Maybe she has no right to be out in the dark, but Amalia had made a promise. And when Ronin did not check in at his appointed time the Shield slipped out into the dark, frightened for her friend and unwilling to stand by while he made a martyr of himself, alone in the longest night.
She does not go alone: a dreamfish swims beside her, and she coaxes one of the luxere along, a buck with bright antlers. Half-shifted into qilin form with a fiery tail and spiraling horns, the Shield grasps her staff, listening and looking for any sign that the Dark Star might be near. She's reluctant to stray too far away, but when minutes pass and she catches no sign of him she knows that she must.
Down a street, still in sight- and there it is. A sound. A horrible, howled cry.
Summoning her entourage and hoping to avoid any onslaught in the dark Amalia makes her way toward the source of the sound, and it is thus she comes upon the terrible tableaux. Ronin, half-shifted with luxere antlers; a man with his back to her, kneeling on the ground; and between them the not-Aoife from their last foray into the dark.
She falls to her knees beside the man, shield strapped to her back. [say]"Are you okay? What happened?"[/say] she asks, trying to search for wound or injury, any way to save him. Looking up at Ronin with alarm in her eyes, the Shield calls out silently: [say]Don't listen to it! We have to get inside![/say]
She does not go alone: a dreamfish swims beside her, and she coaxes one of the luxere along, a buck with bright antlers. Half-shifted into qilin form with a fiery tail and spiraling horns, the Shield grasps her staff, listening and looking for any sign that the Dark Star might be near. She's reluctant to stray too far away, but when minutes pass and she catches no sign of him she knows that she must.
Down a street, still in sight- and there it is. A sound. A horrible, howled cry.
Summoning her entourage and hoping to avoid any onslaught in the dark Amalia makes her way toward the source of the sound, and it is thus she comes upon the terrible tableaux. Ronin, half-shifted with luxere antlers; a man with his back to her, kneeling on the ground; and between them the not-Aoife from their last foray into the dark.
She falls to her knees beside the man, shield strapped to her back. [say]"Are you okay? What happened?"[/say] she asks, trying to search for wound or injury, any way to save him. Looking up at Ronin with alarm in her eyes, the Shield calls out silently: [say]Don't listen to it! We have to get inside![/say]
