Chapter Four: Barren Wastes of the Desert

Ashwyn smiled as Sigurd moved to help Lopiena. She was glad to see the girl was practicing too. It could only help them on their journey forward. She watched Sigurd carefully as he moved with his axes. She smirked as he effectively slayed the cactus.

"I don't think I'm quite to that level yet." She winked playfully before sheathing her blades and walking to the cactus to pull his axe out.

She walked it back over to him and handed it over. "But I will keep practicing." She said with a smile before pushing herself up to her toes and giving him a peck on the lips.

Almost startled when Sigurd puts his hands on her shoulders, Lo grins up at him briefly before focusing on what he's doing. Slowing it down, working each pose a bit at a time...it's clearly not second nature to move with weapons yet, but she has determination if nothing else. It had taken her years to learn the staff, and even though these movements are completely different at least she knows enough to focus on the poses, feeling how her body posture is supposed to be. After several minutes of going through the pattern, getting corrected, going through it again, getting corrected again...she's sweating with exertion but grinning wildly. It's so nice to be taught something new! "Sigurd, you're a really good teacher. Practice weapons sounds like a great idea, maybe by the time we can find some I'll be ready for the weight." Grinning again, she slowly starts going through the motions again, glancing up occasionally to watch Sigurd work with Ashwyn. Double blades is far more complex than anything she can even comprehend, but even so the logic of defense and offense, using blades as shields...makes sense. It's almost sort of not at all like having her staff; it can be used to block or strike....but that's where the similarities end!

When Sigurd slays his cactus, Lo bursts out laughing. "10,000 spines don't stand a chance against you, but I'm not sure it was attacking with that much ferocity." Looking at the slimy innards of the cactus, Lo thoughtfully puts her sticks down for a moment and grabs her knife. She was about ready for a break anyway...walking up to the soft part of the cactus, she slices a bit of the plant and cautiously takes a bite, then promptly spits it back out again. Disgusting! Making a face, she tries to justify the sample. "The Archdruid's scrolls mentioned innards of the cactus as a source of food and water, but...maybe it's better cooked. Or maybe it's the wrong species. Or maybe I should check the scrolls again. Or maybe..." Absently walking back into the cave, she shakes her head at herself. If Jacquelyn is still awake, going to the source is probably the best option.

The cave inside was warmer from the fire and the cave walls blocked the cool breeze. It was also quiet.

Zane was laying on his back, spread eagle, and snoring.

Cirro was curled unto a rather small ball as he slept.

Jacquelyn lay against the stone floor with Cyna, who had taken the form of a wolf. Cyna was wide awake but Jacquelyn slept peacefully.

As Lo approached, Cyna looked up at her.

The coziness of the warm cave is lovely for those who are sleeping, but after working up a sweat outside Lopiena's first instinct is to strip...too damn hot! But she wants to continue working with the new movements, so keeping the ties on her robes is probably the best action for now. Learning anything new is a rare treat, and weapons with Sigurd is something she'd wanted to do since learning that he trained warriors regularly! ...that and watching his skill awakens something inside her that...well it's a good thing Ashwyn is working with him too. Looking regretfully at the sleeping ball of Cirro, Lo quietly retrieves the bag of scrolls, her staff, and...hmm, that should be all she needs for now. Seeing Cyna look up and watch her makes her hesitate before going back outside, though. Slowly, cautiously she approaches the imp/wolf. She's not sure at all what to make of this creature, but... It's so strange to think of someone who was a complete stranger just yesterday as a second mother, but Lopiena trusts Jacquelyn completely. If Jacquelyn trusts the imp it must be ok.

More than hesitant to approach the imp, especially in wolf form, Lo visibly jumps and backs up when Cyna gets up and shifts form. Even more surprised that the imp speaks Common, Lo blinks in shock several times while Cyna moves to the fire. Oh right, those are questions...
"Uhm...yes? I mean...yes. Absolutely. Uhm...yeah. You...you've met them?" Curiousity overcoming caution, Lo takes a small step forward, but hesitates again. "And...she sleeps better if you're a wolf?" Somehow not at all surprised...Jacquelyn had made it clear that she's used to wolves in any form last night...Lo still hesitates. After talking about her mother with Jacquelyn so long, memories are circling her mind and the fact that her mother had always preferred the wolf form when she took on her Wild Shape is starting to mean something more.

Concentrating on what Cyna is saying...in spite of the simple words, it's still hard to interpret what that exact combination of words is supposed to mean...Lo closes her eyes briefly to think. Monty...must be Lamont! He's the carpenter, right? Or was she getting mixed up? Leif...he was the animal guy, makes sense that he'd think of cleanliness....or maybe she was really mixed up, usually animals need their natural oils to keep healthy skin...or maybe...oh forget it! She'll meet them someday, it'll make more sense then. Opening her eyes again at Jacquelyn's movements, Lo softens her voice so they won't disturb her. "How long have you known...Jacky? Is night sleep always bad?" It felt awkward to try and imitate the imp's mannerisms, but Lo figured anything to help communication is good.
Looking over at Jacquelyn worriedly, Lopiena lowers her voice even more. "Should I go, let her rest?"

Cyna thought about it for a moment. "Cyna been with Jacky many moons. Since boy folks half as tall as now. Night badness always come." She shook her head morosely.

When Lo asked if she should leave, Cyna scoffed. "She no wake from you." She pushed her foot over to Jacquelyn and nudged her rather hard with her foot but she just kept sleeping. "Jacky wake for two thing. Danger and night badness. No you." She shook her head. "Wolf remind Jacky of betterness times. Make sleep betterness too." She explained.

Swallowing hard...she wasn't sure why this creature made her so nervous, Cyna was clearly only there to help...Lo ponders time for a bit. It's almost certain that her brothers are taller than she is; pretty much everyone is, and boys tend to be bigger anyway...but half size could mean anything from small children to just before a growth spurt as teenagers. Probably more likely small children, though. Which means...shortly after her mother left. Sitting down in the warm sand, Lopiena looks at the imp. "Thank you for...for watching her. Since...well..." Since her mother left? Since she was born? Lo knew it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help but feel overwhelming guilt. If she hadn't been born, they wouldn't have had to separate. Wait, no. None if that kind of thinking. If her grandmother hadn't done what she did...a flicker of anger awakens in her heart. "What do you know about magic, about spells? Do you know about the spell that keeps...Jacky...from her...other?" Imps were formed of magic, right? Maybe Cyna knows something. Not enough to break the spell obviously, or Jacquelyn would have done so by now...but the ability to sense the spell and have a general awareness of its bounds might help them figure it out.

Cyna shrugged at Lopiena's thanks. "Jacky help Cyna. So Cyna help Jacky. Contract binding. No exceptions." She said, matter-of-factly.

At her question of magic, Cyna shrugged again. "Cyna know dark magics. No druid magics. Cyna tell Jacky all Cyna knows. Cyna no help." She said. It was difficult to tell if she felt sorry about that or indifferent.

Nodding her understanding silently...a life for a life is one of the most binding ties known, which is one of the reasons she feels so indebted to the entire group, which now includes Jacquelyn...Lo swallows a wave of disappointment that Cyna has already tried and not been able to get anywhere. No surprise of course, but even a flicker of hope...well. To be fair, Lo does know Druidic magic, has studied spells and their formulation most of her life, lived with her grandmother for years after the spell was cast, was the focus of the spell, walked right through whatever bounds had been created for it...and wasn't even aware of it until informed by someone who'd been trying to break it for years. Of course they're not going to be able to figure it out right away. Still though. "At some point we might need some knowledge of dark magic..." even the thought made her shudder..."but for now, sleep is what she needs. Thank you, Cyna. I...yeah." Standing again, she looks back at the sleeping Jacquelyn. So much to learn, so much to do...there's time enough to figure it out, but life is short and human mortality weighs heavily on her heart. Grabbing the bag of scrolls and her staff again, she quietly leaves the peace of the cave to work out her frustrations in the sand.

The chill evening breeze is a shock after the warmth of the cave, especially when the body is still soaked in sweat. Dropping the bag of scrolls next to a rock by the side of the cave, Lo picks up her stick and goes through Sigurd's forms again until she's sure she remembers them well enough. Dropping the stick by the bag and grabbing her staff, she starts working her staff...and immediately knocks herself in the head. Trying to use Sigurd's stances with the staff is a bad idea! Cursing herself under her breath, she slows her movements until her body remembers the correct stances for the staff...then switches again to the stick, over and over again until she stops getting the two mixed up. Her frustration is still radiating out in her body movements and muscle tension, but the longer she works with the different weapons her physical exhaustion starts overpowering her mental irritation.

Sigurd pressed his forehead against Ashwyn's and smiled "You'll get there, If I can get dozens of children to learn, how hard could it be to teach a half-breed outsider he joked. Sigurd had to admit that even he wasn't well versed in two weapon fighting, years of sticking to his two handed weapons made him quite adept and deadly with it however.

He watched as Lopiena went through his motion and swapped between her staff and the stick. He laughed lightly when she smacked herself in the face "You know, if you choke up on your staff a bit and held it like I do my sword you wont hit yourself. Better yet, Modify the stances to make them work for the added length of your staff." He walked over to his sword again and hefted it out of the sand. "For example, most trainers say to block with your blade, but given the length and weight sometimes I choose to block with the hilt." He thrust his hands out and separated his grasp so that one hand was hugging the cross guard and the other the pommel, leaving a few inches of hilt between. "It's not the most ideal way to block but if there isn't enough time it's the difference between blocking and wearing it. Combat is more about how to be more creative than your opponent. It throws them off, especially if they're better trained. You can't practice against unpredictability." he said with a smile.

Ashwyn glared playfully at Sigurd when he called her a half breed outsider. She pushed him at him jokingly before smirking.

She watched Lopiena practice and chuckled a bit when she hit herself. As Sigurd approached and began giving her more direct instruction she watched while practicing the feet movements she was taught.

The watch continued uneventfully. Ashwyn, Sigurd and Lopiena practiced the stances for the next 8 hours while Jacqulyn, Zane ad Cirro slept. By the 3am, the three training had become much more comfortable with moving in the sand.

[Ashwyn, Sigurd, and Lopiena regain the ability to move normally when in the sand.]

Ashwyn was covered in sweat, despite the cold of the night. It had been many years since she'd trained this hard on a new skill. She lay down on the cold sand and sighed at the relief it provided.

"Wow. That was a great work out." She said with a smile, looking up at the clear night sky.

Listening to Sigurd's advice, Lo starts trying different hand positions with her staff. She'd been taught a few early on, but had hit herself so often her mother had instructed her to stick with the basics. That was years ago though...now that she's more experienced, moving on is probably a good idea. And adding Sigurd's stances with the new hand positions helps tremendously! Shifting her feet and her hands, going from position to position with both sticks and staff, practice practice practice...by the time Ashwyn finally takes a break she's more than exhausted but very happy. Lying down in the cold sand, though...her body isn't used to this much work, and as her muscles twitch from the sudden change in temperatures she barely suppresses a groan. Sitting up and stretching helps, but there's going to be pain in the morning...maybe trying to keep up with two highly skilled and trained warriors was a bad idea...no, if she doesn't work through the pain she'll never get there.

Looking up at Ashwyn's comment, she grins tiredly. "Great workout...if you say so. I'd say great training for someone with twice my skills...but I'll get there. Thank you both so much for your help...I'm no great warrior, but at least maybe I'll be able to hold my own now. Against smaller creatures, at any rate." Sighing, she looked at the moon on its slow descent towards the western horizon. "I don't know how useful I'll be when we get there, though. Jacquelyn says everyone avoids that mountain, and there's no way to get there unseen...I asked about the underground mines, and it looks like she'd never heard of them. I'm hoping someone in the villages we're going to visit will have some knowledge, but..." not sure what else to say, she just shakes her head. "I'll do my best. I just hope my best is good enough."

Sigurd had been racing around in his dire wolf form, running laps around their camp in the sand, each time around was faster than the last. He had since left the girls to practice what he had shown them, it was enough to work on for tonight, his focus was his mobility. Rounding one of the turns he pushed off an exposed rock and shifted into his hybrid form, bringing his greatsword down towards the sand then shifting into his human form as he swung it horizontally sending a small wave of sand rolling forward. He felt much better than when they first arrived in the desert.

Walking back to the others he smiled "Well, this will be the second night we didn't get much sleep, only I think we've been more productive this time" He winked

Ash smirked at Lopiena. "You'll do great. You're already doing great." She smiled. "But I agree about the peak. I'm not sure what we'll do if we can't find anyone who knows how to approach the place. But I'm sure we'll come up with something."

Ashwyn chuckled at Sigurd's words. She pushed herself up and walked over to him. "Oh there's still plenty of night left to be unproductive." She winked playfully before grabbing hold of his chest plate and pulling him down to kiss his lips playfully.

Watching Sigurd race is fascinating, especially when he shifts mid leap and attacks the sand. Learning from a great warrior is almost as much fun as watching one! Smiling at Ashwyn's encouragement, Lo looks thoughtful about approaching the peak. "We always do come up with something. I think I remember reading something about a spell to remain unseen, but I'm not sure how well it works and I definitely don't want to find out the limitations the hard way."

When Sigurd and Ashwyn comment about productive versus unproductive, Lo laughs uninhibited. "I don't know, I think last night was very productive!" Still laughing, she rolls onto her side to watch Ashwyn and Sigurd kiss with a huge grin.

Sigurd smiled to them, "you both worry too much, an opportunity will present itself I'm sure."

Pulling himself back from Ashwyn's lips, Sigurd smirked "if we weren't on this quest I'd say our time could be spent more reproductively" he laughed "but still.." his voice softened and he reached down cupping her rear in both his hands before kissing her deeply. "I won't say no to a little more exercise..."

Ashwyn all but purred when Sigurd's hands grabed her rear. She smiled at his words and chuckled. When he kissed her, her eyes fluttered closed and a soft moan escaped her lips.

"You'll never hear me complain about that." She smiled. She glanced over at a grinning Lopiena before chuckling. "Practice does make perfect, does it not?" She pressed herself against his armor, leaning in to whisper into his ear. "So, interested in an audience or a guest?" She asked suggestively.

Grinning even wider watching Sigurd grabbing Ashwyn's rear, Lo finds her loins stirring but her eyes widen at the suggestion of 'audience or guest.'
"Uhm wow...given the choice, guest but...uhh. I wouldn't know what to do..." The previous night had such a connection, but now she feels suddenly shy. Maybe go wake up Cirro? But...watching Ashwyn and Sigurd...she'd felt a connection with them long before the moon ceremony, and this kind of opportunity might never arise again...pun intended!
Still uncertain, she starts untying the strips of fabric keeping her robes on. Whoever, however...the moon is still full and she wants something tonight.

Sigurd was about to give his answer when Lopiena answered. A shiver of excitement rolled up his spine, the ceremony drove him the previous night, but tonight was going to be different. "If you're sure, then I have no objection." Pulling the quick release on his armor, it fell to the sand, he gathered it up and set it nearly to the side before returning to Ashwyn, slowly sliding his hands up under her armor, gently squeezing the soft mounds of flesh through her shirt. "You can be the tutor tonight" he smirked before kissing her sweetly.

Ashwyn giggled at SIgurd's words. Sigurd always excited her but there was a level of shyness from the newness of their relationship. After the ceremony... she couldn't really explain it. It was like she WANTED to people to see things. She wasn't sure why or even what it meant. But it was exciting and she found she wanted to explore this new feeling.

She had a breif moment of embarassment when Lo over heard her whispered words to SIgurd, but seeing her beginning to disrobe sparked that new excitment in her. SHe watched SIgurd remove his armor and smiled as he put his hands under her armor. SHe pressed her body into his hands and smirked at his words.

"I think I can do that." She smiled seductively. She reached behind her and unlatched her armor before pullit off of her. She tossed it into the sand near SIgurd's armor, leaving her in her loose shirt and small clothes.

She glanced over to Lopiena. "Ready for a different kind of training?" SHe asked the girl before crooking her finger at her, beckoning her over to them.

She waited until the girl approached before winking playfully at SIgurd and kissing his lips. Her lips trailed down his chest as Lo walked closer.

Shy, hesitant, but oh so willing Lo quickly finishes untying her robes and strips down. The night is chilly, and her breasts perk quickly...but the shiver is from more than just the night air.
Approaching Ashwyn, Lo grins at Sigurd's form under his armor, then Ashwyn...they both have well formed bodies, and even though Lo isn't at all experienced with what to do with said bodies she can appreciate form as well as function.
Biting her lip at Ashwyn's crooked finger, she approaches both of them, still not sure what to do...well there's still clothing in the way, that can be removed. Sigurd seems to be taking care of Ashwyn's shirt, so she goes behind Sigurd and starts removing his trousers.

Sigurd grabbed the bottom of her shirt and peeled it up over head and unwravelled the wrap keeping her ample breasts in place, he watched as they jiggled free, he stared for a moment and enjoyed how her skin glistened with sweat in the moonlight.

Feeling a sudden tug to his trousers he looked down and smiled "right to business I see" he said with a smirk, giving his hips a gentle shake to help release himself from his confines. As they slid off he felt the cool night air on his not yet fully engorged manhood.