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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 11:03:59 GMT -6
Dianthe looked at the small owl's efforts to look bigger, then leaned back so she could listen to what he was going to say. "Well, tell us." she demanded, her voice soft but with a steel edge. She flexed her smithing claws again, just to make sure he knew that she was in power here.
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Post by Gabjas on Mar 22, 2013 11:09:54 GMT -6
He gulped and seemed to have lost some of his courageous air to him. "I-I.." Roryk stuttered. Prue titled her head in a quizzical manner as the Grass owl began to tear up.
"Oh, Glaux." he sobbed, cradling his head in his wings. Prue shot Dianthe a confused look. "Either way I am dead."
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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 11:15:50 GMT -6
Dianthe returned Prue's confused look and turned back to the Grass Owl. "Tell me, why do you say that?" she asked, some of the fire gone out of her voice.
"What have you done?"
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Post by Gabjas on Mar 22, 2013 11:29:10 GMT -6
He managed to speak between sobs. It was only now that Prue truly realised how young Roryk really was, he appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen moons by the looks of it. "If I don't tell you, I am dead. And if I do tell you, and betray the Pure Ones, they will hunt me down."
"I never wanted to be like them." he continued. "I was born into it like - like you. I wish I could escape, but I can't." he looked up at them, his eyes glazed with tears. "I just can't"
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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 11:57:01 GMT -6
Dianthe gazed into Roryk's eyes, searching for any sign of lying. When she saw that he was telling the truth, she opened her beak and said, "Go on."
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Post by Gabjas on Mar 22, 2013 12:02:55 GMT -6
"The reason I volunteered to take this assignment of following Prue was because... I wanted your help in escaping. I thought maybe if you had done it, then I could too."
Prue gave a sympathetic smile, ambling closer towards the Grass owl. "What is stopping you from leaving right now? We could protect you. Or I could. I could take you with me to the great tree-" Roryk simply shook his head, peering down at his talons.
"I wish it was that easy. You see. They have my sister."
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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 12:07:54 GMT -6
Dianthe took a sharp breath in, his words piercing her heart. Khloe, she thought, her head beginning to spin. "They have your sister?" she asked, her voice sharp, though she was no longer at Roryk, but now at the Pure Ones. Her gizzard clenched when she thought of Khloe.
"I will help you get your sister back."
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Post by Gabjas on Mar 22, 2013 12:14:45 GMT -6
Prue breathed and felt her gizzard clench at the thought of her parents. She swelled with a new sense of determination. "As will I." she said with a nod to Dianthe.
Roryk gaped at the two. "You will? Thank you so much! Her name is Heather. But they called her Grass-Face. Another one of their stupid purity names. They will refer to me as Dirtwing."
Prue nodded. "Got it." Prue said. "When shall we take wing?" the Barn owl inquired, peering to Dianthe once more.
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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 12:18:54 GMT -6
Dianthe shook her head slowly. "First, you two will need stealth claws. Come over here," she said as she approached the corner of the roof. She suddenly leapt into the air and flew through the ceiling.
"Come now," she called from above their heads. Her smithing claws scraped against other metal as she selected two pairs of claws.
"Stealth claws are battle claws made of black metal. They will blend into your talons so you don't cause suspicion." she said as she brought two pairs over.
"Well, try them on."
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Post by Gabjas on Mar 22, 2013 12:27:05 GMT -6
Dianthe vanished beyond the ceiling, much to Prue's and Roryk's bewilderment. She returned carrying two sets of pitch-black battleclaws. Prue had heard of these battleclaws before, an interesting type that could help you evade suspicion amongst enemies.
She affixed them to her talons, flexing to test the weight and feel of the pair. Satisfied, she nodded. "Mine fit." she said. "Well done, you may just be a better smith than I." she winked, although she truly meant it.
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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 12:35:23 GMT -6
Dianthe churred lightly, proud of herself. It felt good to get acknowledgment from another smith. The other smiths around these parts were- well, they just were them. "I created these when I first started smithing. A slipgizzle heard of me and asked me to make a discreet weapon for him. I created some black claws, and he ordered three other pairs. I like making the new and unique for my customers." she said, her voice filled with pride.
She helped Roryk buckle his stealth claws on, smiling as the small owl began to stutter again. "If all goes well, you can keep them." she said and winked.
She went to her forge fire and took some grey ash. She mixed it in an ash bucket with water to form a grey paste. She smothered the paste over her body, painting the paste over her feathers. "Camouflage," she said simply, indicating her very unique feathers. She looked like a sooty owl when she finished, only her face unmarked. She turned back to Prue and nodded her head.
"Now, we take to the sky."
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Post by Gabjas on Mar 22, 2013 13:00:19 GMT -6
"Smart thinking." Prue stated as she applied the thick grey paste to her feathers, staining them a dull grey. "But before we take wing, we need a strategy."
She fixed her gaze of Roryk. "I need you to approach the guards first as we fly in. Tell them that you managed to kill Prue and that on the way back you discovered two Sooties..." she gestured to Dianthe and herself. "And that they wished to become Pure Ones."
"If things go as planned, they will let us in. We need to choose aliases to call each other by. I will be Violet. Always call each other our fake names, even when we think we are alone." She nodded. "Now we are ready."
With a few strokes of her wings, Prue was aloft and ascending from the forged. She flew out with the Grass owl flanking her on her port side. "Hey, Roryk." she called. "I have some pointers for you."
"What's that?" he replied. Prue churred. "Don't die." Roryk gave an awkward laugh.
"I'll try."
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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 13:13:19 GMT -6
Dianthe nodded to Prue, her respect for the other smith growing. "I will be Kassandra." Dianthe turned to Roryk. "Tell the guards that we helped to kill Prue. Whatever you do, DO NOT mention my real name. I don't need a certain two owls coming after me." She shuddered as she thought of Barrath and Kygoe.
"Roryk, make sure they don't get to close to us. The paste is convincing, but not too good close up. And keep us away from heat and water, or our cover will be melted faster then ice in my forge." she said. Se flexed her silver smithing claws, having not traded them for stealth claws. They were as much a part of her as were her unique feathers."We'll get Heather back."
"Even if we have to die trying."
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Post by Gabjas on Mar 22, 2013 13:49:44 GMT -6
A long flight ensued, the majority of it was passed in silence, save for the tidbits of awkward conversation between the three owls. Prue seemed to inhale her surroundings, with each breath and wave of memories washed over her and came clear in her mind. Her trainer teaching her to fly. Her childhood crushes chasing her through the trees, laughing. Before she could hesitate, she felt herself missing everything. Longing for what her life had once been. So simple and carefree.
These were all signs that the headquarters of the Pure Ones were fast approaching. She closed her eyes, mentally assuming the alternate identity of Violet. She pretended to look around at the canyons below as if she had never before seen it. Roryk took the lead and veered off, spiralling down.
They were met by two guards, two Masked owls. "State your business." A guard to the right grunted. Prue could not help but notice the other surveying her with a satisfied smile, checking her out. She giggled innocently.
"I am Roryk. I am returning from a mission. Please notify the High Tyto that I managed to kill Prue as she requested, with the help of these two. They wish to become Pure Ones."
The guards glanced at each other, whispering amongst themselves for a moment before returning their eyes to the group. "Enter." he stated. The three, relieved at their safe passage, flew towards the opening of the canyons. The Masked owl halted her with his wing before she left.
"What is your name, darling?"
"Violet." she said sweetly. "My name is Violet."
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Post by spice on Mar 22, 2013 15:31:38 GMT -6
As they flew over the canyons, Dianthe was transported back to her past. All of the hurt, the bad feelings and experiences washed over her again. Her peers looking at her unique appearance, whispering behind her back. Her parents, pushing her to be better, to conform. The High Tyto, disapproving her appearance. Dianthe shuddered, remembering those cold eyes.
"Are we ready?" she had asked as they soared towards the Canyon. As the others had nodded, she had steeled herself for the return. The smell of dust washed over her, transporting her back to her past life. The life she had tried so hard to push away.
As they had landed and Roryk talked to the guards, Dianthe had noticed with faint amusement one of the guards checking Prue out. Dianthe was glad that they seemed to have ignored her. She surveyed them, making sure to memorize who they were. If she was correct and everything went according to plan, these would be the same guards on duty when they made their escape.
She had smiled at them, the mask she had worn so often in her past slipping on easily. She followed Roryk and flown after them, leaving the entrance to her past far away, and submerging herself back into her past. Keep it together Dianthe, she thought.
She realized the guard must have asked her a question as he was staring at her strangely. "And I'm Kassandra," she said, adding onto Prue's statement from before.
"I'm Kassandra."
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