The Ghost from the dust

She watched as he made a few adjustments to the bow, and rolled her eyes at his continued use of his nickname for her. She was getting used to it though, and she didn't comment, smiling slightly. At his question, she frowned, looking from one bowstring to another. "You don't have an ordinary bowstring?" she asked finally. "Both seem rather... grand for someone who has never used a bow before." she commented.

looking at both his horse hair and silver string he shrugs, "Aye but your learning from a master, so takes the silver string and measures it with her bow, cutting it with his blade, the tied it on, pulling back to test it. "One rule, never release the string without an arrow in it," he smiles and hands her the bow "A fine bow for a fine lady"

She smiled shyly at him, taking the bow from him. "Thank you." she curtsied towards him, the smiling growing as she inspected the bow. "Now I suppose I should see if I can hit anything with it." she chuckled lightly, taking one of his arrows and fitting it to the bowstring. Biting her lip, she looked around for a suitable target, deciding upon a tree about ten yards away. Raising the bow, she drew the arrow back, still having trouble with the pull, though she found it was easier than his. Releasing the string, she watched with dismay as the arrow buried itself into the dirt a good several yards to the side of where she had been aiming.

watching with a smile Ardin, got up and took his bow, and grabbed hie quiver, putting it between them , putting an arro on the string "You want to keep it steady, pulled all the way back, and you want to look down the shaft, don't look at the target, and point the arrowhead right above where you want it to hit" he pulled back on his bow, aimed it at the same tree and fired, hitting it dead in the middle.

The young elf found it harder than he made it look. Ten arrows later, and she was still hitting nowhere near the mark, either finding herself overshooting or digging up dirt in front of the target tree. She frowned, and pulled out another arrow. This time, the arrow struck the very edge of the tree, and bounced aside. She grinned, looking up at Ardin. "Did you see that? I hit the tree!"

Ardin smiled and winked "What no I must have missed it, do it again, I promise I'll watch this time" he grinned, he saw it and was happy for her, and waited for her to hit it again.

It took her three more tries, but she again hit the tree - barely. Still, she was pleased with it, and she smiled happily, dropping the bow to her side and rubbing her arm. It was sore for the unaccustomed effort of pulling the bowstring all the way back, and she handed it to him while she gathered the arrows she had shot. "At least I am getting better,"she commented, wiping the arrows clean of dirt and leaves before replacing them in the quiver.

Ardin held her bow and smiled "You get it, you just need practice, I think you were doing lovely" he takes the quivers and both bows, heading back to the camp. "tomorrow we will have to hunt, we are almost out of cat meat" he looked at the meat from the feline, "This will last us the night, then we will half to find us a hunt"

She nodded, looking at the leftover meat. "I have to admit, I will be glad to be rid of it," she commented, taking a seat on the ground near the fire. "I am not big on meat anyway," she admitted. "I think tomorrow I will see if I cannot find some wild vegetables and grain." She smiled slightly. "Since you plan on staying here, maybe we should decide where our permanent camp should be."

Ardin started a fires "Ya might want to figure that out, maybe a nice house in the ruins" he looked at her with a grin "What is your plan, will you leave?" he watched her for a momment, watching her features

She hesitated, then shrugged. "I haven't made up my mind," she replied honestly. "I get the feeling though I should stay. Maybe not as strong as you, but I can still feel that ... something... wants us here." she smiled, looking into the fire. "And who am I to question the gods?"

he smiles and puts the meat over the flames "I question the gods all the time, I'm always insulting them, now spirits it them you don't want to question, they can be very....... persuasive"

She held her tongue on a lecture that came to mind over him insulting the gods. "What can a spirit do that the gods can't?" she questioned with a raised brow, hugging her knees to her chest.

He shrugged his shoulders and looked at her. "All my life I have argued with the gods, they have done nothing, when i needed them they wernt there, when I hated them and cursed them they never did anything, when my mother was sick and dieing, they never sent help, I dont believe they exist, Spirits do, and they are the ones that work this world"

She nodded slowly. "The Gods work in mysterious ways. Everything that happens, happens for a reason, Ardin," she sighed slightly. "At least that is what I believe." She rested her cheek on her arm, gazing into the fire. "What do you think these spirits will do?" she finally asked after a long pause.

stares at her with a chuckle "The way it was meant to be, that is what I have always said" he grins and hands her the cooked meat "As for the spirits, that is for them to know and for us to find out, once they are ready they will let us know"

She nodded, shifting so that her legs were under her as she took the meat, taking a small bite. "I wonder what it is they want," she asked quietly, her gaze going to the ruins. She was unable to see the spirits as he could, but she could sense them still.

Ardin looked to where she was looking "It was a very big suprise to me the first time I saw a spirit, it was more of a shock to me then the first time I killed" he takes a bite and swallows "They came to me in the hospital after I got back from the ambush, and told me that I was chosen" he looked at her for a long momment "The thing that bothered me the most was that she wasnt human, she looked more like an elf"

She raised a delicate eyebrow, turning her gaze back to him. "And what is wrong with elves?" she asked, a small smirk on her face as she passed her hand over her own pointed ear. "Humans aren't the only ones who die, you know."

Ardin stared at her with a smile "The thing about the Elf is the way I saw her, I said she looked like she may be an elf, She wore strange clothing and armor unlike I have seen before, I looked very old and battered," he rubbed his arms "She came to me and stared at me, then told me, that I would have to change the world, that I was chosen" he smirked "At first I denied it, pretended that I never saw her, but then my life changed, the emperor killed, Me presumed dead, and more spirits visiting me, I soon made myself the Silver Ghost and did what I thought needed to be done, I changed history and ended a war. I will always listen to the Spirits".

She nodded slightly, finishing the hunk of meat she held, wiping her hands clean on the grass beside her. "why did you deny it at first?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side, studying him. "Were you frightened?"

He looked at the fire for a moment thinking "I honestly cant say why, I figured I was hallucinating, I was young, and didnt even knew I had died, and I kept that a secret from the nurses, but after a while I started thinking," he shrugs "My master always told me to listen, even if it is silents I hear,"

She nodded slightly, understanding his reasoning. She looked like she wanted to ask a question, but wasn't sure if she should. After a few moments hesitation, she finally took a deep breath, looking at his eyes. "Whats... whats it like, to die?"

Ardin looked at her, not suprised with the question. thinking for a moment, and let out a breath. "Its cold, you feel you body trying to grab onto anything to stay alive, your sight fades, and you hear something, that makes you calm, brings you at piece." he rubs his arms again and stares back at the fire "But there is a lot of fear at the beginning, and you see you life, in the last moment."

She nodded, very quiet for a moment. "And then?" she asked, not sure if she really wanted to know. "After all that? You've claimed to have died several times.... whats it like, on the other side?" She gripped the hem of her skirt, fiddling with it while she waited for his reply.