Eiyuu Kishi Den

Mia's ears perked up at the mention of his desires to leave. Perhaps she could be of service there. "Oh, a mercenary here or there. There was one obnoxious fellow who really stands out... damned if I know what became of him though... Generally they either learn to master the transformation, or they lock themselves up for the full moon to pass," Mia explained. "Amongst most societies, those known to be afflicted tend to be ostracized, even outright exiled. Mercenary work is the source of income and freedom outcasts of all kinds seek, so long as they can handle a little violence..."

“Mercenary work? I don’t know that much about the world beyond this forest, and being a mercenary may give me that opportunity. I’ve never had to work for money, since everything was provided by the village, nature or through one’s own means. It might be fun…I could come to learn more about the world and I may come to know more about my…unique condition. It would certainly be more helpful than staying here, banished from the village and the herd,” Aegir replied.

Mia gave a good-natured laugh in response to the centaur. "Then I can show you the ropes! I've brought more than a few into the fold," she said. "Besides, I can't imagine what it's like to live way out here for the years to come. I'd likely go mad if I tried living alone for more than a few months. I couldn't even stand stay in my home forest for a hundred years straight, but I suppose that's just a testament to my character--and being half-Falis forsaken, evil, and accursed dark elf." She laughed again, poking fun at her own heritage. Taking up her spoon again, she continued her meal.

Though he had followed the same trail all day, Cade was begining to suspect he was lost. The directions he'd gotten had been vague enough, and he'd seen nothing even resembling a farmstead for hours. It seemed likely that this job was going to take a few days, at least.

"Quiet, too." he mused out loud. Walking on his own for so long had made him somewhat lonely, and he put his thoughts into words to keep himself company. "I wonder if they told me wrong? This place does have something of a reputation. Thoughtful of them I guess, but is it really that much better for me to wander around out here 'til who knows when? And if one farm is haunted, why shouldn't the whole forest..."

He stopped. Other voices, faint but unmistakable, were drifting down the trail. Cade shook his head at himself and slowed his pace, though whoever it was likely could have heard him carrying on. A cooking smell reached him now as well. Whoever it was, they were not ghosts, at least.

“It’s a deal. I will leave this forest with you and your wolf companion Lucied. Do not take this the wrong way since it is unfortunately part of my own kind's view, but I suppose it is because of my unique condition that I am seen as accursed that I am willing to travel with a half-Falis Dark-elf. We should make for an interesting company, I think,” Aegir replied catching Mia's harmless poking at her heritage before his ears twitched, honing in on some distant sound. “We’re not alone…it appears I am very popular this day,” the young centaur said before heading out of the hut. His hooves were muted on the grass covering the ground, as a carpet, of the clearing. “You may come closer, traveler. I will not bite and welcome to my little homestead,” There was far more stew still left in the cooking pot, and quite a bit of rabbit left over as well.

Mia remained in the hut, sitting at the table to finish her own stew. She assumed it was likely a local elf, maybe a centaur, though there was a small jump in her heart as she hoped it would be Azala, or more likely, Sera, at least. She probably wouldn't be so lucky.

OOC: To make things a little easier, I thought that Mia might know Cade in passing, seeing as they're both mercenaries.

OOC: Sure, I can see that. Cade might resent being called a "mere" mercenary though.


Cade halted for a moment as the voice hailed him, but he stood taller and continued with greater confidance. Now that he knew that the strangers didn't wish to remain hidden, it made things less awkward.

"My apologies for intruding." he said as he approached, and came up short at the sight of the speaker. Cade had seen centaurs before, but always at a distance. So close up, they could be a little alarming. He paused, then forged ahead. "I'm a little lost. Would it be alright if I stopped here a bit and got my bearings?"

Bundesphar wrote:Cade halted for a moment as the voice hailed him, but he stood taller and continued with greater confidence. Now that he knew that the strangers didn't wish to remain hidden, it made things less awkward.

"My apologies for intruding." he said as he approached, and came up short at the sight of the speaker. Cade had seen centaurs before, but always at a distance. So close up, they could be a little alarming. He paused, then forged ahead. "I'm a little lost. Would it be alright if I stopped here a bit and got my bearings?"

“You may stay as long as you wish. You may dine at my table, and take part in the stew. I had prepared some rabbits earlier, and there should be enough left. I should feel honored,” Aegir replied, a little confused and surprised at the sight of a human. Humans had remained at the borders of the Glassy Woods, never straying deeper into the woodland realm. It must have been his curiosity and the notion of having two guests appear that day, that the centaur didn’t mind Cade’s presence. “I welcome you to my homestead. Where were you planning on traveling?” For a moment, Aegir was tempted to look the human over. What strange creatures,…lacking hooves and a tail, with two legs though restrained his curiosity. The human might find it rude, and Aegir didn’t want to have a guest of his homestead to be offended by what might otherwise be a harmless gesture.

"Thank you kindly." Cade replied with a respectful bow of his head. While he hadn't thought that centaurs ate rabbits, the promise of cooked meat kept him from wondering too much. " I'm on a errand in these woods for my employer, but the directions I got at the last village haven't surved me so well."

His manners suddenly returned to him, and he held out his hand to the centaur. "My name is Cade, by the way." he said, unsure if his host's people shook hands, but determined to be polite as possible.

As Mia overheard the conversation with the visitor, she seemed to recognize the voice, but that meant little to her. It wasn't until the mention of the name "Cade" that her ears perked. Cleaning one last bite off her spoon, she hopped out of her seat and strode to the threshold of Aegir's hut. Lucied remained where he lay on the floor next to the table, only lazily lifting his head to see what Mia was up to.

Mia leaned against the wall casually, looking at the familiar mercenary who had wandered into the camp. "Well, hello there Cade Adamear. Fancy meeting you out here," she spoke. She and Cade had worked together rather recently, and the human had made an impression on her. "That errand wouldn't happen to be for me, would it?" she asked. Not many humans had reason to contact the locals in the Glassy Woods, after all.

Cade was nearly as suprised to see his hosts' other guest as he'd been to see the centaur. "Mia! What are the odds?" he said. He tended to forget mercenaries after their jobs together, but the elf-woman, with her skill and mysterious heritage, had remained in his mind. "Never fear, no one's put a price on your head." he said with a grin. "I'm out here looking for a human, if you can believe it. You and your friend are the only speaking beings I've seen for a while now though, so no luck yet."

Cade sighed, then looked around the clearing with renewed interest. "So, would this happen to be where you live Mia?"

OOC: Sorry for the wait! I forgot about this thread. D:

Mia chuckled in response to Cade's question. "No, I don't really live anywhere. I was just visiting an old friend and I stumbled across a new one," she replied, casting a cordial smile over at Aegir. "If you need some help finding someone in the forest, I could take you to the elf village. I know a ranger who might be of service." Maybe she'll talk to me if it's strictly business, she thought to herself.

OOC: That stinks.

OOC: Very sorry. I just can't seem to get a free moment this month.


Cade brightened. "You think you could? Gods know I need some help on this." He glanced around the clearing, but it was only out of habit, not true suspiscion. He trusted Mia's professionalism, and who would a centaur tell?

"This man I'm after is a mage." he began. "Not much of one I understand, and he's not even in that much trouble. He fell out with a another member of his guild, stole a manuscript, and took off. The mages can't scry him up for whatever reason, so I've been sent to find him the old fashioned way. If I can't, the guild's contacted some local lords to sweep the woods with their soldiers until they turn him up."

Cade turned back to Mia and shrugged. "I've still got a few days 'til then, but as you two can see, I might just be the first of many humans tromping around out here."