The Thief and The Blind {Autumn Tale}

Does your character accept the bones?

Roe denies the Blessing of Rot

Autumn had sprung itself upon Ivras with surprise. The temperature plummeted and the trees were quickly filled with dying leaves. Their colour faded, turning all different shades of oranges, reds and browns before they broke from their branch and tumbled to the floor elegantly. Here, they shrivelled and dried up so they crunched beneath the hooves of the dainty little deer and the thumping hops of her tiny familiar as she went about her day.

It was a brisk day with a chill in the air but it was sunny, for now, which pleased the little fawn. Today was not a day for squirrelling herself away in the tiniest crook of the library. Today was a foraging day. Throughout the recent events, she had found herself strengthening day by day in her abilities. Her magic was extending, lasting for longer and allowing her to branch out into unknown territory. It was exciting times for her and she finally began to feel like she belonged in the academy after such a long mental block. Roe saw herself in a better light, now, and, in turn, this had improved her confidence immensely. Furthermore, her professors also saw the strides of improvement she was making and they, once again, started to encourage her. And this brings us round to the scavenging expedition she was on. One of the trainers who had been working closely with Roe wanted her to continue pushing herself whilst using the knowledge she had gained from her constant reading. Roe always had her head stuck in some sort of journal or story - some fictional, most not. She had been sent on a mission to collect ingredients for potion making as one of her eventual talents would be the ability of natural healing.

Armed with a warm cloak, a handy wicker basket and a friend by her side, she set off for The Sunless Jungle. Now, she had no intention of exploring blindly through such a dangerous place. There was no need for her to put herself at risk. Everything she required would grow near the treeline or on the embankment of the river. For someone who, very recently, wouldn't even consider stepping foot outside of Namarast, Roe was incredibly proud of how far she had come. The threat of danger and the thought of those in need really scared her into action that day. By no means was the corrupted mage a blessing, but it was exactly what she needed to get her arse into gear. As much as she hated it, she couldn't help but give a little thanks to Al for giving her the opportunity she so desperately needed.

There was no bridge that connected Namarast to the jungle so Roe had to get her feet wet, hesitantly. Before she entered the water, she lifted Emrys up on her back so he wouldn't get wet in the process. No sense for them both to be cold and, anyway, he would've refused to cross! He hates getting wet (can't even stand the rain, silly little bunny). She shivered as the shockingly cold water hit her fetlocks. She hurried to get across, leaping gracefully for the bank of the river, shaking each leg to get rid of the excess water once she reached dry land. Delicately, she placed Emrys back on the ground. As unhappy as he was at the fact he had to be handled, the alternative was more than enough to persuade him. Pulling her cloak closer around her, she trotted along and began her search for what she needed.

"Stay close," she whispered to her familiar.

A strange spine-tingling feeling gripped her. There was just something about The Sunless Jungle that didn't sit right in the pit of her stomach. Maybe it was all her stories that had filled her head with nonsense. Or perhaps there was something else in the air, today...

Head close to the ground as she searched, she didn't notice the ominous mist which began to envelope her. A loud, whiny shriek startled the doe back into reality - now, she realised she was lost. The path in front had become invisible. Panicked, she swung round, hoping to track back the way she came but this route was gone too. The haze had stolen her surroundings, blinding the poor little deer. The silence was, once again, broken by the sound of hoof steps. What was that? Roe spun in endless circles, her eyes flashing white with fear as they darted left and right, trying to pin a shadow to the mystery noise. Emrys stuck close to her side, offering very little protection as he, too, was scared.

Closer and closer and closer.

So focused on the sound, Roe held her breath with suspense, ready to run at any moment. It was right on top of her now, the hoof steps deafening in the eery atmosphere. Suddenly, a figure broke through the fog, startling the two of them. Shrouded in a dark robe with the hood up, the only defining feature that Roe could distinguish was a creepy mask. It was strangely familiar but Roe knew this was no friend. There was nothing friendly about the sinister smile that was plastered on his carved face.

“A blessing,” they say, “from Fortune themself! Yours, if you'd only take it.”

They held out a small set of carved bones, its essence as disturbing as the bearer's. Roe was no expert nor could she detect magical abilities in others but she had no doubts that there was something cursed about this 'gift'. She shook her head, stepping backwards.

"No, thank you."