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The Fallen (M) Anyone ADVANCED

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Post by Amalgamator Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:47 pm

(This is a longer post which involves Bradford skinning a wolf, and I did assume that Iantha and Nyla were both asleep, or else Bradford pretty much ignored them all night. Also, at the end, it's an hour before sunrise, so you either wake up or don't.)

"Be careful," Bradford heard the young girl say, her voice quivering slightly. From the sound of her voice alone, Bradford realized that he tied her splint a bit too tight, but he was sure her ankle wouldn't be moving any time soon. Bradford silently continued into the forest, the coals of the fire fading behind him as he walked quietly onward, his hand gripping the hilt of his shortsword. After a few minutes, Bradford turned, and continued towards where he remembered killing the dire wolf. The bats and birds were still clicking and chirping overhead, animals scurrying about around him as he walked.

After spotting the carcass of the wolf, it having moved slightly since he last saw it, Bradford picked up the twine and the trigger sticks, then proceeded to haul the wolf up onto his shoulder. The beast was heavy, for sure, almost 130 pounds, and mostly meat. The hunter held the wolf by both of its forelegs and rested its midsection over his left shoulder, the shoulder without twine around it. As he walked back, Bradford made sure to keep an eye out for bodies of water he could wash the animal in, but he found none. When Bradford returned to the camp, he noticed that Nyla was fast asleep with Iantha propping up her leg, an adorable sight worthy of a smile.

Of course, his back was now aching from the giant wolf on his back, so with a quiet grunt, Bradford dropped the carcass on a patch of grass near the fire, then pulled out his skinning knife and debated where to start. After brief contemplation, Bradford started skinning the dire wolf at its front left foreleg, separating the fur-coated skin from the beast's leg with many slight, careful cuts, then he worked on the creature's other leg in the same way, his knife flying through the skin with practiced precision as the hunter switched between his skinning knife and his smaller carving knife.

Before separating joints in the wolf's two paws, Bradford walked over to the cooking pot Nyla had used and poured out the stew a good distance away from camp. When he returned, he placed the pot near the wolf carcass and continued skinning, placing joints and limbs he cut out of the wolf's paws into the pot as he went along. After a certain point, the wolf's entire forelegs had been skinned and de-webbed, almost perfectly, so Bradford moved on to the wolf's hind legs, the hind paws being quite a bit faster than the front paws.

Bradford skinned down the wolf's backside and tail after finishing with its paws, the tail consuming a good amount of time and patience, then cut down the fur of the wolf's body, pulling off the fur as a person would a sock. When he reached the wolf's shoulders, he pulled the wolf's forelegs through the holes he made with his original cuts and continued cutting, trying not to get too much blood on the fur as he continued. Bradford cut down past the wolf's shoulders and down its neck, then cut off the ears as he worked, working through the wolf's eyes, cutting off the lips, near its gums, separating his nose from his face, and at long last, finishing his skinning session by separating the wolf's hide completely from its lower jaw.

After finalizing the skin by fleshing out the paws and separating the lips, ears and nose a bit more, Bradford wiped his knifes clean, then sheathed them and looked at the meaty carcass, paw pieces and skin before him. He wasn't quite done, but the dire wolf was skinned, at least. The hole in its chest which led to its demise was all the more apparent now, and a good amount of blood had leaked onto the ground from skinning, he turned the skin inside-out and placed it on his horse's back to dry. Nightfire didn't appear to notice the remains of the dire wolf on its back, so it continued sleeping under the high moon.

Bradford returned to the corpse, sliced open its chest, gutted it, and cut the meat from the wolf's bones, leaving its skeleton, guts and skull lying on the ground as a pile of meat and meat-covered bones lay in the cooking pot. With a sigh, Bradford collected the guts and the remaining skeleton of the wolf and walked back out to the forest, trying to get far enough away that they wouldn't be found. After ten minutes, Bradford dropped the remains of the wolf between two bushes, then walked back to camp.

The tired hunter looked up to see that the moon was beginning to fall again, for it was past midnight. The thought of time reminded him of the fire, which was likely going out, so he collected a bunch of large sticks and other pieces of wood as he walked, eventually reaching camp yet again. The coals of the fire were no longer red, but they were still plenty hot, so Bradford started up the fire again by placing a few small sticks in the coals and blowing on them, making the coals glow slightly as he did so. In no time, a small fire had been reborn from the coals, and so Bradford continued tending to it for a few minutes mesmerized by the flames.

After all of the wood was used up, a roaring fire before him, Bradford scavenged around the camp and picked up twelve fist-sized stones and put them in the fire to heat up. Bradford then walked over to where he placed his bowl of stew and poured it out where he had emptied the cooking pot. When he had walked back, the stones were far from glowing, so Bradford took his skinning knife and his bowl and cut up the pieces of wolf meat, separating the tendons, the bones and the meat, leaving the tendons and bones in the bowl and putting the meat back into the cooking pot.

When he had finished, he took out the larger pieces of meat and cut them down further, some of the pieces being far too big to cook properly on their own, and after preparing all of the meat, the hunter went back and looked at the twelve stones to find them glowing red hot in the light of the fire. Bradford then went over to his horse once again and pulled out a leather bag containing a few bits of sinew, then walked over to the bowl containing tendons and bones and placed the tendons into the bag, throwing the meatless bones into the fire, leaving the bowl empty.

After this, Bradford put a large amount of the meat in the pot into the bowl, filling it up and leaving the pot a third full of meat, then walked back over to his horse's saddlebags and replaced his leather bag of sinew, also putting the coil of twine around his body back in it's place in the saddlebags on his horse's back. The strategist took a long wooden spoon/stirring stick from his saddlebags and walked over to take Nyla's stew bowl, emptying it in the forest as well before returning to the pot of meat. Finally ready to cook the next morning, Bradford placed the wooden bowl of meat into the pot and covered it with the other wooden bowl, also putting his long wooden spoon into the pot.

With all his preparations finally out of the way, Bradford lay down next to the fire, pulling up his hood, and closed his eyes, allowing time to pass him by as he waited for morning, denied the deep sleep he longed for as the moon slowly fell from the sky, his mind eventually urging him to get up once again as the morning approached. Tired, but still smiling, Bradford used his parrying dagger and a stick to carefully pull the hot rocks from the fire, sweating as he did so to each rock individually, and placed the rocks in a pile a few feet away from the fire.

Bradford then brought over the pot full of meat and wood, taking the bowl on top and placing it on the ground for the finished, cooked meat and placing the other, overfilled bowl next to the other bowl to fill the pot after it was emptied, and lastly, Bradford placed the metal pot on the twelve glowing-hot rocks and began to stir the meat around, the gamy meat emitting a delicious odor as the pot heated up, denaturing the meat of the previously living animal. Bradford did not mind the taste of wolf meat, considering it had no especially odd taste, but it was a very different meat from beef and poultry. As Bradford knelt, watching and stirring the meat around in the pot, he could not help but think of his future, wondering what would happen as he and his companions ventured further.

The sun would rise in an hour or two, and the camp was relatively clean. Beside Bradford's cooking area, most of the rest of his belongings were in his horse's saddlebags, all except for the trigger pieces and the twine he had for the snare, the likes of which he had left lying around near his horse. The smell of cooking meat filled the camp, a smell much like poultry, except without salt, and a bit more smoky. The hunter knew that he would not be able to dry the meat, so cooking was of course his best option, because he had no salt. The meat sizzled away as he thought, morning slowly approaching.
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Post by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:07 pm

About an hour before sunrise, Nyla finally awakened. She was drowsy, and yawned. The delicious smell of meat filled their camp. Nyla went to get up, and yelped as she moved her ankle. Now wide awake from the shot of pain, Nyla looked around wide eyed. The camp was still relativley dark, the sky just starting to lighten to the east. Nyla's attention was caught by the pot filled with meat. It wasn't over the fire any longer, it was sitting on rock, that seemed to be emitting heat. Nyla nodded in understanding. She wondered where Bradford had gotten the the meat. The girl now looked over to the man. He was kneeling, and looking at the fire. Nyla didn't know if he had realized if she was awake yet or not, so she said quietly,"Morning..." Then she noticed Bradford's tired appearance,"Did you stay up all night?"

As Nyla awaited his answer, she gently moved her ankle from it's place on Iantha's neck. The still sleeping Dragon hummed, and then went back to her dreams. Nyla smiled, and used her hands to push herself onto her knee's, and from their, to her feet. The Girl kept most of her weight on her uninjured foot, but allowed some of the weight to fall onto her other leg. The splint held her ankle still, and Nyla was once again grateful for Bradford's handy work.

(Sorry, I didn't want to go to far ahead. And I also made a couple assumptions to, I hope you don't mind...)

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Post by Amalgamator Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:29 pm

(I'm starting to think that we have to make a few assumptions in our posts, because if we don't, we cannot really get anything done. In any case, your response was fine.)

The meat within the cooking pot spat every now and then from the heat, the rocks still glowing red hot as Bradford stirred breakfast around within the metal pot, watching the meat and turning to watch the fire every now and then. "Morning," came Nyla's voice, sudden in the quiet of the early morning. Bradford turned to face her, leaving the wooden spoon in the pot as he grinned at his companion, whom of which quickly continued, "Did you stay up all night?"

Bradford nodded at the girl, then said, "I made use of the wolf which tried sneaking up on us last night." with a confident grin, still knelt on the ground. He turned back to the meat after Nyla stood up, then said, "This meat'll be ready in a minute or two, but this is the way you want to cook. Rocks hold heat for a long time, and they don't give off smoke. Coals work too, however." as he stirred the meat around in the pot, the campfire beginning to die down yet again as the wood he had collected wasted away.

After a second, Bradford spoke again, still stirring the meat around in the pot as he said, "How's your ankle? I see that you can stand, at least." as the meat started to turn golden brown, the little fat of the meat glazing the bottom of the pan as he stirred. The smell gradually got more strong as Bradford continued stirring, the chunks of meat flopping around in the motion of the spoon.
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Post by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:58 pm

(Yeah, I've figured that out...)

 Nyla's blue eyes widen as he nodded. Then they got impossibly bigger as he went on, "I made use of the wolf which tried sneaking up on us last night." Nyla's mouth formed an 'O' as he spoke, and goosebumps returned to her skin. Nyla returned his smile, with a smile of her own, but it didn't show much happiness. "This meat'll be ready in a minute or two, but this is the way you want to cook. Rocks hold heat for a long time, and they don't give off smoke. Coals work too, however." Nyla nodded, and thought she would remember that...

Nyla watched the fire, and gingery hobbled over to it. She sat down closer to it, but frowned as it started to go down. She would fetch more firewood later. The heat from the smoldering coals, was warm though... Nyla looked over at Bradford as he again began to talk,"How's your ankle? I see that you can stand, at least." Nyla nodded. "It doesn't hurt as bad", The young girl replied. She slowly moved her foot sideways, showing Bradford she could move it. "So were eating, Wolf", Nyla asked. She had never heard of eating one.She was actually rather fond of the creature, and in the daytime, she had always found them majestic.

Iantha awoke a couple seconds after the conversation began, but  she stayed still, acting as if she was still sleeping. She listened to their words, and was happy they were getting along.  She had feared tat after last night, their might be some rough feelings. She had been wrong though, to her delight.

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Post by Amalgamator Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:26 pm

"It doesn't hurt that bad," Nyla said, her voice willing Bradford to look her way. She moved her foot a little as Bradford watched, making him chuckle and respond, "That's good." as she sat near the dimming fire. "So, we're eating wolf," the girl stated, some curiosity and some doubt in her voice as she spoke. Bradford continued moving the meat around in the cooking pot as he responded, "I killed it, so we might as well eat it. No use starving," as he poked a few pieces of meat, testing to see if they were done.

The meat gave a good amout of resistance when pushed on, so Bradford gave it one last stir and, using his cloak so his hand wouldn't burn, poured out the meat into the empty wooden bowl, quickly returning it to its resting position over the hot rocks. The sun was still a good half hour or so away from rising, and the birds were just starting to roost in their perches from the trees, the little animals of the forest scurrying around some more as the day began.

Bradford selected a piece of meat from the bowl and bit into it to see how he had done. the meat was medium rare, not too tough, but more cooked than he wanted. With a shrug, Bradford ate the rest of the piece of meat and poured another batch of raw wolf meat to cook in the pot. "If you are hungry, I finished cooking some." Bradford said, stirring the new batch of meat as he looked over at Nyla, the bowl of raw meat resting on the ground once again. In the bowl was a good pound and a half of wolf meat, with quite a few pounds to go.
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Post by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:08 pm

Nyla watched him stir the meat,"I killed it, so we might as well eat it. No use starving," Nyla nodded. Nyla watched as he poked the meat again, her mouth watering from the meat's aroma. Out of the corner of her eye, Nyla thought she saw Iantha stir, but the Dragon remained still. Nyla looked back, as Bradford poured some of the meat into a bowl. Nyla smiled, and looked up as a bird popped out of a tree. The birds were different here, than they were back home...

 Nyla looked between Bradford, and the bird. The bird effortlessly dropped out of the sky, and landed about ten feet from her. This made Nyla's smile grow. She looked back at Bradford as he spoke,"If you are hungry, I finished cooking some." Nyla nodded, and answered,"Yes, Please!" Then she got up and walked over, ignoring the pain from her ankle. She made a detour for her bowl, in her saddlebags. She grabbed it, and went over to Bradford, and then looked at him skeptically. She wasn't sure if he wanted to eat first, or...

 Iantha twitched her tail, as the scent of the meat grew stronger. A low growl erupted from her, and she got up, licking her lips. She trotted over to the raw meat in the bowl. She picked up the bowl carefully, so she wouldn't damage it, and then trotted away. When she got far enough away, she tipped the bowl over, and ate all of it's contents. Then Iantha grabbed the bowl, trotted back, and put it where it was. Then she sat looking at the two.

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Post by Amalgamator Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:40 pm

(Alright, I purposefully left this post short because I need to go for awhile, so take your time in responding.)

As the next batch of meat started cooking, Nyla hobbled over to her horse, grabbing another bowl before walking back towards him, saying, "Yes please!" as she did so, a hungry smile on her face. Bradford pointed the bowl of cooked meat and smiled at Nyla, saying, "Take what you want" as he continued cooking, the small bowl nearly full of warm meat. The hunter turned around after hearing the dragon walk towards him and started to greet the dragon with a quick, "Ho there!" but he was interrupted by a growl from the dragon.

Bradford watched silently as the dragon walked by, grabbing the bowl and the five pounds of meat left in it and walking away for her own meal. The cook could not help but chuckle at the event, and when the dragon returned, placing the bowl back where it previously was, Bradford grinned at her and sarcastically said, "Hey! Where'd the meat go!" as he continued stirring the meat within the cooking pot, his expression light. Nightfire had awoken by that point in the morning, and was now chewing on a bit of grass, or whatever else looked appetizing on the ground.
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Post by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:21 pm

Nyla followed his finger, and nodded. "Take what you want", Nyla smiled back, and took a little. And little was not just an expression, she hardly took any. She giggle as she watched Iantha, and shook her head. Then Nyla took a testing taste of the meat, and and pulled back in surprise. It was like meat she had never before eaten, and the girl couldn't tell if she liked it or not. Nyla took another bite, and decided she liked it. She ate her small portion, then walked over and set her bowl next her mare. She would clean it later...

Iantha looked back at Bradford, an amused hum erupting in her chest as he said,"Hey! Where'd the meat go!" The Dragon just blinked and trotted away. Now that I have had a snack, I'm going hunting... Nyla started laughing as she said this, and she looked over to Bradford to see his reaction. Iantha growled again, amused, then the Dragon leaped into the air, her powerful wings lifting her higher and higher. The Purple Dragon was soon out of sight, and Nyla was again left with out her companion.

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Post by Amalgamator Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:31 pm

Iantha just blinked in response to Bradford's joke, then turned and shot words into his head as it walked away, humming in a bemused manner. Now that I have had a snack, I'm going hunting. Bradford grinned in a condescending manner at the dragon for a moment, wishing he had gotten a better response, but he returned to caring to the meat simmering in the pan, basking in its scent. Nyla had only taken a small amount of the meat, so Bradford put the bowl of cooked meat into the bowl which previously had raw meat in it and popped a chunk into his mouth, satisfying his hunger a little in the process.

By the time the dragon was gone, Bradford had emptied the now rare meat into the bowl and tried yet another piece. This meat was more chewy, and had more of the fatty flavor adding to it, a better job than the first batch. Having spent less time cooking, and noting that the rocks were cooling down, probably caused the meat to turn out this way. It was almost a good thing that Iantha had eaten the other chunks of meat, because the rocks would not have remained hot enough to cook all of it, and thus Bradford would have had to put the rocks back in the fire to finish cooking it all before it spoiled.

Of course, with all the meat done, Bradford took the pot off the hot rocks and left the materials there, carrying the bowls over to Nyla's saddle as he took a seat. The cook separated the two bowls, placing one on top of her saddle so she could have it back, and placing the other on the ground next to him, picking up a few pieces of meat so that he could regain his energy. There was around three pounds of meat left to consume, so Bradford took his time eating, wondering what container he would use to carry the meat with him. The wolf's pelt would still take another day or two before it would be dry enough to pack, so Bradford did not think he would have anything significant.

"You might want to eat a bit more Nyla," Bradford started, smiling at the girl caringly, "You have plenty of room to grow, and this meat is not going to taste nearly as good in an hour or two." With that said, Bradford plopped another piece of meat into his mouth and offered the bowl in Nyla's direction, posing his offer distinctly.
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Post by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:39 pm

(Hey, I have to Baby sit tonight, and all of tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to respond till tomorrow night...)

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Post by Guest Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:01 pm

Nyla sighed, and watched Bradford finish off the rest of the meat. Then he carried the now cooked meat over to her, and sat down beside her, he put one of the bowls beside her on her saddle, then he kept the other. "You might want to eat a bit more Nyla", Nyla gave in and nodded,"You have plenty of room to grow, and this meat is not going to taste nearly as good in an hour or two." This made Nyla laugh, and she responded,"All right, All right..." She took the meat, and picked out a couple of pieces. She popped one in her mouth, noticing a new flavor that made the meat better. At least better that the last batch. "Mmmmmmmm" Nyla made the the noise softly, making it sound slightly sarcastic.

Nyla ate a couple more chinks of the meat, before looking at Bradford,"Tell me about your family... Were they farmers, and smart like you?" Nyla was merely curious, and their was no purpose behind the question. Nyla looked up into the sky, waiting for his answer. The very tippy top of the sun was appearing to the East. This made Nyla smile, after the events of the long, horrific, night. Nyla stretched out her legs, gritting her teeth as her ankle screamed in pain.

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Post by Amalgamator Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:35 pm

Bradford grinned as Nyla relented and consumed a bit more meat with a quick, "All right, all right," and a, "Mmmmmm," both actions causing Bradford to smile a bit more, even though her hum had a hint of sarcasm. The scholar took another chunk of meat himself, chewing on a bit of fat within the piece as Nyla asked him a question, "Tell me about your family. Were they farmers, and smart like you?" After hearing Nyla's question, a flashback quickly overran his consciousness, his jaw stopping mid-chew as his eyes locked.

Images flashed by as he paused, an unfamiliar building before him. Rain was pouring down, and high columns of marble shot up to the roof of the odd building before him. He was running, thunder struck in the distance as his heavy breath and pounding heart erupted in his ears. Before him was an odd lady, one which gave him a feeling of nostalgia, longing, security, a woman with a stern face, motioning for him to get closer. The word 'mother' echoed in his mind, then Bradford awoke from his flashback a second later with a quick jolt, nearly spilling a piece of meat.

Recovering quickly, Bradford cleared his throat and swallowed his meat, responding with the words, "My father was a freed slave working for a blacksmith and my mother a librarian." as he scratched the back of his neck, looking down and trying to decipher what just happened. He thought for a moment, then looked back up at Nyla, deciding to forget about the vision, and continued, "I'd prefer to forget them, actually," his face solemn, angst filling his eyes but for a moment. Immediately after finishing his words, Bradford shaped another grin over his face as he tried to hide his thoughts, plopping yet another piece of meat into his mouth. The bowl was still half full of meat, but Bradford was satisfied by that point, still holding out the bowl as he chewed, looking at Nyla as if to offer another piece.
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Post by Guest Fri Aug 02, 2013 5:13 pm

Nyla watched as his eyes went blank, as if he was remembering a part of himself he had forgotten. A second went by, but it seemed like an hour. Nyla couldn't help but feel wary of the look in Bradford's eyes. Then, without warning, he jolted back to the present. The quick action had surprised Nyla, but she smiled when he lost the blank look in his eyes. Bradford cleared his throat before speaking, "My father was a freed slave working for a blacksmith and my mother a librarian." Nyla's eyes widened, "Really?" She said, almost not believing him. He looked at her, "I'd prefer to forget them, actually,"Nyla was startled,"Why is that?" She was really curious now.

Nyla watched him eat for a couple seconds, and then ate some more as he offered her some more. Now she was truly full, and she gently pushed the bowl away. In the back of her mind, the girl felt satisfaction from Iantha. She guessed the Dragon had succeeded in her hunt, her guess was proven true, as a pang of hunger faded from the dragon. Nyla smiled to herself, happy Iantha was doing so well. She had worried that Iantha would not know how to do stuff, because she did not have an elder Dragon to teach her thing. But she had been proven wrong that time.

Iantha growled in delight, as she gulped down a deer she had just killed. She had been faintly aware of Nyla and Bradford's conversation, but as their words took on a new feeling, she had listened more closley. She had been trying to put together the puzzle about Bradford, but she didn't know enough about him. This made her wary, but she trusted him still. He had saved Nyla, if that was the only reason, and it wasn't.

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Post by Amalgamator Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:39 pm

(I'm starting to get goosebumps! Yay!)

"Why is that?" Nyla asked, a curious look in her face as she responded to Bradford's last point, accepting a few pieces of meat, then pushing away the bowl gently. Bradford sighed and put the bowl back on the ground next to him, his fake smile now completely gone as his face turned solemn. After he finished chewing, having thought for another moment, Bradford took a deep breath and murmured out, "I was the youngest, the hardest worked, and the first abandoned in my family." After saying this, he paused for another few seconds, trying to think about just how he would go about explaining his past.

Bradford never hated his parents for what they did, but the memory of them set his mind into spirals, much like the mention of a man's worst fear. The true reason he wished to forget them was something he had never shared, and intended never to share. He knew that he would not be able to bring himself to tell Nyla this, or anyone else, for that matter, but he most certainly did not want to lie. His expression changed from solemn to content as he began speaking once again, having decided to tell part of the truth, "My father was not very successful, and my mother cared more about her job than her husband, so my brothers and I had a really tough childhood." he began, looking into Nyla's eyes directly, as if staring into her soul.

It is said that a man lies when he looks in the direction of his dominant hand, either upward or to the side. Bradford did not move his eyes at all, keeping them set straight at Nyla as he recollected his past, a nervous smile forming on his face as he suppressed his sadness, his voice faltering occasionally as he continued, "There was never enough food to go around, so we used to fight for our share, and because I was the youngest by three years, I almost always starved." Bradford then paused once again, and continued, the memories still streaming in as he took another deep breath, resisting tears, " My father paid no heed to my existence, and my mother would beat me for talking. They favored my oldest brother, and even made me do his chores on top of my own as he ate my share of food each night."

After another pause, closing his eyes for another second, shivering at the memory of his father's face, taking a deep breath and opening his eyes with a confident, determined smile as he stared back at Nyla, his voice soft, but calm as he finished, "Even still, they made me who I am today. I have not seen them for many years, but I would not avoid them should we meet again." With this said, Bradford quickly got up, taking another deep breath as he carried the bowl full of cooked meat over to his horse. The hunter pulled out an empty leather pouch, a moderately small one, and shoved the remaining meat chunks into the bag, then attaching the bag to his belt as he carried the bowl back to Nyla.
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Post by Guest Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:08 pm

(Same here!!! I just had the best idea!!!!)

Nyla looked at him sadly, as his face turned solemn. She could tell she had questioned a part of him, that he did not share often. After a second or two, he took a deep breath and began, "I was the youngest, the hardest worked, and the first abandoned in my family."Nyla gasped at his first statment. She shook her head, almost ashamed she had asked, but he was not done... After a few more seconds, it seemed as if he was a whole different person. His eyes turned fearful, and Nyla grew slightly afraid. Then he continued, after what looked like, much thought, and his expression changed, "My father was not very successful, and my mother cared more about her job than her husband, so my brothers and I had a really tough childhood." He said this staring right into Nyla's eyes.

Nyla had a weird emotion settle over her, one she had never felt, or if she had, not for a very long time. It was a motherly emotion, but one could not quite explain it. As he stared at her, he put on a fake smile. Nyla didn't smile back, for in his eyes, all Nyla could see was sadness. "There was never enough food to go around, so we used to fight for our share, and because I was the youngest by three years, I almost always starved." Nyla frowned each time his voice faltered, and as he finished this time, she could see tears in his eyes. She had a horrible urge to hug the Man. She resisted though. As he took another deep breath, Nyla mimicked him, readying herself," My father paid no heed to my existence, and my mother would beat me for talking. They favored my oldest brother, and even made me do his chores on top of my own as he ate my share of food each night." It was sad seeing a man so strong, look so helpless. It made tears gather in Nyla's own eyes.

At a break in his story, Nyla stared off in the distance. She was trying to clear herself of her emotions, but they just wouldn't go away. Nyla's gaze shot back to Bradford as he quivered, and put on a real smile. When he began this time, Nyla noticed he had once more became the Bradford she had know. Confident, and calm he said, "Even still, they made me who I am today. I have not seen them for many years, but I would not avoid them should we meet again."

With this said, he got up and walked over to his horse. Nyla didn't watch him though, she was to busy trying to hide her admiration of the man, from him. As he attached a bag to his belt, Nyla tenderly got to her feet. Tears still gathered at the edges of her eyes, but she felt no shame in them. When he returned to her, Nyla gave him a small smile, and said,"I'm so sorry." Then without thinking, she hugged him.

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Post by Amalgamator Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:07 pm

(Do you want to time-lapse at all? We could do something like Persona where we skip to major events where our characters get to know each other better and skip over things like lessons and training which do not actually need to be role played.

That's not to say we won't do anything related to teaching, traveling, gathering wood or whatever, just nothing that isn't really important or doesn't involve character development. I don't want to make another system, but how about we skip over something by saying our characters did it instead of roleplaying it out repeatedly. For example, I already described Bradford skinning, gutting and butchering a dire wolf, so if he does it again on his own, I'll probably just say he did it instead of describing the whole thing again, unless character development happens, maybe Nyla wakes up and asks him to teach her how, as an example.)

Bradford nearly dropped the bowl he held out of surprise when he saw the look on Nyla's face. He knew she had been holding back tears throughout his story, but the conflicted and pity-filled complexion of the young girl touched the strategist's heart. Before he could open his mouth, she said, "I'm so sorry," and embraced the unsuspecting hunter. Bradford chuckled light-heartedly for a second and returned the embrace, hugging her back as he smiled, unable to hold back a tear. He had not expected such a small portion of his life's story to evoke such a strong response, but the moment was magical all the same.

After a second, Bradford let go of Nyla and spoke, his voice smooth and tranquil as he said, "It is through pain that we become stronger, and through mistakes that we gain wisdom." He then smiled cheerfully at the girl and said, "We should start traveling through Alyer today, the dawn has passed. You seemed worried that someone was following you, so it would be smart to begin when Iantha returns." After this, he offered the bowl which still remained in his hand to Nyla, assuming she would want it back. Even though he had not set up the snare, the extra wolf meat he had cooked would likely make a fairly nice snack, should they become hungry.

"I do wish to hear about your parents as well, however." Bradford chimed in, smiling wryly at Nyla, "Don't think I'll share my story without a price."
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Post by Guest Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:27 pm

(Oh and about your idea. I think that would be only reasonable, otherwise, I think we would get bored. And I really like this Topic, It's fun!!! Oh and my Idea is that while wandering through Ayler, the three find an old cosolium, built by the riders. They explore it and happen to find a secret room. PM me for more!!!)
Nyla smiled as he returned the hug. She could feel his body tense, and then relax. It was a wonderful moment, one of which she had never even dreamed about. From their bong, Nyla could feel Iantha's admiration, and satisfaction. There was also a touch of Mystery to her thoughts, and Nyla could not figure out the reason. After what felt like nothing, Bradford let go, and said smoothly,"It is through pain that we become stronger, and through mistakes that we gain wisdom." Nyla smiled. He was back to his old self! 

"We should start traveling through Alyer today, the dawn has passed. You seemed worried that someone was following you, so it would be smart to begin when Iantha returns." Nyla nodded, and cleared all of the thoughts from her mind, all except the important ones. "I'll call her back now..." Nyla took the bowl as he offered it, and then she sighed. She packed everything back up, and grabbed her saddle. She saddled Honey, and after she was done called,"Iantha!!!" With her mind.

Nyla looked back at Bradford as he spoke, "I do wish to hear about your parents as well, however." Bradford smiled at Nyla, and the girl gave a weak smile back, "Don't think I'll share my story without a price." Nyla sighed, she had been hoping he wouldn't ask her about her parents. But somehow, she had know he would. Nyla shook her head," I don't know about my parents. My Aunt found me on her doorstep when I was only a week old." Nyla breathed in deeply,"There are many things about myself, that I do not know..."

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Post by Amalgamator Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:23 pm

(You're going to have to excuse me for my lacking terminology of horse things. I tried in the past, but I am just confusing myself in hindsight. Also, I sent you a PM.)

Bradford and Nyla both packed their bags after their embrace was over, Bradford pushing the unused snare into one of the less-filled saddlebags on Nightfire and feeling the wolf pelt for dryness. He had not stretched the pelt, not that he could, but it was drying relatively quickly. Within the next three days, should the rain not come, the pelt would be dry enough to pack in a saddlebag. In the mean time, Bradford hung the pelt inside out behind the saddle on his steed. With his horse fully ready to go, the camp nothing but two horses, two people and a dying fire, the two were ready for a journey.

Before their journey, however, Bradford had a story to hear. Having asked a question to Nyla already, the girl responded, "I don't know about my parents. My Aunt found me on her doorstep when I was only a week old." Nyla paused there and took a deep breath before continuing, her story intriguing Bradford's interest as he untied the rope he used to leash Nightfire to a tree using her halter,"There are many things about myself, that I do not know." Hearing this, Bradford felt a bit disappointed, but he felt that Nyla deserved words, so he responded by saying, "My master always told me that the richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten. Maybe you'll find out more about yourself someday."

With this said, Bradford smiled happily again and pet his horse, trying to figure out whether or not he needed to feed Nightfire salt. The horse seemed to have eaten a good portion of the grass around the tree he was leashed too, but he remembered a stable-boy telling him that grass lost its magic in the winter, and that horses needed magic salt to stay healthy. Bradford had no idea what was in the salt, but it tasted fine when he bought a pound, so he assumed it would be useful even if it was not as 'magical' as the stable-boy had said. The hunter also wondered when Iantha would return, but the dragon usually was not that far away when Nyla needed her, in his witness, at least, so he assumed she'd return soon enough.
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Post by Guest Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:39 pm

(I answered to it. And as you'll find out, I'm a horse freak! If you ever need any info, just ask...)

Nyla quivered slightly, and listened to his answer,"My master always told me that the richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten. Maybe you'll find out more about yourself someday." Nyla smiled, and felt the urge to hug Bradford again. Instead she just looked at him, and said,"That's a really nice saying. I'll keep it in mind..." Nyla called for Iantha again, feeling annoyed that the Dragon was taking so long. Iantha responded with aggravation, and a heavy growl, I'm Coming!, She snarled. Nyla looked to the sky, curious of what had upset her friend.

Iantha flew faster when she heard Nyla, and she answered quickly, and shortly.  As a tail darft blew upon her, she reverted to gliding, taking her merry time. A couple minutes later she arrived in camp, and landed with a heavy thud. She ignored the two humans, and sat down a bit away from the smoldering fire. Iantha could feel Nyla's curiosity,m but she remained silent. She was now focusing on what she had learned about Bradford. Something didn't add up, and she was going to find it!

Nyla smiled as Iantha landed. She greeted the Dragon, but Iantha remained silent. Nyla could tell she was deep in thought. Nyla then mounted her mare, painfully, and looked at Bradford,"Shall we be off?" And then looking at Iantha, Nyla said,"She will follow..." Then, assuming Bradford was behind her, she clucked to Honey. The mare started off eagerly, and soon fell into a brisk trot.

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Post by Amalgamator Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:15 am

(As far as Iantha's behavior is concerned, she does not yet know enough about Bradford to know what is wrong with his identity. Bradford has only told a few brief facts about himself, none of which contradict. Not only that, his very subconsciousness is keyed in to his character with about the same accuracy as any other adolescent. Teenagers are always trying to figure out their identity, so some level of mental confliction is normal at said age. I just do not think that Iantha's suspicion is backed by any evidence yet is all, so take it into consideration at least. Read on.)

After speaking, Nyla responded to Bradford my smiling and saying, "That's a really nice saying. I'll keep it in mind." Bradford nodded after hearing this, deciding not to feed his horse salt just yet, and hopped up onto Nightfire's saddle, grabbing the short reigns as he did so. Iantha shot down from the sky a minute later, landing near the fire surprisingly gently, and Nyla responded to Iantha's sudden presence by saying, "Shall we be off?" Bradford looked over at Iantha, who was already deep in thought, staring at the fire, but before he could say anything, Nyla too looked over at Iantha and said, "She will follow."

With a cluck, Nyla was off, riding her horse onward into the forest without a second thought. Bradford watched Iantha briefly, then urged Nightfire onward, looking around at his surroundings as he followed the girl. The birds were chirping again, and more furry forest animals were active as the sun continued rising, a long day ahead. The two passed by plenty of herbs, bushes and flowers as they rode, the canopy high above only blocking out some of the light from the sun. It was moderately dark in the forest, as dark as a cloudy day in the city, but the sun peeked through here and here, making beams of brilliant light for the forest life to bask in. Bradford was silent as he moved along, trying to settle his memories as he did so.
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Post by Guest Sun Aug 04, 2013 6:16 pm

(Well, it's just that she's a Dragon, and she can tell when somethings up. She can't exactly pinpoint it, but she can tell. She won't be able to figure it out though, until she knows more about Bradford... So your safe there!!!  She will probably figure it out within a year, if things keep going on like this...)

Nyla smiled as she heard Bradford's mare follow them. The girl had been worried he would not follow. Especially after earlier, and them telling each other, about themselves... Nyla sighed. It was a crazy world, and under these circumstances, everyone, including herself, seemed like lunatics.  She smiled at the thought, and she felt Iantha's amusement. Nyla frowned a little and looked back. They had not traveled far, for it had only been a couple minutes, camp was still in sight. Yet, the Purple Dragon had yet to move. Nyla shook her head, and smiled to herself. She worried too much...

Nyla halted her mare, and waited for Bradford to ride up beside them. Then she urged the mare on again. She rode beside the man for about a minute, gathering her words... And then she said," Why did you leave, wherever you came from? It seemed as if you had a pretty good life, or at least from what I've heard." Nyla looked at him for a second longer, and then went back to concentrating on riding. Riding beside each other was a little more difficult, because of the close knit trees. Nyla was often being pitched forward, onto her mare's neck, as Honey tripped over a root, or got tangled in a vine.

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Post by Amalgamator Sun Aug 04, 2013 7:00 pm

(Ahh, a 'sixth sense.' I still do not really know everything about dragons as a role player, despite having read three books a long time ago, so it would be helpful if you keep pointing out this stuff. Also, it will be very apparent at the time Bradford's personality corrodes back into Bralri's, but the transition will be sudden. I decided that having a steady dissent, or recovery, would not make as much sense as a trigger event unraveling his facade.)

At Nightfire's pace, the steady clopping of the steed's shoe'd hooves on the ground continued at a fairly constant pace as the strategist followed his companion, but only for a half of a minute. Nyla paused and positioned herself next to him as they continued on, both of the companions having trouble remaining steady on their steeds as bushes and roots got in the way. Nightfire was an amazing traveling horse, good for both long distance, speed, and carrying heavy weight, but only on clear paths. The Dulles Pony caused his master some discomfort as he tried to overcome obstacles at his slow pace. Bradford winced a few times as Nightfire jumped over an obstacle and slammed to the ground, slowing down in combination with the action and reminding the strategist of the pains of maleness.

After a minute or two, Nyla looked back once or twice, but after she was next to him, she promptly asked, "Why did you leave, wherever you came from? It seemed as if you had a pretty good life, or at least from what I've heard." Bradford laughed outright in response to this, half because he just hit his arm against a tree branch, and half because of the irony of her later statement.

After calming down, taking only a second to laugh and another to clear his throat, Bradford responded, his response encyclopedic as he recited what he remembered, "As a student of a master strategist, I learned thousands of skills associated with combat, leadership, survival, and communication. After passing my master's final test, I am expected to wander the world for a year or two and test my skills." He then paused for a second to let his words sink in and continued, "My life in Gondol was not as pleasant as you may think. I had to pay a fortune to study under my master, and I still had to deal with both my family and the higher-class scholars around me. My father was a freed slave, after all."

Having said this, another half truth, Bradford turned around to see if Iantha was following them. He could faintly see the purple glint of her scales off in the distance, however he could not tell whether or not the creature was moving, or even if it was in the air or not. He decided to trust Nyla's decision, and thought that the dragon would catch up if she so desired. The dragon could fly, after all, and Nightfire was not moving at the stunning pace Bradford was used too.
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Post by Guest Mon Aug 05, 2013 3:42 pm

With each step, Nyla's mare took, was a struggle to stay in the saddle. There had to be an easier way around! The girl thought. After she had asked her question, it took her a second to notice Bradford's laughter. Before she could ask him what was so amusing, he answered,"As a student of a master strategist, I learned thousands of skills associated with combat, leadership, survival, and communication. After passing my master's final test, I am expected to wander the world for a year or two and test my skills." Nyla's mouth formed an 'O', as she understood, then Bradford continued,"My life in Gondol was not as pleasant as you may think. I had to pay a fortune to study under my master, and I still had to deal with both my family and the higher-class scholars around me. My father was a freed slave, after all." Nyla nodded, and looked down as he mentioned his family. Even though she had, had a rough childhood, she felt privileged after his story. She couldn't understand how anyone could treat a boy like that...

Nyla continued on riding, trying to concentrate on steering her mare away from the bigger obstacles. Her mind kept lingering back to what Bradford had said about his family. She sighed and turned to him,"Did you at least have any friends?" Nyla didn't have the privilege of many friends, because she lived so far from town. But she had, had a couple. The girl grunted as he mare tripped again. Her mind then wandered to Iantha, and she expressed how she wanted the Dragon to hurry. Not through words though, through emotions. It seemed primitive, but it helped get Nyla's mind to other things.

Iantha felt Nyla's mind wander to her, and she slowly got up. The Dragon stretched, arching her back like a cat. While doing this, she yawned, her glittering fangs about an inch long. She then slowly sauntered after the two, scratching a couple of tree's with her tail spikes, as she went. If anyone was following them, hopefully they would be unnerved, when they saw the long punctures on the tree's bark. She hummed to herself, at the idea. With her heightened sense of smell, the dragon could smell deer all about, but she was full from her last hunt. Iantha continued on, growling at the woodland creatures that crossed her path. She snapped at a rabbit, purposely missing it's flank by only a couple of inches.

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Post by Amalgamator Mon Aug 05, 2013 6:25 pm

Nyla and Bradford continued on trotting through the wilderness on their steeds, the strategist still wincing every now and then as he tried various ways to adjust his seating so as to avoid discomfort. After a few seconds of his previous answer, Nyla posed another, "Did you at least have any friends?" This question inspired a brief blank expression in Bradford, his mind searching for an answer as he bobbed up and down on his horse. After a few seconds, Bradford defined the word, 'friend' in his mind and looked over at Nyla with a half-smile, then looked back forward as he paused for another second, debating what to say.

Again, Nyla had asked a touching question, the likes of which Bradford did not prefer to share the exact answer to. Bradford could see the blood and the enraged expressions in the orphanage mirror briefly, flashing by as he trotted along. His conversations with Nyla never ceased to pull out his deeper memories, but he did not want to let out too much about himself too quick. Bradford decided to tell of the people he never fought with, those who helped him out, at the very least.

Looking back at Nyla, having finally made up his mind, Bradford confidently said, "Of course I had friends, but they didn't last. It was usually just my fault, then again, good friends don't come easy." After a second, he decided that he wanted to forget about those memories too, and continued, "I would prefer to keep my past in the past, however." A second after this, Bradford blinked, however his eyes did not open. Gripping the reins of Nightfire, Bradford ducked a bit lower on his saddle and rested his eyes for a second, tired. He opened his eyes another few seconds later, but only barely. If I don't get sleep tonight, I'm going to pass out tomorrow. Bradford thought, frowning as his eyes sent pain through his brain.
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Post by Guest Tue Aug 06, 2013 9:52 pm

Nyla cast a glance over at Bradford, to see his expression was blank. Though only for a second. His face inspired Nyla to smile, and the smile grew wider, as Bradford smiled at her. Nyla looked forward as he did, and just in time to. Her mare had quickened to a trot, and Nyla pulled her back. Nyla patiently awaited his answer, entertaining herself with holding her mare back. She should have given the mare her head... A large root appeared in front of the horse, the root at least two feet tall, and two feet wide. Nyla gave the animal her head, just as Honey, shortened her stride, and jumped the root. Nyla landed in the saddle with a thump, as The mare reconnected with gravity.

All of this had happened within a minute, and Nyla smiled as Bradford looked over at her, and began to talk, "Of course I had friends, but they didn't last. It was usually just my fault, then again, good friends don't come easy." Nyla nodded her head in understatement, and looked back down. "I would prefer to keep my past in the past, however." Nyla again nodded,"As you wish..." Then adding a bit of humor to the conversation, she said,"It will be very boring traveling now, though..." She added a small smile to the end of her sentence, but her head remained tilted down.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nyla saw Bradford slump a little. "You look really tired, you should really sleep tonight, when we set camp." Nyla kept watching him, almost worried. She knew how traveling took a toll on a man. Before her Uncle had passed, she had often witnessed him coming home from his travels, weary and saddle sore. He died of exhaustion. Nyla looked closer at Bradford, worried about him dying. He didn't look like he was close to passing away, so Nyla let the thought slip from her mind.

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