Have A Little Faith In Me

[Tismri]

Tenel Ka curled around, the chilly morning air setting in on her. As she opened her eyes, she wondered for a moment why she was outdoors, instead of inside her tent. As the smell of cooking reached her, she glanced over at the fire and spotted Rom. She then remembered that she was out hunting with him. She stared at him for a moment or two, sleepily taking in his image. He looked very nice. It was a sight she enjoyed seeing. Finally, she stretched and sat up.
"Good morning, Romulus," she said, stifling a yawn.

[Max452]

Romulus heard Tenel Ka stir as he finished preparing some food for them. It wasn't much, but he hoped that she liked stew. He wasn't quite sure if she liked eating meat, as she was a Rider. He had noticed that some of the Riders didn't eat meat because of their training and meditations. He understood their feelings, but to him, everything was a cycle of survival. He turned when she greeted him. "Good morning, Tenel Ka." A bright smile on his face. "Would you like some stew?" He asked her, preparing a bowl for her, along with dried bread.

[Tismri]

Rom's smile was contagious, as Tenel Ka returned it to him. The morning was peaceful and beautiful as the bird began to greet the new day.
"Stew sounds lovely," she said, accepting the bowl. She opened her mind to Caedus. Good morning, friend, she greeted him.
Good morning, Princess. You slept well. It wasn't a question. He already knew how well she had slept. She smiled, glad that he already knew almost everything about her. She wasn't sure waht she would do if she was ever to lose him. As she ate, she returned her attention to Rom.
"So what do you have planned for us to day, Romulus?" she asked.

[Max452]

OOC: I realized I forgot about Roland and the others!

Romulus began to eat the bowl he had prepared for himself when Tenel Ka asked her question. His smile grew bigger. "Well, I thought we go and track some elk, first. I thought I can show you how I track and we can just enjoy the area for a bit, and then when you're ready, we can go and hunt for something bigger, with you leading the hunt." His eyes bright as his smile, "Do you like that idea?" He asked her, and then gazed at Caedus. "Do you want to hunt with us as well, Caedus? Or would you like to hunt yourself?" He asked the dragon.

***
Roland patiently worked on curing the skins that he had procurred. Given his elven heritage, Roland still felt a twinge of guilt every time an animal was killed to allow him to have the skins needed to make the leather saddles, satchels, and clothes. He stared down at the skins, knowing they would have to stay like that for a few days. He placed those to a designated spot, writing a date on them so he knew when he had began that process with this lot. He limped over to one of the lots that were in its final stages. Taking the skins, he began to make a new saddle for Stigandr, his elven hands quick and process. As his hands worked, Roland's thoughts were concerned over Trinn, wondering when the Rider would question his apparant strength. He sighed, he would have to tread carefully with her, or she would easily discover his identity.

So caught up in work, Roland did not realize when the sun began to set, indicating the first signs of the night.

***
What are you going to do? Locien asked.
I don't know, Locien. For once, I am conflicted in my thoughts. What do you think I should do?
It is not so bad here...but I understand how you feel about staying. The Varden would not take to us lightly and we can no longer return to Illeria.
Do you think we should continue our quest?
I think we should try a different approach. We have done too much manipulating and destruction. I feel that if we are to obtain peace, we need to be peaceful.
You think we should be idle, then?
No...not idle... Locien breathed out from his smoky nostril.

[Tismri]

Tenel Ka carefully balanced the bowl of stew on her lap as she ate. She smiled as she listened to what Rom had planned. He was going to teach her how to track! Tristan had complained about Rom's ability to her more than once, and on some level she believed that he was just jealous. She smiled in anticipation. She was a little anxious at the thought of leading the hunt, hoping that she wouldn't disappoint him.
"Sounds perfect," she told him, already imagining how the next couple of days would play out.
Caedus shuffled in place as Rom asked what he would do. I shall hunt on my own, he informed them. But I will stay close by, just in case. He put his head close to Tenel Ka, an affectionate gaze passing between them. Stay safe on your hunt, Princess, he told her.
~~~~~
Ealvale sat outside her tent, gently thrumming the strings of her lute. She had not started playing any particular tune, but soon she attempted to capture a melody she had heard before. She was not too far from where the tanner, Erik, lived and worked. Sometimes, late at night, she would hear something that sounded like singing from that direction. Before, she had always written it off as a dream, but the tune remained, haunting her mind. Now she decided to attempt to capture it on her instrument.
As she played, her mind drifted to someone she had known some time ago. Back when she had arrived with her uncle at the Varden, she had met Dastan. She had never gotten to know him very well, which she very much regretted; she'd always been watching him from afar, watching as he became an accomplished warrior. In childish admiration at the time, she had written a few little songs about him. But since then he had disappeared, and joined the Empire. She wondered what had caused him to become so disillusioned as to believe that a tyrant could bring peace when history showed time and time again that such men would always be defeated. Maybe he didn't know the old tales like she did. Perhaps she could have told him...
She shook herself from her daydreaming. Sadly, Dastan had chosen his path, and no number of what ifs would bring him back. To distract herself, and focus more on her playing, she got up and walked over to Erik's tent. The young bard shyly approached the eccentric tanner, wondering if he was too busy at the moment.
"Excuse me, Erik?" she asked quietly. "I was wondering if you might help me with something. I'm trying to write a song, and I need someone to listen for me."

[Max452]

"Perfect." He smiled at Tenel Ka, pleased to see her smile and happy about his idea. He gave Caedus a mental nod. "Good hunting, Caedus!" He said as the great dragon departed. He took a sip of his soup, once again quite aware that they were alone now. "Let's see...its nearing spring, so the animals will be coming more toward the rim...since they probably ate all their winter snacks." Rom half-joked. "We could probably catch some elk near the ridges. They're about a mile or so from here." He glanced upward from where they were at. "I hope you don't mind a bit of a hike." He gave her a half smile, wondering how determined she was to hunt. He continued to eat breakfast as he pondered the basic areas that most game would be.

***
Roland glanced up from his work, hearing Ealvale approach. He gave her a smile, always pleased to hear the girl's tunes. They had a unique calming affect to those that listened. He believed that she may even rival some elves he had once known. "Ah, yes, I would be happy to help!" He flashed her a pleasant smile.

OOC: someone has a crush on Dastan...lol

[Tismri]

OOC: Blame Taylor Swift.

Tenel Ka listened carefully to everything Rom said, trying to take in as much information as possible. Honestly, she hadn't the fainted idea what she was doing, but she didn't want to disappoint him in her efforts. She smiled when he mentioned a hike to get to their location.
"I would rather enjoy a hike," she told him. "I have not been able to get a decent amount of exercise in for a while." She considered for a moment. "Is it very hard to track?" she asked.
~~~~~
Ealvale smiled as Erik encouraged her, and she seated herself on the grass. She could play just as well standing, but when composing she preferred to concentrate sitting.
"I don't really have any words for it yet," she admitted. "I'm really just trying to get the music." She looked down at her lute, and after a moment began to play the tune she had been working on. Although the refrains were unlike anything she had heard before, the notes echoed in her head. The beauty of the music had been what gave her the desire to capture it. As she played the song, she hummed along, sometimes using her voice to help her play the correct note.
Once she finished, she glanced up at Erik, a little embarrassed. It was impossible for her to play it as beautifully as she had heard it, which is why she sometimes thought she had dreamed of the song to begin with.
"I think the tune might have been inspired by some of the elven songs I've heard," she admitted, knowing that this was the style they tended to perform with. "Do you--Is it any good?" she asked him anxiously.

[Max452]

OOC: Teardrops on my guitar? LOL

Romulus thought about Tenel Ka's question. "Mmm, not really, once you know what you're looking for. Its mostly trying to spot what's different in the area you are in. I mean, there are always traces of life; you just have to know where to look. Whether its a pawprint, a broken or crushed leaf, even the smell around you can indicate something is different. With hunting, you just learn to pay attention and to place yourself in the animals' blindspot. Like, we keep ourselves downwind, else an animal will know where we are and never appear." Rom explained. "It may seem overwhelming at first, but we'll take it one step at a time." He gave her a reassuring smile as he placed his finished bowl down. "Let me know when you're ready. I'm going to pack up our stuff and travel as we go. Sometimes you never know where game leads you." He informed her as he went to roll up their beddings.

***
Roland listened passively, hiding the shock expression as she played the song that he would sing when finishing his saddles. He didn't blame her at all in trying to figure out his tune. After all, he had been singing it for awhile now. He gave her a genuinue smile when she finished. "That is very beautiful, Ealvale. Perchance you be the one playing it at night, eh?" He jibed with her. "Rumor has it that the elves sing it at night to protect us from the Empire. If I had known it was you, I would ask you to play it all the time. I hear it sometimes in the very dead of night. And I must say, you capture the tune almost perfectly. Are you sure you are not an elf?" He asked her, his eye twinkling at her.

[Tismri]

OOC: Yep. lol, they played that song at work a couple of nights ago and it's been stuck in my head ever since.

Tenel Ka considered everything as Rom spoke, and as he listed each thing required for tracking, it all made perfect sense to her. However, to keep it all in mind at once while focusing on the hunt itself seemed like it might be a bit of a challenge.
"I suppose practice will just have to make perfect," she said. She finished eating as Rom packed up their things and then went about to help him.
"I am ready to go whenever you are, Romulus," she told him with an excited smile, looking forward to whatever adventures awaited them in the Spine.
~~~~~
Ealvale turned bright red at the man's praise, pleased by it but feeling as if it might have been overexaggerated.
"It's not me playing at night," she assured him. If only she could match that perfection she heard! "I hear it then, as well. I wish I could just sit and listen to it all night." She daydreamed about the singing for a few moments, then turned her attention back to Erik.
"I was wondering about lyrics," she mentioned. "The elves sing this song in their language, I know. I was wondering if I could put words to it in our own tounge. Do you have any ideas?"

[Max452]

Having finished packing, Romulus organized their packs, making sure that they had enough water for the day. He smiled at her as he heard her excitement. "Then, let's get going!" He slung his pack over his shoulders, his quiver nestled right next to it. He held his bow in his right hand, while he handed Tenel Ka's pack to her. "Follow me!" His grin grew wider as he led the way into the Spine.

They hiked for what seemed like hours, but mostly one as Romulus finally discovered the tracks he was looking for. Bending to one knee, Rom motioned Tenel Ka to look. "See how the hooves are slender and more pointy? Those are deer...elks are similar but more larger." He explained to her. He pressed his fingers onto the tracks. "Hmm, based on the wetness, you can figure out roughly how long ago they were here. These are still pretty moist, so that means they're nearby." He studied them for a moment, and then glanced up, as if observing the area around them. He spotted a patch of leaves, taking them up, he crutched them before releasing them. The leaves flew behind them. "That's convienant - we're downwind already." He whispered to her, his ears picking up movement not too far from them. "Can you hear them?" His voice remained low, as his eyes trained toward the direction of the sound before gazing over at Tenel Ka.

***
Roland smiled knowingly. "Maybe tonight you may hear it..." He alluded. "Hmm, I'm not very good with music, as you are, dear Ealvale, nor in the ancient language. I'm afraid I won't be too much help in that aspect." He tilted his head at her, with light amusement. "But, I love to hear whatever you concoct."

[Tismri]

Tenel Ka slung the pack over her shoulder and followed Rom through the forest. The mountains were filled with quiet noises, the soft sounds of nature that was mostly undisturbed by a human presence. She had rarely seen anything so peaceful before, and she enjoyed the walk thoroughly.
When Rom stopped and knelt on the ground, she looked down with him. She stared at the tracks in the dirt, trying to take in what it looked like. She had seen animal prints before, but had never taken the time to tell the differences between them. It amazed her that Romulus was so easily able to tell what kind of deer it was, and even how recently they had been there.
She closed her eyes as Rom asked if she could hear them. She listened to the noises of the forest, but was unable to make any sense of them at first. She had never even listened to a deer before. Concentrating, trying to imagine what a deer might sound like, she listened harder.
"I...I think so," she told him.
~~~~~
Ealvale looked curiously at Erik as he mentioned she might hear the song tonight. From his tone, she almost suspected that he knew something. Maybe he had spoken with the elves before. She smiled as he mentioned that she knew more about music than he.
"Still, you must have some idea of what it's subject could be," she told him. She thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps I can devote it to Lady Nasuada. After everything she's done for the Varden, she deserves the praise through such a beautiful tune."

[Jay]

A Varden officer stood stretching out his hand towards Mammon and Fyrn. "You shall go no further," he said in his gruff voice, "surely you feel the Islingr coming. He will pass the judgement on those who crossed him."

Jaygon felt a twinge as Mammon reawakened. He ran to Turma as fast as he could possibly run. "Fly Turma a night made has reawakened and this time we will crush it!" Jaygon yelled as he jumped on her back. Turma roared as she lifted off.

[Max452]

Romulus smiled as Tenel Ka did her best to hear the deer and to understand his explanations. Being helpful, he whispered to her, "It's a bit hard to distinguish deer with other animals sometimes, but if you listen really carefully, you can hear the rustle of leaves, the steady, but shallow breathing of an animal, and the tapping of their hooves on the soft ground." He kept his own breathing low and calm, as to not distract Tenel Ka. Her hearing should be exceptional considering that she was a Rider as well as her other senses. "I can hear multiple hooves on the ground, which indicate multiple deer." He continued to explain to her. "The tracks here, also confirm it." He pointed back down. He paused, as he stared at the tracks again. His fingers glazed over a much larger, more padded pawprint. "Hmm, it looks like we may not be the only one hunting today. This looks like a wolf's print. See, it looks like a dog's print, but more wide and much larger." He showed her. "We need to be careful. Wolves run in packs." He alerted her, his amber eyes shooting back up into the woods, scanning them for any movement. His guard now up, Romulus opened his mind a bit more to his surroundings, carefully brushing along the consciousness of those around him as he searched for any sign of danger. Finding now, after a moment, Rom deemed it safe to continue further. "Let's go. I think they're moving a bit more north." He told her, referring to the deer.

He again, led the way, but instructed Tenel Ka on how to track; looking at the leaves and broken twigs, or even by listening for birds as they were usually good signs of danger or excitment in an area. He also explained to her about determining her location by looking at certain plants; how their leaves were angled in a certain direction, by noting the position of shadows, and even by looking at the stars in the sky at night. "If you want, tonight, we can stay up a bit later and I can show you which stars I use to guide me." He offered, thoroughly enjoying talking with her and sharing with her a more intimate part of himself. "Sometimes," He added, getting back to his explanation, "you can even ask the animals nearby where you are at or where the game are. I usually resort to using that when in dire need, as I like using my natural resources, before magic." He explained as they continued onward, he began to hear the rustling of leaves and hooves again. He didn't mention anything, wondering if Tenel Ka would pick it up.

***
Roland gave an approving nod. "Aye, I think that would be an excellent topic. A noble lady as Nasuada deserves to have her tales sung. I don't think many have yet described or captured the many deeds she has done for Alagaesia yet. Nor about the Varden and their noble quest to stop the mad King. I think it would be an exceptional topic for you to sing, dear Ealvale." Roland smiled and continued about his work for a few more minutes. "I cannot wait to hear it once you have accomplished it." He told her as he began to lay out dry strips of leather onto a molding of a saddle, using it to shape the strips into the saddle.

OOC: Man, I'm totally making up how he makes a saddle, so no one quote me on tannery! Everything I kinda know I read on Wikipedia and then improv! lol