Long Lost Leaves

[Curufin]

Abasi watched from a distance as the dwarf removed his axes, the Elf's eyes assessing his fighting power swiftly. Not that he foresaw any need to fight the dwarf, but it was always good to be prepared. The ax was well balanced and well made - he could see that even from a distance - but useless except in close combat. He filed that information away in his head for later.

Abasi had become a warrior - a m'had in the language of his people, when he was still young in the ways of the world; when the ancient ways were not yet ancient. When honour still meant something. It was the only life he knew, and the only life he ever desired to know.

But now, alone in the woods, he felt lost.

[Mari]

Ellysa started at Borin's sudden question and relaxed when she heard Nami's comment. She looked at them with a smile and said "Sorry" before taking up her bo and walking out a bit.
She looked back up at the stars and felt happiness that they had remembered her and fear about what would happen if they would find out flowing through her.
She sighed and got into a fighting stance. Better keep practicing. With the way things are going it certainly won't hurt!

[Coffeehouse]

Quickleaf had been walking about, asking names, greeting new faces and curiously listening to everyone's take on things.

This was no ordinary group of travellers. He had realized early that this was anything but a normal hiking trip. The company had startled him as he had been lying comfortably up in a tall oak tree, and now, blissfully careless about the past days or distant future ones, he wanted eagerly to know where the company meant to go. To be sure, if they wanted him to track along, he'd be happy to do so.

As a nomad of the forest he had been tracking through Greenwood for some time, not quite sure how long, but it must have been several years now. Walking beneath the evergreen roof of the forest, discovering new streams and grounds, he felt he had found his way of life. It had been a time for strengthening both body and mind, perfecting his bowmanship and delighting in the foods of the forest.

Nonetheless it was a pleasure to hear the talk of people again and to be sure, this company seemed to talk anything but dull talk. Stories of past events and future preparations was filling the cooling air. And so he took his bow and water flask, lay them on the ground, and leaned back onto a tree to listen..

[The Sasquatch of Fangorn]

"Ellysa." said Borin, running over to Ellysa. "I didn't ter offend you er anything. Would you mind having someone ter practice with? Not shooting at me. Of course. I mean, do you mind if I practice with you?"

[Earniel]

Radagast spread out his home-made map of the tracks and roads of the forest. Although he had to stop and put up some warning wards around the camp to keep Haldis happy. He didn't think the spiders would come again tonight. They had travelled a good distance since their last camp and the woods were far more open here, less repressive in atmosphere. Still, he hadn't thought there'd be spiders at the last camp either. So it couldn't hurt to be wary, if only to prevent Haldis looking smug if there was another spider attack and he hadn't put up any wards.

With a little help of the forest-Elves, Radagast was able to find their location again on the map. They had left without a proper direction last night, so it had taken him the full day of looking on his map, trying to find out whether they were even going in the right direction. Luckily, they had been. He calculated that it was only two to three days now to Dol Guldur.

[Mari]

"You didn't offend me Borin. Not at all." Ellysa looked at Borins weapons with some doubt. "We can spar, but a bo is a midrange to ranged weapon which is mainly used for defense or non-lethal offense. I'm not sure it will add to your skills to spar with me. Yet if you want to, you may attack first."
Ellysa raised her bo in a defensive stance. "Try to hit me, if you can!"

[The Sasquatch of Fangorn]

"Ok! But be fore-warned, fair maiden! I may be short but I don't go down easily!" said Borin, raising his axe and jumping at Ellysa.

[feawen]

Nami watched Ellysa walk around from the main group. She had been very silent thoughtout the jounry and Nami thought maybe she had something on her mind. She was about to follow Ellysa when she noticed that Borin had joined her. Maybe later than, Nami thought.

Nami went back to sorting her arrows out. Finding that many of her arrows had been broken in the last fight, Nami tryed to save as much of the arrows as possible, trying to keep the feathers and arrow heads. She then set about finding suitable sized wood to use for the shafts. After finding an enough to keep her busy for a while Nami sat her self down under a tree near Quickleaf and, taking her knife out, begain cutting and trimming the wood fragments down to size.

[Mari]

Ellysa easily evaded the seemingly wild slash from Borin. She'd practiced evading for years now and she was confident that she would not be touched by any ordinary person.
Borin came at her with some more precise slashes, as though he was testing her defense. These were still easily avoided.
She wondered how good the dwarf was if he really tried... Could he really break through her defenses?

[The Sasquatch of Fangorn]

"All-right!" shouted Borin as he backed off a little from Ellysa. "No more Mr. Nice dwarf!" He jumped, flying through the air at increadable speed, but Ellysa was faster. Borin hit the ground with a harty *thump*. Whe Ellysa came over to see if he was okay, he rolled over, spat a large mouth-full of dirt out of his mouth and said- "Ugh. Let me try that agian!" And so, he did. And the result was the same. After numorus mouth-fulls of dirt, Borin waved his hand. "All-right all-right! Enough of that! I'll just stick to normal sparring then." He got up said- "Where's the ale?" and fell down, dazed. Ellysa came over to see if he was okay, and he was. "Have you ever seen a more beutiful sight?" He asked, looking up at the stars. "And, if you don't mind me saying so you got two things goin' fer ya, madam." when she asked what they were he replied-" One- You're fast. Realy fast. And two, if you don't mind me saying so, you're a nice person.."

[orithil]

Hedrim looked around at the group and took his sword out, he came up behind Abasi and plunged his sword into the ground next to him. He sat down and began sharpening it, he looked into the sky and sighed. "So don't quite like their company do you? I don't really either. I figure you should never have to rely on anyone, otherwise its to risky...people are always trying to back stab you?"

[Curufin]

Abasi made no movement other than to raise an annoyed eyebrow at Hedrim.

'No, I have not had that problem,' he said stiffly.

[orithil]

Hedrim rather lost for words "Er...ah yes of course, so why is you don't like to..." he paused searching for the right word "converse with the others?"

[Curufin]

Abasi looked back at his finely made dagger, and continued sharping it.

'I see no need to do so. It is not that I dislike it, only that I see little purpose in it. Friendship indeed I have known in years past, but there is no way back to those years.'

He paused, and gave his dagger one more sharpening, before putting the stone away and sheathing the blade.

'Your leader. He is...h'van...I believe you say, wise...but I do not know him.'

[orithil]

Hedrim relaxed slightly "Yes Radagast is indeed wise, and you have a rather interesting story yourself" Hedrim decided to continue "So what do you think of the other elf, if i'm not being to bold to ask?"

[Mari]

Ellysa looked at Borin in surprise. "Thank you good sir."
She looked up at the stars. "They do not tell you about the future, or the past. Nor can they teach you something or be useful in any other way then for their beauty. Yet their beauty is all one needs to feel at ease."
Suddenly she remembered she was not alone and she blushed a bit, though it was hard to see that she did.
"Thank you again for the sparring match, but if you don't mind I'd like to finish the basic figures I started." Ellysa smiled and bowed, before returning to her practice. Her bo moved slowly at first, but the figures she made became more advanced, making it seem like the bo was leading a life of its own.
At the end of her practice, her mind was empty and she was ready to join the others again.

[The Sasquatch of Fangorn]

Borin was still dazed from falling over and over agian. "My people, on the rare occasion we see them, can tell the futre from the stars. They say that they also tell stories. Look!" he said pointing at a constolation. "That grouping of stars tells the story of Bilbo Baggins."

[feawen]

"Bilbo?" Nami said looking up from her work. "I met him once. It was after the battle of the 5 armies, in new founded Dale. Very nice he was, funny little fellow!" Nami went back to her work, but not before having a quick look at Ellysa. "Are you ok? You look a little tired." Nami smiled kindly from Ellysa to Borin and back again. "What have you done to him, he looks a little worse for wear!"

[Mari]

"I'm fine, thank you. I have been slacking off lately and not doing the whole routine, so doing it now took a bit more of my energy than it is supposed to." Ellysa looked at Nami and wondered how old she was. Then she looked at the others in the company and wondered what they had seen in their lives, what stories they had to tell. She liked listening to stories.
"May I sit with you?" Ellysa asked Nami. Nami nodded and Ellysa sat down, taking out a piece of wood and a knife and silently started carving in it.

[feawen]

Nami sat silently with Ellysa for a few moments. Ellysa was looking at Nami like she wanted to ask something. Nami cast her a side ways look and smiled while she selected a new bit of wood to space. "If you have a Ellysa, you can ask it, i dont bite!"