It had been a rough couple of weeks on the Altera river, with necromancers and crazed Rusalka galore. The locals, and even many hunters of the arcane, avoided the area it had gotten so crazed. Still, the past few days had finally been almost peaceful thankful to the Rusalka's Guardian. She did not feel so peaceful, however, as she'd spent much of the two weeks half covered in blood. Some of that blood her sisters who were beyond saving due to the necromancer's magic.

Today's search had proven she'd taken care of them all... so she stood leaning against a tree with her inhuman green eyes closed. Her ever-damp auburn hair was pulled into a long, thick braid that hung over her simple black clothing. She tended to dress in all black that covered her arms and legs when she hunted... it was easier to hide blood against it.

As she leaned there, listening to the river a few feet from her babble she couldn't help but think of a more peaceful night...where a sweet innocent girl had momentarily made her forget the blood her life and her kind surrounded her with. She felt a moment of longing and opened those pupil-less, glowing green eyes to stare up at the sky in thought.

Where was she now? Did she still have the notebook with her information even? She shook of the thought and pushed away from the tree. She gazed out into the forest, seeing nothing of significance. They were just far enough from the small town nearby that you saw only trees, tree, and more trees from here. There was a small shack nearby but it was half covered by trees to the point that it could only be seen from above and only at certain angles. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary either... Perhaps this patrol there would be no more fighting.

Even wing beats drove Jo into the air, her harness creaking a little as it took the weight of the basket before it lifted. The spell had held well, but it was an old basket, and the spell was wearing a little thin. She thought back to the week earlier when she'd set out, and the argument that had hurried her out.

---

"Johara! Get back in here!"

"No! I'm going, you can't stop me!" She stormed out of the stone house, one last pack flung over her shoulder. She'd managed to pack the rest either late last night or early this morning. It was her mother finding her worktable with only the finished commissions on it that had started the shouting.

"Young lady, get back in here this instant! No one told you you could go!" Her mother stormed out after her, the morning sun lighting her angular features and ash-brown hair. Her gold-brown eyes glinted angrily, and everyone in the street backed away from mother and daughter.

"I'm an adult, I don't need permission!" Jo shouted over her shoulder, still heading purposefully to the take-off field. She'd miss the city, but that's what the paining in this bag was for. A painting of Eerie at sunset, perfect for showing Ella what the city looked like at it's best.

Her mother stopped short, seemingly stunned by her daughter 'suddenly' being an adult. Jo took the opportunity to get further away, walking at an almost run, but trying not to appear too hurried. Her friends, what few of them she had, knew she was going and where. If her mother really wanted to see her, she could come visit, once she got the location from one of them.

---

Jo gave a sigh, she hadn't been followed so far. She must have really shocked her mother with that, and was starting to feel guilty about it. She tried putting it out of her mind, thinking instead about Ella and the place she was going. It was so far away from what she knew, she felt a little scared. She really hoped she could find the place right, she knew she had to be nearing it. She reached the altitude she wanted and started gliding along, scanning the land below for the landmarks she'd memorized, adjusting her flight path when she passed one. The river should be up ahead somewhere...

Ella had half turned towards the river to continue her search when she spotted a dot against the sky. It seemed to big to be a bird... She held a hand over her eyes to peer at it closely. She soon identified the shape of a gryphon...and a basket? There was only one person it could be. She couldn't help but begin to smile as she realized that Jo really had come for her. It was selfish considering Jo's risk and guilt would likely fill her eventually but right now she could not stop the joy that filled her. If she could fly she would have likely lifted into the air.

Instead she simply leaped into the tree behind her and climbed with the speed of the supernatural Rasulka to get to the top. She could adjust her weight so the top of the tree did not bend or react to it at all even as she perched there. She held the tip in one hand and steadied herself with her feet as she waved at Jo with her free hand. She couldn't help but smile, that soft warm little smile she did. Yes part of her was already worried for the future but the now was just so bright and sweet!

((She's in her gryphon form only one big enough to carry the basket.))

((well gryphons aren't common in the area and Jo mentioned baskets to her when talking about travel so I stand by my post XD. I just changed woman with wings to gryphon XD))

((Suits perfectly, I should probably get a simple sketch of how it's hanging done to show you.))

Jo's eyes sharpened on a tree that was moving differently than the rest. The top seemed to be waving back and forth, instead of just swaying... As her eyes focused, she saw that it was instead a woman standing at the top, waving to her. She let out a joyous kree, angling her flight to take her right past the tree and to the small clearing not far from it. The glint of the river was visible through the trees there, as was a patch of grass.

She did want to see me again! The thought filled her mind, and she couldn't resist the urge to let out another screech. She flipped sideways for a short moment, right as she passed Ella, giving a gryphonic grin to the woman before righting herself. Reaching the clearing and hovering, she lowered the basket, big enough for two people to sit in, to the ground below her, landing a short distance away from it. She preened her feathers, lifting her crest a little, and waited for Ella to enter the clearing, and maybe help unhook the harness. The magic her mage-friend had put on it for her was useful, but a real person taking it off felt better.

As she landed Ella jumped from the tree to land in a crouch. She couldn't help but smile and headed quickly to the other woman. She stroked her feathered head a moment, though her first instinct was to kiss the other woman but her current form rather prevented it. She then would begin to unhook the harness, figuring in a gryphon form it would be difficult to do herself. She imagined there may be magic to do it but she wanted to. She just wanted it to be clear she was glad to see Jo.

"Hello dear. Been a while." She greeted cheerfully. She did, however, subtly search the trees for any sign anyone was coming. Her mind was already moving to the practical as was her nature. Someone could have seen her fly in and think something of it considering their recent difficulties. The relationship between the Rasulka and the town was a little tense after the necromancer's had attempted to use them to do strange and sometimes deadly things.

Jo gryph-grinned again, leaning into the scratch. She held still while Ella started unbuckling the harness, watching her to be sure it came off right. "Yes it has," she said, voice whistling and a bit harsh. She waited to see how the other woman reacted to her speaking in this form, most people freaked out a little the first time. "I didn't get to show you this form before you had to go."

She lifted her wings so Ella could reach other straps, still watching for a reaction. Her mind started wandering, thinking about where the little shack was, how big it might be, and if she brought too much stuff. She honesty thought she hadn't, there was a huge pile of discarded items she had left behind. But maybe this place was smaller than she'd thought. Then again, they might make it larger now, with her here. She shook off the thoughts, turning her attention back to Ella.

"No... but it is beautiful just as you're other one." She responded with a wink, flirting once more. She saw no harm in it, since the other woman had come she must not have disliked it. Ella wasn't bothered by the other womans voice... considering what she had heard in her life and how Rasulka could scream when angry it was hardly the harshest voice she'd heard. She simply continued to unstrap the woman, or rather gryphon, until the harness was fully off.

She glanced at the basket, curious to see what was inside as it would tell her if this was a permanent move or simply a short visit. It looked enough to seem she might be moving in with her. She smiled faintly at the idea, even if part of her worried. Things were even more tense now.. but hopefully they could calm the town down... they still semi-trusted Ella at least if not the other Rusalka.

"The shack is this way, shall we take your things there?" She asked quietly as she stood up. She kept her hands in her pockets, simply watching Jo. She wondered if she planned to stay in that form long... She wasn't sure the wings would fit in the door. She hadn't enlarged the shack as much she had intended to yet... to busy. She wanted to make at leas two rooms, maybe three so it was a proper house for Jo with a bedroom and living/kitchen area and a workshop. Right now it was just kinda the bedroom and living/kitchen area in one large room and an empty, half built addition.

Jo shook herself, finally free of the harness. Giving a sigh on contentment, she watched Ella's gaze drift to the basket and back. "Yes, we shouldn't just leave the basket laying around," she said. The area right around her nostrils turned faintly pink as a thought struck her. "Before that, though, would you open it up and pull out one of my dresses? When I shift back..." Her voice trailed off into a whistle, and she ducked her head, ears laying flat against her head in embarrassment. Some of the other gryphons could shift back and forth and somehow keep their clothing intact, but Jo had never mastered that trick. The best she could do was keep her jewelry, and make it change to accommodate her shape.

She forced her head back up, but the blush remained as she walked over to it and unlatched the mesh holding everything in. "We'll be able to drag it along, after we lift it a couple inches. It'll hang there and we can pull it," she explained, pointing out the bag with her clothing. Visible in the basket were oilcloth bags, a few sheets of something wrapped in more oilcloth, and camping supplies to last another week. The basket itself seemed to be woven out of sturdy reed, and an almost perfect square. It was about hip height on a tall person, and had loops in various places, to tie things to or hold onto.

Ella nodded though she was tempted to tease her that she'd be fine with her staying nude but then the girl already blushed beneath her feathers. The cute blush was what made teasing so fun for her. After saying a simple 'sure' she would look to the basket. She would look through the bag pointed out to her until she found a dress and then turn back to the other woman. She held it out to her, giving a warm smile to Jo.

"Do you want me to turn my back?" She teased lightly. She expected she would say yes, and would do so in that case. Still, she had no personal problem with nudity. Being a Rusalka she spent half her life nude and in the water. To her it was just something natural but she knew that for many it was an intensely private thing. She doubted very much that Jo was ready for her to see her nude....

Jo reached out one clawed fore foot to take the dress, Looking down again as she did. "I, um, yes," she managed to say, looking at which dress the other woman had picked out. One of the simple ones, but it fit a little tighter than most of her clothing. She held the lavender cotton delicately, not wanting to tear holes in it with her talons. "If you would..." she whistle-whispered, blush deepening.

While waiting for Ella to turn, Jo glanced around the clearing. The trees were a bit different from what she was used to, but not too hugely so. Grass was still grass, and the stones were a different color, but nothing was so hugely different that it would upset her. The biggest thing might be the time change, her internal clock was trying to say it was later than the sun said.

Ella shrugged and turned her back to the other woman. She gazed at the river in thought, her mind wandering once more to all the problems facing them. Maybe if she could convince the towns people that Jo was simply human it'd make things easier to understand for them... not the part of anyone being willing to be the lover of an animated corpse but at least understanding that she was safe....

Jo saw Ella turn and shifted as quickly as possible, the slide and shift of bone and muscle something she was very used to. Feathers melted away to reveal skin and hair, and wings and tail retracted into her back. Once done, she hurriedly pulled on the dress, eyes darting around to make sure there weren't any people in the trees watching. "You can turn back now," she said, tugging the skirt of the dress a bit to straighten it.

That done, she went to give Ella a hug, a smile on her face. "I'm sorry there's no warning, but I had a small argument with my mother, and am moving out. Or should I say moving in?" She paused, giving it a bit of thought before shrugging and returning her attention to Ella. She wanted to ask so much, like if the other woman had missed her.

Ella turned slowly, about to tease Jo when she felt herself suddenly caught in an embrace. She smiled warmly and reached out to hug the other woman tighter. As the other woman spoke she stroked her hair gently, letting her fingers enjoy the soft locks. She was a little surprised by the statement of the argument. Was that why she was here? Simply because it was her only place to go and not because she wanted to be with Ella? For a moment the unconquerable Ella actually felt unsure though it did not show in her perfect smile.

"Well... then lets get you moved in. It's not the best home but it's gotta a roof and bed so works for me... I also installed a kitchen recently." She said simply as she planted a simple kiss on the other woman's forehead and turned towards the basket. She didn't say taht she'd installed the kitchen in case the other woman came but it was true. As a Rasulka there was no real need for her to eat.. but she suspected Jo needed to.

Jo blushed at the kiss and caress, turning her face down and squeezing her arms a little tighter before letting go. She stepped back, taking a closer look at Ella. She seemed more tired, as if the past couple weeks were hard. It was very possible, with the urgency the rusalka message at the ball had. It could even not be over yet, and she had just flown into a war zone.

"Did everything end up ok? I was worried when you had to leave the ball so suddenly," she said, face furrowing into a frown. "I waited like you said, but my parents didn't think I should come at all." Part of the argument had been about Jo going into a possibly dangerous situation, and her lack of real fighting training. Her response was to come anyway.

"They may have had a point... Necromancers attacked my clan and took several of my sisters under control. They used them to attack the town, like mere zombies. I managed to save who i could.... destroyed the ones I couldn't but the townspeople are still not sure they can trust me. They're frightened and frightened people do stupid things." She answered grimly. Still she began to use water pressure from the water int he air to lift the basket enough it would float like Jo said. Anywhere else would be too dry and her powers too limited. On the banks of her river was the exception, however. There were many things she could do only here.

"The shack is this way... hopefully it won't be too bad.." she muttered, looking almost embarrassed. She then grabbed the harness and began to pull it towards the shack. With the strength of many undead, particularly ones designed to pull full grown men to their deaths, she was actually doing fairly well. She wasn't sure what to say to Jo at the moment, inwardly wondering if she was regretting her choice yet...

Necromancers. Jo hadn't had any experience with them, being raised in the safety of Eerie. She grabbed a rope and started hauling the basket with Ella, contemplating what she knew of them. She eventually made a face, turning her thoughts to the town. "Are they usually nice people?" she asked, eager to know more about the area and Ella's life. "And should I go there on my own at first, if they're nervous about you?"

The thought of going on her own made her a bit nervous, but she'd proven to herself that she could do it, both at the Ball and on the way here. But if they would treat her differently for being with Ella, it might be smarter to go alone. She could see what sorts of things they generally wore, and adapt her style to them. It might be hard, as they'd likely use different techniques, but she would at least try.

Ella nodded at the first question thoughtfully a moment as she helped tug the basket forward. They were usually nice, gentle, small town folk who kept to themselves but they could be highly superstitious now a days. She wasn't sure about the second question. They were treating strangers with suspicion now, after welcoming the man who turned out to be the first necromancer to the group back fired in their face. After just burying some of their family members because of it they were not real inclined to forget the lesson learned to be more cautious.

"No... they don't like strangers much right now... You have to understand, without me to protect the town that night a few of the townspeople were killed. A few killed then raised to be turned against their own families... They've been through a lot of suffering recently. They'll at least talk to you if you're with me, because even if they aren't sure they trust me they know they owe me their lives." She answered grimly. Darkness lurked in her eyes for a moment and it was likely clear what she was thinking. If she'd just arrived earlier.... if she hadn't gone to the masquerade for her own fun, those people and her sisters she'd had to kill would still be alive and well. She blamed herself for the suffering, she should have been here! You see, she had taken the townspeople under her guardianship too, not just the rasulka

"Oh." Jo glanced over at the woman beside her, she sounded like something was still wrong. "If you have nothing else to do after getting my things to the house, would we be able to go?" She wanted to be known as someone safe for these people, she'd be living around them for quite a while. If she couldn't go now, though, she'd probably just start unpacking, and exploring the immediate area.

Her ear twitched as a bird started singing in a nearby tree, and Jo turned her head to watch it fly off. It wasn't familiar, but birds were birds, for the most part. That got her to thinking about what she'd have to do for food, even though she was a great hunter naturally, she still needed more than meat in her diet. That meant she'd either have to pay for food at the town, or start growing some. A mix would probably be best. A vegetable and herb garden here, and buying bread or the stuff to make it.

"Sure" She responded with a shrug, looking up at the other woman. She gave her a warm smile, pushing away her inner darkness. She saw no reason to make Jo suffer for her failures. She simply focused on tugging the basket. Soon the small shack made primarily of gray, water stained wood that looked positively ancient. Still, despite that it was very strong, partially due to her magic. The water in it made it so she could put her magic into it...

"Rustic I know, but its' warm and its dry" She said with a shrug as she gazed at the shack. It was probably just large enough to hold Jo's things... primarily because Ella had few items of her own. Being she had no real need to eat or anything she really only needed a small hutch for clothing and bed sheets. She'd added more storage and a working kitchen for Jo and an empty room to be eventually made into a work shop but that was all. She hoped Jo wouldn't mind sharing a bed... It was large enough they could each have a side.

She smiled again at Ella's answer, happily tugging the basket along. Finally seeing the little shack made the smile wider. 'Rustic' might just be the best word for it, she thought, taking in the weather-worn wood and new additions. "It's fine! I can probably fit my stuff in a corner, unless inspiration hits. Then my supplies tend to go everywhere..," she said, trailing off sheepishly. Her tendency to carry pliers or shears around when looking for something, then setting them down somewhere had her always looking for them again.

She let off heaving the basket as they got close, thinking of starting to unpack a bit. She hadn't worked with her metal or gems at all in the week it took her to fly here. Though she did have a few generic finished pieces at the bottom of the pack to sell, should she get those out? Maybe it would be better to see if someone there already sold jewelry, then she might be able to work something out with them... There were so many possibilities, it was overwhelming.

"Do you think the people in town would like what I make?" she asked quietly, tugging the basket closer to the building. It was too wide to fit in the doorway, by about a foot and a half at least. She'd probably build a shed to keep it in, taking an older one had assured that she'd never need to return it.

"Well... I am working on a work shop for you...so you should have a place to put them" Ella admitted sheepishly. She wasn't usually one to admit such ...sensitivity. She pushed the basket against the wall, making sure it was at the angle that the house protected most. It would keep most of the rain and wind away from it. She would then walk into the house after giving Jo's hand a gentle squeeze.

I only have one bed so we'll have to share love" She said quietly, her tone for once straight forward instead of flirting. She headed for the fireplace. She lit it for the other woman, knowing there was a little nip in the air. She had cleaned the shack top to bottom whenever she couldn't sleep in anticipation of Jo's arrival but she still worried. It was still clear in the sparse, undecorated 'home' that nobody really lived there. She didn't even use the bed half the time but just slept in the river... Only her wardrobe with a few sets of clothes tossed in showed anyone stayed there.

Jo's slightly pointed ears almost visibly perked up at the mention of a workshop. "A whole room for my art?" she asked, excited and a bit nervous about it. She'd really only had her table and wall space, the house her parents had was a bit too small for her to get a whole room. She'd have space to work on separate things at the same time, and display space on the walls!

Her ears flicked back down at the mention of only one bed, and her cheeks colored with blush again. It surely wouldn't be a bad thing, more like having a sleepover, at least at first. Maybe... Her cheeks darkened as other thoughts struck her, and she tried ignoring it, and the thoughts, as she helped push the basket against the wall, pressing down to ground it once there. "I'm sure it won't be a problem," she said, following Ella inside.

The bare walls and spartan furnishings begged to be decorated, and she was instantly glad that she hadn't been able to leave behind some of her things. She wandered the rooms, noting how clean everything was and mentally arranging her things in the room she presumed was for her work. "It's wonderful!" she said finally, coming to stand by the fire Ella was building. She hadn't noticed the slight chill until she saw the flames. "I can arrange my work stuff however I need, and not worry about tripping anyone but me!"

"That's the idea sweetheart... I'm.. really glad you like it"[/b] She sounded flirty and joking at first but as she mentioned her own feelings there become a touch of seriousness and she was tempted to blush. She hated to admit but one of her biggest worries was that Jo would not be happy here... that she'd be miserable in this place so different then where she came and with such brutality a stone's throw away. Any sign of pleasure in the other made Azrealla happy accordingly. She smiled as Jo came closer to the fire. Without thinking she reached out and gave jo's hand a gentle squeeze, though inwardly she still wondered... had Jo come for love or a desire for independence?