Bloodlines: Severed Ties

Chapter 6: Olive the Satyr

After riding for quite a few days, the group was nearing the end of their journey. They were just a stone's throw away from New Nortia with all of the weapons safely in tow. It had been a rather uneventful trip, with the only thing to disturb the boredom being Gregory's endless ranting about his prowess over non-humans.

They had been riding a couple of hours into the morning, the sun now at it's highest point.

"Is it getting warmer?" Darian asked. He didn't seem too uncomfortable at the time, but secretly hated hot weather. It made his hair flat, and ruined the half hour he spent styling it.

"I'm welcoming it," Sylvia said happily. She was sick of the snow and rain and sludge that they had endured over the last few months, and was eager to see some sunlight for a change.

"It is warmer, however wait until we return to T'Hala," Aliyah piped up from the back of the convoy. T'Hala, as Aliyah had informed everyone, was the name the elves had given to their homeland forest.

"Great...." Darian muttered, imagining the humidity frying his soft, fragile locks.

Sylvia stopped, pulling Porche to a stand still and raising her hand to signal everyone to do the same. Darian shot her a quizzical look, eyebrow cocked.

"Do you hear that?" She whispered. Darian listened intently, eyes narrowing in concentration. His eyes then widened as he heard it.

Soft singing could be heard in the distance, not too far from where the group were. Whomever was singing had a magnificent voice, twinkling and light like a wind chime in the breeze. They also heard the faint plucking of some form of instrument.

"What's going on?" Gregory yelled out. He had become more and more impatient as the journey went on, and became irritated easily. Sylvia would say he's become a right pain in the ass, but then again he already was one.

"Shhhh!" Darian and Sylvia both whipped around rapidly, a single finger held up to their mouths. They then exchanged a knowing look, with Darian rolling his eyes. They both stared straight ahead, at the cross roads in front of them.

The singing grew in volume, becoming clearer and most distinct. Aliyah made their way to the front, joining Sylvia and Darian.

"I do not think we need to worry, it seems to be from a friendly entity," they said. Sylvia saw Aliyah's reasoning. What violent criminal sang on their way to their victims? But she knew she would have to be cautious. She had been jumped far too many times on roads like these.

Just then, Sylvia saw a small band of people emerge in the middle of the crosswalk. They seemed tired, fatigued, but were joining in with the tune. Some sang softly, others whistled. At the front of the pack, was a creature Sylvia had thought to be extinct.

"A satyr!" Darian exclaimed, drawing attention to the group. The Satyr was a woman, with fuzzy brown hair swept back into a bun. She wore a yellow floral print dress, that swayed in the breeze as she walked. Where her waist ended, instead of human legs two brown furry goat legs peeked out under the hemline of her dress.

The satyr turned towards them, and waved with a smile on her face. In her other hand, she held what appeared to be a small banjo.

"Guess we should say hi?" Sylvia offered. Aliyah and Darian nodded in agreement, and the group made their way towards the intersection.

"Why hello there!" The Satyr said cheerfully. Up close, Sylvia could see how flawless the Satyrs skin was, with round, flushed cheeks and tanned skin.

"My name is Olive, who are you?" The group took turns introducing themselves, with Gregory going last. He looked slightly startled to see a creature with no pants on, especially a female at that.