An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Ahmaria.

A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap is at 65. You change? Off 65 80.'
The gully continues 'Eyes hurt? Turn Color OFF!! (regular story dates)

Astinus says 'Enter the main library here to view only the author list.'
Astinus gently places a tattered paperback on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Ahmaria' scribed in faded purple ink.

Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat Mar 28
02:40:34 2009
Subject     Leaving Home

She woke in the
early morning with the sunlight just peering over the
horizon. A
slight breeze drifted through her hair causeing her to
shutter.
She blinked trying to put the past few days behind her.
It all seemed so
unreal. She closed her eyes and focused for the
first time on the strange
events that had led her here.  Her
father had smiled at her as she brought
her bow down.  Very
good! We will eat well tonight. His pride for his
youngest
daughter shined in his eyes as he laughed.  Now go on and
claim
your kill so we can get it cleaned. It will be nice to
reach home early.  As
she walked the distance to her fallen
prey, she had turned in time to see a
figure cloaked in black.
Time had seemed to stall there in that moment. Fire
eruupted from
the figure. She fell to the ground seeking shelter. The fire
had
been magical and disapeared as it consumed its target, her
father. She
had remaind face down to the ground for what seemed
like hours shocked. She
recognized the caster of the fatal spell
without a doubt in her mind, her
mother. 

It had happend then
that voices filled the woods calling her name. The
voices of her
four sisters. Something pulled at the back of her mind
telling
her her mother had sent them to find her. It was then she
ran. To where she
hoped at least the gods knew, but she kept
running.  She opened her eyes
fighting the tears that threatend
to come. She packed up what little she had
with her glad for
atleast the supplies she carried with her when her and her
father
would hunt. In time she will find answers to her recent tragic
loss.
For now she travels in search of safety and training to
help her seek all
that she will need when that time comes.


Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat Mar
28 22:32:52 2009
Subject     in Solace

She had taken a
chance opening her eyes on the flight to Solace. The
sight was
breath taking and she found her grip loosing and the trip
became
like a gift of blissful freedom. Astonished with herself,
soon she became
comfortable on the back of the gryphon. The view
of the large vallenwood
trees brought a smile to her face as the
flight neard its end and they
landed. Her head felt clear as she
was led to the Inn. Faelri quickly left
after seeing her to a
room and said he would return when it was time for the
next meal.
She made her way around the small comfortable room, and
took
advantage of the time alone to clean p after her journey.
Thoughts once
again flooded her mind of her family troubles. It
was these thought that
lead her to decide she did not want to run
forever. Perhaps the gods had led
these men to her so that she
would no longer need to. She finished tending
to herself and
waited for Faelri to return. Perhaps they were willing to
help
her further. She said a pray silently to her goddess as a knock
sounded
on the door. 

Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Mon Mar 30 01:27:20 2009
Subject     Meal
time

Faelri and Ahmaria ate in silence for most the meal.
After taking a sip
of the watered wine, she looked at his face
and studied him for a moment.
"Forgive my forwardness, you have
helped me so much already, but I have
something else I would like
to ask of you.  Faelri nodded slightly in her
direction letting
her continue. " I do not want to live on the run from
my
sisters and my mother. I am sure with what has already happend
the magic
they control together could easily find me." Again he
nodded "And you would
like further protection from the
wildrunners?"

Ahmaria shook her head "No. Training....There
is little my hunting skills
can do to protect me from these kinds
of magics." Faelri sat for a moment as
if thinking it through.
"You have a sword?" " Yes, it was acctually my
father's but I
have it. " He smiled slightly toward her. "If training
is
truley what you desire, we will begin there in the morning".
She returned
his smile and thanked him again and they finsihed
the meal with light but
pleasant conversation.


Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sun Apr 
5 05:02:45 2009
Subject     Training first
test

Faelri's demeanor changed over night and in the long
days and weeks that
followed, he was no longer there to protect
her. He had become a personal
trainer. She was happy for the
chance to learn what he could teach but the
price for it was
painful lesson after painful lesson.  "Child your father
taught
you well the ways of a hunter and you show skill to rival any
master
hunter. Now it is time we take those skills and show you
how to use them in
other ways. You will need to mold those skills
to be like a warriors as
well." Ahmaria had begun to feel a
confidence in herself she had only felt
before when she hunted
with her father. She was determined to put her
emotions at the
back of her mind and refused to let them interfere in her
daily
tasks. It was on one of the colder mornings that she finally
realized
how at home she had become holding a blade. She had
walked out in to the
woods and came to where they trained every
morning and found that Faelri was
no where to be found. Ahmaria
began to practice her routine with her sword.
It was not long
before Faelri's tardiness began to bother her. She looked
around
her carefully and noticed the slightest movement in the trees
above
her. She smiled and almost laughed.  "Funny, usually I am
the one late to
our early sessions.  She looked up expecting to
see Faelri emerge from the
branches. The figure that dropped in
front of her was not him. She held her
sword steady at her side
unsure of the intrusion. The man was human and it
was hard to
read what intentions he had toward her. He smirked at her as
she
studied him and took a quick lunge toward her. She jumped
back quickly. Her
sword met his as it blocked another swing
toward her middle. He continued to
smile as he swung again.
Ahmaria parried three of his blows easily enough
but each strike
came faster and more aggressive. His next blow knocked her
on her
back and disarmed her. She quickly rolled away from another swing
of
his sword. Still down, she rolled back toward him and tripped
him with a
swift kick. She jumped up quickly and reached for her
sword. She swung at
the man as he had returned to standing. He
moved with a speed she could not
help but admire. Her next swing
he blocked moved out of her reach. They
circled the clearing for
a few moments assessing one another. He suddenly
lunged toward
her. As Ahmaria moved quickly away, his blade nicked at her
left
shoulder. She felt the burning pain of the wound as it bleed
freely.
She did not let it slow her momentum and continued in her
turn away from
him. She brought her body low and swung her leg to
trip him. He fell to the
ground with a startled look on his face
and she found it her turn to smirk.
Still armed he swung at her
while lying on his back. She parried once again
and stuck his
blade hard enough to disarm him. She kicked his sword out of
his
reach as she pointed the tip of hers at his throat. " That's
enough
Ahmaria." Faelri stepped in to the area as she pulled
her sword back as he
continued speaking.  "I think you are
ready for the next part of your
training." The man stood and
nodded at Faelri and smiling again to Ahmaria "
Thank you for
the exercise my dear, now I must return to my duties."
Faelri
spoke to her again " Gather your things, child. We have
somewhere to be." 


Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Sat Apr 11 03:30:53 2009
Subject     The
Trial

The task given to her itself was no real problem.
Three nights in the
wilderness. Surviving on her own. Alone. It
was that one word, 'Alone', that
brought a chill and element of
fear in to Ahmaria's heart. She quickly
prayed that Mishakal keep
her safe and that her mother and sisters had given
up their
search for her. As the sun rose she met Faelri who waited with
a
single gryphon and a pack of the only items she would be
allowed to take
with her. "The gryphon will take you in to the
forest. It is your task to
not only survive, but to find your way
to several locations with in." She
crawled up on to the gryphon
and held on. Although she had become more
familiar with the
creatures, she was still unsure of leaving the safety of
the
ground. It was not long in the air before she could make out the
outline
of the Qualinost. She focused on keeping her eyes
watchful of the forest and
any landmarks she could as it
approached. Soon the gryphon landed. The beast
seemed to soar
back in to the skys the moment she jumped from it's back.
Looking
around she decided the best place to go was up. She climbed in to
a
tree and sat to rest on a branch while she inspected her pack.
Besides being
allowed her bow in side her pack she had been given
a hunting dagger, half a
dozen arrows, a crudly hand drawn map
with marks on five locations, and an
empty water skin. "Well
first things first,  She spoke to herself,  "I need
to find
water." She climbed further in to the tree so that she could
see the
surrounding area. After scanning the forest she made out
what appeared to be
a small stream not far from her. She made her
way slowly out of the tree and
began her small hike toward the
flowing water. With in the next hour she had
filled her water
skin and found a nice shelterd place along the stream to
sit and
study her surroundings once more. She removed the map and studied
it
the best she could with the poor quality of it's content. Her
first land
mark surprisingly showed to be just further up stream.
Not wanting to put
the tasks set before her off, she stood and
made her way up stream. Another
silent prayer to her goddess and
hopes her family was far from reaching her
ran through her mind
as mid day passed. A small clearing came in to view. As
she
reached it she could only assume it was her first location. Upon
a stump
in the middle of the clearing was a single gryphon
feather. 

Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:     
Sat Apr 11 06:20:48 2009
Subject     Trail part 2

The
night came more quickly then she would have liked. It was only
her
first night and her spirits were already begining to sink.
Soon after
finding her first location it began to storm. Ahmaria
decided then to
continue moving toward the next area hoping she
was going in the correct
direction. There was no place she could
comfortably rest for the night.
Besides, with or without the
storm, she had no intention of lighting a fire.
 " That would
be all I would need, to light a fire....I would just as
rather
scream in to this foul wind 'Hello Mother I am here come
and get me'..."
There was enough lightning flashing through the
trees that she was able to
see somewhat of her surroundings. With
any luck, any creature that would try
to prey on her would have
been smart enough to seek refuge from the storm.
She pulled her
cloak around her tighter as the rain and wind beat on her
and
slowed any progress she made moving through the forest. As
the night wore on
and she grew more tired she almost thought she
could hear laughter howling
in the wind. Finally the storm began
to die down and there was no longer a
sorce of light that was
enough for her to see. Ahmaria climbed a large pine
tree and
tried to keep calm. Although the storm had ceased and the wind
was
no longer as strong, she could still hear the sounds of
laughter. Mocking
her almost it seemd. Convincing herself that it
could be nothing more then
lack of sleep, Ahmaria finally drifted
in to a light sleep. Her last
thoughts of the night were that she
had 4 more check points to get through
and now only 2 more nights
to do it in. 

Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:  
   Sat Apr 11 23:16:54 2009
Subject     Trail part
3

The storm had left the ground wet and hard to traverse.
She stayed as
near to the trees as possible, using over grown
roots to keep herself from
sinking in to the mud. Her mood seemed
to worse and by late morning she
found herself taking an early
rest high in another tree. Ahmaria took a
moment to pray once
again for safety and guidence. As she raised her head
she took a
deep breath. The sun had begun to shine through to the
forest
floor. The trees around her almost lit up with the
glitening water that
still clung to the branches. She could not
help but smile at the sight. The
light around her helped to
brighten her mood. If it was something in the air
in the air, or
her godess herself, something peaceful came to rest at the
back
of her mind. It seemed to tell her to go and and that here her
family
would be no threat. Ahmaria stole away a few more of these
peaceful moments
before teh sun passed behind a group of clouds.
With a quick word of thanks
to the heavens, she climbed from her
perch and continued on. By evening she
had collected another two
feathers marking her locations. She was blessed
even more with a
quick shot that ended in a pleasant meal. It once again
stormed
that night as she rested high in the branches. Although the
rain
kept her from sleeping she found she did not mind it as
much. Besides, it
helped so much more to keep her trial coverd.
That in itself seemed a gift
from nature and her goddess in one,
helping again her confidence that her
mother and sisters would
not come for her here. 

Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Mon Apr 13 16:56:44 2009
Subject     the
trial ends

Three nights of bitter cold rain storms were
taking a toll on Ahmaria.
Her muscles ached, she was tired,
chilled to the bone and hoped for a long
bath. The night before
she refused to sleep and had to continue on. By late
morning she
had found all but one of the checkpoints. She was overwhelmed
and
relieved as a large clearing came in to view. It was the last
location
on the map. She hoped that it also meant that her task
would be soon
complete. She stood back hidden by the trees and
scanned the clearing
carefully. The rain had slowed to a murky
drizzle and a light fog covered
the ground. As she continued to
watch the clearing she found her self
thinking about the past
days. Ahmaria still held a respectful fear of her
sisters and
mother, but had decided the fear would not keep her from
pressing
on in her life and her own goals. She was able to fully mourn
her
fathers passing and would honor him by continuing to live by
what he had
taught her as she grew. She had also realized she
longed to go home and that
now that home was with the wild
runners. She now thought of many of them as
friends as well as a
group she was learning much from as well as about them.
The fog
was beginning to lift when she heard a familiar cry. Floating in
to
the clearing was a young gryphon. She approached it smiling.
 "I suppose you
were kind enough to leave these feathers for
me?"  She climbed up on its
back and patted him on the neck. 
"I suppose if we keep meeting like this I
should at least learn
your name."  With a small laugh, the gryphon jumped
and took
flight. Ahmaria could not help but smile as she realized some
of
the changes in herself. That must have been the purpose of
this test she had
been set to. She was happy at what she had
learned about herself and new
confidence she had found in
herself. She was especially delighted when the
gryphon circled
and headed toward home. 

Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Thu Apr 23 03:41:44 2009
Subject    
Ahmaria

Ahmaria knew it would be a matter of time before
someone else might see
through her disguise. Some how the
gryphons themselves had seen past to what
she truly was. Not only
that, she did not trust that the magic that hid her
true self
would hold much longer. She was amazed it had lasted this
long.
She returned to her room that night, still in human form.
She sat and began
to write, hoping it would hold off any
questions that were likely to come
her way.

 My fellow
Wildrunners, I have come to regards you all as a new family
for
me. It is for this reason that I must share with you a secret
I have kept
for these past months. Most of you know how I fled
from my mother and
sisters after the death of my father. What I
should have told you is that my
father and I had fled from them
before although I do not fully understand
why. I believe that my
father knew that my mothers heart had backend. I tell
you this in
hopes it helps explain things better when I tell you I am
not
from the Caergoth region that I was found in. We fled from
across the New
Sea. A friend of my fathers cast a spell of some
potency to keep us hidden
and protected. I only hope that you are
not offended when I reveal to you
that I am not who I have
appeared to be. I no longer feel that I should hide
from my
family. Because of this, I tell you that I am not human. I
am
Qualinesti. I have learned much from you all in my training
and I hope that
I am able to continue learning from you all.
Thank you all for everything
that you have shown me.


'Sincerly'

    _____                               __  
__)           
  (, /  |  /)                ,        (, ) /      
       
    /---| (/  ___   _   __     _        /(  _/_ _____ __ 

 ) /    |_/ )_// (_(_(_/ (__(_(_(_   ) /  \_(__(_)/ (_/ (_
(_/  
                              (_/                  




Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Fri
May 15 16:51:34 2009
Subject     new orders

Ahmaria
woke unusually early and remained in bed staring at the
bunk
above her. Her new room mate was fast asleep. She wished she
had been able
to sleep just as soundly. She would have if it had
not been for the nagging
restlessness she had been feeling for
the past few days. She felt as if she
was stuck in an endless
waiting period. A few words of encouragement came
from a
wildrunner who had just returned from his own travels. Hilcaia
had
come to the hot springs for a quick rest before reporting
back in. The brief
exchange of words gave her reassurance that it
was better with the time she
had to prepare then to just be sent
out never to return if not prepared. She
turned on her side and
sighed lightly she knew he was right. In the past
weeks, she had
made remarkable discovers. Her mornings were spent in
the
practice yards honing her skills with both bow and bladed
weapons. Her
afternoons she spent in the stables learning all she
could about the nature
and care of the griffons. In that time she
also made a new friend. A unique
bond was forged with one of the
younger male griffons. It was in fact the
same golden feathered
griffon that had come to her in the forest. Rixbreeze,
Dalinoth
had told her was his name. Although he was slightly smaller
then
the others, Rixbreeze showed promising agility, endurance,
and speed. He
came to greet her with unheralded eagerness each
day that she came to the
stables. It was this bond that lead to
her commander assigning Rixbreeze as
her mount. Each day that
passed, her desire for a new assignment for the
pair grew.
"Ahmaria Ktorn!". At the sound of her name being
bellowed,
Ahmaria sat up hastily, smacking her head on the bunk
above. She stood with
a quick rub on her head. "Here,"  she
called as she opened the door and
stood at attention. A lean
kagonesti warrior stood in the door way. "New
orders recruit.
Meet with commander in the stables promptly after the
morning
meal." "Yes Sir." "And recruit have your travel gear
ready as
well.".  Ahmaria remained at attention until the man
closed the door to her
room. She quickly went to her wooden trunk
and withdrew a loaded pack. She
smiled to herself as she once
again checked through the gear she had already
had prepared for
weeks. 

Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:     
Sun May 17 17:36:01 2009
Subject     To the
skys

Ahmaria joined seven other recruits in the stbles.
The sound of heavy
boots on the ground brought them all quickly
to an attentive stance. A tall
human came and stood before them.
He looked them over on at a time befor
breaking the silence.
"Some of you, I have already met." Ahmaria quickly
glaced in
his direction to study his face a moment. She realized that
she
had no idea who he was as he continued to speak. "For those
of you that I
have not, I am your new Flight Leader, Carsh."
The recruits all stood
quietly as he spoke to them of the
assignment at hand. " This mission will
both further your
training with the windriders and hopefully give an
insightful
history lesson as well. We will be traveling to the west
central
area of the mountains to the Anviltop area. Our
destination is the village
of Avalune. There you will observe,
train and hopefully bond with the best
companion you will ever
have while in this army. Since it has been reported
to me that
two of you already have had the chance to form a decent bond
with
a griffon already, you will have a slight advantage to a few
of the tasks
that will be put to you all." Flight leader Carsh
finished his speech by
ordering each recruit in to a pairing with
some of the griffon tenders
ranked above them. Ahmaria's partner
was a friendly small framed Silvanesti
woman. They greeted each
other with smiles. "We will be taking Rixbreeze
instead of my
griffon. It is important for you to have the opportunity
to
further your bound with him." Ahmaria simply nodded and was
silently
grateful that Rix would be going along. They were
dismissed to prepare the
griffons for the journey. When all was
ready, Carsh spoke a few more words,
making sure that they all
understood their orders. "All right you will all
follow my
lead. We shall be in the skys for a good part of the day. You
will
double up with your partner and share a mount for at least
this one time.
You all need to get use to being in flight. 
Windriders take flight!" With
one last command, they were
lead in to the skys. Ahmaria leaned in to the
wind content in the
moment of exhileration as the small wing of new recruits
took to
the skys and headed to the south. 

Author:    Ahmaria 
      
Date:      Fri May 22 18:31:22 2009
Subject    
Avalune

With in the Anviltop peaks of the central
Kharolis mountains rested the
samll village of Avalune. The first
day there for each of the recruits was
in deed spent in a history
lesson. Loyal clerics of Habbakuk along with a
small group of
village mystics, spent there days tending to the griffons
living
in the surrounding cliffs. The purpose of the village was to
help
protect and observe the griffons and honor the tradition of
new windriders
who came to find and bond with one. Durning the
next few days in the
mountain valley, Ahmaria began lessons in
solo flight. With in the first
week most recruits were able to
master the basic flight patterns used for
scouting formations.
Each day that passed the group learned what it truly
meant to be
one of the windriders. As expectations from their wing
leader
grew, the group began to learn the basics of mounted
combat in flight. Days
passed and their skills improved. The
lessons went on for almost a months
time and was not long before
each of them could keep their balance and still
almost perfectly
aim a bow. The last night of their training brought them
together
for a final meal in the village. Orders were given that they
would
fly out in the morning to return to the north and return
home.
Congratulations were given accompanied with new orders
would be given from
there for them to join a full flight. As she
headed to bed that night, she
gave a thought to how much she
enjoyed this new found lifestyle. Ahmaria
prayed with thanks to
her goddess that she had finally found a place where
she felt she
truly belonged. She enjoyed each day for it's challenges and
was
glad at what she could learn from each. She sent one more silent
thought
of thanks before drifting to sleep . 

Author: 
  Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat May 30 03:46:55
2009
Subject     Return

Ahmaria walked from the stables
after spending the time to see that
Rixbreeze was comfortably
resting after the long days flight home. She
wandered amongst the
others in her flight group and got to know each one a
little more
during the night. They all enjoyed a welcome meal and were
able
to socialize. They all questioned what the next day would
bring and with
what orders. Mostly they all spoke of being glad
to be home although each
one had enjoyed some part of the time
spent in Avalune. Ahmaria no longer
felt restless and was glad
for the work they had accomplished. She knew
there would be much
more training but she no longer felt the haze of the
unknown
lingering around her. She slept well most night now. Thoughts of
her
family no longer nagged her thoughts. She felt no fear or
anxiety over who
she was. She said her normal prayer of thanks
and asked for continued
blessing in her skills.


Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat Jun
13 16:15:02 2009
Subject     Negotiating Valek's Release. Part
1

Wildruners and Winriders had been set in position
amoung the trees and
skies while Ahmaria and her gryphon waited.
Messengers had been sent to the
Conclave regarding the capture of
Valek. The place designated for the for
the meeting was the
lakeshore near Solace. 

Meanwhile, Jendaron sat inside the tower
of High Sorcery, the retired high
Archmage Jendaron, relaxing in
the Library, is approached by a Conclavian
messenger who delivers
a note to the Archmage Slowly, Jendaron removes the
hood that
perpetually covers his face looks coldly at the message in
his
hands. 

 "'That damned fool"

The note reads Valek of
the Black Robes has been captured by the Wildrunner
Ahmaria, and
is currently imprisoned. Please send a representative to
discuss
terms of his release.' 

Jendaron sighs. " Does it ever end?
These pitiful fools can't even handle
their own business anymore.
 

The final part of the note reads A meeting at Crystalmir
Lake is arranged
for this eve.' Jendaron slowly recovers his face
with his hood and stands
angrily. 

 "So to Solace, of all
places."  Jendaron slowly heads towards the exit of
the Tower
of High Sorcery, his path leading to Crystalmir Lake. Speaking
a
few words, the Archmage makes himself invisible to others and
silently
travels towards the lake. 

Back near Solace, Ahmaria
walks along the eastern shore of the lake looking
to the skys and
the surrounding area. She waves a signle to the waiting
members
of Wildrunners and Windriders still waiting for negotiations to
to
begin. Ahmaria keeps her gaze scanning the vallen trees and
beyond.
Satisfied she nods and waits patiently.


Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat Jun
13 16:22:51 2009
Subject     Negotiating Valek's Release. Part
2

 "It should not be long now, Rix"  Ahmaria places a
calming hand lightly
on the back of her griffon, Rixbreeze.
Jendaron spots the slender elven
figure and the figure of a
gryphon, on the east shore of the lake, as he
approaches. He
silently approaches the two, his hood covering his face
and
invisible to the eyes of others.

A sudden chill touching her
skin, Ahmaria knows someone must be near their
area she turns
drawing her swords. She speaks in her own tongue, Qualinesti,

"Show yourself and this will remain peaceful gathering." 

In
Common he answers her,  "I suggest you sheathe that swords, or
you and
the runners hidden in the trees will find themselves
overrun with the demons
and spirits of the abyss."  He pauses
before adding.  "I have come, as
requested, to discuss the
terms of the pitiful fool's release, if I wished
to attack you,
you would already be dead."  

 "Very well,"  Ahmaria
places her swords back at her sides and motions
toward the trees.
Jendaron, speaking a word, the black robe archmage
reveals
himself to the elf. His hood still covering his face, he
stands before her.


 "Before we begin the discussions, I wish
to know one thing. 

 "I suppose it depends on what you wish
to know."

 "What did this fool do to get himself caught up on
the losing side of a
battle with an elven female?" 

Ahmaria
trys to hide a slight smile as she answers slowly.  "I know a
few
thing of the arcane world. If I had to explain it he traveled
to me by way
of a gate, unprepared for my reaction."  

 "Was
it a conflict he initiated?"  

 "Aye, it was.  Shaking his
head slightly,  "Perhaps his place is not with
those of the
Wizards of High Sorcery after all, but that is beside the
point
at this moment. What is it you and your fellow runners wish
for to ensure
his safe release and return to our... care lets
call it."  
 

Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Sat Jun 13 16:30:47 2009
Subject    
Negotiating Valek's Release. Part 3

 "I would like
information to help further an investigation we have
undertaken"


 "An investigation?"

 "It also has some what a
personal matter in what I ask."

 "Allow me to speak in your
own tongue so that there is nothing lost in
translation, elf." 
Jendaron begins to speak Qualinesti  "What is the
meaning of
this investigation, and what does it entail?"  

She nods to
him slightly surprised  "It is a murder investigation and
it
entails my own family"  She stands for a moment thinking of
the best way to
choose her words before proceeding. 

 "An
investigation involving your own family and a murder?" 


"'My father was killed while hunting and I too have been pursued
since that
day. Those guilty of the crime are my mother and two
sisters."  

 "Do you know a location where this
occurred?'

 "The forests surrounding Caergoth. '

 "And you
think this has something to do with Conclave?' 

"After seeing
the black robes of your man I knew I must ask at least for
this
information if it could be given."  

 "'When did this
happen?"

 "'It has been almost a half year since my father's
death.  

"I do not know directly, of any such occurrence
involving the mages of my
order, but the matter can be looked
into deeper if that would lead to
Valek's safe return. If it
happened within my order, I can find out about
it."



Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat
Jun 13 16:37:55 2009
Subject     Negotiating Valek's Release.
Part 4

 "I will not pretend to know the way that your
orders work, but my
sisters and mother are mages. "

 "'Their
names?"

 "K'torn is our surname, as for each of their given
names I had vowed not to
speak of them."

 "'Then I will
investigate of the murder of the K'torn man and these women.
If I
indeed find out a connection with the conclave, I will not need
the
given names. Is there another thing you wished to ask?"


"On behalf of the Wildrunners and myself, we will release the man
in to
your care. We ask that he not pursue any of our ranks
without just cause."

 "Not an unreasonable request, and as you
have also requested, I will
investigate what we spoke of and
contact you how I see fit if anything is
found out.' 

Jendaron
slowly walks closer to the elf until he stands directly be fore
the
elf. He slowly moves back his hood off his face, revealing
ice blue eyes,
silver hair and a wicked scar down the middle of
his face. Ahmaria stands
her ground feeling herself begin quake
under his gaze His gaze intensifies
and seems to penetrate right
through her. 

Jendaron stares into the elf's eyes and speaks. 
"Next time, the fool won't
be so easy to capture, that I assure
you. This conflict ends here, on both
ends."  He pulls his hand
up to her face in a mocking gesture and runs a
hidden dagger
point along her face. His not so gentle brush of her
cheek
leaving a line of hot blood in its trail. She remains still
while he
continues to speak. Her eyes flash with anger ad the
blood drips from her
face. 

Stepping back from her, "I do not
wish to take the fool back myself.
'Release him in the forest, if
he's worth a damn he can find his own way
back." , he says
still watching her closely. 

Ahmaria motions toward the sky,
signaling for the release of Valek the
careless mage  "He will
be released with in the hour"  Before the foolish
mage can see
him there, Jendaron speaks a word and disappears as quickly as
he
arrived. 

Back at the Conclave, Jendaron returns to his quarters
in the black robe
tower, snarling angrily. He throws a crystal
vase against the wall
shattering it in a million pieces.

 Damn
fool! How could he let this happen. They are on to us now.' 


While in Solace, Ahmaria mounts Rixbreeze and take to the
skies. She touches
the side of her face and lets out a roar of
anger. She turns to the north
with the other windriders and
returns home, trying to lose the picture in
her mind of the cold
calculating face of the black robed mage known as
Jendaron.


Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat Jun
20 23:00:49 2009
Subject     A new young
recruit.

Standing in the narrow stone passageway, Ahmaria
looked out over the
cliffs with Rixbreeze. The sunset was
spectacular. She was grateful for the
few days she had been
granted for personal time. She sometimes missed the
seclusion of
nature that she had rare time to enjoy. With a smile she
turned
to the gryphon next to her and smiled. 

As she turned a
small shy figure caught her eye. The female grey elf was
just
slightly shorter then Ahmaria. Her raw hide leathers were well
made and
seemed fit by any hunters standards. Ahmaria wondered if
she too had looked
anything like her as a new recruit. 

She
walked toward the younger girl and gave her a kind smile.  "You
are new
to the runners, How are you liking it here?" 

The girl
looked around with wonder in her eyes, seemingly startled by
the
question.  "I um, I guess I like it. so far.  Ahmaria
could not help but
smile at her shy demeanor. 

 "There is no
need for such shyness. We are all like family here. 

 ""Just
my family, my sister, isn't here,"  She spoke quietly. The
girl
looked around her at all of the quiet activity of the
passage around them. 

 "Your sister is she too a recruit of
the Wildrunner?" 

The younger elf nodded absently,  "Yes,
but, she had to go away for now and
be an apprentice in magic
somewhere...." Her voice trailed of ending with a
small sigh.
Ahmaria glanced around the hall and nodded down to her.
She
motioned toward the fountain and they sat. 

 "My sisters
too are mages, although I would not call us close. I am sure
it
wont be too long before she is tested and can return." 


The young elf sat fidgeting with her hair. Ahmaria watched her
with concern.
The poor girl was obviously preoccupied..  " "It
has already been too long,
"  she pouted. 

 TO BE
CONTINUED......


Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Sat Jun 20 23:05:30 2009
Subject     Talk of
gryphons and such

Ahmaria thought to herself for a moment
while she watched her.  "Well
perhaps there is something we can
do to help pass the time she is away? Have
you been given an
assigned regiment yet?  

Returning a questioning gaze she
answered,  "Um, no, I don't think so."  She
shook her head
lightly. 

Rixbreeze nudged Ahmaria gently, reminding her it was
time that his need for
food interested him more then the
conversation.  "Perhaps you would like to
join me in seeing
that Rixbreeze here is fed?' 

The younger elf tilted her head
and became seemingly more accepting of
conversation. She looked
at the gryphon curiously.  "That is a funny
looking....bird? Is
that a Rixbreeze?" Her question caused Ahmarias smile to
widen.


Holding herself from laughing she simply said,  "No,
Rixbreeze is his name.
He is a gryphon. A friend to all of the
Windriders."  As she spoke the
gryphon lifted his head proudly
at the mention of his name. 

 ""That's a gryphon? Sis told me
stories about them, but, so they are real?
Can they really talk
and all?" Studying the Gryphon closer, the girl quickly
lost
all trace of shyness. 

 "They are stubborn and proud animals,
fierce flyers, but I have never heard
one speak." 

Ahmaria
began to shake her head to say no when the gryphons beak opened
and
a deep voice came from it.  "I suppose I could talk if I
wanted."  Both
elves stood amazed. 

Her brow raised,  "I
guess they do speak."  Ahmaria gave a soft laugh.

The younger
girl leaned closer to Rixbreeze, examining him. Her nose
almost
touching his beak,  ""Wow, it can speak better than I
can, almost as good as
big sis." 

The gryphon made a noise
that seemed almost like a chuckle.  " I just never
felt the
need to speak we bond with our riders with other means
of
communication.  He was rewarded with a gaze of awe and
memorized glee from
the younger elf and a look of pride from his
rider. 
 
 TO BE CONTINUED.....

Author:    Ahmaria
       
Date:      Sat Jun 20 23:10:54 2009
Subject    
Talk of Mages and Such

 " We just recently returned
from the village where Rixbreeze was raised
with the other
gryphons, bonding with him has brought new surprises
everyday."
 Ahmaria watched the girl regain her composure. Suddenly her
face
scrunched up with a look of deep thought. 

Blurting out
excitedly,  "Can they fly as far as that Tower where big
sis
is?" 

Ahmaria answered her carefully.  "It is possible
we could go to Wayreth, but
we will not find the tower unless the
mages want us to. We have ways to get
messages to them though. We
normally ask for meetings in Solace with any
from the Conclave."
 She sat studying the girls face carefully . She began
to worry
about her and tried to think of something that could ease
the
concern the girl felt for her missing sister.  " You miss
her that much?". 


The girl muttered under her breath while
glaring at the mention of the
tower. Ahmaria smiled hearing
something about "stodgy, smelly old wizards
and their odd ways."
The girl then answered her.  "Yes, miss her, we have
never been
apart, what will she do if I am not there to bring the game
for
her to cook, or. ..or.."  She once again trailed off with a
sad, lost look
on her face. Ahmaria let her remain silent in her
thoughts, but stood and
placed a calming hand on her shoulder.


After a moment she spoke softly.  "She is well taken care of,
I am sure." 
Ahmaria sat wondering more on how to comfort the
young elf. It suddenly
accrued to her that she may have the
perfect solution.  "In the meantime
while you wait for her to
return, and for your proper assignments perhaps
you and I could
work together to have a place ready for the both of you to
share
here.  

The girl nodded and proudly and quietly stated,  ""
I kept the goblins away
from our house, she never knew that, she
was always keeping me safe, and, I
tried to keep her safe,
now...now I can't be there for her".  

 "'You know that the
magicks she can learn there will be able to keep you
both safe as
well don't you?"  

 "We were safe where we were, I don't
know why she wanted to leave there. We
didn't trouble anyone
there. Now, we...I am just extra baggage for her." 

Ahmaria
shook her head.  "I am sure that is not true" . Remembering
what she
felt she needed to say she continued speaking.  " I
have a few days off duty
given to me by my flight commander,
would you like to spend a few days
hunting with me and Rix " .
She continued to try to comfort the young elf.,
who trying to hid
her interest remained silent. She grudgingly nodded back
at her.

 TO BE CONTINUED......

Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Sat Jun 20 23:19:28 2009
Subject     Talk Of
hunting and such

  "There is something you should
understand that I learned about mages a
long time ago. If your
sister would not have gone to the towers to find a
master, she
would have been in more danger. They tend to hunt those
who
practice magic without their guidance. Maybe it is again your
sister trying
to protect you? "

The girl pouted a bit.  "We
work better together, she said, but, she still
left. Now I just
wait. What am I supposed to do until she gates back?"

 " It
will all turn out to be a good thing, youll see. Now, what do you
like
to hunt most?"  

The young girl snarled and excitement
came back to her voice.  ""Goblins,
and ogres. I like to hunt
those nasty, forest trashing animals the most,
Careless brutes!"
 Her eyes took on a feral gleam as she spoke. 

Rixbreeze
raised his head once again interested in the conversation. 
"What
ever it is that tastes best?"  He smacked his beak at the
thought of his own
vision of the perfect prey. 

The girl looking
slightly startled said,  ""Oh, to eat, ummm, boar,
I
guess!"

The gryphon nodded in his own way and began to walk
away from them.  "Boar
sounds good, excuse me ladies it is time
for a snack." He leapt in the air
leaving the two elves to
finish planning. 

 "Let us prepare and head for the woods
around crystalmire, perhaps we can
get lucky enough for a decent
day or two of hunting. We can fly out at dawn
if that sounds
alright with you." 

The younger elf tried hard to contain her
excitement but could not. She
suddenly babbled forth with
conversation .  " I suppose that would be a good
way to learn
my surroundings. Sis always said know where you are and what
ou
have, but, she may have Meany something else, she was always
talking in
riddles."  

Ahmaria smiled patiently.  "I suppose
I should give you my name, I am
Ahmaria K'torn." 

 "Ahmaria?
Ah, I am Shizuru Viola'vata, Meriele's sister. Very nice
meeting
you, ma'am." With that she bowed to Ahmaria. 

 "All
right Shizuru it is nice meeting you as well. I must go and
prepare
for the morning but, I leave you with a thought passed to
me from another
fellow Wildrunner. From now on there is nothing
you must do alone."  

Shizuru returned a puzzled look. 
"Must do.....? "

 In other words in any thing that life
gives you. You don't have to do it
alone the Wildrunners are
there to help as well. A Wildrunner never fights
alone"  

Soon
the young Shizuru was heading off to make preparations and
leaving
Ahmaria to her own thoughts. Ahmaria sighed hoping that
she might help the
confidence of the young elf grow. Perhaps she
would stop introducing herself
as Meriele's sister and be able to
see her own strengths as well as she was
able to talk of the
pairs shared abilities. She also pondered on the wisdom
she had
gained in such a short amount of time here. 
 THE END FOR
NOW.

Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat
Jun 27 07:17:11 2009
Subject     Dreams and
memories.

She woke to the sound of laughter. A womans
laugh, soft and light mixed
with a mans, hearty and unrestrained.
The laughter sounded so very happy.
She smiled, still lying in
bed, to the flawless melody it created. 

The man and woman both
looked at her. The light-hearted amusement between
then sparkled
in each of their eyes. She could not contain herself from
lending
her own small giggle to the mornings glee. When the moment
passed
each of their faces still wore a gracious expression.


She crawled out of her small bed, slowly at first. As her
petite feet
touched the cold hard wood floor, she hurried to the
man and woman. Her arms
wrapped warmly around the broad neck of
her father. She leaned closer to
him, taking in the rich smell of
blended pine and sweat. His dark hair fell
in to her face and
tickled her nose. He held her there a moment longer. 

She then
turned to embrace her mother. Her scent was like a rich
spiced
perfume. Her golden hair flowed around her as she cradled
her daughter close
to her chest. Her mothers crystal blue eyes
shined down at her. 

 "We have something to tell you, Ahmaria,
pet."  Her mothers voice was
cheerful and pleasant. Her smile
widened as she spoke.  "You are going to be
to be a sister." 


======================================================


Ahmaria hummed merrily to herself as she ran her fingers
through her hair.
She worked her hands through the chestnut
colored locks. After a few moments
a tidy braid fell down her
back.

She turned on her stool to watch her younger sisters. They
too were in the
process of combing their hair. Neither of them
smiled her way, nor would
they speak to her. The sharp features
of the adolescent Ktorn girls furrowed
in disgust and they
continued to ignore her. Her smile faded. 

She left the room and
slowly descended the stair case. She ran her hands
along the
smooth oak finish of the handrail. She had always marveled
the
hand crafted detail throughout the small home she had lived
in and matured
in. She quickly stopped at the bottom step. 

She
heard voices arguing. The same voices that had once echoed
through out
with laughter, now scorned each other. Her mothers
voice now sounded out
caterwauls of abrasive comments. Although
her fathers voice was firm, it
hinted tones of heartbreak and
hopelessness. 

Ahmaria snuck from that bottom step soundlessly
and left the house. When the
evening came she returned. The small
house was still and shadowy. She saw
her father motionless in the
doorway. His eyes were dark and troubled. She
watched him for
some time. When he finally noticed her, he forced a smile. 


"Just you and I, Ahmaria, petjust you and I."


======================================================

Ahmaria
stirred from her dream. Each memory seemed as clear as if it
had
been just yesterday. She struggled not to cry. Thoughts of
how her mother
and sisters had left. Each of them had a malicious
thirst for power. That
desire ultimately had lead to her fathers
murder. 

She sat up all the way. She was glad to have the day to
hunt. Glad to have
the day to let her past be forgotten for the
day.

Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat
Jul 25 02:54:27 2009
Subject     briefing part
one

Standing in front of a tall rectangular portion of
polished steel,
Ahmaria stood and studied her reflection Her long
hair was braided and
pulled in to a tight bun atop her head. A
single griffon feather was pinned
neatly in to her wound tresses.
She reached to the small table near by. From
there she took a
thin royal blue cloth braided in to a cord. She placed
the
lanyard over her neck. Once it was positioned, she stood back
to inspect her
attire.  "All in proper order"  She told her
self and nodded to herself in
the mirror. 

It had been her
morning ritual for weeks now. She dressed promptly and
headed
straight to the stables. Rixbreeze would be waiting there for
her.
Together they would see to the morning training exercises.


The small flight she had been given responsibility over thus
far had shown
extreme promise. Ahmaria found that she quite liked
her risen rank and the
potential for further opportunities with
in the Windriders. With those
thoughts she headed toward her
waiting griffon. 

This day however she was stopped on her way
out. As she made her way across
the parade field, she was met by
her own Pride Lord. She respectfully
saluted her superior officer
and was greeted in return with a warm smile. 

 "Good morning
Flight Leader, Ktorn.

 "Good morning Sir". She lowered her
hand and returned his smile." 

 "The Wing Commander and I
just had a discussion over our morning meal about
you and your
flight."  She looked over the tall elven man and saw
what
looked to me a proud glint in his eye. He continued on. 
"It has been a
while now and you have already shown enough
promise to gain the attention of
the Commanders."  Ahmaria
lifted her brow with a questioning look.  "You are
to report in
twenty minutes for a briefing. New orders and such."  

Ahmaria
smiled again at him. Carsh too had done well climbing to the rank
of
Pride Lord. He had always been a fair leader in training new
recruits and
had become a close friend as well. 

It was then
that she noticed he seemed distracted. "Sir?" He waved off
her
concern reminding her to bee in the observation room for the
briefing. She
nodded and saluted once more as she left him deep
in his own thoughts. 

Ahmaria walked out on to the common long
enough to give orders for those
under her command. That done she
took one more moment for Rixbreeze. She
nodded to him. 


"Briefings and meetings today Rix."  She said no more but about
laughed
watching him. He seemed very content to lounge in the
shade while watching
the others work. She patted him on the neck
and headed for the observation
room. 

Author:   
Ahmaria        
Date:      Sat Jul 25 03:26:23
2009
Subject     briefing part two

The observation room
was surprisingly crowded. Ahmaria spotted Carsh
across the room
and walked to his side. His face still showed signs of
concern
but he smiled at her. 

 "Is all well, sir.?" She whispered
to him as he leaned in toward her. 

He whispered back to her. 
"We will see after this meeting just how well
things really are."


She looked up at him and began to say something else when the
Wing Commander
enters with one of the Wildrunner majors. A hush
fell over the room and
everyone saluted the two new men. They
gave the cue and everyone took a
seat. 

The commander brought
forth a large rolled parchment and rolled it out on
the table
before them. Lying before them all now was a map of the
area.
Several read chalked marks caught her eye. In particular,
she took note of
one near the southern Kharolis Peaks and another
bordering along the
wildwood of the Qaulinesti region. The major
spoke first. "As you can see,
we have marked red areas on the
map. They are all close to areas along our
southern borders. Each
of these markings are confirmed reports from out
scouts of goblin
war bands moving further in to our lands." 

He stopped talking
as the news sank in to the room. There was an eminent
danger and
Ahmaria was sure she knew at least part of the new orders
to
come. 

 "Our new orders are thus,"  The major continued.
 "Each flight will pair
with groups of my Wildrunners and meet
here."  He pointed to a central among
the red marks.  "The
Wildrunners will be part of the next briefing so you
are all
getting the same information for the most part. Several select
units
will go out from there and we will remove these unwanted
creatures from our
lands." 

A shout rang out from across the
room to slay them all. The wing commander
spoke out for the first
time in the whole meeting. 

 "No, we are not going to start a
war. If they run from us we are to let
them leave peacefully. The
purpose of this mission is to remove them with as
little
bloodshed as possible. Granted they are vile beings but we would
like
to keep this as clean as possible." 

 "Unnecessary
blood shed will not be tolerated and will be punished."

Ahmaria understood the need for caution but knew the hatred
most felt for
the goblinoid race. She knew this would be a
challenging mission. The
briefing lasted a good part of an hour
and then they were left to prepare. 

Ahmaria spotted the young
Shizuru entering the observation room for the next
briefing. She
found herself unable to hide a smile thinking of the
young
corporal being told hunting goblins may be unnecessary
blood shed. This
would defiantly be a learning experience for all
those involved. 

Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Fri Aug 14 03:54:40 2009
Subject     Concern
for Unnecessary Bloodshed 

Ahmaria stood with the eight
other windriders under her command. She saw
her own horror
reflected in each of their faces. She found it hard to fight
back
tears through the smoke and anger at what she saw before her.
They had
sent the gryphons to the skies to signal for the other
windriders and
wildrunners in the area, leaving them on the
ground surrounded by horrific
scene. 

The had been scouting the
area for half a month looking for signs of raiding
parties with
in the borders of Qualinost. The evidence that they had
been
there was undeniable. The armies had been too late. The
bandits had already
fled, leaving a path of destruction behind
them. The mission had changed
drastically. 

Ahmaria pointed to
two of the men in her wing, "You two come with me and
look for
survivors the rest of you find stable shelter for any wounded.
Call
for me as soon as the others begin to arrive." She looked up
and watched
Rixbreeze a moment as he circled with the other
gryphons above. She sighed
heavily as they went to work. 

She
pushed thoughts of hatred and revenge aside and thought only at
the task
at hand. The village still burned in parts but as the
afternoon wore on and
other wildrunners arrived, the flames
stopped. An old warehouse surviving
the flames, soon became a
small hospital and headquarters for the army to
begin clean up.
By nightfall the building was full of wounded. Other
survivors
that had fled in the attack soon came out of hiding and
also
worked in the effort to salvage the small village. 

Tired
and worn, Ahmaria sat with her own commanding officers and gave
her
own report. "The death count is almost 3 to 1 of those found
alive. Half of
the survivors are badly injured and reports from
the villagers able to speak
have confirmed at least 25 people are
still missing." 

She looked at Carsh and recognized the same
grim look that all of them
carried. He motioned for her to be
dismissed . "Get some rest Ktorn". 

As she tried to sleep that
night she could not help but think that they had
come too late.
There had been concern for unnecessary bloodshed and this is
what
it had come to. Goblin blood spared but at the cost of lives with
in
her own country. She finally fell feeling angry and confused.


Author:    Ahmaria        
Date:      Mon Aug
17 21:02:15 2009
Subject     More goblins

A graceful
young gryphon circled through the skies. The two elven figures
on
his back seemed in high spirits as they made a routine perimeter
patrol.
As Ahmaria pointed off toward the horizon, Rixbreeze let
out a shriek. A
dark line of smoke rose steadily upward from the
forest floor. 

The gryphon lowered his flight nearer to the
treetops and the three grew
silent. Passing over a small clearing
their watchful gaze fell upon a small
goblin encampment. Hilcaia
was the first to draw his bow. Ahmaria soon did
the same. It
became apparent then that with two riders, taking aim would
be
near impossible. 

Ahmaria realized they had not been seen by
any in the camp. They circled
staying out of sight. Again she
pointed to another area of the wood. Hilcaia
spotted it as well
and nodded as they descended. Rix settled down to the
ground and
immediately took flight. "Hell signal for the others to
join
us.." 

Quickly the two began to move silently back toward
the encampment. When they
again could see the fire, they climbed
upward in to the trees. Hilcaia
signaled silently to her and
disappeared in to the shadows of the branches.
She remained
unseen as she watched the camp below. 

Several goblins sat half
sleeping around the camp fire and she could see
tracks below from
others. From here she could not se enough to get an
accurate
count. Ahmaria kept her watch moving from the camp to the
skies.
The rest of her flight would not take long to get here.


Hilcaia soon came back and signaled again wordlessly to her.
She understood
from his hand signals there were close to 30
goblins below. She signaled
back that they would wait for the
others. He gave a disappointed look in her
direction but followed
the order. 

She smiled at him feeling a bit guilty. He was
suppose to be healing. So
much for bringing him along for a
peaceful patrol. She scolded herself
inwardly. She should have
known better. Both sat waiting, bows still drawn.
It would not be
long to wait. 

Author:    Ahmaria        
Date: 
    Tue Aug 18 17:35:24 2009
Subject     Preparations for a
caravan.

Ahmaria stood before Carsh after retelling all
that had happened in the
goblin encampment. He had been pacing
back and forth in front of her for
almost an hour questioning her
actions. He stopped abruptly in front of
her.

"Before I pass
on your report, Ktorn is there anything else you have to
say?" 


" Only that those under my command are well trained and
fought well. I feel
I have done right in my actions. Had we let
that group of goblins live they
would have continued tearing our
border villages apart." 

He nodded to her and dismissed her.
As he turned back across the yard and
mounted, she watched him
until the gryphon and rider had flown to the
horizon. She gave a
quick sigh and turned back to her work. 

Again new orders had
come down the lines and the clean up was to be moved
along. The
villagers were now self sufficient enough and a local guard
was
to begin training. She looked over the list of supplies
coming later by
caravan. 

Most of the Wildrunners would be
moving on to another village in need of
help in the aftermath of
goblin raiders. Ahmarias small wing would stay and
see to the
supplies and training. Motioning to one of her men,
Ahmaria
ordered that they all gather in the village square with
in the hour. Before
the Wildrunner platoons left her Windriders
would go and escort the caravan
the last leg of the journey. She
refused to take the chance that any raiders
would have a chance
at those supplies. 

She looked across the yard and noticed
Hilcaia watching her. She smiled
toward him and waved while
wondering if his platoon was one remaining in the
area or if it
would be another month before she saw him again. She laughed
out
loud thinking that the thought had even occurred to her. She
waved again
toward him and returned again to her work. Now to
find suitable candidates
to captain the small village militia
before Carsh returned. 

Author:    Ahmaria       

Date:      Sat Sep 12 22:21:33 2009
Subject     Recruits
and motivation.....

Looking over the roster of new
recruits, Ahmaria had been jotting down
notes to the side on each
name. After yesterdays antics, she decided the
best means for
training would be to group them together by strengths
and
talents. Each new recruit would first be paired with a higher
ranking
Runner. After the right match was made, the pair would be
assigned to scout
for similar talent with in the village. . She
would then have each group
move through each pair to learn a
range of all the skills. Hopefully it
would give a base for a
solid defense with in the village

Carsh and the other
Wildrunners and Windriders had moved on. It was the
first morning
Ahmaria had full command of a mission. It had been just short
of
a disaster in her mind. After skipping the report session,
Ahmaria was
grateful to be in her office alone. Role call was
over. She looked down at
the roster and sighed. Corporal Shizuru
Viola'vata had thankfully shown up
for the role. Her whereabouts
during the caravan travels, were still
unknown.

If it had not
been for her instantly taking to task, and partnering with
the
young Kagonesti recruit known as Tesnos, Ahmaria would have
dragged her in
here to question her. She made a note to ask for
her presence after the
morning meal. The girl had surprisingly
gained ranks through her skill but
free spirited nature was at
some times taxing on the nerves. 

Another Wildrunner face came
to her mind. A bit more rugged and savage,
Hilcaia, had baffled
her that morning. His attitude and demeanor had gone
from
understanding and pleasant while off duty to insubordinate and
almost
cold while they were on duty. His new companion was never
far from them
circling the village, but smart enough to stay away
when the gryphons were
out hunting. She did not know if the hawk
was the cause of his distraction,
but she would talk with him
that evening. 

Her quill landed at the name Tesnos on the
roster. The younger elf seemed
decent enough as far as recruits
went. He had been respectful through out
the morning. Her only
concern with him was he seemed afraid of her for some
reason. He
reminded her of her first day s as a runner. She smirked at
the
thought. Perhaps he too would come to think of thee Runners
like she had.
Even armies could be a family. 

Looking through
more papers on her desk, Ahmaria atlast came to an
invitation to
all of the Wildrunners in the village. The people had planned
a
celebration in honor of all the hard work they had helped with.
An idea
formed in her head and Ahmaria began to write. First
notices to her Runners,
and then A letter to a friend. Maybe a
celebration and a break from hard
work would help keep the camp
motivated to keep working hard. 

Author:    Ahmaria   
    
Date:      Thu Sep 24 13:40:50 2009
Subject     From
a Captain's Point of View

Captain Nithier, a leader of
the local militia, was as patient as men can
come. He had been
through a lot in the past months as a result of brutal
raids from
invading bands of goblins. The marauders had made it so that
he
personally had survived, fire, flood and being left for dead
after a savage
attack on the village. Even with his patient
nature, he knew something had
to give. 

It was the Captain
himself that had first began to form the militia. They
needed an
organized way to defend themselves. After months of what
seemed
like constant raids, most of the village had evacuated.
Not willing to admit
defeat, he was still forced to admit his
efforts would not be enough. 

He did the next best thing he
could and swallowed his pride. He wrote to
authorities in the
city of Quailnost asking for aid to be sent. He answer
came
surprisingly soon after in the form of small army. The
Wildrunners had
answered his call for help. As they moved in from
the forest and the sky,
his first impression was that of unease.
A lot of the men and women appeared
to be no more then new
recruits. A few of them even came to be more savage
looking then
some of the goblins he had encountered. The uneasy feeling
grew
when a young wing commander was left in charge. 

He bit his
tongue. He would give them a chance to help them. He did not
see
any other options. Besides, they had brought tools and
supplies. However
they looked, the Wildrunners of Quailnesti had
come prepared to work. 

To his surprise, Ahmaria Ktorn had
proven to be a fair and organized leader.
She focused on the
strengths of his men individually at first, pairing them
with her
own for training. Collectively the Runners and the militia
worked
together to strengthen weaknesses. Soon they were easily
working together
and making their talents work to better the
village defenses. 

The village had changed much since the
Wildrunner army had arrived. The
buildings had all been repaired,
guard posts had been erected around the
village and hidden in the
trees around them, and even new wells had been
dug. Villagers,
whom had evacuated, were now returning to clean and damage
free
homes. He had to admit he had been wrong to fear the worst from
the
Runners. 

Now with all the work and training going so well,
he knew the time for them
to depart would be soon. He knew their
own border patrols would still always
roam the area of the
surrounding forests. But now, the village would be his
to protect
with his own men. He had been told in a weeks time he would
take
command fully, leaving only his instincts and his men to
defend their
homes.

He walked across the village common toward
Ahmarias small makeshift office.
As he walked, he looked around
and grinned at what he saw. Everything the
Wildrunners had helped
them accomplish made him feel confident that they
would be able
to handle the threat of further raids. A sense of peace that
had
been a long time coming settled over him. 

His smile grew as the
young Windrider s wing commander greeted him at the
door. 
"Good Morning Captain." She offered him a seat and they began
to
review how the Wildrunners would begin to detach. 

The Storytellers of Ansalon, The DragonLance MUD

Astinus points to the massive wall of books behind him and bids you to make a selection.

Authors: All|A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
Astinus sighs as he recants 'We saved 869 books from Ansalon from before the great Cataclysm through today.'