The sun was starting to crest towards evening, and it was a haunting time to potentially be out scouting.

That said, the scarlet and vibrancy of the colors above were enough to attract Arelear’s attention as something to appreciate considering it was the red of blood that had been spilt in other scouts that had led the encampment to ask her to take on a scouting mission instead of relying on their normal soldiers to do it. Frankly, she wasn’t sure why they had hesitated, but here she was, making her way through the plains in order to gather information on what was there. The plains were like a home to her, a place she’d spent plenty of time in during the past. The nomadic tribes were dangerous, but they were rich with culture and stories, things that endlessly attracted her to them. Besides, the trade routes were often traveled by her clan.

The tall grass of the area she was in now hid her, her familiars and the companion she had brought with her. Glancing over her shoulders periodically to make sure the mage was nearby, Arelear smiled frequently and often towards her partner before she flicked her fingers outwards to signal her falcon into the air and her wolf ahead to scout. Blaze snorted derisively at her, but off the copper canine went, sniffing the air and moving slowly so as not to be seen – for once a creature that could blend into the area rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.

Arelear snorted at the creature, snickering faintly before glancing back at Attie and waiving her closer. In a quiet voice, she said, “Attie, come here. We’re ok for the moment, but will have to move shortly.”

Arelear wasn’t sure how much scouting experience the girl had. In Rel’s case, she’d grown up with these skills but that wasn’t the case for everyone and she made a habit to not assume anything. It was a brief moment of curiosity as to why Attie had decided to join this mission, but hey, sometimes a person needed to do what they needed to do.

Arelear was certainly not going to judge that motivation.

Besides, it helped having a familiar face nearby.

 

Attie had little reason to be out scouting with Arelear. The girl was not the best with ranged weaponry and wasn't experienced in scouting missions. However, she was a friend to Arelear and she did have a lot of magic that they could use if something went wrong. The soldiers believed that Attie could help protect the scout in case something happened, especially since she had fire magic which most Eldritch monsters were vulnerable to. Looking out to the plains around her, she could see a mixture of grass and colorful flowers spread out far and wide. Even with the war, the bohar plains were bursting with life. Although it was becoming colder and some of the plants were wilting away due to the oncoming Venti. 

Attie had to remind herself to be sneaky, so she was crouching down and trying to move as quietly as possible. To anybody who was watching her, the girl's movements appeared to be ridiculous and overly cautious. Suddenly, Rel signaled to the falcon and wolf to scout ahead while they stayed further behind. Attie sniffed the air to see if she could find any sent of monsters, as it was not only the animals who had an amazing sense of smell. Her ears and eyes were just as alert, looking for any sign of trouble that might head their way. Suddenly, Arelear waved to Attie, indicating her to draw nearer before speaking. Attie listened intently to Arelear's words.

"Why? Is something drawing nearer?" Attie asked quietly, "And how do you know when your hawk or dog has found something?" 

It was obvious that Attie hadn't a clue what to do when scouting. This was the type of information that she hadn't learned before the war. However, there was always time to learn new things. Even if it was during a horrifying war that might destroy all of the world.

Arelear glanced over her shoulder at Attie, her heart going out to the woman. Just why WAS she here on this mission? Scouting missions were meant to be stealthy, unseen. She had powerful magic of course and her heart was absolutely in the right place, but during the twilight of the evening or what was the crest of it? Well, this may well not have been the safest moment and time for the mage.

The elf had to take a moment to stop herself from cringing as the mage moved around. Attie was trying her absolute best, but it was causing her to make more noise than she would have otherwise. So perhaps it was time for a quick lesson in how to move about out here to hopefully give the poor thing an edge out here. Oh well! Anytime was a time to learn and one never chose what life through at them.

As Attie approached, Arelear gave her one of her customary bright smiles, her typical amusement bubbling up as she brought her finger to her lips to the questions. It occurred to Rel that this might have been a chance to give Attie experience more than them wanting Rel to find anything in particular. Well, that would make sense now wouldn’t it?

“Falcon and Wolf. Or…if you want names, Quicksilver and Blaze.” Arelaer spoke matter of factly, as though it were the most natural thing in the world to introduce her animals as friends. Elven eyes shifting to scan the horizon, she inched down lower into the grass and added, “Don’t you always listen to friends when they talk? I do the same.”

To Arelear, it was natural as breathing. “They are like…how do you say…hmm..bonded? Probably closest word.”

Was that what it really was? Ah well. Arelear had been around too long to really care. There was a word for it, the druids had told it to her once. But it hadn’t mattered in the end.

“As for something nearer, I don’t know yet. But it’s a great chance to teach you a few things out here about moving around.” The elf winked at the mage and said, “Step one, don’t try so hard to move quietly. It’s unnatural movement, so it makes more noise. Just watch for sticks and I’ll signal you if we have a sudden need to be quieter, ok?”

"Quicksilver and Blaze. Those are very pretty names!" Attie said with a cheerful smile. 

Just because they were in the middle of a war for the end of the world, it did not mean that Attie couldn't give out compliments. She listened to Arelear's explanation and soon began to understand more about their bond. Attie realized that Arelaer's conversation with her animals went deeper than just body language. Either Arelear knew exactly what they were saying or Arelear could mentally speak with them. 

"I think I understand." Attie stated, "I'm used to understanding animals through their sounds and body language. I could tell your hawk was excited for the mission by how it was ruffling its feathers and waiting for the chance to take off. But it seems your bond allows you to speak directly to your animals. Fascinating." 

Attie would have been writing in her journal about this but she was still trying to sneak around. Suddenly, Arelear started to give Attie some advice about sneaking and movement. Listening intently, Attie began to relax and to focus more on avoiding sticks instead of avoiding everything. Now her movements weren't so over dramatic and she was much more quiet than before. 

"Thanks!" Attie said quietly to Arelear, "Now we both can be the sneakiest scouts."