"Haa.."
Nayons lips parted to release that heavy exhale and reflected back on the past three weeks for the briefest of moments.
It started simple enough. The information from the refugees back at Camp Devotion had led the woman to a small town of Cheaston.. and soon the vast woods that boarded it. Words of eerie noises and ghastly figures appearing in the night had been spoken off. The townsfolk say it started years ago.. Nayon knew this would have been about the time her parents -- or what could be called her ``parents`` had fled from Winterhill. This was enough for her to begin her investigation into the winter-chilled woods.. but that's when things became, to Nayon, annoying.
Trial and error. Nayon knew Erika wouldn't have allowed trespassers to freely walk through her woods without some sort of repercussion -- not if they were deemed a threat. This was why it took her the third of those three weeks to simply trek through the forest. A few magical seals stealthily written on a tree had been enough to prompt the woman to move off in another direction. It was like a maze of sorts.. and only those who knew the signs could pass through it with ease. But finally, the vision of that small shack hidden under the shadows of trees was in her view.. and that was where she now stood.
"...." Silence fell over Nayons form once more as she peered at the wooden door in front of her. Hidden eyes narrowed under cloaks hood before she reached out to gently press fingers against the only passageway into the workshop. With a low creak; it opened.. She was met with warmth, something she hadn't been expecting. Upon venturing further into the shack did she see that a fire had indeed been roaring in the shabbily made fireplace. This could only mean one thing; she wasn't alone.
A squeak of wood heard and Nayon was instantly on guard. Reaching through that cloak to grasp hold of her blade. A quick tug, revealing only half of that soul-harvested. No more would be released as she soon saw the creator of the noise.. a small child. Pale white skin with long black locks of hair and covered by only a faded green tunic. Nayon could see the confusion in her eyes.. but, strangely, she saw no fear. Something that caused the woman to raise an eyebrow. "Child." With a light click that blade found it's home within it's sheath once more. "Identify yourself." As expected -- none was given.
Awkward silence filled the air as the two of them seemed at a sort of standstill. Neither moving.. as if both were statues. "Identify yourself." Nayon broke the silence as she asked her question once more; but this time, instead of an answer.. " Your hood. " The softness of the girls voice hit the woman's ears and caused her to blink cold eyes. "Remove it." The girl was requesting she remove her hood? Armored hand rose up to grasp hold of that cloaked hood, and with a tug, removed it from her head completely. Black strands of hair clung to her face from sweat.. and the darkness under her eyes could only be from lack of sleep. But, in her own way, Nayon had a broken sort of beauty. Something that wouldn't help in this situation. "Iden-" -- "You look like Mother."
Nayon froze. A sign of weakness on the battlefield.. but this girl spoke of a mother -- a mother she had appeared to share the same features with.. This only meant. Nayon could hear the faint whisper of Erika now. Hearing those final words before she left her within that Adenna cell and escaped with her mother. ``We could always make another one.`` Was this girl just that? If she was.. "Pack your things. You're hereby a prisoner of Liltu." She could be a valuable source of information. But things weren't always that easy. "No.".. Even though Nayon wished they were.
The girl continued to stand there in defiance. Her face void of emotion.. hard to read, much like Nayons own. It began to unnerve the woman to no end. Still, she was only a child. A simple strike would be enough to bring her back to the tower without much of a fuss. Another creak sounded on the wooden floor as Nayon began to step closer. The child didn't move.. so Nayon continued forward; but as one last step was taken that made the distance between the two of them less than a foot.. that would be when the younger one finally sprung to life.
Nayon was forced to take a quick step back. Watching the glint of shimmering steel pass through the air in an arc like slash -- and the girl who held onto the short sword with obvious signs of past experience. Her stance.. the way she held the blade. Nayon could see Felipe in her -- and at the same time, herself. Even more silence passed between the two of them. The child on guard, and Nayon simply not moving any further.. but then. "Strike at me once more and you will lose that arm.. your speed is impressive for a child, but Mothers training is nothing compared to the Dagger Sasc name." With that Nayon turned her back onto her and began to search through the small shack.
Nayons lips parted to release that heavy exhale and reflected back on the past three weeks for the briefest of moments.
It started simple enough. The information from the refugees back at Camp Devotion had led the woman to a small town of Cheaston.. and soon the vast woods that boarded it. Words of eerie noises and ghastly figures appearing in the night had been spoken off. The townsfolk say it started years ago.. Nayon knew this would have been about the time her parents -- or what could be called her ``parents`` had fled from Winterhill. This was enough for her to begin her investigation into the winter-chilled woods.. but that's when things became, to Nayon, annoying.
Trial and error. Nayon knew Erika wouldn't have allowed trespassers to freely walk through her woods without some sort of repercussion -- not if they were deemed a threat. This was why it took her the third of those three weeks to simply trek through the forest. A few magical seals stealthily written on a tree had been enough to prompt the woman to move off in another direction. It was like a maze of sorts.. and only those who knew the signs could pass through it with ease. But finally, the vision of that small shack hidden under the shadows of trees was in her view.. and that was where she now stood.
"...." Silence fell over Nayons form once more as she peered at the wooden door in front of her. Hidden eyes narrowed under cloaks hood before she reached out to gently press fingers against the only passageway into the workshop. With a low creak; it opened.. She was met with warmth, something she hadn't been expecting. Upon venturing further into the shack did she see that a fire had indeed been roaring in the shabbily made fireplace. This could only mean one thing; she wasn't alone.
A squeak of wood heard and Nayon was instantly on guard. Reaching through that cloak to grasp hold of her blade. A quick tug, revealing only half of that soul-harvested. No more would be released as she soon saw the creator of the noise.. a small child. Pale white skin with long black locks of hair and covered by only a faded green tunic. Nayon could see the confusion in her eyes.. but, strangely, she saw no fear. Something that caused the woman to raise an eyebrow. "Child." With a light click that blade found it's home within it's sheath once more. "Identify yourself." As expected -- none was given.
Awkward silence filled the air as the two of them seemed at a sort of standstill. Neither moving.. as if both were statues. "Identify yourself." Nayon broke the silence as she asked her question once more; but this time, instead of an answer.. " Your hood. " The softness of the girls voice hit the woman's ears and caused her to blink cold eyes. "Remove it." The girl was requesting she remove her hood? Armored hand rose up to grasp hold of that cloaked hood, and with a tug, removed it from her head completely. Black strands of hair clung to her face from sweat.. and the darkness under her eyes could only be from lack of sleep. But, in her own way, Nayon had a broken sort of beauty. Something that wouldn't help in this situation. "Iden-" -- "You look like Mother."
Nayon froze. A sign of weakness on the battlefield.. but this girl spoke of a mother -- a mother she had appeared to share the same features with.. This only meant. Nayon could hear the faint whisper of Erika now. Hearing those final words before she left her within that Adenna cell and escaped with her mother. ``We could always make another one.`` Was this girl just that? If she was.. "Pack your things. You're hereby a prisoner of Liltu." She could be a valuable source of information. But things weren't always that easy. "No.".. Even though Nayon wished they were.
The girl continued to stand there in defiance. Her face void of emotion.. hard to read, much like Nayons own. It began to unnerve the woman to no end. Still, she was only a child. A simple strike would be enough to bring her back to the tower without much of a fuss. Another creak sounded on the wooden floor as Nayon began to step closer. The child didn't move.. so Nayon continued forward; but as one last step was taken that made the distance between the two of them less than a foot.. that would be when the younger one finally sprung to life.
Nayon was forced to take a quick step back. Watching the glint of shimmering steel pass through the air in an arc like slash -- and the girl who held onto the short sword with obvious signs of past experience. Her stance.. the way she held the blade. Nayon could see Felipe in her -- and at the same time, herself. Even more silence passed between the two of them. The child on guard, and Nayon simply not moving any further.. but then. "Strike at me once more and you will lose that arm.. your speed is impressive for a child, but Mothers training is nothing compared to the Dagger Sasc name." With that Nayon turned her back onto her and began to search through the small shack.