The Clan of Outcasts [Season 3]

Part 24: "Signals"

Wildhaven (East)

The Boundary of Elvendom tingled a little as it glided over Erlis' skin. She'd worried what the transition might be like, given the presence of Elvish blood in her veins, but altogether she wouldn't call it an unpleasant experience. She paused to watch the others come through the portal with their tokens in hand.

Jaran stumbled a little bit, brushing a cloud of dust out of his shaggy, dark hair and tugging awkwardly at the rough cotton tunic Aurelle had insisted he wear.

"If you want to be able to navigate Wildhaven without attracting attention from literally everyone," she said as she distributed the clothes during their brief trip in the carriage, "you can't very well accomplish that in such regal robes, Your Majesty."

Azelie tugged at the skirt of her dress, where a dull apron cinched it about her waist. Erlis hid the smirk she felt at the sight--never in her life had she ever imagined she would see the Paragon of The Realm attired like a common village girl.

Aurelle strode through last, dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, with a brown cloak fastened about her shoulders--Erlis had seen her wear this very outfit several times over the last three years, sneaking back into the castle after her mysterious trips down into the Harbor, where she played vigilante... somehow, without Denahlia's knowledge, though Erlis could not quite figure out how that could be possible.

The Illusionist swept a loose lock of silver-white hair out of her face and grinned. "Everyone ready?" she asked.

Jaran nodded. "Let's find that woman Anahita mentioned--she owns a wheat field at the back of the community. We'll see what she knows about this enchanted dagger that should get us closer to finding Gybralltyr."

Erlis kept her head bowed, and subconsciously reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. The pointed lobe felt strange under her fingers, and she glanced around as they passed by rows of houses. A fire-starter like Damaris sent a controlled blaze over his garden to kill off the weeds growing there, in preparation for planting. Next door to him, a Gifted woman waved her hands over the already-burgeoning flowerbed, turning the gorgeous blooms into long stalks thick with ripe fruits of many sorts.

A burst of greenflame caught her eye, and Erlis watched as a young man with red hair cropped about his ears let the fire dance about his fingers, much in the way that Lizeth would. His twinkling eyes gave her the impression that he might know something.

Indeed, Aurelle had already changed course to approach him.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Ryan?" she waved to him, and reached to stroke the ears of the cat that crawled around his shoulders. "Twilight is looking sleeker than ever." 

Ryan chuckled. "It's the pickings she gets from whatever the gryphons bring back from their hunts," he said. "I never know what sort of animal it used to be, but the scraps are delicate enough for her, and she loves the taste. It's funny to see her running about between these giant catbirds, gorging herself on their leavings as they rest after a hunt. I don't wonder but Twilight firmly believes in her little cat mind that if she eats like them, then one day she will grow up to be a gryphon, herself."