The Trek South

[zash]

Zash sighs, looking out at the vast amount of land in front of him with his red eyes and then turns to look at the nettled trees of the forest behind him Well Zurhazz.. You ready to start the journey south? Were're supposed to be able to take a boat over to the island to train right? That's what we were told? he then looks up as his midnight blue dragon of only five months flies over head Yes Zashamel, but I do not know if the boat can take us all the way to the island Eragon is supposed to be residing in. Zash bows his head a little to this, and begins walking out into the wilderness, armed with his usual hunting gear, and the sword that his parents inherited to him those many years ago when he was exiled This shouldn't be so bad.. We have very few threats to actually worry about and should be able to travel quickly thanks to the shadow abilities the shade spirits were willing to give me. he pauses his thoughts for a moment then resumes his train of thought Speaking of which, have I ever thanked you for pretty much eliminating those annoying whispers of theirs yet? If so, then I thank you again for releasing me from that torment. He smiles a little before turning his attention to the river he hears flowing nearby, walking to it and deciding to follow it he begins to hum himself one of the Elve's famous and merry tunes. Relying on his most basic survival instincts for the time being and just trying to enjoy his journey.

[zash]

Zurhazz? Zash reaches out to his dragon after about a day of travel, working his way down the river to the settlement Ceris which should only be a few miles away at this point I need your opinion on our plan of action? Do we dare attempt to stop in Ceris to stock supplies? Or do we go around and head straight for Hedarth? it takes but a moment for his midnight blue dragon to respond Going around would be more safe for us because of your appearance, however we are in need of supplies as well. If we do go we should see if it's possible to procure a boat or ship of some kind so we can speed our journey up. Zash nods at her words with a smile she was always so logical and he was grateful that she was for it had gotten them out of many unfavorable situations since their flight to Duweldenvarden. unfortunately they had to stick to the edge of the forest for fear of being detected by elves, but that only put a minor hindrance to their travels putting them only a day or so behind that of their original plan. After a few hours the small outpost comes into view, causing him to smile and quicken his pace to enter the outpost. All the while hoping that he isn't attacked because of his appearance

[Tismri]

OOC: I've been debating between two characters to place here. One of them would really benefit from meeting Zash, but the other makes more sense to be here...

Fira stood at the top of the outpost, gazing down at the expanse below. To the south, the edge of the forest was well in sight, in every other direction, the trees seemed to expand endlessly. They were comforting to her, being the environment she'd grown up with. "Grown up" was a relative term for her, though; at sixteen, she was still considered a child by most of the elven community, and her grand height of three and a half feet did not do much to argue that thought. Still, she had proven herself a reliable scout in Queen Arya's army, and that earned her some respect.

She gazed up at the sky for a moment. Although it was mostly clear, she could see the beginning signs of a gathering storm, one that would likely be cold and harsh. That would mean many of the elves would light gentle fires to bring warmth against the chill. The thought made her shudder as she ran a hand along her right arm, feeling the mangled scars that remained there, covering every inch of her left side from her face to her waist. Try as she might, she could not get over her fear of open flames. She would rather stay outside in the cold and wet than be anywhere near one.

She returned her gaze to the forest below and spotted movement. She drew her bow and sighted down the shaft of the arrow toward the approaching figure. It was likely just a traveler stopping by for supplies, but with the Shade Rider's army out and about, one could never be too careful.

"State your name and purpose," she called out, still holding her arrow steady as she waited for a response.

[zash]

ooc: I might want to add.. His ability range greatly increases at night, able to make shadow copies of people at the cost of the energy drain.. This can happen now, but he is not strong enough to hold the spell for more than a few minutes so it's worthless for him to perform such a thing since it's technically a conjuration spell

Zash looks up at the person on the tower, staying just out of bow shot, and cups his hands to his mouth "I am Zashamel! I am currently passing through on my way to Hedarth, I have stopped here to resupply for my journey South!" he stops his sentence there, not wanting to provide more than he has to. From this distance the person he's shouting at probably can tell that he has black hair, and a deep color of eye that would seem to almost glow in the night. With a telescope she might be able to see his sword, and bow of Elvish make as well as his actual eye color which is a deep red. He awaits her reply, not daring take a step closer to have to dodge an arrow. As easy as that is with Zurhazz watching over him.

Zash finally decides to take a step forward looking around for a shadow somewhere on the ground that he can step into, hoping that the clouds aren't covering the sun enough to block out the shadows that would be created on the top of the tower from the raised parts for archers to shoot through, or at least that there's a torch that creates a shadow. He frowns however when he doesn't see a shadow nearby and looks up Zurhazz! Assist me would you? I need your shadow to step into.. I do not wish to continue yelling at the top of my lungs, it strains my voice. Without a reply Zurhazz flies into a spot where a shadow is nearby then begins to fly in circles so the shadow makes a ring around me. It looks like it could be the shadow of a hawk from Fira's standpoint, yet no hawk is visible if she were to look around.

Once the shadow is in front of Zash he steps into it, disappearing from view and reappearing a few feet behind Fira "I am sorry if this startles you.. I was tired of yelling though. Would you help guide me around the settlement so I can be on my way quickly?" His shoulders droop in exhaustion and his breathing is somewhat labored. Now that he's closer Fira can see exactly how pale his skin is how red the irises of his eyes are and the black, almost claw like nails protruding from the ends of his fingers.

[Tismri]

Fira continued to gaze into the darkness, making out the distant figure. He heard his reply, and the name seemed familiar to her. She'd heard warnings of him spread through the forest, along with the rumors of the attempted Shade creation. It didn't surprise her; it seemed more and more attempts to create Shades had been made since the Shade Rider began her campaign in earnest. Zashamel was seemingly stable and still sane, but the queen sent him out of Du Weldenvarden as a precaution.

Before she could decide how to deal with this, he was suddenly behind her. In a fluid motion, she replaced her bow back on her back, arrow back in quiver, and had a dagger in each hand ready for defense. She gazed up at him for a moment or two. His appearance was definitely that of a Shade; the most off-putting part were his burning red eyes. They reminded her a little too much of fire.

"Very well, Zashamel. We will allow you to resupply. However, I must report your arrival to my commander, and you must have an escort for the duration of your visit. I hope you understand our precautions." She gestured to the ladder that led down from the watchtower. "After you."

[zash]

Zash bows to the lookout "I understand, I appreciate your kindness" he then smiles and begins to walk down the stairs and ladders until he's on the ground again. He looks about the rooms and the settlement's 'town square' in search of stores which might have the supplies he needs, most major of these would be a boat large enough to hold both him and his dragon. It doesn't take him long to go about the different stores and pick up the assorted supplies he needs, the escort was a minor hindrance but not all that unbearable. Once all the supplies were gathered he turns to Fira "Do you have a boat which I can borrow? It must be large to transport my companion as well as myself"

[Tismri]

Fira escorted Zash around the outpost after reporting his arrival to her commander. He sent another elf to the watchtower until she could return. She eyed the supplies the visitor was purchasing, curious just how much he could afford and wondering if it would be enough to get him where he was going. He seemed rather peaceable, though his appearance and abilities unnerved her.

"A boat?" she questioned, glancing at him curiously. "We have a few, but it would really depend upon the size of your companion." She glanced at him. With dragons abounding and Urgals--Kull included--roaming the land more freely, one could never know who to expect one's friends to be. "Also, by borrowing, does that mean you intend to return it to us?" she gave him a slight smirk, but it changed to a sympathetic gaze. Banishment couldn't be an easy thing for anyone to handle, especially when it wasn't exactly his fault.

[zash]

    "I shall be returning at a later date.. I am headed toward New Doru Arabea if that answers your question.. I am unable to fly there for the time being" he flashes her a quick smile, his red eyes seeming to stare into her soul even though his demeanor is friendly and warm. It has been too long since Zash was able to actually converse with another being than his dragon "Or at the very least I should be able to pay you back the cost of the boat when I return, if it's not too long anyway.. I would hope that most of my training has already been done by the Elves". So far Zash seems to be able to pay for all of his necessary equipment fairly easy, by the time he's done with his round up he has several months provisions all set down by the docks, most of it is food, he has a few blankets for himself in case it gets too cold.

    During their time wandering a two inch wide leather band around Zash's left wrist is noticeable, only really visible when he moves his left hand to pay for something, giving away that he's either left handed or ambidextrous. If she were able to get a different angle on the band she'd see that multiple jewels have been sewn into the band. the pattern alternated between two on top of each other, leaving a gap in the middle, then one directly in the middle of the band. The colors of the Sapphires in the band also alternate between a deep blue and red. Buying something like this, especially for a warrior is definitely not normal. Not even by the fact that it's too expensive, but if he were to die in battle it would surely be looted almost immediately.