Firiona Vie Everquest

Delsari came in the door carry what appeared to be a huge pile of fur. Dumping them somewhat unceremoniously on the table, and almost spilling Jetamio's water, she starts separating them, showing them to be warm cloaks for their journey North.

Rescueing her drink from the fur strewn table, Jetamio looked at the window. The sun was just coming up, the others would be here soon she hope. Stormfollower had said it would take a day to reach the pass and the druid was restless to be moving. She looked back at Delsari who had picked herself what appeared to be a cloak made from a lions pelt and swirled it around her shoulders.

Far to the north in the protected aspen grove Strormfollower emerged from the trees, the salty sea air charging his nostrils with the pheremones of the ocean. He deftly, and with great fervour began to construct the sweat lodge in the cool air of the cloudless morning. Making a round frame from reverantly harvested pine saplings, roughly large enought to acommodate four persons, he then covered the frame with the hides he had brought for that purpose. All the while an antient owl watched the shamans toil silently and sleepily from her perch high above. It was nothing she had not seen a thousand times before.
The structure he built nestled itself in the middle of the small grove of aspens who`s limbs swayed gently in the breaze. In front of the lodge, Sormfollower began to assemble a fire. Water sprinkled on hot rocks placed in a pit dug into the floor of the sweat lodge would produce a clensing steam. Once the fire was burning nicely and would tend itself for a time he set off towards the beach to find the right stones.
Stormfollower hadn`t eaten or drank anything since the day before and so chose his footsteps carefully through the dence underbrush. Dreaming well required the denial of the body and this sometimes led to the occasional reminder of body through way of a trip fall or a twig in the eye. Reaching the sea shore without incedent he streached out his arms to embrace the humbling vista for a moment. Once started on his task It only took him a few hand widths of time before he had five head sized basalt rocks wrapped in a skin.
On his way up the beach towards the aspen grove he stopped briefly to admire a mamoth and her calf as they played in the grasses of a nearby expance. How gentle these great animals were, and for all thier size they harmed nothing but the blades of grass on wich they sustained thier massive forms. Smiling he ducked under a branch and carefully began to weave his way back to the sacred grove.

Will stood slouched against the wall next to Sanjah's door, wondering not for the first time why he had even bothered to wake up on time.
With a sigh and smile the Feir'dal rapped his knuckles against the door. "Are you ready Sanjah?"

Little did the Feir`dal know that Sanjah wasn't keeping him out of her room for the sake of dressing or primping. She was running around like crazy to hide the scribbles of parchment that had his name doodled all over them with hearts.

She glanced around one more time, hoping that she hadn't missed any. She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing the stray strands away from her eyes and she took a deep breath.

She opened the door and grinned at him, hoping that he wasn't too upset for having to wait outside.

"I think I am... do you think there's anything that I might need to bring with me?"

The druid cheerfully motioned toward a backpack lying against the wall. "Well, i have all the food and so forth... other then warm furs i cant think of anything pertinent." Will personally thought he looked like a disgruntled highland poacher in his current clothing, but Storm had assured the Feir'dal he would need it.

Then sun was complelty above the horizen now, beginning its path accross the sky. Jetamio glanced at it, then sat once more, elbow on the table and chin in her hand, the other hand drumming on the table as Delsari stod silently beside her, watching the sun.

Sanjah smiled at the Feir`dal and went over to the tall wooden chest of drawers in her room. She opened up the drawer on the bottom and began digging through various robes and cloaks. She found a thick one, made of pelts of the wolves in the Vellious mountains and decided that it should be warm enough. She grabbed it and turned back to Willowen.

"Alright then, I guess we should be on our way," she said, smiling.

She was extremely nervous about the entire thing still, though she was trying to do a fairly decent job of hiding it. She still didn't quite understand what would be happening, though she supposed if Will was going to let her stay with him, she would be fine.

Upon returning to the grove Stormfollower set the five black basalt boulders in the fire. Stoking up the flames he then secured four logs as thick as his leg and the length of his forearm around the hissing rocks. It would take some time for the rocks to heat but he did not expect anyone to arrive in the grove until late afternoon.

Satisfied he had made the necessary preparations to the grove he entered the hide covered sweat lodge to make preparations inside. Just within the front flap there was small square booth sectioning off the entrance where his friends might dry themselves before exiting. He placed some woven fiber cloths across a smooth branch worked into the construction for just this purpose. A second flap pushed aside to reveal the rest of the interior. In the center of the floor a circular pit had been dug and covered in fresh green moss, a smaller pit had been dug out in the center of this. The second pit had been lined with smooth white clay and filled with the same moss. The moss in this smaller pit had also been sprinkled with some fairly fresh leaves indigenous to the southern forests that most of his friends were more familiar with. Stormfollower hoped that once the basalt rocks were placed atop the moss the faint scent of these plants mingled with the slightly mint like aroma of this type of moss would help his guests to feel more at home in this new and possibly intimidating environment. Fearing that some of them may have never ventured this far north in their lives he hoped they would be happy with his arrangements for thier comfort. Close to the outer walls six short bunks of stretched fabric were arranged and provided with small, soft, down stuffed pillows. He secured a long and thin stick to a small flap in the apex of the hide covered enclosure. He propped it open to allow for fresh sea air and more light than just the diffuse glow of the sunlight through some of the lighter hides to enter. Then he headed back outside.

The sun continued its steady graceful walk across the sky. For three full hand widths of time Stormfollower sat upon a large flat rock jutting out of the ground beside the sweat lodge and tended the fire. By this time the fires heat was well on its way to penetrating the core of the 5 boulders it held within its wind fed furnace. He would let the fire subside a bit now so that it would be a comfortable size by nightfall. He looked up. The clear sky was a good sign for a comfortable stay for his friends but it also spoke of a cool night. The owl caught his attention and he smiled.

“Lend me your eyes mother, lend me your wings, fly out and let us see how fare my brave friends in their journey northward. Allow me to see thier faces and gage thier speed. Lend to them the assurances that all is well within the grove, and that thier way is clear. Allow them to ask what needs they may have apon thier arrival "

The Owl gave her familiar smokey "Whhoot!" of approval and took silent wing southward.

The Druid was standing at the door to the in looking for any sign of the others arriving, when an unusual sight greeted her. Flying towards her was an owl, one of the nothern breeds if memory served her correctly. For some reason she turned sideways on to the bird and raised her arm, allowing the bird to land on her wrist. As talons dug into her wist for a good grip, she realised why she had always been made to wear a glove when she had learned falconry so many years ago, but now her scaled skin withstood the talons, allowing the owl to hold on without drawing blood.
She relaxed her pose slightly, bringing the bird slightly closer to her face and the owls huge eyes met hers. A tickle on her mind followed as the owl let its reason for being here known and Jetamio was surprised at the clarity. Naturally, her chosen path let her sense the feelings and intentions of animals around her, but never had she experienced such a distinct connection. She glanced at Delsari who had been watching the silent communication with curiosity, then looked back at the owl, suddenly sensing another presence within, an image of Stormfollower flashing accross her mind for a moment. She laughed.

"Well Delsari and I are ready, as for the other two, I have no idea where they are." She glanced around again, hoping they would come into view.

"Well, you hadnt forgotten your boots then i wouldnt have left my backpack in your room now would I ruthaer," laughed the Feir'dal over his shoulder in response to Sanjah's comment. "Either way we had to double back not once, not twice, but three times!" Will sighed dramaticly as they walked into the commen room from the now throughly trodden staircase. "I personaly wouldnt be suprised if we have been left to reach the grove on our own."

Sanjah merely laughed as she ran to keep up with the Feir'dal. They had been teasing each other quite mercilessly, as it seemed every time they started to head downstairs, one of them had forgotten something.

"You know, I had asked you before we left the first time if we needed anything else. Tis not my fault that you didn't think of these things until we were all the way down the hall."

As they finally reached the great room, Sanjah spotted Jetamio over by the door and she pointed.

"You see? We have not been left alone," she told Willowen before going over to get the other Drakkin's attention.

The owl hooted, turning its head at a seemingly impossible angle. Jetamio followed its gaze and saw Sanjah and Willowen. "Finally!" she exclaimed, causing Delsari to look up too and beam one of her radiant smiles at the two of them.
The druid looked back at the owl, again sensing somehow the shamans presence in its avian eyes. "We are on our way," she smiles, "go, return to him and tell him we come." With that she lifts her arm in one fluid motion, letting the bird take off and fly northwards again. Checking Delsari is with them, she turns her attention back to the other two druids.

"Let's go, or we will be late." With a nod at her golden charge, she follows Delsari out.

Sanjah grabbed a hold of Willowen's hand and grinned at him.

"Perhaps, my dearest, we should follow them out before we realize that we've forgotten yet something else!"

She giggled and tugged at the Feir'dal's arm, running out the door to catch up with the other two Drakkin.

They journey North was fairly uneventful. They had stopped for lunch just south of Halas before skirting the city and heading further into the frozen mountains until a salty scent on the air told them they were approaching the coast. The golden Drakkin did not put a foot wrong, her steady pace guiding them flawlessly. Late in the afternoon she found the path in the woodlands leading to the aspen grove and led them down it.

The sun was just starting to dip below the treeline as they emerged into the grove and approached the hut. Delsari stopped, and glanced over her shoulder with her peircing eyes at Jetamio. Stepping alongside her daughter, Jetamio called out.

"Storm?"

The firelight threw its mischieviouse light across the brown hide door flap as it opened. Naked, but for a breach clout (only for the benefit of his more modest friends) stood Stormfollower, sweat pouring down his hair and face, soaking his suprisingly muscular torso. The refreshing sent of mint and pine mixed and wafted out towards his companions. A broad smile etched his eyes with deep laugh lines, a testament to his easy mirth.
"Welcome my friends! I trust your journey was pleasant. Come lay your clothes across the log near the fire, that they be warm and dry for your return to them. Inside the steam is as hot as it will get and I will open the vent flap to regulate it to our mutual comfort. Let us begin our journey to the realm of our dreams, the spirits have gathered and wait to instruct. Above-Old-Man and Mother Ocean shall watch over our bodies, Wolfdreamer and Mammoth Above shall keep us safe in the other realm"
Still smiling wide Stormfollower held the flap open and gestured for his companions to enter the dimly lit and steamy space within. Far off in the distance a whale blew and the pillar of water that fountained up could be heard to patter down apon the sea. A faint breeze wafted in from the nothern sea carrying a scent of salt, drying kelp, fish and ferns. A huge condor flew over the eastern crown of the groves small clearing, its massive wings blotting the first few stars as it soared away.