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Ardent

Thought to be able to fuel an empire and advance a civilization decades, the Shift Particle is the most sought-after treasure of it's time. Two years ago, the crew of The Ardent took on this job only to meet near destruction at the hands of a rival. Now, they try again.......

Tags: adventure, airship, custom setting, elves, epic, fantasy, freeform, group, magic, pirates, steampunk

Character Approval: Yes

Player Level: Advanced

New Players: Open

Creator: Eden

Created: 08-02-2011, 05:11 PM

 

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Thread: Ardent

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    Strange insects whirr and buzz in the night air, some blinking with glow and light around the dingy little outdoor tavern. There is laughter, and dancing, the men clasp the back of one and raise their glasses to him. The man they honor is something of a small giant: great dreadlocks hang from a head at least a foot higher than the rest. He is solemn, and silent, and immune to their shouts.

    "Ay', Boj, we'ere startin' to wonder'f you'd ever come back. Goddamned long time t' be out there, y'young fool," a man some years his senior says with a great, booming voice, clasping the young giant's back. "Y'ge' any luck chasin' fools' gold, kid?"

    The young giant, in return, answers with a slow sip of his drink. After some time of being largely ignored and recieving only half-answers from the man, the others turn away one by one and gather elsewhere under the threadbare shades. He squints and turns his eyes away from the soft red light of the moon no longer blocked by other tall companions. Alone, he finishes his drink and returns to his map. He carefully inks the last dot in a thin trail beginning from deep within the Kerrian landmass and ending in a little dot marked home.

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    It was fascinating, being in a city so bustling with activity. Here no one knew who she was, and they would never know of her nobility unless they saw her canines, which, unfortunately showed every time she spoke or grinned. She supposed she could claim she was illegitimate and sent away the minute she was old enough. But Rynn doubted she would do that, she would be honest and just try to change the subject as soon as possible. She was on a much more dangerous, interesting mission and Rynn intended to find an ally.

    She found herself outside a tavern, brushing a stray curl from her face. A tavern seemed like as good a place as any to find an ally. Rynn drew in a breath and walked through the door. The place was filled to the brim with men of all sorts, some stared at her, but she wasn't all that intimidated. She was in a public place, and besides, the young woman knew her way around the twin blades she kept on her hips. Her emerald eyes scanned the tavern, settling on the tallest toughest looking man in the room. His face was hidden by dreadlocks but from what Rynn could tell he had a strong jaw. He was looking over a map fairly intently. A map which, to Rynn's delight, seemed to plot a path all across the world. Exactly where she needed to go. He was the ideal ally.

    Rynn, gathering all her bravado walked over to him, placing her hand on the table as she opened her mouth to speak. "Any chance you're interested in finding the shift particle?" Rynn asked, quietly so that only the handsome giant could hear her. She wore a smirk on her face, her lips closed at the moment, hiding her canines.

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    Boj looked up slowly from the well-inked parchment, thick brows furrowing slowly but not in anger or confusion: squinted eyes took in the strange teeth, the smirk, moved down slowly to the hand that presumed to lay itself on his table. The giant spoke only one word, and it hardly sounded like a question at all.

    "Why."

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    His reaction was less than interested, but Rynn pressed on. He was a good candidate for her. Together they'd be able to take on most anything. Hopefully he would be a little more social, she couldn't stand a life with no interaction. Part of why she needed a partner, someone to talk to too. Rynn moved her hand away from the table now that she'd gotten his attention.

    "I am hunting for it and would like an ally in it. We could split the benefits 50/50. I figure a group of tow would have a better chance than just me." Rynn said, her voice soft, friendly. "You also look like you're searching for something." She motioned to the map, taking a seat across from him and hoping he wouldn't find that too presumptious.

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    He did, in fact, find it too presumptious. Nevertheless the man's rumbling voice rose up alongside his shoulders and stated as politely as a bear-man could: "I do not want the money. I do not need y--"

    Boj stopped himself halfway through what might have been interpreted as a rude remark. He carefully lowered his thick shoulders, eyes flicking towards the men who had previously graced his presence. They were watching the fledgling pair, roaring in laughter muffled by thick night air and cavernous mugs.

    "I do not need help," he grumbled.

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    Rynn felt uncomfortable. This was not at all going according to plan. Why was he refusing to even look her in the eye? Where she was from, a woman like her was revered, it was an honor to talk to one. But then again, had she really wanted that life? No, that's why she left on this silly quest. She racked her brain, trying to find the persuasive words that would convince him, but Rynn was now unsure, her confidence shot down by the man's rudeness.

    "I wouldn't be a liability. I'm very good at swordplay. And I guess" Rynn voices has lowered significantly, the rejection had confused her "I guess I'm the one who needs the help. I want a different life than the one I was born into." She said, assuming he knew what she meant "And I thought this was a good way to start it, a grand adventure to prove myself or something silly like that...." She said with a small, bitter laugh.

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    The bear-man crumpled like paper in her hands, the half-request for help softening his features immediately. Tables away, the men roared with laughter and pounded their fists on splintered wood: this, it seemed, was nothing new to them. Boj was now the one in discomfort, his too-small chair creaking under his shifting weight. He would not look at her. It seemed she had found some weakness, and so easily.

    Boj's rumbling voice was softer, nearly a whisper. "It is dangerous. You must not go. There, women die." Huge, worn hands spread out over the map as if to hide it from her, as if she might spy the trail and sprint into the woods to her end.

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    "I'm not afraid of dying." Rynn said softly, though with an assuredness. "Thats why I asked for help though, you look like a capable man. I don't really have much else to occupy myself. If I go home its off to an arranged marriage with some silly dolt." She shrugged, looking at him, trying to get him to meet her eyes though it seemed like he couldn't. "I'm not a woman who can't defend herself. I made it this far already, and I've killed a man or two."

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    Boj bristled at the talk of arranged marriages among the nobility, something of it apparently offending him greatly. He looked in her direction a long and silent few minutes, the ticking of the gears in his head nearly audible. His expression still softened by her request for help, he nearly trembled to fight his own half-answer. But come out they did.

    "The morning after tomorrow's, I go. You will bring your own food.

    His voice was once again low thunder. Boj was unhappy with himself, a thin line creasing his brow. He rubbed leaked ink between thick fingers. "I do not fly. We will walk."

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    "I appreciate it very much. What is your name? I'm Rynn." She said, purposefully leaving off her last name as she preferred to not be associated with any of the families. "and I am okay with walking. It will do me good." Rynn added, ordering a drink and taking a swig from it.

    She knew he was less than enthused about her company, but perhaps they could grow to be friends over the course of the journey. It would be nice to have a real friend, not one that was a 'prudent decision'. She wasn't going to push him. Rynn would get the location to meet and leave him alone until then, once he'd given her his name.

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    Boj's loud half-friends across the tables responded to the arrangement with whoops and congratulatory hollers. They were, quite clearly, drunk as seamen. One of the younger men leaned across the table and laughed out some muffled collection of syllables. A name, perhaps, that meant nothing to the adventuress hopeful.

    But the string of sounds rang true for Rynn's new acquiantance, and he rose slowly from the table. His eyes on the young man, he carefully put away his map and placed a copper coin in the exact center of the table. Hands flexed at his sides and knuckled cracked, and he made a half-step towards the other table. But he stopped.

    Perhaps remembering his new arrangement, the giant of a man looked at her for another of those long, silent moments. "I am Boj. I will wait there," he said carefully. His hand rose and a finger rose to point to the edge of the town, where dirt meant loose pavement and a thin path wove through the trees. "Do not go past the trees. You...would regret it." With that, he hung his head and plodded towards the fine house on the hill.

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    "I will see you there." Rynn said, bidding him farewell. What an odd man, this one. He seemed so distant from everything. Concerned, but not wanting to be. It was an odd combination. He couldn't be much older than she was, but his eyes seemed so aged. After finishing her drink, Rynn paid for it and rented a room at the inn next door.

    ((Want to describe their respective days or timeskip?))

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    ((We'll have to timeskip anyway. I think I'll describe his day, feel free to do so if you want but no need to if you don't.))

    One foot followed the other up the hill's winding wooden steps, and stopped when Boj was face-to-face with the old family home. It was without argument the grandest house in the town, though that wasn't saying all that much. For good reason, though. Old Sam built the docks with his bare hands, serviced them for twenty years, and retired to a community that had built up around his hard work. Well-loved, and with reason, Boj thought.

    Grand double doors painted with cracked blue opened wide. A young woman not nearly Boj's size but bursting with an overjoyed reflection of his own features tore out of the house, blonde hair whipping behind her and--blonde? Boj blinked slow, once. Twice. She wrapped her thin arms around his massive ones and squeezed him tight, and he only stared at her.

    "Your. Hair."

    "Dani showed me how, isn't it lovely? Jaff says he likes the light hair, like--well, don't you like it?" Her voice was nearly a whine. But for his weakness, it would have irritated him. Instead his scolding expression melted like butter. He patted her...blonde...head, jaw unclenching, and headed inside.

    Tassa took her brother--the youngest of the boys, just as she was youngest of the girls--and wound him around the small, rickety estate, showing him all of the changes that had taken place since his last visit. Talk turned to her engagement, and Boj ended the tour at that. He would sleep. Prepare for...whatever he had gotten himself involved with at the tavern.

    --

    The morning after next, Boj woke earlier than sin. He had arrived in town half-prepared to leave it again, and the day before saw the finishing of his preparations, all within the confines of the ma'Deu family home. From time to time he thought he spied the strange red hair of his acquaintance, but he was busy and he could not be sure.

    He arrived at the meeting place at the ungodly hour of four in the morning, slid his too-large hands into shabby pockets, and stared into the darkness filtering through the trees. He waited.

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    After checking into the inn and punching a few men who had the gumption to assume the strange new woman was of the same line of work as the elves used to be, Rynn opened the door into her room for the next two nights. She let out a sigh. It was far from the grandeur of the world she'd run out off as fast as she could. And she couldn't be happier for it. The crude wooden bed with the hard mattress brought a sense of satisfaction that no amount of satin sheets and golden bedframes could. It meant she was free. No one from her home knew where she was, and she sincerely hoped they'd never find out. If her betrothed found out she was certain to have problems. But then Rynn remembered her companion and was comforted by the fact that he was enormous. After a simple dinner, Rynn went to sleep.

    The next day, the day before they were to leave, Rynn spent most of it out in the small town collecting supplies for the journey. She bought better armor, a travel cloak, and rations for a while. They would stop in cities and she could replenish there. The bustling town was exciting for the once noble, she loved seeing people haggle in the market and running about with their wares. It was thrilling. Rynn went back to her room early so as not to be too exhausted the following morning.

    She woke up an hour or so before sunrise and made here way to the meeting spot, walking up to Boj at around four ten AM. She grinned a little, having expected to beat him there.

    "It is not yet sunrise, I had figured you would not be here yet." She smiled, pulling her new traveling cloak closer around the shoulders. "Shall we?"

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    Boj was lost in his thoughts when he heard her speak. He did not turn at first, somewhat disappointed that he had been granted so little time alone. But he made a slow turn and peered down at the supplies and armor hanging from her frame.

    "Good. Smart."

    His eyes lifted to the ma'Deu home in the distance, where his family lay yet unwoken by dawn. It was good, that she was early: he did not like goodbyes. Especially with Tassa. Her weeping, teary eyes would only do more to unsettle his resolve. He--he shook his head and let go of thoughts of his last departure.

    Boj turned slightly and pointed down the thin path. "We follow this until we reach an outlook. It is an hour, two hours' walk, depending. We must not speak or eat until then." He began down the tiny path and did not look back for her.

    The silence and fasting each had their benefits. First, to avoid the dark animals and spirits that lingered at the edge of the town, each drawn to such things. Second, to be sure that none had followed them in hopes of taking their gold or, worse, his map and plans. Third, the abstinence of belly and speech would test how well she followed instructions. And finally--well, he just really didn't want to talk.

    "And most importantly? Stay on the path."

    The path the two follow doesn't seem to head in any particular direction. Detours occur for no apparent reason, the path splits and splinters into so many lines only to meet up again a few feet away. Nevertheless, it does seem to make a slow, slow incline. Rocks and gravel will begin to protrude from the ground, making the path yet more difficult to follow. Boj slows here, stopping and glancing backt o make sure she does not have any difficulty.

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    "Thanks" she responded as he complimented her thought process of the armor and supplies. Rynn wanted him to know that she was taking this seriously, from this point on she was not a noble. She was just an adventurer. Her name didn't matter, that's why she'd never told him her family name because he likely would have heard of it and she'd prefer to just be Rynn. As he spoke of remaining silent, Rynn nodded, looking up at him.

    "You are the expert, I will not speak until we reach the outcropping after this." Rynn said, shifting her swords to a more ready position and beginning to walk.

    And Rynn did as she said she would, she walked silently, keeping pace with Boj as well as a five foot seven woman could keep up with a very tall man. She wanted to speak of course, but her tiredness made the desire very easy to squelch. Not to mention the fact that Boj made it sound like her life depended on her silence. There was something peaceful about this nature walk, even though the trail was not necessarily easy going.

    Once it got much tougher, Rynn had to work a little harder to keep pace but she did it. She had trained before running off, she was no pampered princess. Rynn notice Boj looking to see how she was doing, and she opened her lips to say she was doing fine but caught herself before any sound came out, and continued in silence, hiking just behind Boj.

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    Thick brown brows rose and crinkled thick brown skin as the un-princess caught herself before speaking. He nodded with approval and continued on. The deeper into the woods they got, the more the trees seemed to press in on them, leaning in as if to block their path. Here Boj began to slowly greatly: his great, bulky frame forced to squeeze between two trunks every few yards.

    The third time it happened, Boj strained with all of his might. But, alas, his thick frame was stuck. He strained and strained, and then strained a little more. And then he looked down at Rynn with soft brown eyes that looked too embarrassed to ask for help even if they could. He had passed this way before, perhaps all he needed was a little extra push.

    Yet, the darkness behind her made an almost inaudible growl. Boj's eyes flickered up with concern.

    ((I'd like this to be the last post in Port ma'Deu, I'll make a private location. Please make your next post in "Gale Woods".

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    Rynn was able to navigate through the trees with relative ease, her slim form moving lithely over the underbrush. When he got stuck, Rynn waited for a few moments to see if he could free himself, but it was very quickly evident that he couldn't do it on his own. Rynn gave him a soft smile, not a condescending one, and walked over to him. She gave him a little nudge to help his muscular form go through.

    Not a moment after, Rynn heard the slightest sound behind her, and her fear froze her. She looked up at Boj, wide emerald eyes staring at him asking him silently if he'd heard it as well, and if so did they need to bolt immediately? After holding his gaze for a moment, Rynn slowly turned to look at the darkness behind her, but she couldn't see anything. She turned back to Boj, waiting for his guidance.

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    There was nothing there for their eyes to see. Only the trees, which had no breeze to sway their leaves, and only the shadows which fell between. Rynn's push sent the clumsy Boj stumbling from his trap, and without a second wasted one of his massive hands gripped high on her arm and pulled her into a run behind him. If Rynn fell as a result of the sudden yank, Boj would stop and lift her over his head. He sprinted down the path, shoving shoulder-first into the leaning trees which aimed to slow their path.

    Ahead, the wall of trees began to break up and resemble more normal woods. Pale morning light filtered through, and Boj hurried his step as much as he could without leaving his companion behind. As they broke through, he stopped in his tracks and lifted his hand to shade his eyes. They adjusted slowly to the sight before the two of them: like some stone tower bursting from beneath the ground and cut down, the trees gave way to what looked like a small, rocky plateau. Grooves wound 'round the base, old and worn by so much time.

    Boj wasted no time letting go of Rynn and jogging up to the base of the nature-hewn dais. With a low "hup!" he swung his leg over the ledge and pulled himself up top, before kneeling and lowering a hand for her.

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    Rynn was thrown off balance by his yank, finding herself very quickly pulled over the man's head. She couldn't say she minded, they were likely going much faster with him carrying her than with her running along behind him. She hardly weighed him down and his long strides made the going faster. She held on to him tightly, her red curls blowing in the breeze.

    As they came to a slowed stop and she was set down, Rynn felt herself begin to breath again. She hadn't even noticed how frightened she'd been before hand. The lovely woman stopped for a moment, looking behind her as if thinking a creature would burst out at them, though that wasn't going to happen. Rynn took Boj's hand, and with some amount of ease, lifted herself up onto the plateau. She looked at the man, wondering if it was safe to speak yet.

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    Boj might have sensed her unspoken question, because he straightened up and answered her thoughts. "We are safe here. We will rest." His eyes lingered on the too-still trees for a few moments more, before he lowered himself onto the stone and stretched his legs. Anticipating rightful confusion, he went on, eyes still on the trees. "So long as we do not linger and do not invite them, they will let us be. They like the town, all the dead do. There won't be many further out. We won't need to be careful out there."

    Glancing at her, he drew his eyes away from the wall of trees and broke apart a respectable loaf of bread. He offered her a little more than half, and watched her as he bit into his own piece. "What do you know about it? The koysq--the particle?" His voice was...wary, or something close to it. "Why do you want it?"

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    Rynn took a seat next to him, listening to him talk about the forest they'd just walked through. "Invite them? Why would anyone ever to that?" She said with a small chuckle, taking the piece of bread he'd offered. From her own bag she pulled out a small hunk of cheese she'd bought. Rynn tore it in half and handed it to him. "Cheese doesn't keep long, but I wanted some anyways. And since you shared your bread, the least I could do was offer something to go with it." She smiled at him, enjoying their small semblance of a friendship.

    "You know... I don't know a whole lot about it. I know its worth a lot and I know that many people want it. I guess the reason I wanted to go after it was so that I could make my own fortune, not have to pull from my family or anyone else." She shook her head, knowing that was a bit of a front "Honestly, I just want to prove something to myself, and maybe a bit to the world. I want to prove that we don't have to be what we are born into, we can live our lives as we choose. I want to prove that I can do it, I can survive, I can make something of myself without the Arokit name..." She realized then that she'd told him her family's name, but Rynn supposed it didn't matter all that much. So what if she was the daughter of the second family of Cann, set to be betrothed to the first family of Cann? Well, the first family below the royals of course.

    "I'd be eternally grateful if you don't share my family name. Nathaniel shall be hunting for me I'm sure and I don't want him to have any leads... Anyways, I would ask the same of you- what are you seeking it for?"

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    Boj turned the cheese over in his fingers, giving it a funny look that hinted he wasn't sure what to make it. After a minute or so he simply handed it back to her and popped the lid of his waterskin, drinking deeply from it while listening. As she mentioned her family, he seemed to either be only half-listening, unaware of the name's meaning, or simply didn't care. Perhaps more than one.

    He paused when she mentioned a hunter. "I would not share one way or the other." Boj turned a critical eye slowly on her, stern and appraising. "Hunting for you. You left this out."

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    She took the cheese back, placing it on top of her bread and eating it. The lack of his reaction at her name made her quite happy, she was dreading him saying something about it. It seemed she had found the proper ally. Although he began questioning her, and Rynn was quite worried she was about to lose him.

    "Nathaniel Randersvayne, my fiance for lack of a better term. He's a possessive man, especially of things he considers his, and I am one of them." She drew in a breath, looking out at the scenery, the ground, her food, anything but Boj "I didn't leave it out on purpose, I just left it out because I thought you didn't care. He won't find me, I've been gone for a few months and the last I heard of it they were searching in all the wrong places. He believes me fragile, so he won't be looking out here in the wilderness, and he certainly won't suspect me of taking on the search for the shift particle. I'm not worried about him finding me, I've covered my trail well. Besides, to anyone on this edge of the country I'm no one. They see the teeth yes, but I could just as easily be a bastard child from a torrid affair. No one I've talked to has ever come close to suspecting who I am. The world is large, and I am only one person. My trail is dried up, there is no need to worry."

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    Boj bristled at her words, something of it rubbing him the wrong way. Despite her not mentioning that it was arranged, it fit what little he knew of Tyrisia. And it was not exactly unheard of among the ex-slaves. Whether a remnant of their own lost culture or of Tyrisian influence, Boj was never sure.

    He glanced at her sideways, offering a drink from the waterskin and mulling over something in his head. "We will make a deal, here. If you are not content with the deal, I will guide you back to town." He paused. "Should we find it, it is first mine to use. When I am done, it is yours. Sell it if you wish. I care not."

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    Well, he seemed content with her response, so she assumed she didn't need to speak much more about it. She took the wine skin, thanking him as she took a small sip, handing it back to him. His deal piqued her interest, she was worried about what he would ask, but his terms were no issue.

    "That's more than fair. Are you sure you don't want some of the money? I mean without you'd I'd be hopeless out here..." She smiled in a self-deprecating manner, looking away from the horizon and back to him.

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    "If I were not sure, I would not have said it." With that, he took back the waterskin and rose once more. The plateau provided a fairer view of the distance facing away from the shore and port, though less trees and some height would go a long way.

    Boj pointed in the direction of a distant, massive outcropping embedded in the side of a yet more massive mountain range. "There: it's too high for even your flying ships to pass. The rocks that jut from the side, see? There is a way up the side, and caverns within those. They pass directly through the mountains; I've mapped them. It will take days to reach those mountains, days to pass through. At best. On the other side..." he trailed off. "Promising signs."

    He turned to her and fired her question back. "Are you sure?"

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    She stood up as well, her gaze drifting to where he was pointing things out. It looked perilous to be certain, and difficult, but all Rynn felt in her gut was a strong desire to accomplish it. She knew she should be terrified, she should want to run home, she should want her fine fancy wedding and expensive house. But she didn't. She needed to do this.

    "Yes. I am sure. I have never been more sure of anything in my life." She said, her gaze set on the distance and her voice unwavering.

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    Boj bristled again, as it seemed he was wont to do. "Stupid." He began to pick up his things, hopping down from the runt-tower. Grudgingly and without turning, her offered her his hand to help her down.

    The path was no less thin and difficult to find here, but as the two set off in the direction of the mountain range, the woods here began to feel decidedly different from those they had passed through earlier. Here the trees gave them breathing room as trees should, and light filtered through the thinner, spotted canopy.

    Without provocation or some initiation from Rynn, Boj says little to nothing until the sun is low in the sky. On it's own, nothing else occurs that day, and he stops to settle them beneath a comfortable ledge.

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