Despite the large ball of burning heat causing beads of sweat to drip down her cheeks, Drea was in no cheerful mood. Storm clouds billowed their way through any joyous thought of being “homeâ€. What irritated Drea was the fact that she knew nearly no one, and Mehrin’s intentional difficulty. Light! Did the man know how to communicate or did the creator forget to give him that ability?

 

It was simple, really. Mehrin sent for Drea to come to his tent nearly two hours ago. She came and waited. And waited. After what seemed three Ages, she finally spoke up. “Mehrin, is there something you needed from me?†She tried to hide the cockiness from her voice. She’s a new person, with a new attitude, a new chance at life.

 

Mehrin only looked up from his documents. “Oh.†He seemed surprised. “Drea, take this to Amon for me.†Barely looking at her, he held out two folders. When she didn’t take them right away, he shook them impatiently. Biting her lip- and tongue- she suppressed a frustrated sigh and snatched the parchment from his hand.

 

So now, without another word, she was on her stormy way through the sun filled roads of the Citadel, to see the man who held her previous rank. Would she feel anything toward him? Relief the position was filled by him and not some other ill qualified lout? Envious that she couldn’t have her rank back because he was thrown into it last minute instead of striving for it like she had?

 

Drea’s feet stopped moving as another thought came to mind, causing someone to bump into her. Drea caught the man’s shirt to prevent herself from falling in the mud. He shared a few choice words yanked her hands free and walked away. Ignoring him, she returned to her pace-stopping thought. “Where is Amon’s tent, anyway?†Drea looked at the faces passing by on both sides, trying to catch a familiar set of eyes or scar, or even someone with a rank. Nothing. “Well this is just bloody perfect, Drea. You very well can’t go back to Mehrin to find out. Great job failing at your first assignment. Some scout you are!â€

 

Starting to panic, she spun around in place looking to her left, then to her right. The storm clouds surged in her mind and lightning struck the one thing she was most angry with, herself. She was suddenly stopped when her shoulders were grabbed by a pair of rough calloused hands. Head still spinning and heart racing, she couldn’t focus on the man in front of her. He let go of her shoulders, wrapped her in a massive hug and lifted her off the muddy ground, spinning her around.

 

“Blood and ashes! Xandera Raylin? It can’t be!†He stopped and set her down. “It’s im-bloody-possible!â€

 

Irritated, Drea blinked her dizziness away to focus. The first thing she saw was the fuzzy shape of an oversized red hat. Said hat was removed as the man twirled it in front of himself and bowed politely, nearly stumbling over. She knew that hat, she knew that bow. Realization hit her like the lightning inside her head.

 

“Light! Maglin jos ‘Vinn!†Drea squealed and jumped into the arms of her best friend.

 

 

OOC: I know, I know.. I'm all over the place!! :D But I can't help it! Kael or Stel, if you have a prob with Mags postn' already, just let him know. I take full responcibility in making him do it. He's a sucker for peer pressure

"Light?" Vinn chuckled, standing from his haphazard bow "More like dim." he released his grip on the woman in front of him, looking down to his left hip where he seemed to have remembered putting his wineskin last.

 

He sighed. the skin was there, but like everything else on his person, it was in worse repair than not, and the clingy mud and dust on his pant leg could only have been glued there by whatever cheep wine he nicked last. He removed the skin anyways, and took a full hearted swig from it, figuring he might get lucky. a drop or two was his reward.

 

He took the skin away from his mouth, inspected it with a actively unaware eye, and decided he could just get another if he wanted, tossing the torn skin off to one side.

 

"So. You're lost. I'm drunk, i think, and that much is clear. Funny, i should think, not that i'm drunk of course, but that your lost. Perhaps you should return to the woods. A wee bit easier out there i would think." he offered a grin, not aware of the words coming out of his mouth. "Then again, never too sure about it... you did disappear for a while. a man like myself should have a chance in hell of finding someone..." he stopped, a moment of clarity... "then again, i am not entirely sure where i am right now. hard to find something when you don't even know where you are." completely distracted already, he glanced about for a easy target for his pilfering antics, and perhaps a solution to his already forsaken thirst.

Drea curled a lip and wrinkled her nose, turning her head away from Maglin so as not to smell the rancid wine on his breath.

 

"Mags" Drea coughed, forcing the taste out of her mouth. "Mags, stop!" She grabbed him by the flailing arms and held them down to his side -not an easy thing with a man of his size. "What has gotten into you? No!" She held up a warning finger at his attempt to talk again. "Tell me later. Lets..." Drea searched her surroundings-which she knew none of- for anything to distract him. "Lets go for a walk." In the end, she knew he was right. The woods was the only place she could truely find herself. She hoped the same for him.

Vinn looked at the woman with an eyebrow raised, cross eyed at the finger... "A walk? and why are you coughing, if you've taken up a pipe or anything like cause of these idiot men around here i'll thump some heads."

 

He straigtened, and in a haphazard attempt at making himself a bit more presentable, straightened his vest over his wrinkled shirt, and attempted to brush a bit of the crud off his pant leg.

 

He returned his gaze to Drea, and past the hand that waggled a finger in front of his nose, and instead, at the package in her hand. "Well... i suppose i could walk with you wherever it is you're going..."

Drea remembered the papers in her hand as if they had disapeared the instant upon seeing her friend. "No, they can wait. They will still be here in a little while." She held them close. He sure was acting strange. "Lets go for a walk in the wood. We don't have to go far, just enough to feel at home."

 

She could see the wheels turning in his head. He stummbled a bit and patted his jacket-probably for another flask.

 

"I'm going. Follow me if you'd like. If you can." She knew the challenge would strike his attention, and took off into the crowd.