Auda smiles then says lets go as he trots off into the woods. slowly tracing his way through the forest, showing him the best places to hunt, the best places just to sit back and watch, even the best places to just roll around and enjoy the environmentIm hungry. did you bring any snacks with u by chance?

((lol, you two. Go Auda!! :lol:))

Kej followed Lizz closely, nearly stumbling over her as she slowed and knelt for the water. The gray-haired elf glanced toward the sky, seeing how close it was to dawn, and frowned. "We have about an hour or two before we need to hole up somewhere." They wouldn't be home before the sun rose. Though he missed his family, the vampire wasn't stupid enough to think of running through the day. "Perhaps we can find a small den or something to wait out the daylight in together?"
-

With a small sigh, Ehl closed his eyes, leaning back against the counter as Vyr walked out of the cavern with Auda. Be safe. He still felt wary around the newborn, and prayed that his friend wouldn't be hurt.
Glancing toward Aida, he smiled slightly before stepping back toward the middle of the room and snagging a deck of cards to play with. For a moment, he hesitated, and then glanced back over his shoulder, looking over the female. Aida looked . . . to put it bluntly, well taken care of. From high standings. Ehl had never even stepped foot in that domain, and didn't know how to react around such people, but his blue eyes filled with understanding as he motioned to her. "Do you want to play something?" He glanced toward his deck of cards, and then looked back up to Aida. "I can teach you something, if you want."
-

Smiling as Auda left the room, Esmme glanced back to Ameika and Helga. "Well? Should she stay?" Of course, she already was going to . . . but the clan leader liked to hear the opinions of her clan.

Vyr kept pace with the wolf and took in every site like a scholar who was yearning for knowledge. It would seem that accompanying the wolf had paid dividends for him and he owed him now a small debt now. When they had finally stopped and Auda asked for a snack Vyr reached down to one of his small pouches he carried and tossed him some dried deep meat, "I happen to keep some of it just in case I got lost and I appreciate you showing me around." He looked out at the forest it was still beautiful, maybe more so now than it had been ever before to him.

Hooray!! Auda says as Vyr tosses what appears to be jerkey of some sort to him. He catches it in his jaws and plays with it while trying to eat it at the same timeThank you Vyr. remind me sometime to catch you something for dinner

"Don't worry about it," Vyr replied calmly. It would be daylight within a few hours as the horizon seemed to be glowing from the golden rays of the sun. Then it occurred to him, he would never see a daylight again, although he had only seen it thanks to the hunting, he preferred the night anyway. Life was full of changes, it appeared to be the only truth left in the world.

Lizz looked up at him as he spoke and blushed. She had never shared any sleeping area's with anyone other than Pitro. "S...sure..." She said softly looking out over the horizon and sighing. "Know any close by?" She asked in a low voice.

((Sorry I was MIA for a bit. I got unexpectedly busy w/ work stuff. :| But I promise to post a reply today.))

((*laugh* That's alright, deary. ^_^ Love the avi, by the way. <--- is a total FF fan. :XD))

Kej frowned slightly, pointing toward a more Northern peak. "I remember stopping somewhere up there. There are quite a few dens that we can choose from." He didn't want Lizz running off into the daylight (which he'd seen a vampire do before), so he wanted to keep an eye on her while they rested. Not one to sleep much, Kej merely fell into the role of observer during the light hours, and didn't mind doing the same while he was away from home.
"This way," the tall elf called to the other vampire, motioning for her to follow him away from the stream. It was a half an hour later when he found a reasonably sized cave that would suit the both of them for the next twelve hours. "If you want something to eat, I would suggest getting something now." His own stomach clenched with hunger, and his gray eyes narrowed as he scanned the forest below them. He would need something before settling down.

((bwahaha! FF is totally amazing. Thanks for the avi compliment. ^3^))

Adia breathed a sigh of relief as Vyr left her, and though she hoped he wouldn't ask her again, she knew he wasn't donewith her.
It wasn't long after Vyr and Auda trotted out that the boy with the somewhat chaotic hair asked her to play cards. Her eyes fell instantly to the cards themselves before back up to the vampire's blue eyes. To her they seemed well used, broken in.
Regardless, she said, "Yes. I would like that. You may teach me any game of your choosing." She moved to sit down and awaited instruction. Even at her age, she was most familiar with learning above anything else, and deep down she was thankful to be, in a sense, on her own territory.

***

With a somewhat uncertain grin, Helga nodded. "Yes," she said, "Ameika is a good girl. Of course she should stay." She almost laughed, except her stomach felt a bit hollow. Her mind became caught for a moment, wondering what the years to come would be like playing "auntie." Honestly, the young girl made her a bit nervous. It was not her first time spent with a kitsune, so that wasn't it. In her adventures, she and her father had come across a couple. At the time they were perfectly charming and fun. They were older than Ameika, though, and just as rough and tumble as Helga herself. And Ameika, well, Helga wasn't sure if she was softenough to be anything to the kitsune.
Looking at their leader, she thought it best to ask for advise. Afterall, Esmme seemed to have her tenderness and her strength balanced well, and hadn't struggled at all with the girl. "Esmme," she said, "Vhat do you - I mean, vhat makes you so... so gentle? I need to know." Had she a notebook and pen, she would have plucked it out then for notes.

Ehl let his smile grow, and he yanked his thoughts away from Adia as he sat down cross-legged in the middle of the cavern's floor. Motioning toward the cushion before him, the vampire began to shuffle swiftly. "What can you play?" he asked, tilting his head a bit as he watched her. Subconsciously waiting for her mental reply, he set the deck in front of him.
-

Slowly blinking, Esmme smiled at Helga's words. "I wasn't always this . . ." she paused, seeking the words, "docile." Taking a deep breath, the woman pet Ameika's head before laying her on Kej's bed and taking a seat on the edge of the dark blankets. "Before I was a vampire, I was a High Elf. A pure-blooded noble in my city." Her blue eyes filled with flashes of memory as she thought about it. "I suppose my spirit only mellowed after betrayal and suffering, Helga."
The clan leader frowned. "My life was stolen from me, and I was never given a second chance." It was one of the reasons she offered one so freely to those in need. "I suffered, and I saw what death and pain looked like. I don't wish it upon anyone." The vampire then smiled a bit, lightening the mood. "I learned to be the mother that I was never given the chance to be."
There was no advice that she could give, other than to be patient in trying times . . . other worldly wisdom that was easily gained.
"It is a state of mind; a choice one must make."
And it doesn't come easily with every person you meet. Once again her blue eyes flickered with darkness, and she frowned - but the expression was momentary, swiftly wiped away.
"Do you ask because of her?" Esmme looked to Ameika, smiling again. She was curled up in the blankets already, her tail and ears askew.

Vyr had taken in all the landscape and committed it to memory which was more than he had intended to do with this little outing so he was very much content with his decision. Smiling crookedly to himself he turned around to face the direction of the den then called back to Auda, "I'm headed back to the den, I'll see you when you get there." He didn't intend on waiting for the wolf and so he darted off as fast as he could trying to test the limits of his speed. To his astonishment it seemed that the harder he pushed himself the faster he moved and he was quickly coming up on the den although he wasn't sure he had reached top speed. I'll have to work on my acceleration some other time, he thought to himself. In a matter of moments he was slowing down to a walk so that he didn't come crashing into something in the den unexpectedly. Walking in he saw Ehl and Aida still over in the kitchen area, so he decided to join them but stay out of the way. Posting back up where he had been before he left, Vry kept quite as he watched the two carefully.

Adia took a spot before the boy, although it meant sitting on the floor. It took her an awkward moment to find how to allow her skirt to fall around her properly. A bit frustrated now, she managed a small bit of gratitude that she was, at least, on a cushion.
"I'm rather good at Spades," she said, meeting his gaze. Briefly, she thought about how it had been the only "real" card game she was allowed to learn, for fear (said her late parents) that she'd start gambling were she to learn things like Poker and the like. Beyond that, she only knew Old Maid and how to build a card house. And of course, when she was older, she just never had the time to learn the other games.

***

Hearing that Esmme hadn't always been so affable, eased a knot behind Helga's sternum. In a lot of ways, she aspired to be like her, so this allowed her a certain amount of hope. On the other hand, knowing that it had come at a cost for her leader was not so pleasant a lesson.
"A state of mind, a choice..." Helga said softly, mulling that over. "Ah, yes," Helga answered, feeling a tad bashful, "She is good girl, but I find it, uh, to be challenge that she vants me to be her auntie. I'm not so patient sometimes, not so soft." She laughed, a bit of her uncertain feelings fleeing. Sobering up, she said, "T'ank you, Esmme," and gave the woman a grin.

Lizz nodded and took off only to return a few moments later with a half dying dear. "We can share it.." She said shyly. She was never really nervous around people, but now that Piotr was not around to protect her, she was unsure who was going to hurt her or who was going to help her.

Kej blinked, smiling a bit. "That was fast." The elf moved to sit near the back of the cavern, helping pull the dying creature into the darkness. "If you don't mind sharing, we can do so." Sitting down cross-legged, the slender male sighed a bit, pulling his long gray hair behind him. No matter how many times I do this, I will never enjoy it. Grimacing, Kej felt his fangs lengthen as his hunger became more readily known.
Waiting for Lizz to feed first, he motioned for her to do so. "Go ahead."
-

Ehl chuckled, and then shook his head. "Do you have a problem with gambling?" he asked, blue eyes darting up to her face as she situated her skirts. Dealing out the cards for Spades, the young vampire couldn't help but smile. "I know quite a few games we can play that involve it."
It was then that he realized she hadn't quite spoken everything that he'd heard. Ehl frowned, and met her gaze with a shy expression. "Let me know if I start prying. I don't mean to, honest."
Glancing toward Vyr, who was leaning against the wall near the kitchen, as he'd done earlier, Ehl grit his teeth. Forcing himself to ignore the drow, the youth focused on Adia once again.
-

Esmme nodded slowly, returning Helga's grin. "You will do good with her," the vampire said with a chuckle. "Just by trying your hardest, you already take good care of her." She stroked Ameika's ears, smiling as they twitched. "Dawn will come soon," she said. "Would you mind making sure that the others are back? I don't want anyone wandering out into the daylight today."
It brought to mind the time that Auda had stumbled into their den, half-dead with hunger and thirst. She had braved out being burned in order to drag the blue wolf into the cave, and Keji had helped her. Though both had been burned, they had made a life-long friend out of the canine.
Not wanting anyone to be burned that day, the vampire stood, leaving Ameika on Kej's bed. "She can stay here," she said, turning toward the door. "Kej will not mind." The second in command never did - not much, anyway.

Auda just blinked in astonishment as Vyr ran off towards the den.wowzers. he must've had to poop or something He says before being caught in a particularly boisterous laughing fit. It had been quite awhile since he had such a comedic image in his head. Just imagine, a Drow, 1 of the scariest elves that the underdark had ever known, running through the forest with his eyes watering, his mouth scrunched up and his butt cheeks clenched together. it was enough to make Auda collapse in a fit of laughter.O man, Keji would kill me if he knew what i was picturing right now

Why the tension Ehl? Is this discontent because you and Auda couldn't manage to topple me together? I'm beginning to believe that you fear me... Vyr knew that the vampire had heard him, he wouldn't be able to resist a chance to snap back at him. The more he was around the former human the more he began to dislike him. However, he was still interested in the woman, in his own slightly twisted way of course. He shielded his thoughts main thoughts as he watched the two get ready for their card game with a slightly crooked smile on his face. It would seem that they all weren't here yet and there was a certain bit of anxiousness to meet whoever else was left to be met at this point. It seemed like there was no one whom he could really connect with yet in this house, or maybe he simply was too different?

((*tries not to laugh* SNORKLE <== mixture between a snort and a giggle. OH AUDA!!! :rofl:

Kej: *shakes head*))

Ehl stiffened, taking a deep breath as he tried to block out the thoughts he heard. It wasn't difficult to pinpoint who's they were. There was only one other male in the den - Vyr. His pale eyes shot over to where the vampire stood, and Ehl held his gaze for many moments before forcing himself to return to the game. I don't fear you. But he knew the dark elf couldn't hear his thoughts. It was a one way thing.
Trying to ignore Vyr's presence altogether, Ehl attempted to keep the frown off of his pale face.

((Hehe, now . . . why does Ehl hate Vyr? Hmmm. Hate is such a strong word . . . :XD Uhm. I guess I could add a traumatic history in there. I mean, he isn't the type of person to hold a grudge so easily - he wouldn't hate Vyr because of the fight. He would get over it pretty quickly.
So . .. perhaps it's a mixture of Vyr's attitude, personality, race, and the fight? :XD I dunno. *grimace* I am bad at not liking people. :())

((He hates Vyr!!! I just thought it was an agreement to disagree sort of thing... they just didn't like each other. But I don't care what the reason is, everyone can't like everyone all the time and it helps keep some drama in the story. Besides we both know they won't fight again, or else Ehl will get crushed, especially by himself. He was getting mushed even with Auda helping out. LOL sorry that sounds real conceited but the truth is the truth however bad it sounds. Oh but why would he hate his personality? I could understand race the fight, and possibly attitude (because he is so stoic-like with a twisted sense of humor) but he's not nearly as hateful as a Drow should be... I could certainly make him that way. It would make for alot of fights haha))

((hahah tbh, the only reason why vyr is still walking is because we already knew he had to stick around lol))

((Pssh, alright. Hate is a REALLY strong word. :sweat: Dislike is more like it. :lol: So . . . yes, you're right. It's more of a misunderstanding/disagreement. *laugh*

*reads over post* I guess I did sound a bit severe. . . .

Hmm. Alright, so the racial thing, the fight, and the fact that he's there. :lol: That's why he's not so happy.

And you are so right. ;) Ehl got his butt stomped in that fight. :XD Go newborn. :lol:))

LOL @Auda. :XD

Lizz smiled softly, and then grabbed the beast by her neck and ran a delicate snowy pale hand down her back and looked her in the eyes. "Thank you for feeding me.. may your soul carry onto the next life." She whispered to her, then groaned slightly as her fangs grew a little longer and whispered something in another language then dug her fangs into the beasts neck and drank for a few moments, then came back up and licked the blood off her face, missing a small spot on her chin. "You can have the rest, I'm full." She said smiling softly.

(Nah its cool I was being dramatic lol and yes it is awesome being a newbie!!! ^-^)

((^_^))

Slowly accepting the creature, Kej nodded. "Thank you." He had watched her feed in silence, unmoving. When it was his turn to feed, he grit his teeth and forced himself to stop being so . . . disgusted. I'm still not over it. He sank his fangs into the other side of the deer's throat, trying to make himself think of something else. Unfortunately, his eyes blackened as he fed, instinct compelling him to drink until he was full.
Pressing the animal to him, the vampire drew from it's form until he was satisfied. Pushing the dead beast away from him, looking disgusted as he wiped the blood from his lips, Kej frowned out at the rising sun. "A bit of rest would do me well. I do hope it doesn't bother you?" Leaning back against the stone wall, he let his gray eyes trace over the deer before moving over to Lizz.

Lizz watched him feed and then bit her lip. She had watched Piotr feed like that... it had always excited her a little. When he finished feeding she stood and nodded then moved to the back of the cave and hid in the shadows trying to calm herself down, but her elongated fangs showed how excited she was now.

((hmmm so let me know when night come again lol))