The Long Road Ahead

The sun was just starting to rise, and a low hanging fog covered the ground, creating dampness in the air.

A soft rattle of metal against metal could be heard ever so quietly in the air. Then silence, before it started up again, and every few minutes the silence would come again, before being broken by the rattling of what could only be pots and pans.

From over the crest of a hill a tall lone figure could be seen, heading in the direction of the north road, a road which is quite deserted at this time of day. And even more still, because of the resent darkspawn invasion that still saw a few scattered spawn from time to time.

The figure was tall, with a black cloak that covered most of its body, a large hilt of a sword could be seen jutting from behind its back, and long wild black hair from under the hood of the cloak.

There the rattle was again, however it was not coming for the lone figure, something behind him, maybe he wasn't a lone figure after all. And sure enough, a few seconds later a small creature that seemed to be carrying a large rucksack on its back, that seemed to hold many pots and pans. Every couple of steps he would take, he would need to job a bit just to keep up with the long strides of the dark cloaked figure.

Just as the short little creature came over the rise of the hill, just a few paces behind the dark figure, and series of loud grunts could be heard coming up behind them, and what sounded like a small stampede of feet.

All of a sudden a large reptile type beast came barreling over the rise, and ran pass the short green skinned creature. As it passed, its tail whipped around, and smacked the poor creature in the chest, and sent it flying backwards.

Anyone who would have looked at this reptile, with the large bone plate jutting from the top of its head, they could have swore it smiled, and chuckled a bit. It soon slowed down, and trotted next to the tall figure, its tongue hanging out of its under bitten jaw, seemingly proud of itself.

"Lobo, stop fooling around, we have places to go, and things to do, we must hurry," the figure gruffly said without turning back or missing a stride.

The wind all of a sudden picked up, blowing across the plains, billowing his cloak around him. The sun glinted off his polished armor, lighting a signal that could be seen a mile away. He hurriedly pulled his cloak around him, blocking the sun from his armor.

He quickly looked around, and then closed his eyes, as if listening. Satisfied that no one had spotted them, and that the path ahead to the north road was clear, his strides quickened.

"Lobo coming master. No leave Lobo behind. Mean Abraxas knock Lobo down." he stammered, getting up, dusting himself off, and trotting to catch up, the clanging of pots and pans filling the air.

"Where. Master. Take. Lobo?" he asked between breaths as he finally caught up, smacking the lizard in the side with his walking stick.

Abraxas looked at him with slitted eyes, and stuck out his tongue and flicked it at him.

"Look, lizard make fun of poor Lobo"

"Look, lizard make fun of poor Lobo"

Abraxas snickered to himself as the funny little creature complained.

His stomach growled, as he hadn't eaten it at least 20 minutes. He squinted his eyes, and scouring the area of something to munch on.

It didn't take him long, when he spotted a rabbit sitting with its ears perked up, looking around for predators.

He got low to the ground, trying to hide in the grass, and began slithering along the ground, moving slowing, and purposefully towards his prey.

The nose of the rabbit twitched, and its ears turned, thinking it heard something.

CLANG CLANG!! The rabbit jumped up, and scurried away, just as Abraxas pounced, and landed on nothing but dirt, and grass.

He looked up, and over at Lobo, and growled deeply in his throat, and charged.

Lobo looked from side to side, and began to back pedal. "MAAASSTTERR????" he screeched

Without stopping he said "Abraxas DOWN!"

And with that forceful command, the Mabari sized lizard creature immediatly stopped, whimpered, and sulked back beside the dark hooded figure.

By this time, Lobo had already tripped over his own feet, and was struggling to get up off his back, with the oversized pack on his back.

Abraxas looked back, and smiled, showing his full set of razor sharp teeth, as he again started to look for a snack; one that he was actually allowed to eat, and not the clumsy little creature that made too much noise.

There was nothing like the open wilderness road of the North Road; a once great highway from Orzammar to Denerim, now all it shows is signs of battles and carnage.

He paused for a moment, and took a long swig from his wine pouch; he wiped away a dark thick liquid that ran out of the corner of his mouth, and then continued on.

There were no fresh wagon tracks, or horse tracks to be seen on this road, as most people were still clinging to cities and towns, that had not been wiped out in this blight.

He signed, and shook his head, for he saw how endless the darkspawn are. Even without an Archdemon to guide them, they are still very much a threat. Their tunnels, and caverns seem to go on forever, and ever. He has ventured so far underground that it took months to get there,and even longer to get back. He has found numerous exits that lead to the surface, all in which darkspawn could get through to ravage the country side.

He knew he couldn't fight them all, he knew that he must join with someone who's sole purpose is to defeat all darkspawn at all cost. This blight will not be the last, and no one knew how close the next one might be. All it takes is an old god to be found, and corrupted, and it all starts over again.

He must find what are left of the wardens, he must find, if there is one, the warden commander. For only the commander knew what was truly at stake here. He had heard of an unlikely candidate for one, the hero of Ferelden, he had heard of her from time to time, stories were told that she had killed the Archdemon and pushed back the horde not to long ago. However, it was unsure if she was made the new Warden Commander or not.

He will soon find out, for he sensed a great disturbance with the fade. Like a tear had opened up, and great evil had poured out. This is where he was headed, and knew that if there was a tear in the fade, that a Warden would not be far away to stop it.

He continued on, not waiting for his strange companions to catch up, for he knew they would follow him anywhere.

The stinking city rose in the distance, ever in the mind of the halla grazing just outside the massive gates. Her companion was within those dirty walls, and though she could have followed him, she had chosen not to. The stables where she would have been 'kept' were filthy places where those dumb human mounts resided, and while she took no offense to their company, she preferred the grass and forest that came up to the city walls like waves upon rocks. Besides, she had been here before, and knew the area. As much as Iauron had worried for her, she was safe here - she could take care of herself.

The sun was rising, and Fa'hallen knew without looking that her friend, her brother, her soul-mate would be coming to visit her soon. He disliked the city as much as she did - perhaps disliked it even more so - and came out to visit her as soon as those silly two-legged necessities were seen to each morning.

Long ears twitched, and she looked up, alert without being frightened (she had seen too much at Iauron's side to be so easily frightened like a newborn fawn). A raucous noise was coming from the path into the city - unusual for this early in the day. So far, Fa'hallen had seen only a few human men coming along this road when the sun was so low in the morning sky, and none of them felt like this one did. The magic that she had become accustomed to sensing was heavy in the air, and she sniffed once, twice, and looked for the source. She was standing back several paces from the road, and she stepped forward now, so that she was looking down over the cleared path from the slight hill of the forest that met there.

On the road, there, she could see a two-legged creature with another, smaller two-legged creature following it. She snuffed in distaste at the dragonling following - she had no love for such predators, but neither did she fear them. Her great antlers knocked against the branches above her as she threw her head in curiosity. Such a strange band - she had not seen a band of creatures like this before. They intended to go into the city? Was her Iauron aware of this? Could such creatures bring danger to the place in which he was staying? She did not like the thought of it.

As intelligent as any human (and, in her opinion, much more intelligent than most of them), she understood that keeping an eye on this band would be for the best. She began to follow in step with them, they down on the road below, and she on the ridge above them, partially hidden by trees. The shadows of their canopy tops kept the light off of her silver fur, and kept it from shining too brightly to signal her position.

With the city of Denerim looming in the distance, this leg of the journey was almost at an end, however he knew, that many more lay ahead, for no journey is ever completely over.

His pace slowed, and he looked around for a moment, unsure of what he felt, something he had not felt for a very long time.

He gestured for Lobo, and Abraxas to journey on ahead of him for a bit.

He knelt down for a moment, as if examining something on the ground, and took a quick look around. Closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked up at the ridge.

There was something there, something familiar, something he was missing.

He slowly got up, and removed his hood, his wild dark hair blowing in the gentle breeze, as he brushed his hair behind his ears, ears that were as pointy and sharp as daggers, even longer than those of elves. However, it suited his large frame, and showed a sight of elegance. He would never reveal this to anyone, or anything, and since the roar was empty, and he knew what watched him, he saw no harm.

He stood still, and faced the ridge, with his hands out in front of him, palms up, to show he meant no harm, and did not have any weapons to threaten.

Then he waited.

She stopped and sniffed the air, her mighty head tilting to the side slightly as she watched the strange two-legged creature. He seemed more like her Iauron than he did the other nosy humans of the city, and as a general rule she much preferred the considerate pointed-ears more than the stupid and mean men. She waited in the boughs a moment, looking between him and his strange companions, and then she stepped out of the cover of trees. The rising sun caught in her fur and alighted it like a beckoning fire as she moved down the hill, wary but curious. Iauron would be distraught if she found herself hurt or in danger because she too readily trusted a stranger, but Fa'hallen was smart and careful, and she could defend herself if she needed to.

The road was harder under her hooves than the grass had been, but she paid it little mind. She finally stopped a few paces away from the man with the out-stretched hands, and stuck her nose out a little, smelling him from the closer space and snorting lightly. She took another step forward, and her muzzle was just able to touch the proffered palm.

As the Halla approached Kraven, a smell of corruption filled its nostrils, he took a step back, his hand trembled as its muzzle grew near.

Then he whispered in Dalish, "My touch may harm you my friend, and one such as beautiful as the, should never be harmed. I have vowed to protect the companions of Elves with my last breath. Do not be afraid, but do not touch my skin, or tho shall surely die."


Kraven took another step back, and lifted his hood to cover his head, only the blue glow of his eyes could be seen within the dark folds of the hooded cloak.

"Me and my companions will camp outside the gates, please warm yourself by our fire for the night, until your elven companion returns. Yes, I do know that you have one, all Halla are not far from the Dalish."

With those last words, he swept his cloak around him, and with long strides, he followed his friends, towards the looming cirty of Denerim

Fa'hallen pulled her head back as the strange man pulled his hand back, and she watched him for a moment with large, unblinking eyes before tossing her head. She understood - the words of the Dalish were the first words she had ever learned, and she knew them as well as any Keeper. She waited and let her gaze follow after him and his strange companions before she turned and followed herself, her gait easy on the well-trodden road.

The wall of Denerim's outer city loomed above them as they traveled nearer, but they were a familiar presence, and though she hated the city, she took comfort in the safety those walls provided. She could sit with this odd little band until Iauron came to find her, as he always did in the morning. She was not surprised that this man was, in a way, expecting her life-partner. There were no more wild halla in the world, that she knew of, and though she was the closest any of her kind had gotten to 'wild' in the ages of men, she was still forever bound in her heart to Iauron. Her concern was not for herself, but that, when Iauron came for her, that he would be safe around this man. If she needed, she could leave his presence before finding Iauron on her own - whatever she needed to keep him safe.

She was confused as to why the man did not simply take residence into the town as all of the two-legged creatures did. Perhaps he was concerned for his strange dragonling, or the odd goblin that followed. She had never seen such creatures, nor had heard of them in any of the tales of all the elves.

She quickened her legs from ambling walk to curious trot, and caught up with the queer little thing that carried a large pack on its back. She lowered her nose to sniff at it, nudging it slightly as she tried to decide what, exactly, it was.

As Lobo was being nudged, he kept swatting behind him, but the nudging kept persisting.

With a heavy sigh Lobo turned around, "What wa...." as he saw the Halla he stopped in mid sentence, and started to back pedal, and with the weight of his pack, he fell over, his arms and legs flailing.

"You made Lobo fall. Why make Lobo fall?" with some trouble, he managed to roll over on his stomach and scramble to his feet. It almost seemed like he had perfected the movement, most likely because he had fallen so many times and just got used to it.

When he got to his feet, his eyes went wide with amazement from the beautiful white creature before him.

"Oooooo....pretty," as he caught up and felt its soft coat, "Horse soft. Lobo ride horse master? Lobo feet hurt, ride make better."

"How get on? No seat. Horse no good, no seat. What Lobo do?"

Lobo scratched his chin, trying to figure out how to get on the soft creature.

Has he neared the walls of the city, he went off the road, and found a nice quiet spot, where he could watch the road, but be out of sight from any travelers that may come by.

Abraxas didn't even wait for a signal, but just bounded off into the long grass, and into the forest nearby, most likely looking for a meal.

Lobo set the pack to the ground, and sighed, "Better, pack heavy" , and begun unpacking, putting aside pots and pans. As soon as he opened the pack, a Nug jumped out, and shook itself.

"Good Nuggy. You stay, Lobo make food now, " as he patted the small pink creature on the head. The nug seemed to purr for a second, then sat down, and begun scratching behind its ear.

Lobo formed a circle of rocks, and began setting up a small fire pit

Kraven sat down, removing his two handed blade from his back, and setting it beside him. With a subtle flick of his wrist, a fire came to life within the circle of stones.

Lobo giggle at the sight of the fire, and set up a pot over the flames, and begun taking vegetables and spices out of his pack. And slowly began preparing what looked like a nice stew.

No sooner had Lobo begun to boil the vegetables in the cast iron pot, that Abraxas bounding into the makeshift camp, and dropped a rabbit at Lobo's feet.

"Lizard good." he smiled, giving the creature a pat on the head.

While Lobo created his feast, and Abraxas laying by the fire, warming himself, Kraven slipped into a meditative state, still quite aware of his surroundings. The magic of the fade flowed freely through him, warming is soul, and creating a sense of peace.

In this state he felt a bit of happiness come over him; happiness of finding a creature of the Elves, a creature that he had not been in contact with for a very long time. For the blight required his full attention, and it had been a long and hard battle that had taken him from his home, from his people. Sadness overwhelmed him, as he thought of how much time has gone by, the people that he knew were lost to him forever, and only the fight against the darkness is what he had left.

Fa'hallen snorted, nudging at the odd little creature with her nose disapprovingly. She was most certainly not a horse, and she was insulted to think that she could be mistaken for one of those poor, slow, dim-witted creatures. But then, she couldn't very well be overly upset, so she simply tuffed at the creature with a hoof once more for good measure, and forgave him for his mix-up. At least it had had the mind to call her 'pretty.'

She lifted her head for a moment to look at the man leading the creature and the dragonling, and wondered briefly where he intended to set his fire, and then glanced back down at the tiny two-legged thing. Her head tossed heavily as her horns moved with the shaking, and she nudged at it with her nose again before pulling her neck back up. No one but Iauron rode her back unless the need was imminent, and this little thing could not have gotten up even if it had tried. Without any warning as the creature looked on at her, she picked her pace back up, following the quiet man again.

They veered off the path a ways, and Fa'hallen stopped to look at the city gates before she followed into the clearing. She paid little attention to the dragonling running off into the woods, though she did look at it and the dead rabbit it carried with some distaste upon its return. Ignoring it, she settled near a clear space and laid herself down, rubbing at the fine grass with her nose before looking up and around the camp. The man sat with his eyes closed, and the strange two-legged thing seemed to be preparing a food of the dead rabbit.

She was there for some time, content to watch this odd herd. Then her ears pricked forward, though there had been no sound, and she turned her head to the thick of trees closer to the gates of Denerim. She could feel Iauron coming from there to find her. She rose to her feet in a graceful movement, considering her size, and her hooves clod quietly in the dirt and grass for a moment as she moved a little to the edge of the camp's clearing.

"Lobo," Kraven started, without opening his eyes, "set another plate for dinner. For we have a guest arriving."

"Guest master? Lobo like guest. Guest can try Lobo cooking." he said with excitement.

Lobo hurried to get another plate, tripping over his seat, and thudding to the ground.

"Lobo ok, Lobo OK." he said as he picked himself up, and almost tripping again as he grabbed another plate, dusted it off, and served a nice aromatic plate of rabbit stew, with a side of flat bread to eat it with.

He set it beside the fire, to allow it to keep warm, while the guest arrived.

With a happy shrug, Lobo began to devour his plate of stew, while Abraxas chewed on the rabbit bones with gusto.

He never needed Fa'hallen to stay in the same place each time he went to look for her. The forests had been - and always would be - his real home, and no matter where her grazing might take her, he was sure to find her in good time. This morning, though, his Fa'hallen was in none of her usual places, and he wondered where she might be as he wandered through the trees.

Then, of course, Iauron felt her, as he always did when she was close by. The keeper of his clan had used to say that there was always a bit of the old elven magic left to tie a halla to her rider and companion, and Iauron had never once doubted that. He turned in his path, but slowed as he came nearer. There was another presence with her - he could feel that much from the trees - but she seemed calm, and so he had no reason to be wary. He was curious, though, so he quickened his pace through the bushes and trees until he came upon the came.

First his eyes went to Fa'hallen, who was standing only a few yards away from him. She looked well, and looked to be at ease, so any dredges of worry quickly slipped away. Assured of her safety, he looked around the camp. There was a fire, but and a man sitting with his eyes closed, but that was where the normalcy ended. Crucnhing bones beside the pit was tiny dragon-like creature, and strange as that was, it was nothing compared to the positively diminutive little human-like creature that was going about the fire. For a few stunned moments, he watched it was a complete fascination before Fa'hallen brought his mind back from its wander, and he stroked the nose she'd nudged him with as his eyes went back to the mediating figure.

He didn't want to disturb him, but to walk into his camp so brazenly and without a word would be unspeakably rude. "Have I you to thank for watching my Fa'hallen?" He asked amicably, a friendly if reserved smile on his face. Fa'hallen nodded her agreement, and he knew that she had been watching the camp for Nygozy's benefit, as well.

"Sit, eat. Lobo has prepared a nice meal. Enjoy the fire." Kraven said in Dalish, however, the words were a little bit different than the guest was used to. Some of the words hadn't been spoken in such a way for several hundred years, yet were similar enough to understand, and knew they were indeed Dalish.

"I try not to spend to much time near human cities. And I dare not enter them. Lobo goes for supplies when I need them."

"Master need supplies. Lobo get, " Lobo confirmed between bites of his stew, which was odd, since Kraven was still speaking in Dalish.

"Like I said, rest, I will not be much longer, for there is much we need to discuss, young elf."

Electric energy seemed to surge around the imposing man, stray strings of magic seemed to cascade around him and shoot out harmlessly. To the observant eye, people who actually see that Kraven was floating about a foot off the ground, and was indeed not seated on the stone beneath him.

Abraxas lifted his large bony head, a bone of a rabbit sticking out the side of his maw, and with a flick of his tongue, he sucked it in, and swallowed.

With a loud BURP, the Mabari sized lizard stretched, and got up to greet the new arrival, looking at Kraven for approval.

With the calm and inviting words that Kraven spoke to the stranger signaled to Abraxas, that all was well. So without a second thought for the remainder of the bones, he trotted playfully over to the elf, and sniffed him, and looked at the Halla, and sniffed her too.

He began bouncing up and down like a playful little puppy, his tail wagging.

Without realizing it he knocked over the stew that was still over the fire, spraying it all over Lobo.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! It BURNS IT BURNS!!" Lobo cried, jumping up, spilling his own dinner, and running around in circles.

After a moment he just stopped, wiped the stew from his face, and tasted it.

"Hmmm..More salt maybe?" Lobo shrugged, and went about cleaning up the mess, humming a catchy tune to himself.

It was nice being alone and far from the city. Calliara breathed deeply, pleased with the forest sounds and the quiet.

No humans yelling at the market, no pots clinging in the kitchens, no stalkers, no memories and no duties at all in that moment. Just plain and beautiful Nature.

Fenrir kept sniffing the grass, waving his short tail and trotting here and there, excited and happy that his Mommy had taken him for a walk outside the big big walls that were their shelter now. Mommy looked calm and she didn't smell like stress or sadness, and he was happy for that.

The Dalish looked at the puppy with a smile and then kneeled to cut some herbs. Maybe it could be a good excuse, going out to get some herbs for Jezarine. Of course the Warden's quarters had a garden full of different herbs, but the wild ones were the best, right? Anyway, she needed an excuse to go out, and that one was fitting enough.

She had seen Iauron leaving as well, and she was sure he saw her, or just noticed her leaving as well, but she respected everyone's privacy and didn't pretend to follow him. It was clear for her that the other Dalish was going to visit his halla, and even if she wanted so badly to pet the halla and feel like Dalish again, she hadn't followed him. Privacy was a good, good thing.

The Wolf breathed again. The pain was still there, and the recent scar on her right shoulder hurt a bit as well, but she felt good there instead than inside the city.

Fenrir barked and ran excitedly in circles around her, trying to get her attention, and then rushed in the bushes, looking for someone to play with.

Kraven sighed, as the noise that Lobo was creating was just unacceptable, and even his long, and seemingly unending patience was wearing thin.

"Lobo, I need you to deliver this to the Warden Commander", he stated, taking out a quill and parchement, and placing it on the rock that he had once hovered over.

He took out his wine flask, and dipped the end of the quill into whatever liquid was inside. As he pulled the end of the sharp quill out of the flask, it dripped with a dark red liquid, with a hint of glowing blue lines throughout.

With a quick, and experience hand, he began to scroll out a message, after just a few moments, the entire parchment was filled. He blew on the writing to quicken the drying of the liquid he had used to write out his message. He dug into the inside of his cloak, and produced what looked like a red waxed candle. His hand suddenly flared for a second, and moments later wax dripped on to the bottom of the parchment. He set the wax down, took of one of his leather gloves, showing off pale white skin underneath, he placed a ring into the wax, and embedded the symbol into it. He quickly rolled up the parchment, and did the same thing to seal it closed.

After he pull his writing supplies away, he waved his hand over the parchment, and murmured a few words, and the seal on the parchment flared up, and a glowing rune hovered over it for a moment, before fading into nothingness.

Lobo quickly wiped the stew from his face, threw the rag to the ground, and skipped over to Kraven, with a wide grin on his dark green face.

"Lobo take paper now master?" he said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Lobo like city, go explore." he said with a mischievous chuckle, while rubbing his hands together playfully.

Kraven handed the short funny creature the parchment, and without another sound, Lobo seemed to fade into the shadows, and vanished from sight, without even moving.

With a sigh of relief Kraven sat down, took a long swig from his flask, before putting it away under his cloak again.

With a sweep of his hand, he flung his cloak behind him, bring to light his armor for the first time. Upon the breastplate, which could only have been made from the finest of Silverite, were 10 symbols. 1 in the center, 5 on the left side, and 4 on the right side.

Any elf would easily recognize these. The center symbol was that of Elvhenan, the ancient nation of a once powerful Elven empire. The 5 symbols on the left side, were that of the 5 gods that were once worshiped by the Elven people, and the last 4 on the right, were that of the 4 goddess; this was the pantheon of old, the gods of the Elves themselves, those that were once worshiped, and were now almost forgotten.

These symbols almost seemed to glow with a light of their own, sparkling in time with the runes that seemed to adorn the edges of this figures cloak.

He gestured to the Elven visitor, his blue pupil-less eyes, glowed brighter, as a wicked grin spread across his face. With purpose, he pulled his cloak once again tight around him, knowing he had shown just enough to this young Dalish, to get his attention.

As Abraxas sniffed over the new arrival, and gently licked the coat of the Halla, his head came up suddenly, and his body stiffened.

He tilted his head as if to listen, then jumped up, spun around, and with such fluid motion, and carefulness as to not hit he Halla with his tail, he took off into the tall grass and the forest beyond.

He began sniffing long the ground, and every few feet, he would make a dash, and then get really low to the ground, as if hunting something.

With a played slither of his tail, he jumped over some bushes, and into the next clearing, only to come face to face with a Mabari pup.

Abraxas tilted his head, left, then right, trying to figure out what this small creature was. He had seen, and sized up many full grown Mabari before, but had yet to see one in its infancy. He side stepped to the left, the front of his body low to the ground, and his bottom high in the air; his tail wagged playfully, as his tongue hung out lazily, a tooth filled smile on his face.

Abraxas hoped he had found a new friend to play with, because he could only have so much fun teasing the funny looking creature that chose to travel with him and his pet who called himself Kraven.

Fenrir panted happily and rolled over himself on the grass. A new friend! And it wanted to play! Aww, life was wonderful. The puppy waved his little tail and jumped on the lizard creature with a happy bark, excited. He was growing fast for his almost five months, but he was still tiny enough to roll, fall, stand up again and jump here and there, playing with his new friend.

Calliara had followed him when she heard the happy barks and panting, and wondered what the hell Fenrir could find at that hour. The Wolf carefully cut another herb and then followed her pet, just to find him rolling over and over again on the grass with a lizard-like creature, that looked as happy as Fenrir.

She smiled and crouched so she could see better the creature, speaking calmly in the animal's language, like all rangers.

''Well, well, well, I wonder what you are, little friend...''

Abraxas looked up from the Mabari pup, and saw the crouching elf, and looked at her with curiosity.

''Well, well, well, I wonder what you are, little friend...''

He then jumped over the pup, and circled the elf a few times, sniffing intensely at her. Then without warning, he bounded over to the pup, wagged its tail with excitement, took one more look at the Elven female, and disappeared into the brush from whence it came.

((Nygozy says I can bunny Dartmoor until back))

Kassina and Dartmoor woke early to go to the forest and see the wolves. After having breakfast they left the palace. Kassina chose to go in owl form, still uncomfortable with being in elf form around so many people. She flew lazy circles overhead while Dartmoor walked along the streets below.

As soon as they were past the city walls Kassina flew down into a clump of trees and emerged in wolf form to trot along happily at Dartmoor's side. She reveled in the openess of the prairie after a few days in the cramped city. The wind and the smells quickly soothed away the stresses of the last few days.

Soon her sensitive nose picked up some familiar smells. Somewhere ahead was the tattooed elf and her mabari puppy friend. She wagged her tail excited and started to trot faster to make Dartmoor speed up. As they drew nearer she picked up unfamiliar smells as well. A dry lizard like smell, a halla, another elf, and some smells she couldn't identify.

Kassina and Dartmoor came through the bush and spotted the tattooed elf and the puppy just as the lizard bounded away. Anxious for a run Kassina left Dartmoor with the tattooed elf and ran off to join the game of chase.

Just as Abraxas bounded into the brush, he caught the scent of another animal that entered the area. This one had a strange smell to it, it was a wolfish dog smell, but it was masking something he couldn't quite make out.

This didn't stop him, and went into a full out run, weaving in and out of the trees and brush, stomping through the grass, and throwing up dirt as his hind legs dug into the ground to propel him forward.

Some birds were disturbed and annoyed at this intrusion as some lizard creature came stomping by their nest, which threw them into a panic, as they leaped up and tried to fly away.

Out of the corner of his eye Abraxas saw the birds take flight, and in mid stride twisted around, and took a jump at them, his maw open, and ready for a tasty bird snack. His jaws snapped shut on nothing but air, and he landed on the ground with a loud thud, his head skidding across the dirt, leaving a shallow trench behind him.

With wounded pride, he slowly got up, and shook himself, sending clumps of dirt in all directions. He looked up into the sky, trying to find a trace of what could have been a very tasty snack indeed. He sighed with disappointment as there was no sign of the startled birds anywhere.

He sat down, trying to catch his breath, his tail slithering back and forth behind him. Something suddenly tried to bite into his hard scaled hide, he responded in kind with a sudden flurry of his hind leg scratching where the annoyance once was.

Kassina was so happy to be running free again; she had felt so cramped while trapped in the city. Buildings were not something she enjoyed and she didn't think she would ever get used to them. Now she had the wind in her fur and the grass and dirt under her feat.

She happily lopped after the lizard, not really trying to catch him, just enjoying the chase. She watched and laughed to herself as he missed the flying birds. When she saw the look of dissapointment on his face she felt bad for laughing, even if he coudln't hear her.

She took a quick look around her to make sure no one was looking and then transformed into an eagle and gracefully took off after the fleeing birds. She soared a few lazy circles to check on Dartmoor before taking off after the birds. The freedom of flight was even greater than the run on the ground, and she took great pleasure in the hunt. She snatched two of the helpless little birds from the sky with her talons before they knew what hit them.

She let out a triumphant shriek and then headed back to the lizard in the grass, dropping one of the slightly crushed birds infront of his nose. She dropped the other bird a short way off and landed beside it. She made the shift back to wolf and laid down to eat her prize. There wasn't enough unburnt meat in the city. Silly humans wanting to ruin perfectly good meat!

Calliara smiled seeing the lizard playing with her puppy, and she let it sniff her without moving. Then, when it jumped and ran away the puppy ran after him, barking.

The Dalish stood and followed them as well calmly, letting them play. That was when she saw Kassina in her wolf form and smiled fondly at the Dalish cub, as she secretely had named her.

''Ah, I was wondering when would you escape from the city. Just as me it seems'' She said, and sat down again to watch them play and then eat, but she called Fenrir to give him some food she had, not letting him to eat raw meat.