Open NPC Post [Saturday/Sunday]

[rowan_narrators]

After their arrival, the caravan sets up camp outside the oasis, pitching tents, lighting fires, setting a perimeter. Guardsmen start fetching water from the waterfall, hunting and gathering to replenish their own ill-stocked supplies.

Guardsmen can be encountered anywhere in the oasis, on their way to complete tasks, Saturday evening or Sunday

Comments

Clara

[melodyofwater]

Somehow, Demyx had missed the arrival of the caravan. He'd heard about it though, because it would have been... very silly to have missed it. He was wondering where all the demons and elves went though. Nice of them to let the worldwalkers in on their 'escaping the really big desert' plan. Not that Demyx was one to judge.

He was wandering rather aimlessly around the oasis, figuring that he could probably tag along with the humans when they left. Apparently they'd offered, which was nice. He walked near the waterfall and saw a young girl- she didn't look like a worldwalker. A new one, or someone from the caravan? She looked rather young. "Hi!" he said cheerfully, waving.

[rowan_narrators]

Clara didn't wave. She was looking at a particularly interesting piece of rock, which glinted in the sunlight and wasn't like anything she could ever find on the streets of Jericho. She was just making up her mind to keep it, toying with her hair mussed from a night of sleeping outside, when she heard Demyx's greeting.

"Who are you?" she challenged. "If you're a bad person I don't want to talk with you."

[melodyofwater]

Well that was an understandable question. "I'm Demyx!" he replied, staying where he was- he didn't want to scare her or anything, after all. Though she seemed more like she would kick him or something rather than just run away. He didn't want that, either. "I'm not a bad person. Are you from the caravan thing?"

[rowan_narrators]

"Of course I am," she said, "don't look like I'm a worldwalker, do I?"

She came a few steps closer, examining him with a discerning eye. Well, discerning for an eleven-year-old. Evidently what she saw satisfied her. "I'm Clara," she told him, imperiously.

Nora -- Saturday Night

[cassie_of_troy]

As the caravan broke up, Cassandra found herself fascinated by Nora. A royal woman, traveling with a caravan? And clearly not to be married to some other prince. It was for this reason that Cassandra followed the woman, and her guards, when they left for the water.

She had to walk a delicate line. She didn't want to seem like a prowler, preparing for some kind of attack. At the same time, however, she didn't want to draw attention to herself. And so, she walked along, always fifty paces behind the small entourage. When the guards looked back, Cassandra made no attempts to hide. She simply stopped, waiting to see if they would turn her away.

[rowan_narrators]

Half way to the water, near the center of the bulge in the arc of grass, Nora stopped to look around. Whatever else Frederick wanted to say about this place, and there was quite a bit, it was beautiful. It was also in the middle of some truly miserable desert, and right now the only thing she was interested in was the sound of running water.

Before they began moving again, one of the guards stepped up behind her left shoulder. "Your Highness, there is a woman following us. The Worldwalker Shaman."

Nora turned and looked over her shoulder. "So there is. Do you believe she poses a threat to me, Captain?"

"No, Highness, I just--" He just what? Well, he thought she should know there was a strange woman following them. That made sense, didn't it?

Nora placed her hand on his arm and smiled. "Thank you for your concern, Captain." Strange woman or not, she was having that bath. "I'd like to keep going now, if you don't mind." Even if he did mind, actually. She continued walking toward the water, and her guards followed closely behind her.

[cassie_of_troy]

Cassandra watched their interaction curiously, noting the way that the guards all deferred to Nora. So far, this was not what Rusoren had told her about. Still, she supposed, she couldn't judge the entire collective based on the behavior of the royals. That would most assuredly lead to a skewed understanding

She smiled ruefully at the guard's assurances that Cassandra posed no threat. That was the story of her life, a story of someone completely ineffective. Inocuous. And though she hated to admit it, perhaps even superfluous in the scheme of things. No matter though. Cassandra didn't need to be important.

So why did she feel so sad?

Shaking off her thoughts, she continued to follow the party. They were heading right to where Cassandra had bathed, directly before the storm. "Watch the pink rock," she said softly, "it shakes."

[rowan_narrators]

Nora looked at the rock in question, then back over her shoulder at Cassandra. "Thank you. I'll avoid it." She stepped up to the very edge of the water and dipped a toe in. Slightly cooler than bathwater, but the beating sun throughout the day had kept it at a thoroughly agreeable temperature

Devorah and Jason -- Sunday (after their visit)

[cherry_reyer]

Cherry couldn't quite figure out why she was so hesitant to rush out and greet the caravan. She supposed she was just tired. Tired of the let downs and the disappointments and the obfuscation when it came to the natives of Rowan. Seeing the newcomers approach, she found herself instinctively bracing for impact. This was not an instinct she was particularly happy about

Re: Devorah and Jason -- Sunday (after their visit)

[cordy_estwynde]

As Cherry waited for the gate guardians to return, Cordelia sat beside her, keeping unusually quiet and occasionally reaching out to pull her heel away from her mouth. She was tired; it was hard to sleep on a stone floor. And even worse, she found herself no longer speaking with anyone in Rowan that she cared about--Cherry aside.

She was glad to be with Cherry again, but she hated the way it had happened. Cordelia found herself rotating between anger at Bret and guilt for the situation he'd been placed in. Regardless, when Cherry perked up about Devorah and Jason's return, Cordy turned to give her a smile. Hopefully she'd relax now.

[gate_guardians]

Devorah didn't want to have to play that card. The ancient laws about Gate Guardians were considered sacred, but they were also fragile. The scarcity of Gate Guardians in recent centuries, the irrelevance of the Gate -- that gamble could just as easily have failed entirely. And then they would have been stuck in the oasis.

She walked in silence, beside Jason. Disapproving silence.

[gate_guardians]

The meeting hadn't gone any better from Jason's point of view. He walked along beside her with his hands in his pockets, staring blankly into the distance and trying to work through his own thoughts. "He doesn't deserve your respect," he finally said when they reached the base of the rocks and before they started climbing.

Clara - Saturday night

[gate_guardians]

Jason wanted to be found. He should have been more specific. 'Not by them.' Devorah was cautious and calculating as ever. She wanted to get a feel for the situation before they did anything, and that was fine with him. What was not fine with him was the way she kept on staring at him. He didn't want to be part of the situation she had to get a feel for, so just after sunset he left the cave. "I need some air." He didn't go far. Just down the rocks to the smaller cave a the base, hidden from the elements, shadowed from the world around him. He'd go back in the morning.

[rowan_narrators]

Clara picked her way across the dark ground, cautious -- well, cautious with where she put her feet, anyway. Wandering out into an oasis full of worldwalkers in the middle of the night probably wasn't anything her mother would call cautious.

She bent down and picked a flower, twirling it between her fingers as she stepped into the mouth of a cave.

[gate_guardians]

At first he wondered if Devorah had followed him, refusing to let it go that easily. The silhouette was too small, though, and the hair was curly. Leslie had straight hair, shorter than this girl. Jason didn't move, didn't say a word, just stared at his hands. As much as he wanted to see her, he didn't want to have to talk to her.

It was almost enough to make him go back to Devorah, but that would also mean going back to Cordelia and Cherry, and he just didn't feel up to it.

[rowan_narrators]

"Hello?" Clara called, noticing the other person in the cave. She dug in her pocket for a sorcerer's light, and directed it towards the other person.

Her mouth fell open, in shock and recognition.

"You're trespassing!" she accused. "This is human territory."

Guardsmen- Sunday morning

[weedyshyguy]

Bret had been doing good so far. Keeping out of people's hair. Avoiding the people from the caravan on top of not bothering Cordy and Cherry had been extra challenging, but he hadn't messed up yet. Didn't mean he wouldn't, but he could hope.

He was off to find a secluded area (there seemed to be fewer and fewer of them with all the new people). It was early and he'd just woken up and he needed to use the toilet. He wasn't really paying as close attention to where he was going as he had the night before.

[rowan_narrators]

The Wizard.

Sergeant Maxwell stepped forward, hand on the hilt of his sword, quite obviously nervous. "Halt."

The Wizards were not allowed anywhere near the royal family without being bound in silk. The orders were incredibly clear.

[weedyshyguy]

"Huhwhat?" Bret shook himself. He looked at the man blearily, slowly realizing what was going on. He'd somehow stumbled towards the caravan.

Well, he hadn't been trying to. "Oh, sorry. Wasn't looking where I was going." He tugged at his jumper a few times, feeling silly still wearing the weird penguin number Cho'd found. But it was warm. Nicer to wear at night. Just a little embarrassing for a first impression.

"So, um...you guys are human? That's cool. I mean, me too. Um..." He had a question but he wasn't sure how to ask it. 'Are you like normal humans?' sounded a bit mean. There had to be an inoffensive way to go about it.

"Humans can do magic and stuff here too, right?" Seemed like as good a place to start as any.

[rowan_narrators]

"All humans have the potential to manifest as a majik." His hand was still on his sword, his posture still guarded and full of tension. Bret being so close was making him uncomfortable, and it was very obvious.