10-28-2012, 05:46 PM
Spoiler:
Feels like old times... Well, maybe a little different.
The campfire crackles as Tirius and Kalah sit by it in a small clearing in Ashenvale forest, the surrounding seeming quiet and peaceful as the glow from the moon pokes through the canopy of leaves above them, subtly illuminating the forest around them. Tirius finishes off his piece of cooked stag, placing it down beside him, he hums in delight as he wipes his mouth with his arm his hand giving his stomach a pat before looking to Kalah.
She rolls her eyes in amusement and asks, "You're easily entertained, with a full belly." Kalah's lips form a quick smirk before biting into her own meal again.
Tirius gives his head a scratch as he smirks. "Next best thing to the wilderness."
His gaze drifts down to the blade resting across his lap. "Well I believe it's my turn"
Tirius hovers a hand over the blade, the hand moving from one symbol to the next before stopping on the symbol of a turtle, he chuckles to himself. "This is a good one."
Kalah lifts her chin and rolls her head to look over at the sword. "But turtles are slow?" She then gives her meal's bone a very lazy flick of her wrist into the fire.
Tirius' gaze remains on the turtle as he speaks. "So are some Kaldorei..." He goes silent, his eyes seeming to narrow in concentration.
Hmm... How did An'da use to tell it... Ah, right!
"The two Kaldorei are walking back to their preferred spot in the wilderness after a full day of training, the two males tired and dirty. They seem to argue along the way, one saying there is a quicker way yet his friend believes that the way is dangerous and that it's best they walk the long way. After a while of arguing they both stopped and made a bet, one will take the long way and the other will take the short way, the first one to reach the spot gets dinner, the other one goes hungry. They both shook hands and parted separate ways. The Kaldorei begins his-"
Kalah interrupts, "Wait, which Kaldorei?"
Tirius blinks as his gaze breaks from the symbol, looking toward Kalah. "This is the way my father use to read it to me, the Kaldorei taking the shortcut would have been him, the other would be Talos, his training partner." He returns his gaze to the turtle once more, his eyes narrowing again as his brow furrows slightly, trying to find his place in the story once again.
"... The Ka-... Torose begins his journey through the shortcut, everything seems fine and safe as he moves through the wilderness, his stomach rumbling as he thinks about all the food he's going to consume.
Almost halfway through Torose is stopped dead in his tracks, there blocking the path forward is a few sleeping sabers, he could go around, but that's just stupid and a waste of time. So he begins to slowly and quietly make his way through. The sabers seem fine as he almost reaches the end, suddenly at the corner of his eye he watches as one head pokes up, then another... And another. The next thing he knows he's being chased in the opposite direction, stumbling over roots and his own feet, he runs through all the familiar parts of the shortcut that he has already passed, still running with the sabers close behind. After a bit of good manoeuvring he finally loses them. Yet he realizes something. He's back in the same spot they made the bet. Torose takes off into a sprint once more, still hoping to beat his friend as he takes the long way instead this time.
He finally reaches the fire, the last remnants of the sun peeking through the cracks of the leaves, the smell of cooked stag is delightful, and teasing. He sits down with a sigh as he watches his friend tear into a haunch, humming in gratification. "This is a good stag." He says. "So where have you been? You look like you took on a bear." Torose simply grunted tiredly in response as he dropped to his side, closing his eyes as his stomach rumbles. Trying to sleep off the humiliation and the hunger."
Tirius gazes at the symbol quietly for a moment before raising his head. "Your turn."
Kalah scoffs lightly with a chuckle as she rises, "You have a thing for food, don't you?" She makes her way over to the dwindling pile of branches tosses in an armful. Soon enough Kalah settles back in and comments, "Alright, I got a story that hits a bit closer to home."
Tirius shrugs lightly in response. "Well what else is there to bet with in the Wilderness?"
Kalah shrugs with a blank look, "I suppose you're right.. and that would open an opportunity to fast." She gazes up with a distant look into the treetops before continuing right into her story.
"A few months ago when Franziska and I were patrolling regularly, we got the notion to take the boat to Stormwind. There we met up with a human in their woodlands, Elwynn Forest. Soon, of course, we found another human. A Paladin, as I recall. As our walk continued, we headed for a place where they honor their dead, in the center of a lagoon." She glances from the fire to Tirius, "We spent some time there, before heading back to Goldshire."
"It was there the Paladin suggested we check out his 'airship'. A noisy contraption of engineering genius. Franziska was impressed and was going on and on about it." Kalah snickers after an exaggerated look of enthusiasm.
Tirius chuckles at the thought.
"And you see, that is when the drinking started. I hardly remember any of it, but apparently I straight-up slugged Fran' in the jaw after she tried to stop me from hugging on the Paladin."
Kalah shrugs, even as she lazily holds herself up with her arms behind her, "I guess after that we jumped in the frigid waters below with a parachute. Franziska told me I went into shock, and after being rescued from the waters a priest tended to me." Kalah frowns and comments afterwards, "I woke up feeling half-dead.."
Tirius shakes his head with a smirk. "You two always seem to get into some sort of trouble... And get drunk while doing so."
"Yeah exactly, so.. that's why I don't drink anymore. Got my fill of it that night." She side-glances to Tirius with a curious look, "Is there a reason you don't drink, Tirius?"
He shrugs lightly, his gaze moving to the fire in thought for a moment before responding. "I use to drink a bit when I was younger but I realized I need to be focused always. I can act stupid any time I want, I don't need a drink for that." He chuckles. "In the wilds it's best to remain sober, otherwise you'll end up prey."
The worlds a roller coaster,
And I am not strapped in,
Maybe I should hold with care,
But my hands are busy in the air.
Like Father, Like Son. The path of a Beastmaster.
And I am not strapped in,
Maybe I should hold with care,
But my hands are busy in the air.
Like Father, Like Son. The path of a Beastmaster.