Naer jerked slightly, as if she had just slapped him. She had, well, verbally at least. Those violet eyes blinked for a moment he just looked very confused, very uncertain and maybe a little afraid. The expression passed quickly enough and he just shook his head. "I am not corrupted." He spoke the words once more and with far more certainty than he felt. Was she corrupting him? Honestly Naer didn't think she was, she was just teasing him again. All that teasing, did she really enjoy it so much?

Naer pushed the thoughts away for now, he would think about things like that soon enough. Right now he would just ride the horse. He closed his eyes for a few moments as the horse raced towards the forest and just felt. Felt the equine beneath him and the air all around him, he breathed deeply for a moment then those eyes opened and he almost smiled. He spoke soft words in elven to the horse, mostly just compliments on how swift and strong the creature was and asking it run faster for him. It wasn't an uncommon thing for Naer to talk to his mount.

Gisa Kriemhild

Gisa just chuckled, like one would at a child stubbornly insisting they were right even when the whole world knew they were wrong. Yet she couldn't help but feel a little fear at his own uncertainty ripple through her. Was she really corrupting him already? Had her teasing and distance it brought not been enough? Would the elf ever find happiness or had she saved him from death only to prevent him from being happy ever again. She frowned a moment as she hid behind her hair a moment. She glanced up as she felt the horse, or rather nightmare ask if it should obey the elf and she merely nodded. She urged her own forward now at an almost reckless pace. She wanted to save him but maybe all she could do was ruin him. She bit her lip a moment.

I'm sorry my dear heart, I am so truly sorry. She thought to herself even as she hid behind her mask and simply continued to almost charge to the forest more then ride to it. It was a reckless abandon but the nightmare enjoyed the run even if it's mistress pain confused her. Oh well, she was being wild and reckless so it could truely run. It still had to stay within horse speeds of course but it could push... a little.

Lalita 'lia' Tien

"Now? Oh that'd be lovely. That way my bodygaurd can't gross. What gisa doesn't know can't hurt her!" The fay child said with a laugh as she leapt from her own horse. She could gather herbs anytime, this was something new and therefore exciting to her. She leaned back against the strange beast that was her horse and crossed her arms as if waiting. She gave the other woman a warm smile as if to comfort her. She could see the fear in the other woman's eyes. Of course, that didn't mean she knew how to comfort her so she only smiled and accepted her.

Lia couldn't help but feel a little sympathy, she knew what it was like to be mistreated for being 'different'. It didn't happen much anymore but she remembered it well. She would do all to help this one she decided, even if it wasn't probably much. She could just be here... and sometimes that made all the difference. Besides, in lia's view everything worked out for the best eventually..... she would simply not allow it to be any other way.

Vilya 'V' Morgul

V entered the inn, slowly pulling down her hood as she felt the mixing of magical energy in the place. It really was wild how many different energies there seemed to be left behind. Not many were here and alive at the moment though... not always a good thing. She tilted her head to the side and glanced at the check in desk before she moved to the stairs. No one was downstairs that she sensed, just upstairs. Perhaps whoever she sensed could tell her how to get a room?

"Hello? This one wishes to know if someone would help her find a way to check in?" V said softly, still finding herself speaking as her people did even when using 'common' or english. Her voice held a soft accent, a human would likely think of french with it's lyrical tones, but of course it was not from any human tongue so held a strange feel of not being quite familiar. Her people spoke such things to indicate their rank, this one being simply a standard equal to 'I' and the lowest way to refer to herself. The higher the rank the more pronounced the adjective that was placed before one.

It felt good to ride fast and as they reached the forest, Naer spoke the word that would change his bracelet to the bow. He gripped it with gentle fingers and certainty, the salve Ark had given him long since tucked into his belt. He sat perfectly straight on the horse, holding onto the creature with only his knees and thighs. Firmly but gentle. The bow was brought up, and arrow was put to the string and Naer pulled it back to his ear and let it fly. The string sang in his ear as it released the arrow, and the arrow flew perfectly through the air.

As the arrow sailed through the air, so did Naer's spirit. Reaching out to touch the forest, he did it without thinking, almost instinctively. The arrow flew true, coming to rest in the ground at the base of a tree, just as the elf had intended. He had no desires to just shoot at the trees and scar up their trunks. Just as the arrow struck the ground, Naer pulled back his spirit. Jerking it back quickly, almost violently, if such a thing can be pulled back with violence. Still the force of it had nearly unhorsed him and he leaned forward, an action that helped keep him on the moving creature, the bow in one hand as his arms went around the equine's neck.

This forest. This forest was not one he wanted to connect with. He had felt something, odd, at the last moment. Something he had never felt before and he was sure he was lucky he had stopped reaching out when he had. Naer sat up, slinging the bow over his shoulder, as if he had forgotten it could be a bracelet, then the elf was quite literally leaping from the back of his mount. He rolled when he hit the ground and came up gracefully on his feet, unharmed and right by the arrow he had shot.

His eyes were on the tree the arrow had landed in front of, and he moved slowly, almost as if in a trance. Past the arrow and towards the tree, his hand outstretched to lay on the tree's trunk.

Gisa Kriemhild

Gisa half smiled as she watched the elf, feeling happy he was happy but still hesitating. Yet as he connected to the forest and it accepted him with such ease she felt a moment of reassurance. Nature hadn't decided she had corrupted him so perhaps he was alright... She pushed away the thought, however, as she felt him recoil from it. She frowned as she felt the darkness in the forest trying to grip onto him. There was good magic still bouncing around this forest like no other but an evil too. She felt it's desire to take him, much like a demons desire it was little wonder she could sense it.

"No!" She said more protectively then she meant to as he leaped down to head for a tree. She leaped from her nightmare and instantly ran to stand besides him. She gripped his wrist a moment and her other hand wrapped around his waist to simply hold him away as she felt more protective then she felt fear for her mask. She frowned for a moment and looked away, knowing she had shown far more concern then she should have.

"The darkness doesn't want the trees my pet, it wants your pure heart. So leave it be and pet me if you must pet anyone." She teased as she put on her mask. She ruffled his hair then but began to lead him by the wrist slowly away from the tree. She knew the good magic protected the trees and the wildlife but something like an innocent forest elf it seemed to not care for. Hell she wasn't sure it cared for anything humanoid that practiced magic..... considering the history here she wasn't sure she could blame it.

When Gisa grabbed his wrist and waist, stopping him from approaching the tree, he looked at her. She had been worried for him, concerned, more than she normally would have shown, but right now Naer wasn't thinking of that. As Gisa tugged him away, he caught the toe of his boot under the arrow at the tree's base and sent it up out of the ground, into the air at an odd angle and then the arrow was falling into the quiver at his back.

There was a frown on his lips as he let Gisa lead him away. "Forests shouldn't hold darkness." There was concern in his voice and he had ignored her teasing, Naer cast a look back towards the tree, and then his gaze swept around him at all the trees. Cautiously he sent his spirit out, not seeking to connect to the forest, just lightly touching at it in places. Like one testing the temperature of water before deciding if it's the right degree or not. His body tensed slightly as he felt the other thing, creeping up on him.

Naer withdrew his spirit quickly and scowled. "I don't like it, there must be something that can be done to rid the forest of it." He spoke the words with confidence, but uncertainty.

Gisa Kriemhild

"It is an ancient thing...... just as the good is. It breathes with the forest. To try and take it away would probably just destroy the forest entirely....Some things are just light and dark by nature. Yet if the forest wants it gone perhaps something can be done, but......" Gisa trailed off as she glanced over at the forest and continued to pull him towards the forest. Singing songs of purity or purification ripped through gisa like knives, hurting her in ways she could not say. Still, as she trailed off it was because she knew if he asked her to try she would try. She was so distracted she didn't even notice the pull of his arrow and instead just glanced towards him.

"Either way I doubt today is the day for such a thing. Does the bow shoot well?" She tried to distract him. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders now as she held him, as if to stand between him and the darkness that had been with the light for so long.... it felt like her, like it was born together. Perhaps a purification similar to that had caused the destruction before? No, that would have taken a darker evil then this. It was dark yes, disturbing yes, but more like a natural force then a thing of malicious intent. She shrugged at the thought, it was likely your basic energy wraith attracted to the light of the forest and feeding off its magic. If it was it was likely she could sing it away..... anything too much stronger her own song would kill her too if she didn't stop when she knew she needed to.

"I wanted to connect with the forest." He spoke the words with an almost pout. A guilty, murdering, exiled prince, but Gisa had shown him that the forests would still accept him. Now he was afraid to connect with this one, and he had wanted to. Had reached out to it instinctively. He frowned. She was trying to distract him. Naer forced that frown from his lips and reached up to touch the bow he had hung over his shoulder.

Almost reverently he whispered that single word. "Sapphira" The bow changed back to a bracelet, a bracelet that fit his wrist more perfectly than any piece of jewelry ever had or ever would. Just as the bow had fit his hands perfectly. More perfect than the bow of his family or any other bow he would ever hold, if he ever held a different one.

"It was wonderful. I knew it would be." He looked at Gisa and smiled, it was a fleeting smile, but it was a real smile. "It is a weapon I can trust." Naer could have said more, but he didn't. If he had, Gisa would just tease him and try to push him away, of that he felt certain. Though she tried to distract him with talk of the bow, Naer's thoughts were mostly on the forest and what might happen to him if he connected fully with it.

Gisa Kriemhild

"Good. You even seem to like the name... I thought you'd be sentimental enough to like it." She said cheerfully, unable to keep from returning a smile. She hugged his shoulder a moment, half teasing and half to hide her eyes. The way he said something that had once been her nickname so reverently... it startled her how much it made her feel. It was a strange conflicting feeling that filled her with a strange warmth and fear. It made her want to relax into his shoulder and just hear him whisper her name to her that way... She shook off the thought and released him, stepping away.

She could sense his thinking of the forest and slipped her hands in her pockets with half a sigh. For a moment her mask held no expression but thought as she stared at the tree he'd almost touched. Naer..... her innocent, kind, gentle, loving Naer would never be able to resist the forest's plight. He'd be back here doing something stupid if she didn't stop him and Ark had already made it clear that he had no intention of letting her keep him 'all to herself' any longer so it wasn't like she could just lock Naer in a room with her until their research was done. While it may succeed in making the two men both hate her it would do nothing to stop naer from getting a darkness trying to feast on the power of his loving soul. For that, Gisa had learned, was a power in and of itself and nothing tasted sweeter to things like this.

"You're a fool.... But if it is just some little hungry spirit I should be able to sing it away. That'll leave Lia ungaurded, however, and I don't think the old man will like that much. Go take care of her and I'll take care of this. You have a bow now, you can be useful." She said coldly as she gazed forward. She wanted to be alone... such a song of purity would leave her weak and in great pain. She could cover it eventually but during the song her plight would likely be clear and she didn't want that. She knew Naer would just toss it onto his guilt... but it was safer then waiting until he did something stupid at any rate.

The onyx skinned elf lifted his head upon hearing a melodious voice ringing through the nearby hall. He glanced to Soph's prone figure and reached out to brush a strand of hair from her features before moving to stand in the doorway. "You would need to talk to a child-like woman about that, though I believe she isn't here at the moment." Arkerril couldn't remember seeing a person responsible for sign ins earlier, but then again he had been too shocked upon seeing Near once more to notice.

He was puzzled by the woman's skin color, and her strange lilting accent. She very much resembled an elf, and perhaps she was one as well. She might have belonged to a race just as secretive as his, the elves of the desert who rarely ventured past it's borders nowadays. He didn't blame them, seeing as most mistook them for dark elves, those denizens of the shadows.

Vilya 'V' Morgul

"Child like woman?" She responded as if puzzled at first. She was pretty sure child and woman were opposing terms so it took her a moment to understand what he meant. A woman with child like behavior, mannerisms, and/or appearance. A contradiction. She nodded then as she understood, seeming to relax slightly. Sometimes her staying close to her cultural roots could have strange effects. She didn't know why she did anymore really... her interest in necromancy had made the sky obsessed elves did not much approve of it to put it mildly. She pushed away the thought but then simply looked over him a moment and sniffed the air slightly before appearing rather confused. Storm elves, due to the cold and wind in the snow making it difficult to hunt had developed a very keen sense of smell.

"You remind me of a dark elf but the scent of warm desert sands lingers in your skin, in your blood...... May this one ask of your origins?" She asked quietly, appearing rather confident at first only to grow almost shy as she asked the last politely. She knew it was an intensely personal question but she had thought aloud without really meaning to only to catch herself a little late. She gazed at him with open and rather innocent gold eyes, uncertain. She may have made a mistake...

Arkerril nodded at her words, then looked somewhat startled. Even he hadn't known what he was until a few years past, when he had actually met with some of the rare desert elves who left their homes to trade with the other races. "I was born of the desert elves, but I did not have the chance to grow up with them." The elf refused to say more of his past. Even Sophronia, who had saved his life many a time over, didn't know much more then that, though of course Naer and Gisa knew more. An instant anger flared in his eyes at the thought of the demon, but he forced himself to relax and remember his words to the sun elf.

Vilya 'V' Morgul

"This one deeply apologizes... She did not mean to anger the honorable elf. Excuse This one." She said quietly as his anger clearly flared, shocked into speaking fully in the rather dramatic fashion her people did. She would also bow deeply, her almost floor length braid sweeping across the floor briefly but appearing unaffected by it. She half flushed, a purple touching her blue skin before she fully stood. She glanced at his sleeping companion then looked away before she spoke again.

"I...will leave you be." She stated nervously. She turned to leave, worried now she had disturbed them. She had habit of not always thinking about the politeness of other cultures. She would head towards the stairs with her head slightly bent so that her bangs covered her eyes. She did not want to see him angry with her. She never did like people being anger with her.

This woman truly was an odd one. Arkerril sighed as she turned away to leave, knowing full well what Soph would have said if she was awake. Left to his own devices, the desert elf would probably have remained silent about the misunderstanding, but he he grown used to Sophronia always looking over his shoulder and commenting upon his actions. "Wait, my anger was not directed at you, so there is no need to apologize. Something you said led my thoughts to another, that is all." Unconsciously he began speaking a little in the way she had; for some odd reason it was easy to do.

Vilya 'V' Morgul

V paused as she heard his voice, instinctively turning towards him. She blinked a moment at him, wondering who he had thought of and why. Still she said nothing about it and only nodded, bowing slightly to him once more. She seemed uncertain a moment longer but ultimately perched on the railing near the stairs and gave him a soft smile. She was still uncertain but so far he seemed to be being rather kind to her and she appreciated that greatly. When you spent most of your time speaking to the dead, speaking to the living was rare.

"I see. Still, I apologize for the discomfort. Are you sure I do not disturb you? There seems to be another in your room... I do not wish to interrupt anyone's rest..." She said quietly, though she was rather reluctant to leave. She spent so much time by herself it was nice to speak with another elf... even if he could not be further from her own tribe. Those who would live on the desert floor confused her people... but with their eyes always on the stars and the future they understood few other races.

Arkerril found himself smiling at the second apology, finding it rather nice to have made a good impression on someone for once. If he hadn't, the blue skinned woman would probably have left already, or been frightened off. "Don't worry, she sleeps like the dead after ... well after going through battle exercises." He couldn't exactly say that Soph lost her mind temporarily and became a crazed killer, bent on achieving victory, whenever the strain of battle became too much for her to cope with. Such subjects were best left alone, though it did make him think of what the witch might do if left without someone there to care for her after such incidents. Perhaps they could wait to sever their bond, at least until another person willing to guard her was found.

Vilya 'V' Morgul

"battle and training can both be very difficult" She said with a sympathetic nod. She had a feeling there was more to it with the way he hesitated but she said nothing. The girl did not seem ill and there was no smell of blood so V saw no reason to be concerned. Each person needed to decide things for themselves, if he had no desire to tell her then she did not need to know as it was not her secret to tell. He would reveal it in time or he would not... She shrugged then and tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

"How is it you two are connected may this one ask?" She inquired curiously. She was nervous to ask such a personal question again but she did it anyway. She was like that, a bit of a contradiction. So meek but always so determined to do things her own way. She herself had never been able to explain the contradiction but something always overcame the shy fears to push her into being herself anyway. It was what had made her mountain top home so unlivable.

Naer studied Gisa carefully for a few moments, almost about to ask if he could help. He thought better of it, she would shoo him off anyway, and besides how could he help something like this anyway? Gisa had also made a good point, Lia would be unguarded. The elf hesitated for a few moments longer before he nodded. "Alright." Besides if Gisa could sing the darkness away, then he would be able to connect with the forest. His eyes lingered on her for a while longer before he turned away and began to move off to find Lia.

A moment of confusion crossed Nenet's features at the wording Lia used, it was unfamiliar to her and she didn't quite know what it meant. She shook the confusion away, sliding off the stallion to stand a few feet away. "I will trust your word on the horses not scaring," were the last words she said before shifting. Clothing vanished, fur sprouting in it's stead. Bones and muscle shifted, and then it was over. Nenet sat in her wolficorn form, blinking green eyes at Lia from a reddish brown face. Her tail wagged slowly, hoping for a good reaction.

The tug was stronger again, pulling her back to the scar. She shook herself, telling her instincts to be quiet, she would go back. Just not this second.

Gisa Kriemhild

Gisa nodded and sighed once he had left her alone. She muttered to herself that he would 'get her killed someday' but prepared herself. She bit her lip against the pain as her wings cut their way through her back, the skin splitting and tearing as they burst from her back. Her true self with her wings of silver.... never quite human, never quite demon. She shook off the thought as she always did, however, and took a deep breath as her eyes closed. She could feel the energy, a cold shell left behind by something dark but long dead. Of course the neutral spirits would stay but this darkness she could get rid of even if it would hurt.

Her song began slow but strong, a whisper that seemed to echo in many voices. She spoke in her mother's native tongue and the voices of those pure hearted souls that made up her mothers line sang with her. The song of purity and hope would fill the forest, enough that the nightmares cautiously moved to the edge. They were protected by their connection to her but it was still hard for them to hear and briefly they were forced to revert to their own real forms. Their teeth became sharp, wings sprouting from their back out of shadow, and their eyes glowed with the fires of hell. Similar fire encircled their hooves and the tips of their manes and tails. They stretched their wings, seeming to enjoy themselves as they pranced in their true forms and waited for the song to end.

Gisa sensed her 'minions' transformation but paid it no head. A holy blueish white light seemed to surround her and she sang until her words were rustling through every tree, every flower, every animals heart to push out the darkness. She had never sang so whole heartedly, or so well. The forest became clean but as her song ended the holy pure energy struck out at her demon half even as it faded to nothingness. She slumped to the side as the nightmares became their normal horse disguise and blood dripped from her lip. Her mare wandered over and nudged her head, caring as hers were always more horse then demon.

"sorry...." She said softly to the horse as her eyes fluttered back open and she shuddered once. She recalled her wings, panting a moment as she lay there a moment in her own silver blood. She closed her eyes a moment, if only she had a minute to rest she'd be alright... but for now her insides felt like they'd been clawed at by a wild animal. Her two halves as always warred when she tried anything too pure or too dark. It was to be expected... and she was sure she could get herself up and better before Naer noticed a thing. She wrapped her arms around her faithful mount's neck and with it's help stood, leaning her head onto it's neck a moment and just breathing in as she tried to just let her two halfs fall back into their usual balance. the pain would stop then and she would heal.

Lalita 'lia' Tien

Lia smiled and instantly pranced up to Nenet. She reached to touch her horn and then scratched behind the ginger wolf's ears. She giggled, a playful creature by nature and rather enjoying animals. She liked them better then people generally, her father being an exception. They just seemed so instinctively friendly, well at least to her. Perhaps it was her connection to the fairies that made them trust her so. She really didn't mind either way, she just knew she liked them.

"You're so cute, you look like a big ol' puppy. I want to hug you!" She pronounced and then promptly did just that. She loved dogs and wolves especially. They had helped her when her father and she were too weak to help themselves. They were a pack minded lot so perhaps it was just their nature to take in foundlings, she couldn't really be sure.

The elf glanced from Soph to V and back again. There was nothing he could do for her; the witch would be fine once her rest was done. If anything happened he would know ... "She is very important to me, and I want to go see someone just as important. Would you watch over her for me? She doesn't like waking up alone." It was just another one of those things that had developed during the tournament. Every day alone had been worse then the last for Soph. She hadn't talked much about it, but it had been easy to figure out.

Vilya 'V' Morgul

"You would trust this one with someone important? I... suppose... I will be honored" V said simply in response, rather startled. It was an odd request but she would not refuse it simply because his random trust startled her into obedience. With that she moved to sit in the chair next to where the woman slept and began to go through her bag to search for a book. Once she found it she would begin to read it absently, thinking to herself it had been a weird day so far... but perhaps she made a friend.

Naer picked up on the sound of Lia's giggle and voice soon enough and quickly he made his way to where she was with Nenet. He came upon them just as Lia threw her arms around the horned wolf, and his brow furrowed slightly. It was a pretty creature and certainly unusual, he had never seen a wolf with a horn before. He would stand there and just watch them, well somewhat watch them, mostly he watched the area around them. Alert for danger. Afterall, with Gisa preoccupied, it fell to him to keep Lia safe.

Slowly but certainly the forest around him seemed to change. It wasn't a physical change, but a change he could sense and feel. The darkness ebbing away and when Naer was certain it was completely gone he reached out to the forest, a bit tenatively, but it seemed Gisa really had gotten rid of the darkness. He knew she would, he hadn't doubted her for a moment. He connected to the forest, and the forest welcomed him.

Naer could feel the heart beat of nature, or something similar. The trees whispered in his ear and his heart soared like a white deer leaping a fallen tree. A smile touched his lips. He felt mostly whole when he connected to the forest, and he sent his senses out. Seeing farther with his spirit than he could with his eyes. There was no danger here, none that he could sense, no dark shadows lurking in the shadows to sneak up on them. Naer was tempted to leave his charge and trot off deeper into the forest, he was certain they were safe.

Of course Naer would not just abandon Lia there, or run off without letting Gisa know in someway that he was bolting. His heart felt lighter, more at peace because it was filled with the peace of the forest. Pretty little birds flew down from a tree, circling close above Lia and Nenet's heads for a few moments before the little birds flitted off towards Naer and trilled happily at him. They circled around his head, swooped in and gently tugged at his hair and then flew off about their own business.

Thank you," said the dark skinned elf with a small smile. Before leaving, he wrote a note and left it by the bedside table. Soph deserved to know why it was he had left her with a stranger. Arkerril waved once before leaving with a lighter step then he expected, moving down the stairs quickly and into the stables once more. The place still held some of that energy from before, or at least the memories from then .. It dampened his spirits, even as he vaulted up onto his gelding and heeled the horse into a steady canter.

It was good to be ridding again, and into the forest at that. His kin might have been from the desert, but there was just something about the forest which brought a certain peace to him. Arkerril kept on like that, wheeling about here and there in search for some kind of trail to lead him to the others. The elf's golden eyes fell upon bent grass, leaves and loam out of place, and that was enough for him to push his gelding into a gallop to follow the path.

The first thing he saw was silver blood, and Gisa leaning against her mount. Frantically he searched the clearing for Naer. "Where is he? What happened?" Worry and panic filled Arkerril as he slipped off his horse and moved towards Gisa.

Gisa Kriemhild

"He's with Lia, He's fine. I just had to release my wings earlier to cleanse a dark spirit. The blood's mine and Naer is fine. He's to the north about five minutes ride, fifteen walking." Gisa said dismissively towards the dark elf and waved towards the direction. She glanced at him, her pale almost white yellow eyes peering at him for a moment. She was careful not to lift her head enough to show the blood on her lips. The blood on her back he would expect as he had seen her release her wings once. She hated revealing she was only at her full power with her wings but if it got him to calm down and go away it was worth it.

"The other black mare can lead you to him" She said absently as she glanced at the mare. The nightmare in disguise could easily lead him to Naer because gisa always knew where he was. She could feel him the way most people felt the suns rays, it was the nature of their contract. His needs... she just needed to know him, not the other way around. At least if ark was with him she could stay here and be sure he wouldn't come rushing in on her.

He knew he'd been spending more time with Sophronia then he should have when he shook his head slightly and moved forward to see if there was any more damage to Gisa's form then he expected. There was also the fact that he'd told Naer he would try and be nice to her. "And are you alright?" Of course, it was a challenge to keep his tone civil, but somehow Arkerril managed.

He might have come off a little cold, but he certainly didn't sound like he hated Gisa. Concern wasn't exactly an option, but he was for Naer's sake. "I'll follow the mare later." Then, if Naer asked about Gisa, he could truthfully speak of how she fared instead of having to lie.