Nyssa: Gearing Up #7

Nyssa huffed out a sigh as she turned over in her sleeping bag. The sun had long since set now, and despite her best efforts, Nyssa had been unable to get any sleep. By all means, she should have been exhausted after all the events of the past few weeks – but it seemed her body refused to recognize it. Her legs itched to move and her mind refused to settle as she lay down, listening to the gentle noises of the camp around her. Eventually, it became too much for her. Nyssa slowly lifted herself from her sleeping bag, throwing on a few pieces of clothing as quietly as she could. Silas was curled up in the corner of her tent, massive tail curled around his muzzle as he slept soundly. Her fidgeting did not seem to bother him much, and Nyssa managed to slip out of the tent without disturbing any of her neighbours.

There were not many still awake at this time of night, but she did manage to spot a couple vigilant Manahunters keeping watch as the others slept. She slipped into the makeshift armoury tent as she surveyed her options. After a few moments, she selected a set of Rogue armour and a Midnight bow and arrow set before exiting the tent. Although Nyssa knew she should be properly signing out the gear set, she figured they would not miss it for a few hours – and besides, it would be safely tucked back into its place by morning. She would at least give the guards on duty a heads up of her plans – after all, perhaps one of them could get a bit of rest while she took over their duties for a few hours.

A high-pitched whine suddenly called out, and Nyssa whirled around to see Silas barrelling towards her. She immediately crouched to the ground to gently hush the vullaby.

“Quiet, Silas,” Nyssa murmured gently under her breath as she reached out to give the vullaby a pat. “Everything is okay, I just can’t sleep. I’m going to see if I can help a bit tonight – you can come along or try and get some rest.”

Silas gave another whine, though much softer this time and bumped his head against her leg. She sighed briefly, but smiled as she ruffled the vullaby’s ears. Although his stubbornness could be frustrating, she could not blame her companion for wanting to stick together. With the threat of the Erisichthon lurking, it was difficult to fully let down one’s guard.

“Alright, let’s get moving then,” Nyssa said as she straightened up and turned her attention to the bundle of armour she had collected.

Pulling out the first piece, Nyssa draped the dark, heavy cloak around her body. The fingerless-gloves were the next piece to be pulled on, and finally the fabric that hung over her mouth. With the final piece secured, Nyssa pulled the hood over her head and made the final adjustments to the armour. It wrapped around her snugly, and Nyssa could not help but be grateful for the protection from the chill of the night air. It allowed for quiet, flexible movement – perfect for wandering around in the middle of the night. Slinging the arrows over her shoulder and with a bow in hand - in case they did run into any trouble - Nyssa beckoned for Silas to follow her.

The armour secured, her Midnight bow in hand, and Silas happily at her side, she set off to let the guards know they would be doing a few hours of scouting around the border of the camp. Nyssa was not sure if scouting would do them much good tonight, but an extra set of eyes around the camp certainly would not do any harm. Especially with Silas’ keen eyes and ears, they could hopefully spot any sign of an imminent Erisichthon attack.

[646 words]