Unseen

<font color='#810541'>Quarter: Tessera
Day: 46
Year: 81377 (3)


The wind swept over the large dunes. It picked up the particles of sand and threw them into the air. Along the edge of the expansive wasteland stood a solitary figure, nearly invisible in the deep shadows. He stood underneath a grand tree that grew on the edge of the Tmu Desert and the surrounding forest.

<span style='color:navy'>Why did I even bother coming back here. There was no point to it. All I managed to do was nearly get myself killed...</span> He pulled back the bracers that he wore on each of his front feet and stared in disgust at the ugly pick scars hidden underneath. Even in the dark the puckered skin was easy viewable against the dark maroon colour of his coat. <span style='color:navy'>"I'm a fool"</span>

Cairn's long ears perked up as a twig snapped. The sound was barely audible and was probably caused by nothing more than a simple rodent. However, this close to the deadly Tmu desert and even worse, his clan. Any sound could mean death for the "dead" pendragon. Wether it be by poison, claws or teeth.

He crouched low in the low grass his mottled body blending in with the dark shadows. He blew the black hair out of his face. It had at one point been pulled back into a ponytail, but came undone during his flight from the clans scounts. The single lock of white hair hung above his left eye. It was the only thing other than the icy eyes themselves that were visible in the dark gloom.



OOC: Just a side note for any who cannot be bothered to read Cairns bio even though its right over there <<<<    The scars on each of his paws are a symbol to the clan he grew up in that he is "dead". If he is found by any member of his clan and the scars are seen they are to kill him on the spot. Otherwise it is believed his spirit will haunt the tribes people and steal the children.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>It had been quite a while since he had seen anything move. Slowly Cairn stood up, emerging from the tall grasses and began to make his way along the desert edge as carefully and quietly as he could. If he could make it to the ocean shore without being detected he could cross the desert thanks to the many pockets of water and oasis that were found there.

As he walked he began to make out a shape on one of the sand dunes. As he got closer he could see that it was a pendragon. He quickly slipped into the cover of darkness provided by the forest and edged toward the figure. The only movement from it was the fluttering of pure white robes in the wind. It didn't look like one of his clan members and they wouldn't travel onto the "dry-lands".

Ever so slowly Cairn edged across the hot sands  towards the figure. It still didn't move. As he approached it the figure began to take on a more deffinete shape. It was a female absolutly covered in tattoes. She wore the robes of a preistress and a golden veil that covered most of her face. She was also breathing very shallowly. Cairn felt her forehead and quickly pulled his hand away. She was burning up! He lifted her and began to make his way back to the cool forest, stumbleing as sand gave away under his feet.

By the time Cairn was back into the forest he was grunting with the effort every step took. The female must of had a will of steel to get as far out as she did... or come in from where ever she was from.

With a sigh he lay down the female in the shade of a large tree, covering her with grass so she wouldn't get to cold and most importantly wouldn't be seen. He wanted to get going. Staying in this area could only mean certain death for him, but this female didn't have the look of one from his clan and she was in pretty rough shape. He checked her breathing and found it to be slightly deeper already. Then he checked her forehead. Her temperature had gone down quite a ways as well.

Cairn backed away from her and lay down against a different tree. He meant only to rest for awhile; for after his flight from the hunters and then the trip out onto and back from the desert he was feeling quite drained. But Ciarn soon found himself deep asleep. His person hidden in the foliage of the forest.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>Cairn groaned in his sleep as memories long shut away started to resurface in his mind. His ears twitched and his eyes slowly began to move beneath shut eye-lids as he began to come out of the deep sleep. The images and memories, however, continued to bubble into his slowly aweakening conscience. A light sheen of sweat appeared on his skin as he tried to push them back down, lock them in the darkest corner of his mind once again. But the images kept coming.

He saw himself as just a small lad wandering through the forests. Then came his master of training, Ra-arth, a well respected elder of the clan. His master speaking to him about something and then his eyes glinting dangerously as he approached the young child. Cairn saw himself backing away from the elder and then running. Ra-arth chasing him through the forests and catching him.

Cairn began to shake in his sleep and sweat began to trickle down the sides of his face. His black hair sticking to his forhead in a matted mess.

The next scean that was brought up was horrific. Cairn stodd in front of Ra-arth who was lying on the ground. Blood trickled from his mouth and blank staring eyes and  a puddle collected underneath his throat. Cairns fore-paws were covered in blood. None of it his own. The next images flashed by in a torrent. The 6 other elders staring at the body and the bloody boy. His father in shock. A glowing iron rod being pressed into tender flesh. His mother crying. That hateful stares of everyon in the village...

Cairn awoke with a scream that held all the raw emotion and energy or a nightmarish memory. His eyes flew open, the iris now a deep yellow instead of the usual icy blue. Before he could say a thing he cast a spell of air and threw it at the person that stood above him. The wall of wind hit her dead on in all its unbound fury.

Cairn stood there panting for what seemed like ages. Sweat covered his body and he shook with the sudden loss of energy.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>Cairns head came up at the whisper. He wiped his sweaty bangs from his eyes with the back of his hand. His eyes slowly faded back to their regular ice blue when he saw that it was the female he "rescued" from the desert heat, but they stayed narrowed.

<span style='color:navy'>"Not everyone has memories they want to remember. What right do you have to look into a persons mind anyway!?"</span> His voice was cold an accusing. He was still shaken up. He had thought those memories to have been buried away a long time ago. He glanced down at the bracers covering his forelegs before quickly looking away. His voice softened slightly.

<span style='color:navy'>"Are you okay? I wasn't really... thinking when I..."</span> He trailed off not sure as to how to finsih the sentance. He wasn't even sure what it was he had done.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>Cairn stumbled back from the female as she reached out for him. <span style='color:navy'>"D... dont worry about it. I mean... its not like you could have known or anything. Just be careful next time, aye?"</span>

He remembered her being thrown because of his spell. He didn't remember how it had been cast, but it had been and it had hurt her.

One side of him wanted to apoligize profusly to her. The other was stubbernly suggesting that hurting her physically was a fair trade off for her hurting him mentally. Cairn ignored them both instead looking back towards the female, suddenly feeling his cheeks begin to burn at the sheerness of her dress.

He turned away, his ears perking up. Something was moving in the forest. Cairn remembered screaming as he awoke from his "nightmare" and began to back away into the shadows.

<span style='color:navy'>"Well, it was nice meeting you... you... But I have to be going you see. You may want to get going as well. Being found here may not be the best thing at the moment."</span> He grimaced as another crash sounded. Quickly turning and bounding into the gloom of the forest with out a single glance back.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>The cold look in her golden eyes was chilling. It crept into his body like a bitter wind and sucked all the warmth from his body. Cairn felt a shiver make its way down his spine.

<span style='color:navy'>"If I stay still they will find me. I'm just trying to get back hom- ... to my house. Not only that , but I know this area better than any of them."</span> A flickering memory of him as a child, just banished wandering the area. Hiding from the hunters and scouting the land for years until he found a way across the desert. Cairn shook his head violently. Banishing the memory from the fore of his mind.

<span style='color:navy'>"Besides I'm not feeling all that trusting of you at the moment. Your forgiven, but your actions are not forgotten. Now, if you'll excuse me."</span> He eyed her warily. Gold flecks entering his blue eyes as he moved past her and into the darkness again. Always in a northernly direction following the forest edge.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>The trees were a blur as Cairn ran through the forest towards the northern shore. He was forgetting about somehting and he knew it but terror of being caught pushed him on despite that. Suddenly an image of Shin-lu holding her side in pain invaded his mind. Cairn nearly crashed head first into the ground as he stumbled to a stop. He had forgotten that she was injured. Injured because of him...

His conscience tugged him in the opposite direction he was looking. After a few minutes of debating with himself Cairns turned around and went flying back the way he had come, cursing at himself the entire way.

When he finally reached the area Shin-lu had last been her scent was just.... gone. Not heading in another direction, simply gone. Cairn checked the elements and there it was. A faint earth-magic trail heading in the direction of his old villiage. Cairn could feel his chest tighten as he realized this. He concentrated on an inborn talent he used as rarely as possible.

His hair began to shorten along his spine, turning into a light purple colour. The white lock at the front, however, stayed there. His body became thicker and a bit chunkier in its mass and his fur turned from the dark maroon to a vibrant orange-yellow unmarred by anything. His tail too became thicker and shortened to almost 1/2 the width it had been and a number of spikes appeared at the end, amoung the flame. His eyes stayed their unnatural shade of icy blue and the scars on his feet remained. A liquid poored over them when they were created made it impossible for him to simply "wish away" when he shape shifted.

Once fulled shifted, except for the scars, eye colour and lock of white hair, Cairn took a few shaky steps int he direction. The shakyness was caused only in part by the new body he held. He was soon on his way though, following the faint trail best he could.

It wasn't long before he found himself in well known territory. He was in the beginers hunting area. Cairn peered through some bushes. Before him was the female simply lying on the ground. On closer inspection he realized that she was unconscience.

Cairn edged his way through the bushes and began to approach her, but his hyper active senses told him someone was coming and he fled back into the forest cover. Trembling and sweating. His fear was well founded. Although he was in a different looking body there were physical attributes that had stayed the same and they were fairly unusual. The chances of being caught were still high and he was literally walking into a beehive of danger.

For a moment the idea of just leaving the female there made itself show, but was quickly pushed donw. In Cairns mind he had injured her and she was unconscience because of it. the fact that it might not have been his fault she was here and unconscience never really entered his mind. So, he waited in silence to see who was coming and what would happen.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>It was nearly dusk by the time Cairn gathered enough courage to enter the village under the disguise of his altered features. He crept down the nearly empty streets with feet that were near silent on the dirt path and eyes that were wide with fear.

When it had been the elder who had found and taken Shin-lu he had known that she would be healed in the town center and then lodged ina home. But still something pulled him towards her. He had to speak to her. What he needed to say he didn't yet know, but he did know that the need he felt had to be satisfied.

So as the sun set and villagers scampered off to their homes he was searching for any sign or hint that might lead him to the female, Shin-lu. Suddenly a voice spoke from behind him.

"I dont recognise you. Where are you from?"

The child spoke with all the curiosity and innocence of one her age. He couldn't help but smile. Some of his fears ebbing away. <span style='color:navy'>"I'm from a far off town, but one not unlike your own in its inhabitants and customs. I am looking for a lady. She came here, hurt I fear-"</span> Cairn was cut off by another 'dragon calling.

"Elenna! Elenna! Where are you child!" Form around the corner and old female came. She saw Cairn and the child, Elenna, and sighed in relief. "You must stop running off like that m'dear. One of these days I will not be able to find you and then what kind of situation will we be in? Thank you sir." The women peered into Cairns eyes squinting. "Forgive me, but you look somewhat... familiar to these old eyes of mine. Something about you..."</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>Cairn looked at the old female and paled. He knew her. She had cared for him as a child. Fighting back the overwelming urge to flee he nervously pulled down the bracers that covered his paws. The old women watched him in curiosity as did the child.

<span style='color:navy'>I- I think you must be m-mistaken. I've n-never been to this t-town before. S- so you see, it would be impossible for you to have known me before.</span> He smiled weakly. Praying that the two left. He would find Shin-lu on his own. Cairn sighed in relief as the old women nodded a goodbye to him and dragged the child away. The child turned to her guardian, curious. "Miss Taro, Why didn't you help that strange man?"

"What in the world are you mumbling about chid?"

"That man, he had scared hands. When he pulled down the... arm things I saw them. On both hands. Two lines like this," She placed two fingers parallel to each other. The old women stiffened at the child continued. "Crossed by another. We can make them dissapear. Why didn't you help him?"

The old women looked over her shoulder. Taking in the icy eyes, and the white lock of hair. "Cairn... Oh my god...' She screamed and grabbed the child. "He's back! Someone help! The lost one has come back to destroy us! The lost one! Someone help!"

Cairns pupils shrank in fear. He shifted back to his normal form and swiftly dashed towards the edge of town. Before him stood two or three large males. A purplish haze swept by his left side. He felt a stinging sensation on his shoulder and then an unfamiliar wetness that crept down his arm. Another of the males cast a spell, this time a bolt of fire barely missed Cairns face as he darted to the right and into an ally. He dove for a door and came crashing through kicking the door shut behind him.

Cairn sat, his back against the cool wood as he heard feet ounding on the other side. He was bretahing heavily. the panic slowly subsiding to a managable level. He heard a scuffleing sound behind him and turned. To his utter amazement there was Shin-lu chained to a bed. His jaw fell open in surprise as he just stared at the female.</font>

 

<font color='#810541'>"What are you doing here?! What is the meaning of these restraints?!"

Cairns eyes hardened at Shin-lu's words. His voice came out as a low hiss, saturated with anger. <span style='color:navy'>"What the hell do you think I'm doing here? I dont generally enjoy walking to my own death! Thats what this town is you know. My death! I came here looking for you, you ungrateful... ungrateful.... humph!"</span> He remained sitting against the door and closed his eyes, resting. Shifting had taken quite a bit out of him and with the past events... it was easiest to simply say that he was exhausted.

"Can you please help me...? Please..."

Cairn's eyes flew open. <span style='color:navy'>Now thats a change in attitude. Why the helpless maiden all of a sudden? What is she plotting?</span> He snorted loudly as he walked over to the bound female. His eyes snapped angrily to the shakles and he mumbled to himself as he examined them.

With a deep breath he tried to calm himself. Using the meager elemental control he had he sent a probe through the metal in search for the weakest area. Once found he sent a tendril of fire into the shakle, quickly followed by water, then heat again, and once again water. He continued this pattern for a number of minutes until he deemed the metal weak enough. Then with a sharp tug on the females wrist the shackle cracked open freeing her arm. He did the same thing to the other, still grumbling as he worked and feeling the effects of using magic as it drained his already low energy resources.

<span style='color:navy'>"Foolish women... asking me why she's in chains. Like I would know! I havn't been here for over ten years. Not since I was a little twerp..."</span> Cairn stopped his mumbling as he pulled Shin-lu free of the other shackle.

A loud voice sounded from just outside the door. Cairn froze as his anger drained and fear once again returned. "Has anyone checked the girl? Cair- the lost one might be hiding with her. We've checked everywhere else!"</font>