Colin's posts

"...." Adym was silent at first.

"No." he said, approaching her. "It shouldn't be." he told her, handing her one of the large mushrooms.

"This is abnormally dark for this forest." he confirmed. "Meaning something is SERIOUSLY wrong in here." he continued, shaking his head slightly and looking at their surroundings.

"...but we can't let that stop us." he said.

"We need to keep pushing forward." he reasoned, as the thunder got louder, and they started to hear rain outside the forest.

"...and quickly. We don't want to get drenched when the rain eventually trickles down to the floor here."

Once there were under the protection of the canopy above, Adym paused, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

He looked calm, but suddenly looked... disturbed... for a moment. Like he was having... difficulties?

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"...I'm having trouble communicating with the forest." he admitted. "It's almost like... hm... how to put this..." he then mumbled, before snapping his fingers. "Like trying to talk to someone over the phone, but it's static-y." he said, using a simile she would understand very quickly.

"However, I DID get a somewhat general idea as to the direction we should go." he then assured her.

"This way." he said, walking further in, but then stopping and placing a hand on a nearby large rock, causing a pair of large blue bio-luminescent mushrooms to grow.

"We'll need light." he reasoned, picking the fungi.

"I don't.......... think so." Adym replied.

"There wasn't the last time I was there. But... that WAS a while ago." he admitted with a sigh.

"I think there might be a few... well, sabre-wolves in there, but... they generally don't attack elves." he told her. [b}"And since you'll be with me, you should be safe as well."[/b] he assured her.

And that was when they heard a crash of thunder in the distance, as the clouds grew darker and darker.

Adym let out a few more elven curses, as they picked up the pace.

"At least this didn't start up while we were on the road."

Adym looked around for a moment, and then sighed.

"Yes, and no." he said.

"See... it's strange. But it's how the forest is enchanted." he told her.

"If you need a place to rest and be safe, and the forest 'senses' that you do not mean it harm, then you won't find the cabin... the cabin will find YOU." he explained to her. "...as much as that doesn't make sense." he mumbled.

"That being said, I should be able to use my connection to the forest to home in on it." he then assured her.

"So even if I don't know where it is, I'll be able to get a general direction."

Adym watched as she started to make her way towards the cliffside, before something came to mind.

"Wait!" he called out.

"There's a cabin in the woods!" he remembered.

"It should be more than adequate enough, and it'll be more comfortable!" he said further.

He was glad he'd remembered that.

If they were heading to the cliff, they weren't heading to the forest.

And he didn't like that thought.

Adym paused for a moment, glancing upwards.

He muttered a curse in elven, before shaking his head.

"Plenty of caves in the forest." he told her. "We should be able to find one and hole up in it if things get really bad." he said further, as his pace quickened a little bit.

"Let's try to put as much distance behind us as we can before it starts up." he continued.

"At least get into the forest. It should prove us SOME shelter."

"I'm sure you will be." Adym responded.

They walked down the road for a bit, before turning off and walking through the grass, towards the forest in the distance. As they walked, Callie noticed that it was starting to get a little dark, and while that was partly because of the hour, it was mainly because of the clouds that were starting to roll in.

Dark clouds.

Adym continued to push forward, though, either ignoring them or not noticing them.

"We're almost there." he told her.

"Once we enter the forest, we'll be close."

"I see." Adym replied.

"Maybe we'll find out as we travel." he told her. "Hopefully we will." he added.

They then spent a short amount of time buying supplies (as well as packs to carry them in), and were soon on their way, stepping to the outskirts of town, and down the dusty dirt road.

"..." Adym was silent, before sighing quietly as they walked.

"I wonder what's going on." he mumbled.

"I certainly hope whatever it is... we can help."

Adym just nodded and smiled.

"Well, he was very wise." he said.

"...and kind as well, from my vague memory." he went on, before pausing suddenly, remembering the sadness that had been in Callie's tone when she had mentioned the man earlier.

It was unknown what had happened to her father specifically, but it was widely believed that he was dead. Many claimed to have seen him fall before their very eyes, so it was hard to argue with the accepted story.

"A-anyway." he stammered.

"I don't mean to dwell on sore spots of conversation. Sorry." he apologised.

Adym scratched his chin once more, and looked outside.

"Indeed." he said.

"It's early enough that if we decide to go tomorrow, we'll feel like we're wasting time, but late enough that we'll need to make haste to get distance behind us before it gets dark." he agreed.

"On the way, we'll grab things in the market alley. Specifically, some supplies like food and water... and footwear, if you think you need." he told her as they exited the house once more.

"I'm not sure if your current shoes will do, or if you think you need something... hardier."

Adym merely nodded in response, before they said their goodbyes to the assistant, and made their way back to Adym's house, where he gathered a few things that he had that would be useful or needed... some food and flasks and such... before giving the place a once-over, and grabbing the tael he had. It wasn't an exorbitant amount or anything, but it would get them what they needed, that they didn't have.

"...wonder what she meant..." he mumbled.

"An old friend? Information?" he wondered aloud.

"As cryptic as the prophecy." he sighed.

He then looked at Callie, and nodded.

"Anything you need to do here before we go? Any needs to take care of or anything? Or anything you want to ask if I have to bring with you?"

Adym just sighed in response.

"I do not expect any repayment." he told her.

"Though your offer is generous." he said. "I shall not refuse it." he continued.

"I have a fair amount of tael, enough so we can be properly prepared." he went on.

"And I'll need to make arrangements for my house before we go." he said further.

"...make sure things are... taken care of, animal-wise." he specified.

"Because... well, I can make it so the plants don't need tending to, and will remain healthy."

"......." Adym was silent upon hearing that.

"Well, then." he said.

"When I agreed to finally do something, I never expected it to be easy." he commented. "And something that helps us in the long term, no matter how nebulous it might be, is always preferable to something that helps in the narrow short-term." he reasoned.

"So. We're preparing to hike." he told Callie.

"...if that's all right with you." he then added.

"I have money to purchase supplies that we'll need for the journey." he assured her.

Adym was... surprised and impressed that Callie was adapting so quickly to these new changes information and direction, but he didn't really say anything, before looking to the assistant.

"Thank you." he said.

He then was about to leave, before pausing.

"Ah, right." he muttered. "Before we head back to my home to prepare for this trek..." he continued, looking back to the assistant.

"Did the Seer mention anything else?" he asked.

"Or did she merely leave the note for us?"