#dreaming

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Between classes and more, it can be hard to find time for a quest. And yet, in the most mundane parts of the dreaming, Earl and Zara walk

Earl grows larger, of course, but has not yet burst into antlers or the like

And Zara, already slim, is wraithlike.

Her hands are clammy, but not yet webbed... as such, spidery fingers are entwined with his.

His own grip is strong, firm, and it is well that his arms or longer so they can connect "The four islands of seasons, a conundrum, if we get closer to remember what we might have lost of them, and then return to the waking world, then it is lost again. Yet if we just go deep now, it may steal time from us. And will just be the two of us, not that I object to that last. What do you think?"

"When could I ever object to just the two of us?"

"We lose much, every quest... but even a grain, a mustard-seed, aye... a worthy prize, knowledge."

A smile rises on his face, "Then we go deeper, you and I. Let us gather mustard seeds"

"Wonderful."

The two of them wander along what begins as familiar paths and trods, they are more far traveled than even they realize. Some kithian are in areas where trods are rare, or so infrequent as to be rarer than blue moons. But they ? They have become experienced... without becoming jaded.

Zara's whisper grows softer - Earl may rely more on reading lips and expression than his ears as she points out sights and marvels. 1122, cheeky thing, skitters ahead. bronte remains at Earth Runes, defending the Library.

Indeed, Earl is glad his senses, while nothing compared to a sluagh's, ,grow slightly more keen as well so he can compensate. By now he has grown gifted at reading her gestures and body language as well as her lips. Some novelty is found by the death of the great wyrm... Skallstryke's passage damaged the dreaming, but his undoing and defeat gave back some to it- and thus, change has ensued...growth, and not just on the spring side of things (Though for a time that had an advantage). A new swamp has burst into being off in the distance , what was once a dried arid patch... one can see it's flowers floating on the surface, and those flowers shaped like snow flakes, an odd contrast of warm and cold.

Zara steals two - one in her hair, another for his horns.

Earl gives a throaty chuckle in the back of his throat, but bowed so she might apply it. He does admire how hers looks in her hair

A kiss on his forehead, approval.

They travel on for a bit, enjoying circling about this new (or is it returned) area. They come to a fork in the road... and it humms at an odd pitch, not painfully, despite the fact the fork is embeded in the ground and is six foot tall.. .for it is a tunning fork.

Earl tilts his head...

but Zara can almost make out more in the hum...

OOC: Perception plus alertness

/roll explode 7

(She can't botch. Can fail)

Zara grimaces. Maybe not painful, but it is unpleasant.

OOC: Gotcha

BIC: At the worst possible time, the windshifts and if there was a message in the tone, it was lost.

To the left there appear to be drier, but not arid, plains awaiting... to the right, it grows hillier and more forested..but either way they leave the marsh

Earl looks to her, not sure which she would prefer

Trees. A gentle tug on his hand in that direction.

And they walk that way... while the open plains have their appeal for some, trees mean shade, and shadow is good for sluagh

Indeed, exactly.

the woods shift growing denser, the hills not too hard, but wavy

Zara seems to collect shadows like a cloak.

And they hear something a trudeling cart ahead of them, it has some kind of wood chipper hooked to the back of it

Her eyes narrow.

as it comes into view, they can see a rail thin man with glasses wearing a lumberjack hat

Earl looks surprised at something "If he's a lumberjack, why doesn't he have an axe?"

"I dislike this. Dissstrussst."

THe man's cart is pulled by an ox, the ox looks rather bored, ear flicking as it walk at a slow pace.

And the slaugh and troll are gaining on this "Should we ask or..." Earl whispers to her

the figure turns around 'oh, hello. Just go around. I can pull a bit to the side. I'm about to stop anyway" the man says in a surprisngly kind tone

"Stop for what?"

"For the woodgathering, of course" The man says and slows his vehicle to a stop and a bit to the side

"You have no ax..."

"How barbaric, certainly not." A gasp

"So... how?" A gesture.

"oh, well, out of deference to your kith, please shield your ears a bit. I'll try not to be too loud but they do get excited" The man says

Earl raises a brow but nods to Zara. Usually if someone wants to shield your ears it's a good idea

Eyebrows.

She does, however, cover her ears.