OoC//

Hello! I'd love to join this RP as well, if you'll have me! I'll be bringing in a human male! Here is his skelly, if it will help you decide.

Name: Lorcan Al'Shineran Age:45 Race: Human Appearance: Lorcan stands at 5'10, and weighs in at a mean, lean, muscular 175 pounds. What once was mousey brown hair is now more grey than anything. The aide of his head is shaved to the skin, and high. But the hair on top of his head was long, deadlocked and braided, shoulder length. He had only his right, soul-piercing blue eye, the left one forever closed by an old war injury. Chest length greying bead adorned his chin, and it was tied together by several bands, like a chin pony tail. With wrinkles around his eyes, and the grey in his hair he was beginning to look his age, but don't let that fool you. He wears an outfit traditionally found in his Homeland of Eire, a tan ghille shirt, with a kilt, dark green, green and yellow stripes made up the tartan, the markings of his family. On top of that was a medium weight chest piece, dented and gouges from years of wear, complete with shoulder covers. Shin guards covered the black, steel rimmed riding boots he wore. It was a light get up, providing the perfect amount of protection, and even better mobility. More about the gear he travels with will be revealed in the RP.

Personality: A quick wit, inability to not be sarcastic, and prone to bouts of barbaric violence make up Lorcan. Quick to laugh, even quicker to run you through if need be, Lorcan sticks with friends, and quickly kills his enemies. Watch your food and your ale around him, both will disappear if not consumed quick enough.

History: Lorcan is a farmer when he is at home, when the harvest and money is good. But when he has to leave, he is an adventurer. Dungeon diver, spear for hire, bartender, whatever. If the money is good, he does it. Years prior he had fought in a civil war for a nation that wasn't even his, and had lost his eye protecting civilians from the antagonizing guards, only to escape after the fight was over, with no goodbyes to friends he made.

The harvest has once again been ruined by the Mountain Raiders, and the money is hard to come by in Eire, so out he sets, sending what gold he can back to his family!

-d-

Alabaster eyes would slowly lift as she stared at the two men with pursed lips. She could see one of them tremble at they would haphazardly glance at her companion every few seconds, weary as if to think the large cat would attack him. The squabbling cry of ravens would ring through the air suddenly as if one or even several had been startled by an unknown entity. Morgäna blinked as she only turned a moment to see a flock set off into the heavens as they scattered from their nests. However, one had strayed amongst the scatter. She couldn't quite tell where it had landed aside from deeper into the forested area. Brows would raise, however her expression remained stoic. The temptation to just fly over the walls in Wyvern form tugged at her nerves – however she knew better than the reveal that form since the War. She'd only returned to Artainis under an alias and opening her own clinic within the town, which she also kept shelter. It wasn't long before one of the guards had finally given in after the persistent standing and ominous glower of the scarred white tiger. All she wanted was a quick clean and to clean the blood and afterbirth stains from previous work. “Be safe out there, Miss.” one of the guards called out to her apologetically, despite being ignored. Tiger not far behind, now with her lantern within his jowls. Envy would squeal with amiable euphoria as if pleased to be within the clutches of the large cat.

“How petty.” she muttered callously beneath her breath, regarding the guards incompetence. Tired and worn from a days worth of work, two or three if taking into account of having to accommodate to two new mothers with no midwife when their contractions had started long before sunrise the previous day. Morgäna had worked predominately with those who were unable to afford a hefty hospital bill, sometimes rarely charging families for her work. This may of shorted her on occasion with tax and food, however, despite coming off as a rather cold, brooding woman – the elderly especially would pass word of appreciation. She gathered her own plants and herbs for medicinal purposes some nights after her wash. Tonight wouldn't be one of those nights – her priority was to simply bathe and tend to her laundry. Envy returned to pale fingers as the duo would trek through the woods. Rounded ears would rotate upon the tigers crown as he listened attentively. Whiskers quivered capturing sound and movement. Evening cicadas trilled in harmony with the evening avian, bell crickets would chime in with every fifth note of chirping.

It was the sound of a stick groaning in a splitting crack had caused both of them to cease their step. Small amethyst gem tied loosely around her neck in black horse-hair string would spark without command. She'd been startled, she was only able to contain little of her magic. Startled or angered – she had little ot no control all, this had often led to problems Hackles rose upon the tigers nape, striped tail twitching from side to side as he turned quickly, nostrils flaring as he searched for the intruders scent. Lowly growl would rumble from his throat like the sound of thunder miles away of a summer storm. Had she been followed and neither of them able to notice? No – of course not. The guards would have said something, would they not? She was a shifter and those two were clearly human. Bitter sigh tastelessly slipped from pale lips. A thief? Perhaps. Crime was heightened at night, despite the heavy patrol Artanis had. “Theft will have you lynched.” She cooed listlessly with a cool, hushed hum.

OOC Welcome aboard c: !

Vallyn's back stiffened as she heard the crack of a branch. She had spent enough time in the woods to know that a sound like that was caused by human weight, not animal. She relaxed her muscles slightly, trying to pretend like she didn't hear anything. With a subtle wave of her hand, she cloaked her form in shadow and disappeared from view.

Slowly, she crept around the trees, watching this new person with wary interest. He certainly looked dangerous to her, but he didn't... feel dangerous. Still, she brought forth her bow as a precaution and readied an arrow. Vallyn stepped quickly to position herself a safe distance behind this strange man. She drew back her bow, the arrow ready to fire at any sign of aggression, and she dropped her shadow camoflague.

"What are you doing?" She asked, voice strong and stern with a facial expression to match.

In the distance, she could hear another person approaching, but she would have to deal with that later. She hoped it wasn't the woman with the tiger again, but the sound of a woman's voice seemed to indicate her fears were likely to come true.

With a frustration, Orion let out a sigh. /this is just great/ he thought. Slowly he turned around to face the Raven Woman, his hands out to the sides to show he was unarmed. He didn't speak, fearing he would say the wrong thing and end up having to kill the woman. He simply gazed at her with his piercing white irises from behind a veil of black hair, trying his best to appear as far from dangerous as possible. If he was careful, he could get away without a scratch.

He twitched his left hand, creating a small gust of wind that knocked the woman's aim away and hopefully caused her arrow to release. He didn't have time to see if it did because the moment he was out of the line of fire, he darted away, using air currents to carry him with high speed. He passed by a ghostly girl, but didn't account for a large cat. He stumbled and began to lose control, so he released his air current, front-flipped over the animal, and -skidding across the forest floor to slow down- slammed back first into a tree. He swore he heard something in his back crack. His suspicion was confirmed upon a feeling like daggers slicing through his rib cage. He cringed and gripped his torso as he let out an almost canine yelp. /just keeps getting better./ he thought As he picked himself up.

When he got a good look at the woman next to the accursed feline, he almost forgot about his cracked rib. She held a kind of broken beauty in the way she carried herself that he felt he could relate to. Then he took a breath and the daggers shot through him again, followed by another yelp. He cursed under his breath, and turned away to make his way toward the nearby town. He would have to find a way to get money so he could be seen by a doctor now. "Excuse me." He requested as he began to move away from the ghostly beauty before him.

[I]'These damned places were always full of the undead, fanatical cultists and booby traps. Always!'[/i] Lorcan thought, as he sprinted down a long, narrow passage. Every step he took activated some booby trap, where a dozen spikes shot out of the wall, narrowly missing him. Above him he could hear the howls and angry chanting of the aforementioned undead and fanatical cultists.

The clinking and clanking of trinkets, gems and treasures could be heard as he ran, which was the total reason why he was being chased to begin with, having stole the religious artifacta that meant nothing to anyone else except those worshiping it anymore right from under their ugly noses.

He could see the mouth of the cave, his exit. The moonlight streaming in pushed him harder, until the moonlight disappeared.

He skidded to a halt as a big brute filled the doorway. [B]"YOU CANNOT HAVE THE SCROLL! YOU CANNOT TAKE THE TABLETS! YOU WILL DIE OUTSIDER!"[/B] The club wielding giant shouted, swinging the massive half-tree in his direction. Lorcan quickly sidestepped, dropping the bag that had the items in it, spinning away from the hulking manbeast, reaching for his weapon and shield.

Off his back he pulled a spear, which was about 7 and a half foot long, accounting the shaft at 6 feet, and the long blade at a foot and a half. It was some elite knight's weapon some centuries before, made for piercing dragon's scales. It had a silver shaft, with ornate silver wings as crosslugs. Heavy and unweildy to most, he was a professional with it, with its long reach and long blade, you could poke someone with it, or, with sweeping slashes, damn near cut a man in half

His shield was made of steel, and was shaped like the traditional knight's, but it was longer than most, and the edge was sharpened to a fine blade. So along with blocking, he could jab with the shield, piercing armor with ease.

He smirked at the hulk, readying to fight. [I]"Unfortunately, ya big, lumbering oaf, I'll be getting out of here shortly!"[/i] His highland accent severely butchering his words. The brute charged once again, trying to bring the club down on lorcan's head, but Lorcan sidestepped again, jabbing with the shield, cutting deep into the behemoth's side. The thing screamed, and Lorcan braced hard,stepping around the man and pulling the shield with him, eviscerating him. [I]"Easiest giant I've ever fought."[/i] Lorcan said, stepping over the bellowing, bleeding beast. He grabbed his bag and proceeded to sprint from the cave, the rest of his pursuers stopping at the mouth. He turned around and shouted "Thanks for the loot, ya poor saps!" before turning towards the trail he took to get here. There were lights nearby, a few miles south of him. He pulled the pack up higher on his shoulder, putting the spear back in its sling, and the shield on his hip, he whistled as he walked, the cool night air was nice, felt good after all that running.

OoC// Feel free to intercept as you see fit

The small woman peered over the top of a roof, her hazel eyes scanning for an open window or a door left slightly ajar. She was crouched in shadows, hiding her slim form. Screams and bellows from the forest nearly caused her to lose her grip and her perch. "The hell wassat?" she whispered, the forest was usually quiet and only filled with animals sounds at this time of night. Sliding down the roof she leaped into a nearby tree before stripping. Her eyes flicking everywhere to make sure nobody was watching the view. Storing her clothes between two of the larger branches of the tree she shifted into the shape of a large tabby cat. Nobody would pay attention to a scruffy cat wandering through town. Rather than wander the streets Leeda traveled over roofs and through the few trees that were allowed to grown inside of the town's gates. Reaching the city wall she calculated the jump carefully, it would be a long way down if she missed her target. "Hpmh" she exhaled as she jumped onto the wall. Her claws scratched the sides, scrabbling to get onto solid ground. The shifter had barely made it. With her heart racing she trotted towards where the sounds were, only to see what was ruining her night of thieving. She would not travel into the forest unless she absolutely had to.

Cat eyes spotted a man, a rather large one, carrying what seemed to be treasures through the forest towards town. "Hmm, if he comes here I may have to investigate this man. Best not get caught though." she thought happily to herself, curling her tail around her white-tipped paws. The man was far off into the distance, so all she could do was hope.

ooc/ I get the feeling I may have to wait awhile before I post next, everybody is in the forest.

Nature breath tugged leaves as if to jostle the branches that adorned the trees as evening skies remained painted in rich navy. Stray clouds would drift carelessly, few birds remained in the skies. The duo would venture further, though ceased in their place watching a man frozen in his place, his partially hidden face pale as a ghost as if he'd just seen the dead rise. Before him a few kilometers away stood a woman with her arrow ready to strike. Hapless sigh exhaled from her nostrils – questioning if she should have just stayed home and go out another day? This wasn't exactly how she planned her evening. All she wanted was a warm bath to relax, was that really too much to ask for? Morgäna did take consideration to simply walk away from the scene and let these two battle it out with one another, however the man had made a slight gesture with his hand, wind current seemed strong enough to pull him away and deter him from the opposing archer's quiver. She wasn't able to determine if the woman would strike or not from the distance she stood. Nameless tiger would turn his gaze towards Morgäna, whom was quietly accessing the event taking place. Her expression never changed, even with the gymnast flip and slamming into the tree, four feet away. The woman was certain that he'd just cracked a rib or two. Her shoulders dropped, giving up her desire to bathe. Wishful thinking, silly little monster. she mused to herself.

“The both of you will have the Night watch out here if this continues.” she sighed, tapping the top of her tigers head with direction. Large paws would move, to intervene the stranger man as he tried to leave. Harmless growl would rumble from his throat, standing his ground. Long striped swayed from left to right for balance. Morgäna kept the hood over her head, lifting pyrite lantern and extending it out for light. White flame would dance with musing game as it gave off a soft laminating light. Alabaster eyes studied the woman briefly, envying her red hair. “Neither of you are from here.” she pointed out, her tone of voice seemed rather disinterested, if anything slightly annoyed. Two strangers fighting outside Artanis walls would certainly raise red flags and suspicion. The tiger sitting with a hard glower towards the man. Rounded ears twitched listening to Morgäna, however attention remaining on the stranger. His plotted pink and black nose twitched of cinder? Capturing his sense of scent. He would dismiss it glancing at the lantern.

Morgäna could only assume the woman seemed relatively harmless though defensive and on guard. She would then turn her attention towards the wounded man, approaching him, pale fingers brushed into her tigers temple. “Hold on.” she wasn't sure if he'd try to continue on, though would attempt to stop him, given the condition he was in. Pale lips pressed together as her expression hardened. If he allowed, Morgäna would approach, invading personal space to get a better look at him. “You're wounded.” Nickel stained eyes would search him up and down, small frown tugged at her lips noting that there was some kind of swelling exposed beneath what she would assume to be his left eye. “Is your eye infected?” she huffed, never having the intention of working later than she already had. “I have a clinic in town – ...” she glanced back to the red-headed woman, questioning if she too needed tending to. Mentally, Morgäna was kicking herself, she should have just left these two be and continue on about her evening. However she'd been interrupted just as she parted her lips to speak by the sound of cacophonous shouting ringing through the trees. Brows furrowed as she pulled away from the man, tugging her hood further over her face out of habitual caution. What else could happen to beckon the nightwatch to patrol the forest this eve?

ooc/ Thanks, I'll keep up with the posts!

Ignatius - Shifter

Ignatius had arrived to town early that morning. He'd traveled by naval ship paid for by the King himself. He'd insisted on traveling this way, but Ignatius would have much preferred to travel via merchant ship. It was less conspicuous and he wouldn't leave a navy ship sitting out on the docks, but the King had insisted and he couldn't refuse. He was his consort after all. His job was to bend his will in his hands, so he would do just that as best he could.

He arrived in Artanis to find a bustling city. The markets were filled with patrons and vendors selling whatever people would buy. He especially enjoyed the fried meats and cheeses he'd chosen to purchase. The people were taken aback by his appearance, but he didn't seem to notice. Many of them would stop and stare confused by his unusual coloring. He figured there weren't a lot of black folk among them. Ignatius was from an island after all. All his people were of color, so he wasn't used to seeing white folk, but he figured it would be rude to stare. Yet, his gaze lingered on the people taking in their appearances curious about this culture.

The King had sent him to the mainland to look for land to conquer. He'd heard about a recent war in Artanis and decided that was a good place to start. Especially if there wasn't a ruling body. Ignatius had come to Artanis to make that decision. If so, he would send word back to his homeland and armies would be sent to take over management of the land.

So Ignatius spent the day wandering the city, eavesdropping on conversations between people. He stopped in at different taverns listening to gossip from bartenders and drunkards. He lingered at the gates to the castle eyeing the guards and watching the castle itself. It didn't appear to be occupied, but there were still guards wandering about. That didn't make sense? He needed to get into that building if he was going to discover the truth. He would have to wait until nightfall to break into the castle.

Ignatius spent the rest of the day exploring the city. He identified several hospitals, bookstores, dozens of leather shops, a few blacksmiths. The town was a bustling place filled with a lot of interesting people. He found himself a hostel to hole up in until night fell as well. He'd enjoyed a hearty meal and drank with several other patrons learning as much as he could about the town he was in. He learned that the war had torn the city apart and they were in the process of rebuilding. He'd noticed portions of the town were nothing but rubble, so that made sense. He also learned that the family who once ruled this land was missing. They hadn't had a ruling body since.

This was very good information.

Ignatius found it all very useful and would send word as soon as he cleared the castle of any ruling party. Night fell and Ignatius found himself outside once again. The streets were deserted, but that didn't meant there weren't other guards wandering about. He heard there was a curfew, so he didn't want to get caught being out at night. He kept his hood pulled tight to his face careful to keep his eyes covered as they stood out in the darkness. He made his way toward the palace excited to find out what was inside.

(( i'll post for Auberon tomorrow. :] ))

[ not to nitpick, but in my character sheet, I described a black, cloth headband covering the afflicted eye. She wouldn't have seen it or its discoloration. Being a medical professional myself (Navy Hospital Corpsman), however, I would say it would make sense that she would notice redness and swelling probably leading to the lower portion of his left face, so I'll let it go this time. Just keep it in mind for next time c: there were a lot of character sheets to read too, so I don't blame you to be honest! ]

OOC Ah! My bad!!! I will make an edit to my post to fix that <3 My apologies!

Edit I made the fix. I did read through your CS I just wasn't paying attention to myself >u< I'll try to pay close attention further on ;u;

Are you kidding me? She paused to lean on a nearby tree and rubbed her temples with shaky hands. Why did I leave the lamp at home again? Oh, that's right! Because I was supposed to get back before the sunlight vanished! Athena chastised her desire to stay at the hot spring for a prolonged period of time. The trek back to the village had proved to be more difficult than she had anticipated and had left her stumbling in the dark, grabbing at passing trees and shrubbery as she attempted to find her way. "I should really just call it quits and hang out here until morning." She whispered to the shadows as she closed her eyes and took in the sounds of the forest. She had become increasingly anxious with every step into the dark. Taking a deep breath she took in the sounds of the forest to try and calm her fast beating heart. Athena didn't particularly enjoy being out in the forest once it was dark, but something about the soft rhythmic music of the crickets and the rustling of the wind moving through the trees kept her from going over the edge.

Surprisingly enough, tonight she heard more than the normal music of the forest; In the distance she could hear a commotion. Athena’s eyes snapped open, Humans? She didn't know who in their right mind would be out of the town past curfew, but she didn't care. Athena was desperate to be in the safety of the light, and when she squinted, she could see a steady hum of light in the near distance. Being in the dark had taken its toll on her nerves, she broke into a crazed run, her black hair whipping behind her as her back banged against her back. Boots stomping noisily on the ground, she focused her sights on the increasingly growing light.

Athena skidded to a halt near a smal cluster of shrubs, pronouncing loudly, “Do you guys know how to-” She stopped mid sentence as she assessed the scene in front of her. Her eyes flicked quickly to a woman holding a cocked bow, and then to a man who at first glance seemed to be trying to get away, but upon further studying it was clear that he was wounded. But it was the hooded women who drew most of her attention; a ghostly woman who seemed to be shadowed by the largest, and frankly the only, tiger Athena had ever laid her eyes on. There was a lingering animal scent in the air, something muskier than the tiger. These people weren’t human. Her face molded to one of terror, and curiosity. “Shifters..”

Vallyn huffed indignantly as her bow was effortlessly swatted out of aim by the man's wind magic. Her arrow let loose, wedging itself directly into the dirt. She'd never dealt with someone who could do that before, and it made her a little uneasy. She was thankful that he didn't seem to want to fight because, with magic like that, her ranged attacks would do nothing. She sighed, plucking her arrow from the ground and checking for damage. It seemed alright to use again some other time, so she slipped it back into the quiver and shouldered her bow once more.

She probably would have laughed at the stranger's misfortune involving the tree if it hadn't been for the fact that the situation also involved that tiger. Her eyes widened and she let out a tiny gasp before she quickly jumped up to clutch a nearby tree branch. She hoisted herself up into the foliage to create distance between her and the cat. She perched herself on the limb, looking quite reminiscent of her other, more avian, form. The height advantage gave her a bit of reprieve from her fears, although, she thought, perhaps it shouldn't because tigers can climb.

"Pshh, the night watch," Vallyn scoffed, trying to retain her tough facade despite her obvious display of fear just moments ago. "Wouldn't bother me."

She cocked her head to stare at the other newcomer, a girl who came running up out of the trees across the way. Vallyn rolled her eyes; she really didn't need more people showing up. It had been awhile since she'd had so much company. She wasn't sure if she liked it. In most cases, she would have just left the scene, but she felt compelled to stay here to make sure that the man was okay. After all, they had startled each other and it was almost, sort of, maybe her fault he went careening into a tree. She would never admit her partial guilt, of course, but she felt it nonetheless. Despite her years as an assassin, she hadn't become completely heartless yet.

The sudden block in his path startled Orion enough that he felt his blood rush and the red gather in his eyes, but he stifled it. Changing in front of these people would surely prove more troublesome than he intended, especially since the ghost woman turned out to be exactly what he needed. He scowled at the cat, then turned to the woman, softening his expression. Despite not knowing him in the slightest, she was offering to give him aid. He would simply have to hide his shifting from her, although her appearance did insinuate that she would be one to actually accept him... No, he had let himself trust once before and for that the abbey had shunned him. He would get treated, pay her somehow, and leave. That was the best course of action.

"I can't pay you, but..." He couldn't believe he was doing this, "I can offer service in return." It didn't feel right taking from her and giving nothing back. He hoped he wouldn't have to stay too long, although she was beautiful, and that small part of him /wanted/ to stay by her side. She had a similar look about her to himself. He pale skin told a story not unlike the one his own did. There was familiarity to her. Once again he pulled his wondering mind back. He had not felt ties to another person since the abbey, so his emotions were conflicting his logic. He had to stay on task.

It's hard for a dog not to want a master, though, and he was indeed a lonely dog.

It seemed that the Raven had received his message, so his attention shifted to yet another newcomer. He had to expand his focus off of the ghostly angel before him or risk further infatuation. By the scent it was a human woman. This woman seemed to be the closest thing to ordinary between all of them, although something wasn't right. The plant life around her was giving off an aroma that usually came off when a forest fire was closing in. This smell was centralized around the girl. Curious.

Suddenly he picked up another scent. He figured the cat would catch it at the same time. It was the smell of oil and wood being set aflame. "Torches." He said, turning his exposed eye toward the direction of town, "They're already on their way." To add on to that problem the sounds of another commotion had been echoing before from another direction. This was going to a long night for Orion. He was already starting to feel his anxiety unhinge the wolf. His exposed eye tinted ever so slightly with a pale, red hue.

[ good to see you, brother!]

Alabaster eyes would keep the red-headed woman upon hearing a defiant huff escaping her breath. Morgäna's chin would lift as her head tilted quietly to the left, making note that the woman seemed only aggravated by the mans' usage of magic to detour her arrow. There was mention also upon Morgäna's note of the night watch potentially taking caution and investigating the forest since it was long past curfew for the town and the woman would only scoff in hubris retort once she'd scrambled to the nearest branch. Puzzled by the mix of emotion from fear to pride and uncertainty: it hadn't quite clicked with Morgäna that her tiger companion would come off as a threat to some, even for shifters. Nameless cat would return to the woman's side, her lantern within his jowls as Envy would continue to shine its white flame, illuminating a soft welcoming glow, teased by the suddenness of a crowd though amiable as ever.

Just as Morgäna would return her attention to the injured man; another voice chimed with question before trailing off as if silenced by an unknown entity. White eyes would lift to see the tall, young woman, her dark hair damp assuming from a wash in the springs. Envying her caramel skin Morgäna sighed at this: also coveting the woman for such leisure. The woman seemed almost terrified to continue with her question as if she just stumbled into a situation without intending to. “You must be the fire dancer my patients often praise of.” There was an air of cinder and smoke that drifted about this woman. The shifter woman had often been told of a performer in the streets though was hardly away from her clinic during the day and her nights were spent cleaning with maybe a quick wash in the springs if she was lucky. This was only an assumption – as she made note of barely keeping up to date with the latest news even with the light banter of those she treated.

This was a crowd quickly growing and would only cause further trouble if the Night Watch did manage to stumble upon them. It would be even concerning to return with more than herself and her tiger at her side with a group. She turned her attention back to the man, he had mentioned payment or servitude; the hooded woman was quick to decline. “No.” she would hum in lofty simplistic coo. “There is no debt needed.” Her expression remained as cold and stoic as ever, averting her gaze towards her tiger. “The guards are north east from here.” he uttered what would sound of lowly growling to human ears. Morgäna nodded as she glanced a the two strangers and the one towns-member. The man mentioned torches alight – she too capturing the heavy stench of oil. She could hear the mumbling of a few men off in the distance. Complaining of the late hour and the mention of wasted time.

Envy light dimmed to lessen the chances of capture, Morgäna place her fingers upon the ridge of nose, with a flustered sigh. This wasn't exactly how she had intended to spend her night. Not with a group of strangers. Shifter or human, she'd prefer to be left alone to brood. “Stay calm.” she ushered the man, retrieving her hand to his shoulder, an awkward way to offer assurance she thought, knowing she wasn't the best at it. However, there was no need to further anymore damage. The guards were relatively harmless – however set in stone with the laws given Artanis was overall a peaceful place, just in the works of rebuilding and replenishment despite the tension between human and shifters. “I need to get this man to my clinic.” she crossed her arms beneath her breast once more, looking to either woman now. She wasn't exactly sure what to tell them let alone what it is they wanted in return. “The gates are east from here, if that is your destination, you can evade the guards if you keep to the shadows.” she was all too familiar with out-smarting them So much for a decent bath tonight.

“Can you walk?” she then returned to Orion with question.

She ran her thin fingers through the damp hair that had begun to cling to the nape of her neck, only to pull the strands up out of her face and tie them into a loose bun as her nerves calmed; Through the dim light she could see the the raven-women perch herself onto a tree branch higher up, seemingly wary of the big cat. Athena stared at her in awe, despite her initial mistrust, she was envious of the freedom that must come with this ability. Mother Nature was truly something fantastic to have thought these creatures into existence. Regrettably, she dragged her eyes away from the shifter and focused her attention on the paler woman.

She seemed uncomfortable to be around others, and Athena noticed that this women kept tugging at her hooded cloak to cover her face and amethyst colored locks. Although she couldn't understand why someone with such beautiful features would want to hide herself away, and this piqued her interest. In fact, this woman looked oddly familiar. She couldn't place her finger on where she had seen her before, but something about the color of her hair had her staring for longer than should have been deemed polite. It took her a few minutes to realize that she had been spoken to. Athena tossed her head back and laughed, a deep, hearty sound that resonated through the night, “So you've heard of me? Didn't know I had much of a good reputation.” She grinned sheepishly, embarrassed.

Her genial attitude quickly shifted to one of surprise when she heard the bellowing laughter and footsteps of the approaching Nights Watch. Ahhh… She could smell the intoxicating scent of cinders leaping into the surrounding air and could almost hear the crackling coming from the torches the Knights must be carrying. She suddenly itched to lose herself in the creation of flames and her hand instinctively moved to the bag slung over her shoulder, which currently housed her materials. Athena’s attention snapped back to the women at the mention of the town gates. “I was almost chased out just this morning. They won’t let me through the gates of someone's on watch duty! If I go back that way the guards will probably just take me in.” She took a step toward the woman, pleading with her. “You say you want to get him to the clinic,” Athena glanced at the injured man. “If there’s another way in, I can help you with anything you need.”

ooc// Haha, the characters are definitely all over the place but it's quite interesting to see how everyone's adapting 😊

As Lorcan walked down the path, still whistling, he passed a group of folks standing around. One seemed injured, but he only caught the tail end of the conversation. The important part about gate locations. He strode past the group, looking to the sky to find the moon, heading east.

And as he turned, he ran snack into the front of one of the night watchmen. [I]"OOP! 'Scuse me, laddie!"[/i] He patted the confused guard on the shoulders, and continued on around him. The guards looked at each other, then turned around "H-hey!" They shouted, but Lorcan was already sprinting, not on the path, but through the trees, towards the maybe open gate, and the guards turned to persue, but Lorcan was quick on his feet, and was already nearing the gate.

It was a small personnel gate, but still had a portcullis, which was raised to let the guards out.

The guards could be heard shouting about closing the gate, and it started to lower. He could see the spinning gears in the back. He reached back into his bag as he ran, pulling some gold chalice from it. He threw the chalice, hoping his aim was good,(and it was) and the chalice found its mark in the gears, a crunching sound, followed by a loud groan could be heard, and the gate ceased to fall.

He ducked his head as he ran under the portcullis, and as he cleared the gate house, immediately ducked into an allyway, chuckling as he hid.

Luck, huh?

OoC// alright, I'll keep that in mind for later!

Vallyn watched a man tread by on the outskirts of their small group. He seemed to be heading toward town, which was where Vallyn was hoping to go in the first place before the tiger had startled her away from the gates earlier this evening. She contemplated following him, but she had to decide fast because she soon heard the guards shouting from close by.

Making her decision, Vallyn stood up on her perch, bowed with a flourish of her hands, and said with a smirk, "Well, I think I will bid you all good night for the time being. I'm sure we'll meet again."

"Or not," She muttered to herself as she leapt from the branch and cloaked herself in the shadows. She could barely keep up with the gentleman ahead of her, but she could easily follow the sound of the metal clinkng coming from his bag. She reached the edge of the forest at the same time as he threw a chalice into the gears of the gate. Vallyn hurried along the outskirts of the torch light so that she could maintain her magic camoflague and dipped under the hindered gate as well. Once inside the city walls, she dropped the magic veil and simply pulled her hood up over her features.

"Nice moves back there," She called out to the man, laughing a bit as she passed by the alley he had snuck into. She wasn't sure where exactly she was going in this unfamiliar city, but she was starting to run low on funds and was sure there was work to be had in a place like this.

The group was disbanding, and now the guards were headed back to the gate. All except one. He had noticed the direction from which the looter had come and probably caught sight of the lantern. This would not have been an issue, but the glint of a sword set off a fire in Orion's heart. Deep red poured into his exposed eye as the sound of bones shifting began to sound. He couldn't hold back this time. He snapped his gaze back at the ghost woman as a tear escaped his eye. "I'm sorry." He said just before a shriek of agony echoed from him.

He dropped to all fours as his body shifted into place. The magic at work caused his clothes to melt into his hide as fur sprouted in its place. Teeth fell to the ground as they were replaced by larger canine teeth. His face cracked and broke as it shifted into place while the muscles throughout his body shredded and reattached. Soon, a huge black wolf had taken over his figure. The headband fell to the ground, revealing the split flesh halfing his eye which was milky and glazed. His other eye had changed, however. The white was now an abyssal black and the iris a hellish red.

A sinister, yet protective snarl ripped from his throat as the guard entered the area. He had not seen the change, but now stood in front of a massive wolf with teeth bared.

The throbbing in his side had increased with the change, but his wolf form was ultimately more resilient. He was also less in control in that form, so forward he lunged. Clamping the guard's head in his powerful jaws, he jerked to the side, throwing the helpless man across the clearing and into a tree. He wasn't dead, but judging by the sickening sound upon impact he wasn't getting back up soon.

More in touch with his dog nature. He went to the ghost-woman, standing in front of her in a defensive posture. Next to his muscular, furry form, she looked quite small. "We should go." He grumbled to the Tiger who was clearly the girl's guardian, and consequently the one he recognized as the standing alpha.

It was difficult to not notice that the fire dancer had been staring a little longer than what would be deemed appropriate, let alone comfortable. Though previous visitors she had tended to in the past would often speak so fondly of those who preformed in the streets, regardless of who or what they were, Morgäna could never recall watching any kind of show. Adjusting her hood, Morgäna would turn away to see the movement of torches in the distance. However there was mention from the other woman of which the guards had forced her out of the town, and the possible threat of arrest. Why remove a human? she returned her alabaster gaze to the dark haired woman with furrowed brow. “There is another way in.” Morgäna hummed thoughtfully, however she was unsure how much she wanted to share without giving away too much information of what she did and did not know. She didn't even want to be in the middle of all of this! Just as she parted her lips to continue, a strange old man had sprinted by in haste.

Unable to actually catch a face, she did manage to hear the bustling and clanking of what sounded of treasures. Whatever he was running from didn't appear to be chasing him anymore. Though just yards away as the guards began to creep further, it sounded as if he clashed into one of them and took off again, their attention drawn to his rambunctious jest. The raven woman had parted with a temporary departure, as she took the shadows to hide. Just as she thought that they were given the slip – a stray watchman appeared just beyond a few trees where the remaining three stood. Damn it. she hissed under her breath, trying to come up with a quick solution and get the wounded man from here to her clinic in one piece. As she turned her attention back to the man she had noticed the change in his exposed eye, coloring a deep red.

“No don't – !” his apology triggered realization that he was shifting. Of course every shifters way was different. Taxing to some, simple to others. However she was concerned of further injury in the shift and change of his anatomy with fractured or potentially broken ribs. Everything happened rather quickly for even the shifter woman to keep track of. The crying wail of the man beneath armor was silenced as metal clanked roughly into a near by tree. Hard enough the tree would groan of splitting wood. Medicinal instinct tugged at her nerves to go to the guard to tend to him, though she repressed it. Just as the man who'd shifted into a rather large black wolf, moved before her in a protective stance, she stepped back. Her own wolfish instincts were battling with herself. I can't. Not right now. Wyvern drake was just a tempting.

She would be useless for a period of time. Her own phase of shifting was incredibly slow and painful. The man had made the notion and the dire need to leave, though she would look to the fire dancer in brief pause. “Come on then, there is construction on the western side of the walls from the recent war, my clinic is just around the corner then.” It was Morgäna's lesser way of inviting her to come along if she wanted, though left that decision up to her. In honesty she didn't care what the girl decided to do, but they couldn't stay here any longer. The sooner she could get to the clinic and tend to this other shifters wounds, the sooner, the better.

ooc: I loooveee the transitions that are happening <3