On their way...

[feathered_mages]

As soon as they return to the universe they've been frequenting, Arashi takes to the air to check some details against the maps he'd been looking over during lunch. Waltzes, like Mages, have poor visual acuity when it comes to documents, but can focus easier on moving things - like terrain below when flying

Comments

[random_xtras]

Silver is wearing her belongings. She stands and wriggles her little bare toes, absently rubbing one eye as she sniffs the air.

[mist_caller]

Rydia's occupied a short ways away with a minor summoning spell. The robed creature that appears hands her something, and she hugs them before they vanish again. Then she'll return to the group and offer a pair of child-sized boots to Silver.

Arashi, meanwhile, is landing. "I've found the mountain trail the dwarf mentioned."

"How much are we getting paid for this, again?" asks Blaze.

[random_xtras]

Silver looks at the boots, then tips her head back to look at Rydia quizzically.

[mist_caller]

"These were mine when I was about your size. They should fit you, in case we have to do a lot of hiking."

((I coulda swore I'd replied to this >.< ))

[random_xtras]

Her strong little fingers close around his as those bright blue eyes go to the other young Waltzes. "Maybe they're just chaotic?"

Then she squeaks as she catches the toe of her new boot on a stone and stumbles. Oh... this is going to take a little learning.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral chuckles. "Perhaps." His pack, with supplies and Snowball the Boe tucked inside, bobs along beside him under the effects of a float spell. Up ahead, it can be seen the other two Waltzes are doing likewise with their belongings - Mages just aren't good at carrying much for long.

When she trips, Mistral will immediately move to catch her. He's not about to let anything happen to her.

[random_xtras]

The catching earns Mistral a surprised look, and then a grin. Then Silver straightens up and is ready to go again, her attention focused carefully on her 'foot clothes' and how best to walk in them. That fine silver hair is standing up slightly now, and shining in the sun.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral will just keep ahold of her hand - that way she doesn't really have to watch where they're going. It won't take long to catch up to the other two Waltzes, since they're not going so fast as to outpace everyone once the group is underway.

When they get closer, they'll be able to hear the other two talking.

"Maybe, but what would eat a dwarf?" asks Blaze.

"Goblins would," says Arashi.

[random_xtras]

"Okay!" She gives Mistral a sunny grin, then turns those bright blue eyes toward the Dwarf.

[feathered_mages]

Rurik the Dwarf is very glad to see them, though he's a little puzzled by Silver. Still, from what he's heard of this group, the kid might be some sort of Mage too. Anyhow, he's not going to ask too many questions as long as something can be done about the current problem.

"Glad to see you made it," he says. "We've been guarding the hole, but my workers are miners, not soldiers. Do you need lights? It's this way." This particular breed of Dwarves didn't need lanterns underground, but Rurik knew humans did. And at least two of the group looked human-ish.

[random_xtras]

Silver studies Rurik closely, even wrinkling her nose in a sniff. Then she speaks in his own language, a formal, polite greeting about his beard never falling out.

This done, she hides behind Mistral.

[feathered_mages]

Manners allow Rurik to respond even as he's blinking in surprise. So, the little girl was their translator? He's never heard one of the tall folks speak Dwarvish so well, and she's only a young one!

"We have a lantern, if you think it's needed," Blaze says, retrieving one from his pack. It's one of the LED kind, so very anachronistic here. Not that the Waltz cares.

[random_xtras]

"They didn't hear it. They're too happy." Silver's looking at the rats with an expression of nose-wrinkled ewww.

[feathered_mages]

"The door's locked," says Blaze, giving it an irritable glare.

Mistral's attention is mostly on the rats. He has the four of them under his control now, and just makes them calm down and go back to their scavenging. No threat here, really.

Rydia gives the door a glance, thinking of anyone she knows that could open it from the other side.

[random_xtras]

Silver looks up at Blaze, then lets go Mistral's hand to walk around the rug and put both tiny hands on it as she listens to it talk.

"I can open it," she says, and vanishes.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral blinks at the sudden absence of young dragonet on this side of the door

[random_xtras]

Silver's moved a little, and now looks as though she's folded in half as she sits with her head on her own knee. She's sleeping deeply and soundly in the way of the very young and innocent, her small face peaceful.

[feathered_mages]

"I'll carry her back," Rydia says, knowing the weight would be too much for the Waltz, even as small as Silver is. "We need to let the dwarves know we found their friend..." The missing dwarf was dead, but the hobgoblins hadn't made stew of him yet - he'd been stuffed in a barrel for later. Still, at least his coworkers would be able to give him a decent burial.

Mistral lets Rydia pick Silver up, and the two of them go to update the dwarves on things. Meanwhile, the other two Waltzes chase the Hobgoblins all the way down the mountain, zapping at them with spells whenever they can see them running below. They'll return when they're done having their fun, but it's a safe bet that hobgoblins will steer clear of this area of the mountains for quite some time to come.