[IC] To Cure a Curse

[Riven Wight]

Rayadell leaned against the door jam, watching Calanon help set the table.
“It’s kind of you to include us in your breakfast,” she commented before Calanon excused himself, making Thea jump slightly. Though her voice displayed little emotion, she meant every word.
Thea gave Rayadell one of her smiles, then opened a jar of jam and began spreading it on each slice of bread. “Of course, hon. It’s the least we can do for your troubles.”
A few minutes after Calanon left, Merek entered the kitchen, Thea flitting around the area as she poured out a couple glasses of fresh cow’s milk and added them to the table.
“Mornin’!” Merek greeted rather cheerfully when he noticed Rayadell, then went to sit at one of the chairs with a plate in front of it as Rayadell nodded her return hello. “I swear, Thea. You’re going to make our guests want to stay just for the food.” He picked up a fork and began eating.
Thea, who had moved to her own seat, gently whacked his arm with a towel she had used to quickly wipe up the counters. “Wait for our guests.”
“It’s fine, I assure you.” Rayadell slowly went to one of the chairs, turning it so its back was to her side, and sat. She leaned her staff against the table.
Thea glanced over and Rayadell’s gaze snapped up when Calanon returned, Merek too interested in a sausage to do more than give a quick wave.
Rayadell ate the slowest at the table, only half listening to Thea and Merek’s idle chatter. Once everyone was mostly finished, Thea stood, cleared away the empty plates, and grabbed both the rolled-up map and a well-worn satchel from where they had been leaned against a wall.
“I’ve packed a few provisions for you. It’s not much, but it’ll help.” Thea handed the items to Calanon. “There’re also a few coins in there, should you need them.”

[POOHEAD189]

He quite enjoyed the spectacular food, and the Elf also truly appreciated a nice bed to sleep on and a good, safe place for Brogach to find rest. However, he found his heart soaring back to the forests, and the yearning for the open road once more. It was a good respite that he needed at times, however it was time to go. He scarfed down the remaining eggs audibly, then placed a hand over his mouth to hold in a burp that might have been a bit loud. "Pardon." he said.

The Elf blinked, still surprised by Thea and Merek's continued kindness. "I great appreciate it." he told them with a thankful smile, holding his hands out and receiving the coin and provisions. He stood up, placed his hands together, and gave them a bow of respect. "You've honored me." he said, his voice earnest.

With that, he turned to Rayadell. His eyes were light and humble, and he provided a nod to her. She seemed the quiet type, like he. So he wouldn't start meaningless conversation with her. But it seemed like it was time to get going. "We should be back before the next seasonal shifts." he told Thea and Merek. "But if not, we'll do our best to make it when the snows melt."

[Riven Wight]

Thea gave an almost embarrassed flick of her ever-present apron at Calanon’s thanks. “We’re the ones honored to have you accept our request.” She gave a small smile. “It means more to us than you know.” With that, she returned to the table and collected the emptied plates.
Noticing Calanon’s gaze turn to her, she returned his look. Understanding his nod, she stood then pushed her chair into the table.
Merek quickly followed suit. “Thank you both,” he said with a deep nod of his own. “May the road and winds be on your side.” He stepped around the table and offered a hand to Rayadell.
Rayadell took it and shook, the man’s other massive, rough hand clapping over the back of hers for a moment before he turned to do the same to Calanon.
With their farewells behind them, Rayadell led the way to the back door, exiting first.
Golden rays just brushed the sky, eagerly showing their face to bring the new morning. The call of a couple roosters somewhere on the property greeted the sun with just as much vigor. Here, even in the early spring, a chill clung to the crisp air. The scent of various animals and hay hung heavily on the property, creating a sickly sweet mixture.
Rayadell turned to Calanon. “I should warn you,” she began in her usual monotone. She looked to the stables where she assumed the elk she had heard talk of waited. “Animals and I don’t exactly... get along very well."

[POOHEAD189]

Calanon's handshake with Merek was a solid farewell, and the Elf proceeded outside into the cool morning air. His weapons and gear hanging from him, he still walked with a light step thanks to his fey blood. The Ranger was about to tell Rayadell 'fair winds and warm sun' as a proper greeting, but she spoke first.

He blinked, and looked toward the stable. "I'm sure you'll enjoy Brogach once you get to know him. He's a fine companion." Calanon replied, and whistled. A small bump and a knock could be heard, and a few moments later Brogach the great red Elk galloped out of the stables, slowing to a trot up to Calanon. The beast lowered his great antlered head and let out a grunt as the Elf pet his head. "Hello, old friend. Are you ready to travel?" he asked.

Brogach snorted, and shook his head as if to get himself ready. His mane and antlers whipped back and forth inexorably. Calanon gave a light laugh, and looked to Rayadell. "Would you care to walk or ride? I don't think we're in the largest hurry at the moment, but it never hurts to go fast if you'd prefer."

[Riven Wight]

Rayadell frowned at Calanon’s response to her concerns. “You misunderstand.” She looked toward the stables as the thunk of one of the doors opening came from inside. “Animals are the ones who have an issue with me, not the other way around.”
When the red elk galloped toward them, she stepped back, keeping a fair distance between her and it. If he had the same reaction most animals did to the darkness of the curse surrounding her, those antlers could do a good bit of damage.
She watched the exchange between rider and steed. Between friends. The thought made her frown deepen almost enviously, before she quickly wiped it from her face when Calanon looked to her.
“Walking would currently be the wiser choice for me.” Her wary gaze never left the magnificent animal, watching for any sign of unease or signal it would try to attack. She had found that those loyal to a rider or owner always tended to be extra protective and quick to defend, and she expected nothing less from the elk.

[POOHEAD189]

Brogach tilted his great horned head, looking unsure of Rayadell and gazing at her to gauge on whether or not she was any sort of threat. "Brogach." Calanon intoned, guiding his steed's gaze to meet his own. "This is Rayadell. She's to be traveling with us." He smiled to his mount, and Brogach snorted. Calanon knew the different snorts Brogach would give, and this one meant he was fine with it for now.

Calanon laughed, just glad to be with Brogach again, and gave the Elk a pat on its snout. He turned to nod at Rayadell, giving a small bow and then setting off on their road. They turned westward down the road that had led to the couple's home, passing by sparse trees and going back the way they had come before turning northwards at the fork, heading up a green rise. The sun was shining and the cool air of the morning was heating up a tad as they trudged upwards.

The town now behind them, they had made it to the top of the rolling hill, now able to see their path before them more clearly. The mountains in the distance looked beautiful, with snow capped peaks and bases that looked carved from granite by some giant of myth. To the left of their view was a pass within the mountains that opened up, leading to the more frigid cold of the land beyond. Before them was a plain, with a few copses of trees and large rocks dotting the landscape. It was hard to tell the distance, but walking it would be perhaps a day before they made it there, unless they hurried.

[Riven Wight]

Surprise crossed Rayadell’s face at the animal’s apparent understanding of his rider and, more importantly, its lack of hostility. She tilted her head slightly, her silvery eyes narrowing in suspicion. Not bothering to hide the expression when Calanon looked to her, Rayadell returned his courtesies with only a simple, nearly imperceptible nod, then turned toward the direction leading them to the quickest path she had found on the map.
She kept a fair distance between her and Brogach, her suspicion turning into curiosity about the beast’s lack of aggression.
Does it not have that sixth sense? she wondered, her gaze shifting from scanning the surrounding road as they began their journey toward the north, to the pair just in front of her.
She paid little attention to how long she and her new companions walked for, the silence between them neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. When at last they left the town behind, entering a part of the sparse forest, Rayadell closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, relishing the earthy scents that had replaced the harsher smells of human habitation.
As they reached a hill, Rayadell took the lead, pausing at its crest to take in the view before them. Her gaze lingered on the mountain pass. It had been so long since she had ventured into the heart of mountains. They held the promise of adventure and danger, of beauty and mystery. But most of all, it possessed a sense home. An impatient longing settled over her face and seeped into her bones. She wanted to discard her cloak, spread her wings, and glide over the long stretch separating her from the mountains dusted in a glittering layer of snow.
The gentle clomp of the elk’s hooves interrupted her thoughts, making her scowl. She turned her head toward the two, her irritated expression turning to one of contemplation.
If the animal had not shown any unease toward her thus far, perhaps it was worth a try. After all, it had been nearly as long since she had traveled by steed as it had been since her last visit to the mountains.
“How fast could your friend travel with two riders?” she asked slowly, cautiously. The itch to get to the mountains made her shift her weight from foot to foot as she glanced at them over her shoulder.

[POOHEAD189]

Calanon strode up the hill in silence as well. He had been friendly and perhaps a bit more outgoing than Rayadell so far, but he was often used to traveling alone (with Brogach, of course) and was not one for idle chit chat. He simply walked, not even guiding his steed as they made it to the crest of the Hill and gazing far into the north with his Elven eyes.

The wind picked up a bit, causing his hair and tunic to sway lightly, and it felt good on his skin and with his senses, bringing forth smells and sounds from very far away in a natural mixture Calanon quite enjoyed. It was quite soothing, and it helped him realize that all of nature was wondrous to feel, smell, and gaze upon, not just that of the forest.

"Hmm?" he replied, turning to Rayadell. He had not expected that question. In truth, he had not had Brogach ride with two people for years, but he never complained with Calanon and his equipment. He doubted it would hinder the great Elk much more than he was already used to. Rayadell seemed lithe and slight of build as well.

"I don't think it would very much slow him down." he said, giving a light, polite smile. "Only one way to find out, though."@Siaya Dragalorn

[Riven Wight]

Rayadell’s brows rose fractionally when Calanon turned to her. She opened her mouth to repeat herself, but closed it again a she registered the mild surprise in his expression in place of misunderstanding.
She did not offer to return his pleasantry of a smile, instead giving only a slight, stiff nod at Calanon’s last statement. She cast one more look behind her to the mountains, then turned her full attention to the elk. Her gaze ever wary, she slowly approached the animal, watching Calanon only with her peripheral vision. Her back still ached when she thought of the last time she had tried to mount a steed, but, if it would let her answer the call of the mountains faster, it was worth the risk.
Had the animal shown no ire toward her approach, Rayadell held her breath and placed a gentle, gloved hand on Brogach's side, feeling his fur with her bare fingertips, and waiting for Calanon to mount first.

[POOHEAD189]

Brogach bristled slightly, the Elk sensing something warily on Rayadell. However, this Elk was not like many others in the forest. The Great Reds of the Wayward Wood were large, but intelligent, and this one trusted Calanon completely. If Calanon saw no reason not to trust Rayadell, then Brogach would trust her without hesitation.

Calanon sprung upwards, flying in an effortless leap onto the beast's back. Even to other athletic Elves, Calanon was known for his great leaping ability. The Elk snorted, and shook its shaggy, antlered head as it readied for a run. Its thick coat of fur tufts along its neck swaying lightly in the breeze. Calanon offered Rayadell his hand as a show of good faith. "Whenever you're ready." he told her. He only showed prudence, not impatience. He'd wait if he needed to.

[Riven Wight]

When the animal’s fur bristled, Rayadell froze, not daring to get any closer for another couple moments. When the elk showed no further sign of mistrust, she inched forward, watching him cautiously, but approached his side all the same.
She watched Calanon mount the animal with an approving nod and impressed look. He seemed rather sprightly, even for an elf. She nodded when he spoke, then nimbly mounted the elk behind him, though with a bit less grace. She maneuvered her wings and cloak expertly, allowing her to sit easily on the animal without hindering its impending stride.
A small smile pulled at the corner of her lips, and she looked beyond Calanon at the mountains. They were riding into a place her kind often considered home, on the back of an animal she never thought she would be capable of even looking at without them fearing her again. She could not think of a better way of starting a journey.
“By your order, then, Calanon,” she said, her eyes still on the mountains.

[POOHEAD189]

Calanon nodded, glancing back to her to make sure Rayadell was comfortable. He smiled, and a light danced in his eyes at the excitement and promise of a new journey being embarked, and a hope for the lift of his curse. His smile turned into a grin of reassurance and comraderie, and the next moment he kicked Brogach into a sudden bound, before the Elk galloped down the mountain with surprising speed. He seemed to be just as fast as a swift horse, and his bounds were not too uncomfortable and far more graceful than one would expect.

The trip was swift, and Calanon gazed forward with a focused and a determined look upon his face, wind whipping through his thick hair as Brogach continued to make good time across the plains. What would have otherwise taken two days upon foot was overtaken in less time than a day, the morning turning into early afternoon. Calanon ate a bit of his jerky upon the ride, and continued onward until they made it to the mountain pass by nightfall, just to the east of it near a forested dale that hugged the mountain range.

Brogach easily maneuvered into the light wood, making his way near a few large rock formations amidst the trees that were at the very foot of the steep mountain slope. Calanon hopped off, and breathed in the free air of the forest. They would need to start a fire.

[Riven Wight]

Rayadell returned his smile with a stiff nod. With one hand clutching her staff, when the elk bounded forward, she draped her free arm around Calanon’s waist to help keep her in place, the bulges of her wings twitching with the instinctive effort to help keep her balance. The creature was of a swifter foot than she had imagined possible, and with an endurance to match.
She inhaled through her nose when the wind pulled at the hood of her cloak and swept the hair from the marked side of her face. She bent her head and looked to the side, hoping that, should her new companion bother to glance back again, the shimmering lines would remain hidden to him.
She remained silent, not bothering to request a stop for food, her gaze watching trees and streams pass by at a speed that could pose as a great rival in a race between the elk and an elagon in flight.
By the time the sun had begun to sink behind the mountains, casting the skies in the reds and oranges of the eternal bloody battle between day and night, they had already neared the mouth of the mountain pass.
Rayadell finally looked up as the elk trotted to a stop within a valley at the base of their mountainous destination. The remains of rock slides littered the ground, some larger formations embedded into the ground and covered with layers of grime and vines. She quickly followed Calanon’s lead, hopping to the ground in what looked like the clearest grassy space in the immediate area.
A heavy chill hung in the air, a warning to any brave enough to venture onward to expect a colder climate. Even the air itself carried a fresher crispness here. The encroaching night made the trees cast growing shadows over the ground as the sun set quicker for the base of the mountain.
“Collect some stones to make a fire pit,” Rayadell instructed, adjusting the sides of her cloak as she turned on her heels to scan the spaced trees. “I’ll gather some wood. Something tells me we’re in for a cold night.”
Without leaving Calanon room for debate, she headed off toward the thicker part of the woods, keeping her eyes open for any fallen branches.

[POOHEAD189]

The Elf patted Brogach's head as Rayadell spoke. He turned to her in time to see her already making her way off to find various pieces of wood. Calanon nodded in acceptance, and bade Brogach to stay here as he strode toward the towering mountain that stood just beyond the treeline.

It felt nice, out here. Yes, the air was chill. But the quiet of the evening and the sounds of the forest were welcome to this young ranger. It gave him peace, and was always a reminder for him that there was still life and good in this world.

Quietly, he stepped out of the forest, just at the slope of the mountain that swept up to cover the sky northward. He gazed upwards for a moment, admiring its strength, before searching about for various stones to use for their fire pit. He would find a stone or two (or three) and carry it back to Brogach, and then make his way back out again.

As he made his way out on the fourth trip, he stopped at the tree line. Something was different...

The moon's cascading light gave the ground and surrounding forest an ethereal look. His dark eyes gazed to and fro as he did his best to keep his body completely still. There wa-

A groan. A large rumble of a groan reached his keen ears, and his eyes snapped to its source. Down the way eastward were various boulders and a wider area covered in stones and gravel. A massive shape moved within them, and Calanon could just make out what it was after a few moments of observation.

It was a Rock Giant, with a body covered in a rock-like hide and standing over thrice Calanon's height. It was primitive looking, albeit very human-like in appearance save for its skin and granite like facial features. He'd heard they were not too keen on combat or confrontation, preferring to be left alone. Calanon decided to do just that.

[Riven Wight]

Once she was out of the line of sight from their chosen camping spot, Rayadell glanced back and gave a heavy sigh. She had managed to avoid traveling with a companion for many months; now, adventuring beside an elf felt strange. Wrong, even, to be potentially putting someone else in danger simply by being near them for too long.
With her staff in one hand, she gently placed the palm of the other against the rough bark of the nearest tree, mentally reaching out to it, hoping to feel the familiar presence of the only friends her curse did not slowly drain the life from.
She felt a shudder, a fear run through the tree in the abstract way nature felt emotions, but after a moment, it seemed to settle, to accept that it was in no danger from her. If Rayadell did not know any better, she could have sworn it even possessed an unusual sense of curiosity. Though its nearby companions still felt a bit apprehensive, they did not shy away from her when she reached out with her mind to try and assure them she bore them no ill will.
Slowly, she removed her hand from the tree and began her search for wood and kindling in the quickly fading daylight. With the silent promise that no harm would come to the forest with their fire, and a quick thank you to the trees for providing what they needed for warmth, she started a small pile near the tree, leaving it to collect a fair amount before adding to it.
When the moon’s soft glow replaced the brilliance of the sun, dusting the shedding trees and fallen foliage and plants beneath, Rayadell decided she had collected enough to last for a good portion of the night. As she began to pile up the kindling between her arms, ever mindful of her staff, movement in the corner of her eye made her drop her load and spin around, her staff held defensively in both hands.
She searched the darkness, her silvery eyes easily picking out every plant and leaf set aglow in the gentle, majestic lightning, but nothing stirred. The crickets continued to chirp, and a couple night birds chattered a bit deeper in the woods. After a moment, Rayadell returned her staff to her side.
Another wisp of movement flitted to her right, and she spun once more. This time, she caught sight of its cause.
A delicate mist condensed into a willowy, human-like form flitted from one tree to another, its incorporeal body glittering a myriad of browns despite the moonlight bleaching the surrounding forest. In the blink of an eye, it merged with the next tree, leaving no trace of it behind.
A thin smile spread over Rayadell’s lips. Tree spirits. Guardians of the woods, harmless to those who meant them and their precious dwellings no malice. With the possibility of a threat eliminated, she turned back to collect the now scattered bits of wood. Once her arms were full, she began the short walk back to her and Calanon’s designated campsite.
Rayadell noticed a tree spirit hopping from one tree to the next just ahead of her, its featureless head peeking out once to look at her from another tree just to her left before ducking shyly back into the trunk. She had the feeling it was the same as the first one she had seen, wondering if, perhaps, it had been the source of the curiosity she had felt coming from the first tree.
She paused in front of the strong, towering plant where she had last noticed the spirit, taking a moment to give it a respectful bow, before she stepped into the slight clearing where the elk waited, untethered, in the same place as she had last seen him.
She dropped the first armful of wood onto the ground beside the nearly finished ring of stones Calanon had already collected and laid out. Though it was yet unfinished, she began to expertly stack some of the dryer branches and bramble she had grabbed at the stone ring’s center.
The feeling of being watched stepped down her spine, and the sense of curiosity she had felt from the tree brushed gently against her mind. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder in time to see the glittering spirit pull back into a tree near the edge of the clearing, making her smile.
It would seem she had, at least for the time, acquired a stalker.

[POOHEAD189]

Brogach had noticed the little tree spirit as well, his ears animated for a moment, twitching to and fro as he saw it. It felt as natural to Brogach as meeting another Elk would have been. After a moment however, he began to gnaw the grass below him once more, paying no heed to Rayadell unless she spoke to him and strode forward.

The barest hint of a rustle was all that announced Calanon's return. The young Elf walked in with one last stone, for he had not wanted to collect much more in case he disturbed the Stone Giant. Placing it on the ground, he began to move the stones about in a rough circle. The Elf was stronger than he appeared, it seemed. The stone were not huge or unmoveable, but they were fair sized and he placed them without noticeable strain.

Once the firepit was complete, Calanon got to making the fire with two rough stones. The Elf had placed leaves on there as well to get it going. He worked at it methodically, until it caused a spark and ignited one of the dry leaves. The fire quickly spread, overtaking the logs and suddenly filling the small glade with warmth and light.

Calanon gave Rayadell a smile at the success, and then he gave Brogach some water from his waterskin. Even in the light, there darkness from the shadows in the forest were somewhat penetrated by the moon's luminescent glow.

[Riven Wight]

As she worked, Rayadell gave the elk only a quick glance, making sure it showed no evidence of the desire to attack, but it only continued eating grass.
When a faint rustle reached her ears, in a single, swift movement, she dropped the twigs she had been about to place on the expertly stacked pile, grabbed her staff from beside her, and stood, brandishing the weapon defensively in front of her. When only Calanon came into focus, his form bathed in an eerie mix of shadow and moonlight, she watched him approach.
Slowly, she returned to her knees as Calanon worked around it to complete a circle, the girl notsurprised by his apparent strength. With the tips of her wings bent uncomfortably against the ground, her cloak only just concealing them, she finished her own job.
With both their tasks complete, Rayadell glanced behind her back at the tree the spirit had last been in, but either it had moved on, or remained hidden. She looked back to Calanon as he tried to start a fire, contemplating offering to start it for him. Instead, she watched, head slightly cocked, before he managed to spark embers that quickly caught the larger pieces of wood stacked above it.
Soon, firelight flickered its warm glow over Calanon, Brogach, and her, the flames staving off the growing chill of the night.
Rayadell returned his smile with a half-hearted congratulatory nod. Her silvery gaze glittered in the firelight as she watched him stand to give the elk some water.
Her head snapped over at a gentle movement in the trees, her hand instinctively moving to her staff. She caught another glimpse of the spirit switching trees.
“We’ve attracted a tree spirit,” Rayadell stated, her gaze on the tree as she used her staff to help her stand before leaning on it, relieving her wings of at least part of their awkward position. She looked back to her current companion with a contemplative expression.
The Carishes had attracted her attention with the possibility of a cure for her curse. How had they gained his agreement?
“So tell me, Calanon,” she began, readjusting her grip on the staff. “How did you come to be a part of this?”

[POOHEAD189]

Calanon did not mind Rayadell's curiosity. To him it was no more odd than a deer or a wolf that would stop and gaze at him curiously in the forest. He'd always thought it endearing when a beast would stop and do that. Seeing it in a girl was different, but not unwelcome. The glow of the firelight emanated and danced off Calanons's face and skin, just as the heat did. He held his hands up to warm them, and glanced Rayadell's way to see if she too was enjoying the fire.

He was further warmed by the declaration there was a tree spirit here, and a full blown smile bloomed upon his face. "I've not seen one in some time." He noted aloud. It brought him memories of the sacred glades he would tarry at between his Ranger expeditions. Brogach stopped chewing grass to lift his great head and acknowledge the spirit, as if they were old friends. Calanon gave a chuckle, and turned his eyes to look back into the flame.

That is, until Rayadell asked her question. He looked very young when he gazed at her, as if he still held some of his innocence that the curse had not yet taken away. He hesitated for many moments, before methodically unwrapped the cloth around his left arm. He unwound it to reveal what looked to be charred skin in an odd shape. It was unnatural, and unnerved whomever looked upon it.

"I don't know," he said finally, staring at his arm. His eyes were hidden by the Elf's thick hair. "Or, I do not know how the Carishes found me. But I am here to relieve myself of this curse." He told her. "It grows daily, and expands more rapidly if I harbor anger... or hate."

[Riven Wight]

Rayadell watched Calanon return to the fire after tending to his animal companion. Her expression unwavering in its impassive façade, she allowed herself a moment to admire the way the flames and shadows waltzed over his lean features with each flicker of firelight, focusing on the play of light and dark.
Thought the cold did not bother her much, the heat rising from the fire to where she stood was welcomed as Calanon warmed his hands. She looked back to the hypnotic flames as he commented about the tree spirit. She only jerked her head up in a nod of acknowledgement. They were everywhere, tree spirits, but normally shy creatures. Creatures as frightened of the dark aura about her as horses or the trees themselves.
Rayadell felt his gaze on her after she asked her question, but she did not return it, rather keeping him in her peripherals. A silence fell between them, turning the two into living statues, the only sign of life that of the lively flames and the hungry Elk. When at last Calanon moved again, Rayadell’s gaze flicked to him as he unwrapped what she had mistaken as bandages from his arm.
She inhaled and her chin rose at the first sight of the magically charred skin beneath, an unnerving aura radiating from it without the protection of the fabric. She glanced to him as he gave his quick explanation, before following his stare back to his arm.
She let another, short silence fall between them once he finished, broken only by the crackle of the flames eating away at its wood. He, too, was cursed, forced to hide the mark of it as she hid the effects of her own. Which left the question of how the Carishes had found them. As trustworthy as the couple seemed, years of forcing herself to focus on the emotions Calanon was forced to avoid, of always looking over her shoulder and training herself to trust very few, suspicion about the two and their daughter nagged at her.
“They’ve offered both of us a cure, then,” she finally said in her usual monotone. Her jaw set. Seeing no harm in it, she slowly reached up and brushed back the black-tipped white hair draped over her face. She hooked it behind her pointed ear.
Elegant, swirling lines created a filigree pattern over her pale skin from the corner of her left eye to her jawbone. At first glance, it seemed little more than a silvery tattoo that shone in the firelight, until she turned her head just right. Specks of sickly black glittered amidst the silver, eliminating any illusion of intended elegance in the pattern. It was a mark, the binding element, and an eternal reminder of her own curse. Should he choose to focus on it, an unsettling air would reach to him, like the evil aura of an infuriated sorceress.
Without offering any further explanation, once Calanon had time to see it, she fingered her hair so it fell back in place, concealing the mark once more. She looked back to the flames, a sense of sorrow and pure hatred flashing in her eyes.

[POOHEAD189]

Calanon allowed her the privacy of looking at his cursed ark without gazing at her during. He could feel her eyes on it, and within moments he began re-wrapping it with his cloth, disguising it once more as if apart of his normal ranger wear. He admitted even he felt a bit more tainted when he revealed it to people, as if the curse was a flame and he had just unleashed the intense heat.

Her words caught him off guard, and he looked up to see the silvery sheen of what he did not expect. She was one of the Dragon Fey, he realized. He only caught a glimpse of what she intended to show, but it had been enough. The Ranger knew her own curse for what it was, and it brought a sadness to heart, whilst causing him to respect his aloof companion somewhat more now. She bore the brunt of something he had felt so...alone in for longer than he cared to admit.

He wondered if it was any better not having a time limit for survival on such a taint or not. Granted, despite his bravery in battle he did not wish to die, devoured by this curse. But to linger with it as well...

He shifted himself, his crossed legs moving to face her. He placed his fists on the soft grass, and bowed his head and torso in respect. A thanks for her sharing such information with him.

With that, the young Elf reached into his pack and retrieved a small cake that he often carried with him, wrapped in cleaned leaves. He offered it to her. It was nothing much more than soft wheat with honey at its center, but it was sweet and filling.