lightly,"No..I've never seen a fairy before..." Her voice was soft, and mildly ashamed, but she didn't let herself focus on that for now. "Um, thanks.." She added when Glimmer complimented her plumage. The Ixifar jerked back a bit at the fairy's demand, then quickly obeyed. The treats were a surprising delight. She'd never had anything quite like them, and it showed a lot on her face. After washing them down with the unusal flavor to tea (to her at least), she took a breath. "I'm Lia...and I'm from the desert of Sirison. As to why I'm here...." Her voice faded for a moment, as she struggled to keep the emotion from her face. Difficult memories flashed through her minds eye and she could feel the urge to cry bite at her eyes. Though, Lia willed them away with practiced ease. "I suppose it's your 'fate' that brought me here, master elf. Or just my brother's strong arm." She took another sip her tea and flicked her eyes back to Glimmer. "I appreciate your...kindness. However, I'd suggest you not make such offers so lightly. There's plenty in this world to fear."
When all of a sudden a strange voice rang out, at first Lia wasn't fazed. It was only when it hit her where the voice was coming from and then finding no physical source behind it that she was set deeply at unease. Her body tensed back up from instinct to be ready to defend herself should she need it. Though, the strange happening ended almost as abruptly as it'd started, and when she looked back down, her cookies were gone. An odd smirk crossed her lips. It was a classic thieves technique, and she'd completely fallen for it. Well, not like it mattered much in her case. It seemed that none of her possesions had been made off with, nor anyone elses.
Lia's eyes were drawn to the male angori who was seated beside Annaleigh when he seemed to finally come out of his daze. She'd previously assumed he was asleep, but his odd cries suggested otherwise. At hearing the small angori woman comment on the voice, Lia glanced at her and merely shrugged before returning to her cup of tea.
After hearing the familiar voice and noticing the empty cookie spot, Glimmer shouts to the rafters 'Uncle Wreynn, you could have at least left me some candy in your wake.!!!!" Glimmer looks back to the others and says "That man, I SWEAR! Anyhow, Lia, I choose not to live in fear of anyone, or anything. If it's my time, it's my time."
Annaleigh's nerves settled a touch more when it appeared that Glimmer knew the offending voice's owner. She noticed everyone's attention turn to Lia and nearly sighed aloud in relief. She was more than happy to pass the spotlight over to the pretty Ixifar. Though, the other woman seemed to take the attention a bit less comfortably than she had, herself. Never the less, she was sure the fae would help her warm up soon enough. Glimmer's personality seemed infectous enough.
She laughed silently when Ohren finally seemed to awake from whatever daze he had been in and discovered he was out of cookies. She passed the last of her cookies to the strange and interesting male, before finishing off her tea- resisting the urge to clean the settled sugar from the bottom.
As quietly and discreetly as she could, the little Druid rose and took up her staff. With a slight nod to Akon, Cail and any one else who might have been paying attention, she turned toward the tavern door and disappeared out into the town.
Delvin quirked a brow towards the voice echoing through the rafters, he grew calm and tried to sense where the sound originated from but he was unable too. This guy was good, he thought he caught something out of the corner of his eyes as the cookies dissapeared but he wasn't certain. He was relieved as Glimmer acted casually about the happening and would simply look at her rarely flat him "Yes, that man, Uncle Wreynn is it?" he chuckled, "Curious, and talented it would seem, not much makes it past these eyes" He cast a smirk up towards the rafters but there was no one in sight.
His watchful gaze was lowered once more to the Ixifar named Lia as she divulged the name of her native home. He tilted his head ever slightly as he read the pained look on her face, reguardless of how brief it was. He bit the inside of his lip as a thought occured to him, she was reacting the same way he'd have reacted if the news he'd heard from Annaleigh was bad. "Dear Lia, do not underestimate fate. We are but vessels in the sea of fate, set upon by the crashing tide as we carve our way to destiny" he gave her a weak smile, "The good in our life gives us something to cherish, while the bad serves to remind us of why we cherish the good" he shrugged his shoulders, "Or I could be spouting a lot of philisophical mess at you in hopes of making you smile just a bit and please, call me Delvin" he cast her a playful grin before leaning towards her and whispering into her ear, though not so softly that other's couldn't hear if they tried, "So tell me, what evokes these feelings when you think of home. As for your brother I've never met an arm I've been unable to bend or break if necessary" he smiled as he pulled back from her, locking eyes with her for a moment as he gave a rather stern look.
As Annaleigh rose to leave he'd offer her a bow of his head to serve as a farewell, chuckling as the cookie munching Doodad followed in her wake. "Aw, they so cute" he'd say, his tone dripping with a taunting sugary lilt, a far departure from the briefly intense demeanor only moments ago.
A slight form with curling horns, much like a ram's, came into view of the steps of the Tavern. Her long, rust colored skirt nearly brushing the ground where it dipped slightly lower on her left side and a white peasant's shirt to match. The miniscule Angori stood no taller than 5'4 and her skin was marked in a red patterning over a much more human, pale tone. The staff in her hand stood just a touch taller than she, and bright brown eyes observed the town around her. This place felt right, yes. She was exactly where she should be.
Annaleigh's eyes lighted on one of the strangest sights of her travels, a Fae on the shoulders of another female Angori. She blinked. Certainly if this pair was welcome here, she would find no troubles. She brushed her dark hair behind her ear, deftly sliding her hand past her horn without accidentally hitting it. She moved forward, to greet the apparently rude couple- she noted the obscinities being shouted- and spoke in a clear, but not terribly loud voice, "Excuse me, might either of you know what the name of this town is?"