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[WhiteProphet]

Paige was not sure what Drake had in mind then. The lizard was facing the same way they were headed and going back would mean another 6 hours added onto their journey to backtrack along what they had traversed the other day. She could not risk that much of a delay though she sympathized with Drake's compassion for the animal. The woman mentally marked that he was very considerate towards the preservation of life which was an odd characteristic for an assassin. Someone with scruples could hardly be a mercenary, though she had met a few that somehow managed a compromise on that front. They were minor footnotes in her journals, never having amounted to hordes of riches or fame.

She ducked down as Drake did, though she longed to keep the beast in sight. "I suppose we could consider an alternative that doesn't include going backwards. But we had best hurry. There is no telling when she might discover us."

For a moment she scraped around in her mind. What could she bring to the game that would allow them to achieve all their goals? What about a distraction? There would be only a 50/50 chance that the beast would look down at the source of the noise and not up to find the animal knocking rocks off the cliff face. It was worth proposing, but quickly and quietly. "Toss something over and then run?"

[Drake D'Sicarius]

"Essentially what I thought... Except, I think you're more adapt than me when it comes to what I had in mind. The creature will react to sight and more importantly, heat. Your little light orb should do the trick. Have it wander away from us, and perhaps she will follow it." It was a suggestion. Drake didn't know whether Paige could will the orb to burn, or whether it was cold, hard light. Such a thing was an oddity, even enough to provoke a philosophical thought. But now was not the time for such things. He gestured towards a few boulders that were many meters away from them, down on the Dodongo's level. "Aim for it to be speedy enough not to be caught, and have it head towards those rocks. It should give us enough distance, and cover." He proposed.

[WhiteProphet]

There was a moment that gripped her heart in ice; the scratching of talons on rocks. But as quickly as it started, the noise ceased. She nodded, not sure that she could produce an orb that would give off heat as he suggested. Still, something bright would perhaps do the trick. Paige's magic was largely that favored element of her kind. She could will an orb to eat the shadows around them, giving the illusion of light, but she was constrained to altering shadows. Sure, she could flick a flame at a wick or a small log, but it was a spell that was uncontrollable. Fire was an unruly element to use in spells where control was paramount. There was perhaps, something she could do to enhance her spell work though.

Concentrating, she composed her hands into a small ball that she let grow slowly. Within her newly formed nest of palms, a figure started to take shape. A small black bird became apparent after some solidification. It moved, a semblance of feathered wings, and a head appeared which twisted this way an that in a mimicry of a real raven. Paige forced herself to grow the figure, her hands expanding around it as it grew lager. When it was about the size of a turkey, but far more fleet looking, she released it into the air. It was an insubstantial trick of shadows, but it looked solid enough as it took wing. She was hoping that a lack of luster, smell, or heat would be made up for with vibrant movement and larger size.

The large raven swooped down on the path a little before the dragon, who looked sharply at such a bold move. Paige didn't have time to check herself to see if the spell was working. She was concentrating on it so much that for a moment she forgot to move and head for cover. Below and behind her, the lizard started to turn as her raven pecked at the ground and shuffled further down the path. Scratching at the ground with feet that didn't exist, the phantom started to lure off the large reptile.

[Drake D'Sicarius]

Drake would've smirked, if it were such an easy feat for him. Instead, he nodded his appreciation for Paige's skill, before quietly continuing on down the path ahead of the woman. He wanted to make sure the creatures mate was not roaming their territory. Fortunately the way seemed clear, perhaps this matriarch preferred the single life - he didn't blame her. Gesturing to move on, Drake quickly moved along the path until both her and Paige was clear of the creature. He felt guilty for tricking the Dodongo; food wasn't that common in these parts of the gorge, and she would certainly be killed if she got to close to any of the major villages or towns. He bid the the guardians of life to watch over her.

"That was an interesting trick you pulled. Not what I was expecting. You wield the darkness like it is clay. I know of only one man capable of doing what you did - or so rumours say." He said, moving along the path now taking the lead. The way seemed clear enough, there was only roughly cut pathway to follow, and the location of the sun suggested which way they were walking, which was now towards the fields surrounding the great city.

[WhiteProphet]

Paige had scrabled after Drake and they reached the shelter of the outcroppings in short order. She focused on moving the bird further and further down the path, forcing the dodongo to slither after it in a mindful procession. At last they reached the cover and Drake overtook her. She allowed him to do so in an attempt to keep her mind split between conjured and pathfinding. Drake would keep them on the path she hoped and she could keep her mind on the lizard's target.

Her companion spoke of another person who could wield the shadow magic as she had done. It took her some time to respond to his comment, divided as her thoughts were. Another 400 feet and they could be sure that the dodongo would not detect them. With them moving the opposite way of her decoy and the monster, she estimated another 40 more seconds. When she could at last spare enough of her mind to consult with him, she directed her thoughts to his question. Though she suspected she already knew who he spoke of, she offered him a chance to contradict her. "Who?"

[Drake D'Sicarius]

"The current Mayor of Clock Town. Alaric Von Voltaire." He said, diverting past a fallen boulder. "I had heard some conversations amongst some of the darker denizens of Termina. He is very much like nature itself. Mysterious and sometimes wrathful - while nurturing the very land itself. I have had people offer me thousands of rupees to kill him - and I once attempted. Never again..." He said, moving onwards. He looked down at this arm, his skin had been disfigured, as if burnt. Instead of a pinkish burn scar, it was dark and inky, as if deeply bruised¹. This bruise would never go. Fortunately, his gauntlets covered up the ugly mark. "How much further?" He asked, changing the subject.

------
¹ Flashback Due.

[WhiteProphet]

So a Von Voltaire had become mayor of Clock Town? Very interesting indeed. Paige scrambled over another bit of loose debris and considered the implications of that. The Von Voltaire, or simply the Voltaire family as they had been known at least a generation ago, filled several pages in her book. Their betrayal of the royal family and political statements had been markers in history that Paige had recorded tirelessly. How very interesting that a son of their line, the only son if she recalled correctly her sketch of their family tree, was no political in Termina. That didn't bode well for those in Hyrule who had not approved of the politics of the family when they had been in the kingdom. A neighboring country with already different views on how society should be structured was at times was friction causing enough however, when one added in a former traitor it became a treacherous situation indeed. No wonder Drake had been offered some money to assassinate the Von Voltaire heir. She would have no doubt that it was Hylian rupees he had been offered.

"How very interesting," was her only comment.

"How much further?"

She pointed up a bit ahead of where they were going, though their final destination was around another ridge. "Just about a half mile. Then we shall be out of the gorge."

When they had arrived at their final destination, Paige shifted her pack and turned to survey the horizon line and seeking out a familiar feel of magic. Lines furrowed her brow; there was no signature to read. As she feared, the strange man had stopped using his powers at some point. It was now impossible to tell where he was. All she had to go off of was a general compass rose direction and no degree of distance. She frowned, "It appears that my target is no longer being precise in his location. Any number of places and towns lay in that direction. I could be very long indeed on this search. Which direction are you headed?"

[Drake D'Sicarius]

Drake nodded as the woman suggested the length of time that stood before them. He could see the opening up ahead in the distance, and the direction of the sun and his shadow gave him enough indication in regards to direction. He was about to speak when Paige said something that confused him. Apparently she had been homing in on a location, though where, Drake was not sure. More than that, it was a magical beacon that only she sensed - and now it was off. What did that mean? Was she now without purpose? He considered the thought until she provoked him with a question. The Assassin pointed north, after assessing his shadow's direction.

"Towards the Great City. It is most dangerous for me, but I need to know if my brother has passed through there. I also have a few contacts who may be able to help me." He said. Drake put one step forward, his mind lapsed from the question and thoughts about Paige's new path now she was seemingly lost. His footing crumbled below, causing him to slip into the ravine below. The world slowed, his arm punched the wall, his blade jutting out and impaling the rock to prevent him falling to his death. The blade's springs began to squeal under the strain, it wasn't designed for this purpose. The Assassin reached above him, hoping the woman would help him.

[[Don't you dare do a Scar vs Mufasa on me.]]

[WhiteProphet]

(("And let me tell you my little secret, Drake... I killed your brother!!!" *diabolical laugh and then boot to face* *strolls off whistling "I just can't wait to be king" * :) Dude, you know I love disney. 'Couldn't resist, mate'."))

"Drake!" Paige dropped to her stomach rather hard and reached out a hand to the falling man. She used her other hand to push against the ground below her to keep her from falling down the cliff as well. Drake had been clever and used his blade to slow his decent; without the aid, his larger form would have easily pulled her over with him. But Paige had a trick of her own and she focused her magic on Drake's shadow. The woman was glad it was nearly high noon and the sun was boldly shining down on them. It made the shadows all the stronger. Willing his shade to become more solid, she sent a ripple of power from bottom to top of the dark form. The results were that his shadow leapt off the rock surface by about a foot and in a wave, shoved upward which give his scrambling feet traction. It pushed him upward quickly, so much so that with a small tug from her thin arm he bounded up and over her in a near sumersault; his shadow returned to its 2 dimensional form.

"Heads up!" She cringed as he hit the ground behind her. She had no way of knowing how he had landed and she hoped it was not head first. The mage rolled over slowly, her ribs and abdomen protesting the twist and turn of her movements. Already she could feel the pressure building up in her head from the use of so much magic. Live-times ago she had been quite accomplished at using her magic, now it seemed she couldn't use more than a spell a day without paying for it. "You alright?"

[Drake D'Sicarius]

Something propelled him from below, though he knew not what it was. Instantly, he flew into the air, going over Paige and landing with a roll, his skin shredding against the bare, jagged stone pathway. The Assassin staggered up, brushing himself off before looking around to see what have boosted him up with such force. Seeing nothing, he frowned before attending to the pain that stung around his arms. Ruby blood trickled down his arm from a rather large gash - one that would require stitches but otherwise nothing serious. He heard Paige protest her concern, to which Drake nodded, helping the girl up with his stronger arm.

"I'll live. Thank you, whatever it was you did." He reached inside a pouch on his belt and pulled out a small vial of red liquid, even more vivid than the blood that that began to pool on the floor. Taking it, he poured it upon the wound. His lips pulled back, revealing pearly teeth grinding from the burning sensation the potion created upon contact with the wound. The flow of blood stopped, until it was nothing but a small scratch's worth. The gash was still there, pink and tender. Putting the vial back, he tore off a piece of his shirt as a temporary bandage. His friends at the city would tend to the wound later.

"How do you fair? You're looking paler than usual," he asked, unsure what ailment had come over her.

[WhiteProphet]

"You'll have a nice scar from that one," the woman said, thumbing her own dark wound on the bottom of her chin and neck. She reached around into her own sea bag and began to dig around. "I'm fine. Just a little tired I suppose. Nothing a good meal won't fix, but I have a bandage..." She pulled out a length of off white muslin fabric and handed it over. Realizing that his one arm was going to have a hard time binding the other, she drew closer and took over wrapping the wound. "I don't suppose you want me to sew that up for you?"

In her many guises she'd done some doctoring here and there. One time, as Dr. Libros, she'd worked with war veterans out on the front lines. Paige supposed she liked sewing up the wounded rather than slaying men.

The last heading she had was south and with the energy gone, she could no longer detect distance, perhaps going north for a bit wouldn't cut too much into her time. She could get back into touch with Hyrule instead of staying in Termina seeking out a target she had not seen in decades at a place she had no inclination of. All doors were open and all characters needed a plot progression to survive. Paige Drifter was no exception.

[Drake D'Sicarius]

"If you know how, I hold no complaints." He turned his head towards the horizon, focussing on the birds that flew in the distant sky, and the clouds that hung over the great plains of Hyrule. In the meanwhile, he felt the pain of the needle entering his flesh and binding the wound with thin but strong string. The pain he could deal with, the scar would be of little consequence compared to the others he had. No, the only wound he had felt was one to his pride. What a foolish mistake it was to have almost fallen to his death, for his life to be dependant upon the goodwill of a complete stranger, who only a night ago pondered whether or not he would kill her. As she finished the neat lattice of stitching, Paige applied the white muslin bandage to cover up the wound from infection, even though the potion would've done the same thing temporarily. The white fabric turned red in some place, but did not threaten to saturate the cloth in blood, only a feel spots could be seen.

"Thank you, kindly." He said, getting ready to continue down the path towards the opening of the northern fields.

[WhiteProphet]

((I'm blinded by computer screens ATM D:))

Paige used the small dagger she had on her to cut the thread. She sighed and finished wrapping up the wound. "You're welcome. It's nice when some random knowledge can come into use. It is just mending thread though. If we had a horse I would have used some of the tail hairs. That will be easier to remove rather than this." She gestured at the patch job.

Drake seemed ready to get a move on though and she could hardly blame him. He had a long way to travel to get there before dark. She wondered if she should let him carry on all on his own. It would not really be polite considering his new injuries and limitations, but it was also not a trip she had been invited on. For a moment she thought of what to do and seemed to hesitate, glancing either direction. "Well, if you should ever need another patch up job, you can always ask me. Unless I should stick around in case this is some sort of habit you have. Might be handy to have a needle ready and someone who knows how to wield it."

[Drake D'Sicarius]

"I assure you, me getting injured was no common feat. You almost saw a miracle today." He knew Paige was joking, and he tried to lighten his tone when he spoke to give it a more comical feel, but the words still stung his still raw pride. Did this girl think he was some sort of calamity waiting to happen? She had no proof to go by, she had never seen him perform his most prized skills. However, his reputation seemed enough to keep her on course in regards to his notoriety as a fearsome assassin, only just last night proved that. They rounded a large boulder before heading down a short slope until they hit a more solid road, a pathway worn out by hooves, wheels and feet. They were on the edges of the Hyrulean Plains. Pointing a finger, he gestured towards a northernly direction.

"The great city is that way. Perhaps two or three days walk." He said. Moving his hand, he pointed more westerly. "There's a large lake that way. I suggest we make camp there." He asked.

[WhiteProphet]

"I'd rather a miracle than the near disaster" Paige quipped back. Drake was obviously annoyed and flustered at her seeing his moment of awkwardness. It bothered the prophet not though. There were many recorded examples of her own such blunders and less than stellar moments. At least Drake was not obligated to record his every mistake in a book of history. Paige thought to laugh a bit at that thought. Her own personal character recordings were a separate archive than the history she kept of Hyrule. It was the same physical book, but the writing there was part of her own personal inventive story. Like her fictional identities, none of it was a real accounting worthy of note and couldn't even be called a biography considering that she never wrote about herself. It was always Dr. Libros' chapter on the Great War or Arthor Booke's adventures at high sea and now it was Paige Drifter's chronicle of Assassins and Robbers. The real accounting of who she was would never be recorded. Even her roles in history were described as doings of the White Prophet, another alias given to her by the ages.

But back in this time her long ears perked up at a word. He had said "we". That indicated to her that Drake's story was not quite done in this chapter of her book. Paige just barely contained her delight at having another quest in her character's story. It was so dull when all of her characters just drifted through the pages and didn't seem to have a real goal. She'd done that once, with a bard character named Fianne. The poor girl had started out with a great lofty objective and quite a number of companions, but tragedy had robbed her of a lynch pin character prematurely and Fianne had then spiraled down. At last she had found a bit of sunshine with a new companion, and though they had grand adventures together, the resolution that Fianne had initially set out to meet was forever gone. It looked like Paige might have a more lively lifestyle.

The author nodded to Drake's suggestion. "It will be good to be near a bit of water. I'm nearly out of drinking water and all this dust is coated me." They headed along the more westernly pass. It did not take them long to get there.

((lead on to whatever thread you want))