Searching for Lathai

Aelwynn smiled, "I am in no position to criticize anyone, in case you haven't noticed. Beggars can't be choosers, I believe the saying went?" she began, slinging the deer over her shoulder.

He chuckled, nodding as he lifted the bear. In a perfect world, he would just load it on the caravan, or drag it on a blanket. However, the world was not perfect and he had to carry the gigantic thing.

The wolves guided them back without incident, though Lathai was clearly not having fun carrying something that was actually bigger, in size though not in height, than he was. With a grunt, he forced it into the back and offered to help Aelwynn with the buck.

"Where is Eloen?" He asked, rounding the caravan to look for her at the front. "Do you think she faded....?" His voice was struck with both concern and a hint of pride, knowing that if she had, she had taken his words (and surely Aelwynn had said something as well) to heart.

Aelwynn thought, "If not, then she is surely using the restroom." she joked, "There aren't any signs here of a struggle or skirmish."

Eloen slowly took one step, and then another. She caught glimpses of people running in the distance. Others like her, people taking advantage of this time. As she'd described, her blood felt charged. She felt like a thunderstorm in a bottle, waiting to burst. Most of all, however, she felt giddy. She chuckled lightly, stepping out into the real world on one of the branches of a nearby tree in time to watch them returning. Hearing Lathai's words she full on laughed. "That she most certainly did, toron..."

His face lit up and he looked at her, smiling. "How does it feel to walk within the darkness, little shadow gypsy?"

She looked down at her hands, clenching them into fists. She smiled down at Lathai. "I feel like I'm on fire....I need to do something....something daring...."

Aelwynn chuckled, "Careful that your search for trouble does not attract any."

He raised an eyebrow, looking to Aelwynn with a smirk on his face. "We could train. Pin the last two elven maidens against each other... Unless, of course, the paladin Champion is afraid that she'll break another arm?" He winked at Aelwynn before looking at the smallest of them. "Is that daring enough? One-on-one? Or even one-on-one-on-one?"

Eloen grinned ferally. "How about two on one?"

Aelwynn blushed bright red, "I'll sit this one out..." she muttered, embarrassed.

Fenris leaned against the caravan, eyebrows raised, curious. "Is that really such a wise choice? Even unarmed, the three of us are easily powerful enough to do serious harm to each other."

Eloen vanished, reappearing at the bottom of the tree. She stretched her arms high into the air before vanishing again, reappearing next to Lathai. "I don't know, I just...I need to move, or something. I feel like I'm about to burst if I don't let all this energy go..."

Aelwynn nodded her head quickly, "I will stay back here where I can fix whatever damage you do." she smirked a bit, but was still pretty clearly embarrassed.

Lathai looked over at her, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Or are you more afraid that even she can pin you now? I certainly did not have much trouble, and you are out of practice with an elven opponent." He looked to Eloen once more, giving her a grand salute: fingers to his forehead, body bowed at the waist. "I accept your challenge, seler."

Eloen smiled wide, reappearing at the base of another tree, sword drawn. "Come, toron. Let us cross blades again..."

Aelwynn averted her eyes downward, blushing deeply. Truth be told, she didn't like sparring. She never had. Something seemed wrong to her about fighting a friend. It never settled well in her soul, and it made her almost feel sick. But, she'd rather him think her a coward than tell him it was simply because it made her feel odd.

He shook his head, stepping forward and rolling her body backwards, pulling her arm into a chicken wing and applying just enough pressure to her wrist to make her release the blade. "Unarmed combat is perhaps the best training you can be given." He said by her ear, holding her wrists in each hand, "If you wish to survive, you must know how to use your resources. Now," he released her, spinning her away from him as he leapt back, taking an offensive stance as he fists glowed. "What can you do, little shadow gypsy?"

She grinned, despite losing her sword. As the sun had yet to fully rise, the area was still slightly shaded. Ripples ran up and down her body near constantly and she sunk into the ground. She reappeared next to Lathai, a roundhouse kick coming towards his head.

He felt the shift as she faded between realms, having grown accustomed to the presence and disappearance of his lover's eidolon. As she drew closer, he ducked, grabbing her ankle and yanking it towards him, watching her to detect her next move.

She flowed with his pull, springing off the ground and kicking her other foot towards his chest.

Missing her intent until seconds after it was too late, he could, gasping as she knocked the wind out of him. His eyes narrowed as he smirked, nodding to her to congratulate the hit. Whirling out of her reach, he slowly concentrated his energy throughout his body, ready to make it intangible at a moment's notice.

Eloen dropped first towards and then into the ground. The sun began to peak over the trees, and ever slowly the shadows on the ground were dispelled. Eloen reappeared closer to a tree, crouching low in a defensive stance.

Aelwynn stood back, leaning against a tree. She watched the pair grapple, but felt oddly defensive of him. While it was true they would not seriously injure each other, as they were practicing, and he was very skilled, something inside her wished to pull the two apart and cease the exercise. As she had no real reason to, other than her gut, she merely closed her eyes, sitting cross-legged in her armor on the grass, praying silently.

His eyes narrowed at her, taking in the entirity of her stance. In moments, he knew everything from her weight distribution to her center- and strength of balance. He charged at her, phasing through her completely with a hiss before ceasing his glowing and hooking his leg around her ankle, grabbing her opposite shoulder and pulling her back before rolling and pinning her to the ground. "Can you escape without the darkness, mellon?"

Eloen laughed with glee, squirming underneath him with no real intent to escape. "Gods yes. I feel so...alive. So many years of doing nothing, and now..."