Out in the Woods

It's a warm day, the sun is out and the birds are excitedly chirping their good fortune to anyone who willing to listen. Only a few small puffy clouds mark the blue sky which is lost somewhere in the boughs of the trees. Here beneath the shade of the ancient pines and firs the ground is dappled and streaked in golden streams. Menel sits in one such puddle of warmth, a small burrow behind him and a smaller campfire that's been built with a shield before him. It's breakfast time, and so he's cooking up some eggs gathered from the too-jubilant birds that hadn't been cautious enough with their nests. There's water too, brewing in the center and steeping with some mint leaves he'd been lucky enough to find. It's not much of a tea, but Menel isn't complaining.

Seldan has himself proven no slouch at managing in the wilds, and a relieved if somewhat pensive companion. He has been able to provide them with dry shelter and clean water, and with a little help, food as well. He turns out to have a bow as well, a thing that he'd had on him along with all his travel gear when Menel first woke in the Temple of Vardama, and Menel will have learned several things about him now that they are outside of town. One of those things is that the man is something of a late riser, unusual in paladins. Where Menel sits in the sun, he's chosen the deepest shade he can find, and is only now rousing with a big yawn, scrubbing hands through overgrown ginger-blonde hair. Another is that he seems to be able to sleep in his armor, the gods only know how.

The small space that the Goblin occupied come night-time is empty when viewed at first light. She appears from the brush nearby moments after Seldan has made his wakefulness apparent. She offers the armoured man a hug, leaving behind rivulets of water. Her hair is soaked and clinging to her head and face. "Morning.", she mumbles mutely. Acedia looks to Menel then and offers a small wave.

"Morning sleepy-head." Menel grins at Seldan as the paladin rolls into wakefulness. "Got a bit of breakfast cooking if you're interested. Not much but it's something." Only Menel could call easily a couple dozen eggs cooked by the fire as 'only a bit'. He's got a small bird as well for his troubles, but there is one thing immediately notable about all the food that's cooking. It smells... off? As if he has the spices or cooking procedure all wrong. Clearly however he's none the wiser to the problem as he merrily stirs the eggs and pours some minty water for Seldan and Acedia. "Welcome back Acedia. Would you like something to drink?"

Seldan scrubs at his face again, but before he can make sense of what Menel said, he's draped in cold, wet Gobbo. "AGH!" Rivulets of water run down the armor, only to instantly vanish, leaving clean, dry metal. His face and hair are not so lucky, and he's a bit damp outside of the armor when Acedia speaks. "Good morning to you also." He shakes himself. "Did you jump in the stream?" Mutely, he shakes his head at Menel, clearly still trying to gather his wits. Not yet. That's typical of him on first rising, too. He also normally takes first watch at least, and often part of the second. Seems the man is rather a night owl.

Acedia peers at Menel and cants her head slightly. "What do you have?" She sniffs at the air a moment. "Erm. I uh... think that it's burning slightly. Your eggs." She gestures to the food in question. Looking up at Seldan, she grins at his reaction. "Yes. I got up early so that there was no peeking."

She moves to where her small stash of belongings has been arranged, and she roots around a small pouch. The Gobbo walks to Menel with a closed fist, and gestures to him. "Here. Cut this up very finely and mix it in with your eggs." She opens her hand to show off a green, slightly darkened-as-if-roasted jalapeno pepper about half the size of the small birds' eggs he's cooking.

Menel accepts the small pepper from Acedia as she offers it to him and quickly cuts it up into tiny little bits to mix with the eggs. It's pretty obvious that he has no idea what it is, but he trusts Acedia. After all if she was looking to poison him... well. He gives the eggs another little shuffle and starts dolling them out. Menel takes his portion and settles back with the cup of mint water and a plate full of eggs and looks at the pair that have joined him out in the woods. For now though, he says nothing.

"Agh." With Acedia's help, Seldan is finally awake enough to stand, and although his hair is a little wild, he seems to be at least reasonably coherent, and shakes himself off, then murmurs a quick spell to get the grass off of himself. It vanishes into nothingness, and he wanders over to the fire. While he doesn't seem -that- interested in food, he does accept a plate and a cup, drinking first, at least a little bit. The cup gets set aside, and the eggs politely tried, at least a small amount.

And he -coughs- and splutters halfway through the first bite. "What is -in- this?"

The Gobbo immediately seats herself close to Menel, and starts inhaling them, pausing only momentarily after the first bite. She shrugs and wolfs them down, heedless of taste or perhaps the slight burn from the jalapenos. "Delishiss.", she says, with her mouth crammed full.

She eyes Seldan a moment, offering him a shrug, and she swallows a mouthful noisily. "I don't know what he put in, but I offered a jalapeno to give it a little kick, and perhaps to mask a bit of the burnt taste."

Menel himself pauses slightly into his own eggs, seemingly totally unaware of the fact that they taste... rather unusual. He flushes a bit and coughs quietly. "Well I put some mint into them, it always tastes good in tea so I thought it'd be okay in eggs too? And I found some mustard seed. Which makes a good paste so I figured why not? A bit of salt and!" He waves to the eggs and at least has the grace to look embarrassed. "I don't cook very much... I'm sorry if it's not very good."

"You and Malik," Seldan murmurs, setting the plate on his knees to take another long sip from his cup. "The mint is refreshing so early in the morning, Menel, I rather enjoy it." He says nothing of the eggs. "I fear that I seldom eat on first waking, though. Acedia, you may have mine." He offers the plate to the gobber and stands. "Think you that we are safe enough that I may bathe?"

"I did a bit of scouting around while looking for eggs and everything looks safe. We're rather deep in the woods so I doubt you'll run into anybody out here." He flashes a quick grin at Acedia for her earlier comment on being peeked on. "If you run into anything dangerous though give a yell; we'll be right here." Menel salutes Seldan with his fork and quickly sets back into his food. The bird that he splits in half and offers to Acedia is actually more burned than the eggs.

Acedia looks to Menel, and shakes her head. "I appreciate your efforts, Menel. You probably just need a bit more practice, that's all. I think they are good." She eyes Seldan a moment, and his portion of eggs. "It's been uhm... a rough day or two, yes? You should eat." Her ears perk up a little at his mention of bathing, and nods. "I think we'll be alright."

When it appears that no one is looking, the Gobbo takes Seldan's portion and begins eating again with gusto. She eyes Menel a moment. "You definitely need a woman to take care of you.", she mumbles before wolfing down the remaining offering of eggs.

Seldan wanders over towards the pile of his things in the shade, and begins to remove the armor, placing it neatly with his weapons. It seems he doesn't intend to take it with him into the bath, and when he is done, he disappears into the brush. He doesn't seem to be a big talker on first waking, either.

Menel nearly chokes on his eggs thanks to Acedia's comment, eyeing her with a look that clearly says he's not sure he approves of her comment. "I do alright on my own... You know... usually. When people /aren't/ trying to kill me." He snorts at his own words and offers a faint wave to Seldan as the paladin goes off to take his bath and eyes the man's armor. "Man he's got to be sore after sleeping in that armor all night long." His eyes mark where Seldan disappears to and he sighs. "He looks tired don't you think?"

"You mean, when you actually take the threat of someone trying to kill you seriously?", she inquires with a sideways glance. She shovels a few more bites into her mouth and nods. "He is sore, but he won't show it... speaking of showing it... d'y'wanna go see if we can peek at his behind?" Acedia grins toothily. The grin vanishes quickly though, and nods slowly. "He's very tired. He needs more rest. More food."

The pale haired swordsman eyes Acedia and shakes his head at her wicked humor. He's glad he didn't have a mouthful of anything /then/ because he'd probably have choked. "Of course I take the threat seriously. I just... It's not like I'm used to being hunted like a rabbit Acedia. How was I supposed to know that the tea was poisoned? It came from the prison kitchen... it should have been safe." Menel mumbles his complaint over his empty plate and sets it aside to take up the warm cup of minty water. "You get to cook this time. I set a few traps for rabbits so I could check and see if anything's hopped along."

The Gobbo huffs and shakes her head. "The person who is trying to kill you knows you intimately, does she not? She knows you enjoy tea, and you knew, once the guard said as much, that Zeke had been there." She blinks at his suggestion for her to cook. "I am no great cook either. But I suppose I can manage if you're able to bring some rabbits in."

Menel rises to his feet and stretches somewhat, easing the kinks gained from sleeping in the woods. "I don't know how much about me She knows aside from what I did when I was living in Her tower. One doesn't really complain about what She chooses to feed you or speak of preferences there you know?" He walks away from the little fire toward one of the traps he set and then further away to check another. They were lucky that their camp site was relatively close to a rabbit run, so Menel made a sound of approval a moment later, bringing a rabbit back to their fire after checking only a pair of traps.

Acedia lets out a low breath. "Water under the bridge at this point.", she says softly. She's moved by the time Menel returns, her violin out. The instrument is tuned, and then lovingly polished, the gold near blinding when errant beams of light find it. Her ears perk up at Menel's return, she cants her head slowly. "Is.. is it dead?"

Seldan did not appear to be sore when he left, but he did appear to be both weary and pensive when he disappeared into the brush. It's hard to tell whether the absence of his usual smile was merely his having only just woken up, but there's no sign of him right now.

The swordsman moves with slow graceful efficiency, skinning the rabbit as he walks. "Of course it's dead." He gives her a funny look before putting the rabbit on its own skin beside the fire so that he can use a bit of water to clean the pan. This it seems is something he knows how to do very well, and the pan is scoured clean in a matter of moments. Then he hands it over to Acedia and offers her a grin. "Hard to feed a paladin a living rabbit. I can't imagine that'd go over well."

The Gobbo puts her violin back into its case while Menel dresses the rabbit. "I don't usually catch game, so..." She shrugs her shoulders. Taking the pan from him, she hunkers down by the fire. "Bring me what herbs you have.", she says, a hint of a commanding tone in her voice. "Are there any eggs left?" Acedia begins to carefully pull the rabbit apart, keeping most of the edible bits, and setting aside everything else to be dealt with after.

At length, Seldan emerges from the brush, cleaner, drier, and more pensive even than before. He shoves that unruly lock of hair out of his eyes, dressed only in shirt, trousers, and boots, the shirt clinging a little damply to him, the steel chain visible at its neck inside the shirt, and offers a smile for the both of them that does not reach his eyes. "Forgive me for taking so long."

Obediently Menel brings the herbs he's scavenged to Aceida. It's a bit of a poor showing as he hasn't had time to do much, but it's enough to make something edible with. "Yea I saved a few to have with dinner, but feel free to use them." Menel motions to the side of the fire where he's put some eggs aside for later. He looks up from watching Acedia with the rabbit as Seldan comes into view and offers the paladin a broad smile. "Not at all, we were just making you something a little... less cooked by me."

Acedia offers Seldan a wave and a toothy grin, before she turns back to the job at hand. "Menel caught you a rabbit.", she says quietly. "It'll be a little bit before it's done. Going to give you some eggs too. Was the bath refreshing?" She looks to Menel then. "We can check your traps again later, so that dinner can be had."

Seldan chuckles, taking a seat by the fire. "You are kind, but I would not have the pair of you catering to me. I believe that I yet have some trail jerky, and you ought to have some as well. His stomach, though, has other opinions on the matter, growling audibly. "I can also see to bringing something down later. We should preserve something, for I will not be able to stay with you without end. I did not tell Malik where I was going, and he is capable of scrying."

Menel laughs at the sound of Seldan's stomach protesting his statement that he can endure on merely jerky alone. "Something larger than a rabbit would be nice. I'm not picky though, I'll be fine either way." Menel smiles softly and settles down beside the fire. "There's probably deer here in the woods and we might be able to bring one down. That'd be enough food for a good long time. I don't want you guys to be stuck out here more than you have to be. I enjoy the company but you guys have more important things to do I'm sure."

"Cooking for you is the least I can do.", the Gobbo says. "I'm not big enough or strong enough to do the fighting needed. But I can support you." There's a lengthy pause. "When you actually listen." She sticks her tongue out at both men. The rabbit, now done up with herbs, is settled into the pan, and thrust over the fire. Acedia begins to crack eggs against the edge of the pan, dropping each egg beside the rabbit. With a spoon, she stirs the eggs frantically.

"I know of another living out here, choosing to eschew the city." Seldan seems to give up on arguing with either of them, or his stomach. "Though I am uncertain that you will wish to stay with her and her lover. As for listening to you, yes, I should have, and I know it." His eyes lower.

"Don't blame yourself Seldan. I don't. I..." Menel hesitates and frowns a little. "Maybe things worked out the way they were supposed to. I mean... dying is not exactly... great. But now nobody will even think to look for me right? I'll just stay out here out of trouble and hope that I can help you guys defeat Her." It's not the most rousing endorsement ever, but Menel sounds determined as he stares into the flickering fire. "I owe you guys a lot for bringing me back and helping me out."

Acedia continues to tend to the meal cooking over the fire. "You are both humans, and you see things from your point of view, from the position of your people. Confidence is both what makes you great, and what can be your downfall. I see things from a small person's point of view, of a race who was at one point universally despised. Trust in my paranoia." She peers over her shoulder. "You are not at fault, Seldan, and neither are you, Menel. Trust is incredibly difficult to earn and so terribly easy to lose, and to have one's trust abused is often a grievous injury. We are battling someone who can match us... not just any single person, but a group of minds working together. Such is our adversary's power. She can, and will, see our weaknesses and ram her bloody claws in at every opportunity."

"That is so, there is but one person to blame for what happened." Seldan still stares into the fire as he speaks, watching its endless dancing and flickering. "And do I allow her to drive us apart, I permit her to win. I did not leave my blood on the floor of the Draco Solis' temple to permit any such thing." His words and gaze are darkly pensive.

Menel leans slightly forward, looking at Seldan. "You know, you never really told me how that fight went. You said that you didn't get a chance to kill Kol, but you came back alive as well so it must have gone favorably for you to some degree. What was it like fighting him? Did you learn of any weaknesses that you might exploit if you meet him again? Anything about Her that you might be able to use against Her?"

As Menel speaks, a wooden plate laden with cooked rabbit and scrambled eggs is offered up to Seldan. "It does appear that you have at the very least stood up to Kol and given as good as you got.", Acedia says. She settles down beside the Paladin, sitting cross-legged and leaning against his side.

"That is so, although truly did I stand in the palm of Eluna's holy hand as I did so," Seldan admits reverently, taking the plate automatically and peering down at it. "He is no pushover, and will slaughter the unprepared. I cannot hope to truly destroy him alone. Holy power works against him as any other vampire, but fire will not avail. Our best bet is to arm with holy. The dimensional anchor did not do quite what I hoped, and that may be as well, for he was dragged off by the shadows, not teleported away as he often does. Too, he heals as swiftly as he takes damage, but holy seems to heal more slowly, and ... his lust for blood is endless. He wishes to fight, and he loves the taste of blood. In such a way may he be induced to stay, rather than fleeing when hard pressed. She, I think, would not have him be so reckless, but still may she communicate with him despite the dimensional anchor.

Thoughtfully Menel leans back and considers Seldan's words. "It makes sense that a vampire should lust for blood, and from what I remember of him Kol isn't... the sort to control his impulses. I think he'd run more rampant if it wasn't for Her controlling him. If what you say is correct though, then blood might be a way to get him to ignore Her? I mean... if he had to choose between controlling his impulses and listening to what she said, there's no knowing what he might choose." Menel smiles a grim little smile. "If he loves to fight then She must be pulling him back sometimes, somehow. That might be a wedge we can drive between them."

The Gobbo is quiet while they speak, her facial expression one of deep thought. She clears her throat. "What we need to do is prepare a trap. Make it irresistible. Make it an offering of blood, the potential for a bloodbath." She huffs. "And possibly someone very tasty for bait."

Seldan shakes his head quickly, with a heavy sigh. "No, I shall not use an innocent as bait, and I have been bait before." Again, he pushes that unruly lock of hair from his eyes, ignoring or unaware of the patch of inky, matte blackness forming along his hairline at the temple. There is another one across his wrist. "You may well have the right of it, Menel. It is in my mind, when I think on it, that he may well have been disobeying her command, staying to fight, and the dimensional anchor prevented the teleport. She therefore resorted to shadows, and it is also in my mind that perhaps the use of daylight spells might prevent such use from occurring."

Somehow, imperceptibly, as they discuss the mater, he seems to be relaxing, at least a little, and even takes up a fork and begins to eat.

Menel considers it for a moment, sighing and then shaking his head only to brighten a little bit. "What... what about a fake me? Like... Tell people you're going to resurrect me at the temple and then when he shows up to stop you... you'd have him in your trap right? Make sure that you've got the whole temple ready to hit him with their most powerful healing and holy spells and then /kill/ him." Menel's normally bright blue eyes are dark with the thought of finally ending the vampire.

"It would have to be the real you.", the Gobbo says, and then she looks to Seldan. "Is Menel innocent? I wouldn't know." She glances from one to the other and back again. "I think we have to face the fact that they... Kol and his master... probably know that you're still alive. They knew where you were, probably because you were in the only place that She could not see into. Obviously, once you were brought out... She could see you again. Do you bear Her mark anywhere on you, Menel? Would it still be... active, after your death and return?"

Seldan flushes, turning pink and staring straight into the ground at his feet, thank you. He coughs openly a few times, but only looks up as far as the fire. "A good question, I know not. But ... I wonder," he muses, taking another bite of food, chewing and swallowing before speaking. "She may be of the immortal fae, and yet is she still fae. They are bound by strange laws ... Menel, I wonder if she is bound in some way from slaying you with her own hand. She sends others after you, she sent Kol after you...."

Menel it seems, is completely unaware of the implications that make Seldan blush, but he does glance at Seldan as if to make sure the paladin is okay. "I guess I wouldn't know, I don't consider myself that innocent." He shrugs his shoulders, then looks pensive. "The fae /are/ an odd bunch, I don't know that much about them, but I'll take your word and what little I've heard in stories. It'd be... weird but interesting if She can't kill me herself."

Menel looks at Acedia and offers her a small sad smile. "Actually I have a huge mark on my back from Her. For all I know She could be watching me right now. But she'd have to know I was alive wouldn't She? She'd have to have a reason to look and I haven't given Her one."

Acedia's eyebrows rise up when Seldan flushes a pretty pink colour, and she giggles for several long moments. "Goodness me." She glances to Menel and nods. "I would have to say that she probably knows. I mean... she marked you for a reason, I can't think she..." She trails off, blinking. "No..." She goes silent for a few moments. "Perhaps I will go and check on those traps, see if dinner hasn't made itself available." The Gobbo stands and begins to scamper off into the brush.

Seldan leaves the topic alone, raising his head and looking after Acedia as she scampers off into the brush., still eating thoughtfully. "I am unsure if she is paying enough attention to know," he answers quietly. "Were she to do so, with only the three of us? I think did She know, she would have set Kol upon us by now." He pauses to take another bite, chewing and thinking as he does so. "I had thought to ask you," and he glances after Acedia where she disappeared before turning back to Menel. "I think this thing perhaps risky, but ... would you have Cryosanthia know of your fate?"

Menel looks thoughtful at the question, sighing and scrubbing a hand over his face and the back of his neck. "I can't can I? I mean all this trouble would be for nothing if that other sith-makar that tried to kill me found out and tried to kill me again. It's not that I don't trust her, but more that I don't want to put her in a position where she has to choose. I don't want her to be at risk because she knows I'm alive." He moves uneasily in his seat. "I feel like that's the wrong answer, but... I feel bad enoguh that you and Acedia have to keep this a secret."

"The other sith-makar is her mate." Seldan's eyes remain on the fire, seemingly unaware that as he sits in the sun, the black patches on his skin are slowly multiplying and spreading. Or maybe he simply is not paying attention. Past days' experience suggests that this only happens when he is in direct sunlight, but it does not otherwise seem to harm him in any way. It's just very weird-looking. "You are right not to wish to put her in such a position. She is troubled, though, and ... I had hoped that perhaps such knowledge, even not knowing where you are, would help her be at peace. But you have the right of it. It is not safe to tell her, and so shall I keep your secret."

The swordsman blinks at the news that the sith that killed him is Cryosanthia's mate. "All the more reason not to tell her indeed." He sighs softly and stares at the fire. "When this is all done and over with we can celebrate together and I can meet the one that she chose. I'd like that. She was always so lonely in the tower... /She/ doesn't keep many sith-makar." Menel rubs his arms as if suddenly chilled.

Seldan finishes eating and sets aside his plate, and with a quick spell cleans plate and hands alike. "No. I suppose she does not keep many such. The Charneth enslave them plenty, and Ceryosanthia knew both. He lets out a sigh. "I am to witness their binding, though I know not exactly when it will be. I hope that one day you will meet Zeke, for truly have Her machinations torn apart a gentle soul, who took Cryosanthia's pain on himself willingly, and sacrificed his grace as a result."

"His grace?" Menel arches an eyebrow at the unusual turn of phrase. "Is he a paladin like you or something?" He looks vaguely sick at the idea of someone like Seldan being the one that had killed him. "I have to admit I'm curious about him given everything. I mean it's not often that someone has someone trying to kill them. And then... there's Cryosanthia."

"He is - was - a Sunguard." Seldan stares into the fire, leaning elbows on knees, speaking quietly. "He and I are friends as well, but it is for that reason I had us move so abruptly two days past," he explains. "I had gone to learn where he had hidden away, and discovered him in Mictlan. Cryosanthia came to him there as well."

The swordsman swallows, his hand touching his right-handed blade's hilt briefly. "Stars... That's terrible." He scrubs that same hand over his leather pants and sighs. "I guess that explains it... I'm sorry. Stars all of this is a mess isn't it? I know it's not /my/ fault but I feel weirdly responsible." He sighs. "Is... is he going to be okay do you think?"

"It is as I have said." Seldan sits up, fully erect, the fair skin now mottled with the black patches. "There is but one being responsible for all of this, and She is not sitting at this fire. Neither you nor I are to blame for the events that have happened, no, nor the plague itself. It is all Her doing, and I mean to see Her thrown down for it. -That- is justice, and by no other means will any of this be made right.

"You're quite right of course." Menel looks over at Seldan. "You know, I don't think She's watching me. I don't think She has it in Her to understand why you'd go through all the trouble to resurrect me. Or understand the sort of drive it takes to come back. She just doesn't understand people you know?" Menel straitens up himself and lets out a soft sigh, finishing off his long-gone cold mint flavored water and stretching again. "Come on, how about you and I have a go at it? Cross blades. I haven't had a proper sparing match in /ages/. I feel like my skills will all rust away." He grins.’

"You may well be right." Seldan's smile is suddenly as bright as the sun at the suggestion of a sparring match, and he is on his feet at once. "If that is so, then so do we have a major advantage over her. As to the sparring, I would like that, we have hitherto had neither weapons nor space with which to spar, have we? Shall we use live, or practice weapons? I can blunt mine, at need, and you may ignore its complaints."

"I'll use a branch or something. I wouldn't want to use my blades against your weapon." Menel looks at his own beloved swords with mirth and rises to his own feet, pulling the sword belt free and laying it aside so that instinct doesn't take over and have him draw them without thinking. Instead he picks up a branch and waves it in the air with cautious force to see if it will do. He rolls his shoulders. "It'll be good to get the blood flowing!"

"If you so do, then I shall do likewise." Seldan had already started towards his gear, but stops, and instead finds a branch of his own, as close to Reunion's length as he can get. The greater heft of wood does not seem to bother him one whit. "Indeed. I wish to see your skill, now that you can move freely." He is grinning by now, apparently more than pleased at the suggestion and the break, and spreads his off hand, dropping into a ready stance.

Menel lets out a little laugh and it takes him a moment longer to find another branch to match his first one. They're branches so there's not much to be said for balance, but he gives them both a heft and gracefully moves toward the other warrior, his blue eyes sparkling with good will. "I hope you don't mind my two against your one, I think I'll need whatever advantage I can get." He lets out a low chuckle and then waves the branch toward Seldan. "Alright, come at me!"

"I mind them not at all." True that balance is not a thing with branches, and Seldan frowns at his as he prepared to engage. "Very well." And so he does.

There are faster swordsmen in Alexandria. There are stronger ones, and bigger ones. Seldan gives up several inches to Menel, but is both fast and strong, his technique formal, but a hybrid of several styles, some older than others. He begins with a lazy sequence of strokes, a prescribed and relatively basic drill that if Menel has any formal training at all he will likely know the counter for.

The swordsman proves that he has had at least some formal training, easily meeting the drill with the strokes meant to counter them. The clack-clack of wood against wood is oddly soothing a sound echoing in the trees and Menel quickly falls into rhythm. Like Seldan he's not the biggest, or the strongest fighter, but he's incredibly light on his feet, and he too uses a hybrid of different styles that make his swordwork unique. "You know, before I was caught up in this a second time, I thought about opening a school to teach in." He smiles fondly at the idea, not quite engaged enough yet to need to cease all talking. "Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher Seldan?"

The clack-clack of wood on wood seems to be soothing to Seldan, too, his own ice-blue eyes lighting up. When the drill is done, he repeats it, faster, then shifts to another one, the next one in the same sequence that in a formal salle would have been taught, back to back, in that order. "A dedicated student would swiftly outstrip me at swordwork, I fear. I am as much arcanist as swordsman, in truth. I consider myself a passable swordsman, not a master."

Menel quickly warms up, responding in kind and with a warm happy glow in his blue eyes. It's clear that /this/ is something that he is passionate about. "Sword fighting has been my one true passion since I was a boy. I've never thought of doing anything but getting better at it." He flashes a grin at Seldan and pushes back a little, he's hardly using one of his swords, except to flick it up now and again and do the exchange with his other hand. He trades off between hands so smoothly that it's hard to tell which one he's dominant with. "Well, that and escaping from Her and bring Her down I mean."

Seldan takes the pushback in good part, defending himself quickly and then switching to one of the more advanced swordwork drills, this one a little faster. The pair are deep within a wooded clearing, not far from a small campfire, piles of gear nearby. Seldan and a man with sky-blue eyes and while hair are engaged in an informal, good-natured spar with branches, and Seldan wears only shirt, boots, trousers, and holy symbol as he does so, his skin turning black as the pair spar in the sunlight. It looks like just drills for the moment, but the pace is picking up.

There's a strange tingle in the air for a moment, like during a lightning storm. A small space outside of their sparring arena seems to shift in upon itself, twisting in some unfathomable manner, the tension building -- and then with a strange sort of *SNAP* that's more felt than heard, it unfurls once more, a man standing in the space where before there was nothing. His hood is up, and the cloak he wears seems to blend into the scenery, subtle shifts in color apparent as it moves in the wind. He crosses his arms, an amused half-smile coming over his features as he looks between the two. "Am I interrupting?" he asks.

At the first sign of something, the first tingle of tension Menel hops away from his sparing with Seldan to level his sticks at the air where that tension is coming from. At the first sign of a form, he throws the stick - hard - at the mage, his hand urging Seldan back. "To your weapons Seldan!" His whole body sings with tension and his sky-blue eyes darken with his intent to defend himself from attack; the other stick leveled at the unknown man already.

Seldan similarly breaks off the spar at the first sign of tension, his own muscles tensing at once, but instead casts the stick to the ground and takes off at a run for his weapons. How could be have been so foolish as to drop his guard? Reunion comes out of its sheath in a rasp of leather against steel, and he's just brought it to ready when the figure speaks, and immediately, the point lowers. "Malik, you might have sent me a message first." _You lazy prick,_ is the unspoken addition to the sentence. He starts back over, but in the direction of the wizard, his bearing set but eyes sparkling.

Malik holds up an arm to shield himself from the thrown stick, covering his face. The wood strikes home, at least, hitting the leather of his gloves with a *whap* that promises to have left a mark somewhere. "Easy," Malik says, lowering his arm once more (and giving it a bit of a subtle shake). "If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done it from a comfortable chair." He takes in the newcomer for a moment, considering the man, then turns to Seldan, that smile reappearing. "And you could have told me that you were disappearing into the middle of the woods with a stranger for a week," he counters. _Dick_ his own unspoken addition.

"Malik?" Menel lowers his stick slowly and eyes the unfamiliar mage a touch less warily. "Ah, the one you mentioned who might come looking for you. Seems that he came looking after all." The swordsman lowers the stick entirely and offers a slightly wry grin to the man who had appeared out of thin air. "Sorry about that. I've had a few people trying to kill me of late, and it tends to make a man a bit cautious. I didn't hurt you did I?"

"Forgive me, I did not get a great deal of warning on the matter." Seldan picks up his weapon belt, resheathes the sword, and carries the entire belt over his shoulder closer to the fire. His skin is mottled black by the sunlight spilling through the trees, and adding to it. "Acedia has gone to check traps, and will return in a little while. Malik, Menel Dinmorin, of whose situation I have spoken a little. Menel, Malik Gitanos." He -eyes- the wizard, and shows not a shred of sympathy for the shaken arm. "You were yet abed when I sought my pack and bow from the apartment, and I had not the time to wake you. I would ask your forgiveness for that."

Malik's smile doesn't fade any. "Ah," he muses. "So you're the one everyone is suddenly so interested in. The one with the ties to the fae woman." The pieces are clearly coming together for the wizard, though he looks to Seldan with a wave of his hand. "I suspected something like that. Been checking in on you, just to make sure. I have to admit," he says, "taking the wanted man out to the middle of the forest, where there would be no -witnesses- to his savage murder -when- they eventually find you, is not the tack I would have taken. Bold choice." The tone is more teasing than serious, though. Still, he shoulders the bag he carries, moving over to the fire and placing a gentle kiss on Seldan's cheek. Getting seated, he opens the bag, pulling out -- a somewhat larger bag, strangely. This one carrying familiar smells from the market. "While watching you three be rustic has been entertaining, I thought that maybe you would like something more substantive for dinner than whatever the goblin has managed to catch." A knowing smile over to Seldan, and then to Menel. "And no, you didn't hurt me. Much. Nice arm, though," he admits.

Menel tosses his stick aside and joins the other two men at the fire, smiling softly at Malik's gentle display of affection toward Seldan. His soft smile becoming a huge grin at the sight of a bag that might contain actual /food/. "Ah, I will ever be in your debt as well then, for a brace of rabbits for every meal does not make for a happy man." He chuckles lightly and sits down beside the fire. "Thank you very much, I must say that the pleasure of this meeting is all mine."’

Seldan seems somewhat less happy, although the mouthwatering smells arising from that bag have Seldan's attention as well. "Too late," he murmurs, although he relents at the kiss on the cheek. "Malik is both kind and generous when it comes to food. Have any others been around when you sought me?" he asks carefully, trailing the others towards the fire.

Malik shakes his head. "I'm not sure that we've told anyone where our new home is located," he says. "Probably a blessing, in these -- very strange times." It seems Malik got a bit of everything. Soups, some manner of salad, a variety of meats, in flavors both savory and spicy, desserts, and a few bottles of wine, in various types. The generous part, at least, seems to hold true, though given individual preferences for spice, 'kind' may still be waiting to be seen. "So," Malik says, turning his full attention to Menel. "First you were -- imprisoned?" There's a question there. "By a fae. And now strangers are trying to kill you. I thought that my adventures were interesting," he chuckles, "but I think you may very well give me a run for my money. What's your story?" Straight to the point, then, this one, the tsuran accent still noticeable even after years of practicing the common tongue.

Menel watches the food with the eyes of a hungry man who has in truth, been subsisting off of prison food and goodness knows what else for far too long. "Seems like Seldan's been keeping you apprised." He makes an amused noise but looks a bit embarrassed that he's been talked about so much. "I wandered into the wilds as a child and stumbled upon her tower. To say She captured me would be too generous on my part. But I've actually been caught up by her magics twice now." The swordsman sighs.

"Malik is the one person upon Ea to whom I may speak openly," Seldan explains quietly. "If I have overspoken, I would ask your forgiveness." Automatically, he begins to help lay out the food, gesturing Menel to take what he will. "I have not yet told him of Kol, though, beyond that I was in the temple at the time he showed himself."

"Twice?" Malik raises an eyebrow at that. "Man. She must really have a hard--" He glances over to Seldan, as if remembering that the paladin is there, remembering to watch the words that he chooses. Clearing his throat a bit, he continues. "She must find you, ah. Very interesting, indeed, to devote so much time to finding you." Malik, for his part, takes some sort of spicy chicken and rice dish, the dried red peppers still visible between the chunks of meat. At the mention of Kol, though, he turns his attention to Seldan. "The vampire wants him -too-?" A glance to Menel then, shaking his head. "Now all he needs is a few middle-aged widowers chasing him around, and he might almost be as popular as you," he teases Seldan.

Menel tilts his head at Malik, not really sure what he'd been about to say, but shrugs his shoulders and digs into the food with gusto. While the swordsman has a hefty appetite he's polite enough to not grab /everything/, and he's not picky so he takes a little of it all to try. "I couldn't tell you what's so interesting about me. I'm perfectly ordinary as far as I know." He offers Malik a small grin and then a low chuckle. "I don't think I could take many more people chasing after me."

"Only in the sense that she would have him return," Seldan says carefully, taking a healthy portion for himself as well. "Me, on the other hand...." He leaves it at that, instead turning the conversation as they talk.

Malik listens, the good humor still there, but masking a deeper pensiveness. "Well, then," he sighs. "I suppose that's a good enough reason to keep you safe." He takes a bit of his chicken, chewing thoughtfully. "If it pisses her off? Then it's good enough for me. Count me in."

-End