Lilly sighed and pushed a dark curl behind her ear. The sun beat down mercilessly on her and the rest of the city. The heat seemed almost palpable, the waves radiated from the barren ground. An unnatural quiet hung in the air as if the city were afraid to talk too loudly. Women bustled through the streets, shushing their children and leading them off to their homes. Shopkeepers watched warily; sweeping, dusting or arranging and rearranging their wares. The usually vibrant colors of Aberon looked muted and dirty and the people looked especially haggard.

Lilly wiped her hands on the hips of her blue and white checked linen dress, mentally cursing the heat. She stooped down and picked up her wicker basket, one that her mother had lent her. She had been told by mam to go and pick up a bit of meat for dinner tonight; mam planned to make a stew. Lilly was so hungry she thought she could already smell the tantilizing scent of the beef simmering amidst red-skinned potatoes, turnips and carrots that her brother had grown in the small garden plot next to their house.

She set off at a brisk pace to the butcher's shop, not too far from where she was already. Her leather boots made a padding sound on the road, and her green eyes swept back and forth, taking in her surroudings. She was still fairly new to Aberon, and was still finding her way around the enormous city. Never in her life had she seen so many people in one place!

Squinting into the relative darkness, Lilly stepped into the butcher's shop. It was a small but tidy shop with sausages, fowl and pork hanging in the window. The butcher, a stout man with curly black hair stood behind a counter, wiping it with a rag. At her arrival, he smiled warmly, "Good afternoon t'ye miss. What can I do for ye today?"

Lilly inclined her head respectfully and replied, "Fine, thank ye sir. I've come for a bit of roast for stewing, a pound or so should do." The butcher nodded and retreated to a back room. He returned a minute or so later with a fine cut of beef. Lilly nodded and payed the butcher, thanking him for his time. She stepped out of the shop, blinded for a moment by the brightness of the afternoon. She stepped out into the street, shielding her eyes with her hand and suddenly smashed right into someone standing in the road. The basket fell from her arm and she gasped as she collasped onto the ground. The dust billowed around her, and as it was clearing, she looked up to see who she had collided with.

Ioksok staggerd as the woman hit him, then reganed his balance, "Why," He asked "Are you in such a hury you can't even watch where you were going?" Then Ioksok sighed and shook his head as he looked down at the fallen girl, who was starting to get up. He reached down to help her up and spoted the littel basket with the its contense scatterd on the ground. "sorry, miss." he mummbled under his breath.

Lyla darted out of the shade in a blur of blackness. If she was swift enough, she knew she may not be noticed, and would be able to lurk once more in the shadows, maybe find a quiet alleyway to examine her prize. She skidded into the sunlight, and bent quickly. She took a piece of fallen meat between her sharpened teeth, and turned promptly to leave. Her paw knocked the basket as she turned, and her tail caught on something. The operation seemed to be turning out exactly the wrong way- exactly the way she had hoped it wouldn't go. Lyla knew if she was lucky, she may escape with the meat, and a few angry words following her. If the worst came to the worst, she would lose the meat, and perhaps receive an angry kick or a harsh "shoo". They had surely noticed her by now, but there was still an opportunity to clear off. With the bundle still grasped firmly between her jaws, she began to sprint. Something blocked her way, and she was too shocked to find another way to turn. Slowly, Lyla looked up to see a shadow looming above her silhouetted in the bright midday light.

OOC: Ok, you should go in that order. LOL, firetongue, your mean. I might join in once I'm ready, maybe later, when I find a good place to come in.

Lilly winced as a man grumbled something or other about her watching where she was going, and then mumbling a quick apology. Lilly squinted, studying the man's face with an emerald gaze; she'd never seen him before.

A rustling sound to the side of her tore her out of her daze. She looked to see something furry tear past her, snatch up the beef and go to turn around to dash off again but the thing had gotten caught. What in the world is that thing...? Lilly breathed, stunned. Her mind reeled with questions. Her mind jolted, Our dinner! She gasped, and launched herself from the ground, wiping the seat of her dress. She stumbled towards the cat-like animal waving her arms and yelling, "No, no! Get back here with my supper!" Lilly's heart pounded in her chest. If she came home without the beef her mother would be livid. The thought of her mother in an angry fit was enough to send any grown man of Carvahall who knew what was best for him into terrors.

Fang Ioksok's giant ruby red dragon flew in circles, his huge shadow moved acrossed the ground. At that moment Ioksok grabbed the cat by the back of the neck, once he got a good look at the cat he shook his head, "Lyla what are you doing here?" while Lilly look at him as if he was crazy.

Lyla narrowed her eyes angrily at him. Ioksok had just lost her a meal. She thrashed angrily, claws out, but it was useless. Her limbs flailed wildly, making faint swishing sounds as her claws tore through the air. It seemed that the chance of escape had been ruined.
Trying to eat. she replied mentally in annoyance, not taking any notice of the shouting girl. At that moment, Lyla didn't particularly care who's supper it was- she basically lived by the "look out for yourself and nobody else" saying. It was unfortunate that the street was fairly empty, as somebody might be looking out for animal cruelty. She tried to hiss a warning around the beef in her mouth, but it came out as more of a gurgling sound. She was becoming weary of struggling, and Ioksok had an iron grip.

OOC: Mind?


The wind blew at Serias, but was lost in the endless void of darkness.
Thats the last time I take on three shades at once, he muttered in annoyance. They always scratch my armor... As yelling reached his long ears, he jumped behind a house, like a snake waiting for a mouse.
A young looking female in a linen dress ran past him, yelling something about supper and beef. He stepped out of the darkness when she ran ahead, and gave a shrug, following her trail in long strides. A familiar identity hit his mental self, like a rushing river, then dissapeared. Ioksok.... Serias realized. It's has been a long time since they had met. Serias began to run, and looked up. A great ruby dragon flew high above the landscape.
Fang, where is Ioksok? Serias asked him, hoping that the great dragon would remember him. After all, dragons have good memories. And then he saw him. The fit man folding something that looked like a struggling furball. He noticed he was about three steps behind the girl, who wasnt running very fast. Serias didn't recognize her though. "Shadow step," he muttered quietly. His next step teleported him him right next to Ioksok.
Serias looked up at Fang, as if waiting for the man next to him to notice te dark elf.

Lilly panted, gulping in fresh breaths of air. She leaned over, hands on her knees watching the man as he grabbed the enormous cat and talked to it. Her face contorted into a confused grimace, and then she nearly lost her balance and fell as suddenly out of thin air appeared another man beside him. Her eyes widened as she stood up straight, brushing her mahogony curls out of her face with her fingers.

What in the creation is going on? she wondered. Was she losing her mind? Infront of her was a man, talking to a cat like it was a person while it struggled to free itself from the man's hold. And then, to top it off, people were dropping in out of mid air! Lilly wiped her brow with her hand and took a deep breath. Setting her jaw, she marched forward to the strange group of people and put on her best Mam face. Hands on her hips, she stood feet shoulder width apart and proclaimed, "Excuse me sirs, I believe that this cat has something of mine," she hesitated over using the word cat. She didn't want to offend whatever it was, since the man seemed to think it had some sort of intelligence. She stared challengingly at the strange men for a moment and then said in a softer tone, "I'm sorry, I haven't met you before. My name's Lilly and my family and I just came here a little while ago." She looked at both of them waiting for an introduction as well.

Ioksok turned his head and looked at the woman out of the corrner of his eye, "I haven't seen you in a while Serias," He said just then Lyla squrmmed and clawed his arm making him let go. Ioksok droped her, shaking his hand wildly and cursing as she made her escape.

Ioksok turned to face the woman, he was a head taller the her. Fang landed behind him in the empty street. The great red dragons looked down with curiosity in his eyes and snorted. "I'm Ioksok, rider of Fang. my lady." He said with a flurishing bow.

Lyla darted nimbly into the shadow of a large brown building. She was grateful for the colouring of her fur, as it allowed her to hide easily. She had dropped the beef as she fell from Ioksok's grasp, and didn't dare go and retrieve it. She wasn't far from the people and Fang, and it seemed that somebody unknown to her had also arrived. Nobody seemed to notice her any more, but her curiosity was eating away from the inside of her throat, and she decided to ask what was going on.
And why might you be here? She asked Ioksok silently from her concealed "hiding" place. She clawed the ground anxiously, leaving deep gashes in the settled dust.
Also- I might ask, who exactly are these people? She peered across to the group, who were now standing roughly 10 feet away from her.

Serias gave a twitch, a mental whisper going between Ioksok, and...who else? The ball of fur that had just run away? What kind of a creature was it to use it's mind to poject thoughts and feelings.
I only know Ioksok and Fang, so I know I cant trust anyone else, he thought, as thoughts of magical beings flew through his mind. What kind of furball can use mental projection?
A werecat, bingo. Serias knew a lot of werecats, friends with most.
He heard the voice of the young woman, the one who was screaming about beef and supper. It didn't really intrest him, so he simply answered Ioksok.
"Greetings," and walked forward towards a small sapling bending over like a piece of grass. Poor thing. Serias gave the tree a small push, his power radiating through it to infinity. It began to stand, growing taller with each passing second. Finally, it stood straight up like a collum, and Serias flicked away the soggy, rottening sticks that were trying to hold it up.

Normally, Serias wouldnt want to use magic in public, but the tree was still young, and had a life like all living beings of it's kind. It deserved to live longer. After all, you cant be reborn. You have one life. Once it ends, your gone, forever.
Serias stretched his mind out a little, like the legs of a spider. He sensed a medium sized furry creature in the dark, looking a bit angry an maybe a bit annoyed. His eyes, that of a dark elf, glowing golden in the sun, could see very well in the dark.
Truely, it was a werecat, but it was camoflauge. He gave a smirk. He'd never seen that sight before. It seemed to be eying the meat on the ground, so Serias decided to help it. Serias enjoyed werecats, and liked their company.
While Ioksok and the woman were in deep conversation, Serias nimbly teleported the slice of juicy beef to the werecat, without them noticing.

They'll notice at some point, but by that time the meat might be gone. And if the girl wants meat so bad, I could always go buy her another. Serias realized.

OOC: Ioksok, try to make your posts a tad longrer, k?

The man that had held the cat bowed and introducted himself as Ioksok, rider of Fang. Fang? Her heart nearly stopped. A dragon ridershe realized. She wasn't sure whether or not to excuse herself politely and hightail it in the other direction or stay and talk to the man. She peered at him in a more cautious manner, relaxing her stance a bit. Lilly had never met a dragon rider before, or seen a dragon. She knew that the boy from her village had turned out to be one, but other than that, she'd never had an encounter with one. Her mam had warned her about people who could do magic.

Well, he seemed nice enough; she wasn't sensing a negative aura. Lilly composed herself and answered, "Pleased to meet you Ioksok. And greetings to Fang as well," she nodded. From what she'd heard, the Dragons themselves were a prickly bunch; just as intelligent as humans and having little patience for people who didn't recognize that. Her curiosity got the best of her; she leaned in and said exictedly in a low voice, "Sir, is your Dragon nearby? I would very much like to see him." she hesitated, not knowing the gender of the Dragon. The last thing she wanted to do was insult them. Her cheeks burned with embarassment of her forwardness, and she nearly stuttered, "But if it's too much trouble then I understand, you're probably busy doing important things." Lilly's green eyes were alight with curiosity; this was the most excitement she'd had in a long time.

Ioksok put up a hand and rubbed his face to hide a smile, "Of cource, but not in town," he said "I wouldn't want him to smash anyone." The heat was so intense that Ioksok went into the butchers with Serias and Lilly on his heels.

"How much was that meat?" he asked her reaching for his belt, he took out some gold and put it on the counter ordering some meat, and then dismised the butcher with out another glance. "So where do you hail from Lilly?" he asked.

Lyla tore happily at the meat. It was perfect, the best meal she had eaten in ages (rats were a bit stringy). It had a salty taste, and she recognised that this must be how the butcher preserved his meat in the storeroom.
I should pay that store room a visit sometime. she thought smugly. Leaving nothing but the indigestible gristle on the floor, she slunk away to a side alley, but something stopped her. A thought rushed through her mind, and natural curiosity filled her head once again. She can't believe she hadn't given it thought earlier.
What's he doing here? she wondered to herself about Ioksok. Something was not right, or else he would still be lurking around the capital. Maybe if she was quiet, she could overhear their discussion. Her cat disguise was good for eavesdropping, but Ioksok was too observant. She would have to change so as not to be suspicious. Glancing around to make sure nobody was watching, Lyla concealed herself in the shadow of the narrow passage, and began. He long silky fur grew shorter, slid smoothly back into her skin. At the same time, her back legs elongated, and her spine lengthened. She was taller, and started to stand on her back legs. The fur around her head grew into rippling raven black locks, becoming hair. For the thousandth time, her tail made that tickling sensation as it retracted up her spine, and through some unseen procedure, she was clothed in a simple green dress and brown boots. Her beautifully crafted dagger hung at her side, and she strode to the butchers, pretending to look for meat, just as the group were exiting.

Serias stood atop the dark roof of a small hovel, not a house. He was watching the conversation very seriously. He could hear every word as the two people talked. Serias heard Ioksok say Fang.
Not very smart, he noticed. Giving the identy of your dragon to a complete stranger.
But Serias remembered Ioksok's personality quite well. If was a bit strange to him; one way to do everything. Or, it seemed, whenever they had met. But it had been a few months since they departed from Ura'Baen, the huge gapin hole glimmering in the sky like an evil scar.
Maybe Ioksok changed though, his personality altered by means unknown. While Serias was thinking, a sharp pang of pure magical energy went through his mental barriers, flowing through him. The werecat! Serias looked at it's usual place, but found nothing but leftover meat. Then he looked back to the butchers., to see if the old man had noticed anything. What he saw was a lot more interesting. By the old man was a girl, dressed in the clothes of the simple type of peasant. But she was different. Instead of being like most girls, the calm and peaceful type, she seemed a bit excited to him, and unlike most people in a normal village, she carried a dagger. The werecat...

Serias sent a message to his gigantic dragon Chronum. Dont sure yourself until I tell you two. Fang has grown a bit since we last saw him. He's an average size for a dragon, maybe a bit more muscular than most. He didnt recive too much of a reply, just the image of a oxen herd. An emotion of hunger went through Serias as well. He hadent eaten in prehaps a week.

"...I wouldn't want him to smash anyone" the man replied with a hint of amusement in his tone. Lilly's eyebrows shot to her browline as she smiled and then laughed in surprise.
"Of course! I didn't think of it," she said, clasping her hands infront of her. Lilly followed the man towards the butcher's shop, prostesting, "Oh you don't have to do that, it's okay, really...I'll tell Mam that some strange cat snatched it out of the basket."

She followed the man into the shop, and watched silently as the man paid for and then handed her another cut of beef. Nodding to the butcher again, she followed Ioksok out, edging past a girl with lovely hair and a green dress on. "Thank you, Ioksok. That was very kind of you..." she trailed off. "I know that this may sound like a stupid question, but why were you talking to that cat?" Lilly clutched her basket tightly reflexively, and looked around for the strange thing, or even the man that she'd seen appear out of thin air.

The sun was beginning it's downward journey through the sky, and the heat had abated a little. A light breeze blew through the city, combing through Lilly's curls and bringing the scents of dinners cooking in Aberon floating past her. She studied the man she was walking slightly behind. What kind of a person rode dragons? It would take a very hard person to do such things as they, she thought to herself.

Ioksok looked around making no one over heard what he was about to say, "Ah yes, you are very observent, I was talking to the cat." he stopped for a moment then said "No more like scolding her. That cat was a werecat, one I've met befor." Then Ioksok stopped and gestured forward saying "Could I perhaps eat with you tonight, My Dragon is out hunting but when he is done" he left the rest unsaid.

"A werecat...?" she breathed. She'd never heard of such a thing, but she refrained from asking any more questions. She didn't want to try the man's patience. She looked at him and smiled, "Certainly you are welcome in our home, Dragon Rider." She walked past him, "It's this way, just around the corner." She led with a brisk pace, the corners of her mouth were turned up slightly in amusement.

The house was a small one, modest to say the least. The garden plot beside it had sprouts of vegetables shooting up out of the ground in various shades of green. A wooden fence surrounded the plot, and extended out to the front, making a gateway. Lilly paused, reaching down and lifting the latch. "This is home," she said back at Ioksok as the gate swung open. Her cat lay sprawled out infront of the doorway, tail lazily swishing back and forth. "Hello kitty," Lilly said, stepping over the great orange tabby. The door led directy into the kitchen; their large wooden table was in one corner, flanked by six matching chairs. The stove was fired up, a large pot of boiling water steamed ready for the beef. Her Mam walked in, wiping her hands with her apron. Her face flickered quickly from a curious look to all smiles.
"It's about time yeh came home Lilly, I was just about to send yer brother after'yeh," she said playfully. She stepped closer to Ioksok, her pale yellow linen dress swishing as she walked. "And who might you be, young man?" The woman's green eyes sparkled with the same curious light that lit Lilly's.

Ioksok smilled and bowed "I would be Ioksok, Ma'am." he said with a carming smile. His eyes flickerd around "I met your daugther in the market," Ioksok said "She invited me for supper, if that is okay with you of cource."

The small house was cozy and full of comfert, the larg tabby cat walked through the door. Ioksok sent a ingistive messege to the cats mind, but was only rewarded by a quick glance and filp of the tail.

OOC: Back in order you two ^^ wait for firetongue and I.

Lyla shifted her feet in annoyance. It would be too obvious to follow the pair as a human, but they had already seen her as a cat. Maybe she should just forget about it, what things of importance would Ioksok tell this girl anyway? Well- he did seem to flash information around as though it were something to show off. Subconsciously, she twiddled a lock of hair around her little finger.
Now what am up supposed to do? she paced around, bored and still burning with a desire to follow them. Eventually, she gave in, and followed the trail they had made. There weren't many people in the streets, so it was easy to pick out their footprints in the dust of the scuffed-up road. Before long, Lyla had arrived at a smallish house. It wasn't any thing special, but seemed homely and a generally nice place. The day was drawing to a close, and it would be harder to spot her in the dull of dusk. Creeping around the side of the house, Lyla crouched down. She set her hands on the cool ground in front of her, feeling the dirt against her skin. Barely thinking, she felt her fur grow as if in fast motion, and her ears slide strangely to the top of her head. Her hair shortened until it was black fur once again, and her spine lengthened to become a tail. It felt odd, crouching down for a minute, and not being able to return to your full height. Nevertheless, Lyla liked being in cat form. Nobody would pay any attention to her, and in the evening she was difficult to see. She heard voices coming from inside, and jumped nimbly onto the windowsill hoping that she would remain unnoticed. She flicked a fly away with a swipe of her tail, and turned an ear to catch the conversation.

OOC: Continue, cant come in.

Lilly's mother put her hands on her hips and scruitinzed the man who called himself Ioksok. Lilly had never brought home a man before; her daughter had always been too busy to chase after the menfolk. However, she could find nothing but respect and a pleasantry about the man--at least on the surface, and it was good enough for her. "If Lilly thinks highly enough of you to invite you home, then it is fine with me," she nodded. "But you two won't get out of a little work. Here, chop these vegetables for the stew, and I'll get to work on that beef," her mother said producting a basket full of carrots, pole beans, tomatoes and potatoes.

Lilly took the basket and retrieved two cutting knives and a large bowl and sat down at the table, pulling out the carrots. She began by peeling them, and cutting the top off of them. She then cut them into thin circles and placed them into the bowl. Lilly looked up amused, and wondered if Ioksok would join suit.

Ioksok pulled out a chair and sat down taking one of the cutting knives he set some potatoes down infront of him and with a blur of his hand cut them into smaller peices. Lilly looked at him in suprise all he did was smile and say "soldiers need to learn how to cook to."

When all the vegetables were cut and cleand Ioksok let out a large sigh and said "Fang is done hunting, he desided to take a nap."

OOC: Dont control other people's characters ioksok.

OOC- hmm. Don't think I can come in again. Carry on.

At the mention of Fang, Lilly's eyes intstinctively cut over to her her mother who was making short work of the beef. She didn't know how her mother was going to take the news that Ioksok was a dragon rider; she'd never been too keen on anything out of the ordinary. Well, times have changed, Lilly thought. Mam would just have to get used to that sort of things being table talk. When the bowl was filled with chopped vegetables, Lilly got up, wiped her hands on her side and took the bowl over, pouring its contents into the pot.
"It'll be just a few minutes," she said over her shoulder. Her brother walked in the door, stomping his boots off and scrubbing his face with his hand.
"Something smells good..." Thom trailed off as he saw Ioksok. His eyes flickered back and forth between his sister and the man sitting at the table. Lilly walked over to her little brother and grabbed his arm and introduced the two. "Thom, this is Ioksok, Ioksok, this is my little brother Thom."

Ioksok pushed his chair back it slid smothly on the wooden floor, "Nice to meet you Thom." Ioksok said as he stood up.
The seting sun glinted off of Fang's ruby red flanks as he flew through the air towards the small house Ioksok was at. Once over top of the small structure fang folded his wings, and dove until his was a few hundred feet above the ground. Then he flared his wings, came level and landed.
"That would be Fang." said Ioksok with a small shrug.

OOC: Could I join in?

OOC- I'm sure nobody would mind. And Ioksok, I'm not actually sure where Fang's supposed to be right now, so I'm going to presume he's near the house.

IC- Lyla jumped literally off the perch. A thud sounded throughout the air. She turned around slowly still balanced outside the window, and fell clumsily from the windowsill. Her legs flailing rapidly before dropping delicately to the dusty ground outside, she came face to face with a huge creature. It's scales glittered wine red, and it was very large. In fact, it was huge compared to the werecat. The dust was still rising in clouds around him, and Lyla's small landing had added to the storm of grime.
Fang! she realised craning her neck to get a better view of the dragon. It was too late to prevent herself being discovered now and she was sure of it. Lyla knew Fang wouldn't harm her, (or so she assumed) as they had met before, but sure enough he would tell Ioksok she was there. Ioksok probably wouldn't take kindly to the fact she had been eavesdropping. Without mentioning anything to the mighty dragon, Lyla spun around and leaped swiftly through the window. As soon as she hit the floor of the cosy home, she made a dash under the nearest chair she saw.

Erais was walking through the near empty streets. She looked up into the sky and saw something small but red fly to the other side of town. Erais felt some sort of thing touch her mind that seemed familiar. Erais began to run through the streets, keeping her eye on the red speck. She came to a stop not far from a home, she hid behind a lone tree and realized it was Fang.
Fang is Ioksok here? Erais asked the dragon through a mental link.

Erais put her gloves on and kept herself distracted from the house but was having a hard time.