Neverwinter Forest but you're still dead

@Eldritch travelling thread! (set for 03/22/2021)

"Would you like to stop here and rest for the evening?" the caplata deferred to her nightshade partner as they padded on near silent steps through the shelter of the wood. It was rich land, fertile, and cloaked in boughs of evergreen forests. Undergrowth carpeted the forest floor in greenery with spring's return despite the chill of the air that signaled the sun would set soon. She might've suggested settling there if not for the fact that they had already resolved to return to Rowan's forest.

The duo were twins in the twilight, dark, sinewy figures slinking through the undergrowth -- Mati's inky nose occasionally darting out to brush against Eldritch's sharp contours or nudge at her in playful affection when they came close to one another. She would have been fine walking a little further but Eldritch was naturally slimmer than she, skinnier. She fretted over her night-sister's wellbeing needlessly at times. Right now, she worried that perhaps the other wolfess was becoming fatigued and who knew whether they would find a better place to camp for the night or not. Still, she said nothing -- not wanting to offend the other -- and left the decision up to Eldritch. 

As they traveled, Eldritch did at times become weary and tired. Her life up until the Teekons had been much travel, but somehow her lithe form recently didn't take as welcomingly to the constant movement the past weeks.

This twilight however, Eldritch felt more alive, tingling with energy.

"From travel, yes. But if we can, I would like to do a ritual for the Daedra this night as well." The Seer suggested, looking to the Mambo to see what she thought about it

Mati smiled widely at her companion, dark plume sweeping at her hocks as Aphelion coiled with sudden activity -- excited by his witch's own exhilaration as the Nightwish's mood became infectious and spread through their tiny traveling band. "That sounds like a great idea," she expressed with mirth, pelt quivering as she gave her dark fur a small shake like a raven ruffling its feathers.

"Perhaps you might like to lead us this time, hmmm?" Aerenys asked curiously, a hint of encouragement buried in her  inviting tones. Perhaps Eldritch felt more capable now, that she had gained her footing in the web of Mephala's making. 

Excitedly, the Nightwish nodded to her companion's encouragement.
With that, the Seer started to search for a good place to begin their ritual. Not just an offering, but as full blown as wolves could get. 

Silently she searched, coming upon a large, fallen, overgrown and rotting tree. 
And within it's cavernous hollows, there lay the fresh corpse of a precious find, rare among nature - an albino deer. 

Eldritch smiled, pleased with her find. This deer may have died of natural causes, but...

"Mati, look at this!" She called in hushed excitement

The Priestess trailed after her night-sister, trusting the other witch's instincts as she led them through the wood searchingly. After a time, they dipped into the cool, shadowed mouth of a cave and prowled deeper into its depths -- heavy, dark paws falling softly. She was not far behind Eldritch, moving to stand alongside the hellhound in order to inspect the tiny, white form that lay at her feet like some gift being proffered. "It is a rare t'ing, yeah," Mati breathed to her companion in her fanatic drawl, mismatched gaze catching the Nightwish's moonstone gems in excitement.

Her eyes might've been glowing with joy at this. She didn't know. But Eldritch lovingly took the small albino ungulate in her teeth regardless, taking it outside and to a raised rock surface conveniently not too far from the tree. Here, she softly placed the white Deer and raised her head to the darkening skies. Rain was definitely right around the corner. 

"Tonight we call upon the Daedra! Mephala, Sithis, hear us!"

Dramatically, thunder and lightning rumbled overhead. The lightning cracked almost web-like, a blink of a spiderweb before it faded into the inky clouds and thunder. 

Eldritch's breath hitched with giddy excitement. "We offer you this fallen beast, that you, Sithis, may take it into the void, and return its soul to the web of the Night Mother, Mephala!"

The storm continued to growl and purr, almost as if pleased. 
And the rain came down heavy then, lightning cracking as Eldritch peeled open the chest of the deer and took out the heart, placing it on top of the snowy fur of their find to let the blood run down, as if a macabre candle on a corpse. 

The darkening blood seeped into the fur and down, running over the rock into the soil below, where then the thunder and lightning roared loudest, and Eldritch, hoping Mati joined in, raised her head further to howl with the storm.

The caplata trotted after her fellow shadow, an excited bounce in her gait the entire way to the rock that would become their altar for the evening. The corvid settled upon onyx haunches near the base of the shale platform, mismatched jewels of blue and purple rising to the stormy heavens momentarily. They had only just returned to Eldritch when again she was distracted by the cobwebs of electricity feathering across the sky like the veins of a leaf. 

"Mephala, ye hear us.." she breathed beneath the rumble of thunder -- which sent a hallucination of vibrant hues sparking across the sky not unlike the lightning, blue-white as the heat of intense fire. "It is her web, yeah."

The Melonii stepped forward to watch with morbid curiosity as her companion removed the fawn's heart in offering, watching the liquid seep and stain the pale fur beneath with blood as black as ink. Her crown of dragonglass fell back, howls joining Eldritch's and the wind in reverence. 

A magical night this was, yes. 
Strangely enough, a bolt of lightning struck the white fawn with a CRACK, sending Eldritch sprawling away with bewilderment. 

She stood with wide eyes and an equally wide smile, observing the splattered corpse of the ungulate with morbid interest. 

She then looked to Aerenys again. 
"Shall we find shelter?"

sorry for the slowness, covid is kicking my ass rn lol. by way of explanation, homegirl is coocoo for cocoa puffs and thinks El has some kind of phenomenal powers XD

The pantherine woodlander nodded, eyes still wide and focused on the splattered remains of the fawn. A chill swept down her spine as they shifted to meet Eldritch's orbs of moonlight -- wondering what this could mean. Even the whispers in her mind could not settle upon an answer nor an explanation for what she had seen. Was it coincidence? Or had her night-sister called upon some divine power to channel through her?

More intimidating yet, was it possible that the power belonged to the Nightwish? What if that was why the gods had called her back to Teekon -- find Eldritch, not to impart the Priestess' dogma upon her but rather to learn of this otherworldly sorcery her dark partner seemed to hold dominion over. 

Mati said nothing as she followed along but resolved to keep a closer eye on her companion -- to decipher what it all meant. 

it's alright! Shall we wrap this one up with your next post? :)

 

Eldritch felt invigorated, giddy, electrified. 
But Mati's silence was slightly concerning this night, and the Seer turned briefly to check on her night-sister. 
She was there, following. This eased El a tad, thus she lead the duo quietly, until they came across an overhang of sorts, a mess of collapsed together trees that made a sort of tent. 

Here, Eldritch curled up in a spot, leaving Aerenys plenty of room to join her for the night's rest.

sure!

Mati pattered after the shadow, much as the rain tapped a soft melody upon the leaves of the wood. Despite her shock at the power she had seen this did not prevent her from curling close against the hellhound in the confines of the trees' embrace where they piled upon the ground. Grateful for the shelter, and the damp warmth of Eldritch's body against her own, the huntress soon fell into an easy doze.