A Mountainside Sunset

[Liqcrys]

The waters of the South Helix appeared a thin strip of flashing gray from this distance. Her sharp eyes could pick out small specks drifting above the river. She knew that were she closer she would see the 9ft wingspan of the eagles that snatched fish out of the water. From this distance they were as small as gnats, darting suddenly into the water in the last fading light of day.

Jenn stared outward from the cave mouth. Her grey eyes were reddened, as if she had been crying.The sunset painted the western sky with swirls of orange, pink, and red. The sun moves more north every day. Winter will be here quickly. We will need to leave this place soon. She stood in the cave mouth with her cloak wrapped tight around her body. She had left her armor and weapons in the cave below and come to watch the day's final lights in solitude. In the sunset's glow her relaxed state allowed her radiant beauty to be apparent. Normally she maintained her warrior's attitude and stance, distracting the viewer's eye from her natural beauty. Something in her had changed for the moment. She pulled the cloak closer as the wind blew strong against the mountainside.

She looked to the west, scanning southwards across the land towards the Three Sisters.  The view from the top of the mountain was beautiful, but only in the general sense. The trees hid many unknown dangers. She thought of the red dragon and her kin. Not many stories about red dragons being a forgiving lot. She'll want revenge once she heals, and knows exactly where we are. Most like she'll come with these sisters we've been hearing about. We'll need to be ready for her.

Jenn had left her companions below in the shelter shrine. Maru and The Oracle seemed to have some sort of history, and when Jenn had left he had been stoically withstanding her increasingly explicit flirtations over the remnants of the evening meal. Noticed he didn't use his little spice pouch.The elves appeared to have entered their meditations for the eve and the dwarf was tending to his arms and armor. Beautiful stuff that. And I think they felt the ground tremble in Brix when he hit that bitch dragon. She was still unsure of Baern, but his role in the dragon-fight left little question about his usefulness. He would be invaluable should they have to fight their way to the tome. Hope we won't have to worry about that to much. But how we'll deal with the goblin clans on the way through the Chalk Hills will make a big difference. There were many worries, but she tried to put them aside. She sat down in the cave mouth, watching the day's final light.

[MaruChan]

Focus.  That's all Maru needed to do, but he found it very difficult recently... so many things were happening and so quickly.  Maru was never very good at attempting multiple tasks at the same time.  His reason for not being good at handling multiple tasks was that he didnt really enjoy it, he felt that splitting is focus among multiple tasks was half hearted and he was never pleased with himself when he did anything like that.  Focus on what you want, pour your entire being into the task at hand and you can never be disappointed in yourself at the outcome.  It might have been his imagination but it always seemed that when he was totally focused his fires burned a little brighter, meals were just a little tastier, and hunts were lot smoother.

There was just so much going on, assassins after Shuiske, and Saito was even propositioned to slay him... Saitos clan must not know him... offering him a fancy sword as payment? Pfft!  Saito would never take that offering, even though the warrior did make it seem that the sword was a big deal.  Maru tried to get them to understand that a weapon is just a tool, nothing more.  Yes, Maru's axe made battle easier, but he could use any axe just as well.  In fact the axe was even named, The Axe of Wolfsboro, like it was something more than what it was.  There is much error in placing power in an object and not in the heart of its wielder.

The Skinwalker was another issue, an issue the needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.  Her attacks on his mind were relentless and he felt drained, even after a full nights rest.  He had bathed in the holy waters and it restored him, but that was only temporary.  Maru would go to Shuiske in the morning and ask him for one of his concentration candles, that would allow him to keep the other him out, the wolf within... hopefully that would be enough to keep the Hag away.

Thinking back on it, half measures are what got Maru in this situation... not being able to kill the Hag long ago is why he is struggling now... not disposing of that tome when it was in their possession is why he must go after it again, not being able to kill the red dragon, will most likely come back to haunt him as well... as for the Naga curse?  well having an unlimited supply of snake skin and meat is kinda nice so no complaints there.  Still, Maru needed to focus his mind to accomplish his tasks... Hag, then Tome, then Mace... Focus