Lanaey sheilded her eyes against the setting sun as she entered Calembel. No one had yet answered the summons for help, so Lanaey went to a space near the town centre to set up her camp for the night.
"Heya, Drass. Here's some hot mesh for your hard riding." If it was one thing Drass loved it was a good rub down, but since she had already gotten that from her master, hot mesh was next on the list.
After making sure her horse was well sated in munching off to one side, Lanaey sat down in front of her little fire, staring into it's depths. I have fire in me, Lanaey reflected. All it does is consume. Never ending and always demanding, it is never sated. Looking into the sky she wondered if this fight would make any difference. None of the others had, no matter how much good was done or saved - it just hadn't mattered. Sighing, she rolled into her bedroll and stared into the night until her body finally fell asleep.
Lanaey woke the next day very rested, which was a good thing considering she hadn't slept for at least a week. She felt sleeping now would help her for the upcoming days of travel and fight. Stretching out of sleep, she got another fire going since the previous one had died to still embers. Before she would break her fast she needed to do her morning exercises. Gathering all her weapons she spread them out in front of her in a specified manner. Glancing around quickly, she sighted all of the targets that she would use while practicing in the ruins around her. Crouching low to the ground, she mentally started her exercises before actually moving any muscles. Slow breathing and meditation prepared her. When she did finally move her limbs, it was slow and deliberate. Light touch, shift, pivot, turn.... Gradually it got faster until she was whirling around, looking out of control but completely in control. In a turn she bent low and grabbed a long knife. Swiftly it became a part of her, flowing as if truly connected to her. In another move she grabbed the second long knife and started using them together in her movements. Now her movements took on a quality of attacking unseen enemies while still continually moving. After several minutes she threw first one, then the other long knife into a nearby fallen tree. Flipping around she now moved on to her throwing knives, picking up one at a time and trowing it into a target before getting another - always moving so fluidly so as to appear almost dancing. One knive was thrown into a niche in a stone wall, another into a tree further away, all being thrown to specific places until all were now part of the land about her. Never stopping she moved onto her sword, making it an extension of her arm, whichever was holding it at the time. Now, she started to slow down, gradually taking it down step by step. Soon she seemed to be pacing in a pattern. While still moving, she put her sword down and grabbed her bow with five arrows. Turn, nock, fire, side-step, nock, fire...all the arrows hit their marks, high and low. Once more she picked up her sword after placing the bow down and did more cooling down till she crouched again on the ground with her sword layed in front of her. Feeling relaxed she retrieved her weapons around the site, then set about for her first meal of some porridge, her last of it in fact.
Throughout the day Lanaey searched the ruins, noting various little things about it. She also exercised Drass around Calembel. When people started arriving she picked a spot in the back of the town centre and offered no conversation other than to confirm that this was Calembel. When Laurel of Alphirion showed up, Lanaey kept to the back until all others were introduced. Walking to the fore, she looked into Laurel's green eyes without offering her hand.
"Lady, my name is Lanaey and my services are yours for the time being."
Then she retreated back to her spot.
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