JETMODE: * The Beef and Brew is a respectable roadside tavern, built near one of the main highways leading from the capital in Kamaria to the Holy City of Neenah. One of the more popular stops on this well-worn road, it is bustling, as usual, with the coming of evening, and most of its rooms are spoken for, some of the patrons already taking to their beds. Most of the rest, however, are below, eating and drinking -- mostly drinking. The room hums with activity, though none of it is particularly rowdy, leaving people to come and go as they please, comfortably anonymous, save from the experienced eye of the bartender.

TIAMAT: * Shortly after dusk, a small figure with reddish hair, clad in simple wayfarer's gear and wearing a heavy green cloak draped around her shoulders, descends slowly into the dining area. She's relatively young -- sixteen or so -- and looks slightly out of place among the tavern denizens. She pauses at the bottom of the stairs to glance around, then, with a small sigh, makes her way to a table toward the back of the room.

JETMODE: * Most of the customers pay her no particular heed, too busy with their own affairs to notice a newcomer, though a trio of young men in the corner seems intrigued by a female entrant. They don't appear inclined to do anything about it, however, and she's permitted to take her seat unmolested. It isn't long before a waitress swings by, looking tired and dressed in a skirt far too short for her, but these conditions don't appear to be on her mind. "Order, miss? There's a fine beef roast on special tonight, and they talk about our rum for miles."

TIAMAT: * The girl doesn't seem to notice the men in the corner, as she appears to be actively avoiding the eyes of the other patrons. She smiles when the waitress approaches, however, if a little nervously. "Um...the special is fine. And just...some water, please."

JETMODE: "Right then," says the waitress, smiling cheerily and walking away. This would leave the girl pretty much on her own until food arrives, except that one of the other patrons, a young man with long, blond hair, avoids bumping into another man, but stumbles into her table, nearly sloshing a round of drinks on both her and the floor. "Oops -- sorry there -- didn't see you." His demeanor is cheerful and friendly, if not particularly apologetic.

TIAMAT: * The girl flinches when the blond-haired man bumps her table, shoving it a few inches across the floor and causing her to flatten herself against the back of her chair. She hesitates, watching his drink carefully to make sure it doesn't spill, before relaxing slightly. She glances up at him, looking a little doubtful. "Right...just, um, watch your step."

JETMODE: "Rightyo, then," he replies cheerfully, waving two of the mugs at his companions in another part of the room and ambling away to leave her in peace. It's not too long afterward that the waitress returns, bearing water and food and wishing her a good meal. "We can put the meal on your inn tab, or you can pay right away, depending on how long you aim to stay, miss."

TIAMAT: * Even after the man stumbles away from her table, the girl continues to watch him out of the corner of her eye, at least until the waitress returns. "Oh...I already paid for the room...hang on..." She rummages around through her haversack, pulling out a small pouch and handing the waitress some coins with a little smile. "Here you go. Thank you. It smells very good"

JETMODE: * The waitress bows politely, taking the money and once again wishing her a good meal. The bar resumes its normal hum for several minutes, at least until the corner the blond man retreated to manages to down the drinks provided -- doubtless not their first -- and the noise level increases steadily. It appears whatever drunken festivities they are engaging in, they involve shouting and catcalling.

TIAMAT: * The girl tries hard to ignore the growing noise around her as she starts in on her meal. She keeps her head bowed as she eats, though every once in a while she glances around after a particularly loud yell or whistle, her eyes always falling back on the corner where the blond man is seated, where most of the activity seems to be coming from. The rowdier the room becomes, the more the girl looks like she wants to take her leave.

JETMODE: * The group gives her time enough to nearly finish her meal before erupting in a sudden brawl, one of the main participants of which is the blond-haired man who bumped into her table. The squabble makes its way quickly across the room, and before much evasive action can be taken, it's practically at the girl's feet, and the young man meets her table again, this time landing on top of it and cracking his head sharply on the far side.

TIAMAT: * The girl looks quickly up from her meal when she hears the initial shouts and curses, her eyes going wide in panic when she sees the group coming toward her. She barely has time to flatten herself against the back of her chair again before uttering a thin scream as the blond man crashes into her table. After a moment of sitting in what appears to be terrified stillness, the girl grabs her haversack, stands up with such force that she knocks her chair over backwards, and bolts for the stairs, retreating upward without a backward glance.

JETMODE: * The fight seems content to continue without her, crashing sounds following her up the steps to the inn, though the brawl itself seems content to remain below. A great deal of shouting follows, and after that things seem to have largely broken up, one or two of the major players appearing from below before shuffling drunkenly out the front door.

TIAMAT: *The girl makes her way hurriedly upstairs, pausing at the top of the steps for a moment before starting over toward the inn keep. "Um, excuse me...could you tell me what room I'm in again, please? My name's Tai Zedekiah..." She trails off when she hears the sound of footsteps coming upstairs from the tavern below, watching the staircase warily.

JETMODE: * The innkeeper, attention momentarily distracted by the noise on the stairs, turns back to her with a momentarily puzzled look. "Ah.. Zedekiah? .. Fifteen, up the stairs and around the corner." She has just finished these instructions when the blond-haired man himself lurches up the steps, stumbling badly before colliding with the counter. "Aaow," is his primary comment. He appears to be sporting a couple of cuts and a bruised eye for his trouble, and it's difficult to say who came out on top in the brawl.

TIAMAT: * Tai watches him with a mixture of unease and dislike, taking a slightly stumbling step backward when he nearly runs into her. She doesn't move, as if standing still will make her somewhat invisible; in truth, she just doesn't want to get knocked over if he makes for the stairs leading up to the rooms at the same time she does.

JETMODE: * He doesn't appear to recognize her, concentrating on keeping on his feet and not stumbling into anything else. "'Scuse me," he says in a parody of politeness, almost patting her on the shoulder, then changing his mind at the last minute. He brushes past her, nearly stumbling again, and makes for the stairs, leaning heavily on the railing as he goes.

TIAMAT: * Tai draws backward when he starts to reach for her, looking slightly terrified as she cowers against the innkeeper's counter. She watches him make his way up the stairs, uttering a long and rather relieved-sounding sigh when he disappears from sight. After a moment, she turns back to the innkeeper, forcing a small, rather tired smile onto her face. "Room fifteen? Thank you." She gives a polite nod and starts up the staircase toward the rooms.

JETMODE: * The young man can be seen several feet ahead, rounding the same corner that marks her destination, though he stops a door before hers, fumbling with the handle a moment and yawning expressively before he finally manages to fit key to lock and get the thing open. Once inside, he pushes the door half-heartedly closed behind him -- not hard enough to actually latch, however, and it bounces back open an inch. He does not seemed bothered by this, more interested in collapsing on the bed.

TIAMAT: * Tai stops again at the top of the stairs when she spots him, silently hoping he'll go well past her room and looking thoroughly disappointed when he doesn't. She waits until he's inside his room before approaching, pausing outside his partially opened door, only to hear deep snoring from within. With a small, disapproving frown, she closes his door quietly before moving on to her own room for a night of much-needed rest.

JETMODE: * The blond man wakes early, though not necessarily of his own volition. His rising is provoked largely by a throbbing headache leftover from the previous night's drinking and carousing. His injuries, though not severe, are also stinging a bit, and he pauses to clean them up a little before gathering his gear and shuffling wearily downstairs for breakfast and a bit of a pick-me-up.

TIAMAT: * Whether he recognizes her or not, the girl he bumped into twice last night is already seated at a table in the dining room, which, to her relief, is much quieter this morning than it was the night before. Tai, eager to leave the tavern behind, woke early as well, and has already ordered breakfast. She glances toward the stairs when she hears footsteps descending, a small frown crossing her face when she recognizes the blond-haired man.

JETMODE: * The man takes absolutely no notice of her, slumping wearily into a chair at a nearby table and flagging the waitress. He orders some food and, surprisingly, another drink, apparently of the school of thought that it will help him with the hangover. Once he's sufficiently settled, he does cast a wary eye around the room, doubtless looking for any of his companions from the night before. Not spying any of them, he relaxes somewhat, relieved.

TIAMAT: * For some reason, the sight of him ordering another drink seems to annoy Tai. She looks away for a few moments, as if trying to ignore him, but when the waitress comes back with his ale, she glances toward him again, watching him. After a pause, she can't seem to help herself, and calls out quietly to him, sounding exasperated. "Do you really think that's going to help?"

JETMODE: * The man's shoulders give a slight jerk at the sound of her voice, particularly her tone. "What's it to you?" he asks, then takes a long, defiant swig of the ale before setting the mug down and starting in on his meal. "Sheez, can't even get away from nags way out here ..." he mutters, made cranky by his continued headache.

TIAMAT: * Tai gives her hair a toss and stands, slinging her haversack over her shoulder and picking up a polished wooden walking staff that she had leaned against another chair. "It didn't help you last night in that brawl, and it certainly won't help you feel better this morning," she remarks flatly. She looks like she wants to say more, but after a moment, she simply shakes her head and makes for the stairs.

JETMODE: * The young man doesn't respond, at least not very loudly -- or very politely -- but he continues his meal without otherwise retaliating. He nurses his drink for some time, ordering another as long as he's at it, and when he finally finishes his meal and pays, he shuffles upstairs to hit the road, wincing a little when he steps out into the sun.

TIAMAT: * He barely has time to take a few steps away from the tavern when a distant scream can be heard. It's very faint, sounding like it's coming from somewhere down the road leading southeast to Kamaria, but it's definitely recognizable as a distress cry.

JETMODE: * He jerks upright immediately, grimacing once as he looks up the road in the direction he was planning to travel -- the opposite of the direction the scream came from. Then he sighs, shouldering his pack, and takes off running in the direction of the scream.

TIAMAT: * The air is quiet for a minute or two as the young man dashes along the dusty path; he might even think he imagined the scream, until it sounds again, closer this time, but coming from somewhere within the shadowy forest to his left. This is followed shortly by yelling from at least two, possibly three male voices, but their words are indistinguishable and sound as if they're moving deeper into the forest.

JETMODE: * At this, he swears, wondering if somehow he's gotten into trouble with karma on his journey, and feels a momentary sting of guilt. This passes quickly enough, however, and he plunges into the woods, moving as softly as he can in order to track the sounds of the bandits -- he presumes -- and their victim.

TIAMAT: * Once he gains a little headway into the forest, it isn't very difficult to give chase, as his quarry seems to be making a good deal of noise, between shouting and crashing through the trees. After another minute or so, another cry sounds out, though it's cut off abruptly with a dull thud, followed by a quiet whimper.

JETMODE: * By now the man's headache has at least doubled in force, making him all the more eager to end this chase as soon as possible. A last burst of speed puts him in sight of the supposed bandits, and his first order of business is to announce his presence with a not particularly dignified shout. "HEY. What do you guys think you're doing?"

TIAMAT: * There are three of them, all males and all dressed in ragged-looking clothing. They're closing in around a tree where the whimpering sound is coming from, and when the young man shouts, they whirl around, looking surprised and angry that they've been caught. One of them takes a step forward, sneering. "None of your damn business, is it, boy?"

JETMODE: "That's not really the point ..." the man says, pausing to scratch his head. "It's not like I can just sit by and let you rough up innocent civilians, right?" He draws his sword lazily, settling into a fighting stance. "Anyway, if you want to just take off, I'll let you -- I have a headache, and I'd rather not fight right now."

TIAMAT: * From behind the trio, another whimper can be heard, and one of the other bandits turns, clenching his fists in annoyance. "Shut up, girl!" he barks, but the ringleader ignores both of them as he draws his own sword, grinning a little smugly. "Stupid brat, you think you can take all three of us on?"

JETMODE: * The man scratches his cheek, shrugging slightly. "Yeah, I probably can," he says thoughtfully, then, almost before the words are out of his mouth, he charges the apparent leader, cheerfully making use of his pause for bravado to get in a first strike.

TIAMAT: * The bandit gives a startled yelp as he just manages to bring his sword up to parry the blow. His companions, looking thoroughly surprised by the sudden attack, each take a few steps away, glancing at each other uncertainly. After recovering from the initial strike, the leader gives a growl and pushes the young man away, then lunges in to strike at his midriff.

JETMODE: * His opponent is unimpressed by the maneuver, slipping back a step to exchange a few quick blows with the bandit. Well, the young man's are quick, at least. The bandit appears to be having difficulty keeping up with him. The man continues to drive him backward, however, appearing bored with the entire affair.

TIAMAT: * The ringleader appears to grow more shocked and aggravated with every parried blow. Finally, he takes a few steps backward, raises his sword above his head, and, with a slightly wild yell, charges at the blond-haired young man, bringing his sword downward in a large and rather clumsy chopping motion.

JETMODE: * The young man appears highly disappointed by this maneuver, sidestepping the rush easily and cracking the hilt of his blade sharply against the back of the man's skull. Assuming the leader to be incapacitated, he glances at the other two hopefully. "Well?" he asks, not bothering to drop into a stance as he waits for a response.

TIAMAT: * The other two stare at him wildly for a moment, glance toward each other, then silently take off at a dead run into the forest, leaving their lead lying sprawled unconscious on the ground at the fighter's feet.

JETMODE: * He sighs, waiting for them to go before sheathing his sword and glancing down at the bandit leader. He nudges him once or twice to make absolutely certain he's out, then ambles over to where he assumed he heard the whimpering, peering curiously around to have a look at their source. "Hey, you all right over there?'

TIAMAT: * Huddled in the shadow beneath a large tree is a figure with reddish-brown hair. When she hears the man's voice, she glances up quickly -- and he may be surprised to see the familiar face of the girl who accosted him at the Beef and Brew earlier. She wasn't quite crying, though she looks wildly amazed when she recognizes her rescuer. "It's...you."

JETMODE: * If the man's face was disappointed before, the boring fight was clearly nothing compared to learning just who the bandits' victim was. He leans his head back to stare at the sky, muttering a soft "Oh, great," before he looks down again. "You're not hurt are you?" he asks, offering her a hand up in spite of his initial reaction. "If you got separated from your group, I can take you back to them ..."

TIAMAT: * Tai stares at him for a moment, then looks at his hand a little apprehensively before taking it and pulling herself up. "I'm all right...thank you," she murmurs as she dusts herself off and picks her haversack and staff up from where they had fallen nearby. "I wasn't with any group...if you could just point me toward the main road..."

JETMODE: "No group?" He looks at her doubtfully, shifting his pack on his shoulders and frowning. "You were traveling by yourself? How far did you get on your own without even being able to defend yourself?" He doesn't seem to find the idea very plausible at all, folding his arms in a skeptical fashion.

TIAMAT: * She looks rather dumbfounded, pausing as she goes through her pack to make sure she didn't lose anything. "I-I came from Neenah--" She frowns a little, looking uncomfortable. "What do you care, anyway? Looked like all you were interested in was getting more ale..."

JETMODE: "You'd rather I'd have just let them have their way with you?" He shrugs, scratching his head again, apparently not bothered by the comment about ale. "It's not in my nature to abandon someone who needs help." He waves a hand. "Anyway, where are you headed? I can probably take you at least partway there." Though he doesn't say it, it's clear he doubts she'll make it by herself.

TIAMAT: * Tai looks a little guilty, and she bows her head slightly. "I'm sorry," she mutters, and she shuffles her feet in the dirt. "I'm headed to the capital, Kamaria. I know the way, I can make it there myself.."

JETMODE: * He looks at her skeptically, then the name of her destination processes and he grimaces. "Great ... Look, seriously, it's not safe, especially if you're unarmed. I know the way back -- I'm from the city." He looks at her a little impatiently. "I'm not gonna let you go by yourself. You'll never make it."

TIAMAT: * She still looks uneasy, and now a little offended. "I...well, I appreciate the offer, but I really don't want to inconvenience you.." She pauses, considering, then looks up at him. "You're...sure it's no trouble? I don't really have any way to repay you."

JETMODE: * He shrugs. "I don't need any money." He glances at the still-prone bandit leader, grimacing again. "Look, let's head back to the road. It's still a pretty fair hike from here. We won't make it for a few days." He turns to start for the road, glancing over his shoulder to make sure she's following.

TIAMAT: * Tai starts to follow, hesitating when she passes the bandit. "What about him? Shouldn't we make sure he's all right?"

JETMODE: "Nah. I didn't hit him that hard. He'll wake up in a few hours." He pauses to look back at her, somewhat annoyed. "Unless you'd like to hang around and give him the chance to attack you again." He shakes his head and starts walking again.

TIAMAT: * She looks considerably miffed as she starts to follow him. "That's not what I meant -- I just didn't think it would be very nice to leave him without making sure he'll be okay."

JETMODE: "Right, and it isn't very nice of him to attack and rob people on the highway." He jams his thumbs into his pockets, glancing back at her again. "I don't really have a lot of sympathy for him, myself."

TIAMAT: * Tai trots to catch up with him, falling in step beside to him. She doesn't say anything for a few moments, deciding that arguing with him is probably a waste of breath, so she changes the subject instead. "So what's your name, anyway?"

JETMODE: "Kain Dorgany." He looks skyward, grumbling a little at the bright light before he steps out closer to the road. He looks up and down the road a moment before he steps completely out of the woods. "You?"

TIAMAT: "Dorgany?" She frowns a little, following him and looking thoughtful before realizing he asked her a question. "Oh...Tai Zedekiah." She hesitates. "It's, um, nice to meet you."

JETMODE: "Yeah," he grunts, looking much as if he disagrees. He pauses, looking down the road toward Kamaria with a set frown. Then he sighs, rubbing his forehead and starting on his way. "Better start walking, I guess." The sooner he drops her off, the sooner he can leave again.

TIAMAT: * Tai looks uncomfortable again, mingled slightly with guilt. "I really feel like I'm inconveniencing you...you don't have to take me all the way to the city if you were headed somewhere else."

JETMODE: "Eh.. don't worry about it," he says, glancing back at her with an odd look of guilt on his own face. "It's really not a problem ... I.." He shakes his head, scuffing one of his boots in the dirt. "Well, never mind. It's not a big deal, trust me."

TIAMAT: * She looks at him a little doubtfully. "Where were you headed, anyway?"

JETMODE: "North," Kain says evasively. "Maybe Neenah, maybe farther. I just wanted to travel." He scratches his cheek with a faint sigh. "I'm from Kamaria, so I know this area pretty well." He pauses, looking at her again. "Why are you traveling, anyway?"

TIAMAT: "I'm...well..." She glances around, as if casting for an answer, then brushes her hair out of her face and sighs. "I'm searching for my family."

JETMODE: "Oh." He doesn't seem terribly comfortable with this answer, letting the awkward silence extend for some time before he speaks again. "You think they might be in Kamaria? ... I guess it's a good place to look -- pretty big city."

TIAMAT: "Yeah..." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "I was left in a temple in Neenah when I was very young...or so my adoptive family has told me. I never knew my parents...I don't even really know what to look for to find them. That's why I thought I'd start in Kamaria, because it's so large." She falls silent, looking a little sad.

JETMODE: "I see." Kain falls silent again before glancing at her, frowning. "Still ... that's no reason to travel alone. There are plenty of caravans out of Neenah, merchant and religious alike."

TIAMAT: * Tai shrugs a little. "My brother -- foster brother, I suppose -- Jostin took me part way. He couldn't afford to take me the whole way to the capital though...he and our sister have duties to the temple. I figured traveling on the road would be safe..."

JETMODE: * Kain nods dryly, then shakes his head. "The roads are only safe near the cities. Outside the regular guard patrols ..." He shrugs, causing his pack to rattle against a larger piece of weaponry strapped across his back. "... anything goes, pretty much."

TIAMAT: * Tai glances up curiously at the rattling noise, noticing the spear strapped to her guide's back. "Are you a soldier? You took care of those bandits pretty easily back there."

JETMODE: "Nah ... just trained. My dad insisted." He glances skyward, scuffing his boot again almost irritably. "Not that I mind, really. I like a good scrap." A cheerful grin crosses his face, and a sort of bounce creeps into his step. "Not that the bandits count as a good scrap. It was pretty boring."

TIAMAT: * Tai looks a little amused at his sudden cheerfulness. "I never had much interest in battles..." she murmurs. "Jostin is training to be a temple knight, and he wanted me to go through some of the exercises with him, but...eh. I don't much like fighting."

JETMODE: * Kain shrugs lightly. "To each his own. ... Or hers," he adds as an afterthought. "I didn't have much choice to begin with, but I don't really mind ... not that part of it, anyway." He sticks his hands behind his head, not bothering to elaborate further.

TIAMAT: * Tai watches him curiously for a moment, but doesn't pry when he offers no more explanation, and the two of them walk on in relative silence.

JETMODE: * Kain keeps up a steady clip until evening, around which time he steps off the road, unslinging his pack and looking for a good spot to rest for the night. "We'd better rest for now ... get started early in the morning."

TIAMAT: * Tai glances around uncertainly as she follows him. "Are there...no towns in this area?"

JETMODE: "None we're going to get to today," Kain replies, cheerfully clearing a spot for a fire. "Plenty of firewood around here, at least. Hope you've got a sleeping bag, 'cause I don't have a tent ..." He glances back at her, arching a brow.

TIAMAT: "Oh...um...yeah, I do. I just...haven't really used it yet." She looks a little embarrassed as she slings her pack off her back, watching him for a moment before following his lead and helping gather wood for the fire.

JETMODE: "Good," he says, tossing the wood in the same general area for several minutes until he's decided they have enough. That finished, he crouches next to the pile, laying it out with practiced precision and breaking out flint and tinder to start the blaze. It isn't long before he has a fairly respectable campfire going, and he sits back on his rump eyeing her warily. "You haven't camped out before?"

TIAMAT: * She watches him silently, hovering behind him as he makes the fire and trying not to get in the way. Once the fire's going, she sits down near him, though not too close, pulling her knees up to her chest as she stares into the flame. "No...I've never really been outside the city before."

JETMODE: * Kain stares at her silently for a moment, managing to bite down on the urge to tell her exactly what he thinks of that. Then he shrugs, poking at the fire. "Well, the fire usually keeps the local wildlife away, and we're probably pretty safe just sleeping through the night."

TIAMAT: * Tai quails a little under his stare, swallowing hard. "Okay...do you have any food? I brought a few rations..." She pulls her haversack towards her and flips it open, rummaging through it.

JETMODE: "I'm fine for food," he answers, shrugging, and gets to his feet, ambling over to break open his sleeping bag and lay it out on the ground before digging in his pack for some bread and dried meat. "Not the tastiest, but it keeps, and that's what's important." He sits down on the bag and grins, unscrewing a flask as well -- presumably he keeps water in it.

TIAMAT: * Tai falls silent as she unpacks her own supplies, laying her sleeping bag out opposite the fire from Kain. She stays quiet as she eats dried fruits and bread, the fire reflecting in her blue eyes as she gazes thoughtfully into the blaze. As darkness falls around them, she pulls out a blanket and wraps it around herself, shivering slightly.

JETMODE: * Kain finishes his meal with minimal ceremony, watching Tai across the fire for several minutes before he stretches. "Well, it's about time to crash." He grins cheerfully. "See you in the morning."

TIAMAT: * She startles out of her reverie, blinking over at him. "Oh...right. Sleep well, Kain." She follows suit and lays down, curling up on her side with the blanket wrapped around her, still staring into the fire.

TIAMAT: * After a while, Tai finally drops off into a peaceful sleep. The fire gradually burns down, leaving bright orange embers to glow in the darkness. Sometime after midnight, a set of pale eyes appears from the boughs of a tree up the road a ways from the little camp. They watch the coals silently for several minutes before the figure drops silently to the ground; she is tall, well over 7', and a set of wings gracing her back are silhouetted in the moonlight. Her glowing eyes glance around briefly before she calls out quietly, "I know you're here somewhere."

JETMODE: "Well, you always were a sharp one, sis." A second figure, this one male, emerges from the trees a few feet away, giving a long, stretch that spreads his wings to their fullest. He ambles closer to the first, watching her with wary interest. "So, ah, I'm guessing this is the part where you yell at me."

TIAMAT: * She folds her arms, and, though it is dark and her features are hidden by shadows, he can by the tone of her voice that she's frowning. "Where were you this morning?"

JETMODE: * He pauses as if considering this question, sticking his hands behind his head and turning his gaze thoughtfully skyward. "This morning ... hum ... I was ... oh yeah, asleep." He offers what's probably an attempt at a winning smile, though it's difficult to see more than the flash of his teeth in the darkness. "I mean, come on, it was a chance meeting ..."

TIAMAT: "You know we can't take any chances," she snaps, sounding thoroughly annoyed. She pauses, turning back toward the camp to stare at the dying fire. "We need to find a way to separate them."

JETMODE: "You worry too much, you know? They'll separate themselves." He crouches lazily beneath one of the trees, long tail swishing through the underbrush. "He drops her off in the city, they go their separate ways. Simple as that, and we don't need to complicate their lives."

TIAMAT: * She bristles slightly, her wings quivering, though she doesn't respond immediately. Finally she turns back toward the other figure, her eyes flashing in the pale moonlight. "... Fine. We give them until they reach Kamaria. But we need to stay close until then. You know what's at stake, brother."

JETMODE: "Right, right." The male figures sounds bored, almost depressed by his appointed task, and he flicks his wings once, glancing at his sister. "You taking first shift?" he asks mildly, feeling it a reasonable question, with her the one more interested.

TIAMAT: * The winged being pauses, then jumps silently into the lower boughs of the nearest tree, turning her pale eyes back down toward her brother. "I'll wake you in a few hours. Do try not to fall asleep on your shift this time."

JETMODE: "Meh." The other follows her into the branches, giving her a sincerely doubtful look. "You just don't trust me at all, do you?" He grins again, not waiting for a response, then springs away, spreading his wings to soften his landing before ambling off into the woods.

TIAMAT: * His sister watches him silently, offering no further comment other than a quiet sigh as he disappears into the dark trees.