Into the New World, Chapter 1: Amongst the Verdant Towers

[Shayuri]

Erin's face fell as Alistia sided with Enko...now SHE was the odd one out. Elation turned to despair. This would never work if she didn't have allies! So close...she'd been so close...

"Listen," she says desperately, trying to re-assert herself. "Maybe..."

Deplorable. Hanging her fortunes on the whim of old men and women who hadn't had a breath of fresh air in years! How would THEY understand?! But what choice did she have? Deplorable!

Then something flashed...a burst of realization.

"Wolfboy," Erin blurts, appropos of nothing. Her grin returned, with no hint of art or deceit...just the simple, honest grin of a prisoner who found a key in her pocket.

"Wolfboy!"

 

[Dire Lemming]

Enko continues to stare off into space, trying to find just what is causing this feeling.

 

[WarShrike]

As Ryon passes the storyteller's cart, he hears something odd. "Wolfboy?"

 

[Shayuri]

Startled, Erin looks around, then spies Ryon there. She waves, then beckons him to come over.

 

[WarShrike]

Ryon walks over to where Erin stands with two others.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Finishing his transactions and getting a meager amount of spices in return for all that's left of his excess meat and last few furs, Thane turns and prepares to leave. Before he does, though, he notices Ryon cutting his way through the crowd, recognizing him vaguely as another hunter. With an uncharacteristically social impulse, he begins walking after him, deciding to compare notes of the game of late as long as he's in town.

 

[Lorthanoth]

Alistia turns to see who Erin is waving at, and is horrified to see a wolf padding along beside the newcomer. She grabs Enko's arm reflexively in fear.

 

[Dire Lemming]

Enko is shaken from his trance by Alistia's grasp and turns to look first at her, and then in the direction she seems to be staring at in terror. He instinctively takes a step back and raises his arm in an attempt to cause Alistia to do the same, but then he stops and stares at the wolf. "Alisia wait, this wolf is... special."

 

[Masquerade]

"Hey wait," Cleyra says as she follows Ryon. She doesn't like the thought of being ignored but is willing to assume that he didn't hear her. However, as she follows him out of the crowd, she realizes a moment too late that she has just walked into some group.

"Hello," she says, greeting the group as a whole, trying to prevent the moment from quickly turning awkward. As she glances around at the odd bunch, she recognizes a couple of their faces but doesn't know any names. No good. Still, Cleyra is not going to make a fool of herself by walking away from this conversation now. She turns her attention back to the young man she followed over from the merchants. "Yeah, hey. I don't know if you heard me back there, but I was trying to ask you about that blade. I'm Cleyra."

 

[Shayuri]

Erin gives Cleyra an annoyed glance, hardly even noticing Alistia's distress.

"You brought friends," she says to Ryon, a little reproachfully. "How...nice. Well I wanted you to meet a couple of friends of mine. This is Enko and Alistia."

She smiles now. "We're planning on leaving the village soon. I thought I'd see if you might agree to act as our guide? Enko was a little worried, you see...I thought maybe having someone as well-traveled as you would ease his fears."