The Damsel and the Dragon

[DragonSong]

Lapis mounted her own horse with a pat and murmured praise, then steered him in the direction of the ruins.

[Medievarad]

Steel urged Patches to follow behind Lapis, taking a deep breath as he looked around.

[DragonSong]

Lapis kept her mount moving in a wide arc around the ruins, eyes sharp as she searched for any sign of what might have once been an entrance.

[Medievarad]

Steel followed closely, holding the reins of Patches in his hand. "Wait," he stated after a short while, arching a soft eyebrow. "Those rocks over there," he nodded his head towards. "Behind it, some kind of.. Decoration."

[DragonSong]

"A decoration?" She twisted in the saddle. "What does it look like?"

[Medievarad]

"Etchings," he answered. "Runic marks."

He turned the reins, making Patches pad over to the rocks. "Want me to clear these?"

[DragonSong]

"Do you mind? I'm not sure I could..."

[Medievarad]

"Child's play," Steel answered as he pushed himself from Patches' saddle, taking the reins and stepping away from the rocks, towards Lapis. "Keep on a safe distance," he adviced, before turning back to the rocks, cracking his knuckles as he walked over.

And without further ado, he gripped the first one, claws digging in and flung it several meters backwards. Soon followed by a second that slammed into the first with a loud crack. And so, he went about clearing the debris.

[DragonSong]

The horses spooked, skittering to the side, and Lapis had to try to keep a hold of both of them.

[Medievarad]

Steel stepped back, having formed a pile of rocks behind him, rather than in front of them. "Here we are," he stated, rolling his shoulder and glancing at Lapis again. "Come 'n have a look," he stated, shaking his hand.

[DragonSong]

"Alright..." Lapis shrugged and dismounted, coming closer warily.

[Medievarad]

Steel stepped aside to let her pass, kneeling down and squinting at the runic marks. "I'm not sure what it is.."

[DragonSong]

"Old," Lapis murmured. "Very old. Hold on, I'll copy this down and maybe I can translate it with a book later..."

She grabbed a notebook and stick of charcoal out of her bag and started writing.

[Medievarad]

Steel nodded slowly, pushing himself away from the wall and taking several steps forward.

Before a soft whistle resounded. Followed by the snap of wood.

He looked down at the cracked arrow that protruded from his shoulder. And all he could do was let out an annoyed sigh. "Take cover, Blue. Natives."

He broke the shaft completely and threw it to the side, letting the arrowhead sit in his flesh. He wouldn't try to yank it out. It'd only cause an irritating amount of bloodloss.

[DragonSong]

Lapis's eyes widened. "Hold on- wait!"

She jumped forward to stand in front of him, arms outstretched, and shouted in a language that was neither Common nor Essyrni, but sounded closest to the words of the desert. She knew a few phrases in several different Kishahn tribal languages, but the one she practiced most should have been understood by all.

"Stand down, we mean no harm."

[Medievarad]

Two scantily clad, male hunters surfaced from the brush, bows at a ready. They seemed to be suchin scantily clad with ana assortment of furs and bones. Both from the local wildlife and more humanoid looking ones. Yet they seemed to grasp most of Lapis' words.

"You trespass on ground of sacred ancestors," one stated, more than displeased. A thick and rugged accent was to his voice. One of the many dialects of the many tribes that were around. "You atre causing harm."

Steel stood there and just glowered at the two. Extremely displeased with the, fact he couldn't return the favour. Lapis could almost feel him trembling in anger.

[DragonSong]

Lapis reached back to place a hand on Steel's chest, urging calm- of course, he was so much taller than her that her hand wound up in the middle of his stomach.

Oh well.

"Forgive us, please." She showed open, weaponless hands to the hunters. "We didn't know. I thought this place was no-life...ah, abandoned?" She was struggling with the language, but she hoped she was getting her point across.

[Medievarad]

The hand on his abdomen seemed to calm him slightly. He was still angered, but Lapis told him off, so he decided toto let her take lead and trusted her better judgement. He had no idea what they were talking about, being a complete stranger to the language.

Whoever they were, they didn't seemeven pleased. The other hunter moved up to the more talkative one. "We'll take 'em to the chieftan," he suggested in a hushed voice. "You speak our tongue," he remarked loudly, before sighing. "But our chieftan will punish this crime. Else the spirits of our ancestors won't lay at peace."

The two tensed their bows again. "Come," one of them commanded.

[DragonSong]

LPis let out a long breath, shoulders slumping. Good. Chieftain was good. Better than being killed on the spot.

"Lead on, then."

Switching back to Common, she murmured to Steel, "They're going to take us to their village, okay?"

[Medievarad]

The hunter nodded, taking a step sidewards. The other gestured his bow at the path. "Infront," he commanded.

"So, they're taking us to a place where's more of them than two?" Steel snapped, glancing at Lapis. "Now, I only need to rip apart two. A whole village will be more difficult." He grit his teeth as he glanced down at Lapis, before at the two.

The hunters immediately noticed Steel's hesitance and tensed their bows, aiming for him. "Now."