Dragon Age: Pony Origins (Private)

[Hundashter]

Clover smiles and nods, sniffing again and wiping the drying tears from her face. She feels a light blush on her cheeks when Midnight places her wing around her, and she steps closer to Midnight, letting their coats touch as she nods again at her and Cold's words.

She closed her eyes and sighed inwardly as she followed after Cold, staying by Midnight's side the entire time. She vaguely wondered what Cold wanted to talk about, but knew she'd find out in time. She also felt a little bad for exploding at Aselia the way she did, but after all that had happened to her, the mare's words just set her off and she couldn't help it.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Midnight, actually admiring her features instead of simply seeing them this time. She really was beautiful, exotically so, and she was eager to learn how she fought for sure, knowing that it would undoubtedly help her later on. She made a little happy purr noise in her throat and nuzzled Midnight's neck affectionately, then blushed again and looked away, smiling awkwardly. " Umm...t-thank you again Midnight... "

[Cainiam]

NPC Post: Aselia

Aselia saw the anger in Clover's face bubble over then gestured at Midnight. "Look at her!" she reinforced before getting a slap to the cheek so hard it stung. Aselia bristled angrily, raising her own hoof as if to strike back, before letting it drop again as Clover continued. "You want to be accepted? In Equestria? As an apostate maleficar nopony will ever accept you!" she tried to fight back, but Clover's voice was stronger, her despair and rage a torrent of noise and emotion. She felt an angry poke at her chest as she stared into Clover's tear stained eyes, her own taking on a cold aspect as all the fire and anger vanished into a void. She watched Clover walk over to Midnight and hug her. A single tear dripped down her cheek as she watched the two of them exchanging affections, and then nothing. "You have made your decision. For whatever it is worth you are no longer accepted by me," Aselia said coldly.

Cold walked up, barely acknowledging her, but what did she care. The soldier was more bluster than substance. She stood still, staring into nothingness as her mind swirled at what had happened, something giving in deep inside her. By the time she looked back up the others were walking back, and she trotted after them at a distance, heading to meet up with the rest of her pathetic group for a quest that was over all of their heads. She didn't even look at Clover and Midnight as they continued their little game of playing cute. She didn't matter any longer. She was content to be a two-bit nopony who would die in a shallow unmarked grave for a cause she had no reason to fight for. She would never be accepted.

NPC Post: Knights of Redcliffe:

The healing was done. A knight walked up to Broken as she sat down, and offered up a bag of silvers and coppers. "It's not much, but I owe you my legs. I felt that sword sever my spinal chord. I couldn't even move, but then you got here and you fixed it all. Thank you," he said with a smile.

The knight was quickly pushed out of the way by another who glared at her. "Because you decided to run after your friend four more of our number lay dead. You could have saved them! You could have stopped them from bleeding out! But, no! You dived off that cliff and left them all to die! Their deaths are on your conscience, mage!" he barked loudly, before two more knights grabbed him and dragged him off.

The first knight shook his head again. "Ignore him, healer. You saved our lives. We won't forget that. If you ever need our aid, you need only ask," he said kindly.

Gossan:

Gossan watched the group reassemble piece by piece. Some he greeted with warm smiles: Grym, Archon, Cold, Aselia, Tune. (+5 approval to each.) Others with cold glares: Clover, Midnight, Broken. (-5 to each.) It was very clear to him which of his companions had shone in the battle, doing their all to stem the tide and win. And who had fled and broken, who had shirked duties, who had pulled away from the fight for frivolous reasons. He turned to Grym as she didn't ask any questions, giving a quick question for more information and earning a smile from the dog. "I am ready," he said simply with a nod.

NPC Post: Bann Teagan:

Bann Teagan looked at the others as they all returned slowly, but only one had a question on his lips, or beak rather. "We are talking a literal demon here. Undead are minor demons trapped in decaying flesh after all," he explained in case the griffon hadn't known. "We suspect these necromancers are the demon's thralls... but we don't know. It's unknown how they even got into the castle. And whether they have anything to do with the Arl's poor health," he explained. When Archon asked for more money, Teagan shook his head. "If money is your motivation for helping, then money you will receive. Redcliffe's treasury is inside the castle. Freeing it will give us much gold to pay you with," he replied levelly. At Grym's question, Teagan shook his head. "I have told you all you need to know."

When Gossan said he was ready, Teagan nodded, looking at them all. "Then let us hurry!" Teagan began to canter towards the mill, the others following him. He spoke quickly while they were behind him. "The knights and I will stay by the gate. Head to the main gate and lower the drawbridge from the inside, then we will reinforce you and help you take the rest of the castle," he explained as they hurried to the mill. "Nopony has ever returned from the inside since the disaster, so we know not how bad it really is in there. The short cut will take you from the mill to the dungeons. From there you can climb up and head through the kennels, then the kitchens, then the dining room, and from there you can reach the entrance hall and the exit to the outside," Teagan said, listing off directions.

When they arrived at the mill Teagan lead them inside and brushed off a load of hay to reveal a trapdoor. He reached up to his necklace and pulled a tiny key from it, slotting it into the lock and twisting before returning the key to his necklace. With that all done he opened the door for them to enter. Inside was a pitch black tunnel that seemed completely straight. "This is the short cut. Right under their defences. All of you who return from this will be named Champions of Redcliffe, I swear it, and Redcliffe shall be forever in your debt if you restore the castle to us. I pray only the Arl yet lives, as he shall be more help to you than I can be, even if I inherit the Arling," Teagan said.

[Dabom444]

Broken smiled at the knights as they thanked her. Apparently her magic had healed lost control of limbs, This is what she found the most happiness in. Perhaps if she was good enough with her magic she could regrow lost limbs with little effort! That would be a tale of legends. She did blink down at the bag in her hooves. She peered back up at the knight and nodded. "Thank you...i could use this for a meal...your very kind."

She winced and whimpered as one of them screamed at her. She shrank back and shivered a bit as the other knights drug him away and nodded when they told her to ignore him."I couldnt heal them all....I was concerned for my friend. I couldnt just let her do what she did...." she squeaked in explaination.

After a few moments she heard the others start to move out. She peeked back at them and then looked back at the village. She should stay....To help those she had failed to protect. There had to be other wounded that needed help. Following them up at the back of the group she stopped nearby.

She waited till Tegan was finnished. She raised a hoof slowly, "Um Excuse me....Tegan was it? Sorry....But i think i should stay behind...to help those that i failed to keep healed during the battle....My chasing of Clover caused some to get more wounds than they should and i feel that its my responsability to tend to them and help the chantry..." She said to him over the group.

Waving to the others she blinked, "My companions are more than capable of keeping well and are skilled enough to fight their way through whatever it is that is inside...." She explained before pulling her broken staff out. "Plus my stave is broken....my spells are amplified through it so my skills will not be as good.....Im not trying to abandon everypony...i just feel my skills will be better off here...."

[TheUsurper]

Archon smiled grimly as Teagan mentioned that the treasury was in the castle. "Delayed payment, hm? I can work with that." He gave Teagan a brief bow. "You've paid my price, Bann Teagan. The price for my loyalty. Your wish is my command. Though I'd prefer it if you didn't send me to my death, if it's all the same." His smile faded. "Well, not more death, at any rate. Storming the castle is a bold move, and I'm not sure we'll be able to pull it off even with all the troops we have here." He shrugged. "Then again, I'm not a strategist, so I'll leave that to you."

He followed Teagan to the mill, listening silently to his explanation of the plan. When he got to the part about a shortcut from the mill, he began to smile again. That would their job a lot easier, though he didn't relish being in such close quarters with his opponents. It wasn't what he was good for. But at least he was with a team of others now, and melee range simply meant an easier target to shoot in the head.

His legs carried him forward mechanically as he was absorbed in his thoughts, only snapping out of his reverie when Teagan pulled open the trapdoor. He listened for a little while longer as Teagan voiced his hopes for the Arl's life, though Archon severely doubted it. That wasn't for him to say, though, so he readied himself to descend into the trapdoor - behind the others, of course, in his role as an archer.

He gazed silently at the trapdoor for a short while, then turned back to the others. Broken asked Teagan if she could stay behind to help the other soldiers, and while she was awaiting the response Archon surveyed the rest of the group. He noticed one of them looking particularly down - the one who'd shapeshifted into that bear during the battle - and moved over to her.

"You look... sad." He said. "Are you alright?" A pony preoccupied with her thoughts was one who was fighting less effectively, after all. "I don't think I caught your name earlier. My name is Archon. What's yours?"

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight smiled as she felt the warmth of Clover under her wing and against her fur. Clover was still kinda wet, but that didn’t make Midnight turn away, it was a weird and nice sensation. But it made Midnight smile, she was with Clover and that was enough. She wasn’t sure when she felt how she did about the mare, but it was an unfamiliar feeling. She’d felt it once before, many years ago, but she wasn’t sure he felt the same way about her. But, Clover was a mare, and Midnight had to admit, she wasn’t expecting it from a mare. But, Midnight couldn’t deny her excitement.

Midnight blushed brightly when Clover nuzzled her neck, but she looked away. Midnight gently put her hoof on Clovers face, turning it to face her. “Don’t worry about it Clover, I promise I’ll protect you, and I’ll teach you how to protect others. Your magic will come back in time, I hope, but if not, i’ll show you how us non-unicorn ponies fight”

Midnight arrived as she heard Teagan explaining their path. It was an interesting plan, going under their defenses and striking from the inside, then lowering the drawbridge and letting the others in. A solid plan, though, in excess she thought. She could sneak in, assassinate the necromancer and problem solved! But she remained silent, opting to let Grym make the call. She looked over at Clover, before pausing. Without her Magic, Clover wouldn’t be able to fight just yet, if she went in there and died…

“Clover, you can’t go in there. Without your magic, you’ll be a sitting duck. Look, how about we sit this one out? I’ll teach you how to fight without your magic, then when they open that gate, we’ll go in. How’s that sound?” Midnight didn't want Clover to go in because she was selfish. Clover couldn't fight without her magic, and until it returns, she was nothing other than cannon fodder, and Midnight refused to let that happen.

[Hundashter]

Clover blushed as Midnight reassured her, then smiled nervously as she spoke her mind and said that she should stay behind and train with the mare. She shook her head and placed a hoof on Midnight's shoulder. " I can't do that Midnight, at least not in good conscience....m-maybe I can be a distraction or carry some extra gear...I don't want to feel any more useless or helpless than I already am. "

She overheard Broken's words and went to her side, unslinging her bow from her back and holding it out to the mare with a hoof. " Here...since I can't use my magic at the moment, that makes you the only healer, and it makes this essentially a pretty stick to me in terms of usefulness, so it will be more useful to you. It's essentially just a staff, so you should be able to focus your magic through it like you would any other, it just has a different way of firing its blasts is all. You can borrow it for now, a-at least until I get back my magic. But, I think you should go with the group, for what it's worth. This town has healers from the chantry, but our group only has you now, at least in terms of magical healing. "

She smiled, then went back to Midnight's side and sighed, leaning gently against the mare. " If the others think I should stay behind, then I will, and you can teach me how to fight Midnight, but otherwise I'm going with them. I'm not going to leave my friends unless my presence will only cause more harm than good, like it would have when we fought those monsters last night. "

[Travelaway]

Once more Cold found himself impressed by Clover's attitude, perhaps he'd been too hasty in judging her earlier, after all just being an apostate didn't make someone evil, he knew that all too well. He stepped towards the mare, "Perhaps I need to put my own pride to the side, forget the private conversation, I'll speak my mind now. Clover I'd like to apologize for my earlier treatment of you, you showed great valor last night, especially for someone who I'm assuming has never been in a battle before. If you accompany us into the castle, I swear to you that I will personally guard you." He gave a slight bow, sometimes being noble meant knowing when to swallow your pride and admit your mistakes, and hoping you're forgiven.

The battle had put hope back into Cold, he'd thought perhaps his days as a warrior were over, that maybe the reason his soldiers had died was because of incompetence on his part, but their victory last night had restored a little of his faith. These ponies might not have been serving under him like his troops had, but he could still be there for them, to rally them when they were at their lowest, and to help them push forward by boosting their courage.

[SunlightHeart]

Grym watched the ponies before her with an odd mixture of disinterest, concern, and a hint of curiosity. Even though she didn't have all of the information, she could tell that their group was falling apart at the seems. That was to be expected though, afterall, only Midnight was pledged to her and only Gossan seemed to agree with her methods. Other than Broken everyone else was a mixed bag. Tune only wanted to get to Redcliffe, well, here he was, why was he still following them? Aselia had started off promising, but seemed to be growing more unstable with each passing moment. Clover was a good mage and a deadly archer, but was this really the setting for her? Then there was Cold... a loud mouthed, outspoken, confrontational, pony who was just as good of a warrior as her or Gossan, all wrapped up in a package shaped like many mares' ideal prince charming. Grym scoffed. This group... What was she going to do with them?

Luckily, some of the issues that had been springing up were resolving themselves. Broken's staff was temporarily replaced with Clover's bow, Cold decided to reinforce Clover's morality by apologizing and offering her protection during the their mission in the castle, and Archon had decided to talk to the brooding Aselia. Good, it wasn't her job to babysit adults.

With all of that moving towards their own solutions, Grym was free to fully take in the directions Teagan had given them. If she remembered correctly, Tune had been the one to create the traps in town and had been the one giving advice about positioning and battlefield advantage. That's what they needed right now, so he was the stallion she needed to speak with. "Make sure your knights are ready, Teagan."

As expected, he was in the company of his buddy, Gossan. Trotting over to the pair, Grym gave both of them a nod of acknowledgement. "From what I remember, Tune, you are the one who directed the use of traps during the battle, correct? There implementation was instrumental in holding back the enemies. As you seem to be a pony with a firm grasp on the flow of traffic in an urban setting, I'd like your opinion. Even though these undead wield weaponry, they are still slow, meaning that their advantages are numbers and stamina, but within the confines of the Castle interior, she should be able to minimize the amount of enemies we fight at one time. Do you have any ideas on what areas we should avoid and how we should fight to give us the best chance of survival?"

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight didn’t, couldn’t, understand. Clover still wanted to go in?! She was crazy, Clover wasn’t able to fight, she’d be nothing more than just a meatshield. If she got ambushed, or a fight got crazy, Clover would be nothing more than a glorifed body, and that wasn’t what Midnight wanted.

“Clover! You can’t be serious! You can’t go in there, you’ll get cut down. It isn’t safe, and there is no point going in just to die.”

But that’s when Cold spoke, saying he’ll protect Clover and she felt he was implying she goes in.

“Cold, surely you can’t be serious, she can’t go in. She’ll get slaughtered, surely” She turned back to Clover “You can’t be serious, Clover, please, listen to me. I can teach you how to fight here, and when they lower the gate, we’ll go in. Please Clover, listen to me, I beg you”

[Hundashter]

Clover looked at Cold as he spoke, turning her gaze away from the stricken look Midnight had on her face. She smiled and bowed her head to Cold, blushing slightly. " Thank you Cold, I appreciate and accept your offer. " Midnight then spoke up and Clover turned her attention back to the mare as she spoke emphatically, begging Clover not to go.

Clover let a happy smile creep its way onto her lips. Midnight truly cared for her it seemed. She pawed at the ground with a hoof and avoided eye contact until Midnight was finished, then grabbed the mares face with both front hooves and mashed her lips against the mares, letting a contented sigh escape her mouth as she pulled out of the simple kiss. She blushed hard and cleared her throat twice before speaking. " I a-appreciate your concern Midnight, but I will have nothing to worry about if i go. I'll have Cold and you to look after me, plus I bet you can teach me a few things along the way, r-right? I promise to stay out of everyone's way, and w-we can stay near the back of the group so you can teach me a few moves...o-or something... "

She could feel her wrapped appendage swelling once more, but she didn't care at the moment. Instead, she giggled and brought her face close to Midnights again, her blush evident and her voice quavering and soft with nervousness. " P-plus...in t-the back, we c-can do m-more of...of this... " She licked her lips then leaned in the last few inches to connect her muzzle with Midnights, closing her eyes and tilting her head slightly to the side as she opened her mouth in the hopes the mare would do the same, another sigh making its way from her throat as she did so.

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight watched Clover, expecting the mare to listen to her. How the unicorn did react however, left Midnight grasping for breath and her cheeks were bright red. They were in public! Sure, Midnight liked Clover, a lot, b-but, they were in public! Ponies were watching!

But Clover declared she was going in, and Midnight submitted. She knew it would be pointless to fight Clover's decision, she'd seen the mare being stubborn once, and knew it wouldn't bend to her. But at least she was still willing to let her teach her, Midnight reached onto the ground, spotting the crossbow she'd discarded before. She could probably give Clover that and as long as she stayed with her, they'd be fine, at least, if Clover to hit her targets.

When Clover got right up in her face, Midnight felt her cheeks burn up even more. and when Clover shope quietly, Midnight felt a shiver around her body. Was Clover really going to kiss her with all these ponies watching?! She got her answer when Clover closed her eyes, almost touched muzzles and tilted her head at the side. Midnight froze. She was scared.

If she didn't kiss her, Clover might think she was rejecting her, and that wasn't the message she wanted to send. But, if she kissed her, the other ponies were all watching them! She was stuck, and she could only do one thing. She closed her eyes, knowing that she was going to regret this, and leaned in, kissing Clover. She felt her fur almost on fire when she felt her lips against her own, but her teeth were closed tight.

[Hundashter]

Clover sighed, then reached out with her tongue, touching it to Midnight's teeth. After only a moment of this, the mare opened the ivory gates and let clover in, causing the mare to gasp in excitement. She pushed onward, no longer caring about the heat in her lower regions nor the strain being placed upon her wrappings.

She sat down on her haunches, then wrapped her forelegs around Midnight's back, drawing her inwards and she continued the kiss, pushing her tongue deeper and exploring the mares mouth while hugging the mare tightly to her barrel, letting out a soft moan as she felt Midnight's chest press against her extra appendage, trapping it between them as it throbbed against their bodies.

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight felt Clovers tongue pressing against her teeth, and knowing she'd regret it, she opened her teeth. She felt Clover pulling her down and her tongue inading her mouth. She wasn't sure what do to, she really didn't. She was kissing the mare back, but as for the tongue, her's just hung around idel in her mouth, poking Clover's.

Clover pulling her made her inclided to follow the other mares leads, after all, she probably knew more than she did, which wouldn't be hard. But she felt something pressed against her, and realized what it was. She was, very confused. Part of her really, really, wanted it, but, they were in public! Making out was bad enough, the others probably judging them, but..

Midnight didn't want to hurt Clover, but she didn't want this to escalate in case something happened. She pulled her head back slightly, trying to catch the breath that Clover had stolen from her with her kiss.

"C-clover..we..we're, in public" Midnight quietly protests "O-others are watching, can we..you, know, later?" She asked, embarrased. While she wasn't embarrassed by Clover, kissing the mare in public with so many watching, scared her.

[Walker]

Tune had been silent up until the trapdoor was revealed, his eyes opening wide as he glanced from Gossan to Teagan, and then finally to Grym. He spat lightly onto the floor, a small dribble of blood from the cut on his muzzle having run into his mouth, before he wiped said wound on his hoof. “Now? We’re going right now?” He asked in disbelief, his muscles barely having any time to relax and stop their aching. Plus, an extra check of his bag revealed that, as he noticed before, he had nothing, no tricks, no tools, and no trinkets left after the last fight. He desperately needed to go back to his stash, he needed bandages… heck, he needed a nap. The pegasus stretched his tarred up wings with a grunt of pain, the audible cracking of the dried on liquid reminding him that a bath wouldn’t hurt either. He was about to come up with an excuse, or maybe just slip away, even if it was just to retreave his things, but the large mare who fought like a demon made him stop any thought along those lines and smile weakly in her direction. “Er… I suppose it’s everyone into the hole now, into a castle that we have no map, or floor plans of… all gung ho and all that. Quite the… idea.” He finished flatly.

Though, what she said next surprised him. Truthfully, the small pegasus had quickly become use to his place in the group, for what little time he thought he would be spending with them. To sit down, be more or less ignored by most, and not draw any attention to himself. But suddenly, the mare that, from his general feel of the group, many thought of as a leader, was coming to him for advice. He bit his lip for a moment, before he rubbed the back of his forehoof over his eyes. “Just… Ma’am, if you would excuse me for about… five minutes.” He mumbled, before ducking out of the mill. He stumbled as he instinctively tried to fly, his wings still unusable, and the sudden jerks bringing a fresh wave of pain through his forehoof. He shook his head as he limped back to the chantry, his sights set on a large sack that he’d hidden… in the rafters. He shook his head, before convincing one of the pegasi to retrieve the bag for him. It only took him a few minutes to pack a collection into his saddlebags, and return to Grym and Gossan, clenching a piece of wood that had been charred on one end in his mouth. He busied himself with a quick sketch on the floor, using the burnt end of the stick to draw several X’s in various positions.

“Okay, now, this is just my opinion. You can do whatever the heck it is that you feel needs to be done. Without a map, I don’t know the exact location of the drawbridge controls, but I can estimate that they would be somewhere in the courtyard. Now, that’s really bad for us, because of all the places I’d suggest we stay away from, the courtyard is at the top of the list. Our best bet would be to go through the halls, together, as a group.” His eyes flickered upwards for a moment, before he muttered to her. “They listen to you, so you’re going to have to tell them this because I doubt they would listen to me, but if we’re outnumbered in an enclosed space like a castle, against opponents that are tireless, and fearless, our only advantages are our intellect, and how we work together as a group.” He pulled a vial out of his bag as he spoke, dumping the contents on his wings with a small sigh, the oil starting to crack and fall off as he fluttered his feathers free. “We’ll come out of the tunnel, and get our bearings from there. We need to stick to thin, long hallways, and try to move in a cluster similar to this.” He tapped the diagram again with the stick, drawing attention to how it was shaped.

X X X

X X X

X X X

“You and Cold will be the front two, I trust that you will be able to repel any attack that is thrown at you in a narrow space between the two of you. Gossan, you and the… erhm… bear will be watching our rear. Only because I fear for your wounds and think you could use a little rest, and her shapshift ablilties do little to dissuade the undead, so intimidation is not on our side.” He pointed to the small cross in the middle. “The small unicorn…Broken was it? The healer. She’ll be in the center. There is no way she can be in any direct harm’s way. To her left and right will be… um… Clover! Right, Clover and myself, respectfully. We’ll make sure, if any of them make it past anyone, that nothing comes to befall her. She can always patch us up afterwards.”

He scratched his head before tapping his stick against the remaining two Xs. “The griffon… and that mare who threatened to kill me the other day… should they be coming with us, will fill the remaining positions. Their bows will be able to provide support on either side while we are fighting.” He sighed, pulling a green plant from his bag and chewing on it, wincing at the bitter taste that coursed through his body, accompanied with a numbing effect the dulled the throbbing in his forehoof. “As we move, I can make a crude map, and give us a good idea of how to approach the courtyard. When we get there, we should come out as close to the gate as possible… and all we’ll need to do is pull the lever, and the other knights can sweep in.” He paused, crossing his forelegs before testing his wings. “If you wish, when we get to the courtyard, if you and the rest can take care of any archers, I can fly over quick as a wink, and we can sandwich the undead between us and the knights.” He shrugged, before applying a makeshift bandage to his muzzle. “Though, once again, you’re the leader here, feel free to listen, or come up with your own idea. I’m stuck with you either way.” He said with a cheeky grin.

[Hundashter]

Clover was getting into it when Midnight pulled away, and she moved her head forwards to continue, when her mind registered what the mare had said. Her pupils shrank and she gasped, leaning back as her face turned a lovely shade of crimson. She stammered and darted her eyes around to the others, and brought a hoof up to cover her mouth as she realized what she had been doing.

She then squeaked and squeezed her eyes closed as her hormones betrayed her, her back legs twitching slightly as Midnight would soon see a stain appear on Clovers clothes. She let out a shuddering sigh and gulped, drawing her eyes back up to look at Midnight. " I-I...u-umm....s-sorry M-Midnight....I g-got..c-carried aw-way....a l-little.... " She glanced down at the new patch of warmth growing against her clothing and groaned, biting her lower lip and covering her face with her hooves. " D-dammit " She said softly.

Her ears perked up when she heard Tune's words and she turned her head to look at him with a nervous and worried expression. " T-Tune? T-There's a p-problem with that plan...I can't fight...I l-lost my magic in the fight...I can't protect anything, let alone m-myself, at least f-for the moment. " She furrowed her brow and gave him a determined look. " B-But...I'll t-try... ". She turned to look at Midnight again and smiled nervously " S-Sorry, again...s-so...y-yeah, we'll...we'll do this, " She gestured at herself and Midnight with a hoof. " We'll do this l-later...so...u-umm....h-how fast c-can you train me to use a normal bow or s-something? "

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight was confused when Clover said she got carried away, until she noticed the staining on Clover's clothes. She was surprised, that didn't take her long, but then again, she was rubbing against her and she couldn't understand what Clover went through, though it would be a lie if she didn't say it excited her. But, it kinda of scared her. She wasn't sure how to deal with it and hoped that Clover took the lead, cause otherwise, she was in trouble.

At the mention of more kissing, Midnight wanted to try hide her excitement. Sure, kissing while the others could be watching like that they were in public, scared her. But, it was Clover. At the mention of learning a bow, Midnight smiled. She knew just want to do. She walked off, and found her crossbow, the one she'd discarded before. She offered it to Clover, along with her bag of arrows.

"I got this. Attach to your foreleg, aim and pull back on this, and boom. I'll need to back, but it'll work for now. Just point and shoot, that's all it is. Outside of that, take these' Midnight reached into her armour, pulling out 2 small daggers and a short sword "No idea how much you know about swords, but they'll help. I'll teach you as we go how to use these blades. Now come on, i'm sure Grym has a plan, and I'm not looking forwards to this, it's something we gotta get done"

[Dabom444]

Broken was surprised by the group as they insisted she stayed here and there. She even recieved a new staff to use although It wasnt hers.

She held the bow in her hooves for a few moments. She blinked and shuffled the object in her grasp. After a while she peered back up to Clover who bestowed her the weapon. She was treated to a display that caused her cheeks to run red. Her eyes dialated and she stepped back a bit as the two continued on.

Time passed and they finnished. She took a step forward to speak when Tune began to speak about a plan. All she needed to know was that she was being put in the middle....A valuable position for a healer as she would always take. She had no complaints but needed Grym to make the final decision on the matter.

When that was finnished she trotted up to Clover, Waiting till she could step in for a second. She tapped her on the shoulder. With this she embraced her in a hug and smiled just before breaking it and floating the staff before her. "This is a very kind offer Clover....Thank you....But i wouldnt find it right to take this...Even though you bestowed it upon me my bow is.....its dear to me....And i wouldnt forgive myself if yours broke...." She said handing it over and stepping back. "Thank you though.....Really it means alot....."

She sighed and shuffled her hooves. "I could try casting more often without my staff but....Its gonna be tough for me."

[Cainiam]

NPC Post: Aselia

Aselia was brooding in the corner when he introduced himself as Archon. She looked over the griffon, recalling seeing him fight. "Aselia. There. You have your name. Now leave me be. I will fight and kill when the time comes, so you have no need to bother me," she replied rudely. A final glare at him to see him away. What wounds she had suffered could not be patched with a few words. It would take a much grander gesture. She was sure to glare at all the others too. Not one of them tried to help her when she had been almost killed. They all hated her for who she was. Even Clover had given up her chance to be a normal mage, more content to be a chantry serf. She had no need for any of them. Once she had the Arl's ear she would get a reward in bits as well and be out of Equestria as soon as possible. Her eyes finally settled on Clover and Midnight and their attempts to be considered "cute".

NPC Post: Teagan

Teagan nodded back at Archon and his bow. "Loyalty is always rewarded by Redcliffe," he assured. "I will lead the knight's charge myself. I have stood on the sidelines too long. As soon as you open the gate we can assist. There is no telling how many of them there are. You'll need the ponypower." He heard their plan as Tune explained it then chortled and slapped the pegasus on the back. "Fine planning there. I'm sure you'll all do great. We'll be waiting at the gate," he said with a final bow before rushing out of the mill.

Gossan:

Gossan walked with Tune, absorbing what few useful words Teagan had to say as they walked to the mill. Once there he stood besides Tune, and peered into the hole. Just as he was about to jump into it, Grym walked over, and Tune began to spout strategy complete with maps and planning based on strength. When he mentioned his wounds however Gossan grunted. "Barely scratched," he mumbled. He noticed the others arguing and walked away for a moment to straighten things out. He grabbed the bow from Clover's hooves and pushed it back into Broken's chest. "Take it. Be useful," he said with a growl at the three of them. "No more running," he said back to Clover before heading to the hole. All they were doing was talking and kissing and apologising. "Time wasting!" he barked before jumping into the passage, axe at the ready.

[Dabom444]

Broken gave a slight yelp and watched Gossan take off. Had she insulted him? What had she done wrong? Its not like she could just up and use this staff without fear of breaking it.

She bit her lip and gave a sigh. Her magic activated and she handed the staff back to Clover. "You take it....place it on your back and dont lose it....I dont want to destroy it on accident...." she said simply just before giving a warm smile and then lowering her gaze sadly. Trotting after the Diamond dog she grumbled, her staff couldnt be wrecked completely....at least not the gem's core. Maybe she could use it once inside.

Her eyes blinked in the dark light of the passage. "Wow...way too dark...." she said softly. Her eyes closed, "Dark dark dark...always dark places!" She squeaked just before delving in after Gossan. Her magic activated and with slightly harder effort without her staff she was able to lighten just a small patch around her as she followed the dog.

"Gossan i got your back...." she said softly as she tagged after him. She spared a glance back to the entrance, a small whimper escaping her lips just as she turned back and trotted a bit faster to catch up.

[TheUsurper]

Archon took a step back, mildly surprised, as Aselia snapped back harshly at him in response to his greeting. He bowed and muttered, "Very well," returning to the rest of the group to listen to Tune's plan. Quite clearly Aselia was not ready to talk yet - if ever - and either way he had no business interfering in hers, if she didn't want his help. He merely contented himself with listening to Tune outlining the details of the formation they were to assume, and Teagan essentially agreeing with it. As far as Archon was concerned, that was an order. It was a sound plan anyway, but of course he wasn't a tactician so he wasn't fit to comment. He just gave a nod of assent to the plan and drew out his bow, ready to begin the journey. At the same time he tried not to think about what he'd pretended not to see happen between Clover and Midnight, though it wasn't exactly easy.

He noticed Gossan enter the passage and quickly followed suit, assuming the position that Tune had outlined earlier and waiting for the others to fall similarly into place. He notched an arrow into his bow, though not pulling it taut just yet, and looked around for hostiles. For all anybody knew they were walking into a trap, and if that was the case he didn't want to be unprepared.

[Travelaway]

Cold listened to Tune's plan for a moment, but it didn't really matter so long as they didn't go in and split up once they'd all entered. Cold followed Gossan and the griffon into the passage, waiting for the others to enter. "This is becoming an interesting adventure indeed, though not exactly the most fun, well, besides the fighting that is." He said to no one in particular, he was actually a bit nervous, not for the fight that would likely come soon, but for what they would find. If something had happened to the Arl, it would be a major blow to his plans.

[Dabom444]

Broken continued to trot in the dark. She heard Cold:s words and sighed. "Fun isnt what i would call it at all...." She said in response to him as she trotted around a obstruction on the ground. "Nearly getting killed all the time isnt my cup of tea....." She finnished as they continued inward.

[Hundashter]

Clover furrowed her brow as Broken hoofed her back the bow, but nodded in understanding. When Gossan came over and shoved the bow back into Broken's grasp, she was surprised, and even more so when once again Broken gave it back to her. She sighed as she placed it upon her back, then began to examine the crossbow Midnight had given her.

She felt a slight blush return to her face at the thought of Midnight and what they'd just done, and she shifted her back legs and hips to try and get slightly more comfortable, but her earlier accident was still warm and slick, and the movements only helped to further advance her arousal.

She let out an exasperated groan as she began to follow after the others down into the tunnel. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest when Aselia snapped at Archon, and her ears went down a bit. She felt bad for having snapped at the mare, and decided she should go apologize to her, but at the moment, hr mind was rather clouded by hormones and naughty thoughts, so she figured speaking to any mare other than Midnight should wait until she'd cooled down a bit.

She dropped back to walk beside Midnight and shivered, not from the cold, but from her traitorous body. She scrunched up her nose and sighed again, widening her hind legs to be farther apart as they walked. She then glanced at Midnight and whispered in her ear,

[SunlightHeart]

Grym examined Tune's plan and listened to everything he had to say closely and without interrupting. It was simple, yet fully encompassing. She had thought along the same lines as he, and the fact that she was on the right path to a workable plan let her know that some of Grim Stride's tactical mindset. That, and focusing on the task at hand kept her mind off of Midnight and Clover's 'antics'. She had no idea when their thing happened, but hopefully it wouldn't hurt their performances.

Truly, the pegasus was a talented planner which called attention to who he really was. She knew that he was some sort of bard, and that he had come with them in the hopes of meeting up with somepony in town. That objective was certainly dashed, seeing as he was here and not off with whatever mates he planned on making way with. "Lucky Tune, I don't know anything about you or why you're sticking around with us, but your insight may just get us through this. Now, I believe we should catch up with the rest of the group," she said looking over her shoulder at the others as they made their way down the hatch.

Rolling her neck, Grym turned from the stallion. "That map will do us well, a secondary objective of mine may require a bit of exploration so it should be no addition hassle." The mare adjusted her weapons and armor before following behind the group. Honestly, she was feeling overwhelmed. She wasn't the leader like Tune seemed to think. She was just the lucky surviving warden; a mare with no stock in the world who was simply swept away chasing her only remaining purpose. "Now, lets get this over with." With a final nod, she jumped down the trap door, landing with a thud.

"Alright," she addressed everyone there. "You heard Lucky Tune." He gaze traveled over their group and skipped over Cold as she waited for the last member of their entourage.

[Cainiam]

Gossan:

Gossan heard the Healer following him and he grumbled. He was still mad with her for abandoning all of her fellow warriors to go on a wild goose chase for a single ally. A judgement call like that could have cost them the battle. She refused a weapon to make herself useful in a fight, even as the one who wielded it was currently unable to. His vision adjusted quickly to the tunnel. He thrived underground after all. Although there was no stone sense to be had here. He prepared to move on when a light shone from behind him and made him wince before he heard Broken's voice. At least she was trying to make amends. She'd do better to show she could fight though.

He turned back to see the others slowly arriving and decided to wait. He heard Cold's words and Broken's response and shook his head. "You're a warden. Adapt," Gossan replied tersely. Grym arrived next and directed them all to take up positions. Gossan headed for the back with a grunt. "I'm not going to drop dead," he snapped as he walked past Tune. Still, he knew his duty. He prepared his axes and waited at the back, soon joined by Aselia who had slinked out of the shadows from above. She seemed a lot paler in the light of Broken's horn, and didn't say a single word as she waited for the word to move.