--- Adventure 1 ---

"Here rests Ronin" It seemed extremely short but Duro'than knew nothing more except the name of the dead guy. He decided to add Rest in peace and the date. After that plunged the log he inscribed at the head of the grave.

"Guess that takes care of that. Hope he'll be the only friendly casualty" This made him think. Were they friends? Maybe not, certainly not, but united by one goal. Who knows, maybe with time they will get along very well.

He picked up the others trail and in a few minutes he arrived at the campsite where he saw only Drogo, Angy and Ias. he figured the others went scouting or after wood. "Guess i better make myself useful" he thought to himself and headed for some smaller trees. He chopped them up and tied them in such a way to make some sort of protective cover against the wind.

Rissa ventured into the woods, but at a closer scent, the shadow was only the elf... "Hmmpf... false alarm." She didn't cared if it wasn't so. She broke some other stocks and was finally at the face of the site. "I'm ready to start a fire". However, she waited for Ias to come closer.

The horse stared blankly at the grave. When the barbarian left, he wrote surprinsigly nice on the snow above the grave *Untill...*. Then he left. *Nobody realises yet they hve a nekorrum with them... * he thinked... [hint, hint...].

Rissa conjured an aura of flames around her that dried the sticks and melted some snow around, so that now there was some place for the group to join a huge camp fire (though some watery snow still was on around). The aura of fire dissparead almost in an instant. With her last magic sources, Rissa held a fire in her wolf hands and gently closed it to the fire place. "This is it... for now. I'm exhausted."

Ias watched the fire. "I remember I studied something about this school of magic. But not much of the red thing...". Though he wouldn't admit it, he was hungry after a day of walking and no action to devour (in) his magics at all...

An acute sense of dangers made the hair on Thorn's neck stand up. His dagger was ready for whatever would come. Then he let himself relax as the intense sensation disappeared, to be replaced by a diffuse and familiar sense of alertness, rather than danger. What was out there was a menace all right, but not to him. He saw a hushing shadow that disappeared back into the forest to gather wood and smiled. Good to know he wasn't the only one on the watch.

-----

He sensed the inviting smell of burning wood and followed it to the campsite. Well, they might just as well let the fire burn. Whatever it was that had killed Ronin, he was quite certain it that it would find them anyway if it wanted, even though for now the coast was clear. They'd deal with that then. Right now, they had more pressing matters to take care of.

He appeared from the shadows in front of Drogo on purpose. First, he was the the least likely to actually harm him by accident if taken by surprise. Secondly, it was kind of fun to watch him go white and red in the face again.

"Enjoying your little evening tea party?" he asked with a smirk.

Drogo was startled. He had just found his cooking pot in the bag and was attempting to get it ready to cook some warm tea. He dropped it and the whole thing fell clampering to the ground. Thorn laughed.

"Oh, it was you..." Drogo tried to slow down his heartbeat.

"I wasn't aware you were expecting anyone else" Thorn said dryly. He dragged a fairly large bunch from underneath his cloak and put it in front of the gnome. "If this makes me any more welcome, how about making yourself useful, for a change?" It was three rabbits, throats slit.

He sat down and grinned at Rissa. "I thought you folks only hunt in packs."

"Wouldn't want to be at the receiving end of those, anyway", he added, with a glance at her claws.

"Hmm... werewolves are pack-living creatures but... the old ones usually or the born ones from werewolves are dependent on a pack. But... not the ones as me. We are always dreamy and full of regrets at one point. You are lucky. Everyone of you... You don't know how it is when - pretty much all - of the happiness is refused from you by someone else...". Rissa stopped silently and sad. Then she grabed one rabit and held if over the fires, even though her own hand was in the flame's reach too. But her skin and fur wouldn't burn. They simply ignored the fires with all the pride they could...

"You should have skinned that rabit first." Ias spoke ironically.

Rissa fried the rabbit with fur, indeed. She didn't notice, but this was the power of her reflexes. She snarled with an ugly look at the horse. However, by now, the meat was already lost.

"Hm... I'm sorry"

"Then I'll share this with you. Us, alicorns eat almost anything. Then, my half wild-breed likes meat."

Indeed, the tree rabbits were good for the six persons.

"So, did you said you knew Fire?" Rissa changed the subject.

"What fire?" was the answer.

"Fire..." said Thorn in a hushed whisper.

He let himself fall into the Elven state of reverie again. He was playing with the dagger, hardly taking notice of it, waiting to slice the rabbit meat. Otherwise, his thoughts were maybe leagues away, lost in some memory. Only his senses were still present. The smell of fire wood... the slight stench of burnt fur... the smell of hot metal... the heat of the fire in his face... a cool breeze at his back... an owl's cry somewhere in the night... the twitch of a mouse knowing it's in sight of a predator...he was aware of every single sensation in the back of his mind; none cried 'danger' and thus none disturbed his wandering thoughts.

Muttering under his breath and cursing the Half Elf for making him look like a fool again, Drogo had put up the cooking pot over the fire and placed some snow in it to melt. He then waited for Angy to prepare the tea. He didn't dare say anything when Rissa took a rabbit to roast it. Instead, he fumbled in his belt, then finally reached in his bag and drew out a cooking knife and proceeded to skin the remaining rabbits. "Must have... herbs... somewhere... and a bit... of salt... mmmmh, potatoes would be nice... have I brought pepper?". He was barely audible and he swallowed half of the words. He shifted uneasy. He felt an intruder. Almost everyone present seemed to have a goal in mind... seemed to know something... something he couldn't quite catch, and that bonded them somehow. He... he was just luggage on the way.

"Ouch!" His movements had become increasingly jerky as he made himself ever more nervous in his mind and he had managed to cut his finger. He put it in his mouth and sucked on it, pouting like a little child. This wasn't his day... But then again, which day was his? By now, his eyes were teary, and it wasn't the smoke.

Rissa had already finished roasting the rabbit, not loosing time with other comodities such as spice things. "Here you go..." She broke the rabbit in two with the claws and theeth and have one half to Ias.

"Yes, fire... you winged... hot fire. Whatever else?".

While she silently chewed her meat, Ias borrowed some salt and pepper from the gnome saying a small ,,Thank you". He would help with the cut, but his ,,healings" weren't quite for everybody...

,,Raivaniors weren't actually known for their kindness..." he smilled, while taking a mouthfull of meat. "I saw the fire not burning your skin... *were* ... do you think it is the only fire?"... "Ha"...

Angy smiled while looking at them .

" Do you have a teapot Drogo , please?"

Drogo raised his eyes from his lap and pointed towards the pot with the by now melted snow. He then put his finger in his mouth again. Better not to drip blood into the tea... Better not to speak either... he felt he'd choke. He swallowed hard.

Duro'than finished the covers and then caught his breath for a second. Then he placed them against some trees to create a kind of wall.He could smell the rabbit and his stomach was rumbling. Kind of small those rabbits but he was used with hunger. He'll go hunting later on and probably catch something bigger like deer or boar.. He went towards Drogo and Angy.

"I have some crackers in my pack. They are a little old but still ok to eat. A little hard but they would gp perfectly with the tea. I'll go get them."

*Poor little fellow, I pity him.....*

She stepped towards Drogo , took his hand , whispered a spell , or something like that and the cut vanished .

After that , she took the teapot , filled it with water , and put in the dried flowers.

"Now we wait. If you nead any spices , tell me...."

She smiled .

"Lovely , crackers will do just fine"