Points of Light (Sven Bergfalk x The Fox Tamer)

[The Fox Tamer]

Mira

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Holding up her hand, she gave him a "so-so" gesture. "The orphanage I grew up in taught us about the 4 gods. I'm not especially religious, but some aspects make sense. I'm not overtly superstitious either. Sometimes a few crows flying overhead is just a few crows flying overhead. Omens could still happen, I just don't think they happen as often as people think."

Her gaze followed his direction and Mira spotted the deer. A pleasant warmth filled her soul and she smiled. She softened her voice, "That said, I find that nature likes to express herself in wondrous ways." She eased her steed to slow down so she could watch the herd. The buck had many spikes on his antlers, indicating that he was older and stronger than most that resided in the forest. The herd around him wasn't huge, but all the stages of life could be seen. The moment felt rare and she was glad she had been able to see it.

Eventually, they passed the herd and she looked back at Declan, "Not a bad way to start off an adventure." The warm feeling lasted throughout the day, even into the late afternoon. The feel of the journey so far had been comfortable. She wasn't riding right next to him, lingering slightly behind so she could keep an eye out for dangers, but Mira was surprised how quickly she had gotten used to Declan's presence. She pondered over it, occasionally observing him as they moved. This trip would change something for her, she had no doubt.

Around mid-day, they had stopped for a short break to stretch their legs and eat something. As the sun began its descent, they would need to keep start keeping an eye out for a good campsite. "I'm pretty flexible when it comes to camping in different terrains. As long as we aren't too far from a water source, I can adjust expectations. Let me know if you spot any good areas."

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Sven Bergfalk

OOC: Same. I just survived the work week from hell (with next week already going to be similar crying ), so I won't hold delays against you.  

[Sven Bergfalk]

Declan Fraser
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Declan gnawed on a piece of biscuit as they stopped for a mid day break and stretched his back and legs. The conversation from earlier left a slight smile on his face and he was pleased that things seemed to be going well. Mira was that easy to travel and work with kind of adventurer, in a few words, competent and collected. It was obvious in how she staggered her position with his while they were riding and maintained her vigilance. turning to regard his companion for a moment while finishing his meal. he listened to her speaking about finding a good spot to camp.

Lapsing in to thought, and moving back over to his horse, Declan rummaged around for a moment in his saddlebags before removing a waxed canvas envelope tied off with leather. untying and opening the envelope carefully, Declan removed a worn piece of parchment with a rough map of the area surrounding the Shield City sketched out. Carefully sitting on a downed tree, Declan began to read through the blocky text that was written into the margins and open spaces of the map. before looking up and inviting Mira to join him.

"If the stories I heard around the guild are correct... and if my notes are accurate...there should be a decent campsite off the beaten track with a good water source about..." he looked up and took note of the suns position. " About two hours on horseback from here if we keep following the trail we are on. the man is a right pathfinder sometimes and likes to tag finds with an climbing piton hammered into a tree. so if you see one let me know and we can search it out.

Pausing for a moment, Declan looked up and offered the map and envelope over. with a goal in mind, Declan stood and gathered up his things and swung himself back up into his saddle, ready to continue.
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The Fox Tamer

 

[The Fox Tamer]

Mira

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When they were stopped, Mira slid down from her horse and went through a quick series of stretches that would help to loosen her stiff muscles. It didn't matter how may years she had been doing the Adventurer's life, horse-riding always gave her some aches. Fortunately, she knew how to stave most of them off for long trips.

Once she had finished, she grabbed some jerky that Lanora had made and her water skin. Mira leaned back against a tree, wanting to stand for a little bit. She watched Declan move over to his horse and arched a brow in interest. She wondered what he was searching for. Mira didn't have to wonder for long since he soon beckoned her over.

Mira popped the last bite in her mouth as she walked over and settled next to him on the tree. Her eyes landed on the map and she was pleasantly surprised to see all of the notes across the map. Notes were often the sign of a well-traveled person. "That sounds like a smart plan. I prefer off-path spots when I am alone, but I find that, normally, when I work with others, they often prefer the well-known sites that everyone uses. Easy to find, but also easier for bandits to attack." She chuckled softly, "I'm glad to be working with a partner who thinks in similar ways. Makes life easier."

She took the map when he offered and looked over it to get an idea of where the area would be. She handled the parchment carefully and eased it back into the envelope. Mira handed the envelope back to Declan before going over to and mounting her own horse. She tapped her steed's side with her heel and they started forward.

The travel passed by quickly, quiet, but comfortable. When the time came to search for the marker, Mira shifted her energy to trying to find it, occasionally having to close her right eye to help the focus. It wasn't a big issue, but ever since she had nearly lost sight in her right eye, she sometimes found that her ability to focus on far-away objects was a bit fuzzy. Most of the time, her left eye was able to compensate with no problems and Mira had learned how to work around it. Eventually, she spotted something embedded in a tree. She pointed, "Hey, is that the marker?"

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Sven Bergfalk

 

[Sven Bergfalk]

Declan Fraser
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Declan watched as Mira scanned the area after continuing there trek before beginning his own search.

"Hey, is that the marker?"

Turning to observe what his companion had found, Declan smiled when it was indeed what they were looking for.

"You have a keen eye there. good catch lets follow this and see where it leads."

Clicking his teeth and lightly tapping his mounts flanks, Declan proceeded though the woods, his own now alerted gaze catching the occasional sign of a piton driven into a tree.

The winding path led to a final break in the tree cover and the telltale burble of water meant that they had reached there goal. Taking in the sight, Declan could not help but whistle and smile slightly.

"It certainly has potential wouldn't you say?" he asked while looking over to Mira.
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The Fox Tamer

 

[Sven Bergfalk]

 

[The Fox Tamer]

Mira

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Declan's comment about her keen eye made Mira chuckle softly for a moment, "Oh Declan, that was pure luck. I'm good at throwing knives when the targets are human-sized, but I'm s**t at small and distant. Had the bark been any darker..." She shrugged and brought her fingers up to her scar for a moment. "Well, it might have taken a bit longer to find the path than we intended."

Mira nudged her horse to follow Declan's, careful to guide the steps to match his. They had to be careful in the forest since they were mostly making their own path, guided only by the pitons in the trunks. The sun made it's way down through the tall trees, but the cover of the leaves meant they had some good shade, so she felt her body begin to cool down. Green foliage was everywhere, which Mira was glad to see. It usually meant the very few people had actually been in the area and that potential human threats were very low.

When Declan came to a stop, Mira eased her horse up beside him. The babbling water met her ears first as she took in the first sight of the area. To put things simply, she was floored. It was beautiful. "Damn..." Her eyes widened as she slid from her saddle. She ran her hand along her steed's neck as her gaze darted around.

After a moment, Mira shook herself from her daze and focused on Declan's question. "I'll say. This is incredible, Declan. Part of me is surprised that more people don't find and use it, but most of me is glad that it isn't. Too bad we can't have something like this every night of this journey." She immediately starting thinking through what they would need to do for camp that evening, hoping they could leave the forest as untouched as possible. 'Spot for horses, shelter, safe fire, food.' Water wouldn't be a problem in tonight's case and if they worked quickly, there might be time to wash away the day's travel before night fell.

Mira turned to Declan, "I'm thinking, settle the horses, pick a place for the fire and shelters, and then gather wood. What do you think?"

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Sven Bergfalk

 

[Sven Bergfalk]

Declan Fraser
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Declan briefly nodded his head and took note of Mira's response to his praise.

"Still better than I am with the thrown sharp and pointy things. I usually go with rocks."

Declan could not help but smile at Mira's reaction.

"Damn indeed. "

Dismounting after Mira did so, Declan led his horse quietly to the water as it bubbled along, giving the creature an affectionate scratch behind the ears as the horse whickered in appreciation. Listening to Mira as she commented on their evening accommodations. untouched land was beautiful and he definitely would be making note of this place for future excursions in this direction.

You are absolutely correct this site. Makes you wonder about those stories you hear about the elves and old magic and whatnot... you are correct, horses first then we take care of our own business. I would also add perimeter alarms just in case."

Moving to his steeds side, Declan quickly uncinched the saddle and began removing his gear. setting it aside and taking a keen eye to his horses behavior.
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The Fox Tamer

 

[The Fox Tamer]

Mira

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Mira eyed Declan's large muscles and chuckled, "I imagine that you can lob quite large stones. Never know. Might come in handy."

After she had settled her horse and made sure that it wouldn't wander away in the night, Mira placed all her things against a nearby tree. "Some of these trees have good space between each other. Might be able to set up shelters without having to stake anything." She pulled out a couple alarms and placed them aside for later set-up. She would probably let Declan set them up tonight, since she was interested to see how his mind would want to place them. "I have to admit, elves and the old magic have always fascinated me. Maybe the ruins that we will map will be a part of that history. How about you?" Next she unpacked what she would use to build her shelter and laid everything out.

Moving over to the water, Mira looked for stones that they could place around their fire to keep things under control and that could be used to weigh down parts of shelters. She would set up a much more stable shelter at the ruins, since they would be staying for a while, but Mira preferred to leave as little evidence of her presence when she was able to. It just felt right out here.

Taking note of where any larger stones came from, since she planned to replace them in the morning, she moved them to an area deemed safe for the fire and began to clear the area so that they could set up. Once clear, she would grab her small shovel and dig a shallow pit as an extra precaution. The last thing they needed was to start a forest fire.

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Sven Bergfalk

 

[Sven Bergfalk]

Declan Fraser
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Declan chuckled at Mira's comment regarding the stones while he tended to his mounts needs before commenting.

"It may come as a surprise but I find the smaller ones are harder to dodge give me a river rock the size of a fist and I will give a foe a shattered skull. and your suggestion is a good one. Might as well use what nature has provided us with right? We sling a line between the trees and you can make a pretty effective shelter with the tarps and branches. On that note If you want I can go gather up some pine sprouts and leaves that I saw on the way in? I makes for a surprisingly comfortable mattress and the pine keeps the crawlies away."

After gathering the indicated supplies and after having a chance to ruminate on Mira's question, Declan responded in kind.

"I must confess that history of the world was not my forte and I found myself gravitating towards military history in my years. But one cannot be an adventurer for long without picking up a healthy respect for it and I have made a point to read up when I could. I'll never be any sort of scholar but I am well read and I know enough to read contextual clues in the "DO NOT OPEN, DANGER INSIDE" variety."

The evenings tasks passed quickly enough with only a minimal amount of cursing when Declan burnt the roof of his mouth on hot trail food from the campfire. Perimeter alarms were set up along the most likely points of entry with a few set up on less obvious trails. "where only sneaky people would think to go" as Declan put it. each one was fairly simple with a thin piece of twine tied about eight inches off the ground connecting to a marvelous device that one could find at the local blacksmith and alchemists store. a spring trigger and little bit of fulminated mercury crystal. not enough to damage anything but certainly enough to be loud.
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The Fox Tamer

 

[The Fox Tamer]

Mira

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Mira sighed, "Just let me have my fantasy, won't you. I like to imagine bandits scattering like ants." She began setting up the stones for the fire and made quick work of setting up the wood. Before long, they had a blazing fire going and she answered his question about the pine sprouts. "Yes, please do. Life is full of craziness, so I take comforts whenever possible. No point in suffering if you don't have to."

Once the fire was going well enough on its own, Mira turned her attention to setting up her shelter. She looped rope between two trees that she would be able to lie down between with ease. Next, she used the bigger stones to weigh down the corners of her tarp and brought her things inside.

When Declan came back with the sprouts and leaves, Mira set up her sleeping area. She tested it for a moment and was pleased to find it quite comfortable. She exited her shelter and shot him a smile, "That was a good call. At least for night one, sleep should be easy."

Mira moved back over to the fire and set up what she would need for the evening's meal. She listened to Declan speak, nodding along as she agreed with his statement and chuckled at the "Danger" comment. "A smart man. It's rare I get to work with smart men. I've been on a few jobs where some of my companions didn't notice the warnings and it was their last adventure."

Later, when the food was ready, Mira was settled by the fire, leisurely eating her meal. "So, my idea from this morning, and remember that this all depends on how and where the bandits have their camp set up, is that we could try to get as many of them escaping in the same direction as possible and lead them into a big trap. Take out a bunch at once. You would still be able to charge in as you like to do and funnel them in my direction. Of course, the leader probably isn't going to run, so you would most likely be the one who takes them out, so we should keep that in mind." She glanced toward the setting sun and figured she would make use of the river to wash up in the morning.

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Sven Bergfalk

 

[Sven Bergfalk]

Declan Fraser
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Declan sat and laughed at Mira's comment regarding him bludgeoning bandits with boulders and breaking there bones...
Good gods above, Maeve's propensity for aliteration was growing on him.
Snorting at his own internal monologue, Declan continued to ate his meal while ruminating on the battle plan once they encountered the bandits. She was certainly correct with how they needed to tailor there plan but in broad strokes, it sounded effective.
"I like it." Declan agreed with Mira's assessment.
"If we are able to get things set up properly we should have little trouble and like you said with the leader. If I cannot take them by myself, I have backup. Speaking of combat. I know that you can handle yourself in a fight, that's obvious. but perhaps you would want to spar sometime? Perhaps sometime tomorrow? the bandits are still a ways off so we should be rested by the time we meet them."
Finishing his evening meal and cleaning his kit, Declan excused himself for a moment and made his way back over to his bedding area. Beginning his evening rituals, Declan began by meticulously inspecting his gear.
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The Fox Tamer

 

[Sven Bergfalk]

+++Time Skip+++

 

[The Fox Tamer]

Mira

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Mira nodded, "We can spar tomorrow when we stop for the midday break. I look forward to the challenge." She finished eating, cleaned up her things, and slipped into her shelter. Sleep came blessedly quick.

The Next Morning

It was almost dawn when Mira jerked herself out of her nightmare. It was the normal dream, but this one had caused a sweat, so she quietly slipped out of her shelter and moved down to the river. Stripping down to bare skin, she immediately got into the water to acclimate.

The water was cold, but it did help Mira fully wake up and shake away the dregs of the night. She washed up quickly and moved over to the fire to warm up while she dried. She wasn't super picky when it came to modesty, since the life of an adventurer meant you couldn't always pick and choose, but Mira did dress from the waist down so that she could sit by the fire without worrying about anything getting into uncomfortable places.

Mira built up the fire into a blaze from its night-time embers and settled with a towel around her shoulders while she reviewed her supplies. She moved slowly, trying not to wake Declan. Even if he was a morning person, which she was definitely not, he probably wouldn't enjoy being woken by crashing and clanging.

Once everything was accounted for, she finished dressing, except for her armor, and started working on a simple breakfast that they would be able to eat without too much to clean up.

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Sven Bergfalk

 

[Sven Bergfalk]

Declan Fraser
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Declan awoke and immediately rested his hand upon the hilt of his axe out of pure reflex. Taking stock of the situation and finding nothing to be amiss he relaxed and rolled to his feet, feeling the familliar tension in his body as some of his older injuries decided to make themselves known. Swiftly donning his smallclothes and a a set of breeches, Declan began to gather his things for the start his day.

The sound of wood being added to the fire caught the adventurers attention. poking his head outside the tent, Declan caught sight of Mira stoking the flame and tending to a pan of something that smelled good. sighing an smiling he grabbed a bar of soap and a razorblade and exited his tent. Giving a quick greeting to his adventuring partner he made his way to the river and quickly cleaned himself, scrubbing himself down and running the razorblade over his cheeks. Suitably groomed, Declan gathered his things and returned to the camp proper and stored his things away.

Fully dressed, Declan returned to the fire and crouched down across from Mira and smiled.

"Morning to you. its not everyday I get beat waking up. Anything I can do to help out?"
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The Fox Tamer

 

[The Fox Tamer]

Mira

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Mira heard Declan start moving around and took a couple deep breaths to prepare herself for human interaction. She returned his quick greeting, but kept her focus on the food so that it didn't burn. She also set up some tea. As long as Declan didn't take forever at the river, things would time well and they would have a hot breakfast. One of the only things she liked about mornings.

Once the food was done, and when she heard Declan moving back towards her, Mira split the meal in two. When Declan was settled, she handed him his half and methodically began to eat her own.

At his comment, she couldn't help a soft chuckle, "Well, hopefully it won't be every day. I actually dislike mornings quite a bit. Give me a good sunset or a starry sky." She considered his question and shrugged, "I might stick you with the dishes while I pack up and tear down." She took a sip of her tea and felt the warmth spread through her body.

Mira looked up at Declan and grinned, "Looking forward to our spar this afternoon. Can't wait to see what kind of challenge you'll give me." She finished her food and slid into some easy stretches to help loosen her sleep stiff muscles.

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Sven Bergfalk