Cynil gladly takes thye bread and dips it in the boal to soak up. She sat next to Conall, just happy to be close to him, but her thoughts were were elsewhere, she remembered how the mother cat had faced her, protection her cubs with a fierce intelligence. Would she be as protecive a mother when she had her own child, Conall's child. She made a promise to herself to bring the cat an offering of food, she that her cubs would grow health and strong.

Then her thought drifted on another tack. Maybe soon, when this adventure was over, Conall and she could find the time and peace to join in the creation of that child.

A gentle smile came to her soft features as she daydreamed of that time.

For a long while, it seemed, Divot did little more than hold the shivering Halia in his arms the best he could and try to warm her. He couldn’t really think of anything to say to her, at first, primarily because he had been taken so off guard by her actions. He couldn’t say that he wasn’t happy about it, of course, and it wasn’t as if he’d never secretly ogled Halia before (he’d probably eyeballed all of the females in the party at one time or another, if he cared to admit it – he couldn’t help it that he had an eye for the ladies… what Halfling worth his appetites didn’t appreciate a lovely lady?) but, never had he imagined it might’ve led to this. He had tried to speak to her once or twice… planning to ask “why me?” or some other drivel that he thought better of before the words could actually escape… but, instead of words, the most he managed for a time was an “Er” or an “Uh” followed by a sheepish smile or a somewhat nervous chuckle.

Then, just as the tunnelrat had finally come up with the proper wording for his intended question, Halia surprised him again. Just as he had turned his head to look her in the eyes again, the fighter/mage’s own eyes fluttered shut and, after a few measured breaths, she leaned in and pressed her lips tenderly against his. That kiss, of course, erased any trace of the question he had prepared from his mind, and, for a quick minute, almost made him forget that they were alone, out in the midst of a dark and dangerous wood, with no watch rotation in the camp to ensure that any alone time they might have wouldn’t be interrupted by a sudden influx of beasties.

"Thank you, Divot,” Halia said softly as her lips left his, “you are a wonderful man."

Divot could certainly feel the blood that had suddenly rushed to his cheeks and, even though he was sure she heard his contented sigh, he hoped she couldn’t see him blush. “Ah, thank ye, Halia lass, I’m glad ye think so… uh…” he couldn’t help but snuggle her a bit closer as she nestled into him, “…I…uh… think yer a pretty wonderful lass y’self…”

He held her for a while longer, enjoying for the time, just being close to someone in the midst of all this. As he listened to the sounds of the night around them, though, he found himself reminded that they were, in effect, alone out here with none of the others close at hand to lend any help if things went wrong. “Halia-luv,” he said softly after a while, “Since it don’t seem’s if we’ll be getting’ any closer ta the mountain t’night, it might be a good idea if’n we was ta find some place a little more defensible, don’ ya think?

What say we find us a more outta the way spot where we c’n bed down an’ pass the night a wee bit safer, eh?”

((OOC: Up to you Flirty, if Halia and Divot try to find a safer spot to ‘camp’ or if Halia’s just entirely too comfy where she is and the pair spend the night on the forest floor… Assuming the pair finds a decent spot and aren’t bothered by wandering goonies, Divot’ll be more than happy to set up a makeshift camp. ))

Though the Druid Cynil’s return was a positive sign, the party was not at full strength, Divot and Haila somewhere in the dark.
After a short discussion on trying to find them, put to rest by Conall’s words, the party all found a place around the fire to sleep its warmth welcome but not as hot as a fire burning elsewhere in the night.

Haila had felt the chill of the night, the strange sound of the forest and the clear realization of being lost. With a thought to getting warmer, she moved closer to Divot and was surprised to find him at a loss for words.
For his part, Divot did not know what to make of Haila’s closeness, but he did not attempt to change her nearness. Then as if preordained came a kiss and things did change, clear to both that the heat they were feeling was not just body heat.

With a suggestion by the halfling fighter to rest, they set up as best they could and waited for the rising sun. The warmth of their bodies keeping them alive, and perhaps something more would happen before the coming of the daylight.

With the coming of first light, the party, Haila and Divot, all found themselves awake and ready to once again begin a new day the mystery of entrance to the mountain and the whereabouts of Divot and Haila topping the list.

As the two missing party members begin the task to find their way back a shimmering of light coming from somewhere high on the mountains side, caught out of the corner of the halfling’s eye, caused him to pause. However, a look towards the area provided nothing but pure rock wall. With nothing there the two with Divot in the lead, the night’s happenings very much on the minds of both, moved out.

For the rest of the party the choice now was twofold, to search the mountain once more, and how to locate their missing members a party discussion was clearly needed and at its end it was decided that finding Haila and Divot came first. With both party members and animals searching it was surprisingly not long before both had been found and were once more back with the others having been very lucky to survive in the dark alone.
With the party, again at full strength they as one turned to there remaining objective, the mountain beckoned.

(OOC: Ok great interaction I must say, I just wonder which pair, Conall/Cynil Haila/Divot will be the first to post the gratoitis sex scene before the next action scene, feel free to back post.
Ok next post as norm and again to all great posting, I must say of all the mix of players I have had in Tril’s almost 4 years you guys and ladies have so far been the best.
Thank you all for making me laugh and smile with your posts.)

Well the night did finally pass and a new dawn arrived. The first thing on their minds was to get all the party members back together but this seemed to take care of itself in hardly no time at all. So with every one now back together and a new day at hand the party needed to pow wow and come up with some kind of attack to find their way into this forbidding hunk of rock.

Ulthok will start the morning conversation buy once again going over what he had done yesterday and the only thing he had seen and attempted. Did anyone see anything while out yesterday that might give us any clue as where to focus our attention today. Myself the only thing I saw as I reported was some type of shimmering in the air around part of the mountain, I did try to dispel in the area but was not really sure of the exact place for I only got a glimpse out of the corner of my eye.

Did anyone else see anything at all that might help us focus today. I have had Omensamen out also and will call her in to see if she has any new information for me. With that he will wait to see if anyone else has anything to add and while he waits he will call his owl in and when she arrives he will speak with the great owl. See if she can offer any thing to help the group.

Conall heard Ulthok tell of his findings upon the mountain and then ask the question if any others had seen anything out of the ordinary.

Cor was still a bit cranky after his advice was ignored the past few days. In the end no real harm had come of it other than a loss of sleep. But then again sleep might be difficult to come by in the next few days on the mountain and lack of sleep led to poor judgement; somthing the group could ill afford. For the moment the elder dwarf was content to stew a bit and use the word "hrmmph" quite often. He would be content to allow the others to plan the days search pattern. One place was as likely as the next to be the secret entrance for they had no clue as to what exactly they were looking for. Wherever the day found him he would use his dwarven abilities to see if any of the rocks seemed 'just not right", especially the area that Divot had seen glimmer.

Kenji rose before the sun and by the time the burning orb had crested the horizon he had his stuff packed away and was ready to head out in search of the missing comrades. He was glad when shortly after heading out they came across Haila and Ulthok and the party was once again at full strength.

“Welcome back you two,” The samurai said in greeting bowing slightly, “I hope you didn’t have too cold a night on the mountainside.

As the party talked about what they had found and what the future plans might be, Kenji kept a watchful eye on the surroundings. He didn’t know much about magic, which is what it sounded like to him they had seen with this shimmering spot on the mountain someplace. He was not a great woods man, or mountain man, so he didn’t have much to address to the thought of what they could do and where should they begin. He just kept guard over the group as the more intelligent leaders and thinkers discussed and made plans. He listened intently though and if he thought of anything relating to their discussion he would throw in his opinion.

Rayne was relieved and glad when the morning came their search turned up the wayward duo. Haila and Divot seemed none the worse for their night out in the wilds.

She had stood watch during the night shared with the others who waited by the campfire. Though Rayne had banked the fires glow so that night there would be coals for the morning fire.

Cynil seems to stay close to Cornall after her return though that had been building for a while between the two. There were both fine people. and they complimented each other in many ways.

Rayne did not pick up the conversation with Kenji that night hopefully she would be able to answer any questions he had in the future. THe way he talk gave her reason to believe that he was not planning to returning to his own lands. She know not why she suspected this but their was something about the way he wanted to learn more about this place that was so different form his own lands.--no elves he had said. She found that interesting and wanted to ask more about that fact alone along with many others.

Cynil gathered fir boughs to make a mattress of sorts, one for Conall and one for herself. She was not yet sure she could be so bold at to make one big one for them both, but they were close together.

When morning came and they broke camp, Cynil chose to go as a small hawk, that allowed her to fly throught the trees and gave her excellent eyesight. She was releaved when the party found there missing members, she did lopes in the sky crying out in her happiness in the way of a hawk, bright cries of "kree" filled the air.

AS the group moved up and around the mountain, Cynil quartered back and forth in front of the group looking to some sort of opening.

The previous night hadn't gone quite the way Divot had expected - not that he would ever complain about it, though. Rather than a night spent searching for hidden or long forgotten entrances to the mountain and for the missing (or so he had thought upon setting out) Cynil, the antsy halfling had found himself spending quite a wonderful evening with Halia. Given the things that had happened between them out there in the midst of the darkened wood, Divot supposed they were both a bit more than lucky to have not been killed... Ya doesn't live long when ya get pounced by beasties butt-nekkid.
The following morning found Divot and Halia returned to the party (with more than one stern glance cast in their direction) with nothing more to add for their efforts the previous evening. When Uthlok, again, mentioned the shimmering in the air he had seen before, Divot nodded enthusiastically. "Aye, Ulthy, I seen th' vera same thing as me an' Halia was settin' out this mornin'... Couldn' keep it in sight fer long, but I did seen it..."

((OOC: Liek I said, I've got next to nothing, really... Sorry so short but figured something was better than zip...))

The company as one the trek up the side of the mountain began. Early in the days walk Conall thought of his bed and how soft it seemed for some reason. Normaly it would only be a bed roll that Conall would have thrown on the ground after making sure there were no rocks or sticks about, but last night after Cynil’s return she seemed to show his bed roll a little attention. So today Conall did not seem so stiff and his leg felt better than ever.

As the trail became more cumbersome and the moving much slower Conall spoke for the first time that day, “Ulthok, make toward the strange shimmer you saw yesterday. Everyone keep an eye open for a wide spot so we may find enough room to camp.” Conall then glance sky ward at Cynil, “And you keep safe this time.”

With the return of Haila and Divot the party was once again free to turn their attention to that which had brought them here in the first place, finding a sword.
But to do so first they would have to find a way into the mountain before them.

Cor was the first to bring to all the fact that both Halflings, Divot and Ulthok, had seen a shimmering upon the mountain and both at different times. With a few calculations it was determined that both sightings had occurred roughly in the same area and this became the parties next destination.

With all gear packed the nine moved out and within 2 hours and a semi-hard climb found themselves standing on a large flat area on the mountains east side, facing a natural wall of unblemished stone, no trace of anything shimmering or otherwise to be found.

For the next few hours a careful and detailed search, some on the ground others in the air, was undertaken only to end at midday in disappointment no sign of any type of entrance was there to be found. Deciding that though nothing had been found this was a good place to camp so a fire was started, gear unpacked and the group settled in, hopefully in the right spot........

(OOC: Ok good posting, nice second post Kyle you had me worried.
Ok normal searching has turned up nothing time to try different things good luck.
As normal N.P.N.W)

After a day of checking the rock face that had gimmered previously, Cor was worn out. Everyone had searched but even his own dwarven aility to detect imperfections oin stone yielded nothing. Still, he had a feeling that there had to be something here. During a break, teh elder cleric droped to a knee and began to cast an augury spell.

"Father Odin, hear my call for aid and send a sign as to whether continued search in this area will be a good or bad thing for our mission."

After completing the prayer he went about gathering wood for the evening cooking fire. He knew that sometimes an answer took a bit.

Divot and Haila had disappeared to the foot of the mountain and she decided it would be the perfect time to show him her feelings for him. She cuddled up to the halfling for both warmth and affection.

Since their journey began she had greatly enjoyed Divot and his brother Ulthok's company the best. They always caused her to smile and laugh, though she rarely showed it with the group around. Haila had been shy about her affections towards men since she was a child and was rejected by every boy she had liked. Growing up she felt isolated in solitude but decided that she would train to one day show those boys what she was made of.

Divot and Haila had joined up with the group with an air about them that would perhaps reveal much that happened during their night, or perhaps it would reveal nothing. A spark of interest would have been shimmering in her eyes when she looked towards Divot, and she would fail to notice anything around her but him. Having always been fond of the way he spoke, and even the way he looked, she didn't care, she loved it. The woman smiled sheepishly towards the rest of the group as they emerged from the forest.

CURRENT TIME:

Haila would cast glances towards Divot every now and then or would hip check him gently. A soft smile lined her lips and then she would continue about their mission. Thoughts flooded her mind as she listened to the sounds around her as she searched for a secret passage. The trek along the mountain was difficult but she made sure Divot was always in her view, so that she could cast glances his way. Since they had come back to the group she had been silent, and seemed a little different then when they had left the group that night.

Kenji was glad when they found the spot the others had mentioned seeing a ‘shimmering’ in the air but he was disappointed after hours of searching they found nothing. As they decided to camp he went to his pack which he had laid on the ground during their search and unbundled some wood he had picked up on the way up here just in case the mountain wound up being barren.

Using the wood he soon had a small fire going and began to draw out the remains of the food that he had cooked last night. There was probably enough left for everyone to eat this night; later he would bring out some of the salt cured venison and cook it so it would be available in the coming days if they couldn’t build a fire to cook it.

He heated up the meat over the fire and brought out the flatbread, spices and sauce and made himself a meal and left the others to tend to their own hunger when they saw fit. As he ate he turned and looked to the area where they had been searching and thought about their options.

“Perhaps this ’hidden doorway’ is something that can not be sought,” He said aloud voicing his thoughts then realizing he didn’t word that properly he continued, “what I mean is… maybe by looking for it you can not see it.”

He turned his head away from the wall of unblemished stone and looked at the others and shrugged. He wasn’t sure what he meant he only remembered what the ones who had seen the ’shimmering’ had said about it only being visible out of the corner of their eye.