“I’d like to know one thing,” Myrra announced quietly. The others became keen to what she had to say.
“Did you, by any chance, get that amulet from a man called the Card Dealer?”
“… yes,” Cotan answered uncomfortably, “why do you ask?”
Myrra gritted her teeth. This made it doubly more arduous. She had made the connection when she discovered how to rid them of the amulet’s power. Damn that man! Always meddling in MY games. I will have to teach him something when I find him. He will rue the day he gave this barbarian such a precious item!
“Is the man somebody important?” Mercury’s voice broke into her thoughts. Myrra tilted her head and looked annoyed.
“I know of him. He keeps meddling in my matters, and now it’s getting annoying. He’s disrupted two of my killing sprees before. I need to deal with him if you want to revive my fiancé or he may stop us completely from the whole thing,” she replied.

OOC: I think we should be moving on. We've gotten a little bogged down again.

Mercury replies with a slight smile and a crafty look, "Well don't worry, I'm skilled at clearing obstructions. Trees, rockslides, barricades, obstructionist wizards - I've dealt with all them before." Mercury keeps a straight face at his own joke as he starts to move down the narrowing ravine, wings folded to avoid scraping them on the sides of the cliffs. He twists his neck back, looking over one wing and speaks to everyone, "Come on then, we've got to find that phoenix. Keep an eye out for 'twin fangs' or a 'valley of the north wind' while you're at it." He takes one last glance at the barbarian, feeling some small amount of respect for his defeated opponent.

"Anyone rich or powerful enough to procure an amulet like that, then just give it to a barbarian either has a much bigger goal than just stopping us, a grudge against you personally, or FAR too much free time on their hands!" Aeryn chuckled, "By the way...I've figured out part of the riddle. I'll tell you once we get away from here."

((After talking with Arhra, I've decided this RP has some potential, and I'd like to join))
I'll post my character here.

Name: Za'rel "Shadow" Blood Eagle
Gender: Female
Class: Reaver (Think of a Melee ranger/Black Knight combo. More of a Fighter/Shaman, uses spirit magic.)
Race: Possibly Human
Age: Appears 24. Exact age unknown.
Height/Weight 5'7", 147 lbs.
Appearance: Black hair, White skin, Green eyes, Wears black armor with silver trim, Body only, Limbs are unarmored for freedom of movement.
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Weapons: Dual Shortswords, 2 Handed Serrated axe (Axe was lost, but she is still skilled in axe use)

Personality: "Shadow" is a rather silent warrior. Only speaking when she has something to say, and giving the most possible concise answer to any question. When speaking wordily (although rare) she speaks in parables. Never uses contractions. Honorable to the point of obsession.

History: Unknown, She dosent talk about it. Forcibly removing it via magic is met with resistance. Those who are sucsessful have no survived. Is the last of her clan. Lives with the barbarians in the mountains, but does not share their ways.

((Due to the hurricane, I may not be able to post in the days to come, If this gets to be a problem, have Will push me off a cliff))
And, Enter Za'rel

IC: Silently moving out from a nearby rock behind Cotan, a mysterious figure walks up behind him, too silently for him to notice, before speaking.

"Cotan. I have been watching."
Cotan jumps, draws a nearby sword and whirls around, bringing the blade to the figure's neck. She does not flinch.
"To reveal the location of the fountain, bears the penalty of death." She added, matter-of-factly.

"It was in our agreement! I could not violate my honor!"
The figure continues to stare at him. "Yes. You should not bid so carelessly." Then, looking to the party, adds, "These outsiders are strong, but lack honor."
Cotan replies, spitting to the ground. "You cannot kill me here, We outnumber you!" and then gives a hearty barbarian laugh, apparrently not paying attention to what she says, and only looking out for his own life.

((I'll end there. Geez, I just realised how goth this character sounds. Oh well. She's a reaver.))

OOC: erm, you don't need to post a character sheet. Just jump right in. that's what we all did.

BIC:
Unfortunately, for the Reaver, Myrra noticed the shady character as she turned around to follow the others. She made note of the stranger's oddly elegant attire before thoughtfully placing the woman into her foremost memory bank. Her left hand moved slightly, twitching a small rune into existence. The small, silvery sign drifted up to her face. Her golden eyes narrowed. Sending a silent command to the rune, she sent it whizzing towards 'Shadow'.

She felt the stranger reach out and grab the small rune, intending to destroy it. Smiling, she followed the others while activating her message stored in the small rune.
Then she quickened her pace and caught up with the others.

Mercury keeps walking along. He sees Myrra's meassge rune and wonders about what it says. Deciding to indulge his curiosity he slows down a little and moves to Myrra's side, carefully bending his wing around slightly to shield them from Shadow's view. To be on the safe side, he didn't want anyone to see that they were talking. He quietly says to her, "What was in that message anyway?"

Za'rel was still glaring at Cotan when she caught a glimpse of the gleaming rune whizzing at her from the direction the outsiders had gone. Instinctively snatching it out of the air, she proceeded to attempt to crush it, but to no avail.

"Rune magic. have not encountered this before." Za'rel mused to herself.

The reaver proceeded to release the rune, and allowed it to convey its message.

"They have spotted me. I must be more careful.", Then turning to Cotan, she added, audibly "I will deal with you later." before silently dashing off after the outsiders.

((I'll covertly follow you until you reach the spring))

OOC: Will would try to push you off, fall off himself, and somehow find treasure at the bottom after we heal him.....

she doesn't sound that gothic to me, no more than Aeryn is, anyway;)

by the way, did I ever mention what Aeryn's staff looked like, or that he had one? I've been in loads of RPs recently....and I'm worried that I'm confusing two of them >.<

IC: Aeryn also turned to look at Myrra, echoing Mercury's question, "Yes....and why would you tell someone who probably works for your enemy?" the robed wizard's eyes were on her as he walked, his cowl pulled over his head once again.

OOC: You realize that I'm a thief I notice things and the fact that were going to kill a phoenix not go to a spring.

Will seing Za'rel. Walked over to Mercury. "That dark girl from before is following us should we kill her or should we just see what she want's. He said trying to look casual and be silent so Za'rel wouldent know they were talking about her.

OOC: Yeah, I'd expect Will to spot me, and maybe Mercury, but not a mage. Mages have bad eyesight.
Let it also be known that even if someone points out a stealth person, you still have to be able to see them.

By now, Za'rel knew that the entire party knew that she was stalking them.
Deciding not to continue a charade that fools no-one, Za'rel decided it was time to confront them, and find out what they wanted. Especially the rouge. He was a fool. He would die a fools death.

Leaping from a low rocky outcropping in the canyon wall, in front of them, the reaver landed with a kind of catlike grace, quickly rising back to a full stand. She delivered her ultamatum with equal swiftness, in a tone that did not sound anything like a question.

"Who are you. Why to you seek the Sacred spring."