Gil'ead

[nerasa]

"Alright it would be good to have these people rest for a time." said Nerasa.

"Hold on for the desent." said Nerasa to the people riding marflamel and they headed down to the groves where they would be hidden. Nerasa got off helping those that rode on marflamel off of the dragon.

[taran]

Mar moved quickly through the night, blending with the natural rises and recesses of the countryside. 'They move fast for a band of freed slaves,' he thought to himself. 'I do not really agree with slavery, but there is nothing I can do about it.'

[nerasa]

nerasa wasn't really tired and she couldn't sleep anyway. She wanted to circle around the place to make sure that there was nothing fallowing them and she wanted to be far up in the sky.

"I am going to disguise these people i have a feeling it would be better to do that then have them the way they are." said Nerasa and she went over to a few people in a group and started disguising them into someone else.

[Trinn]

Curious, Gianna watched Neras's progress, amazed when the face of a slave transformed into an entirely different person. To her surprise, the freed slaves didn't object, or even flinch. They had a deep trust for Nerasa "That's amazing!" She said, looking over the rider's shoulder. It was at that moment when Gianna realized Nerasa was an elf. Her eyes widened slightly, and she took an involuntary step back. Gladia, she's an elf! Humour swept through the bond. Gianna had always heard of the elves with the varden, but she had figured she would never meet one. And now she was accompanying one across Alagaesia!
Gianna, I really don't like you looking so stunned. Compose yourself. Shaking her head, Gianna did as Gladia bid and reigned in her astonishment. "Can you teach me how to disguise them?" she asked. "Two people working at this job, the better. And faster." While they spoke, the first ray of sunlight broke through the leafy canopy, mottling the earthy floor golden.

[nerasa]

"Sure its really easy." said nerasa as she told Gianna how to do it and then continued on her job working on all the now free slaves to transform them into someone that they weren't

"I think that our new friend is a little surprised here." said Marflamel who was chuckling in the link they shared.

"Really? Do you know why?" asked Nerasa.

"She didn't, I suspect, know that you were of course a elf." said maflamel.

"We should let her ask questions and then pretend to be surprised then. Do you agree?" asked Nerasa.

"Yes." said Marflamel.

[taran]

Mar had snuck around the camp, to be a closer distance between them and the next area they would most likely rest. He did not like to follow during the day, much too easy to spot from the air. Finding a small alcove near a natural dam, Mar laid down to rest, until the sun set again and he could resume his watch.

[Trinn]

Gianna smiled, pleased with her new knowledge. Now, time to try it out. Behind her, Gladia snorted in amusment.
I feel sorry for the first person you get to experiment on. Looking over her shoulder, Gianna rolled her eyes at the dark purple dragon. "It will be fine." Most likely, she added to herself. Although not the most proficient in the use of magic, she was passable. At least for this simple trick. Walking to a nearby girl, Gianna knelt down next to her. The small girl looked at her curiously. "Hello. Do you mind if I make you harder to recognize? There will be less of a chance of you getting caught that way." The little girl shrugged, probably not understanding. Taking the shrug as a yes, Gianna placed her palm, the that held the gedwey ignasia, onto the girl's head. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the spell Nerasa had just taught her. The wash of icy magic flowed through her core, up her body, down her arm, and out her palm. Dark purple light washed over the little one, rippling like water. When the magical light faded, a new person was staring at Gianna. A wide smile broke across her lips. See, she told Gladia, I told you it would be fine. Gladia snorted again, another laugh.
Good job Gianna. I'm going to go to the edge of camp and take watch. Something... feels wrong. Gladia's words brought Gianna quickly to her feet. "What?" The young dragon shrugged.
I'm not sure. Just something in my bones, like an instinct is telling me to watch out. Gianna stared into her dragon's eyes.
I'll meet you at the edge when these people have all been covered. Whatever you're watching out for, I don't want you to be alone when it pops up. Gladia nodded, then ambled away, her tail swishing against the leafy ground. Gianna watched her go, then continued with the slaves. Looking at Neresa, she wondered if it would be wise to tell her of Gladia's odd sense of wrong. No, there's no reason to get everyone on edge. If there is an actual threat, we can deal with it then. Satisfied, Gianna made her way to Gladia's side. Climbing onto the dragon's back, she sat atop the sadle and kept a vigilant eye on the still woods.

[wiana]

Salian smirked when he saw the other tracker lie down to rest. He'd been watching the group of slaves all night, waiting for a chance of recapture. Now that the other predator (ooc: he constantly thinks of himself and other trackers as predators) was out of the way, he could make his move. But how?

He contemplated this as he moved back to the camp, moving with more silence than a spirit. Though he was taught magic by a shade while he was in the army, he rarely used spirits in his missions. That did not include manipulating things around him my controlling their spirits. The shade had drilled that technique into him until he could walk through a battle field blindfolded and come out unscathed.

A dark purple hump appeared to his right and he slowed. Ah, one of the dragons, he thought. Best stay away from them. He double-checked the thick barrier around his mind, making it seem like a thick tree.

A large head turned his way and he stood still, willing the spirit of the tree beside him to protect him from sight. This invisibility was not fool proof, as he well knew. Luckily, the early morning light would make it hard for even a dragon to see, though not as hard as he would like. He stayed stock still until the head turned away. Brilliant, the rider's with it. And there's another pair in the clearing. Now he had to make careful calculations; messing up meant losing everything, and he hadn't made a mistake in a long, long time.

[Trinn]

Gladia turned her head to the left, her eyes taking in the empty woods. Or were they empty? That odd sense of wrong seemed at a boiling point. After a few minutes of staring, she turnd her large head back around. What is it? Gianna asked. The purple dragon shrugged her shoulders.
I'm not sure. My whole skin is tingling, like there is someone watching. But when I look, there is no one around. Gianna frowned and settled a hand on the hilt of a dagger she wore at her waist. She laid her other hand on one of Gladia's neck scales.
I'm going to walk the perimeter of the camp. Scout it out. Gladia grumbled in low growls.
Allright, but if there is any trouble, you had best inform me at once. Patting the scale in ascent, Gianna dismounted and began a slow, stealthy walk around the camp, keeping her circle wide.

[wiana]

Salian cursed under his breath. The rider was coming his way. He was just about to move stealthily away when an idea occurred to him. The rider would pass directly in front of his tree, and with his state of invisibility, an ambush would be simple. Once he had control of the spirit of the rider, the dragon couldn't stop him. Perfect.

He schooled his expression, thinking tree-ish thoughts, until the time came to capture his prey. . . .

[Trinn]

Moving with careful, silent steps, Gianna's eyes flashed across the empty woods, constantly alert. As she walked, she reached into the pool of magic that rested stagnant at most times. Today, she felt it would be useful. Words of the ancient language rushed through her mind, and she finally settled on one word. Jierda. If an attacker came, he would be hardpressed to do anything with a broken limb. Gladia's body came back into view, and Gianna felt suddenly apprehensive. There should have been something to find, something to explain Gladia's odd sense of wrong. Frowning, she passed a large oak tree. As she passed, she thought she saw a glimmer, a disturbance in the air. Assuming the woods were playing tricks on her eyes, Gianna continued past. Still, the sight had reminded her to be extra cautious. She pictured the face of a man, her own personal life-saver. Her mind was now barred to intruders.

[wiana]

Salian felt the mind barrier appear around the female riders mind and allowed himself a small smile. Mind barriers were good for just that, the mind. But the spirit was so much deeper than the mind. He toyed with a few words in the Ancient Language, before settling on, "Let the spirits of the forest bind her fast." He didn't know of anyone but shades and sorcerers who could break the chains of a spirit.

The trees around him reacted to his command, paling as their spirits parted from them. He grinned as the girl, stopped, immobilized. A mental probe attacked his mind, and he let in it, clamping down on it with all the hatred his father had given him. The young woman gasped. Another mind entered this game, and Sal gave up, releasing the mind.

Next he attacked the girl's spirit, after refortifying his mental barrier, willing it to bend to his will. Something steel lurked in this girls entity, resisting his attacks. A small growl escaped him and he walked toward the rider, shedding his disguise. He didn't care about preservation at the moment -- no one had been able to resist his attacks before, and he needed to be close enough to touch to make his final move.

[Trinn]

OOC: Just to let you know, you did a bit of god moding in this post. God-moding is when you control someone else's character without their permission. However, I like where this is going, so I'll accept it for now. Just watch out for it in the future!!

About to take another step, Gianna was suddenly halted, as if invisible hands had grabbed her. Suddenly afraid, she struggled against the unseen foe, but to no use. In fact, she couldn't move at all. Something suddenly struck against the barriers in her mind, trying to break through. With a blast of her own mental power, she struck back at the intruders mind. However, the mind of the intruder was blocked. She gasped in frustration, and then in shock as he accepted her attack, retaliating with a blast of pure hatred. Fortunately, he relequished her attack, and if she had been free to move, she would have fallen to the ground. Suddenly, it seemed her very spirit was being attacked. Icy fear slid down her spine. She had thought her spirit was one thing never to be captive. "NO!" she screamed, fighting desperately against the intruder. No one will ever hold me against my will again! Unsure of what to do, Gianna embraced her own spirit, picturing her arms wrapping around herself, holding the spirit to her in a tight embrace.

At the sound of Gianna's shout, Gladia swung her head to find her rider immboile. With a mighty roar, Gladia bounded over to Gianna. Her rider's mind was blocked, and only her eyes and mouth seemed able to move. Something sinister lurked within Gianna, something foreign. Gladia shook her head back and forth, trying to rid the presence from her mind. "Gladia," Gianna suddenly spoke. "You have to seperate your mind from mine! Remeber those lessons and do it!" Gladia growled. She remembered being taught by other riders how to seperate from her rider. Such a thing was only done in dangerous times, to prevent the harm brought down on one to enter the other. Loath to do it, but not wanting to be captured with Gianna and become useless, Gladia extracated her mind from her rider. A tear slid down the dragon's purple cheek. The experience wasn't pleasant.

Suddenly, a man appeared, and Gladia instantly knew he was the cause for such suffering. With an earth shaking roar, Gladia crouched, then pounced at the man, teeth bared.

[wiana]

OOC: Sorry about God moding. (sheepish smile) Glad you liked the direction it's going. won't do it again!!

Salian leapt aside just in time, landing in a crouch. Something thick crashed into his shoulder and he growled in pain. Stupid! he berated himself. Didn't you learn to never underestimate a dragon?

His leap had miraculously carried him closer to the rider and he reached out with one hand, letting the magic flow through him and out to the bound girl. His shoulder throbbed and blood seeped from the wound and into his clothing. He let the pain and hatred flow with the magic and touched the girl, thrusting both to her mind and to her spirit.

He straightened with fierce glee. Now it was a matter of time before her spirit would be under his control. He turned around. Two large eyes glared at him (ooc: is that god-moding? would she do something different?) and he reached a hand back to grasp his spear, pulling it free from his back. "Your rider is mine," he informed the dragon. He pulled from the spirit of a nearby tree to heal his shoulder, and waited for the dragon's next move.

[Trinn]

OOC: No, thats fine. Since it's already been stated that Gladia is furious, that passes.

A throaty scream ripped from Gianna's throat as the man made full contact with her. His touch sent shivers of pure agony through her mind, and even her spirit. She felt almost dead with her spirit out of her own control. Her eyes stared sightlessly into the woods, unthinking. All that existed was obeying this strange man's commands. Her mind couldn't focus on anything, not even the dragon beside her.

Gladia felt her talons rip through Salian's shoulder. She growled in fury that he had escaped death, and turned her burning eyes upon the tracker. Snapping her teeth, Gladia prowled closer to him, tail held high like a mace, her wings held up, and neck arched dangerously. One quick glanced towards Gianna confirmed the man's words. Anger, hate, and sorrow filled the dragon's large heart. Snarling, Gladia struck at the man quickly with her teeth, neck snapping forward.