OCC: I wasn't sure where to put this since we don't hav ea section for The Spine. Anyway, this is open to anyone so feel free to join.

The Spine: a fierce mountain range known for its dangers and mysteries. The early morning sun shined down through the canopy of the trees, bathing the forest floor in a beautiful golden light. Despite the Spine's reputation, Paito Grimm found it to be a rather pleasant place. On this particular morning, he sat by the campfire eating his freshly cooked venison and hotcakes with a side of fresh fruit. Having spent much of his life in the wilderness, Paito had learned to cook his own meals and he loved to experiment with new recipes.

A voice in his head said I'm on my way back now. I managed to catch a mountain goat. Unfortunately there won't be any leftovers.

That's alright, Seroc. I don't like goat meat anyway. See ya soon.

Another reason Paito liked the Spine was because of the plentiful game it provided for him and his dragon. Paito stuffed the rest of his dried venison and fruit into a sack and placed it with the rest of his belongings, which were stacked by a large treestump. He walked to a narrow clearing in the forest and gazed up at the jagged, snowcapped peaks which loomed overhead. It was a truely beautiful sight which was enhanced by the cool morning air.

"I could just settle down right here." He said aloud. "I'd be happy living here."

Yes, but we won't be able to settle down as long as that tyrant is in power. There will be no peace in Alagaesia until Galbatorix dies! Seroc interjected.

Paito hadn't realized that Seroc was listening in on his thoughts, but he knew his dragon was correct. They were on the run.

Well there isn't much we can do about that right now. Anyway, I don't really have any plans for today so we can probably just relax when you get back. I'll play some hornpipes for you on the fiddle. he said to Seroc through their telepathic connection.

Seroc, who was still several miles away, replied That sounds appealing. I find the music very relaxing.

Paito was about to say something else when he heard a twig snap in the forest nearby.

OCC: Alright, thanks. I've requested that a mod move it to that section.

OCC: Go ahead.

IC: Paito froze and listened carefully. That wasn't a deer. There is someone here he thought to himself. The dragon rider quickly returned to his camp and picked up his belt, which held his sword and pouch of throwing knives. As he put them on, he said to Seroc Seroc, be careful! There is someone here! Stay out of sight!

The dragon replied Be careful, paito. I'm going to land outside the camp and come to you on foot!

Paito slung his bow over his shoulders and carefully made his way back to the clearing. He hid behind a tree at the edge of the clearing and peered out into the clearing. He spotted someone moving around and realized that is was a girl elf.

What's an elf doing way out here? he pondered to himself as he vanished back behind the tree. Paito was unsure whether to approach her or simply wait and see she did. As the Elf began to build a fire, Paito decided to wait for Seroc to arrive before doing anything else. He took a step back from the tree when suddenly he tripped over a tree root and hit the ground with a thud.

That's just great. Way to go... he muttered as he attempted to stand back up, hoping that perhaps he had not been heard.

As Paito stood back up, he turned back toward his camp, unaware that the elf was now only a few feet away.
Don't worry about sneaking in here anymore! I may need you!

I'm almost there. I'll be there in a few seconds! replied the dragon.

Paito couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watch, but when he looked around he saw nobody. Feeling exposed out in the open, the dragon rider ducked behind a large pine and knelt down and as he did so, the shadow of a dragon passed overhead and Seroc gracefully touched down in the clearing a few meters away.

Folding his wings, the tan dragon looked around the clearing.

Paito, where are you?

Paito replied nervously I'm behind a tree. I think that elf is stalking me.

I'll come to you then. the dragon replied as he looked around.

Seroc cautiously began making his way over to Paito when he suddenly caught the scent of the elf. As the dragon passed by a treen he turned his head and found himself face to face with her.

Hello there. What are you doing up here? Seroc said to her in a casual manner, trying not to sound hostile or threatening. he didn't want any trouble and he was sure Paito felt the same way. He certainly hoped this elf didn't serve the Empire.

OOC: I hope you don't mind if I join

IC: A flock of crows flew overheard, cawing loudly. Eriel rested against the buttress roots of a great tree. Upon hearing the sounds, the elf looked up, her face lit up with a small smile.
"Twelve." She said to herself, feeling both tired and restless at the same time.
Holding up Emrhyst, the elf sighed and ran her left hand up the sheath and in one, swift, fluid motion, drew the blade from the scabbard, her features emotionless as stone as she remembered past battles.
Not that it did her any good though, for it made her even more restless.
"Just as well." Eriel muttered softly to herself as she nimbly jumped out of the way of a landing dragon.
Frowning in a little annoyance, the elf quickly hid herself behind a nearby bush and watched the scene before her unfold.

The other elf looked young, and inexperienced, and the indlvarn wondered why she had come all the way to the spine on her own.
"Not that I wasn't guilty of that anyway." Eriel smiled wryly and observed the rider, waiting for a response.
If he proved to be hostile, Eriel decided to defend the elf.
'Otherwise, I'll wait.' She thought to herself.

OCC: Sorry for taking so long. The past couple days have been a real mess. Anyway...

IC:
Paito was surprised by the sudden appearence of the elf but she apparently meant no harm, judging by her greeting. Paito was unfamiliar with elven customs though and wasn't entirely sure how to respond so he simply bowed to show respect. He knew that most elves were not loyal to the Empire so he felt that he could trust this.

"Greetings, elf. It's a pleasure to meet you. We don't often meet other people out here. My name is Paito Grimm and I see you've already met Seroc.".

[color=#8040000]I apologize if I startled you. We didn't mean any harm.[/color]

Paito added, "We're just trying to survive out here. I don't want the Empire to get their hands on my dragon so we've been hiding in the mountains.

Paito knew that befriending this elf could be a good thing. Perhaps she, or someone she knew, could give he and Seroc formal training. They both knew that if the Empire ever found them, their feeble combat skills wouldn't be enough.

"So, what is your name?" the rider asked.

OOC: Sorry it took so long! I haven't been able to get on this weekend.

"Hello," Saphi said, My name is Saphi." She bowed and said the elven greeting just as she had with the dragon. I" am also on the run from the king. That is how I found my way into this forest so we must be wary for they still might be here." We should keep moving though, I fear that there are other people near and if we should talk in a more private location. Meet back here when you are done gathering all of your belongings." SHe finished and departed to gather her things as soon as she could. 'An actual dragon rider...' She thought, I can't believe this. Maybe he will be able to help me with what I am looking for....'

Paito nodded to Saphi and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Saphi. Let me get my things and then we can go."

However before he could turn to leave, Seroc said to him Wait, look paito! We have more company!

The dragon rider turned and looked and sure enough, a strange dragon landed in the clearing. It was not like any dragon Paito or Seroc had ever seen before. Before either of them could introduce themselves however, another stranger appeared.

It looks like we're attracting quite a crowd.

Paito nodded and the two listened as the newcomers introduced themselves.

For Seroc, this was his first time meeting another dragon and if he wadn't been so mesmerized, otherwise he would have made a commend about how she talked too much.

After Paito and Seroc introduced themselves once again, Paito said to Eriel, "Well, I didn't mean anyone any harm. Seroc and I are just trying to stay alive. We were just about to go somewhere with this elf. You're certainly welcome to come along too if it is alright with her. I don't know exactly where we're going though.

OCC: Oops, sorry. It's fixed now. As for where this takes place in the Spine, I didn't really have any particular place in mind. Any place you want is fine with me.

Eriel smiled at them, perhaps the day might not go so badly after all.
Casting a sidelong glance at the younger elf, Eriel gratefully took the seat and fetched a ripe, juicy apple from a nearby tree.

OOC:-very very short post. T'was a tiring day

Paito replied to Minerela's question " Well, I'm sorry, Minerela. I can't say I have. I've never even heard of water dragons until just now." He chuckled and said with a smile "I guess I learn something new every day!"

Seroc was still unsure what to make of this new dragon. She didn't seem to be a threat, just a chatterbox. Seroc knew very little about water dragons, despite being a dragon himself.
Water dragons are related to flying dragons but I don't know where you would find them. My guess is that they're all hiding from the Empire just like the rest of us.

Paito remembered his belongings and said to the others "I'll be right back. I'm going to gather the rest of my belongings."

As he began to head back to his camp, the dragon rider thought he spotted someone hiding behind a tree. He reached for his sword and called out to his dragon.

Seroc, I think we have yet another visitor.

What? Another one? Where are all these people coming from?

Seroc began to make his way over to his rider.

OCC: What about redshurtugal's guy?

OOC: Sorry I didn't see the post at all.

Saphi looked up in surprise as Paito and Seroc reacted to someone near the camp. She quickly jumped up and ducked behind a tree to get behind whoever was watching them. She quickly looked around and found a person kneeling in a tree ahead and notched an arrow and carefully took aim. She dared not fire until she knew if this person meant any harm but she hid herself and kept her eyes on the target and watched what happened.

Eriel's ears twitched as she heard the commotion behind her. She turned around and looked up over the rim of the apple, passively scanning the area.
Some of her companions were already ready for battle, and they were warily circling a certain tree.
The elleth just smiled and shrugged and resumed eating.

OOC: Kinda short.
Also, anyone knows what the order is?

Paito's initial reaction to Zanto's mentioning the empire was to draw his sword, but when Zanto said he was just kidding, Paito put it away. Surely someone who served the Empire wouldn't actually be so bold as to say so in front of all these people. Still, the rider remained alert. It did seem odd that all these people came together all at once, especially in such a remote place.

I don't think he's a threat but we shall still keep an eye on him. Seroc said privately to his rider.

Agreed, but he may just be a fellow traveler. Better yet, he may know a thing or two about combat. This could be a prime opportunity for us to find a trainer

Paito then introduced himself to Zantos and said with a friendly smile, Come on and joinus by the fire. Tell me, what brings you to this remote part of the woods?"

Saphi lowered her weapon as everyone went back to the clearing and she put her bow and arrow away and continued to cook the soup. She did not know what to make of this new man so she kept a weary eye on him and a hand close to her weapon. WHen the soup was ready she poured several bowls and passed them out and began to eat. "There is no meat in this," she said, "If you would like some you need to cook it yourself." She went and sat next to the other elf and quietly ate her soup.

OOC: Pass

OOC: Ace it is your turn to go.

OCC: Sorry. I had a bunch of stuff going on lately.

Paito took the bowl of soup and thank Saphi. He took a couple bites and complemented, "Mmmm. Not bad. I have not had soup this good in ages.

As he finished up the soup, paito finally decided to ask the question he had been waiting to ask.

"I have a question for you guys. See, Seroc and I have never had any kind of formal combat or magic training and I was wondering if any of you would be willing to teach me. I promise I will find some way to make it worth your time.

(occ: Short post)

Saphi finished her soup as Paito asked the question and was surprised to find the rider has never had any training. She got up and went to a stream that was near the clearing to wash her bowl and thought of what he had asked. Saphi hadn't planned on staying anywhere for very long but the Spine was peaceful and she didn't have to worry about the Empire looking for her there. She was more than willing to help but she wasn't sure how much she would be able to teach an outsider who hasn't been to the Elf cities. She decided to sit and think about this matter a short while before returning to the others.

OOC: Ace it is your turn. Again.

Paito heard Eriel's statement and was excited at the thought of finally finding someone who could train him properly. However he wa snow faced with the problem of coming up with some kind of compensation for Eriel. The rider honestly had no idea what to offer. He began to ponder more. His parents had been merchants and he had learned a few things about bartering and trading. But what would an elf want? He had no belongings of any real value.

"Thank you for the offer, Eriel. How exactly would you like for me to repay you though? A quest of some sort perhaps? Would you like me to perform a favor? I don't have any money or anything.

Now he was begining to feel rather embarrassed. He turned to Seroc but the dragon already knew what he was going to ask.

Well don't look at me! You're the one who made the promise! It's your problem!

There has to be some way I can make it worth her time. I really need this training.

After Zantos spoke up Paito replied, "Well, any suggestions you have are welcome."

Saphi got up with her bowl and returned to the clearing after she decided she would help Paito but under certain circumstances. She did not know what she would be able to teach him because how much the elves prize their information. She sat back down next to her pack and and stayed slightly aware of what they were talking about.

OOC: Sorry short post.

OOC: CDG I think it is your turn.

occ: Actually it's Red's turn.

OCC: redshurtugal08, it's your turn.

OOC: Red's gone for a bit. He's going for some tournament.

OCC: I guess so. Once he comes back he's welcome to join in again.

IC:
Paito watched as Eriel effortlessly broke the long stick in half and suddenly got a feeling he was in over his head. Then again, he did ask for this and it did make since for her to test his skills before actually training him. He removed his belt, which held his weapons, and set it aside.

"I guess I'm not going to be using those anyway and they'll
just add unnecessary weight."



He took the other half of the stick and prepared himself.

She's going to kick your butt, you know. Seroc said in an amused tone.

Don't rub it in, Seroc.

You're going to get defeated by a girl. At least she isn't an enemy and at least she isn't using a real sword. The only lasting injury you're likely to sustain is a bruised ego. the dragon replied, laughter in his voice.

Paito ignored Seroc's comment and said to Eriel in a serious tone, "Alright, I'm ready."

OOC: Wow again? Meh. Okay.
You're up gonome

OOC: At CDG lol sure.
It would be nice to bring an evil charry in who could interrupt the training

IC: Eriel eyed the young rider in front of her and smiled.
"Come on, do your best." She said, her eyes bright and alert.
The elleth braced herself as Paito twirled the stick above his head once, then slammed it downwards in the direction of her head.
Eriel's arm flew upwards, her stick meeting his with a shower of splinters.
Undeterred, the human then began to rain heavy blows upon her, of which Eriel easily blocked all of them, relying mainly on skill and experience to predict where his next strike would come from with great accuracy.
When he finally began to tire, the elleth dashed aside his stick and flicked hers upwards, letting its tip rest on the bottom of his chin.

The indlvarn stared at the human, a smile playing at her cheeks.
"Not too bad. Try again." She advised. "This time, try not to leave yourself open after every stroke. Always be prepared to parry."

Paito nodded and held the staff in a defencive position, ready for the second excercise. He had come out of the first one pretty much intact but something told him the second one would be even more difficult.

Not bad. Keep it up. Seroc said supportively. The dragon crossed his front legs and rested his head upon them to watch the next duel.[/color]

Paito began the second wave, blocking the first few attacks fairly he ducked under a blow that was aimed at his head and raised his staff and parried a downward blow.

OOC: There seems to be a problem with the censor system

All the 'he.r' are being replaced with hims


IC:Eriel smiled. The youngster was both cool-headed and teachable.
"Brace yourself." The elleth said, then brought her stick up and in a horizontal arc, her face expressionless as Paito backpedaled. Seeing an opening, the elleth lunged in for the kill, her features visibly brightening as the younger swordsman abruptly stopped and parried.
After exchanging a few more blows, Eriel performed an uppercut aimed at his head, upon which the rider hastily ducked underneath the whistling bough.
Smiling, Eriel brought the stick down once.
Paito blocked it. As quickly as it came, the elleth spun in a circle, the corner of her eye catching an ominous figure in the distance.
Frowning, she came out of the downward swing and threw the stick at the figure.
The branch cracked on a trunk at the strength behind the throw.
"Who goes there!" Eriel shouted.

OCC: Crazydragongirl, it's your turn.

OCC: Crazydragongirl, please take your turn.

OOC: Since we're skipping her, who's turn is it?

OCC: I believe it is my turn. Gomenesigh goes next and then you.


IC:
As the Shade attacked Eriel, Seroc said to Paito Come on, let's help!

The dragon walked around them as they fought, looking for an opening to attack.

Paito drew his longsword and shouted, "Bad move, Shade!"
He stood beside Eriel and took a swing at the Shade. Not surprisingly, the attack was parried off but Paito had another trick up his sleeve. The spell was a basic one that he had learned from his spell book, but it was one he had used many times before. The spell would produce a loud bang and blinding flash of light that would temporarily disorient an enemy, but it only affected the people he wanted it to. Paito shouted the spell and a bright beam of light shot from his hand and flew toward the shade.

OOC: Should I Gm the shade away?

OCC: I'm fine with whatever you want to do.

OCC: That's fine. You could have him come back in later.

Paito placed his saddle on Seroc's back and suickly secured it in place. He place his belongings on the saddle bags and climbed onto the dragon's back.


Ready to go?, Seroc asked his rider, to which Paito simply nodded.

Seroc then said to Eriel and Saphi, I can carry you two on my back as well if you'd like. We could leave much quicker if we were flying.


OCC: Short post.

OCC: RiderEriel , it's your turn.

OOC: I know. Been busy.

IC: Eriel smiled at Seroc and climbed on.

OOC: Very short. Not too sure of what to say atm

OCC: gomenesigh, it's your turn.

OOC: Kit, you're up.

OOC: Oh yea xD

IC: Eriel nodded thoughtfully at Seroc's words as she kept her eyes fixed on the world below, half appreciating the landscape and half looking out for potential threats.

OOC: Mm Pass.

OCC: Eriel, it's your turn.

Eriel soon found herself lying down on her side by the fire. As Paito began to play music, Eriel felt herself drifting ever quicker into the trance like state.
It was only when Saphi called her back to reality did the elleth pull herself into a sitting position.

OOC: Pass post.

OCC: I don't have any ideas for the scroll really. Maybe it is something about the building or some dark secret.

IC:
Paito stopped playing the fiddle when everyone suddenly became alert.
"What is it? What does that scroll say?" he asked as he eyed the piece of parchment that Saphi was holding.


Seroc lifted his head and eyed everyone, curious as to what information the scroll contained.