Vc3 0.5

The high sun above barely reached the grove Thim lay in. Only shiny rays of light slipped through the canopy in the distance, catching the golden clouds of spring pollen. The odd snore or distant chatter went unnoticed by him. The grove was relatively quiet. The songs of birds and insects resounded/flitted? About the tall trees above. He could smell a pot of something cooking further down the mess of men. Despite the walk throughout the night Thim had only slept until the late morning. He wasn't use to the sleep schedule of the cloak's. Tolnii had explained, the cloaks travel during the night because it is when dushoca are most active and likely too attack. Sleeping during the day was the end result of fighting monsters all night. But not all slept many went about doing their duties. He'd seen violet cloak's carrying fresh buckets of water and game. His friends were asleep around him. Tolnii was nestled amongst the twisiting roots of some /tree/ violet cloak tightly wrapped around him. Pasha and Mirolat managed to sleep splayed out on the rough ground. Thim had used his pack as a pillow, while resting in his bedroll. Their lack of need for a bedroll surprised him a bit. He thought maybe the ground was rougher in the north, so the ground south must feel like a freshly turned down bed. He doubted it, but he didn't know much of the north. Besides hear say. As a gentle breeze blew through the grove, thim decided it was time to get up. Slowly standing he stretched, his scales prickled with the sudden movement. The bizarre sensation didn't bother him as much, the long walk had quickly made him intermate with the feeling. By the time the sun had begun too peak apon the world he had forgotten it. Sleep had claimed all priority, that was how he cramped his back. The rooty ground below his bed roll wasn't the best spot too pick from. And he was paying for it, the bodies around him gave no indication of notice. Violet cloaks lay all around, a field of wilted flowers. Rolling his shoulders thim futiley tried too brush the creases out of his affluent clothes. It didn't help. Sighing thim began to slink through the swayves of his brothers. Reaching the edge of the men thim walked deeper into the woods. The road they had travelled lay on the opposite so he doubted any thing lay ahead. Grey cloaked young men walked around on the other side. Steaming pots sat on fires in the middle of them. A couple violet cloaks seemed to be watching them do their choirs. Walking through the low brushy forest thim found a nice little spot to see to his buisness. The sounds of a faint trickle could be heard ahead. It was rather calming. After finishing Thim set off to investigate the noise. Clearing the canopy, thim spotted the river. With a slight bank the water was relatively clear, a few grey cloaks were filling buckets under the watchful eye of the one thim had seen sporting the buckets before. Two other violet cloaks sat further down the river atop a set of large rocks. They were fishing, they even had a small fire cooking some of the earlier catch. "Hurry up, you've got ten more to carry." The cloak barked at the set of young men is wet grey cloaks. They seemed to be arguing amongst themselves. Thim walked closer to watch the group arguing over filling buckets. As he got closer the violet cloak turned. "Ain't seen you before. There has been so many fresh faces recently." The man had a light northern accent and was surprisingly young. Clearly just a few years older then him and Tolnii. "I've only just joined." Thim replied. The man watched him, he had blue eyes and short hazel coloured hair. "That is evident, I am Hemli by the way. Been with the cloaks for the a couple years." Hemli said gesturing towards the grey cloaks. "I've been given the charge of baby sitting the southerners." He chuckled. Thim raised an eyebrow at the Hemli and earned a puzzled look. "Who did you say you were with again?" Hemli asked eyeing thim more intently. Thim was sure his accent and current appeal had become more apparent to the man. "Tolnii, Mirolat and pasha. We dealt with that willow within the manor. Then had a rumble out on the hills with some resperroes." Thim replied. Tolnii had explained what they had survived during the walk. In the north any dushoca kill earned a little respect. Resperros were well known for whipping out large groups of hunters. And even in the north willows were renound with terror.
Hemli nodded before answering. "I heard about that ruckus but by the time we arrived it was all a mess. Now that I think about it captain Johsem had said something about a crazy Southerner. My best guess is that's you." Hemli said, still clearly watching his clothes. "Didn't expect it to be some Southie lord." Hemli added as the grey cloaks climbed the bank and stood just behind him. The grey cloaks had heard the exchange and watched thim with a mix of awe and apprehension. "A lord?" One mumbled, while a couple in the back whispered back and forth. Hemli wasted no time, quickly he spun and began shouting at them. "Eh? You southies don't even show a lord respect!" The grey cloaks didn't respond. But their sheepish faces spoke aloud. The group was mostly male but a pair of girls stood next too each other. All of them eyed him with as much shock as the eyed hemli. "Apologize you bumpkins!" Hemli roared. The group managed too stammer a barrage of apologizes. Before hemli kicked at them and shouted. "Stop standing around! Your work isn't done." Thim watched the group trot off hurriedly confused. They seemed to have bought into him being a lord. He didn't even say anything. Hemli only laughed as they disappeared into the canopy. "The captain also said they had dressed him up as a noble to play with the Ashies." Hemli added between each bout of high pitched laughter. Thim couldn't help laughing. "That they did" thim added with a wink. Hemli returned it as he hurried off after the grey cloaks. "Until next time!" Hemli shouted before vanishing into the tree line. The ruckus had attracted the attention of the fishing cloaks. One of them was waving him over. Covering the short distance thim approached the two men. The smell of roasting fish was teasing his hungry belly. "Oi oi yous are with mirolat's lot den" the one who had waved him over answered with a thick southern city accent. He had grey eyes and a jagged scar along his forehead that snaked a path through his blond hair. Thim nodded as he replied. "That's true, I'm very fresh." The man nodded as he rotated the cooking fish. "Heard yous lot had it hard. Johsem loves too takes his time, we missed all the action." The Southerner said as he lent back against the rock. Thim only nodded as the man talked. "The name's Thimonel, you're the only other Southerner in the cloaks I've met." Thim said. The man smiled at thim. "Not from ///! Yous are west of ///. /// or /// I'm sure yous from dere. The names /// and he's ma brother ///" /// replied thrusting his thumb up at the other cloak fishing. Thim was surprised, how could he tell thim was from //. He chuckled out his reply. "I'm from //, how'd you know?"  // grinned "your accent gives ya away. Too south to be from a city but not a bumpkin. Usually leaves the /// and you're too pale to be on the east fringe." // replied, turning another fish. "Oi // say 'ello" // shouted at his brother. // only gave him a quick nod. "How long have you been with the cloaks?" Thim asked as he sat down on the ground next to //. "Yea been ages since we've been back south. Bout six years. Didn't leave /./ with too many friends. Headin north was better then the alternative, never thought about going east or west. Too civilized for us." // said as he took two of the cooked fish off and offered one too thim. Thanking him thim took it and began eating. "Never been ///. Is it as beautiful as they say?" Thim asked ///. The man took a bite of fish before replying. "It's Beautiful bruv. But our kind always ends up within the filth of any city." Thim wasn't sure if he'd end up in the filth. But /// might know a thing or two about the lifestyle of the place. "So bad?" Thimonel asked after swallowing the lightly spiced fish. The brothers must have rubbed some // on after cleaning the slipfins. "The city is a special type of brutality. It's hard too explain. Once you've been long enough" // replied as he finished his fish. Maybe they would pass through a city and thim would be able to see what it was like. He couldn't help be excited about the prospect of seeing such a place. He quickly finished his fish as /. Went about cleaning the freshly caught set. Leaning back thim rubbed the sweat from his face, the sun spoke of the turn of the afternoon as it climbed down the sky by a fraction. "I'd better get going" thim said finally as he stood out of the large rock's shadow. "Later bruv" // replied not looking up from the fish. Back under the gloomy canopy thim thought of // and his father. He doubted the man would have noticed his absence. Maybe // would have make the trek up the mountain to see if he was ill. They wouldn't find him, not unless they headed north. Pushing the thoughts of home to a bleak corner of his mind he continued on. The last night he hadn't dreamt of the ///. The ring clung to his finger still, but nothing had happened of the night. Reaching the grove thim met a few more cloaks awake. Man were breaking down tents or packing up their things. Tolnii was still in his nest, but Pasha and Mirolat were standing around the pots talking too Hemli and some other violet cloaks. The grey's tended too the fires and hussled about carrying things. The camp stretched out through the tree line. Reaching his spot thim began packing his own bag. Humming to himself he rolled up his bedroll and fastened it in place. With everything in order he checked too see where his friends were. The cloaks were bustling, bowls and spoons had been produced and an line of men stood waiting for food. Picking up a small stone thim tossed it at Tolnii, it hit him on his shoulder. The jostled man shifted and opened one eye before talking. "What is it?" He groggily asked bleary eyes wide. "Food is ready" thim replied as he stood and began to walk towards the end of the line. Looking over his shoulder he glimpsed the sleepy figure following. Tolnii had slept with his backpack still on. Thim was a bit impressed. Falling in line thim eyed the surroundings. Most of the cloak's were up and seeing to their own buisness. A bunch sat about eating, some grey cloaks were carrying away empty pots to be scrubbed. Tolnii yawned loudly before speaking. "Any word on when we're leaving?" Thim yawned as he shook his head. The pair stood in line without talking. Thim was sure Tolnii was preoccupied with trying to wake himself. While his head were clouded by thoughts of home. If his father could see him now, would he see his son or just a /rough person/. He doubted his father would see him as anything besides a disappointment. Well he was hunting. Just not the same game as his father. Thim thought about making a pair of dushoca skin boots for his father, he'd ask Mirolat what would make great boots. But his father was never one for fancy things, seeing his son dressed up might irk him more then the dushoca part. Thim tried too tell himself that didn't matter now. But he wasn't planning on dying, so he might as well plan about coming home. Soon he had a aged wooden bowl and spoon in his hands, the same grey cloak who gave them had produced a ladel and began surving him. The big pots looked more like a witches couldren. It was filled with a thick soup, it didn't smell half bad. Nothing fancy, just some vegetables and smoked bones. He had received a generous helping, the word he was a lord must have spread through the grey cloaks. Tolnii didn't seem very happy about it. "Eh? This is all I get! Give me some bone, you voll fucker."  The grey only retuned an /cold/ stare before ladeling him a small meatless bone. The violet cloaks behind weren't happy with how long tolnii was taking. A bout of shouting followed as Tolnii stalked over too thim. "Making friends?" Thim asked as tolnii sat beside him. "Southie shit" Tolnii mumbled as he began eating. "What made you think he's a southie?" Thim asked between spoonfuls, Tolnii was wasting no time in s/crapin/g the food down. "Most of them are what we picked up on the way down eh? All southern." Tolnii said sucking on the small bone. "So quick to throw themselves under a lord!" Tolnii added, grinning at thim slightly. Thim just continued eating. As they finished a grey cloak hustled over too collect their bowls. "How's the ring?" Tolnii asked as the pair sat allowing their meals to settle. Thim looked up at the cloudy sky, he signed before answering. "It's fine. I'm fine too, nothing has happened." Tolnii only hummed his affirmation. The shouts and laughs of the other cloaks rolled around them as men set about to begin their march. "How did you find it?" Tolnii quizzed, his curly haired head sweeping around for easdroppers. Thim was sure no one could hear them, he didn't know how, but he knew no one did. "In the manor, I was looking for some clothes and found it. Then that bloody Willow showed up and you lads did too." Thim replied as the sun slowly climbed lower down the horizon. Tolnii signed as Mirolat and pasha appeared through a group of brothers and headed towards them. "About time eh?" Tolnii said as he stood and headed to meet them, Thim nodded as he followed. "Get lost eh?" Tolnii asked the pair. Mirolat shook his head, his black eye had shifted to a light purple. "We were helping you mother" Pasha chimed in raising his two first fingers at tolnii. "Some of us have to do things besides sleep and eat" mirolat added. Tolnii scoffed as thim spoke. "What's the plan?" A small pack of grey cloaks had appeared behind the two violet cloak's. "We are leaving soon, but we have also received some reinforcements." Mirolat said gesturing too the new faces. They were the same group who had collected water. "Hemli brush them off on us?" Thim asked eying them. Pasha laughed as mirolat grimaced, Tolnii seemed interested in the greys. "Very much so, but we need the bodies. Four wolves don't make a pack eh?" Mirolat said. "What are your names?" Thim asked the group. A freckled ginger young man stepped forward and bowed. "I am /// milord!" Thim cringed at the deceleration, the other faces seemed confused by his look. Tolnii and the others couldn't stop laughing. /// even gave a little chuckle as he straightened. He boy shot the rest of the greys a quick smug look, a few seemed annoyyed by // bold move. Thim watched the group while the others howled, pasha was busy slapping both his knees, other brothers were eying them strangely. "So who's taking care of them if we run into some dushoca?" Thim asked. The faces of the greys all shifted into masks of poorly hidden worry. Well except for one, one of girls was staring him down. She had long blond hair tied into two buns, her face was painted by an implacable look. Thim was confused by the girl's gaze. locking eyes with her did little too change her defiance. "You and Tolnii will teach them the blade. You are both adequate enough too do it, but we'll take a couple to lessen your burden eh?" Mirolat said shrugging. "Tolnii will teach the lot of you about what other types dushoca we can expect." He added before turning too face the new team. "We aren't having that peppy southie" tolnii said pointing at ///. The boy looked hurt by the words. "Splitting them evenly would make sense" pasha said. Tolnii cut him an not too subtle look, it suggested he hadn't had the same idea. "Fine" Mirolat mumbled "we'll take those three you take the others." Pasha said pointing at // and two of the other cloaks. "You can teach the girls" Mirolat chuckled winking straight at thim, he slightly blushed and shrugged. The girl only kept up her glare, the other two weren't as promising. The only boy they had was a good head shorter then the girls. Thim didn't know at what age in the north the boys joined the hunt, but he was obviously just into his tens. The other girl had short blond hair and a scared sheepish look on her face, all three looked surprising similar. Thim was sure they were siblings, they all had the same hard brow and blonde hair. They were a bold opposite too Pasha's set. He may have suggested splitting then evenly but the smug grins passing between him and Mirolat suggested he planned the betrayal. They had gained three youthful strong men, none of those words matched his trio. The loud sigh escaping tolnii suggested he felt the same. "Now hurry up! We are leaving eh?" Mirolat cheerfully said as he led his group towards the road. "Tolnii you are in charge of team two! Teach them well, Volni wants us  ready for anything!" Pasha said as he trailed after his group. The trio watched thim and tolnii expectingly. "Go get packed, meet us back here in ten minutes." Tollni commanded. The girl kept up her glare until the other two led her away. Looking at tolnii all he got was an empathic shrug. Sighing thim went to grab his pack. The sun was slowly begin to dive behind the horizon as the cloaks set out along the road. The waves of purple rolled down the thin road. Lanterns in hand the column was ablaze with light, chatter and songs. The grey trio had returned on time and one glare less. They kept to whispering between one another. Tolnii was holding open a large weathered book, trying to let Thim read in his lantern light. The page held a crude illustration of a ///. The four legged dushoca resembled a large wolf, if a wolf had horns and breathed out clouds of magic. Multicolored clouds of condesated magic. Like water in the air makes fog and rain magic too resides in the air. Tolnii had insisted he wasn't joking, thim half believed him. The book had held some other strange facts but thim took them with a handful of salt. The //. Was a solitary dushoca that were known as scouts for Morse, an natural creature so intuned with magic was rare. The book had suggested it was due too Morse's influence of the beasts soul. They were greatly feared with jusy their natural weapons of claw and tooth, but their habit of casting spells had earned them a place of hatred. From fire balls to lightning some where even known to copy spells from mages. The guilds paid heavily for the corpses of //. Rumour had it the // had a taste for magic and would hunt down adolescent casters. They even had gills. Thim had never heard of anything like it before. The // were silent within him. He hadn't visited them since leaving the manor. He pushed it too the back of his mind. The last night he learned of the // giant flying rodents with the hunger for goats. Tolnii insisted they tasted like chicken and weren't half bad. But little more then a threat too farmers. "Can you show me something we might run into up north?" Thim asked the /// failing to garner any real attention. He was sure of he ever ran into one of the larg magic dogs he'd try not too die. Tolnii gave a short nodded before taking the book back and flipping through the pages. "What do you think about the Grey's?" Tolnii asked barely acknowledging the three walking behind them. Thim had thought about it as the had set off, the boy was useless, the girls weren't too pretty either. But he wasn't some veteran dushoca hunter. He didn't know what skills might help them. He was sure he didn't have too many skills himself. Unless the dushoca got drunk and tried to knife fight him. The glow of the cloaks lit the tall mora trees surrounding them, insects and nocturnal creatures watched from those high branches. Many of the insects followed, buzzing about in swarms overhead, some would occasionally land on his lantern. "I wouldn't expect much, but I could say the same about me." Thim said looking over his shoulder at the trio. They had heard, the same girl was glaring at him again. He couldn't help sighing. Tolnii was grinning at him as thim faced him, his eyebrows did a merry hop up and down. "Spurned lover perhaps?" Tolnii asked aloud as he turned and eyed the glaring girl. Gasping tolnii faked surprise as he raised a hand too his mouth in embarrassment. "Now that I think about it we haven't introduced ourselves! I'm Captain Tolnii and this here is Sargent Thimonel, I had to give him the rank because his father is quite the ruthless lord. You can call him kaizar Thimonel if you'd like." Tolnii said give a Curt bow and gesturing majestically at him. Thim just eyed the idiot's display. The three seemed a bit taken aback by the display. The girl was blushing and the others seemed almost relieved. "Kaizar Thimonel will be teaching you the blade! His father spent a lot on blade borns from east to west. I oh humble tolnii will expand the horizons of your mind." Tolnii said walking backwards, book tucked under his arm, he wasn't being very subtle with his eyes. The other girl was trying to escape his gluttonous gaze. The boy seemed a bit confused, but he spoke first. "I am ///, these are my sisters // and //." He gestures first to the girl looking off in the distance and then the other who had returned to glaring at him. Soft and delicate the boys voice showed his age, but he spoke clearly and proudly. Especially for some farmer's son. "Where are you from?" Thim probed gently watching the boy. " we are from //-... Gillsmol" he had paused briefly as // kicked the back of his foot. Thim wasn't buying it, from the look of it tolnii wasn't either. "What ever trouble you are running from don't bring it on us, we've got enough problems ahead." Tolnii said roughly. His eyes were harsh and piercing. He knew they were hiding something, thim did too but they didn't have any evidence besides the weird behavior. Thim had his own problems to deal with tolnii could deal with them. The night continued on relatively uneventful until some time after midnight. The siblings hadn't spoken since tolniis short warning. Tolnii had slipped into the same grumpy youth thim had first met. With no words said the marched, luckily mirolat had appeared with a wine skin. The intoxicated tolnii was still grumpy, but that rage fueled him and his drunk brothers as they sung. Under the slim body of // the sons of violet roared the words of //. "Oh how violet her lips. Back and forth she kicks, licks and picks. With just a sway of her hips And we are all transfixed. On violet cloak's her eye's are affixed. Leaving the rest of us eclipsed and nixed" The Brother's sung. A few had even produced worn instruments and played an hauntingly somber tone. Thim new a few of the lines after the cloaks had repeated the verse. He even joined in on the next verse when it came back around. "With Lily white skin and earthy brown hair, She'll break our heart's with just a glare. Oh our world truly is unfair, but She'll strip us bare
Just like Dog's we'll follow her anywhere. Those damned dushoca better beware, The son's of violenty are everywhere." Thim roared with his brothers. The four of them had some how worked their arms onto each other's shoulders as the marched leading the singing. An golden storm of insects danced in the lantern light with them. With the drink and merry ment the night had passed quickly until Thim found himself queitly singing too himself under the purple early dawn sky. "Faint but strong we'll carry on
The children of the north will never be gone, Her violet cloak's will always march on. With just one kiss she'll lead you to bliss, Her violet flowers will blossom within the abyss" tolnii quietly hummed the tune in response. The marching force had fallen into the usual /early morning dearyoness. The grey cloaks stumbled along behind them barely awake. The // were still quiet. The bright morning bird song flitted/ about the tall // trees. The morning dew had settled across a passing field, the dawning star made it shine. He even glimpsed a deer follying about. If he had been alone or had a good bow, he would have hunted it. But Tolnii had insisted the cloaks would feed him enough. Still the idea was tempting, so much of his life had been spent on the trail. Sighing he glimpsed around, most of the cloaks seemed ready to keep on walking. Their march home had been delayed enough. He could see it on their faces, he didn't know how exactly, but placed it too ///. The knowledge had found him suddenly, as had his understanding of the runes. His scales /touch/feel/ haf slipped into filmurality/. As he thoughtlessly watched the passing landscape the word to set up camp had reached them. Many barely acklodged it, but all set about finding a spot within the surrounding land. Thim spotted a // hawk, it's bright brown body radiant in the sunlight. The following days passed drowned in uneventfully/ness. Most of the time was spent traveling across the heartland at night, the day was for resting and practice with the gray cloaks. The trio had learned surprisingly quick, but none held the natural skill with a sword. The young boy was quick with the bow and accurate, but he struggled drawing the long bow to it's ideal tautness. Time and practice would solve the issue. Thim had slept dreamlessly, as the days crawled on his wounds had completely healed. The scales had simple pealed away like an old scab. Tolnii and thim had sparred with each other at every opportunity, they would usually even gain a small audience. Many of the brother's had even given them tips and suggestions. The shrieks of raging steal split across the almost empty /valley/. Knee high grass /danced/shook/ as the pair ravaged each other. The irritating blades did little to /stop/interfer with thim's stalking gait. Tolnii was trying his best to keep the blunt training blade as far from him as possible. The two steel arms clashed and twisted eagerly looking for a soft body part too split. The weapons were blunt but with enough force would leave a nasty gash. The pair had been exchanging wounds every day, both were covered is bruises and bandaged cuts. But it did little to hinder their destination to best each other. Thim had learned the basic forms from his father, the old hunter hadn't owned a sword, that Thim knew of. But with sticks of varying lengths they had practiced on lazy afternoons. His father had taught him how to flow from form too form like water found it's way too the sea. Thim was proud of his margin of training. But he knew he was no blade master. /// had offerd to spar with him, but tolnii had insisted on patience before accxpecting the offer. Thim was surprised by the young mans patience for someone hr easily slipped into an arrogant and bitter mood. That grim face framed by sweat slick curly hair watched him as their weapons exchanged diplomacy. Tolnii new some forms but relied heavily on a more instinctive fighting style. It wasn't un usually for him to throw a punch or kick into the exchange. Thim had learned quickly to be cautious of the un refined style. Thim had even copied a couple of tricks he had seen. Their two style matched and made for a harsh b/ack and forth/. Thim relied on his stances and forms, using his core strength and balance to hold off most of tolniis wilder attacks but when on the offense he varied swings to pressure tolnii lack of anticipation. The watchinh brothers cheer as thim side stepped a faint and fluidly changing form. His short fast strikes must have hurt as he caught tolnii on his fore arm and elbow. The curly haired boy grunted as hr quickly back peddled, thim didn't up his assault as he swaped styles entirely. /// had sparred with a few of the more skilled swordmen and showed a force first set of wide charging slashedy. While her long curved sword with it's rings didn't match the style of her practice blade, the monuever was such a sudden assault it had worked. The sudden flurry of sloppy slashes pushed tolnii back. Desperate to get another hit tolnii dance/pranced around the field barely keeping out of reach from this charge. The barrage had drained// the last of thims stamina. He would need to get use to waving around chunk of metal like an idiot. // strikes were incredibly fast and percices. Thim thought he may have underestimated /// as he breathlessly put distance between them. Tolnii look almost as tired as thim felt. This would be their last clash, most of their other spars ended smilrly. Tolnii charged his, lanky frame surprisingly fast, thim cursed his long legs and arms as blows rained down on his shifting forms. Nothing to wild had appeared yet, but the end was approaching. Thim shifted into clash against the assault. Volni had critisied their feirce spars, but also seemed too approve of the savagery and tricks they learned. They weren't knights, they didn't fight fair or follow a code.  The dushoca wouldn't accept any surrender, so they were ready to go down biting and clawing if they had too. They hadn't actually spoken about it, not sperficially, but a mutual understanding seemed to pass between most of the cloaks. They had to be ready to die on their feet dragging screaming  dushoca into the void. Even without a weapon they would be ready too kill. Roaring the pair lunged through their clashed blades. The griping and twisting at each other the fell as they stumbled across the bumpy sprouts of grass. Landing on top thim drove his elbow into tolnii desperate to separate the blades betweeem them. Unfortunately tolniis unnaturally long legs hammered against thims face. Lights danced as he slipped out of concousness until he landed face down on the pointy grass. A couple cheers and woops went up as tolnii stumbled to a stand. "Victory!" Tolnii half heartedly cheered while pumped his arms. He slid of his sweat and mud stained under shit and flexxed at the small /herd/ of girls watching. He had yet to make a good impression. "Come on brother!" Tolnii cheerfully said offering an arm to thim. Splayed out on his back thim graciously acceptrd. They had been fighting for a while, most of the faces from the start had vanished replaced by grey cloaks and some violet ones. Moaning loudly as he stood thim spoke. "I dont see // or ///" tolnii nodded in agreement as he scanned the watching faces. "The shit's must have found something more interesting to do eh?" Came tolniies words in his husky accent. Thim only grinned and sighed as they set off back towards their section within the camp. With the late afternoon sun over head many of the cloaks were eating or deapertly trying to find any trace of sleep. The schedule hadn't affected thim very much. The march had usually tired him enough for sweet /// to steal him away for enough hours of rest. The grey cloaks weren't as lucky, they slept when ever they weren't as ng choruses or training. With mirolat's team at an relatively inexperienced the oldman had put them to scout and hunt any scurrying dushoca they could find. The two teams were too set out tomorrow, while the previy scouts returned and the collom rested. Thim and tplnoo had little hope for their own team, the //. Siblings were relatively unskilled and slow learners. The kind who thought they knew better, the pair was getting quite esaperated with them. Tolnii had even joked with in ear shot of them that losing them would be a burden off of their own shoulders. The siblings had been /grumpy the following days, they had even strides to prove themselves. But it didn't give Thim or tolnii much hope. But they didn't expect to run into any dushoca, since the manor the scouting parties hadn't found hide nor track. "Ready to brave the wild eh?" Mirolat quized happily ad he rounded a broad // tree. Thumbed his nose at the man, mirolat only grinned broader. "Think we'll find anything?" Thim asked as tolnii jutted two fingers at unphased mirolat. The pair were still upset about the days old betrayal, thim could hide it better then the gloom faced friend. "What ever we face we can handle!" Lat replied waving his hand at them dismissive/worried/ motion. "It's only a small /sleeping forest we have to cut through/" the words coming out of lays mouth didn't mean much too thim but tolnii gaped. "we have to scout a/ sleeping /forest?" Tolnii asked worry and ondognace high in his pitch. Thim wasn't sure what a /sleeping forest/ was. "The collum is going around while we check it for dushoca" mirolat said nocjelantly to the shocked tolnii. "Fuck off! We can't cut through a /sleeping forest/" Replied tolnii anger flaring, thim had started to worry. "What is a /sleeping forest/?" Thim asked eyeing the strange stand off. "Elves voll fucking elves!" Tolnii roared, drawing a bunch of looks from surrounding cloaks. "Pasha can speak elvish, we'll be fine. Southern elves are soft." Lat added both not answer thim's question. "Elves?" Thim probed. "Elves" both replied in unison. Thim just shook his head and set about changing into fresh clothes. Their trio had actually managed to find a stream to wash their clothes and thims lordly attire was almost as good when it was in the manor. Despite some specks of mud and dust. These elves didn't bother him much, most stories said the elves were fair and lawful. But some had insisted they were dushoca and morse spawn. Thim hadn't really been interested in elves, for centuries they have sat in their forests. Well thats what he had been told, he wasnt sure what they even looked like. Most stories had been vague. "We will head out just after dusk" Lat said to the packing pair, the sun had already begun it's creep down the sky. "Hope your /underlings/ are ready, it might get messy" mirolat added, Tolnii scoffed before replying. "Eh? I thought we wouldn't run into anything" mirolat only smirked before leaving. Stripping down to his small clothes thin slipped OK his fresh noble ware. If they ran into any elves he would want to look his best. Might just spare him an arrow. Tolnii had changed into some plain black and grey clothes. Donning their cloaks and blades the pair set off to meet Mirolat and Pasha. Their trio had been told where to meet at dusk, if they didn't show they would be left behind. Thim thought it wouldn't be too bad without them. His index of dushoca had grown every night and even though he was far from experienced, he couldn't help expecting himself to do just fine. With their nightly travels they had already passed ///. The violet cloaks had made a ten day walk just under seven days. The pace they had set was fast enough to keep them awake. Thim hadn't really expected it to show such a dramatic difference . strolling through the organising brothers the pair reached the meeting spot. By a twiny // tree, old man/// was standing talking two a set of violet cloaks and a plethora of greys. Seems they were the last too arrive. The trio had even shown them up, Thim tried to not show any sign of caring. Tolnii didn't. "Good of you too join us! I hope this wasn't too much a in convince." The old man said, a gnarled hand coming through his beard. Thim bowed his head to the man as tolnii replied. "Sorry uncle, we were looking for our grey cloaks." The sincirty in his voice was forced, slick with anger. The old man just shook his head as // glared at thim. "Well you haven't missed anything important. So listen up boys. The brothers will follow the sleeping forest along it's southern border, as you probe and make contact with any of the local elves." The old man spoke clearly to the gathered cloaks, He was gesturing too a map held between mirrlat and pasha. Once you've dealt with any dushoca well unite here on the other side. The hemlwoen road is noticeable so you can't get lost, but if you don't arrive a day after are scheduled time, we will leave. You will just have to catch up." Volni said shrugging slightly at them. The grey cloaks wore shocked and worried faces, Lat seemed unphased while pasha seemed annoyed by the maps uneagerneas to fold back up. With that said the old man was gone, busy with dealing with the main force. The grey cloaks passed glances and whispered words of fear back and forth. Thim could hear them, but he paid them no attention. "Listen up cloaks! We will combing /// forest, stay close to your violets and say if you notice anything bizarre. Sleeping forest are treacherous but if we work together we'll survive." Mirolat spoke commandingly, he cut short the whispers and looks. "There is no time to waste. Tolnii and Thim you'll be at the back. Greys in the middle eh? And me and pasha will lead. Keep it tight and your eyes pealed." Mirolat ordered gesturing for them to form a column of pairs. Pasha finally dealt with the map and stood beside mirolat.