R U [ I ] N E D

Bring Out the UNwelcoming Committee

A/N: This gif is just a casual reminder of how adorable the actress I imagine as Soleil is. Kiersey Clemons is just precious, so precious! Do you guys find her fitting now that we've seen a couple chapters with Sol? *is curious* Lemme know <3 ~Rissa

A warm honeyed glow flittered around Soleil's fingertips, the wispy amber light dancing over her skin as she gathered it into an orb. "Ready?" she asked the others, though not one had a clue what precisely it was that they were to be "ready" for, so no one said a thing. "I'll take that as a yes, then," the sorceress mused. Kneeling gracefully, Sol pressed her hand firmly against the damp soil, closing her eyes as she whispered an incantation. The light deeper into the ground with a lingering glow, which vanished entirely soon after. She stood back up slowly, smiling gently at the others. "With the barrier lifted, we just need to follow the path into town," she explained.

"That was it?" Brady asked, sounding rather underwhelmed. "I was expecting something a bit more... impressive, all things considered."

Callan shot him a look and sighed in exasperation, not that Soleil appeared at all bothered by Brady's insulting commentary. "Couldn't have kept that one to yourself?" he asked.

"After the lady who stabbed me, I have high expectations," the telepath offered, "It's not like I mean any offense..." Looking over at Sol, he added, "And if anyone should have been bothered by that, it would be her."

Shaking her head slightly, Sol piped in with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "No worries. I was only transferring magical energy, and that's nothing to be impressed by. Takes more than a few words to hurt me." Despite the playful air Sol held, there was a hint of melancholy hidden in those words, though Braedyn hardly seemed to be the cause. There was a lot that the sorceress kept bottled up, masked by her bright and cheery demeanor. But the only one of the group who had any sort of idea as to what might be lurking beneath the surface was a certain nosy telepath.

Now that the loop had been dispelled, the group set off along the path once again. Having located Soleil, their new goal was to find shelter from the rain— ideally somewhere warm where they could figure out their next move. There were still two more Runeholders to find— Skill and Fairness— and there was little to go off that would help in that quest. The walk was rather quiet at first, but as she led the group, Sol began to chatter as if the silence was too heavy for her to bear. "My aunt has a spare room where you all can stay," she offered, glancing back over her shoulder. "I'm sure she won't mind a bit off company."

Cal nodded at that, relieved that they would have a secure place to stay this time around. None of them wanted a repeat of what had happened at Raita's inn. "Thank you, Soleil," he said simply, garnering an upbeat reply from the sorceress.

"It's my pleasure!"

It wasn't long after that La Cierna came into view, Sol giving a warm welcome despite the chilly air. "Welcome to the port of La Cierna!" The city seemed rather small and cozy. One of those close-knit little towns where everyone knew everyone and the entire populus was like an extended family. Despite the earlier rain, which had slowed to no more than a light dewy drizzle, there were quite a few people roaming about in the city center, shopkeepers selling their wares. Not that it should have come as much of a surprise— the citizens of La Cierna were used to wet coastal climate of Gwyrholm. This was just any other day for them, aside from the unexpected arrival of the Runeholders from the capital. Their presence— Brady, Callan, Phoena, and Sachi too— had heads turning.