Èolith~

I muster my courage and walk up to Teleriath.

"Um, excuse me," I start. He looks my way expectantly. I have so many questions, and without thinking, I spill them all. "What do we do now? Does training start tonight? Where will we sleep? Is this your base?" 

He grunts. "First lesson. Ask less, listen more, Miss Carogon."

I start. "How do you know me?"

He grunts again.

"You'd think I'd know the very people I'm being forced to train, wouldn't you?" I leave it at that and turn to go further back inside the cave. But Teleriath's voice causes me to stop.

"To answer your second question, training starts tonight. We begin with a test."

"What sort of test?" I ask.

"A test of survival. All you trainees will stay the night in this cave with no adults here to help you. If you don't get eaten by morning, congrats, you're in." He answers drily.

"And if we do get eaten?"

"Less village rats to train."

~~~~

Sorry for the short post. I hope I didn't control Teleriath too much.  

Lorcan~ I stand at the point where the road breaks off and the mountain begins. Far above, I can see the moon, looking as though it was peirced by the mountain's point. Also far above me I can see a rocky outcroping that looks, to my eyes a perfect place for a secret meeting. Again, I try to convince myself. If I join htem, I have a better chance at life. A second chance. All i have to do is climb. 

Energized by that thought, I start foreward to where the rocks grow into bolders and then into sheer steep walls. I make it about a hundred meters before I'm forced to stop and breath slowly to get rid of the pain that is building in my leg.  

When I reach the place where the rocks turn steeper, I bravly put my hands into wedges and push myself upward. 

I can stay there for only a minutet before my fingures slip and I fall to the ground. Angry now, I walk sideways, trying to find a place that would be easier to climb up. It seems like an hour, but it was only five minutes until I reach a spot that I think I can climb. As I scan for hand-holds, I notice that about five feet away from me, their is what looks like a block of stone. Carved stone. 

Slowly, I peer around the outcroping of rock that almost hides it, holding my breath, my heart beating quickly. 

On top of that block is another and another and another and they are all making a staircase up the mountain.  The next thing I notice is that they aren't random blocks, dragged up here and mortered togeather, they are the mountain, but cut away.

I mount the stairs, my excitement growing. It's hard work, but It's better than climbing. For a secong a silly notion a flies into my head. What if those stairs were magic and they appeared just for me? I dismiss it quickly and it flys out again. 

It takes forever, but finally I reach the outcroping I was trying to get to. It's empty. No ones there and it looks like no one has been there for a long time. Then I see a flash of fire from a shadow and when I walk closer, I see that it's a cave and it isn't empty. 

~Ever~ 

A few seconds into something that happened five minutes ago. 

"Training starts tonight...." I hear Telaith say. "What kind of training?' I mutter. Curouis I get closer.  I know its wrong to eavesdrop, but its not really eavesdroppng. I have the right to know, about my training and others.  He says there's a test, and if we fail the test well were dead. 

I walk away, shivers running up my spine.

~~~~~~~Flashfoward to the present~~~~~

I walk out of the cave, into the fresh air. I need the fresh air.  I'm still shaken from what Telthaith said. I  am all new to this dragon stuff, except from the knowlege of what I learned from the stories I heard. I sit down right outside the cave. I don't want to go to far out. I don't want to meet a dragon, yet. I'm eager to save the town with the others, but I'm just not ready for killing dragons this second.  

A slight breeze comes. The air gets colder. Starting to feel chillly and a little spooked I go into the cave. As I'm going into the cave I see boy\girl coming onto the platform. I thad thought everyone had come, but I guess not. I wonder what is name is? Maybe he just heard about the letter, but didn't get it and decied to come? or maybe he's just late.

Stepping out of the cave. I wave. "Hi" I call. 

Solia~

I'm late. I know I am. When I'd reached the bottom of the mountain, I saw some people scaling the sheer cliff face. Ignoring the notion to curl up into a ball at the mere thought of it, I resolutely had turned around. There was another path up the mountain. I would take that. When I finally reached the top, I made the mistake of looking over the edge. It was so far down... my vision got blurry and I began to sway. I shook my head to clear it and quickly backed away from the edge. Seeing firelight coming from a cave, I sprinted to the opening. There was a yawning gap in the rock, and I entered, feeling the rough stone on my palm as I reched out to feel the walls. When I reached the cave, there were already numerous people there. An older girl was speaking to a few of them, pointing at a clasp on her cloak. With my head down, I edged closer to hear what she was saying.

"Bronze is for Hunters in Training, silver is for Novices, and gold is for experts." Just then, a man stepped up and started telling us what we would be doing that night- then he left. The older girl left with him, and after giving us all an encouraging smile, disappeared into the night. 

Oh yay!! (Sorry, this is a bit of a time-skip forward to once everyone's arrived and had a chance to meet each other. If anyone else wants to write their actual arrivals and meetings, that's perfectly fine.)

~Aria~

It's ironic, really, how I'm the only Hunter who has ever been a parent and yet I'm the worst with kids. 

The only person under the age of forty I've seen in eight years is Sora, and she was enough of a handful by herself. The mountains are no place for kids, not without proper training. But since they burned our old guild headquarters, there's nowhere to train anyone except here, the Gathering hall. We all have our own places scattered throughout the peaks, our own huts and caves and whatnot, but there have been more of us here of late. The senior Hunters all got here at least a fortnight early to discuss how to recruit new Hunters; by the time I arrived five days ago, they'd already decided to write a few notes and commit them to the Hands of Fate: cast them into the wind, with a powerful spell to make sure they fall on those who are meant to find them.

I never liked the plan. I told Arlerac High-and-Mighty Huntsman so to his face, in a bit...stronger...language than I intended, but he said it was too late. The Hands of Fate spell was already being prepared. We couldn't back down now, and besides, did I have a better plan?

I still think we ought to have sent someone down to the manor to get it into that foppish old lord's head that he still needs the Hunters. Then we could rebuild the guild house, send out a recruitment call the usual way, and that would be that.

No need to bring kids to the mountains, or waste all that time and money on spellwork, or even allow Fate into the equation at all.

It would appear that the spell worked, though. They're here. They're already here, and against all odds, I'm actually starting to like a few of them. Drake's terrific with those knives for a teenager, Lorcan gives his all despite whatever tragedy he's been through (he hasn't said, and I don't blame him a whit), and Làreya...I can't help looking at her and seeing myself. Younger. Less sense, but fewer demons. Nothing has broken her yet.

And I find myself hoping that nothing breaks her tonight.

Everything's been arranged with the dragons. They've been turned loose in the area for one night - anything they want to do is fair game, short of a total immolation from out of bow range, but they know if they try anything the kids will fight back. Probably.

Stars. If I hated the rest of the plan, I positively loathe this part.

I sit off to the side of the cave, with Teleriath - well, more like next to Teleriath. It's tough to feel like you're truly anywhere "with" Teleriath, even if you're sitting two feet away from him. We don't talk. He doesn't like it much. I finger my silver dragon pin, stuck through a loop on my belt. Still silver, even after eight years.

I look over at the kids, sitting there and talking, as kids do when they've just met. They don't even have their copper pins. They could have absolutely no idea what to do with themselves alone in the mountains at night. How many will live to see their silver pins too?

How many will live to see copper?

Enough. I'm a woman of action. Someone has to give these kids a crash course. I get up and walk over to the little group. Drake and Làreya look at me with wariness, Lorcan with a little bit of fear.

"Name's Aria," I start without preamble. "Who here's been on your own in the wilderness before?"

~Ever~ 

~~~Flashback~~~

The boys name was lucon. He was nice.

Flashfoward. "Once...on a walk" I answer, looking up at what her name?. I start t feel uneasy, and I glanced around at the others.. Have they been in the wilderness before?

Sorry it was so short. I need to know more of the plot to write more.  

Lorcan~ Someone call out hi, from the cave and startles me. I jump backward, banging my shin on a rock. Then I walk foreward, brushing past the person who scared me and take a seat by the wall of the cave. A place where I can blend in and see everyone. 

Someone is standing by the fire. I can't see more then their silhouette, but they are gesturing as they explane something. Something about Dragons and this cave and silver pins. 

I begin to tune them out as I tuck my leg underneath me and into a position where it is less noticable. Then I begen to look at everyone in the room. There are about twelve people in the room, three of them older and ten of them younger. The majority are girls and almost everyone is carrying a weapon of some sort. 

I tune back into the real world just in time to hear the person by the fire say "Who here's been on your own in the wilderness before?" 

I nodd and then shake my head, deciding agianst truth or lies. I can't decide. Each may have consquences that I can't quess until they happen. I decide to go with C. Not say anything at all.  

Làreya~

@Esquire, Yeah, I think that'd work!

Èolith~

I've been turning it over and over in my head. How I'm gonna make it through the night. I don't have a solid plan yet. I have no experience with dragons whatsoever, although I'm fast and agile. Some of the others have been voicing their worries, but I sit in silence beside Aaren. I need to think about it, turn it inside out in my mind. This is how I process.

I'm broken from my thoughts as I see one of the Huntresses approach. At first I think she's a Senior Hunter, but I realize her pin is silver. 

"Alright, who's been alone in the wilderness before?" She asks. Immediately my hand goes up. Back in the village, the woods were my only escape from the hustle and bustle of the tavern. Of course, it was usually in broad daylight and not very deep.  

~~~~

Sorry for the short post! 

~Ever~

Nervousness is swirling inside me as I head to  ask to be parnters with LAyra. She dosn't have anyone yet it looks like, and I'm glad. I not afeard to say hi and parnter up with people I don't know it just easier to partner with someone i'm friends with.  

I reach her, and smile. "Want to be partners?"

So whoever is writing as Layra charri do you want to be partners with Ever? 

Teleriath~

After the long talk to the trainees (much longer than he would have liked) Teleriath headed back down the mountain where the rest of the Dragon Hunters are, leaving the trainees to survive on thier own. 

~~~                                                                                                                                         Later that night at the DH cave                                                                                                     ~~~

Teleriath is on watch for the night. He usually is. He practicly has the bood af an owl in his vains. He hardly ever sleeps, mostly because thats the only time when he can be alone. 

"Beautiful night, isnt it?" A voice asked.

"Seems that way," Teleriath replied. 

Arliac had come up behind Teleriath then sat down beside him. They had been friends for 16 years. Although Arliac and Teleriath didnt always see eye-to-eye very often, Arliac had been with Teleriath through thick and thin. 

Arliac looked at Teleriath with tired eyes. 

"I know seeing these youngins is hard for you Teleriath, but you must get over it. Think about it, when we're gone, these trainees will take over for us, and protect the villaige people. Isnt hat what you want? No more people getting hurt?"

Teleriath sighed.

"Of course I dont want innocent people to die," He paused," Letting go of the past is easier said than done."

"I know, Teleriaath, I know. I-"

"Shh! Somethings out there," Teleriath whispered as he gestured tawerds the cave entrance.

Teleriath got up, unsheathed his sword and slowly advance towards the entrance. Arliac followed. As they walked into the small clearing Teleriath held back a scream. It was him. The dragon. They were surrounded by 4 large silver scaled dragons. Arliac was dumbfounded. He also recognized the dragon from Teleriaths story. He had large deadly sharp tallons and two wings that were colored black. He held his head high and his eyes were dark gold. Teleriath's fear quickly turned into rage.

"How dare you show youre face here!! You have NO buisness to be here! Get out. Get out! All of you!"

The head dragon stared at Teleriath, amusment and hatred flared in his eyes.

It spoke.

"I have every right to be here. Just as much as you!"

Teleriath didnt waist a second. He lunged at the dragon, sword in hand, but before he even hit one scale he was pinned to the ground by one of the other dragons. Teleriath couldnt see, scince his head was buiried in the ground, but he could hear the head dragons gravly laughter and the yells of the other dragon hunters. 

Im sorry Cicéla, Im sorry. 

Then the world went black. 

~~~~~~~

HAHA!! DRAMA! TERROR! ACTION!! I LOVE WRITING!! There is some mystery to Teleriath's backround. I thought it would be fun to write in the plot.