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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 4, 2013 5:13:34 GMT -5
Khalidah had not failed to miss the sad expression on her companions face when he dared not even look in his replica's eyes. Her face softened, wondering why his own reflection could bring about such results. Had she inadvertently brought back a memory from his past that pained him? Thinking about her family pained her, but that was because she missed them dearly... but what could create such a reaction from an arrogant fellow that boasted his own abilities as if he had no faults? Khalidah told herself not create another likeness of him with her illusions until, if or when, he decided to tell her more (and true) facts about himself. The thief story.... she didn't believe it for a second.
The woman followed behind him silently, the wolf staying by her side to maintain their pack affiliation with each other until Hania would rejoin them. Kachina never scouted ahead like her mate did, she preferred to stay behind with Khalidah. To the wolves Khalidah was like a helpless wolf pup... while she had means of protecting herself, she had no fur to keep warm, or claws to strike out with. True, Khalidah had fangs, but the wolves still saw it as their duty to protect her. That meant Hania was the forward scout, and Kachina stayed with “the pack”.
Their new companion said naught to them, nor did Khalidah encourage a conversation either, remaining silent until they neared the wall. The woman faltered for a moment when she finally saw it. The last time she had been here was when she was first brought to this hellish place... still dazed due to being turned by the vampire that had kidnapped her. She knew there was a wall... but she had not recalled much of it. She swallowed a lump in her throat, restored her steely expression and continued forward. When “Jack” landed back down out of the tree, Khalidah took his place and studied everything.
True, there were not many guards... but there were certainly more than she had been hoping. Three illusion-women was not going to be enough. Six.... maybe? But did Khalidah have enough magic skill to create six uniquely individual, and fake, women? Two might be enough to keep the warden's attentions at bay.... but what about his guards? Khalidah frowned. How is seven hells was she going to pull this off?! But wait! Maybe she wouldn't need to create a mass amount of women to keep all the guards occupied. It wasn't just women that were prone to bouts of jealousy, but men too.... expect, they would fight amongst themselves to appear more appealing to the woman they were dying to impress. Jealousy would be the guards downfall.
Khalidah set herself up in the tree so that she could keep the guards and warden in sight, twisting her fingers in the same complex movements to create two illusion-women that called out to the warden in sign-song voices, giggling pathetically, drawing him out of the crowd. Khalidah had to roll her eyes at her own creations – their ample and perky funbags nearly busting out the top of their tight-fitting shirts. Tits might be necessary to keep a guys attention, but they didn't have to be completely bare to banish a man's logical mind. And it clearly worked! The illusions played up to his ego, gushing over how strong and handsome he was – Khalidah had to resist gagging numerous times at how pathetic they sounded.
The guards however were distracted by another three false woman, playing up to their ego's as well until a virtual brawl broke up, each man determined to make himself appear better than his comrades to this sultry women. It was too easy. On top of resisting her gag reflex, Khalidah had to stop herself from laughing at how pathetically easy it was to fool these men! While she knew enough thanks to her brothers, could it really be that easy?
“HEY!”
Khalidah paled when she heard the shout. Looking down, while still controlling her illusions with one hand. Oh... seven hells! A patrol guard! And he was right underneath her hideout tree. Khalidah dropped down out of the tree, kicking him in the stomach as Kachina snapped and latched onto the man's leg, before kicking the guard across the head, knocking him out cold as she sent him into the trunk of the tree. Khalidah knealt down and healed the man's leg with her other magical ability, then bolted away. Hopefully when the guard woke up he would think the whole thing was just his imagination playing tricks on him. With any luck.
“Come on girl”, she whispered to the wolf... slinking further along the line of trees, praying to whatever gods that might be watching that she didn't get spotted. Her illusions were still working perfectly despite her divided attention.
“Come on Jack.... get that blasted key!” she muttered to herself as she ran to another tree, climbing up into its branches, returning her sight to the warden and the gaze. Aside from the scout that was no laying out cold at the foot of the other tree, everything seemed to be going to plan. Even Hania rejoined them, carrying two heavy leather collars and chains. So, there were guard-dogs along the wall now, good... that meant a way out through the gates with the wolves. Khalidah searched around the warden and along the wall for her ally... where the hell was he?
Was he taking longer than anticipated to get the key? Or had he promised for them both to escape only in order to escape on his own thanks to her diversions?
“That rat bastard better not have lied....”
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 4, 2013 18:06:06 GMT -5
And then he saw them: beautiful women sauntering out into the mix of the guards. The warden still had his back turned engrossed in discussion with another of his equally serious men. Not wasting another moment, Peregrine began his journey from the safety of the trees out into the open field.
He started out by darting like a rabbit, hiding behind shrubs and bushes, but then the vegetation became thin and he slithered on his belly, like some sort of land-snake, until he reached the guards. By now, they were so wrapped up in the illusion women that it didn't take long for him to worm his way up the fence. When he reached it, he plastered himself up firmly against it, his back straight as a rod. He heard the men begin to scrabble over the women and he knew he was already running short on time; it wouldn't be long before the warden became interested enough for them to stop it and get back to work. Really, Peregrine was surprised that the illusion-women had kept them interested for this long, but that wasn't an observation he was going to share with Khalidah when he returned...if he returned--not that he was second-guessing himself at all, no, because Peregrine didn't engage in self-doubt, as previously covered. Taking a deep breath, he sprang to his hands and knees and wriggled through the gate.
It didn't sink in that he was technically free. That he was on the other side of the wall and could run away right now if he pleased. Of course, he would probably get caught and sent back before he got far. He didn't have time to think up alternate escape plans; right now, he was focused on the warden. Once in a awhile, he was check his surroundings for the guards, but mercifully, they were all still distracted. He was right behind the warden now and he could see the monstrous ring of keys hanging from his belt. He really should have thought of this before, but he had to figure it out now. The key would probably be small, dirty and well-used. He fixed his eyes back on the ring of keys and spotted it: it was a small, black iron key hanging between a mess of bigger, more impressive-looking ones.
Now that he had located it, the big moment had finally come. He reached out and took the key between his right forefinger and thumb. He thought he was going to have to wrestle it off, but it came off quite easily. He had held the rest of the keys with his left hang and gently tugged the key he needed off: turns out there was a slit cut in the top of the key. Now that he had his prize in hand, he dashed away and wiggled back through the door.
This time, it hit him. He was back in his cage, back in this hellhole. It would have been so easy to have just run off and leave the girl he barely knew behind, with her wolves for company and for hunting. She was better off than he was in this place, anyway. But he didn't have time to reflect on his regrets that would only gnaw at his conscious later. He put the key in his mouth and closed his lips firmly, thereby allowing him to use his hands to greater extent as he slithered back across the dust, reminding himself that slipping away unseen was just as important as his approach. Once he neared the bushes and shrugs, he could move more quickly until he was back by Khalidah's side.
"I would hate to be lied to by a rat-bastard." Peregrine commented cheerily, spitting the key out into his hand and wiping his excess saliva on his filthy trousers. "I hear they carry diseases, too." He smiled, pleased with himself. "Come on, the laundry houses!" And with that, he took off, weaving his way through the trees again. A part of him could not believe that he actually pulled it off, that Jack the Shadow was a legitimate part of him now. Mostly, he was just thrilled that he hadn't broken character and they hadn't been seen...at least, not yet. He was trying to squash any hope that this crazy scheme might actually work.
He came to a halt behind the last tree before the big, ugly imposing building and motioned behind him for his companion to follow. His eyes searched its walls, intent on finding a door through which the key could fit through. He found it and with a grin, darted out into the open, using the afternoon shadows.
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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 5, 2013 2:38:33 GMT -5
Khalidah nearly jumped at the sound of another person's voice from beneath the tree. Had she been spotted by yet another scouting guard? Daring a look down she spotted that it was not another guard, but “Jack” himself. Returning her sights to the warden and the guards, Khalidah pursed her lips in thought. How to get rid of her illusions without drawing attention to them being fake? Make them seem to walk out.... nah, that would take unnecessary time. Khalidah nearly gasped at the second idea. It was horrible.... but completely hilarious! Why not. Sure, the men might realise they were fake in time... when their shock subsided.
Khalidah focused on all the illusion-women, narrowing her eyes and twisted her fingers until they started to act more like claws than fingers, scratching through the movements until her illusions practically exploded! All three women screamed their terror until – BOOM – they were gone. Without a single trace. Not even a scorch mark.
“That should keep them reasonably distracted for a while”, Khalidah commented, almost laughing. She wasn't usually this sadistic, but she had created those creatures to be ditzy and vapid.... everything she despised. So, she exploded them.
The woman shifted her feet so that she could drop down out of the tree, landing on her feet and then shake her head to clear her head from the dizziness that formed. She had never created so many illusions of that complexity that she felt practically drained. Khalidah steadied herself before crouching down to strap on one of the collars to each wolf, then threw the chains up and around her shoulders, taking hold of the ends in each hand to stop them from rattling as she ran after “Jack”.
You would have been the rat bastard if you had left me behind, she snapped silently in her mind. There was no use screaming at him now.
It would have been easy to outrun her companion, being tall and lean as she was, and light on her feet. She was an exceptional runner. Even the wolves were able to outpace him with ease... but that was to be expected. But there was one issue with the idea of outrunning “Jack”.... Khalidah had no clue where this blasted laundry room door was. She had no memory of the compound walls since she had still been in the turning stages of becoming vampiric upon her arrival. Everything was hazy at best. Khalidah skidded to a halt beside him, following his gaze until they both saw the door that was the object of their escape plan.
Casting a wary eye around Khalidah was glad to see that her explosive illusions hadn't caused an alert to be sent along the walls for the guards to be on high alert. If anything, they were blissfully unaware that anything had occurred and were distracted by other things. There were even a few sitting around drinking alcohol! While on duty! Khalidah snorted at the sight, oh the warden would have their hides for such a thing if they were ever found out.
Upon realising that “Jack” had taken off running again Khalidah sprint, catching up to him with relative ease before she passed him, applying his tactic of moving through the shadows until she had her back firmly plastered against the wall next to the laundry house door, the wolves standing guard on either side... all of them waiting for “Jack” to catch up and open the lock. They had come this far... this plan might just be crazy enough to work.
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 5, 2013 3:06:31 GMT -5
He darted through the shadows the way a child might play a game of hopscotch until he had reached his destination, where he leaned against the door, wiping at the sweat on his brow. Although he was in the best physical shape a person could be in when they were practically malnourished, he was still sweating between the intense and running and the suspense.
He cast another glance in the guards' direction before looking back at the door. It wasn't so far away and providing the key worked, they were on their way to part two of the plan. He thought for a moment. It made the most sense for him to go in alone. He was the one who knew exactly what he was looking for, and besides, he was the father of the plan and he should most definitely be in charge. By now, he knew who he was dealing with and it would be a lot easier to just let Khalidah tag alone, rather than wasting time and arguing with her.
"Can they stay and stand guard -- that is to say, will they warn us if there are guards outside?" He gestured to the wolves. He would feel a bit generous towards them if they proved to be of some use.
He inched towards the door, carefully, his body pressed against the wood of the building. When he had reached the entrance, he slowly took the key from his palm and inserted it into the lock. He turned it, it clicked and then he slowly opened the door before quickly slipping inside.
He blinked and squinted, trying to see. The place was filled with so much steam that he could barely make out the four walls. After a minute of his eyes adjusting, he could make out enormous piles of laundry: all black uniforms for the guards. Starting forward, he hastily looked around him, but judging by the little he could see, they weren't being watched by anyone just yet.
He began by searching through the first pile of uniforms and within thirty seconds, he found one that was about his size. Draping it across his forearm, he motioned to Khalidah to follow him in high-tailing it out of there.
"Don't change in here!" He hissed, just in case there were guards in the laundry-house with exceptionally good hearing over the machines. "It'll be suspicious if two guards are running off into the trees." He added, as he tip-toed out of the room and slipped back out of the door.
Congratulating himself on his success so far, he shimmied back along the wall and scurried back through the shadows until he reached the trees, pausing just inside their shade to wait for his companion.
The uniform itself wasn't flattering: a pair of black trousers, a matching black tunic, uncomfortable boots and a strip of black cloth with two holes cut for eyes. The wearing of masks was originally intended to protect the identity of the guards from the prisoners, but this time, it would be the other way around, and Peregrine delighted in this.
He made his way back through the trees, picking up the pace as they neared the gate. Evening was fast approaching and the guards would soon be locking up the gate and the party that had arrived today would soon be riding out. As soon as they were within a reasonable distance, Peregrine stripped down to his loincloth without warning and without any trace of shame and pulled on the trousers and tunic. He unceremoniously pulled off his sandals and just as unceremoniously pulled on his boots. Finally, he put on the mask and tried it behind his head. He looked just like the now.
"Alright, do whatever you need to do to disguise your wolves as guard dogs." Or we leave them behind. He added, mentally.
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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 5, 2013 4:13:30 GMT -5
“Can they stay and stand guard -- that is to say, will they warn us if there are guards outside?”
Khalidah narrowed her eyes, giving “Jack” a hard glare.
“They will.... if I ask it off them”, she hissed, adding emphasis to the fact that she had to ask them to guard. “They are not pets... they are wild animals. You would do well to remember that”.
Khalidah crouched down and whispered to Hania in the ancient tongue, asking him to guard the door.
“If I don't come out behind him, bite him...” she added, still speaking in the ancient tongue, hoping that “Jack” wouldn't understand a single word of it. Then she stood up and slipped in through the door, closing it partially so that it wouldn't look suspicious to anyone passing. Waving steam out of her face she ventured forward to the pile of uniforms that “Jack” had found, searching through them she found a set in her size, and even grabbed one of the belts that was an optional addition to the uniforms. Though most guards didn't wear them, a few did though.
Slinking back out the door, chains still around her shoulders, now with uniform and boots in hand, Khalidah high-tailed in back to the trees. It didn't take much to find her way to the gate, despite “Jack” being in the lead. She had been to the gate multiple times before in her own adventures towards finding a suitable plan for escape. Until she had come across her companion, no plan had seemed grand enough to work. This plan was down right hair-brained. Formulated by what she could only assume was a hair-brained idiot. But, there was some genius in the idea... appearing as guards to slip out of the prison, right under their very noses. It was just dumb enough to work.
“Merciful gods!” she almost shouted when “Jack” stripped down to his undergarments without a moments hesitation. “Give me some warning next time!”
Khalidah had more mind to preserve her own dignity as she stepped behind a cluster of trees, stripping off her own rags, stashing them in a hollow tree. It would be a long time before anyone found them to suspect that two prisoners had actually escaped undetected. She pulled on the tunic and trousers, fastening the belt around her waist and pulled on the boots. Good gods, it was grand to have clean clothes again! Quickly she pulled her long hair out of the loose braid, re-braiding it after raking her fingers through some of the knots, making the braid tighter and much smarter in appearance. Then she pulled on her mask, tying it behind her head as she stepped out from behind the tree. Lastly, she slipped her dagger into the side of her boot. If she could snag a bow and some arrows later, then by gods she would.
Hania and Kachina stepped forward, nuzzling their snouts into her hands and jumping forward to lick her cheeks as she crouched down. Attaching the chains to their new collars, she gathered both the chains into her one of her hands before casting an illusion right over their own forms – transforming their outward appearance from large wolves, to that of a large breed of hound... something akin to that of the guard dogs on the wall which she could now see for herself. Khalidah had never attempted to cast an illusion as part of a glamour before, but it seemed to be working.... provided she kept flexing her fingers on one hand to keep the magic flowing.
Hania was glamoured into a hound of black and tan fur, while Kachina was turned dark grey and white. The markings on each being crafted from literal holes in the illusion, allowing their natural coat to seem through. It was easier than changing their colours completely, and allowed for less magic required. Whatever gods that may actually exist, don't let us fail now. She prayed silently before stepping out of the tree line with her guard dogs pulling on their chains.
The guards on the wall certainly saw them now, but practically ignored them. To them, all they saw was a fellow guard that was struggling to control two guard-dogs that seemed to be larger specimens of the breed as they pulled on the chains – maybe the hounds were still being trained. Nothing unusual about that in the slightest.
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 5, 2013 19:31:23 GMT -5
Then why do you treat them like pets? Peregrine dearly wanted to snack back, but he held his tongue. He could question her methods later, once they were out of this hellhole. As he later stumbled out of the door, he fixed his eyes on the offending wolf, who was clearly glaring at him. "What are you looking at?" The prince demanded, darting past him into the late afternoon shadows.
Merciful gods! Give me some warning next time!" Khalidah cried out, clearing objecting to his stripping. Really, Peregrine didn't think it that big of a deal -- weren't all their bodies relatively the same by now: malnourished and a hop, skip and a jump away from starvation.
"What?" He shot, defensively, turning around as he tugged his guard's trousers up. "It's not like there's much left to see." There was truth in that. His fair skin, once a flawless shade of off-white, peppered with freckles or a healthy tan from the sun, was now a dull gray color. His muscles, once toned and impressed, had shrunk to wire beneath his drab skin. He was skin-and-bone and you could see his ribs through the skin on his torso and his hair, once shining auburn, was now lank and as gray as everything else around him. He had once been one of the most handsome men in Speirling and now he was reduced to a shadow of his former glory. He had blended in with the background so well because he had lost his physical beauty--all but his eyes; they were still an intense turquoise, piercing, so bright that it was difficult to look away. In all honesty, they gave him even more of a gaunt look -- his lackluster body dominated by clear, nearly electric-green eyes.
Their work now done, they started down the hill, Khalidah with her wolves now disguised as guide dogs, as promised. Peregrine held his breath as he neared the real guards. After all they had been through, was this really going to work? For once, he let self-doubt rear its ugly head, try as he might to shake it off. He willed his feet to keep moving, forced his head to remain high in the air, confident, unwavering. As long as he kept up the pretense that he was doing exactly what he was supposed to do, no one would question his reasons for being there.
They passed into the ranks of the guards without trauma and Peregrine began to breath again. He busied himself with moving sacks of barely into a wagon and he hoped Khalidah had the sense to do the same. Sweet freedom was within his grasp now, he could almost taste it.
His eyes flickered to the horses, waiting not fair away. He looked at their legs, looked at their hooves, at their bridles and saddles, scoping out the fastest one. He picked out a scrappy-looking bay mare. She was not a pretty thing at all, but the prince knew a fast horse when he saw one and he had decided that she was his.
"Sorry..." He mumbled, as he bumped into another guard, who was passing by him. The man grunted in affirmation and Peregrine turned back to load more barely onto the wagon, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He tried to shrug it off, pretending that he hadn't felt it, but the man spun him around with more force than he was expecting. Without having time to react, he realized he was staring straight into the face of the captain and the captain was staring straight back.
"Sir, my apologies, sir, I--" But the man cut him off, his voice a rich, commanding baritone.
"My men do not address me as 'sir', they refer to me as 'm'lord'." And with that, he ripped off Peregrine's mask. "Thought so." He gloated, "A stinking swamp rat with a stinking--"
"RUN FOR IT!" Peregrine shouted, in what he hoped was Khalidah's general direction. He jumped straight up into the air, suddenly, using the element of surprise to wriggle free from the warden's grasp as he sprinted towards his steed of choice. The guards were still gathering their wits as he sprang onto the bay mare, cast one last look at Khalidah, hoping she would make it, and started off at a gallop.
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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 6, 2013 3:15:31 GMT -5
Once they had managed to get inside amongst the guard ranks unhindered Khalidah had also allowed herself to breathe, blending into the crowd easily enough as she pulled back against the chains her disguised wolves were 'misbehaving' against, falsely asserting her dominance over them. She even moved through the crowd towards a younger guard that had dropped one of the weapons from the pile that he was carrying, picking it up and stopping him to hand it back to him.
“Oh... uhhh.... thanks”, he mumbled, returning it to the collection, trying to keep it all balanced despite swords, spears and bows all trying to escape in different directions.
“Don't you think that's abit much?” she asked, her voice taking on a tint of humour and sympathy all at once as she regarded the young man as his toppling pile of weaponry.
“Nah... well, yes. But when the captain says jump....” he responded with a weary grin. Khalidah dared to smile in return.
“You ask how high?” she finished for him, receiving a nod of confirmation before they separated.
While Khalidah could have snatched a bow and arrows from the lad, she figured that it would be to obvious. Instead to sneaked into her possession one that had been left lying around by another guard, putting the weapon across her back with the string resting across her chest, attaching the quiver to her belt so that it rested against her thigh. Then she cast her glance over towards the horses, looking them all over. She needed one that was both swift, and tolerant of hounds. Several guard dogs milled around the area with their handlers, venturing around and amongst the horses. Many of the horses were skittery.
But finally, further ahead was a horse of pale grey, near white, colouring that did nothing but lower his nose to return the curious sniffs of the hounds. Khalidah couldn't tell from this distances whether the horse was a stallion or a gelding, she didn't care... just that he wasn't skittish. She would need a horse that was solid as a rock when it came to the wolves running about it's hooves. You my boy, are coming with me. Casting a glance around Khalidah dared a smirk, everything seemed to be going to plan.
“RUN FOR IT!”
Spoke too soon.
Khalidah spun around to see 'Jack' high-tailing it towards a brown mare, his mask in the hands of what was clearly the captain. Khalidah had to resist slapping her hand to her face. Oh seven hells! Typical... he's the one that was carrying on about her not drawing unnecessary attention to themselves, and he's the one that blows the whole plan to shreds. Grumbling Khalidah dropped the illusions over the wolves and flicked the chains so that they snapped off the collars. Kachina and Hania leapt forward, snarling and snapping at any guard that dared come near. Khalidah on the other hand, ran for the horse of her choice. Pulling her dagger from her boot she cut through the rope that tied it to the hitching rail, and cut a few of the others horses loose too, creating a complete chaos around her.
Mounting up she spun the horse around, whistling to the wolves before spinning again and charging out of the gates with the wolves close behind. Once through the gates Khalidah pushed the horse into a full gallop, racing after 'Jack' on his brown mare. Khalidah rode as if she had been born in the saddle: leaning over the horses neck, standing in the stirrups with the reins in one hand and her other hand free to slip the dagger back in her boot. With a glance at the wolves to see that they were both unharmed Khalidah pushed the grey horse into another surge of speed, racing to catch up with 'Jack', pulling up alongside him as the horses matched pace for pace.
“WHAT IN SEVEN HELLS DID YOU DO?” she shouted at him with a glare, ripping her own mask from her face, letting it drop to the ground as the pair raced away. “You got caught didn't you?!” Khalidah swore out in the ancient tongue. “And you thought I would mess things up!”
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 7, 2013 0:42:14 GMT -5
His steed balked at the sight of one of the supply wagons, and Peregrine veered off to the left. The warden's men were gathering their wits and two of them closed ranks in front of him, but Peregrine drove his heels into the his mare's sides and she sprinted forward, barreling over them. Peregrine didn't stop to look back and see if the men were injured--he just sped forward. Out of nowhere, five men closed ranks around him, trying to cut him off. One of them swung at him clumsily with his cutlass and the prince ducked while his horse pranced frantically. He had been trained for this all his life. He was one of the best warriors in all of Speirling and he'd be damned if he couldn't overcome five ill-prepared warden's bitches.
One of the men plucked up his courage and lunched towards Peregrine, grabbing his saddle. Without hesitation, Peregrine leaned to the side and delivered a swift punch to the man: an effective uppercut to his jaw. The guard went reeling back and Peregrine snatched at opportunity, grabbing the man's bow and at the arrows in another man's quiver, as he raced by. He placed his stolen arrows under one of his thighs, and glancing under his elbow to see that Khalidah and her wolves were on their way, he sped off towards a narrow arch of rock.
He wasted little time in placing his arrows into the top of his left boot and immediately knocked an arrow to the string, firing it back at their pursuers. He didn't wait to see if it made contact. He didn't want to see. He pushed his conscience away, for now. He didn't need the heaviness of knowing that he might have to kill men who were only trying to bring home an honest day's wage. He didn't need that now.
The path widened a little and Khalidah sped up alongside, his gray horse galloping next to his much smaller mare. "NOTHING!" Peregrine snarled, knocking another arrow to his stolen bow and firing at will. Now he really had stolen someone else's property, but seeing as he was currently being framed for the murder of the King of Eacharnach, he wasn't fussed. He dearly wanted to prattle on about how he had done absolutely nothing wrong and how could it possibly be his fault to not know that the man liked to be addressed as "m'lord" and not as "sir", but he was already focused on the road ahead of them, and on the foreboding thunder of horse's hooves behind them. He knew the warden and his men were in hot pursuit.
He knocked another arrow to his bow and galloped onto a tributary path, galloping up into the mountains of Sgaithte...at least, that was what he hoped. He didn't have any idea where they were going: all he could do was keep riding and hope for the best.
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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 9, 2013 1:51:19 GMT -5
Khalidah hissed and cast a glance over her shoulder. The captain and his men were already well in pursuit of them. “Sure looks like nothing!” she spat back. “If you get me killed for this.... you're the first one I'm haunting!”
With that she pressed her heels into the sides of her mount, the light grey surging forward again to race ahead of the brown mare, Khalidah's black hair flying back behind her as she rode ahead, searching for anything that would give them an advantage. If there was a forest, they could probably race for it and loose their pursuers in the trees. But at a glance, it didn't seem like there were any of those around here. Her next hope was for mountains. With dragons. Dragons would come in handy to scare off some wanted followers.
Khalidah screamed out a curse when she felt a tug on her hair, being pulled back in the saddle as a particularly eager guard pulled on her long braid. He had ridden up on the side opposite from 'Jack', sneaking up on her until he had reached forward and snagged her hair. “GET.... OFF!” she snarled, throwing her free arm aside and back, slamming her elbow into his nose. The man cursed, swapping his hand from her hand to clutch at his now broken nose. Khalidah hissed, baring her fangs to warn him off.
The wolves raced forward and snarled, snapping at the legs of horses that dared come too close to their pack-member. Khalidah dared not use her bow and arrows to return the assault from the guards, because she knew that she would be inclined to heal any of those that were harmed. She was a healer, she was always inclined to help those that were injured. But in the case of the man that had pulled on her hair.... his nose could stay broken for all she cared!
The next guard that managed to get past the wolves was more bold, leaning over to snatch her reins and wrestle control of her horse from her. As a result, Khalidah pulled him out of his own saddle and allowed him to drop, rolling through the dirt and mud... and to be sprayed with dirt flung up from her horses hooves. The Sidhe narrowed her eyes, her temper beginning to rage out of control. “THAT'S IT!” she screamed, pulling back on her reins sharply. Her mount slid to a halt, whinnying in protest as she spun him around, drawing her bow from her form. Knocking an arrow to the string Khalidah took aim, waiting until the captain himself was closer in range. “I've had enough of you”, she muttered before she loosed the arrow.
The arrow soared right through the air and hit the captain square in the shoulder, throwing him back off his horse, some of the guards halting their own charge to aid him... but not all of them. Still, it reduced the ranks that were following the escapee's. Khalidah grabbed her reins again and spun the horse around, taking off after 'Jack' now that he was ahead of her again. Racing up the track after him as fast as her horse could gallop. For their sake she hoped the guards would take the hint and give up the chase soon.... the horses wouldn't be able to run forever. “Got any other bright ideas, genius?” she asked him. “We could use one about now!”
Knocking another arrow to her bow string, Khalidah twisted in the saddle to fire back behind her; the wolves racing beside her horse, panting in their own excess of energy.
Khalidah threw another glance around their surroundings, if only they were racing between a couple of mountains she could create the biggest illusion of her life, making it seem that a landslide had blocked the guards behind them. But that wasn't an option right now....
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 9, 2013 20:52:49 GMT -5
That was just the problem. Peregrine didn't have any more bright ideas that would somehow make it all better. He did have one, but playing that card was practically suicide and thought it might enable them to make a (sort of) clean getaway in the here and now, it certainly wouldn't do them any favors in the long run. Indeed, it would make it immensely easy to capture them both in the future. Moreover, it would no doubt incriminate Khalidah as an accomplice. That being said, it might be their only hope.
He urged his mare faster and congratulated himself on his ability to spot a good horse. She was as fast as her legs promised and she was not winded yet, despite sucking in great breaths of air which each stride. They arrived at a pathway, hewn with jagged rocks and desperately narrow. It twisted into the mountains and Peregrine wasted no time in urging his mare into the narrow pathway.
The going was treacherous and the prince had to slow their speed considerably. More than once, he had to yank back on the reins to keep his mount from plummeting off the edge of a sudden cliff. She reared and snorted and the whites of her eyes flashed. When the sweat started dripping down her bay coat, Peregrine knew that she could not last much longer.
They were high in the mountains now and the purple evening sky was all that lit their way. Time and resources were running out and Peregrine knew he going to have to use his secret weapon in order to give them any sort of change. As he heard the continued pursuit efforts behind him -- the jangling of bits and bridles, the shouts of the warden and his men and the thunderous choir of horse hooves, he resigned himself to do what he had told himself he would not do in all the time he had been imprisoned. There was also the slim chance that their pursuers would not connect the dots--would not recognize his father's familiar creature and his own famous form. He hoped that Khalidah would not come to know his true identity through this; wherever she was from, maybe they didn't keep track of the lineage of the royal line of Eacharnach. He brought his mare to a halt and dismounted. Bringing the reins over her ears, he motioned for Khalidah to stop and threw the reins to her.
"Take care of her for me. There's something I need to do. I'll rejoin you later."
Without further explanation, he began to scale one of the rocky walls, until he had reached it's bas-relief summit.
"GO!" He urged.
The prince closed his eyes and willed himself to focus. He focused on the image of flying high, the wind ruffling his feathers as he surveyed the earth below him. He focused on the feeling of gliding effortlessly on warm air currents, on his keen avian-eyesight, on the sheer speed of a two hundred miles per hour dive.
He felt himself change. Shrinking as his bones hollowed out, as his arms became wings, as his toes grew into claws and cruel talons, as his hair turned blue and then turned into feathers, which quickly spread all over his body. His heart began to beat faster and his teeth disappeared as his face melded into a powerful beak.
When he opened his eyes, he could see everything. He could see the ants crawling up the opposite wall. He could smell the mice in their nest thirty feet below him. He could hear the men on their horses. They were close now; right around the corner, in fact. Steadying himself on his rocky perch, he waited, counting to one...two...three.
He flew out with a screech, straight into the face of the first man. His talons sunk into soft flesh and he could feel the juices running down his claws as the man let out an agonized scream. The prince suspected that he had hit the man's eyes. Pushing his conscience away, he flew into the face of the other man, reaching for his sword, but the man was ready for him and sent him straight for the ground. Peregrine pulled out a dive with a screech and retaliated by leaving deep gouges on the side of the man's head.
He had wounded two, but there were many more. He needed a bigger plan, a better one. He flew into another guard's face just as he heard the words he had been dreading.
"The Falcon King! The Oedipus Prince is alive!"
It would only register with him later why they were referring to him as the "Oedipus Prince", but Peregrine knew that they were referring to him. He screeched and attacked another guard's arm through the fabric of his uniform. The man let out a yell and then Peregrine felt something burning in his left wing. Letting out a screech, Peregrine realized that he had been hit. He fumbled around, desperately fighting to stay in the air. Now that the guards were distracted by his true identity, he was flew to the east, away from where he hoped Khalidah was riding towards. They followed him and he flew, screeching loudly, leading them up another mountain path, away from his companion. When they lost sight of him, Peregrine continued to fly as fast as he could, even though every beat of his wings caused him pain. Finally, with their fading shouts still ringing in his ears, Peregrine collapsed on a rocky ledge to assess the damage.
Blood flowed from an arrow wound. He knew he wouldn't be able to remove it in this form, but he was so far away from Khalidah now that he'd never be able to make it on foot without passing out; he'd lost too much blood already and he'd have to fly. Changing back into falcon form after removing the arrow would cost him too much energy. Gathering up his little remaining strength, Peregrine took off from his perch and flew to the north, up into even higher mountains.
It hurt more than when he had originally been wounded, and he was feeling light-headed. Fixing his eyes on the prize, the second-highest mountain, he flew and he flew and he flew. His muscles ached and his falcon eyes were blurring. He was flying through a cave now...when had that happened? He hadn't noticed. There was a warm orange glow in the distance and Peregrine acknowledged to himself how much he would like to lie down in front of a nice fire and enjoy spiced wine. In fact, he didn't need the fire, he didn't need the spiced wine; he would lay down right here. Yes, right here would do just fine.
He didn't even remember landing. He vaguely knew that he was changing back into his human body and that he was curling up, completely naked, on the warm stone floor of a cave. He might have been dreaming. He might have been awake. He didn't know anymore. No, he was in neither sleep nor waking. He was in a middle consciousness and he liked it. All warm, all as fuzzy and he was so, so sleepy...
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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 10, 2013 3:39:42 GMT -5
The grey horse baulked at the rocky path to begin with, sliding to a halt and rearing into their air to show his objection. Khalidah stroked his neck lightly to calm him before pressing her heels into his sides again, taking off after 'Jack' once more, but at a much slower pass due to the sheer drop that they almost rode over in their haste. This is madness.... she grumbled in her mind, before reminding herself that the very beginning of this escape attempt should have been labelled as madness itself. What had 'Jack' gotten her into? The wolves were equally as uncomfortable with the rocky track as the horses were, minding to keep their soft paws clear of jagged rock edges, and making sure their precious tails avoided the large hooves of the horses.
The grey horse was larger than the brown mare, resembling more of a draught horse, but not quite there. He was taller and stockier, and his hooves were larger... but he didn't have the typical overall appearance of a Shire or Clydesdale even. Khalidah didn't think too much about it as she kept her barge of a horse away from the sheer edge. A drop of that capacity would be the end of her escape.... or her life. Khalidah had to jerk back on the reins when her companion halted and dismounted, throwing her the reins of the little mare. “What are you doing? ARE YOU CRAZY?”, she demanded off him, trying to stop her bottom jaw from hanging open in shock as he climbed up higher, as if he were planning to pounce on the guards. She shook her head with an exasperated sigh.
"GO!"
Khalidah looked to 'Jack' and nodded, turning both horses back to face up the trail, away from the oncoming guards. “Don't get yourself killed!” she shouted, her only concern in her voice coming out because she was a healer... not because they were in this mess together. With a whistle to the wolves she shot down the track again, leading the brown behind her, returning her bow to rest across her shoulders. Was nothing ever easy?! With a glance over her shoulder Khalidah no longer saw her companion, but a Falcon in it's place. Wait.... what? “A... falcon?” she whispered in disbelief. She remembered seeing another boy back at the Academy who could also turn into a falcon. Now more than ever Khalidah believe 'Jack' was someone she had seen at Ioralta Academy. He was no thief! “Who are you....?”
Khalidah didn't have much chance to ponder about her companions identity when a couple of guards bypassed the attacking bird and continued the chase after her. Khalidah hissed and urged the horses onward, swinging around a bend and heading west, the path widening so that both horses could race side by side. When an arrow whizzed past her ear Khalidah glanced over her shoulder and snarled. They just didn't give up did they? But as her temper grew, her control over half of her nature lessened. She felt a tether within her mind snap with a twang, rolling backwards off her horse with her fangs dropped.... crouching as she landed to face her followers. The wolves kept the horses from running off by snapping up the dangling reins.... while Khalidah moved away from them.
She walked calmly... almost too calmly.... towards the oncoming guards who foolishly halted their horses and dismounted, training weapons on her, thinking themselves successful at capturing one of the escaped prisoners. How very wrong they were. Khalidah smirked, danger crossing her lips until her fangs poked over her bottom lip, revealing that their battle had not yet finished.... then she snatched the sword from one guard, grabbing him by his tunic to sink her fangs into his neck, ignoring his screams of pain as she watched the other guard do an about face and run towards his horse. When Khalidah finally dropped her victim, leaving him writhing on the ground in agony, she set off after the other guard, running to an rocky outcrop to throw herself off it, tackling the second guard from his horse, landing on the ground with a dull thud before biting into his neck too.... this time she didn't release him until he had stopped kicking. But he was alive, just dazed. To add insult to injury Khalidah stole the uniforms from both men. They would have a lot of explaining to do.... particularly about how they lost their clothing. All coming down to: they were beaten by a girl.
Ignoring the blood in her mouth Khalidah returned to the horses and set out again, travelling slower since no other guards followed. When she came to a split in the path Khalidah had to make a quick decision. She had no idea where she was going. A flash of feathers in the distance drew her attention, towards the east. In the end that was the direction she chose, heading down the break that lead her towards a cave. Dismounting Khalidah tied the horses to a tree outside the cave. There wasn't anything for the horses to graze on, but at least they could rest for a time. Then she headed into the cave at a running pace with the wolves close behind.
Khalidah almost tripped over 'Jack' as she ran, the cave holding no light for her to see by, even with a glow in the distance. She almost had to laugh when she found him, lying there naked on the floor of the cave, an arrow sticking out of his left arm. “Wake up falcon boy...” she said loudly, making sure he heard her. Then without waiting for a response or to reintroduce herself she focused on helping him. The arrow had gone right through, thankfully, so what pain she did have to put him under was instantly reduced; taking it in both hands she snapped the arrow head from the shaft before withdrawing the rest back out of his flesh. Khalidah then placed both hands on either side of the wound for two reasons: one to stem the blood flow, and two, to use her ability of healing touch to seal it. Khalidah closed her eyes and concentrated, not letting go until the wound was completely repaired: soft pinky flesh that was without a scar.
Standing up Khalidah returned to the horses, retrieving one of the uniforms that she had stolen from the guards before venturing inside the cave again. She threw the clothing at her companion unceremoniously before casting her glance down the cavern at the bright orange glow. She didn't like the look of it one bit. Her vision became fuzzy as her body swayed... her exertion of magic she had used into casting several illusions and healing two people finally caught up to her, making her dizzy and exhausted. Without a moment's notice Khalidah dropped like a stone to the floor of the cave, the two wolves scurrying to get out of the way before venturing close again and sniffing at her face curiously. Khalidah paid them no attention... how could she when she was out cold.
All the while the glow deep within the cave burned brighter and hotter, churning and boiling within itself, pushing the cold air away from it. Even the cold air that had once surrounded the two runaways was replaced by warm air that gradually got hotter. Even the wolves whined uncomfortably at the increasing heat. For the humanoids had unknowingly entered an active volcano... that was preparing to erupt at any given moment.
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 11, 2013 1:58:01 GMT -5
Peregrine saw someone come up to him, speak to him. She put her hands on his shoulder and the pain was gone. He felt something warm thrown over him and he clutched at it, bringing it closer over his body. He felt someone warm next to him and he scooted towards them, resting his head on what he thought was their tummy, but he didn't care too much to check as he cuddled into the warm pillow. He sighed, contentedly, curled up and comfortable on the stone he was snuggling into. With barely another conscious thought, he drifted into delicious sleep. When he dreamed, it wasn't over anything specific. Figures drifted across his sleep, always with a flickering glow in the background.
When he awoke, he found himself naked, lying on top of Khalidah's abdomen. He supposed the only reason that he had remained there was because she was still fast asleep. He sat up and rubbed his face, discovering that he was sweating, slightly, but he thought nothing of it, for he often would sweat in his sleep. He further realized that he was naked and so he stood up, flexing what remained of his once gloriously-lean muscles before donning the unflattering uniform that Khalidah had presumably thrown over him the night before, no doubt to shield her eyes from offensive things, such as his state of undress. He didn't know whether he should feel grateful or slightly offended, at this. On of the one hand, he was thankful that she had the presence of mind to not only get him some clothes (from where, he did not know), but the one the other, he wasn't exactly an eyesore to look at.
Stretching and feeling the familiar pang of hunger that hadn't left him, Peregrine stepped curiously towards the flickering glow, glancing around at the walls of the gave. It wasn't until he was fairly close that he realized what it was.
Lava. A river of it, it seemed, flowing through the...well, it did appear that they were inside a volcano.
The prince took a minute to examine the place. It was active, yes, but it wasn't shaking and therefore, it wasn't going to erupt just yet. Returning to Khalidah's side, he calmly shook her by the shoulder, gently calling her name.
"Khalidah, wake up. It appears we strolled into an active volcano."
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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 11, 2013 9:13:54 GMT -5
Khalidah groaned and clutched at her head, the onset of a headache that had been lurking at the back of her head struck her as she awoke. For her, magically, this headache was the equivalent of a hangover. “Falcon?” she muttered as she barely registered who was waking her up, groaning again and closing her eyes again. “Five more minutes”. She settled back down on the rock floor again, this time her head cushioned on Hania's back, using him like a warm furry pillow that breathed. Kachina had curled up on her other side when Peregrine had snuffled over to use her stomach as a pillow. The whole time that Peregrine had slept on her stomach, Khalidah had been passed out and had no knowledge of it occurring what so ever.
When his words finally registered in her mind clearly Khalidah sat up with a start. “Wait.. WHAT?” Khalidah scrambled to her feet and looked down the tunnel again. So, that was the glowing at been. “A volcano?” Khalidah muttered something in the ancient tongue before wiping at her forehead. There was moisture across her skin and already she found herself breathing harder than normal. Was... was she sweating? Even the wolves, who had just woken up, were panting and whining in displeasure. “Is it just me... or is it getting hotter?”
Khalidah ventured down the tunnel to observe the lava herself, and noticed that while it was flowing... it was churning. No doubt about it, it was an active volcano. Very active. Khalidah had to back out when the heat became too much for her. “I suggest that we boldly get the hell out of here”, she commented to Peregrine as she passed him, leaving the cavern completely and pausing near the horses. She stroked the muzzle of her grey mount, which turned out to be a stallion. So, the two horses she had chosen in her life: Lamri, and now this horse were both stallions. For that very reason Khalidah decided that this new horse of hers needed a name.
But what to call him?
Ghost and Hero were far too cliché, despite his near white coat. And Snowflake was just plain pathetic. Magesty was a possibility... but it still didn't seem right. Khalidah scratched the horse between the ears; she'd think of the right name eventually. Khalidah would still return to her family home to retrieve Lamri, but she couldn't deny that this stallion was a great horse. One of her brothers could probably have use for him. Or Khalidah would probably take him along as a spare mount or occasional packhorse. Supplies were always required.
Venturing back to the entrance to the cavern Khalidah shouted out to Peregrine. “Hey Falcon boy! You coming or not? That thing is going to go sky high at any moment and I don't want to be around when it does...”
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Post by Peregrine Alexander on Jun 11, 2013 23:43:09 GMT -5
A jolt went through his stomach as she called him by his father's name. Besides his own banishment, his father's death was still all too real and painful. His breathing quickened, and he was about to snap at her, but he realized it wasn't her fault. She was still half-asleep and she had, no doubt, seen him shape-shift into a falcon. She wasn't calling him 'Falcon' to hurt him.
"No, it's Jack. My name is Jack." He repeated, firmly.
A different man would have blinked back tears, but Peregrine was hardly one to blubber. He felt a something stir within him, mixed feelings of anger, grief, guilt and was it fear? Shame? Every boy wants to one day hear that he's just like his dad. Every boy wants to grow up and become just like his father, but when that day comes and he has to look in the mirror and see the face of his father, twenty years younger, staring back at him, he is taken aback. He had loved his father, yes, but he didn't want to be him anymore. Then he felt guilty, for he felt he needed to help his father keep living through him and then he felt shameful and morally dirty for not being true to himself, a value the tempestuous prince held close to his heart. Through all that, there was a shred of pride at being called by his father's name.
She rose and made her way into the cave, no doubt to validate his response. The prince sighed, tiredly and went to check on the horses. He patted the neck of Khalidah's gray before going to lean his head against the shoulder of his own mount. In his mind, he had named her Tremor, as he liked her speed and agility to the sudden attack of an earthquake. She may not have looked like much, but the mare could move.
He felt tired, even though he had just slept in peace for the first time in...he couldn't remember. He actually couldn't remember how long he had been locked up in that hellhole. He gently stroked Tremor's shaggy coat and then remembered something. An arrow had been shot through his wing last night, so he could have been injured now, but he felt just fine. He pulled back the fabric to peer at his left arm, but the skin as flawless and there was no hint of mark.
"Maybe it was the right one..." He muttered, to himself. He reached to pull back on his right sleeve to examine his elbow, but Khalidah came marching out of the steaming cave.
"Wait, you want to go through it?!" The prince validated. He could barely believe his ears, but then he grinned his manic grin. "You're on, sister." And with that, he swung himself up into his saddle and road into the sweltering cave.
It was hot and he had broken a sweat in no time. Despite the danger and the uncomfortable heat, he had to admit that this place was beautiful. Lava churned below them as they road across stone pathways of raging fiery death, flanked by fountains of steam. The shadows and lights bounced off the walls and Peregrine felt oddly calm.
They had been riding for around an hour when it began to shake.
"Shit..."
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Post by Khalidah Leaf-Fall on Jun 12, 2013 3:23:30 GMT -5
“Huh? Wait..... what?! I didn't.....”
Khalidah couldn't prevent her bottom jaw hanging open as she watched in disbelief as Peregrine rode INTO THE VOLCANO! Was he insane? Khalidah clearly recalled herself saying they should get AWAY from the volcano, NOT go riding into the bloody thing! Khalidah cursed and swung up into the saddle muttering to herself that her companion was completely loco. He was going to get her killed before she could even return home and see her family again after so many locked away. They escaped, just to get themselves killed by something that could melt their skin off. Yeah, great Falcon!
Khalidah didn't wait to think more about the obvious mental impairment of her companion as she kicked her heels into the stallions side and clattered after the shifty shape shifting boy. There was something strange about this lad. He was so insistent that his name was Jack, even when she was adjusting to calling him Falcon purely because she had connected the dots that he had shape-shifted into a Falcon. But it didn't take a mind reader to see in his body language that there was something being brought up within his mind whenever she addressed him as Falcon. Fine boy, keep your past to yourself for now... but there was no way that Khalidah was going to pander to his lies by addressing him by the false name he had provided. Like it or not, she would call him by what she knew of him: Falcon.
“You are beyond crazy!” she shouted at him, not caring if he had any smart-arsed remarks to shoot back at her this time. Her gaze darted, hoping and praying that lava wasn't going to shoot up at them within seconds. Anyone else Khalidah might have left him to his fiery death.... but she was a pacifist (usually.... stop laughing!) and a healer.... so for that very reason Khalidah felt inclined to follow him. She had already saved his life once, now she was starting to think he might have hit his head while in the form of a bird and now his brain was addled. Only someone completely hair-brained would want to go through a volcano. Khalidah seemed to get lost in space as she finally looked ahead of her again. “This kid is going to get me killed....”
Khalidah looked down at Kachina as the white female whimpered and whined, clearly complaining and obviously frightened at their surroundings. Even Hania was unsettled, but the most he showed was a wary glance and panting at the intense heat. It wasn't easy having a plush furry coat when your surrounding environment was scorching hot. Khalidah reached down to let Kachina to bump her head against her fingers, whispering for the wolf to blame Peregrine and not her for their current predicament.
An hour into riding things could not have been more worse. Everything began to shake and there was an ominous rumbling coming from the depths of the earth. Khalidah's eyes widened with fear. The volcano was erupting. “GO!” she shouted, kicking her horse to a outright gallop, heading the direction that she hoped had an exit into the open spaces of the world that wasn't a volcano. “Falcon! Get your arse moving!” Daring a glance at Peregrine, she glared. “This was your idea!” Lifting a hand to her mouth, Khalidah started to cough harshly; was the air getting thicker? Or was her throat simply getting dryer? Upon inspection of her finger tips Khalidah found black smudges on them... and it wasn't mud either. Looking around them she could now see flecks of white and black ash falling all around them. “Try not to breath in the ash”, she shouted over the rumbling.
If mountains could have emotions, than this was one very ticked off volcano. Khalidah was almost riding blind through the ash, and some of it was even smearing across the white coat of her steed, making him look more like something an appaloosa or a dapple grey. Even the white wolf Kachina was turning more grey than white thanks to the ash. Khalidah dared not think about what they would all look like if they didn't make it out in time.
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