Restocking the supplies list (Open, Aila's Shop)

[Gwyndar]

The sky was not as dark as the times when the lone Dragon rider tended to dwell; quite the opposite. The sun was sitting high as the smoke from the primitive fires around Stryklak homes. The look of which was something of a nostalgic memory of a long forgotten. Despite his 'handsom' face his barbaric nature and even, rugged behavior was gained from his native mother. Once his father disowned the two of them the woman tried to raise the young boy like a man. Little result came of which and at a very young age he was forced to leave and pursue a life of his own.

Still, the smell of a fresh kill and the roars and cheers from returning hunters was always something that would cause a stir in the long forgotten heart of the wanderer.

Pulling his thick lined cloak closer to his face to shield himself he averted the gaze of the locals who looked on with suspicion. Strangers were not normally a welcome change to the uncivilized civilization. Still, with an occasional growl and a constant menacing stance as he walked the natives remained at bay. If he was approached there was always a handy blade hidden in some place on his body. Under his cloak ... out of sight.

The elven craftsmanship was uncommon around the area. However it was recognized to have been his fathers. The only known elf to have lived among the Stryklak people. His blades were famous for being swift and able to slice through a femur in less than one swipe.

But today was not for reminiscing; for the weary wanderer had run out of supplies. The cracked ribs he wore strong under his garments were dragging him down mentally. And physically. He was not a healer, he was not someone who knew how to patch up wounds. He was a crafter, that was all.

With money he stole from those in the past he had killed he walked through he door of the shop he hoped would supply his needs. Medicine.

His tall cloaked figure swept through the doorway, casting a shadow almost as big as the room. It was interesting to watch as the smoke billowed even through shadows. it made him wonder how his dragon was coping out on his hunt. The two had not spoken of Gwyndars visit to his hometown. Nor would they when he returned. Men did not discuss such trivial matters.

As he approached the woman he assumed to be the owner of the shop he did not clear his throat to ease the gruff tone he emitted. "You deal with remedies. Of medicinal qualities." There was no question, only command. Did she not provide he would continue on his struggle. Dealing as he always did with the pain of several cracked ribs and perhaps an infection to compliment it.

[Silisia Anja Saffy]

Flouncing diplomats were something that always got on Silisia's nerves. She ground her teeth and answered politely, saying no the same offer that had been on the table for ages. As the castle's clock chimed the mark of the hour, she slowly got up, grateful for the change.
“It's been a pleasure doing business with you all. For now, I am unavailable,” she smile politely, allowing her eyes to dance over the grumbling diplomats and their courtesy bows.
She made her way down to her chambers, allowing herself to finally breathe freely. Her loose curls that were elegantly collected were pulled free and tied away out of her face. She pulled off her stunning, courtly dress and adorned soft breeches and a warm, fur cape. She would be journeying toward the Stryklak to seek counsel with the famed witch Aila. The war was pressing heavily on her mind and she needed to make a move before Lyle Overran Lunmibewachen. Of course, she had the advantage there. Attacking a city from the sea was foolish and highly dangerous. She quickly found her jewelled dagger and tucked them away carefully. Along with that she took her former husband's sword and clipped its sheath to her belt. Satisfied, she made her way through the castle, ignoring the looks of disapproval from her High Counsel. They always took issue with her journeys, claiming she should be trying to contain the war at her borders. She always grew irritated at such statements. Her journeys were to provide protection for Samarid and the best she could do was keep her army mobilised and wait for response from the elves.

The stables, at the back of the castle, were to be her destination. As she arrived in the tackroom, she considered her three mounts. While Jezzy was her riding horse, she was not sure if she’d need the talents of a war horse on the way. She grabbed her large warmblood stallion's tack and made her way over to the bad tempered animal's stable. He threw his head over the stable door as he heard her coming. A nicker burst forth accompanied by placing his ears flat against his head. Typical... He could never decide if he was happy to see her or not. She placed her tack on the door and extended her gloved hand to his mouth. He nipped at it playfully and let out a sigh. A petite whinny drew her attention to her small, swift riding mare, Jezzy, who had popped her head over her door. She glanced to Oblivion’s stable but the young horse must have been out in the paddock. Good thing too, as he was still in training and the distance was long. She patted the enthusiastic mare then went about tacking up Elemental (Tally). He complained, kicking out and tossing his head, but it was more threat then ill intent. Finally ready, she moved him out of the stables and used a large cement block to mount. Satisfied, she gently put her heels to his belly and he gently trotted out of the city. She waved to a few members of the public. The guards were happy to let her out of her own. Tally was infamous for his bad temper and his desire to protect his mistress. Tally gently pulled at the reins on their way out of the gate and Silisia gently urged him into a fast canter. A large buck irrupted before he leapt into his stride, fighting to go faster.

The cold ground pounded beneath his feet and his swift, large stride cut into the distance. A few hours would take her into the depth of Samarid toward the great lake. She could have gone completely by land toward the Ruins of Adamar, but that was a far too risky journey through the untamed lands. Instead she moved toward a ferry that would take her straight to Strvitcomche. She slowed as she reached the ferry that would take them across to the shores of the land of the dragons. From there she would enter the wood which sheltered her from the snow, perhaps to a small town way point along the way. She walked him to the ferry, allowing the steaming stallion to cool a little. She had brought a blanket for him with her for the chill. She couldn't afford for him to strain a muscle. Her feet lightly touched the ground as she dismounted from her large horse. He turned his face to her; gently touching her shoulder with is nose. She scratched his face gently then led him aboard the smallish ferry. It was empty except for her and three peasant. She pulled up her hood and draped a blanket around her sweaty horse. Impatience rose at the slow pace of the ferry, moving gently across the calm water. It was beginning to become dark and soon night had fallen. It was a two day journey across the great sea and each moment felt like a lifetime.

After what seemed to be ages, the ferry stopped at a small opening in the coast line near the forest bordering the sea. She paid the man generously, pulled off Tally's blanket and mounted once more. She started off a little slower, allowing him to stretch out his tense muscles. A small squeal and buck before allowing himself to move into a slow canter. He snorted and tugged at the reins to which she gently pulled back with a slight irritation. Finally he settled into an earth eating canter and the forest flashed by next to her. She slowed Tally to a trot, to which he resisted for a moment before giving her his head. His smooth pace, coupled with an arched neck made him look stunning and his knew it. He flaunted his beauty, lifting his tail out behind him like a flag. For a few paces, the high strung seemed to be settling down. She could see the small city of Stryklak in the distance but once again, her journey had taken her to the darkness. She stopped Tally and set up camp for the night.

At day break she made the final leg of the journey to Aila. Soon her guards would be coming to look for her. She sighed. Finally she found the small shop and dismounted. She ignored the gazes of the barbaric looking people. Silisia herself looked worn and travel weary. Her cloak was muddy and as well as her boots. Her once perfectly curled hair hung limp at her shoulders. She tied Tally to the post and removed her hood and her riding gloves and pushed her way through the door. She caught sight of another person in the shop, his features similar to Silis own. Curious, she wondered if he too was a half elf. In Samarid, it was only royalty who had that blood line, as a symbol of sealing the pact between men and elves. She moved sideways, standing the a showy corner and observing the shop.

[Alice Rae Lindale]

Alice emerged from her tent, yawing and rubbing her eyes. Oh how she dreaded the morning light that woke her from her sweet dreams. She'd been dreaming that she could fly, and she'd simply flown away. Off to explore far off lands that no one had yet discovered. What a wonderful dream it had been. Alice suspected that if she told anyone, they'd call her mad and tell her to be content with what she already had in life. But that was not what Alice wanted.

Fortunately for the girl, her tutor understood. He was a great man and seemed to know just about everything there was to know. That was why Alice admired him. A week ago he had announced that he was taking her on a trip to places she'd never seen. He'd told her parents that it was for educational purposes, but Alice expected he knew that she needed to leave her home and see things she'd never seen before. Or he'd sensed the recent tension between her and her parents. They had caught her practice fighting with the pages, which of course meant that she'd been confined to her room for a week. Her tutor had proposed to take her on the trip instead, to get her out and about so she wouldn't get into so much trouble. Of course her parents had leapt at the chance to get her out of sight for a while at least.

So now here she was, waking from a dream that was almost coming true. Lazily, Alice wandered off to find her tutor. He'd amazed her yet again yesterday when he'd show that he was friends with the people who lived here. From her studdies, Alice knew that they normally did not like visitorys, but her tutor seemed to have connections anywhere. Though they might have gotten a few glares, no one had openly expressed hostility. Alice found it rather amusing. The people here seemed to scare the two guards Alice and her tutor traveled with, but Alice herself only found them interesting. How exciting to be surrounded by people who all seemed to be so tough and tough. It seemed like just about anything could happen.

Alice soon found her tutor by the fire, eating some of the rabbit Alice had managed to hunt only the night before. He seemed calm and content as he munched on the meat. His eyes only glanced up as Alice approached. The two guard however were looking around on high alert. Alice sat next to her tutor on the ground and picked a piece of fresh rabbit up for herself. The seated pair spoke in whispers so the guards would not hear. Quietly, Alice asked for permission to go into the village by herself. She insisted that she'd be fine on her own at her tutors objections. It didn't take long to convince him to allow her to take rouge and ride to the town alone.

Grinning broadly, Alice quickly ate the rest of her rabbit and hurried to prepare. She ran a brush through her short, boyish hair and dressed in a loose shirt and trousers. Most girls would turn up their noses when they saw the way Alice dresses. But Alice only continued to smile as she pulled on her boots and grabbed her horse's tack. Rouge stood waiting for her behind her tent, exactly where she'd left him the night before. He may be a tough horse to control while riding, but he was a good and loyal horse before you were mounted. The black horse stood perfectly still s Alice tacked him up. He watched the girl, turing his head toward her every time she passed his head. Alice finished fixing the saddle tight in place before moving to put the bridle on.

As she began to untie him, she paused to simply gaze at the magnificant horse. He was such a wonderfully big and perfectly built creature. What grabbed attention to him most though, was his eyes. One eye was a dark, chocolately brow. The other eye however(the one that the white spot covered) was bright blue. The difference in eye colors frightened some people, but it only made Alice grin. She slipped the bridle over his head and fixed his maine underneath the strap so that a poof of hair fell over his head. Then she swung the reigns up over his back so they caught on the saddle and clambered onto her mount.

Alice rode happily down toward the village. It wasn't that far from where they'd camped. A few minutes had hardly passed and she'd almost reached the village. Suddenly, rouge's ears perked up into alert and his nostrals flared. Alice barely had time to grab a handful of his maine for support as the horse suddenly leapt into a gallop, spooked by a snake Alice had not spotted. Screaming a warning to anyone who might be nearby, Alice tried desprately to get control of Rouge. Unfortunately, the task seemed to be too much for her. Rouge only skidded to a halt once he'd entered the village and almost ran over someone.

The person yelled at Alice, who'd been flung over the horse's head and slammed onto the ground on her back. The girl moaned in pain as she sat up to see the woman Rouge had almost trampled walking away cursing angrily. "Sorry!" Alice called after her, smiling a little. "I ought to send you to Mr. Oscar for that," the girl scolded her mount who pinned his ears back in response. Mr. Oscar was a cruel horse trainer back home. Alice whimpered as she pulled herself to her feet, using Rouge's bridle to help her steady herself. Alice looked down at herself, no covered in mud and all sorts of cuts and scrapes. "Bloody brilliant," she complained. "come on, let's see if we can find some kind of shop or something." Alice pulled Rouge along, and soon found what she was looking for. She tied the horse up outside and walked inside. Two other people were already in the shop, so Alice figured it was best to wait for them to get what they needed before talking to the shop keeper.

[Aila]

feel the rain on your skin

no one else can feel it for you, no one else can speak the words on your lips

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A reason why Aila loved having her shop in Stravitcomche was dependant on the fact that there was always someone or the other coming in here looking for herbal remedies, a few for her assistance due to her reputation amongst the Royals and some elves as a Witch of calibure. There was always something to do in these lands; oweing to the fact that they were full of rugged men and dodgy travellers, never indeed to forget, bordering Elven lands and the moutains that were home to the Dragon Riders. The day today, had so far been rather peaceful. Not much'd happened, and that was starting to bug Aila. Silence was good, from time to time, but peaceful days were never truly Aila's favourites. She enjoyed it when strangers, or sometimes even familiar faces came into her shop, looking for something or the other, ready to give her some company. Mind you, it was more the part where she messed with their heads through her riddles that gave her joy, but either way, quiet days weren't her preference. Hence, the sight of the rugged male in a travelling cloak, who entered her store was more than welcome, despite the air of inhostality that he carried.

Aila scrutinzed the male for a moment, while he remained silent, feeling the magic in his aura. He was... somewhat empty, but there was some form of magic in his aura and that puzzled her. His facade didn't reflect the confidence nor the pride that magicians tended to carry, but my, there was always a black sheep in the flock. "Why, an infant down the street could've told me that." Aila replied to the male, an eyebrow raising itself on her face, giving her a pleasantly surprised expression. "Telling me my profession won't solve your needs, young sir. Why don't you clarify your purpose a little more, so I can be more of assistance, yes?" Ailas' eyes sparkled with a slight sense of mischeif as she glided from one end of the counter to the other, her lips twisting into an elegant smirk.

The enterance of another female was anticipated by Aila; she'd sensed the female's peculiar aura since the time she'd stepped foot on the Earth in Stryklak. My my, it certainly has been a while. Aila's expression didn't dare shift as the Queen of Samarid made her enterence into Aila's small humble-looking yet full of mysteries store. "Ah, while our young sir makes up his mind as to what his buissness is here, I dare say I certainly am surprised by your visit, your highness." Aila's smirk twisted itself into a mischevious smile, her big dark eyes, exotic as every locking with the Queen's for a moment. Aila personally never felt that anyone deserved respect due to title, and she knew that Silisia was more than aware of that fact, hence everytime Aila refered to an old friend as her highness, a tone of mockery (sometimes considered rude) was always there.

"My, so do enlighten me, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Aila's smile flickered to a geniune style for a breif second, before she glided across the room to a brewing cauldron, she leaned over, her face scrunching up for a moment before she straightened out, walking over to pick up a few dried leaves and adding them to the cauldron, giving the potion within a stir before she turned around to her company. Aila was about to speak, before she heard the disturbance caused close to her shop; the audible yell of a civillian rogue, the neighing of a horse, the apologies of a young girl. "Ah, you must excuse me a second," she claimed, walking over to the enterance of her shop, her eye falling on a young short-haired female, who certainly helped lift Aila's spirits up.

Short hair, on a woman? My my did we have a Rebel on hand. "Ah young one, what kind of trecherous paths have you been down? You certainly don't look a pretty sight." Aila examined the girl's face with her eyes, noticing a tiny cut on the girl's cheek. "Come right in; don't take any notice of the beauty or the traveller. Now, how many other scars have you taken a liking to?"

[Nalean Silverstar]

Nalean smiled gently as she handed over the kitten to the little girl, "There you go, she's all better now. Just make sure you're more careful when you play with her" she said in a gentle voice. The little girl had accedentily stepped on her kitten's paw when she had been playing with her and had brought her to Nalean, scared that she had broken her kitten's paw. The paw had been injured, but not as badly as the little girl thought. She shook her head as the girl vanished into the crowd, it had been iresponsible of the girl's parents to give her a kitten of her own at such a young age but unfortunately there was nothing Nalean could do about it. She turned around and walked back towards the house that she lived in with her parents. She needed to check on their supplies of herbs as her father had a terrible habit of forgetting to restock their supply before it was too late.

She sighed as she went through their stock, just as she thought almost all the jars were empty or very close to being empty. She found a bag of coins lying on the table in the kitchen and suppressed a sigh. Obviously her father had been planning to go buy herbs before he had been distracted by some one in need of healing or something else. She shook her head, grabbed the bag of coins and walked out the house to where her horse Shadow was standing grazing. "Hey boy" she said softly running her hands along the grey's powerful shoulder. She led the horse round to the stables where the family's three horses were kept and put him in one of the empty stables. She tended to let Shadow stay out during the day knowing that her horse would not let strangers on his back. She grabbed his saddle and bridle and quickly tacked him up. She led him out of the stable, mounted him and had him walk until they were outside the village where she asked him forward into steady canter. The ride to Stryklak was a short one and Nalean didn't want to exhaust her horse.

After about an hour she reached the city and slowed Shadow to a walk, or rather she attempted to. Her horse was fresh and he was itching for a gallop, so he simply jogged through the streets of the city. Nalean rolled her eyes, there was always something about the city that made her horse excited. When she reached the Herbalist shop she dismounted him and tied him to a post close to two other horses. "Behave" she muttered to her spirited young horse. She groaned softly when she saw that there was already three other people in the shop, the shop wasn't the biggest one around and was cramped with just one other person. She quickly slipped past the tiny crowd, gave Aila a quick smile before she went to the shelf where all the herbs that she needed was kept. She had started visiting this shop with her father as a small child, so she knew exactly where to look for the right herbs and remedies. She lingered a bit hoping to hear some of the gossip of the city. The three other people in the shop were such an odd combination that she was sure she was bound to hear something interesting.

[Gwyndar]

'Stupid woman. No wonder I refuse to mate.' Holding back a snarl resembling that of his dragon Gwyndar sidestepped away from the growing number of people. Discouraged only slightly. It meant that he was then pushed aside in terms of service as the woman went to the aid of the others. One of which was royalty ... 'I cannot reveal myself to the queen. giving an alliance is weak. No-one shall have me as their pawn.' "Hmm." He huffed at the royal, pulling the cloak tighter and waiting until he could regain the attention of the shop owner. His injuries were painful and were he to go any further or even train he would be in need of some medical healing.

"I am in need of your assistance. I am injured." He said simply, catching the gaze of the young looking woman. Looks could be deceiving in this world however. He knew first hand that age was not something that meant an appearance grew older. Some of the royal family themselves were young in face while their years passed through the centuries.

The women around him showed nothing more of importance to his attention. His only thought was that he should keep his identity secretive. His injury was common of dragon riders. One swift bit from his dragons tail to the chest left a growing bruise and a few broken ribs. Nothing that was life threatening; but riding on a dragon needed a healthy and unbroken body. "I would be much obliged if you would be of assistance." His gruff deep tone of voice much resemblant of those who lived in Stryklak, despite his appearance.

The thought crossed his mind as to what would happen if he was to be found out. What would they do? Surly they would not capture him and force his hand at the matter. Was it not their intention to win the favor of the Dragon riders?

Still; let it not be chanced that Gwyndar give opportunity to those who wish it.

[Silisia Anja Saffy]

A small smile touched Sil’s lips as she caught the gaze of Aila. She knew as soon as she stepped inside of Strvitcomche, she renounced her title and become a commoner and Sil enjoyed that. All her life people had pranced around the able bodied woman, begging and pleaded to do even the simplest of tasks, like getting dressed. She glanced toward the rugged looking man with little acknowledgement.
“Aila, I have travelled many days so that no one would recognise me and there you go and spoil all my fun,” she smiled in exasperation. Her own eyes twinkled in challenge at Aila’s mischievous gaze. The two of them had been friends of sort for awhile, especially after the death of most of the royal family. Silisia had spent weeks hunting down the witch when she sorely needed guidance. As a half elf, she should have only inherited the throne at a hundred and fifty years old but now at thirty one, the young queen was forced t take her position as the monarch of Samarid.

“I am glad you view my visits as a pleasure, Aila, but I’m not here for a pleasant visit,” she kept her words as cryptic as the witch’s. She eyed the witch carefully as she moved over to her cauldron. The two may have known each other for a number of years; however, Silisia was not dumb enough to trust the immortal. After all, she had little to gain from meddling in the affairs of men. She glanced once again over to the man that was being ignored by Aila, while he ‘made up his mind’ as Aila said. She sighed and ran her fingers through her limp hair. She knew she could not really talk openly while the occupants of the small shop increased. She too listened to the neigh and the scolding and was surprised to see a small girl with short boyish hair walk in. True to Aila, she was immediately ignored and the girl got her full attention.
“I didn’t know you had a heart, Aila. You never cease to surprise me,” she mused.

She looked up at the man’s complaint and started toward him. Although Silisia was not gifted with phenomenal magic, she did have a great deal of healing magic. It was a family gift and she was taught to control it from young.
“Let me see,” she said softly a metre away from the rugged man. A kind smile touched her lips. “I’m a healer.”
She looked him over carefully. Obviously, it did not look like he wanted to be noticed but Sil could not help herself.
“Don’t listen to what Aila says. I am not in any way ‘your highness’ worthy in this part of the world,” she shrugged and let her eyes run down the length of his body, looking for his injury. She realised it must be on his torso area as his other limbs looked fine.

She was about to take a step forward and gently pull his cloak aside but the door opened and another woman step in. She frowned. Aila’s shop had never been this busy before. This girl knew what she was looking for though. A glimpse of recognition touched Sil's face.
"Nalean. My it's been awhile."

[Alice Rae Lindale]

<sub>Alice looked around as someone else walked in behind her as well. She could help but wonder if things here were normally the busy. Was she a by coming here so injured? The girl winced slightly as she shifted her weight away from her aching leg. When she looked up, much to her surprise, the shop keeper had gone past the man who had been here before herself to come to her. Alice felt sorry the man had been passed over, but knew better than to complain about kindnesses offered to her.

Alice grinned up at the woman as she was approached. "I err...well I don't suppose fell would be the right word. I was thrown from my horse." She followed Aila's order with obedience that she'd been trained into. "Thank you very much ma'am." Her eyes glanced to the man who Aila had walked past, and her gaze caught on his. She blushed slightly. He didn't look quite so injured as herself, but looks could be deceiving. Guilt plagued her slightly that she'd taken the shopkeeper from him. "See, my horse was spooked, and err...I kind of couldn't hold on when he stopped." Alice laughed at her own blunder.

The girl looked around at everyone else in the shop without breaking her smile. Her eyes hovered over the elegant woman who'd been here before herself as the woman spoke to the shopkeeper. She certainly was beautiful. She looked familiar too. Having missed the announcement of who the queen was, Alice stared at her curiously. Had she seen her somewhere near home? Maybe her tutor knew her.

Much to Alicen's surprise, the beautiful woman moved toward the rather angry looking traveler. She offered him her own assistance. So the woman was a healer too? Alice hadn't meant to be listening to the conversation, but she couldn't help herself. Your highness? She's a queen? Then Alice's memory brought the recollection of the lesson she had been taught to the top. "You're the Queen of Samarid!" Alice exclaimed, though she had not meant for the thought to burst from her mouth. "Err...sorry," she murmured, with a sheepish grin. "I didn't mean to listen in."

Next, Alice's eyes moved to look at the woman who had come in after her. She seemed to know the shop like the back of her hand. That made Alice curious to who she was, though she was careful not to voice it this time. Nalean was her name, she heard as the queen said it. What a pretty name it was. Alice stared curiously for a moment longer. The woman was looking through some plants and things that Alice recognized to be medicine. Perhaps this woman was a healer as well.

"I can't imagine it is usually this busy in here," she said openly with a grin as her gaze tore from the others in the shop too look around. "It's not very big." Alice closed her eyes for a moment, never losing her smile. "No offense," she said hurriedly to Aila, realizing that what she said could easily have been taken as an insult. "I'm just not used small shops like this."</sub>

[Aila]

feel the rain on your skin

no one else can feel it for you, no one else can speak the words on your lips

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Aila's face held the sparkling and mischevious look, a high pitched, almost musical laugh escaping her. "Oh, what on earth gave you that idea?" Aila asked Sili without looking at the queen; she was concentrating on the young girl for the moment. Her amusement was obvious in her expression as she examined the girl, before dropping a gentle hand on her back and guiding her forwards, and indicating that she sat down on a stool close by the counter. "Ah, aren't we all familiar with horses who tend to have moods where they just find it oh so amusing to swing us off," she trilled absent mindedly. "Don't worry, we'll fix you up soon." she smiled at the young girl, before turning her attention and acknowledging the new addition to the group for the first time. If it were any commoner who'd entered Aila's shop and thought it was okay to go around and pick out herbs they needed, Aila would've sure given them an earful- but as it happened, Nalean wasn't just another commoner.

The young girl practically grew up before Aila's eyes, and Aila certainly had a liking for that one. She was kind to most, however she had a spark about her that amused and intrigued Aila. Nalean had a raging fire in her, and was a determined lady; something that Aila loved to see in women, for it was rare for women of this age to have much fire; although, the times were a'changing, for many women; the young injured girl being the perfect example were starting to stand up for their equal place in the society. "Oh Nalean, I moved the turmeric powder jars to the left corner of the shop; the rose petals that I recently collected took their place." Aila called out, her eyes falling on Sili, who was quite keen indeed to heal the rugged ranger's wounds; however, being part druid, Aila could feel the atmospher; the aura around the Male somewhat change- he was hesitant. It was the magic in the aura around him that shadowed away, and that made Aila curious.

"My my, your highness, now that we all here know your identity- I dare say it'll be.. ah indecent for me to allow you to heal my customer. Why, you make me feel just about unworthy!" Aila tutted, her voice mocking, her words a comeback to Sili's mused words earlier; the two women had an extremely discrete way of playfully snapping at each other, and Aila like that about Sili; she tended to catch onto Aila's riddles quicker than most, and she had the intelligence to reply back with puzzles, as well. "My, let me heal this young fella' and if you really would like to help me, without insulting my abilities and remedies," Aila paused, raising an eyebrow at Aili, her eyes twinkling even brighter than before as she gave the young queen a somewhat Stern look, making it clear that she didn't like the fact that she'd offered to use her powers in order to heal her customers, "you may, take some rose petals and liquid lesh, along with some of those sunflower seeds- and simply grind them together in the morter, so we can make a paste to heal this young lady here. Nalean can tell you where the ingredients are, can you not young one?"

Aila smirked at her friend; her tone somewhat mocking this time. "That is ofcourse, if that is not beaneath you."

Aila winked at the female, before walking towards the male, giving him a tap on the shoulder and indicating that he followed her to another stool that was just behind the counter, and somewhat more shadowed. "So tell me young traveller, what trecherous paths have you been trecking, and what injuries have you been faced with? And oh, do tell me, is your gruff and scruffy manner owing to the face that you're injured, or is it just the way you normally present yourself? I daresay it's rather disorenting and oh, a little rude, too.. hmm?" Aila wasn't one to hold back with words that she thought were correct. As she waited for a reply from him, she turned her attention to the young girl on the opposite end of the counter.

"Ah, and no offense taken young one. This place is small aye, but I like it that way. Rather have a smaller store where it's easier to find it all, than a large apothecary where you must run miles to get the herbs you desire." Aila smiled at her, a silent thought going through her head. If only you moved through these hangings to see the other half of the store.

[Gwyndar]

Mentally, the Dragon rider knew his condition was nothing serious enough that would make him posed to life threatening conditions. However he knew that the idea of having someone like the queen heal him was not only degrading by his standards, but also very indiscreet about his person. There was no real reason to his hiding now other than to keep out of the public eye. Having fought with the other dragon riders many years passed he was known among these people as a killer and something of a cold hearted (if he had one) bringer of evil.

Only occasionally did he return to the dragon mountains with Siluth. The dragon desperate for company of its own kind. A habit he had. Bringing the half elf back to his land yearly to mate. Each year rubbing the celibacy of his rider and the tension that always flew between him and any other rider Gwyndar saw. To him, they were all trouble and more dangerously they were all potential targets.

Yet when the Royal took a step forward to take a closer look at him and potentially remove his hood he found his eyes twitch in the direction of the royal. forcing Gwyndar to take a deliberate step backward away from the woman. She was not someone he wanted anywhere near him. Least of all tending to the wounds of a creature that could link to the war. While he began explaining his apologies in the gruff tone he found the healer herself stepping in and dragging the attention away from him.For that he was initially grateful for, letting him have more time to ease back away from the woman.

'Though he meant to disrespect to his obvious superior he felt it unwise to alert anyone to his private existence. "Highness ..." He gruffed slowly, nodding respectfully in a show of false alliance he slinked back. Following the seemingly young healer as she indicated for him to follow. The location was still rather public and not a place Gwyndar would be comfortable disrobing to show the woman his ails. That or to inform her if she so needed the cause of such an injury.

"Is there nowhere more out of sight that i might disrobe. I do not wish to make public the result nor the cause of my injuries." He asked, in his most polite tone. It still however was not enough to alleviate the gruff and almost rude tone that always held his tongue. "Present company is not one I would wish to give such information of." He explained, raising an eyebrow to raise the question. It was not meant with malice, nor of sarcasm to the woman who obviously took her profession very seriously. As one should. He asked only as his way of protecting himself from anything that may endanger him.

"There is something wrong with the way I speak. Working here surly you recognize someone raised in the barbaric land." He retorted to the Healer. Once more his body retreating into the comfort of his cloak. there was more than one occasion where the man would spent nights on end without taking it off to either wash or change. It was a comfort to have and a gift he was given the day he completed his training as a Dragon rider. It was sentimental and one of the few remnants of emotion he had other than hatred and malice. "I speak only as my lifestyle encourages me. A wanderer does not speak with others often. Words are useless in the dark realms of Dantalon." A small twitch at the side of his mouth indicated a humorous element to his speaking. where it was lost under the shadows he remained a constant dweller of.

[Nalean Silverstar]

Nalean browsed through the shelves of herbs, eager to hear any new news. She glanced behind her when she heard the man saying he was in need of healing. She guessed from the man's appearance and clothing that he was a Dragon rider. They were often injured in some or other way in their line of duty or whatever it was called. A small smile appeared on her face when Silisia stepped forward and offered to heal the man. She would have offered to help, but she knew that Aila preferred it if she didn't go around healing the witches customers. She stopped herself from laughing when the other girl made a comment about Silisia being the queen of Samarid.

She smiled as Silisia greeted her, "I'm surprised you recognised me, since the last time you saw me I must have been about ten" she said with a small smile still on her face. She nodded at the other girl's comment about the shop not being very big. "No it isn't very big, but it wouldn't be the same if the shop was any bigger. It would be too impersonal then, at least with the shop being so small it has a warm homely feeling." She said softly. Nalean quickly scanned the shelf and took a bottle off the shelf and held it out for the girl. "Here take this, it should help with healing the cuts" she offered with a kind smile on her face.

She turned back to Aila when she heard her name being mentioned. "Oh yes, I can" she said nodding at the witch and shook her head at Aila's comment. "I'm sure it isn't beneath her, if it was she wouldn't be here would she?" she asked, even though they all knew the answer to that question. Nalean had to bite her lip to stop herself making a comment when the man said he did not want them to know the reason for his injuries. It was plainly obvious to her that the man was a dragon rider, unless he had another reason for wanting to hide why he was injured. She decided to ignore him and started to look for the ingredients that Silisia would need. She found them quickly and carried them to a table nearby and glanced at Silisia. "Well do you need any help with mixing them or is there something else I need to do?" she said, directing the question to both Silisia and Aila.

[Silisia Anja Saffy]

Sil stopped as the mysterious man took a step backward. Obviously he did not feel comfortable with her healing him. She had little time to dwell on it as the young girl blurted out her title. Her mouth twisted into a wry smile.
“I suppose that is me, young one,” she replied wearily. Her eyes clouded over for a minute as she silently cursed her discovery. Well, what had she expected? After all, Aila was not one to keep secrets secret if exposing them meant that she could enjoy something from it. However, she soon snapped out of it and ran her fingers through her hair.

“I never forget a face, young Nalean,” she said whimsically. Of course she had met the girl a long time ago in this very shop. It was a quiet meeting and the queen had to admit that she herself was surprised to have remembered the small girl at all. Especially since back then, the country was on the brink of war and Silisia had been caught up in her own world of fear and uncertainty. After all, she was a very young queen at the time that had just lost her entire family. It was difficult to see past that fact sometimes, especially in the time. She looked at Aila who had just given instruction. The witch sometimes did grate on the Queen’s nerves. She had hoped she had earned some merit in the line of duty. Silisia always fought with her armies and if she was not fighting she was at the medical encampment, healing the wounded soldiers. Surely that counted for something.

“Of course it’s not below me, but you know how much sorcerers detest the ways of witches,” she crinkled up her nose at the sight of all the ingredients in the shop. “However, I should have known the everlasting feud between the two races will prevent me from assisting you. I never thought you took heed to such silly traditions.”
A small, slightly mocking smile of Silisia’s own touched her lips. She shrugged and went to acquire the ingredients from Nalean without as much as a backward glance to the man who was obviously hiding something. Silisia was far from stupid.

However, she took the ingredients without as much as a royal air and began to grind them into a paste. Of course, Sil was tempted to use the short cut but she knew Aila would probably not like her methods being toyed with. She daintly lifted her head as she watched the traveller being guided away. While she was curious, she was a little too weary from her journey to give a damn about a man who seemed intent to keep the queen away from him. With a flourish she finished and met Nalean’s question with a steady gaze.
“I may be a queen, but I can assure you I can do the simple task of mixing together ingredients,” she smiled wryly, tired and sarcastic. “I know it is a difficult concept to grasp.”

[Alice Rae Lindale]

<sub>Alice grinned at Aila happily and giggled again before walking happily to where she was guided. She jumped straight onto the stool, though winced from the quick motion. It wasn't long till her smile was back. The girl was completely at ease. She placed her hands on the edge of the chair and let her legs dangle some. "Something spooked him," Alice explained. "That horse is gentle as a lamb till you get on his back." She nodded as Aila said she'd be back to fix her up in a minute. "Thank you very mush," Alice answered happily. "Take your time. I'm not exactly eager to go back and explain what happened."

Alice hummed happily, watching the woman named Nalean rummaging through the herbs. "How do you memorize them all?" she asked to woman. "Is it hard to remember all the herb names and what each of them do?" The girl's eagerness might have been annoying to others, but it was something she took no notice of. If people didn't like her they would either deal with it or leave her alone. At least that was what happened most of the time.

Alice watched as the queen started to grind the herbs. "I'm surpised to see you here without some sort of guard," she admitted. "I thought royalty was always surrounded by loads of guards. Maybe that's just what its like around the Sanglant castle." Alice looked thoughtful. "What's it like in Samarid? I haven't been there yet." Alice grinned at the queen, eager for answers. She did ask an aweful lot of questions.

Alice's eyes glanced over her shoulder at the man who had been seated on another stool. The girl spun to face him, grinning. "Are you hurt really bad?" she asked. "Or is there some other reason you don't want some of us to see?" Her voice was filled with genuine happy interest. Curiosity sparkled in her eyes. Her eyes suddenly got very, very wide. "Did you say Dantalon?" she questioned in awe. "I heard that its a city of thieves and criminals. Even my tutor doesn't want to take me there. Is it really so horrible?"</sub>

[Aila]

feel the rain on your skin

drench yourself with words unspoken live your life with arms wide open

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Aila couldn't help but the smirk off her face at the sarcasm in Sili's voice. This was precisely why Aila got on with the young Queen- and not really rest of the Royal family. She was powerful, yes, and she knew when she needed to take command; but she also did not let her power and position get to her head. Deep inside, Sili was yet a humble lady, one with a lot of spirit and fire. She took orders from no one, and yet neither did she give out orders or treated people like vermin.. unless ofcourse, they were vermin. That was a different matter all together though; for now, Aila was content with being proud of the young Queen, and also amused by Nalean, who herself was such a fearless woman. The other young girl; whose name Aila didn't quite know yet, was also quite a curious one. Unlike most her age she was outspoken and tough, sometime Aila valued very much.

"My, you say you need to go explain yourself to someone?" Aila asked the young girl, her face amused as she flicked her curles behind her back. "With the numerous questions you ask, it's impossible to think that you'd ever explain yourself! One who asks, is hardly one who explains." Aila's eyes twinkled in the girl's direction, a mysterious smile forming on her face as she stared at the girl for a split second before looking away and diverting her attention to the injured male. "We may head over to the back room indeed, and oh, you wander within Dantalon now, do you? And you say words are useless too? Hmm, we shall talk about that while I heal you young sir," Aila gave the male a questioning look, and turned her head instead to look over at the young girl. "I'm sure this man will answer your questions once he's healed- although for now, we take our leave." Aila's lips sketched into a smirk as she walked through the shell-hangings right next to where the male sat and headed further into the gigantic back room, allowing the man to follow her through.

"I assure you no one can see you here nor hear us Rider." she stated casually, using the title as if it was a fact. The room was sound-proof due to the sea-shells that hung by the door. Aila'd used her druid magic to make the sea-shells absorb all sound from within the room, so no matter how loud someone screamed, no one in the shop would be able to hear anything. "Now, you tell me words are useless in Dantalon?" she questioned as she waited for the male to disrobe to show her his injuries in order for her to heal them, "I must say I disagree. Being native to Dantalon, I must admit that words are just about the only thing that get you through the day in that city."

Aila knew the folk of Dantalon were anti-social and dodgy, but if you ever found yourself in a sticky situation, words were your only ticket out. Except ofcourse, gold. You could always fight your way out of a situation; but that was unadvisable, for the people of Dantalon followed no rules and didn't believe in fair play. The means didn't matter, s'long as the ends were reached. "Aye, it's true that the fewer words spoken, the better- but my, silence often leads to matters getting much worse in a city like Dantalon. Do you not think so?" Aila raised an eyebrow at the male, collecting a few things as she spoke, and placing them on a circular table close to the seat she'd asked the Rider to take. Riders often had the same injuries over again; hence Aila was collecting the pastes she thought would be useful for the male incase his injury was minor and common to Riders.

[Nalean Silverstar]

Nalean smiled and nodded at Silisia's words, "Well I suppose I do have a face that is difficult to forget" she said shrugging. She had always been a matter of interest due to her mixed heritage, and when she had been younger she had struggled to understand why people found her and her family so interesting. She had never seen anything special about her family until she realised that she was the only one among her friends that had an elf for a father.

She shook her head laughing when the girl asked her numerous questions about how she could remember all the names of the different herds. "My father's a healer as well, so I've been surrounded by different herbs basically since I was born, so I guess you could say I've had my whole life to memorise the names of all the different herbs" she said smiling at the girl. "You really do ask alot of questions don't you?" she asked. Nalean liked the talkative girl, she seemed eager to learn and had a rebelious streak in her.

She grinned at Silisia's words that were directed towards Aila. The queen had never seemed above mixing herbs. She stopped herself from laughing at Silisia's words about the feud between sorcerers and witches. "Aila's used to working with my father who uses both magic and herbs for healing" she said shaking her head. Nalean's father preferred using herbs for minor injuries and at times was forced to use herbs for the more serious injuries as some people in their village were extremely suspiscious of anything magical. She shot a curious glance at the man, wondering what he was trying to hide from them and why he wanted to hide anything in the first place.

She sighed at Silisia's words, "Yes I know, but I hate standing around doing nothing. It makes me feel left out" she said with a small smile. She looked at the other girl. "How about I start helping you while Aila's busy with mystery man back there" she said with a big smile on her face. "I'm sure she won't mind if I start with you as long as you pay her and not me, she'll never admit it but I'm sure she'll apreciate some help." she added quickly.