The True Test

[Max452]

"Oh, I'll make sure he doesn't do anything idiotic, all right." Tati produced an evil-like grin as she glanced down at her youngest brother. "Thank you, healers. We are truly grateful." Tatiana gave a polite curtsy to the two women - it was the least she could do to demonstrate that she wasn't a heathen like her two brothers. "Your kindest and help will not be forgotten. You are always welcomed to Ismalia, as we are the children of Prince Tristan and Lady Teodora, I am Tatiana, my brother Thane and Tylon." Tati gestured to her brothers. "Again, thank you, if you ever need anything, never hesitate to ask." She informed them politely. Her eyes then darted to her brothers, who were escaping from her. "Please excuse me, I have to make sure they don't cause any trouble. Thank you again." She politely (thank goodness she paid attention during her ettiquite classes) excused herself and ran after her brothers. "Mother is going to love this, Tylon." Tati held and air of deviance.

***
Aradan glanced up from his spot as the male came to speak with him. He stood up to give a proper greeting himself. "Well met, Jason Kingsley; it is an honor to meet a Prince of Ismalia; I have heard many stories of the Queen Mother and her mate - their feats are unrivaled by many." Aradan reached out to shake his hand, inclining his head respectfully as he did so. "I thank you for your invitation and am grateful that you are able to extend it. It was a good thing Veryan and I happened along; a moment later, I fear the river would have taken you both down." He released the hand shake, still a bit unused to such contact. Humans were indeed different (even though he was half). He glanced over to where Teza Mae was hidden behind Veryan's wing. "It is late now and you both have had a trying experience, examination or not, I suggest you rest. Veryan and I will take watch tonight; we sleep very little these days. I will be pleased if we may speak in the morning."

***
"I think you're right, Glory." Seth agreed to her statement as he heard the pounding rain outside and their dragons moving the rocks.
Sleep, you two. We will continue this; you'll be freed in the morning. There is no point in having you both be drained needlessly. Hyperion told them as he managed to free a rock at the top, allowing more air and rain in.
"Hyperion is right. We're no use like this, and even more so if we don't get any sleep." Seth agreed with his dragon.
Rest, please. Hyperion added.
"Come Glory." Seth nudged her to follow him; he had somehow managed to figure out the cave from their little mishap already. He led her back to their bedrolls so they could rest at last.

***
OOC: Hahaha, poor Ian.

Ian couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth, followed by a pained groan. Despite the pain, his eyes stilled held its mirth. "Zee isn't his full name; I can't even pronouce it right. He's my best friend." Ian told Maude, trying to ease himself into a more comfortable position as Maude was still making him awkwardly tense. He glanced down at his bandaged wound once Maude was finished. His eyes found her own again, causing another red tint to form on his cheeks. He coughed suddenly; the air having escaped his lungs when he felt that tingling sensation in his chest when their eyes locked. He managed to control himself and turned his head away from Maude, completely embarrassed. "I appreciate your help." He mumbled to her, his eyes staring at the boar. "I'll heal it when we get out." Ian replied and then dared to look at her, surprise in his eyes. He should take watch; it was the least he could do for all she had done. She was probably more tired than he was, after all, he did black out after his fight...he should be fine...right? "Its okay, I'll take watch first. It's the least I can do." He insisted, feeling like he ought to, despite his body's protests.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae awoke slowly the next morning, feeling sore all over, especially in her head. Still, she felt warm and safe, and the air had a certain freshness about it; the rain had stopped, she noted.
She crawled out of the bedroll under the dragon's wing, trying to remember everything that had occurred the night before. It was all mostly a blur; she recalled almost drowning, and being saved by Jason and a strange Rider, presumably of this black dragon. She looked down and noticed with slight embarrassment that all she was wearing was a man's tunic tied a bit loosely around her waist. She could just imagine what her father would be thinking if he could see her right now. She went out from under the dragon's wing in search of her own clothing, and was stunned into a greater level of embarrassment whenever she noticed the Rider. Still, she was a princess, and she attempted to approach the situation with dignity and grace. Of course, the fact that the Rider didn't look half bad didn't help her situation much.
"Oh...G-good morning," she greeted him. "I would like to express my gratitude to you, for rescuing myself and my brother last night, and for providing us with shelter and...clothing...for the night." She felt like a blabbering idiot, and was pretty sure her face was as red as the sunrise outside. Why couldn't she at least have had the decency of mind last night to put on some leggings before passing out? She felt practically naked in front of this--incredibly handsome--stranger.
~~~~~
Gloriann gave one last glance outside, seeing Sundavar's tail flick across the small opening. Then she followed Seth back to their bedrolls. She was still too shaken by the events to sleep by herself, so she returned to her earlier position, cuddling against him for comfort.
"Thank you, Seth," she murmurred quietly as she attempted to fall back asleep.
~~~~~
Tylon ran off to escape with Thane, already thinking about their new schemes. He had a bit of difficulty bending, breathing, or doing much of anything with his torso so tightly wrapped, but at least it wasn't the stabbing pain that it was before. He made sure to grab his tunic and the bucket of water as they left; he actually was feeling a bit thirsty. He took a mouthful of water, and then turned when he heard his sister threatening to mention all this to Mother. In response, out of sarcastic surprise, he ended up spitting all the water on her face.
"Whoops...sorry, Tati," he told her. "But what were you saying about Mother?"
~~~~~
Diana watched the children run off, knowing they were all going to be just fine. It was nice just dealing with broken bones and common cuts and scrapes, rather than the severed limbs, deadly infections, and mental instablity caused by war.
She turned to face Vana when she heard her speaking, and was surprised when she pulled her into a hug. She returned the embrace, patting her gently on the back.
"Of course I forgive you," she said, her voice a bit tight. "You were being stubborn and foolish, but all you ever did was what you thought was right. I can't fault you for that." She pulled back slightly in order to look her friend in the face. "I just wish we could have met up sooner. When I never heard of you, I was certain you had died in that final battle."

[Trinn]

Jason woke a minute after his sister. He heard her speaking to the elf outside. She was safe. He smiled at the knowledge of this. Rolling to his feet, he readjusted the clothing he had changed into and stepped out from the other side of the dragon. His eyes went wide at the sight of his sister. Her immodesty shocked him. He hurried to her side and pushed her behind him. "Tezza!" He hissed, looking at her. "What are you thinking! Go get dressed!" He didn't want to sound mean, especially after their fight last night, but he wanted to protect his sister's innocence. He glanced apologetically at the elf, feeling embarrassed.
***

"Alright then. We should get moving at first light though." Maude said. She wasn't going to argue with him about who would take watch. Plus, she wanted to see how tough Ian really was. Part of her doubted that he could remain awake for the night. She stood and went about arranging herself for sleep. She finally lay down beside the boar again and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Ian." She said, thinking she might as well be civil while they were working together. "Don't let the wild dragons bite." She smirked as she drifted off into sleep.
***

"I thought it best that I lay low for a while. When Galbatorix fell, I thought people would come looking for me. I had set quite a reputation for myself, after all. But... well I don't regret the mistakes I made." She said honestly. "I am sorry though to have turned on you. You were always smarter than me." She gave her friend a small smile. "I feel like we have a lot to talk about, you and I. When the exam is over, I would like you to meet my daughter, and my husband. I would like them to know the first and truest friend I've ever had."

[Max452]

Aradan had taken watch that night, while Veryan watched over the Ismalians. Besides meeting the Ismalians, his night was uneventful, save hearing some coyotes howling in the distance. When the sun finally peaked over the land, Aradan finally heard movement from inside.
The royal-two legged is awake, Aradan, and prepare yourself, I don't think she realizes the why she is dressed.Veryan warned his Rider before settling his head down.

Aradan raised a curious eyebrow. What did Veryan mean. He turned when he heard a feminine voice call out to him. Oh. He hid his surprise as he watched Teza Mae greet him in just his tunic. "It was no trouble at all, Princess." Aradan bowed his head respectfully to her before turning his eyes away. Thank goodness her brother came then. It was a bit embarrassing to find her that way, though, amusing as well. He merely nodded at Jason, finding that no words could really ease the awkwardness of the morning. "I gathered some berries and fruit for breakfast." Aradan pointed at his cloak near the dying fire, where a small feast of fruits and bread were laid out. "Its not much, but it will do for now. Help yourselves." Aradan insisted as he turned to gaze back out into the rising sunset. They had 4 more days until the exam was over. He needed to get his scroll soon, and to see where the Ismalians progress was at as well. He sighed, cherishing the beauty before him before going inside the cave to eat as well.

***
"What is that boy doing with my sister!?" Daeron shouted at the scrying mirror. He had snuck into one of the towers to watch his sister's progress and was non too pleased to find her snuggling with a boy in cave, without supervision! However, his little outburst also made the teacher in the tower aware of his presence; the towers were off limit to everyone but teachers and exceptions.

***
Seth awoke in the morning to the sound of tumbling rocks. Darting up, Seth immediately contacted Hyperion. Hyp! What happened!
We've managed to move the last of it! You're free now!Hyperion declared with fatigue. The blue dragon had slaved all night to free his Rider and friend. He glanced at Sundavar. Are you all right, friend? Hyp asked.

***
Tati gawked at her brother. Her hair and face were now soaked in water and his spit. She glanced at herself and then turned to look at Tylon with killer intent. "You. Have. 10. Seconds." Was all she said as she reached behind her back for her bow and for an arrow. She notched the arrow. "10." She began her countdown, her eyes blazing with fury, despite her calm, though menacing voice.

***
Ian was pleased that Maude didn't argue with him. He knew if Eva was here, they would argue for hours before they finally come to a decision. "Good night, Maude." Ian whispered to her as she retreated to her resting spot. He then heard her last words and glanced at her with a wide-eyed expression. He forgot about the wild dragons! That last sentence alone caused him to stay awake for the rest of the night; his eyes searching for wild dragons so that he could alert Maude and they could run away in safety. he had no intention in fighting dragons! Paranoid, Ian was steadfast in his watch, despite the urges he had to sleep every so often. Finally, dawn approached, and Ian went to wake Maude. Gathering up his courage to nudge her (he was absolutely terrified of contact, thinking he would do something stupid). "Maude, its dawn. We need to get moving." He poked her arm, ignoring the pain in his side and shoulder from the small movement.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae rolled her eyes at her brother. She was embarrassed enough as it was; he didn't have to make a scene out of it. "Well, if you'll excuse me, that is exactly what I was going to do, as soon as I could locate my clothes." She turned away and looked around, finding her somewhat muddy, but dry, clothing from the day before. "I figured I might as well let him be aware that I was awake so that he didn't have a heart attack if he turned around." She gathered up her clothes and hurried back beneath the dragon's wing to get dressed and hide her embarrassment.
"Not a word of this to Father!" she yelled out to Jason. "Not. A. Word!" She walked out, now fully clothed and still humiliated beyond belief, and sat down next to the fire, where she looked through the fruit the Rider had gathered. She started to eat, feeling famished as well as awkward. However, the silence grew more uncomfortable with every passing second.
"Scrolls..." she finally said, hoping to turn all attention away from her earlier stupidity. "Where is your scroll, ah..." she glanced at the Rider, although she quickly turned her eyes away, her face still bright red. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name?"
~~~~~
Glory awakened with a start and looked around to see the dragons had finally cleared the entrance of the cave. She smiled at Hyperion's proclaimation. "We're free, Seth!" she said, rushing out to hug Sundavar. The dark dragon was exhausted.
I'll be fine, she assured Hyperion, panting a bit. I just pushed myself too hard. Glory looked in concern, and then checked the wounds on her wings.
"I think you're taking this test a little too hard," she said, patting Sundavar. "Keep this up and you might get a more serious injury."
I'm tougher than I look, Sundavar said, But I am grateful for your concern.
~~~~~
Tylon had to laugh at Tati's appearance, her hair and face soaked. He had no idea he could hold that much water in his mouth. However, he took a step back when she drew her bow. "Whoa whoa whoa, sis! Time out!" he called desperately. "There's no need to resort to violence. You wouldn't shoot an injured man, right?" She still seemed intend. He looked between her and Thane for a moment or two. "Ah...later!" he called out, and darted into the crowd of people and among the tents, getting away from his angry sister.
~~~~~
Diana shook her head at Vana's words, smiling slightly. "Not smarter, just with a different train of thought." She raised her eyebrow slightly when her friend mentioned a husband and daughter, and she gave a small laugh.
"I'm sorry, I just...I never imagined you settling down and getting married. I always thought you scared off all the eligible men. But I will be more than happy to meet them after the exam."
~~~~~
Marola glanced through the crowd, trying to locate her children. Cortell was within sight, as he almost always was, and Lyta was holding her hand. She couldn't see either Talia or Daeron, though, which concerned her. Tally was probably off playing in the dirt somewhere, or maybe making some new friends. And there was no telling what sort of trouble Daeron was getting into.
"Cortell!" she called. He came over quickly; he'd become almost protective of her since the Shade had shown up and attacked. "Go see if you can find your brother," she told him. He glanced through the crowd.
"Yes, Mother," he said, nodding, and set off.

[Trinn]

Jason sat himself down on the blanket as well and examined the berries and fruit layed out. He was accustomed to usually having some sort of meat with his breakfast. But no matter, he was glad to have anything at all in this exam. He began helping himself to the simple fare, but he continued to watch Tezza carefully. Her face was as bright as the morning sun. He had never known Tezza to be embarrassed. He couldn't even remember the last time she had blushed. Shards, wasn't this just grand. He was incredibly grateful for the elf riders help, but he wondered if his presence was just going to casue more trouble than good now.
***

Eva had fallen asleep at some point during the night. Eos's warm side plus the fire had warmed her quickly. Now she opened her eyes feeling rested, and could see the faint blush of dawn creeping into their dwelling. Not forgetting the storm, she listened intently for any sound of the harsh winds. There was only silence. Hurrying to her feet, she went to the mouth of the cave and marveled at the sight she beheld. A land of powdery snow as far as the eye could see. The snow sparkled in the morning sunlight, like tiny crystals. The snow ground was broken up occasionally by glacier and ice formations. And there, in the distance, was the tallest glacier of all. That was where they had to go for their scroll. Rushing back int othe cave, Eva went to wake Eos. The pale yellow dragon slept peacefully, and Eva caught glimpses of a strange dream involving wild dragons. "Eos!" She said with both mind and tongue. The dragon woke up with a start, her talons flexing and consequently scratching the cavern floor. Eva stiffled a giggle. "Come on Eos! Today we get that scroll!"
***

Maude awoke easily as soon as Ian touched her. She had always been a light sleeper, a consequence of sleeping in the woods all her life, with only the shelter of a dragon wing or an impromptu structure. There had always been wards to protect them, of course, but Maude had always worried about the dangers of Mother Nature. She sat up now and looked at Ian. He looked tired, which was good. It meant he had remained vigilent in his watch. "Thanks." she said, standing now and stretching.

"Fricai" She said, touching the side of the immense boar. It awoke with a snort and grunting. "We must continue our journey now. Come, let us move on." The boar continued its snorting as it pushed itself up to its feet and shook morning dew from its fur. Maude looked at Ian. "Riding my friend here will help us cover more ground. He's easy to ride. I assume you've ridden dragons plenty of times before, so there will be no trouble." Then, with now practiced ease, Maude grabbed a fistful of the boars fur and swung herself up and onto the tall back of the boar. It was best to jump and then grab fur, and then swing up onto the back. The boar was as tall as her head. "Here," she said to Ian, holding a hand down to him. "I'll help you up. Best not to exert yourself too much after last nights excitement, eh?"
***

Talia stood at the gate of the boundary. It was closed now by some magic. She was astounded by it's height and girth. Within, her sister Glory was undergoing the hardest challenges of her life so far. But Glory would persevere. She was a smart one. Moving, on, Tally walkled along the wall, lost in thought. This was her first time to Bromsland, and she was thrilled by the amount of riders and dragons that lived here. Not to mention the array of races that mingled together. She had seen an urgal and a dwarf for the first time in her life already today. And they had been dragon riders!

She was approaching a row of pavilion tents now. There were many people gathered here. Her mother and father probably among them. Her eyes focused on a group of three people around her age. Two of them seemed to be arguing about something, whilst the third stood by smirking. She watched as the youngset ran off, while the girl aimed an arrow at him. Tally's eyes went wide. Was she going to murder the poor boy!

[Max452]

Aradan moved to join the Ismalians for breakfast, sitting opposite of Teza Mae. The half elf moved to eat as he listened to Teza Mae's random outburst. "My scroll is located in the Icelands. We were traveling there when the storm hit and pushed up back a few miles." Aradan explained. "Ah, yes, I remember you were unconscious when I introduced myself to your brother." He glanced at Jason briefly and then back at Teza Mae. "I was named Aradan, and my companion is Veryan." He glanced over at the dragon, who had shuffled his wings and was now preening his scales. The dragon didn't complain, but his wings were a bit sore from shielding the Ismalians. Aradan glanced back at Teza Mae and Jason. "Where are your scrolls located?" He asked politely and then ripped a piece of his bread to eat.

***
Seth manuevered himself to the entrance of the cave. Thanks, Hyperion. Seth thanked his dragon with a soft nuzzle to his snout before turning to face where Sundavar and Glory were located. "Thank you Sundavar. Without you and Hyperion, we would have been stuck in there." Not that he minded; he enjoyed the company and was use to the darkness.

"We should let you both rest for awhile before we set off again. We'll be going toward the mountains, who knows if there are wild dragons about." Seth expressed his concern before turning back to find his sack, where some food laid.

***
Ian blushed a bit when Maude opened her eyes. The young man stood back and let her awaken fully before glancing at the boar. They were going to ride him? Together. He gulped. He was going to be really close to Maude! He followed her, adjusted his pack to a more suitable position, to the boar. He froze for a moment when she offered her hand. Shaking off his idiocy, he clasped her hand and used her leverage to hop on behind her. Nervousness soon set in as he sat behind her, along with the strange tingling feeling throughout his whole body. Think of the exam. Think of the exam! Was his constant mantra as he cleared his throat and quietly declared that he was ready. Not knowing where to put his hands, he hung them a bit awkwardly to the side. "Toward my scroll then?" Ian asked Maude.

OOC: hehehe poor Ian. And I'm just gonna make it worse for him.

***
Tatiana couldn't help the smirk that was set on her features as she watched Tylon run like a rodent. "This will teach him to spit in my face." She told Thane with a menacing gleeful voice. SHe aimed carefully at her younger brother, not wishing to hurt him...just to scare him. She aimed for the loose end of his cloak, knowing that it would pin him to his spot. She resumed her countdown. "8....7....6....5, 4, opps, there goes my finger." Tati cackled as she "accidently" loosed her arrow. The arrow soared gracefully, but speedily to its destination: Tylon's cloak.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae wondered momentarily how the Rider could seem so very calm after everything that happened. He seemed as if the whole fiasco had been nothing at all. It crossed her mind that he probably didn't find her fetching in any fashion. Why would he? From his manners, he seemed as if he'd been raised among the elves, and every one of those she had seen had been beautiful beyond compare. Even with the little she had inherited from her father, she knew she was not nearly as lovely as one of them.
She bit her lip to hide the frown that threatened to show. Never before had she felt insecure about her own beauty. As a princess, and heir to the throne of Ismalia, she was often showered with praises to uplift her spirits and boost her confidance. Now she wondered, did they all say that only because she was a princess? To the rest of the world, was she just average? She disliked the thought. She wanted to be considered beautiful, pretty, or even just cute, by someone who didn't care that she was a princess, sister, daughter, or cousin.
She distracted herself from these thoughts by focusing on Aradan's question. "My scroll is to be found within the forest," she said, opening to map to double-check. She then gave Jason a meaningful sort of glare. "I don't remember, brother, where was your scroll again?" She really didn't want him to botch this test just because he was focused on staying by her side. Also, if they teamed up with the Rider and dragon, they may be able to cut down their travel time and perhaps be able to grab all their scrolls before the end of the exam.
~~~~~
Sundavar lowered her head and expressed her gratitude to Seth for his words.
"Yes, Sundavar and Hyperion, you both should rest before we move on," Glory agreed with Seth as she stroked her dragon's nose gently a few times. Sundavar lowered herself to the ground and curled around.
I will rest, but not for too long, Sundavar said. We should not lose too much time, or else we will be unable to collect both the scrolls before the exam time runs out.
"Take as long as you need, fricai," Glory told her bond. Then she went to join Seth for breakfast. Knowing he couldn't see her, she often found herself staring at him, studying his features as if to memorize them. His eyes, though their expression was blank, had a beautiful blue color to them, somewhat lighter than Hyperion.
"Thank you," she said quietly as she turned to focus on the food, "for keeping me calm last night. When the entrance caved in...I've never been so scared before."
~~~~~
Tylon jumped and dodged as he ran away from his sister, trying to get out of range before his ten seconds were up. Then, before the time was over, he heard a twang and gave out a startled yelp, then tripped as his cloak became pinned to the ground at the feet of a girl he'd never met before, near the entrance to the exam site. He gasped for breath, the bandages making it hard, and turned to yell at his sister.
"Aw, Tati, and this was my good cloak, too!" he called out. He flailed about a bit as he tried to get to his feet, eventually pulling out the arrow, which left a small, round hole in his cloak. He glanced up at the girl and rolled his eyes. "Sisters," he told her, "They're all crazy."

[Trinn]

Jason avoided looking at Tezza. He knew very well where his scroll was. He had sneaked a look at it the other day. It's location wasn't exactly close to Tezza's. He finally looked up at her when she asked him about his scroll. "I don't know, Tezza," he said, lying, "I lost it in the flood." That much was true at least. He had checked his supplies last night and realized that his map was gone. "It doesn't matter anyways, remember?" he said, then looked down quickly at the food before him. He wasn't good at lying, and it would be no surprise if Tezza called him out on it. He let his shaggy hair fall into his eyes, to further avoid his sister's gaze.
***

Tally watched the scene with a little bit of horror. By the time the arrow had hit its mark, her hands were covering her mouth. "Sisters..." Tally agreed, mystified. Hers wasn't that crazy, though. "Are you alright?" She couldn't help but notice the rich attire of the young man, and his overall noble bearing. In fact, the three siblings all looked fairly noble. Tally stood staring, unsure if she should bob a curtsy or not.
***

OOC: What doesn't kill him will make him stronger lol

The trio moved further into the woods, pressing through the thick green foliage. At times Maude had to dismount and cut through thick brush with her swords to move forward. At these times she always insisted that Ian stay put and not exert himself. Maude would hate to have to do more healing to his wounds than necessary. She was on constant alert for any dangers. Perhaps because of the giant boar they were riding, they were not bothered by creatures that day. Night fell again, and Maude found a relatively covered spot to make camp. She dismounted and began setting her things out. "We'll reach your scroll tomorrow." she said, glancing briefly at Ian. "My scroll too, I should think, at the pace we're going. How's your wounds doing?"

[Max452]

Aradan listened carefully to the siblings, finding it very curious that the male seemed unperturbed that he had lost his scroll. "Ah, the Forest. That was were Veryan and I had begun our examination. It is filled with many creatures and beasts. We were just attacked by jaguars the other day; we barely fended off one when we were attacked by another. It makes me wonder if we had somehow landed near their nesting grounds." Aradan explained after finishing his food. "However, Ebrithil's words before the exam had made Veryan and I very intrigued. You see, in our lessons, he stressed to pay attention very carefully to the words that we use when we cast magic as it can change the outcome of what we desire sometimes. He also told us to pay attention to the words we hear other people use. And quite frankly, I think the idea of us going about gathering our own scrolls is to deter us from our real lesson. I honestly believe that if only one of us have our scrolls, than the others are allowed into the ruins, as Ebithril Roland mentioned that we needed a scroll to enter, and not specifying our scroll, but than again, I cannot be to sure." Aradan explained his theory. "I doubt any one of us wish to try out that theory, as this is a pass or fail examination."

***
Seth heard Glory's footsteps and knew she was walking toward him. He turned his head lightly to the side, facing her general direction. He gave her a warm smile. "Of course, Glory. I'll always do my best to protect you." He grabbed some food and sat down. He padded next to him, indicating Glory to join him. He felt Hyp lower himself to the ground, informing him that the dragon was curling up to sleep. "And I can imagine how scared it must be; not being able to control something is pretty scary." He offered her some bread.

***
Throughout there journey, Ian did his best to stay awake, but he had nodded off a bit; head lolling against his chest. He would wake with a start whenever they stopped and despite his own insistance, he was forced to stay on the boar while Maude cleared the path for them whenever they met obstacles. Though he slept, the ride was quite uncomfortable and Ian found that the pain in his side would increase with each trot the boar took. At some point, he even felt the wound open again, but said nothing, not wanting to stop their journey on something he considered meager and pointless. They had wasted enough time. When night came and they had finally stopped, Ian felt light headed. "I'm glad we are closer." Ian replied to Maude as he slid off the boar a bit sluggishly. At the mention of his wound, Ian shook his head. "I'll be fine." He told her, down sizing the fact that his wound had opened again. He pressed a hand onto it, feeling some warmth. It seemed like his blood soaked through a bit; not a lot to make it dangerous for him at the moment, but if left untreated it could be. He walked around, trying to stretch his legs after sitting on the boar all day. It was days like these, that Ian wished he could use his magic right now.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae shook her head at Jason's words, but easily caught his lie. He was too honest to state a falsehood effectively. She was about to call him out on it when Aradan spoke again.
"Perhaps he meant we all need to work together to get our scrolls," she theorized. She rarely really understood most of what Ebrithil Roland said to them. She turned back to her brother.
"You do know where your scroll is, don't you?" she asked him accusingly. "Where is it? Since there are three of us now, we can probably get them all in order and head back to the ruins." She stared at him for another few moments. What could she say to make her brother understand the importance of this test? "If you fail this, where are you going to go to study the effects of magic on us? You need to pass this in order to advance, perhaps even get some one-on-one tutoring with someone."
~~~~~
Gloriann took the bread from Seth as he offered it to her, and she smiled at his promise to protect her.
"You know...you sorta remind me of my big brother," she informed him. "Cortell is always doing his best to protect the rest of us. I think both Mom and Dad made him that way." As she spoke about them, she began to miss her family. They'd always been watching out for her, and she for them. Daeron was a bit of a trouble-maker, but he was probably the most fun of all her siblings. Tally and Lyta always seemed rather overly cheerful to her all the time. Glory just couldn't understand how someone could be so happy all the time.
~~~~~
Tylon grinned up at the girl as she stared down at him, and then he tried standing, but was a little entangled with his pinned cloak. He glanced back up at her.
"Would you be so kind as to help me up?" he asked her politely. The girl was dressed in rather common attire, but aside from that was quite pretty. She seemed a little closer to Thane's age. He wouldn't be surprised if his brother came over to flirt with her, as he seemed to enjoy doing with most girls. "I'm Tylon, by the way."

[Trinn]

The future that Tezza painted for Jason scared him a little. He needed to continue to study magic. Ismalians were still the weakest nation if they could not learn to harness magic the correct way. But still... his scroll was not near the icelands nor the forest. He glanced at Tezza, and regretted it. She looked quite determined, and a little frightening. "Fine!" He said, throwing his hands up. "If you must know so badly, Tezza Mae, we would have to travel into the region of the desert in order to obtain my scroll." He glared at her, hoping she was happy with herself for forcing the location out of him.
***

"Oh, of course." Tally said, shaking her head at herself. She went around to the boys cloak and took hold of the arrow. She had to pull rather hard to rip it out of the ground, and out of the cloak of the young man. "There you go." she said, standing back with the arrow in hand. She examined the object, noticing the fine make of the shaft and the well placed, high quality feathers. No... these siblings were no ordinary group of kids. "Well met, Tylon. I'm Talia Celesti, but everybody calls me Tally." She gave him a little smile. "If you don't mind my asking, where are you from?" The boy had a strange accent, rich and lilting. She couldn't ever remember hearing an accent like that before.
***

Ian moved slowly, almost clumsily, Maude noted with a keen eye. She regarded him now with her hands placed stoutly on her hips. "I dare say you're not quite as fine as you'd like me to believe." she said, lifting an eyebrow at him, daring him to lie to her. "Look, I can see a spot of blood coming through that bandage." Sighing, she strode over to him and made to look at the wound again. The boar, meanwhile, turned itself in a circle and then lay down wearily. It snorted and grunted as it tried to fall asleep. It pushed around the nearby ground with its snout, grazing on the grasses and clover there. It thought its two human companions were rather nice. Nicer than the boars he used to know. The boar, in its own way, wondered how long they would all be together, and what he would do when he was alone again.

[Max452]

Aradan glanced between Teza Mae and Jason, amused with their sibling banter. He always wanted a brother or a sister, besides wanting his parents too, but it seemed Wyrda thought otherwise. He smirked, finally showing some emotion since he met the two; he was quite unused to being around anyone else but elves. "Well, we can go to the Forest, the Icelands, and then the Desert. I would not mind the company and help if we manage to claim all our scrolls." He turned his head to gaze at the sunlight. "We'll have to hurry though. We have only so much time to do this and we still need to reach the Ruins on the seventh day." He reminded the siblings. "And it would be safer to claim all our scrolls," He looked pointedly at Jason. "You never know what the requirements are for not claiming one. What if we have a dangerous challenge in the ruins? You would not be able to enter to protect those you love if you fail to claim your scroll." He added to Teza Mae's argument, giving her a small smile when Jason wasn't looking.

***
OOC: lol! I love how you play the boar now, Trinn. lol Let's get their scrolls! I have a funny scene to play out with Ian claiming his. hehehe.

Ian grimaced at Maude's tone. She didn't sound convinced about his wound. He tried to match her daring look, but ultimately failed. He let out a defeated sigh as she marched over to him. "Fine...I might have reopened the wound when riding our friendly boar." He grumbled out. He lifted his hand off his bandage to show the seeping blood. "I just didn't want to be a burden..." He muttered, refusing to meet her eyes. He moved to sit on a rock so that Maude could look at the wound better. A sudden blush came to his cheeks as he realized that he would have to lift his tunic to her again. Why me!? He cursed nothing in particular as he lifted his shirt to expose the bandaged wound to Maude.

***
"Well, I feel honored to be compared to your brother, Glory." Seth replied, eating. He sensed her homesickness from her voice and gently went to hold her hand. "He sounds admirable, as do your parents. I bet they'll be proud that you're doing well in the exam." He told her. "Tell me more about them, if that's okay? I would like to know you more and I'll tell you about my parents." Seth offered, trying to pass the time while they let their dragons rest.

[Trinn]

OOC: haha, I'm becoming attached!

Elves! Jason fumed, avoiding looking at Tezza. He looked instead at Aradan. "I will not ignore the council of the one who has saved our lives. If you, and Tezza, deem it a wise idea, then we shall go and retrieve my scroll. I will be sorry if in the process we do not reach the ruins in time." he added that last part as a sort of warning. They would end up hating him if in going to his scroll they ran out of time to complete the exam. He would probably hate himself for failing Tezza.
***

OOC: OK!

Maude began unwrapping the bandage, tsking slightly under her breath. The wound had indeed reopened, but it was not as bad as it could have been. Good think she had kept Ian still on the boar for most of the day. Reaching into Ians pack, without asking, she retrieved the ointment and set about reapplying it to the bleeding injury. "First of all." She said, glancing up at him with a stern look. "Never blame the boar." She was deadly serious in this. In the course of her short time with the animal, she had come to see the boar as a partner of sorts, someone she relied on and who relied on her. She figured she'd probably fight to the death for the creature. "Secondly, you would have become a burden had we not attended to this now." She continued working for a few more minutes, silent in her concentration. "As it is," she started up again, "You are fine. See. All done. It didn't take long at all, and now you have a 99 percent chance of recovery." Maude returned the ointment to Ians pack and stood back up, stretching. "Go to sleep, Ian, you look like you're about to pass out. I'll take watch. And don't try to argue." Turning her back on him, Maude found a tree and shimmied up and onto a low branch, where she would watch over their small camp. "Goodnight, Ian." She said as she had the night before. "I'll keep the biting dragons away tonight." And she laughed quietly as the crickets in starting chirping in earnest.
~~~

The next day was much like the last. They traveled into the early afternoon, Maude again having to clear the path at some points, while forcing Ian to stay put and not exert himself. During this time, she had him feed the boar soft greens she had collected during the ride. The boar seemed to enjoy this new, somewhat pampered life. When the sun was high in the sky, at the peak of the day, Maude slowed them down and turned to Ian. "I think we're almost there..." she said.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae smirked as Jason finally revealed the location of his scroll, relieved that he'd finally just said it. She gained the courage to glance at Aradan as he supported her argument; now that they were on a different subject, she found her previous embarrassment fading. She could tell that Jason was not happy about being defeated by her and Aradan's points.
"It's settled, then. Since Jason is so hesitant about getting his scroll, we'll go after it last. Mine should be the closest. With your and Veryan's help, I think we may be able to get the scrolls well within the time limit." She stretched slightly, finishing off her breakfast, and then stood.
"We should go soon," she declared. "The day is passing us by without hesitation, and we must catch up if we are going to pass this exam."
~~~~~
Glory smiled as Seth reached for her hand, finding it comforting. She was glad she'd become friends with him; he was a good person.
She thought over what to tell him about her family. "Well...Dad used to be a slave back while the war was still being fought. Aunt Gianna and Gladia helped rescue him, and they formed a kind of wandering tribe called Gladia Celesti, made up almost entirely of freed slaves. Dad became the main leader of them, and everyone still looks up to him with respect.
"Mom...Mom had a different life. A long time ago, she worked for Galbatorix." She frowned as she thought it over. Though it had all been explained to her, Mother never went into full detail. She also wasn't sure how much she wanted to share with Seth right now. "A lot of things happened to her, but in the end, she left the Empire's service and ran away. Eventually she joined up with Gladia Celesti and met Dad.
"Cortell's the oldest; actually, he's my half-brother. Mom had him before she met Dad. You wouldn't know it seeing them together, though. He's as close to Dad as any of the rest of us are. And then there's Daeron, and Tally, and then me, and Lyta. Oh, and Rauthr, Mom's dragon." Glory smiled slightly; she hadn't talked with anyone this much since she left home.
"What are your parents like?" she asked curiously.